Purpose More Details

The objectives of the OASIS Project (Oklahoma Atmospheric & Surface-layer Instrumentation System) are to advance the frontier of mesoscale and storm-scale meteorological research as well as hydrologic, agricultural, and climatological research by:

(1) Development of a system of surface-flux stations using the 115 operating sites in the Oklahoma Mesonetwork;

(2) Development of a system of electric-field sensors using the 42 sites in a Micronetwork of stations over the Little Washita watershed (southwest of Oklahoma City).

The foundation of this instrument development project is the Oklahoma Mesonetwork. This network of 115 sites has operated continuously since commissioning in March of 1994. Sites have sensors that extend from 10 m above ground to 75 cm below ground.

The source of funding for the OASIS Project is the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program. OASIS represents an opportunity to capitalize on the sizable investment and stable operations of the Oklahoma Mesonet by augmentation of its capabilities in three distinct, but related research areas: (1) surface energy budget, (2) vertical flux of heat and moisture, and (3) storm electrification.

The new, unique data sets that result will make it possible to address a number of key questions that cannot be dealt with today for lack of observations. For example, quantitative assessment of the surface energy budget for the entire state will provide better initialization for storm-scale modeling and will allow tests of the relative importance of surface energy fluxes under various conditions. Electric-field data from the network of ground-based sensors will be used to investigate variations in electrical activity from storm-to-storm, and relations of electrical activity to other meteorological observables in storms, such as radar reflectivity.

OASIS Co-Investigators:
Kenneth Crawford, University of Oklahoma (OU), School of Meteorology and Oklahoma Climatological Survey
William H. Beasley, OU, School of Meteorology
Jerald A. Brotzge, OU, School of Meteorology
Kelvin K. Droegemeier, OU, Center for the Analysis and Prediction of Storms
Thomas W. Horst, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Karen S. Humes, University of Idaho
Scott J. Richardson, OU, Oklahoma Climatological Survey, Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies
Zbigniew Sorbjan, University of Milwaukee
Ronald Elliott, Oklahoma State University