Keith Lambkin – Chief Scientist Valentia ObservatoryUCD Class Trip8 th Oct 2010 From the Heights of Weather Balloons to the Depths of Earthquakes

Valentia Observatory Masters in Meteorology Class Field Trip to Valentia Observatory th Oct :30Welcome Work done at Valentia Observatory (Talk)Keith Lambkin 11:00Coffee Break 11:30International Phenology Garden, Synoptic Observations and Met Enclosure (Tour)Valentia Staff 11:50Upper Air balloon launch and explanation of balloon launch equipment and tracking (Tour)Keith + Staff 12:30Lunch 14:00History of Valentia Observatory (Talk)Mike Crean 14:40Tour of rest of Observatory [Magnetics, Seismology, Solar Radiation and Ozone monitoring] (Tour)Keith + Staff 16:00Close

Valentia Observatory Today Valentia Observatory

MetÉireann Met Éireann MeteorologyGeophysics Solar Radiation Phenology Valentia Observatory Ozone Lightning Aerosol Pollution Upper Air Synoptic Met Geomagnetism Seismology Today

Valentia Observatory Surface Measurements Dry and Wet Bulb Temperature Pressure Wind Speed and Direction Rainfall Visibility Cloud type and amount Synoptic Meteorology Synoptic code DD // N0000=NNNN

Valentia Observatory Synoptic Meteorology Synoptic Meteorology Summary  Standard meteorology parameters recorded  [Dry and Wet Bulb Temperature, Pressure, Wind Speed and Direction, Rainfall, Visibility, Cloud type and amount] Why? To supply a snapshot of the current weather situation, for forecast purposes Climate record purposes

Valentia Observatory 4 Ascents per day at 06z, 12z, 18z and 00z Measuring Temperature, Humidity, Atmospheric pressure, Wind Speed and direction. Member of EUCOS (EUMETNET Composite Observing System ), GUAN (GCOS Upper Air Network) Navigational reference systems: LORAN C (LOng RAnge Navigation) and GPS Upper Air

Valentia Observatory Upper Air

Valentia Observatory Upper Air

Valentia Observatory Upper Air 10 th Oct 2008

Valentia Observatory James Reilly & Valentia Observatory

Valentia Observatory Upper Air Upper Air Summary  Valentia is the only place in the Republic of Ireland that launches upper air balloons for meteorological purposes  4 accents a day Why? To supply vertical profile data to forecast models Used to calibrate satellite sensors Provide Tephigram chart as a forecast analysis tool

Valentia Observatory Air and Rainwater Pollution Monitoring 1.Air Monitoring: EMEP: NO 2 - (Nitrogen Dioxide) – daily measurements EMEP: SO 2 - and SO 4 - (Sulphur Dioxide) – using impregnated filters – daily measurements 2. Rainwater Sampling: EMEP : Na +, Ca +, K +, Mg +, NH 4 -N, Cl -, NO 3 -N, SO 4 -S, Conductivity – daily IAEA: Analysis – monthly EPA: Heavy metals – monthly pH: Daily

Valentia Observatory NO 2 Pollution levels in Europe (Jan 03 – Jun 04) Air and Rainwater Pollution Monitoring

Valentia Observatory SO 2 and SO 4 since 1981 – most extensive record in Ireland. NO 2 since 1989 – most extensive in Ireland Air and Rainwater Pollution Monitoring From Bashir and McGovern 2004 Annual average SO 2 levels for the period 1980 to 2002 at Valentia Steve Smith - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Valentia Observatory Air and Rainwater Pollution Monitoring Air & Rainwater Monitoring Summary  Valentia’s lab (& HQ Dublin lab) measures pollutants in Air and Rainwater Why? To provide excellent background count values for Europe Monitor changes in pollution levels over Ireland

Valentia Observatory Observed Phases at Valentia: Beginning of leaf-unfolding General flowering First ripe fruits Autumn coloring Beginning of flowering Leaf fall A B C D E F G H I Photo: Eeva Kotilainen. Phenology: the study of biological phase changes in Plants and Animals Phenology IPG & COST 725

