Abstract: Quality assurance audit program for surface and upper air meteorological measurements in the South Coast Air Basin of California (83rd Annual)
The South Coast Air Quality Management District operates a large meteorological monitoring network to aid in the forecast of pollutant episodes and help understand the processes that lead to elevated pollutant levels. In recent years the network has undergone significant upgrades as part of the PAMS program with the replacement of older mechanical sensors with newer sonic and remote sensing instrumentation. As part of the transition and upgrade process, an audit program was implemented to help understand the quality of the data obtained from the older instrumentation and what can be expected from the new sensors. In addition to a variety of the more traditional sensors for winds, temperature, humidity, pressure, solar and UV radiation, the stations included four 915 MHz radar wind profiler/RASS systems, two sodars and six sonic anemometers. While this paper addresses the audit methods for each of the surface and upper air remote sensors, it focuses primarily on techniques for the newer sonic anemometers and helps to establish some field procedures that are cost effective and efficient for the auditing of sonic wind systems. The procedures include the use of an audit data logging system with a compliment of certified sensors to audit station sensors that were not amenable to traditional simulated test atmospheres. Results of the audits are presented.