Elements and characteristics of automatic weather station observations

An automatic weather station is a device used to measure and record meteorological parameters in an automated manner. It usually includes a variety of sensors for monitoring various meteorological elements in the atmosphere, such as temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, solar radiation and so on. These sensors collect weather data on a regular or real-time basis and transmit the data to a central processing unit or a connected data platform for storage and analysis.

The automatic weather station consists of meteorological sensors, microcomputer meteorological data collector, power supply system, radiation-proof ventilated cover, all-weather protective box and meteorological observation stand, communication module and other parts. It is able to monitor various meteorological elements on-site in all-weather, and connect with computer through professional supporting data acquisition communication line, and transmit data to meteorological database of meteorological computer for statistical analysis and processing.

The main functions and features of automatic weather station include:

1. real-time monitoring: automatic weather station can continuously and uninterruptedly monitor meteorological parameters and provide accurate real-time data.

2. Multi-parameter Measurement: It can simultaneously measure a variety of meteorological elements, such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, precipitation, etc., providing comprehensive data support for meteorological research and weather forecasting.

3. Automated Data Recording: Weather stations automatically record and store weather data, reducing manual intervention and ensuring data accuracy and continuity.

4. Remote Data Transmission: Many automatic weather stations can transmit data remotely to data centers or cloud platforms through wireless networks or the Internet to realize remote monitoring and data sharing.

5. Wide application: Automatic weather stations are widely used in agriculture, meteorological science, energy management, transportation and other fields, providing important weather information for decision-making in various industries.

The development of automatic weather station makes the acquisition of meteorological data more convenient and accurate, and plays an important role in agricultural production, disaster warning, urban planning and other fields.

The elements observed by automatic weather stations mainly include:

1. temperature: temperature sensors are usually platinum resistance temperature sensors (PT100 or PT1000), using the characteristics of platinum resistance with temperature change to measure temperature.

2. humidity: humidity sensors usually use capacitive humidity sensors, which calculate relative humidity by measuring the change in capacitance of the air.

3. wind speed and direction: wind speed and direction are usually measured using a wind cup wind speed sensor and wind vane. The speed of rotation of the cup is proportional to the wind speed, while the vane indicates the direction of the wind.

4. Precipitation: Precipitation sensors are generally rain gauges, which are divided into two types: tipping bucket type and capacity grid type. Bucket type rain gauge by counting the number of times the raindrops make the bucket turn over to measure precipitation, and the capacity of the grid type rain gauge by measuring the volume of rain to calculate the amount of precipitation.

5. Barometric pressure: barometric pressure sensors generally use pressure sensors, by measuring the change in atmospheric pressure to reflect the value of barometric pressure. Commonly, there are metal film type barometric pressure sensor and silicon resonance type barometric pressure sensor.

6. Radiation: Radiation sensors are used to measure solar radiation, including total radiation, direct radiation and scattered radiation. Common radiation sensors are thermopile type and silicon photocell type.

7. Soil elements: Soil sensors are used to measure soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil fertility. Common soil temperature sensors are thermistor type and soil moisture sensors are capacitive and resistive type.

8. Visibility: Visibility sensors generally use the principle of scattered light to calculate visibility by measuring the scattering of light by particulate matter in the atmosphere.

9. Radar: Radar sensors are mainly used to detect precipitation particles in the atmosphere, and analyze radar echoes to obtain information on the intensity and distribution of precipitation.

These sensors for observing elements have their own advantages and disadvantages, and the selection should be based on the actual needs and observation environment for comprehensive consideration.