Taconite Inlet Project


Weather station DELTA:  Data organization Readme

All data files are in comma-delineated format, organized as columns of values.

Column 1
In all files the first column represents the time of averaging, expressed as Day of the Year 
and time of day as a decimal. Each minute represents 1/1440 of a day, so 0800 for 
example would be 0.333.

Data columns
For some variables, data do not exist for all three years. Therefore, there is a single 
column of data for each year, beginning with 1992 and followed by 1991 and 1990 
(NOTE: two columns each year for wind data only).

Data represent hourly averages on measurements made every minute during the preceding 
60 minutes (unless noted otherwise).

For each variable listed below, the time intervals of available hourly data are indicated. A 
placeholder has been inserted during intervals of no data, prior to and following each 
field season. Intervals of missing data are also indicated, and refer to periods of no or bad 
data (e.g. when sensors were rimed, or disconnected).

N.B. - Before using these data, please also obtain the additional documentation for these 
measurements, available from the Weather station DELTA index page!

Air temperature ( C)
	1992		138.958 to 221.458; no missing
	1991		150.750 to 193.333; no missing
	1990		159.875 to 209.458; no missing
	placeholder:	-99.9

Relative humidity (%)
	1992		138.958 to 221.458; no missing
	1991		150.750 to 193.333; no missing
	1990		169.625 to 209.458; no missing, but note data begin later 
			than the other variables
	placeholder:	-99

Vapor pressure (mb or hPa)
	1992		138.958 to 221.458; two missing values filled by linear 
			interpolation
	placeholder:	-9.999

Wind speed and direction (m s-1 & degrees)
	1992		138.958 to 221.458; no missing
	1991		150.750 to 193.333; no missing
	1990		159.875 to 209.458; no missing
	placeholder:	-99.9 (speed) & -999 (direction)

Global irradiance (W m-2)
	1992		138.917 to 221.458; no missing, but note data begin slightly later 
			than the other variables
	1991		150.750 to 193.333; no missing
	1990		159.875 to 209.458; no missing
	placeholder:	-999

Net irradiance (W m-2)
	1992		139.667 to 221.292; no missing, but note data begin slightly later 
			than the other variables
	1991		150.750 to 193.333; no missing
	placeholder:	-999

UV-B irradiance (W m-2)
	1992		141.708 to 221.292; intermittent missing values (8.1 % of total) 
			due disconnection of heating element within sensor to recharge 
			power source (total missing = 155 hrs., median interval = 3 to 4 
			hrs.)
	placeholder:	-9.999

Sea level pressure (mb)
	1992		138.958 to 221.458; no missing
	1991		150.750 to 193.333; no missing
	1990		159.875 to 209.458; no missing; values are on-the-hour samples,
			 rather than hourly averages
	placeholder:	-9999

Precipitation (mm)
	For each year, the first column is the daily total amount, followed by a second 
	column indicating precipitation type coded as 1 = snow, 2 = mixed event, and 3 = 
	rain. A trace daily total is set to 0 for the amount; however, the precipitation type 
	column indicates a 10, 20 or 30, depending on whether snow, mixed types or rain 
	predominated.
	1992		141 to 221 inclusive
	1991		151 to 192 inclusive
	1990		160 to 209 inclusive
	placeholder:	-99.9 (amount) & -99 (type)