WegenerNet

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The WegenerNet is a long-term project of the Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change at the University of Graz . Since the beginning of 2007, high-resolution weather and climate data have been collected at measuring stations in the focus regions of Feldbach ( Southeast Styria ) and Johnsbachtal ( Ennstal ). The measured values ​​are processed into data products and made available on a data portal for research and society.

Focus regions

Feldbach region

View in east direction into the Raabtal (Feldbach region)

geography

The WegenerNet Feldbach region extends over an area of ​​around 350 km² (16 km (north – south) × 22 km (west – east)) and is more than 95% in the district of Southeast Styria. The rest extends over the Burgenland district of Jennersdorf . The largest settlements are Feldbach, Fehring and Bad Gleichenberg .

The region is located in the middle of the hilly landscape of the south-eastern Alpine foothills . The landscape is determined by ridges and valley floors . The height range extends from approx. 200 m to 600 m. The Stradner Kogel is the highest point in southeast Styria . On the one hand Riedel are characteristic, on the other hand the Raab crosses the region from northwest to east with a valley width varying between approx. 800 m and 2500 m.

Measurement network characteristics

Station locations in the Feldbach region

The WegenerNet climate station network in the Feldbach region comprises 155 measuring stations (153 stations from the Wegener Center and 2 stations from the Styrian hydrographic service). The basic spatial structure is a grid consisting of 150 cells with one station about 2 km² each. The station locations extend from the valley floors of the Raab Valley and its side valleys up to the uppermost Riedel zone. The station height varies between around 250 m and 520 m. In addition to air temperature, humidity and precipitation, additional measurements (including wind and soil parameters) are carried out at selected stations. The basic temporal resolution of the measurement data collected since 2007 is 5 minutes, from which a large number of weather and climate data products are derived.

Reference station in Mühldorf near Feldbach

Johnsbach Valley

geography

The WegenerNet Johnsbachtal covers an area of ​​450 km² (25 km × 18 km) and extends over parts of the Upper Styrian districts of Liezen and Leoben . The main towns are Trieben and Admont . The landscape is dominated by the Alps, with pronounced high and low mountain ranges and deep valleys such as the broad valley areas of the Enns and Palten . The altitude ranges from approx. 600 m to 2300 m. The Hochtor is the highest point in the region. The majority of the region belongs to the Northern Alps , only the extreme southwest to the Central Alps . In the northern half there is also the Gesäuse National Park with the distinctive breakthrough valley of the Enns flowing eastwards.

Kölblwiese (Johnsbachtal)

Measurement network characteristics

The WegenerNet climate station network Johnsbachtal comprises eleven meteorological measuring points, which are supplemented by a hydrographic station on Johnsbach and operated by the Wegener Center of the University of Graz together with several partner institutions. The relief-oriented station locations range from valley floor locations to highly exposed summit areas at an altitude of between approx. 600 m and 2200 m. At the meteorological stations, the focus is on air temperature and humidity, as well as wind and radiation parameters. In addition, precipitation measurements are carried out (with the exception of the more exposed high-altitude stations) and individual snow parameters are recorded. The basic temporal resolution of the measurement data collected since 2010 is 10 minutes.

Station locations in the study area Johnsbachtal - the black rectangle has an extension of 17 km (north – south) × 16 km (west – east).
Station on the Zinödl mountain (Johnsbachtal)

Processing system and data access

The measured values ​​collected in the WegenerNet are fed into an automated processing system, in the course of which the direct observation data are further processed. The system is made up of four subsystems:

  1. Data transfer system
  2. Quality control system
  3. Data product system and
  4. Visualization and information system.

At the beginning of the system process, the measured values ​​are transferred from the air conditioning stations to the data server at the University of Graz and entered in a database. In addition, there is communication with the measuring stations with regard to various device and measurement settings. At the stations in the Feldbach region, data is transmitted every hour. The measured values ​​at the stations in the Johnsbachtal are sometimes provided hourly and sometimes every 10 minutes.

Subsequently, the measured values ​​received are subjected to a basic plausibility check. The control results and their identification with a quality mark represent the basis for the further derivation of data products. In addition to the processing of time-aggregated (summed or averaged) station series, grid data is derived for the Feldbach region.

The processed data products are made available on a data portal. Access for non-commercial purposes is free and includes options for data visualization and downloading.

Use

Many projects (national and international) to research climate and environmental change and its effects, but also normal weather observation, benefit from WegenerNet. Climate, weather and environmental risks are easier to explain and possible economic and social consequences can be assessed. In addition, there are many other benefits for the regions and their inhabitants, such as for spatial planning issues , supply of water and energy, disaster control and regional development . The WegenerNet is integrated in a number of measuring network cooperations, such as the international networks LTER (Long-Term Ecosystem Research Network), ISMN (International Soil Moisture Network) and LINET (Lightning Detection Network). In addition, WegenerNet is a member of NASA's “ Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Science Team” .

literature

  • Kirchengast, G. , T. Kabas, A. Leuprecht, C. Bichler, and H. Truhetz (2014): WegenerNet: A pioneering high-resolution network for monitoring weather and climate. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 95, 227-242, doi: 10.1175 / BAMS-D-11-00161.1
  • Strasser, U., T. Marke, O. Sass, S. Birk, G. Winkler (2013): John's creek valley: a mountainous catchment for long-term interdisciplinary human-environment system research in Upper Styria (Austria). Environ. Earth Sci., 69, 695-705, doi: 10.1007 / s12665-013-2318-y
  • Kann, A., I. Meirold-Mautner, F. Schmid, G. Kirchengast, J. Fuchsberger, V. Meyer, L. Tüchler, and B. Bica (2015): Evaluation of high-resolution precipitation analyzes using a dense station network. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 1547-1559, doi: 10.5194 / hess-19-1547-2015

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ WegenerNet Home , website of the WegenerNet. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  2. ↑ a b Statistics Austria - localities , website of Statistics Austria. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  3. ↑ a b Lieb, GK (1991): A subdivision of Styria based on natural conditions. In: Communications from the Department of Botany at the Landesmuseum Joanneum Graz 20, Graz: Department for Botany at the Landesmuseum Joanneum Graz, pp. 1–30.
  4. ↑ a b Fuchsberger, J., Kirchengast, G., Kabas, T., Bichler, C., Lenz, G. (2016): WegenerNet Klimastationsnetze Feldbachregion and Johnsbachtal: Overview and Examples , In: Proceedings 17. Österreichischer Klimatag, p 138-139.
  5. ↑ Scheidl, D. (2014): Improved Quality Control for the WegenerNet and Demonstration for Selected Weather Events and Climate , Wiss. Report 61, Graz: Wegener Center Verlag.
  6. ↑ Gudrun Pichler: WegenerNet is a partner of NASA University Graz, website, inter-university focus: Environment and Global Change (EGC Graz), August 10, 2015. Accessed on July 13, 2015.

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