The Polar Automatic Weather Station Project of the University of Wisconsin,

Abstract

The polar automatic weather station (AWS) of the University of Wisconsin is a battery-powered, solar panel-charged, computer-controlled unit that measures wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, air pressure, vertical temperature difference, and relative humidity. The nominal height of the measurements is three to five meters at the time of installation. The data are transmitted to polar-orbiting satellites equipped with the ARGOS data collection system. The sensors are measured at ten-minute intervals and three to five values of each sensor are transmitted at 200-second intervals. More than 100 values at ten-minute intervals are recorded in 24 hours. Thirty-four AWS units are installed in Antarctica and four AWS units are installed on the Greenland Crest. Up to 28 of the 38 AWS units are received by the Global Telecommunications System at six-hour intervals.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADP007267

Entities

People

  • Charles R. Stearns
  • George A. Weidner

Organizations

  • University of Wisconsin–Madison

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Pressure
  • Air Temperature
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Automatic
  • Climate Change
  • Communication Systems
  • Earth Observation Satellites
  • Intervals
  • Measurement
  • Polar Regions
  • Solar Panels
  • Stations
  • Universities
  • Weather
  • Weather Stations
  • Wind Direction

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Aerospace Test and Evaluation
  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Technical Research and Report Writing.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers