3.1 Climatological monitoring
An automatic weather station (AWS) was installed at the old Mike’s Pass
meteorological site (1860 m.a.s.l) in August 2012. At this site, the
core climatological parameters of solar radiation (CMP3, Kipp & Zonen,
Delft, The Netherlands), wind speed and direction (Model 03002, R.M.
Young, Traverse city, Michigan, USA), air temperature and humidity
(CS215, Campbell Scientific Inc., Logan, Utah, USA), rainfall (TR-525,
Texas Electronics Inc., Dallas, Texas, USA) are monitored. The climatic
data are averaged over 5-min intervals from observations made every 10 s
and stored on a datalogger (CR1000, Campbell Scientific Inc., Logan,
Utah, USA). The rain gauge orifice is at 1.2 m above the ground and all
other sensors are located 2 m above the ground. Two additional rain
gauges (TR-525, Texas Electronics Inc., Dallas, Texas, USA with a Hobo
Pendant Event loggers UA-003-64, MA, USA) are installed at the site as
well as a ground-level rain gauge designed to World Meteorological
Organisation specifications, to ensure the quality of the rainfall
record. Fog is monitored using a Juvick type gauge. Barometric pressure
(PTB110, Viasala, Vantaa, Helsinki, Finland) and ground surface
temperature (T107L, Campbell Scientific Inc., Logan, Utah, USA) are also
recorded. Two additional AWS, one at a higher altitude of 3010 m.a.s.l
(Vulture’s retreat) and another at a lower altitude of 1367 m.a.s.l (OIC
Research office), measure the same core climatological parameters as the
Mike’s Pass AWS.
Through Catchments I – X, twenty-three rain gauges (TR-525, Texas
Electronics Inc., Dallas, Texas, USA with a Hobo Pendant Event loggers
UA-003-64, MA, USA), at a standard height of 1.2 m, have been installed
at the sites where the historic rain gauges were located.