The purpose of this exercise is to get you thinking about and assessing uncertainty in environmental observations, in preparation for the following activities and Capstone Project.
Each Team will be given a set of hand-held equipment for making in-situ meteorological measurements. You will also be assigned an environmental variable as the focus for your team’s contribution to this activity.
Your team will then use the hand-held meteorology kit to measure that variable and will compare the results to the Dale Fort weather station measurements, assessing the sources of uncertainty and error (quantitatively and qualitatively).
Each Team must submit the answers to the challenges E1 and E2 (details below).
Please read the questions carefully, and make sure you submit all pieces of information in the requested format. We will put together all of the submitted information at the end of the activity to see what we can learn from it as a larger dataset from the complete cohort, and discuss the implications for the rest of your fieldwork.
Method:
- Use some of this time to explore the site and surrounding area whilst you become familiar with how your instruments work.
- Based on this initial exploration, create a plan to collect the observations and ancillary data needed to answer the questions and report your answers with an appropriate estimate of the error. Please get this approved by a member of before staff before moving on to making your measurements.
- Implement your plan and conduct the necessary data analysis.
- Submit your results by 1330 BST and be prepared to quickly discuss your answers by 1400 BST during the wrap-up.
Things to think about:
- What specific sources of error do you think you need to worry about?
- How can you reduce sources of error?
- What are your systematic errors?
- Can you use your other instruments to help understand possible sources of error?
- Is your instrument calibrated?
- How do you compare the errors of your measurements to that of the Davis?
- What does your answer to E2 mean in relation to your weather forecasting exercise.
E1. What is the X of St Annes Head (i.e. the region of the larger peninsula Dale Fort is connected to) at 1230UTC?
(Replace X with your team’s designated environmental variable, i.e. temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, pressure)
E2. How does your answer to E1 compare to the Davis Station? Is the Davis Station making a representative measurement of St Annes Head?
Maps of possible walking routes:
For ideas of which route you want to take, here are four possible local routes ranging from 1.75 miles (~45 minutes of walking) to 7 miles (~2 hours and 40 minutes of walking). There are blank maps in the field course Handbook.
Make sure you choose or plot an appropriate route for the time you have, your fitness, mobility and comfort.
2 mile loop (45 minutes)
3 mile loop (1h15)
6 mile loop (2h15)
7 mile Loop (2h40) (Warning: Will be tight on time; Sonde Launchers do not attempt please.)
Note that walking time estimates below are approximate based on a walking speed of about 20 minutes per mile, or three miles per hour; your walking speed may differ – take note of the changes in elevation. The estimates do not include stopping times. The files above are pngs.
Variables Assignments:
Fibratus – Air Temperature
Lenticularis – Surface Pressure
Stratiformis – Wind Speed
Spissatus – Wind Direction
Uncinus – Dew Point
Humilis – Air Temperature
Castellanus – Surface Pressure
Mediocris – Wind Speed
Calvus – Wind Direction
Capillatus – Dew Point
Intortus – Air Temperature
Floccus – Surface Pressure
Fractus – Wind Speed
Volutus – Wind Direction
Nebulosus – Dew Point
Congestus – Air Temperature
Undulatus – Surface Pressure
Radiatus – Wind Speed
Vertebratus – Wind Direction
Lacunosus – Dew Point