What is it about?
Air temperature measurements from “traditional” naturally ventilated thermometer screens have made an important contribution to climate science over a long time and across the globe. Through an experimental study using a modern, force-ventilated thermometer as a reference, we estimate the accuracy with which air temperature can be reliably measured using the conventional technique. The traditional approach works well and in 50% of cases temperatures are within ±0.07°C of the reference: only 2% were beyond -0.66°C to 0.47°C. We describe a correction technique which improves the measurements.
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Why is it important?
Good air temperature measurements are critical in climate research.
Perspectives
The standard approach to making air temperature measurements has changed little since Victorian times: a naturally ventilated louvred wooden box does much to deflect the direct sunlight and allow air to move past the thermometers. When the wind drops, however, it works less well, and a more modern approach - actually suggested a long time ago - is to drive the air past the thermometers mechanically. There are still many sites using the older technology, so possible improvements from comparing the two methods may have applications in improving how climate change is monitored.
Professor Giles Harrison
University of Reading
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Quantifying uncertainties in climate data: measurement limitations of naturally ventilated thermometer screens, Environmental Research Communications, June 2021, Institute of Physics Publishing,
DOI: 10.1088/2515-7620/ac0d0b.
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