Valentia Observatory Length of Growing Season at Valentia Observatory Phenology used as indicator for climate change Most species now leaf earlier than in 1970 An increase in 1 o C average Spring temperature corresponds to an approx 7 day advance of the beginning of growing season Phenology Adapted from Donnelly, Salamin and Jones 2005

Valentia Observatory IPCC 4 th Assessment Report Working Group II Report "Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability Chapter 1: Assessment of Observed Changes and Responses in Natural and Managed Systems - Page 113 Phenology

Valentia Observatory Phenology Phenology Summary  Valentia Observatory records phase changes on a number of ‘cloned’ trees Why? Phenology can by used as a climate change indicator

Valentia Observatory Solar Radiation Measurements

Valentia Observatory Solar Radiation Measurements

Valentia Observatory Valentia Dublin Airport Birr Clones Malin Head Belmullet Irish Primary Solar Radiation NetworkIrish TUCSON Solar Radiation Network Solar Radiation Measurements

Valentia Observatory Solar Radiation Measurements Solar / Terrestrial Radiation Summary  Valentia Observatory records ‘Direct’,‘Diffuse’ and ‘Global’ solar radiation  Calibrate Ireland’s Solar radiation network Why? Climate Records Research

Valentia Observatory Ground Level Ozone Ozone Analysis of surface ozone measurements at various sites over Ireland Tripathi O.P., Jennings S.G., O’Dowd C.D., Coleman L., Leinert S., Moran E. Publication Pending in Journal of Geophysical Research Ground Level Analyser Environmental Protection Agency National University of Ireland, Galway

Valentia Observatory Brewer Spectrophotometer #088 Measures Total Column Ozone (DU) Spectral instrument Part of Global Ozone Observation System Automated / continuous measurements WOUDC & NDACC Ozone Total Column Ozone Tom McElroy, co-inventor (with Jim Kerr and David Wardle) of the Brewer Ozone Spectrophotometer

Valentia Observatory Ozone Ozonesondes Ozone Layer

Valentia Observatory Ozone Evidence of increasing column ozone at a mid-latitude station at Valentia, Ireland (51.94 o N, o W) observed through ground based, satellite, and ozonesonde measurements Tripathi, O.P., Jennings S.G., O’Dowd, C.D., Lambkin K.P., Moran, E. (1994 – 2009) 11-year running mean of data for the month of March Level OzonesondeBrewerSatellite Total +2.32±1.24 DU/year +6.6±3.5 % per decade +1.75±0.25 DU/year +4.9±0.7% per decade +1.84±0.25 DU/year +5.1±0.7% per decade Validation of OMI Total Column Ozone using Ground-Based Brewer Observations Dimitris Balis, Ellen Brinksma, Mark Kroon, Vassilis Amiridis and Christos Zerefos

Valentia Observatory Ozone Ozone Summary  Ground Level Ozone Network  Valentia Observatory records total column ozone -Brewer Spectrophotometer  Records vertical Ozone profile - Ozonesonde Why? GLO is a health risk for plants and animals Monitor Ozone depletion UV studies

Valentia Observatory o Sferics : Radio Waves from lightning flashes (10-14kHz) o Arrival Time Difference (ATD) lightning location o Range Single Antenna ~ 10,000 km o Control centre Bracknell o Tolerance set to only study significant flashes o Location accuracy ~ 2 km over Europe Lightning ATDNET Wetterzentrale

Valentia Observatory Lightning Lightning Summary  Valentia Observatory has lightning detection antenna which forms part of a international network administrated by the British Met Office. Why? Provide forecasters with information on storm movements Safety – Airports, ESB, Intel

Valentia Observatory World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) recommended to abandon Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) measurements under the BAPMoN Programme World Optical Depth Research & Calibration Centre (WORCC) 1996 Precision Filter Radiometer (PFR) Aerosols

Valentia Observatory Aerosols Aerosol Summary  Valentia Observatory just started to measure & record Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD)  Potential for a super site Why? Provide reliable aerosol measurements Initiate Climate Models

