What conditions go into finding a station site that's
representative of the local area?
It's important to locate the stations at sites that are
representative of the mesoscale environment and to minimize
the influence of any potential sources of mesoscale bias. To
do that, we need our sites to meet the following conditions:
FOOTPRINT:
The site should be a flat, natural surface at least 33
square feet large (~10 square meters). Surrounding
vegetation and structures need to be a distance from the
tower that is at least 10 times their height (e.g., a
30-foot tree must be 300 feet away).
THINGS TO AVOID:
The site must avoid large 1) industrial heat sources (e.g.,
rooftops, railways) or any place that produces heat (e.g.,
asphalt, stone, concrete coverings), 2) steep slopes or
sheltered hollows, 3) high vegetation or forests, 4) shaded
or irrigated areas, 5) swamps or other large bodies of water
(or low places that can hold standing water after rainfall),
and 6) areas where snowdrifts can occur.
THIS IS A MUST:
Good site locations need to also have a natural plant cover
(e.g., grass, weeds, etc.), have uniform and low-growing
vegetation (to help avoid either extremely bare soil, fast
growing vegetation nearby, or rapid swaps between the two),
and be available for visits by technicians, students, and
authorities throughout the year.