How can the transition from conventional to automatic measurements affect the climatological normals? – A case study from an alpine meteorological observatory at Skalnaté Pleso, Slovakia

• Published in: Meteorologische Zeitschrift (Berlin, Germany : 1992) Vol. 32; no. 5; pp. 431 - 444
• Main Authors: Lukasová, Veronika, Buchholcerová, Anna, Onderka, Milan, Bičárová, Svetlana, Bilčík, Dušan, Nejedlík, Pavol
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Borntraeger 01-01-2023
• Subjects: air pressure; air temperature; correction; geopotential height; normal; precipitation; sunshine duration; water vapour pressure
• ISSN: 0941-2948
• DOI: 10.1127/metz/2023/1200

Harmonizing automatic with conventional meteorological measurements is essential to ensure continuity and homogeneity of long-term climate observations when considering the transition from manual (conventional) to automatic measurement regimes. In this paper, we analysed climate datasets from Skalnaté Pleso Observatory (1778 m a.s.l.), situated at an alpine treeline ecotone of the High Tatra Mts. (Western Carpathians). At this station, two previous climatological normals 1961–1990 and 1991–2020 were calculated from the conventional measurements. To ensure reliable data for the subsequent standard normal period 2021–2050 in the case of termination of manual measurements, a comparative study of the differences between manual and automatic recordings is required. For this purpose, parallel measurements of principal climatological surface parameters (PCSPs) covering the period of six years 2017–2022 were analysed. Data measured by the manual method were used as a reference to calculate bias for the automatic measurements and to derive the corrections. Monthly regressions (MR) and cumulative distribution functions (CDF) were calculated and applied for the correction of monthly values of PCSPs from automatic measurements. Our results indicate that after applying appropriate correction methods, automatic weather stations can maintain the continuity and homogeneity of monthly and annual long-term PCSP series. Although the corrections applied to data measured at Skalnaté Pleso Observatory cannot be extrapolated to other locations, the presented methodology can be used in other places to adjust data in climatological series during transitions from manual to automatic observations, which is indispensable for the study of climate variability.