LANL Meteorological Program: 2020 Data Completeness/Quality Report

Abstract

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) operates four mesa-top meteorology towers: Technical Area (TA) 06, TA-49, TA-53, and TA-54. An additional tower is located in Mortandad Canyon (TA-5 MDCN), and a rain gauge at North Community (NCOM). A description of the meteorology monitoring network is found in Dewart and Boggs (2014). Mesa-top towers are instrumented at 1.2 meters (m), 11.5 m, 23 m, and 46 m. In addition, TA-06 is instrumented at 92 m. The TA-5 MDCN tower is 10 m in height and is instrumented at 1.2 m and 10 m. Data are collected every 15 minutes. Range checking is done on each measurement every 15 minutes; data that are beyond normal ranges are eliminated from the data set and replaced by a code for missing data. In addition, data are reviewed weekly by meteorologists to identify bad data not identified by range checking. The data steward eliminates these data from the data set and replaces them with a code for missing data. The instrument technicians also review that data and schedule instrument replacement as required. Data completeness is determined by the number of total 15-minute records available versus the total number of possible measurements for the entire year. As a rule, the meteorologists do not attempt to estimate data that are eliminated as bad data. Original datalogger records, containing bad data, can be recalled from program archival storage.