Upgrading Weather Station Collection System at Crater Lake National Park

Project ID: J8W07090029

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: Oregon State University

Fiscal Year: 2009

Initial Funding: $21,522

Total Funding: $21,522

Project Type: Technical Assistance

Project Disciplines: Physical

National Park: Crater Lake National Park

Principal Investigator: Collier, Robert

Agreement Technical Representative: Girdner, Scott

Abstract: Oregon State University (OSU), in cooperation with Crater Lake National Park (CRLA), maintains two weather stations at CRLA to monitor climate and study the impact of climate on the ecology of Crater Lake. These weather stations include a year-round floating weather buoy in the deep basin of Crater Lake and a 40 foot tall weather tower on the caldera rim. The stations record air temperature, water temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and solar radiation. Data are downloaded hourly to an National Park Service (NPS) server via a three-radio (RF) network and uploaded to a public website, allowing public access to real-time weather conditions at the park. The weather buoy and rim tower were installed in 1992 and have not undergone any electronic upgrades since. The existing data logging, communication electronics, and communication software are obsolete. OSU will collaborate with NPS to install and program new data loggers, weather instruments, equipment (e.g., radios, batteries, charge controllers), communication electronics, and communication software to continue the collection of important climate monitoring data.