The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

A statistical determination of the random observational errors present in Voluntary Observing Ships meteorological reports

A statistical determination of the random observational errors present in Voluntary Observing Ships meteorological reports
A statistical determination of the random observational errors present in Voluntary Observing Ships meteorological reports
The random observational errors for meteorological variables within the Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Dataset (COADS) have been determined using the semivariogram statistical technique. The error variance has been calculated using four months of data, spanning summer and winter months and the start and end of the dataset. The random errors found range from 1.3 to 2.8 m s?1 for 10-m-corrected wind speed, 1.2 to 7.1 mb for surface pressure, 0.8° to 3.3°C for 10-m air temperature, 0.4° to 2.8°C for sea surface temperature, and 0.6 to 1.8 g kg?1 for 10-m specific humidity. The air temperature and specific humidity random observational errors contain a dependence on their mean values, but correlations between errors and mean values are low for the other variables analyzed. The accuracy of the error estimates increases with the number of observational data pairs used in the analysis. Wind speed random observational errors were reduced by height correction and by the use of the Lindau Beaufort Scale.
0739-0572
905-914
Kent, E.C.
ea23f6f0-ccf6-4702-a5c9-184e9c5d4427
Challenor, P.G.
a7e71e56-8391-442c-b140-6e4b90c33547
Taylor, P.K.
3ef27388-c14e-4f4b-85fc-97bb17d089d2
Kent, E.C.
ea23f6f0-ccf6-4702-a5c9-184e9c5d4427
Challenor, P.G.
a7e71e56-8391-442c-b140-6e4b90c33547
Taylor, P.K.
3ef27388-c14e-4f4b-85fc-97bb17d089d2

Kent, E.C., Challenor, P.G. and Taylor, P.K. (1999) A statistical determination of the random observational errors present in Voluntary Observing Ships meteorological reports. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 16 (7), 905-914. (doi:10.1175/1520-0426(1999)016<0905:ASDOTR>2.0.CO;2).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The random observational errors for meteorological variables within the Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Dataset (COADS) have been determined using the semivariogram statistical technique. The error variance has been calculated using four months of data, spanning summer and winter months and the start and end of the dataset. The random errors found range from 1.3 to 2.8 m s?1 for 10-m-corrected wind speed, 1.2 to 7.1 mb for surface pressure, 0.8° to 3.3°C for 10-m air temperature, 0.4° to 2.8°C for sea surface temperature, and 0.6 to 1.8 g kg?1 for 10-m specific humidity. The air temperature and specific humidity random observational errors contain a dependence on their mean values, but correlations between errors and mean values are low for the other variables analyzed. The accuracy of the error estimates increases with the number of observational data pairs used in the analysis. Wind speed random observational errors were reduced by height correction and by the use of the Lindau Beaufort Scale.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: July 1999

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 50053
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/50053
ISSN: 0739-0572
PURE UUID: 29f4af17-de2f-4552-9a6a-43fff9f7b58b

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 16 Jan 2008
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 10:02

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: E.C. Kent
Author: P.G. Challenor
Author: P.K. Taylor

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×