Prince William Sound Sentinel Climate and Weather Observations - Alaska Ocean Observing System
Original (non-English) name
Acronym
Prince William Sound Sentinel Climate and Weather Observations - AOOS
Citation
Abstract
AOOS specifically supports operations and maintenance of the SNOTEL stations in and around the Prince William Sound area and Cook Inlet. Since the summer of 2004, six SNOTEL stations have been deployed at sea level in the Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet regions, and two stations at higher alpine elevations.
There are currently over 75 active SNOTEL stations operating real time across Alaska. Data for all regional SNOTEL stations are available on the AOOS Ocean Data Explorer data portal through the Real Time Sensor Map, including terrestrial-based stations.
The configuration at each SNOTEL site is tailored to the physical conditions, climate, and specific requirements of the data users. A typical SNOTEL remote site consists of measuring devices and sensors, an equipment shelter for the radio telemetry equipment, an antenna and solar panels used to keep batteries charged. The data collected are generally reported multiple times per day, with some sensors reporting hourly. The SNOTEL sites are designed to operate unattended and without maintenance for a year or more. AOOS supports OSRI’s collaboration with NRCS to perform annual station visits and make any needed repairs and sensor or battery turnarounds.