Valentia Observatory Geomagnetism

Valentia Observatory Geomagnetism

Valentia Observatory Eoin Moran / Michael Crean 2005 o Member of INTERMAGNET – since 2001 o Member of MagNetE – since 2003 Geomagnetism

Valentia Observatory Starting in 1888 – Valentia is one of oldest operational magnetic observatories in the world Geomagnetism Valentia Magnetic Data Used for: Ordnance Survey Ireland Irish Aviation Authority Compass Calibrations Solar Wind Research

Valentia Observatory Geomagnetism Geomagnetism Summary  Valentia Observatory has one of the oldest continuous magnetic records in the world  Monitor the movement of the poles (secular variation) Why? Navigation (Ordnance Survey Ireland) Aviation, Drilling Research - Solar Wind

Valentia Observatory Seismology PS

Valentia Observatory o 1962 – 1999: World Wide Standardised Seismographic Network station in conjunction with USGS o 1999 to present: Broadband Seismic station in cooperation with DIAS Seismology

Valentia Observatory Where Valentia seismic data goes to: o DIAS (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies) o USGS & BGS o European – Mediterranean Seismological Centre o International Seismological Centre o Blacknest Seismology Tonga 20 Mar magnitude HAITI 2010 January 12 21:53:10 UTC Magnitude 7.0

Valentia Observatory Seismology Seismology Summary  Valentia Observatory continuously records seismic activity Why? Forms part of a seismic network used to measure location and strength of Earthquakes Watchdog for Nuclear testing Early warning system Earthquake / Tsunami (future)

Valentia Observatory

Thank You

Valentia Observatory Synoptic Meteorology Synoptic Meteorology Summary  Standard meteorology parameters recorded  [Dry and Wet Bulb Temperature, Pressure, Wind Speed and Direction, Rainfall, Visibility, Cloud type and amount] Why? To supply a snapshot of the current weather situation, for forecast purposes Climate record purposes

Valentia Observatory Upper Air Upper Air Summary  Valentia is the only place in the Republic of Ireland that launches upper air balloons for meteorological purposes  4 accents a day Why? To supply vertical profile data to forecast models Used to calibrate satellite sensors Provide Tephigram chart as a forecast analysis tool

Valentia Observatory Air and Rainwater Pollution Monitoring Air & Rainwater Monitoring Summary  Valentia’s lab (& HQ Dublin lab) measures pollutants in Air and Rainwater Why? To provide excellent background count values for Europe Monitor changes in pollution levels over Ireland

Valentia Observatory Phenology Phenology Summary  Valentia Observatory records phase changes on a number of ‘cloned’ trees Why? Phenology can by used as a climate change indicator

Valentia Observatory Solar Radiation Measurements Solar / Terrestrial Radiation Summary  Valentia Observatory records ‘Direct’,‘Diffuse’ and ‘Global’ solar radiation  Calibrate Ireland’s Solar radiation network Why? Climate Records Research

Valentia Observatory Ozone Ozone Summary  Ground Level Ozone Network  Valentia Observatory records total column ozone -Brewer Spectrophotometer  Records vertical Ozone profile - Ozonesonde Why? GLO is a health risk for plants and animals Monitor Ozone depletion UV studies

Valentia Observatory Lightning Lightning Summary  Valentia Observatory has lightning detection antenna which forms part of a international network administrated by the British Met Office. Why? Provide forecasters with information on storm movements Safety – Airports, ESB, Intel

Valentia Observatory Aerosols Aerosol Summary  Valentia Observatory just started to measure & record Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD)  Potential for a super site Why? Provide reliable aerosol measurements Initiate Climate Models

Valentia Observatory Geomagnetism Geomagnetism Summary  Valentia Observatory has one of the oldest continuous magnetic records in the world  Monitor the movement of the poles (secular variation) Why? Navigation (Ordnance Survey Ireland) Aviation, Drilling Research - Solar Wind

Valentia Observatory Seismology Seismology Summary  Valentia Observatory continuously records seismic activity Why? Forms part of a seismic network used to measure location and strength of Earthquakes Watchdog for Nuclear testing Early warning system Earthquake / Tsunami (future)