Meteorological instrumentation performance and data quality using temperature, relative humidity, and wind sensors in Barrow, Alaska

A recent instrument change at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility in Barrow, Alaska, has provided an effective backdrop for analyzing issues with data collection and quality following such revisions. Data from before and after the change were compared to a base dataset from the nearby NOAA GMD Barrow, Alaska site to better evaluate issues and biases within the updated data streams, and assess the improvements made in connection with the mechanical update. The parameters used for the comparison include minute averages of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and wind direction, providing real-time error assessment. Not only were discrepancies identified, but a methodology that accurately identifies erroneous and biased data elements using statistical procedures was developed.