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ASOS Surface 5-Minute Data (DSI-6401, DSI-6401b)

Entry ID: gov.noaa.ncdc.C00418

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Summary

Abstract: ASOS Surface 5-Minute Data is digital data set DSI-6401 and DSI-6401b archived at the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).The National Weather Service (NWS) describes ASOS this way: "The Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) program is a joint effort of the National Weather Service (NWS), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Department of Defense (DOD). The ASOS system serves ... as the nations primary surface weather observing network. ASOS is designed to support weather forecast activities and aviation operations and, at the same time, support the needs of the meteorological, hydrological, and climatological research communities. With the largest and most modern complement of weather sensors, ASOS has significantly expanded the information available to forecasters and the aviation community. The ASOS network has more than doubled the number of full-time surface weather observing locations. ASOS works non-stop, updating observations every minute, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Getting more information on the atmosphere, more frequently and from more locations is the key to improving forecasts and warnings. Thus, ASOS information will help the NWS to increase the accuracy and timeliness of its forecasts and warnings--the overriding goal of the NWS modernization. The primary concern of the aviation community is safety, and weather conditions often threaten that safety. A basic strength of ASOS is that critical aviation weather parameters are measured where they are needed most: airport runway touchdown zone(s). ASOS detects significant changes, disseminating hourly and special observations via the networks. Additionally, ASOS routinely and automatically provides computer-generated voice observations directly to aircraft in the vicinity of airports, using FAA ground-to-air radio. These messages are also available via a telephone dial-in port. ASOS observes, formats, archives and transmits observations automatically. ASOS transmits a special report when conditions exceed preselected weather element thresholds, e.g., the visibility decreases to less than 3 miles. Reports basic weather elements: Sky condition: cloud height and amount (clear, scattered, broken, overcast) up to 12,000 feet; Visibility (to at least 10 statute miles); Basic present weather information: type and intensity for rain, snow, and freezing rain; Obstructions to vision: fog, haze; Pressure: sea-level pressure, altimeter setting; Ambient temperature, dew point temperature; Wind: direction, speed and character (gusts, squalls); Precipitation accumulation; Selected significant remarks including- variable cloud height, variable visibility, precipitation beginning/ending times, rapid pressure changes, pressure change tendency, wind shift, peak wind. DSI-6401 and DSI-6401b both contain data from stations in the United States of America including Alaska and Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The earliest data available is July 1996. There are actually two archived data sets that differ somewhat in archival format: DSI-6401 and DSI-6401b. The former is data archived through July 1998; the latter is data after July 1998.

Purpose: To make a wide range of climatic data available to researchers and the public.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: data set

CURRENTNESS REFERENCE: Ground Condition

Related URL

Link: VIEW EXTENDED METADATA

Description: View Source Metadata document from the Metadata Manager and Repository (NMMR).

Link: VIEW RELATED INFORMATION

Geographic Coverage

(Click for Interactive Map)

Spatial coordinates

N: 72.0

S: 15.0

E: -60.0

W: 170.0

Parent DIF

This data set description is a member of a collection. The collection is described in
BROKE-West

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 2006-01-10

Stop Date: 2006-03-11

Location Keywords

OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN

CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA

GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR

Science Keywords

BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > PROTISTS > FLAGELLATES

BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > BACTERIA/ARCHAEA

ISO Topic Category

BIOTA

OCEANS

Platform

SHIPS

R/V AA > R/V Aurora Australis

Quality Data quality good, although high standard errors for microscope counts of microzooplankton, due to scarcity of cells.

Access Constraints These data are publicly available for download from the provided URL.

Use Constraints This data set conforms to the PICCCBY Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

The chief investigator must be contacted and credited before using these data.

Please follow instructions listed in the citation reference at the provided URL when using these data.

Ancillary Keywords

Grazing

longitude

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Data Center

Australian Antarctic Data Centre, Australia

Data Center URL: http://data.aad.gov.au

Data Center Personnel
Name: DATA OFFICER AADC Phone: +61 3 6232 3244 Fax: +61 3 6232 3351 Email: metadata at aad.gov.au Contact Address: Australian Antarctic Division 203 Channel Highway City: Kingston Province or State: Tasmania Postal Code: 7050 Country: Australia

Distribution

Distribution Media: HTTP

Distribution Size: 2.5 MB

Distribution Format: Excel, Word

Fees: free

Personnel

IMOJEN PEARCE

Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Role: DIF AUTHOR

Phone: +61 3 6232 3155

Email: imojen_pea at aad.gov.au

Contact Address:

Australian Antarctic Division

203 Channel Highway

City: Kingston

Province or State: Tasmania

Postal Code: 7050

Country: Australia

ANDREW TIMOTHY DAVIDSON

Role: INVESTIGATOR

Phone: +61 3 6232 3444

Fax: +61 6232 3351

Email: andrew.davidson at aad.gov.au

Contact Address:

Australian Antarctic Division

203 Channel Highway

City: Kingston

Province or State: Tasmania

Postal Code: 7050

Country: Australia

Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2006-03-10

Last DIF Revision Date: 2010-08-25

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