Exploring the characteristics of a vehicle‐based temperature dataset for kilometre‐scale data assimilation

Abstract Crowdsourced vehicle‐based observations have the potential to improve forecast skill in convection‐permitting numerical weather prediction (NWP). The aim of this paper is to explore the characteristics of vehicle‐based observations of air temperature in the context of data assimilation. We...

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Main Authors: Zackary Bell, Sarah L. Dance, Joanne A. Waller
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-05-01
Series:Meteorological Applications
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/met.2058
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author Zackary Bell
Sarah L. Dance
Joanne A. Waller
author_facet Zackary Bell
Sarah L. Dance
Joanne A. Waller
author_sort Zackary Bell
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Crowdsourced vehicle‐based observations have the potential to improve forecast skill in convection‐permitting numerical weather prediction (NWP). The aim of this paper is to explore the characteristics of vehicle‐based observations of air temperature in the context of data assimilation. We describe a novel low‐precision vehicle‐based observation dataset obtained from a Met Office proof‐of‐concept trial. In this trial, observations of air temperature were obtained from built‐in vehicle air‐temperature sensors, broadcast to an application on the participant's smartphone, and uploaded, with relevant metadata, to the Met Office servers. We discuss the instrument and representation uncertainties associated with vehicle‐based observations and present a new quality‐control procedure. It is shown that, for some observations, location metadata may be inaccurate due to unsuitable smartphone application settings. The characteristics of the data that passed quality control are examined through comparison with United Kingdom variable‐resolution model data, roadside weather information station observations, and Met Office integrated data archive system observations. Our results show that the uncertainty associated with vehicle‐based observation‐minus‐model comparisons is likely to be weather‐dependent and possibly vehicle‐dependent. Despite the low precision of the data, vehicle‐based observations of air temperature could be a useful source of spatially‐dense and temporally‐frequent observations for NWP.
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spelling doaj.art-f15cfd0bb53c4236956782f1acc801f52022-12-22T00:32:22ZengWileyMeteorological Applications1350-48271469-80802022-05-01293n/an/a10.1002/met.2058Exploring the characteristics of a vehicle‐based temperature dataset for kilometre‐scale data assimilationZackary Bell0Sarah L. Dance1Joanne A. Waller2Department of Meteorology University of Reading Reading UKDepartment of Meteorology University of Reading Reading UKMet Office@Reading University of Reading Reading UKAbstract Crowdsourced vehicle‐based observations have the potential to improve forecast skill in convection‐permitting numerical weather prediction (NWP). The aim of this paper is to explore the characteristics of vehicle‐based observations of air temperature in the context of data assimilation. We describe a novel low‐precision vehicle‐based observation dataset obtained from a Met Office proof‐of‐concept trial. In this trial, observations of air temperature were obtained from built‐in vehicle air‐temperature sensors, broadcast to an application on the participant's smartphone, and uploaded, with relevant metadata, to the Met Office servers. We discuss the instrument and representation uncertainties associated with vehicle‐based observations and present a new quality‐control procedure. It is shown that, for some observations, location metadata may be inaccurate due to unsuitable smartphone application settings. The characteristics of the data that passed quality control are examined through comparison with United Kingdom variable‐resolution model data, roadside weather information station observations, and Met Office integrated data archive system observations. Our results show that the uncertainty associated with vehicle‐based observation‐minus‐model comparisons is likely to be weather‐dependent and possibly vehicle‐dependent. Despite the low precision of the data, vehicle‐based observations of air temperature could be a useful source of spatially‐dense and temporally‐frequent observations for NWP.https://doi.org/10.1002/met.2058crowdsourced datadata assimilationdataset of opportunitykm‐scale numerical weather predictionquality controlroad‐surface energy balance
spellingShingle Zackary Bell
Sarah L. Dance
Joanne A. Waller
Exploring the characteristics of a vehicle‐based temperature dataset for kilometre‐scale data assimilation
Meteorological Applications
crowdsourced data
data assimilation
dataset of opportunity
km‐scale numerical weather prediction
quality control
road‐surface energy balance
title Exploring the characteristics of a vehicle‐based temperature dataset for kilometre‐scale data assimilation
title_full Exploring the characteristics of a vehicle‐based temperature dataset for kilometre‐scale data assimilation
title_fullStr Exploring the characteristics of a vehicle‐based temperature dataset for kilometre‐scale data assimilation
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the characteristics of a vehicle‐based temperature dataset for kilometre‐scale data assimilation
title_short Exploring the characteristics of a vehicle‐based temperature dataset for kilometre‐scale data assimilation
title_sort exploring the characteristics of a vehicle based temperature dataset for kilometre scale data assimilation
topic crowdsourced data
data assimilation
dataset of opportunity
km‐scale numerical weather prediction
quality control
road‐surface energy balance
url https://doi.org/10.1002/met.2058
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AT joanneawaller exploringthecharacteristicsofavehiclebasedtemperaturedatasetforkilometrescaledataassimilation