Meteorological Sensor Array Designed for Model Validation

One of the toughest challenges for validating high resolution atmospheric models is finding a high resolution (1-km or less), gridded observation dataset that matches the model grid. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA)/ National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis (RTMA) products provide such datasets over the Continental United States at a horizontal grid spacing of 2.5 km. However, for a 1 km or less horizontal model grid spacing, use of this product requires interpolation of the model output to achieve grid matching, which can smooth wanted details in a high resolution forecast-observation comparison.

In an attempt to optimize high resolution forecast-observation comparisons, the Army Research Laboratory is constructing a gridded sensor array in New Mexico, called the Meteorological Sensor Array (MSA). Phase I of this long term project will assemble the infrastructure and execute a Proof of Concept (PoC) Test of the MSA design. The PoC Test consists of five equally-distant towers sampling the standard meteorological parameters and insolation: three 10m towers along a north-south axis, west of a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Farm, and two 10m towers along an east-west axis, situated east of a Solar PV Farm. In Phase I, the process for collecting the measurements and validating model output will be tested using a microscale model whose grid coincides with the MSA tower array. Investigative research into the environmental impacts of a large Solar PV Farm will also be pursued. In this paper, we capture the overall MSA design, the Phase I Test Plan and some of the anticipated applications for the current and future MSA.