Texas Tech University

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Texas Tech Universitys Rapid Deployment Surface
Observing System

• Ian M. Giammanco, John L. Schroeder, Brian D.
  Hirth
• Wind Science and Engineering Research Center
• Texas Tech University
• Lubbock, Texas, USA

61st Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference New
Orleans, Louisiana
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Overview

• Texas Tech University (TTU) Hurricanes at
  Landfall (HAL) Project
• Surface observations in landfalling hurricanes
• TTUs New rapid deployment observing platform
• Infrastructure
• Data standardization
• Summary and future of TTUHAL

61st Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference New
Orleans, Louisiana
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TTUHAL Project

• Project began in 1998 with the Wind Engineering
  Mobile Instrumented Tower Experiment
  (WEMITE)
• Two trailer mounted ruggedized 10 m towers
• Three portable mesonet 10 m towers (PMT)
• High resolution data sampling ( gt 1 Hz)
• Over 100 tower deployments in 24 tropical cyclones

61st Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference New
Orleans, Louisiana
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Performance of ASOS/AWOS Stations in Tropical
Cyclones
(Adapted from Masters et al., 2006)
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Composite KLIX/KMOB WSR 88-D 1400 UTC 29 August
2005
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TTU Rapid Deployment Surface Observing System
Stick-Net

• 2.5 m Platforms
• Deployable in 2 minutes or less (two individuals)
• Self-sustained
• Two instrument systems
• Prototype 1 (P1)
• Prototype 2 (P2)
• Two configurations Hurricane / Thunderstorm
• High resolution meteorological data
• Covered trailer transportation (12-15 per
  trailer)

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Anatomy of P1 Stick-Net
2.5m AGL

• RM Young
• 5106 Wind
• Monitor

Electronic Compass

• RM Young
• Temp/RH Probe

1.5 m

• DAQ Box
• Compact Field
• Point Module
• BP Sensor
• Internal battery
• GPS receiver
• (1 or 10 Hz selectable sampling)

• External AGM
• Battery 180 hrs operating time
• ( hurricane configuration)

• Earth Screw Anchor
• (hurricane configuration)

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Anatomy of P2 Stick-Net

• Vaisala WXT510
• Sonic Anemometer
• (u and v components)
• Acoustic Precip. Sensor
• Temp/RH BP
• Hail Count
• (restricted to 1 Hz sampling)

2.5 m AGL
Electronic Compass

• DAQ Box
• Compact Field Point
• Module
• GPS receiver
• Internal battery

AGM Battery (hurricane configuration)
Earth Screw Anchor (hurricane configuration)
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• Transport Trailer
• 12-15 Platforms per trailer
• LAN network to each
• DAQ box
• Battery charger
• External connection to
• vehicle (PC and Generator)

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Orleans, Louisiana
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Stick-Net Data Sample
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Data Standardization to 10 m AGL

• Utilized WEMITE 1 and WEMITE 2 2 and 10 m
  archived data
• Validate the Log Wind Profile
• Data segmented into 1, 5, 10-minute blocks
• Roughness length approximation using 2 m data
• Zo Z / e( Un/s)
• Where Z 2 m
• Un mean of each data segment
• s standard deviation of each data segment
• (Beljaars, 1987)
• 10 m Wind speed approximation
• U10 U(Z2) / ln (Z2/Zo) ln (Z10/Zo)
• (Simiu and Scanlan, 1996)

Data included from WEMITE 1, WEMITE 2 Bonnie,
Charley, Frances, Ivan, Katrina, Rita
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Standardization to 10 m AGL

• Error ranges for given percentiles and mean
  error for the three time intervals tested

Time Interval 90 80 70 60 50 Mean Error
1-minute 1.679 ms-1 1.220 ms-1 0.951 ms-1 0.794 ms-1 0.595 ms-1 0.229 ms-1
5-minute 1.728 ms-1 1.238 ms-1 0.958 ms-1 0.753 ms-1 0.595 ms-1 0.316 ms-1
10-minute 1.715ms-1 1.241 ms-1 0.966 ms-1 0.761 ms-1 0.602 ms-1 0.263 ms-1
Effective method for standardizing high
temporal resolution wind data to 10 m
height Numerous studies have shown the validity
of the Log wind profile in the HBL
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TTUHAL 2007

• Currently 10 Stick-Net platforms are
  operational
• (completed for 2006 Atlantic Hurricane
  Season)
• 6 P1 configuration
• 4 P2 configuration
• One operational transport trailer
• 15 Stick-Net platforms under construction
• (10 scheduled for June 2007 completion,
  remaining 5 to be completed by August 2007)
• 8 P1 configuration
• 7 P2 configuration
• Additional transport trailer

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Hypothetical Stick-Net Deployment Hurricane
Frances
Stick-Net Locations
SMART-Radar
TTU tower
Minimum distance between platforms 0.75 miles
ARA HAZUS wind swath peak (three-second) gust
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Stick-Net Pros and Cons
PROS
CONS

• Rapid deployment capability
• High resolution data
• Smaller deployment team
• (6 individuals for 3 trucks/trailers)
• Can go where WEMITE trailers cannot
• Cost / relatively expendable
• Ability to deploy later when track is more
  certain
• Improved spatial coverage in landfall region
• (25 platforms for 2007)

• 2.5 m is not 10 m
• Data requires height standardization
• Not ruggedized

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Future of TTUHAL

• Project goal to have 40 - 45 operational
  Stick-Nets by 2008
• Retirement of WEMITE 1 and WEMITE 2 ??
• Real-time data transmission ????
• Stations MUST operate independently of
  each other
• Requires additional funding
• 2 Ka Band Mobile Doppler Radars currently under
  construction

• Secure project funding for continued field
  operations
• Continued student involvement
• Continued collaboration with FCMP, NOAA-HRD,
  University of Louisiana-Monroe

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Questions Comments
Acknowledgements NIST (Department of Commerce
NIST/TTU Cooperative Agreement Award
70NANB8H0069), NSF (ATM-0134188), AIR Worldwide
Corporation, Risk Management Solutions, State
Farm Insurance All who helped make the 24
tropical cyclone deployments SAFE and
scientifically successful !!! www.atmo.ttu.edu/W
EMITE Special thanks to Eric Thoen (TTU) Kevin
Walter (TTU) Rolando Vega (TTU) Forest Masters,
Ph.D. Peter Dodge Mark Powell, Ph.D. Frank Marks,
Ph.D.
Photo Caption This photo was taken by TTU team
member Stephen Latimer, looking south from his
hotel room on U.S. Highway 90, Gautier
Mississippi - 29 August 2005
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