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As in any network of measurement stations,
the Oklahoma Mesonet could not support every kind of measurement
that was desired. The committee that determined the final list
of site measurements had to select which measurements were necessary
and practical given a set of constraints. As is often the case
in science, there was no obvious "right answer".
The first constraint on the site was that all components had to be automated.
Thus, any instrument that required human intervention was unacceptable.
The second constraint was the cost of the instrument. Although automated weather
stations operated by the National Weather Service cost over $100,000 per station,
the Mesonet had a budget of only $10,000 per station.*
Unlike instruments that are used in a laboratory, the sensors on a Mesonet station
must be able to survive through Oklahoma's harsh weather conditions year round.
Thus, it was essential that each instrument be rugged enough for outdoor use.
Some instruments that were intended for use outdoors still had to be modified
to work well in Oklahoma's environment. For example, the design of the rain gauges
had to be changed because, in Eastern Oklahoma, leaves frequently clogged the
rain gauge funnel, thus preventing the rain from draining properly through the
gauge's recording device.
When all electrical needs by the instruments, data logger, and radio were added
together, the average power usage could not be larger than 1.5 Watts. This constraint
limited the use of certain instruments on the station. For example, the inclusion
of a device to measure snowfall would have required more power than the station
could support. Thus, it was decided that snowfall would not be measured.
* [In 2004, a typical mesonet station costs about $21,200.] |
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