Study Number: 

1011

Project Title:

Coweeta climate.

Investigator(s):

Stephanie Laseter  E-mail | Tel. 828.524.2128 ext.123
James M. Vose  E-mail | Tel. 828.524.2128 | Biographical Sketch
Lloyd Swift (Retired)

 Note: Researcher is retired. He may be contacted via E-mail: lswift@fs.fed.us
Affiliated Institution(s): USDA Forest Service
Address: Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory
3160 Coweeta Lab Road
Otto, North Carolina 28763 USA
Study Type: Terrestrial
Project Type: Coweeta Core Research
Study Period:

08/1934 - 12/2008 (This is an ongoing core data set that is updated yearly. Annual updates of daily data are provided for maximum, minimum, and mean temperatures, as well as precipitation (mm). These data are available for from the CLIMDB/HYDRODB Databases, a Network-wide LTER initiative.
Status/Notes:

Type 1
Funding Source(s):

USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory.
Abstract: This dataset contains base-line climatic information for the main climate station (CS01) at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in Macon County, North Carolina, USA. The station is operated by the Southern Research Station, Forest Service, USDA. CS01 is also a cooperative station with the National Weather Service. Since May 1963 it has been located in a grassy field NW of the junction of Ball Creek and Shope Fork of Coweeta Creek. Previously CS01 was located about 100m SW of its current location. The current elevation is 685.5m (2249ft) at latitude 35-3-37.21N and longitude 83-25-49.02W. During the 1940s, forest re-growth was tolerated up to 150 feet from the station. In August 1949, the larger opening was reestablished. The high elevation precipitation gage is located in a forest opening on Mooney Gap at elevation 1362.6m (4475ft).


Resources for students about terms used in this study:
North Carolina Climate - Source: State Climate Office of North Carolina
Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory - Source: US Forest Service
National Weather Service - Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)
Location(s), Described: Coweeta Climate Station 01.
Location(s), Download GPS: ArcView Shape Files (shp.): UTM, NAD83, Zone 17 | Lat/Lon   
Location(s), Online Map(s): USGS Topographic-based Maps of Research Sites
(Printable for fieldwork)
Methods/Experimental Design: Observations were made twice a day at 0800 and 1700 through 1957. Beginning in 1958, observations were made at 0900 Eastern Standard Time only. Since March 1968, observations have been made at 0800 EST. All observations of air temperature are made with Hg thermometers and are currently backed up by both replicating chart recorders and electronic data logger observations. Daily maximum temperature observations are recorded as the previous days maximum temperature. When direct observations are not made on holidays and weekends, values are extracted from the chart recorder. Precipitation at CS01 is observed daily whereas precipitation at the high elevation site is observed weekly. Week long totals and weekend/holiday totals are separated into daily amounts using adjacent weighing/recording rain gages. Global solar radiation began in July 1960. Radiation is sensed by an Eppley Pyrheliometer and recorded on a Campbell data logger. Some evaporation measurements at CS01 have been made using National Weather Service class A type pans. However, data reported here are derived from a buried pan 36 inches in diameter and 18 inches deep, providing a more representative climatic norm for evaporation.
Sampling Frequency: Air temperature and recorded precipitation are continuous measurements. Solar radiation is sampled every minute. Standard rain gages are sampled either daily or weekly. The evaporation pan is sampled daily.
Data Columns: Year - Year
Month - Month
AIRT - Monthly mean of daily maximum and daily minimum temperatures; degrees C
AIRT_MAX - Monthly mean of daily maximum air temperatures; degrees C
AIRT_MIN - Monthly mean of daily minimum air temperatures; degrees C
PRECIP_L - Monthly total precipitation at CS01; millimeters (mm)
SOLAR - Mean daily total global radiation; millijoules/sq meter
PRECIP_H - Monthly total precipitation at high elevation site; millimeters (mm)
EVAP - Monthly total evaporation; millimeters (mm)

Missing Data Codes: . (Period)
Publications:

Swift, Lloyd W., Jr.; Ragsdale, Harvey L. 1985. Meteorological data stations at long-term ecological research sites. The forest atmosphere interaction: proceedings of the forest environment measurements conference. 1983 October 23-28. Oak Ridge, TN. D. Reidel Publishing Company, Oak Ridge, TN.
Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites have been designated in eleven ecosystems under the auspices of the National Science Foundation. Meteorological observations are part of the needed baseline data. An early accomplishment of this coordinated research program is a standard for LTER meteorological stations. National goals of the LTER program and the research objectives at each site are related in this report to specific needs for meteorological data that defined the concept and structure of the station standards. Each meteorological station must serve two purposes, support ongoing research at the site and provide climatic data for long-term studies and inter-site comparisons. The recommended standard is flexible. It establishes a core level of participation yet allows for considerable variation in data requirements of different ecosystems.

Swift, L. W., Jr.; Cunningham, G. B. 1986. Routines for collecting and summarizing hydrometeorological data at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory. Research Data Management in the Ecological Sciences. 1984 November 4-6. Hobcaw Barony, Georgetown, SC. University of South Carolina Press.
Continuous records of streamflow, precipitation, and other meteorological variables began at Coweeta in 1934. Since then, data collection, processing, and archiving have changed from tedious manual techniques to computerized methods that have significantly increased accuracy and availability of information. Methods developed at Coweeta have been adopted and applied by national and international research groups. This paper reviews the concepts and procedures developed to collect, edit, and reference for users of these data.

Swift, L. W., Jr.; Cunningham, G. B.; Douglass, J. E. 1988. Climatology and hydrology. Pages 33-55 in Swank, W. T.; Crossley, D. A., Jr., editor. Forest hydrology and ecology at Coweeta. ecological Studies, vol. 66. Springer-Verlag, New York.
Streamflow from an undisturbed forested watershed is the net result of the physiology of the catchment and its climate. In early reports on the research in the southern Appalachian Mountains, Hursh championed studies to describe and develop understanding of climate, precipitation, soils, and topography of these mountains and how they interact with forest vegetation to produce streamflow. The state of knowledge of climate and streamflow in the Coweeta Basin and understanding of interactions with topography and vegetation are subjects of this chapter.
Data Restrictions: Users must adhere to the Coweeta LTER Data Policy.
Metadata: EML Format (XML Schema) | Information about EML
Data Downloads: Microsoft® Excel (.xls)
 Text Comma Delimited (.csv)
 DBase (.dbf)

This is an ongoing core data set that is updated yearly. Annual updates of daily data are provided for maximum, minimum, and mean temperatures, as well as precipitation (mm). These data are available for from the CLIMDB/HYDRODB Databases, a Network-wide LTER initiative.