CEOP_AP Himalayas Reference Site Pyramid Station

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Regional Hydroclimate Project:

CEOP_AP

formerly known as CAMP (CEOP Asian Monsoon Project)

Reference Site Name:

Himalayas Station Name:

Pyramid Other Stations at Reference Site:

Reference Site Representative:

Name:

Affiliation:

Address:

Via San Bernardino, 145 . 24126 Bergamo, Italy

E-mail:

Telephone:

Fax:

Data Management Contact:

Name:

Affiliation:

Address:

Via San Bernardino, 145 . 24126 Bergamo, Italy

E-mail:

Telephone:

Fax:

Associated Web Sites:

MAHASRI Home Page

Station Location, Maps and Google Earth Files:

Himalayas Regional Map (click for full resolution):

Pyramid Local Map (click for full resolution):

Google Earth .kmz file of CEOP_AP Himalayas Reference Site stations and radiosonde locations

Station Description:

General Description:

Intensive meteorological observations in the Khumbu Valley, Nepal Himalayas, have been conducted since the middle 90's in order to provide long-term monitoring of the monsoon at high altitude. This area, being located on the windward side of the Range with respect to the Indian monsoon, is well exposed to the summer winds. The studies conducted have demonstrated that the region is a significant point of observation both of local climate and large-scale circulation. A network of Automated Weather Stations (AWSs) has been established in the Eastern Himalayas: the AWSs are located at different altitudes, over a 40 km stretch oriented approximately south to north. The observations of snow depth and of the four components of radiation are crucial for studying the feedback mechanisms and the physical exchange processes between the land and the atmosphere, very important in the modulation of the monsoon.

The Pyramid Reference Site (click for full resolution):

Station Operator: Epson Meteo Center

Vegetation and Land Use:

Dominant land cover at the measurement location: Land cover in these catchments is restricted to small areas of alpine meadow composed by Leontopodium monocephalum, Potentilla fruticosa, Stellaria decumbens, Anaphalis cavei, A. xylorhiza. The area is characterized by patches of low brushes dominitated by Rhododendron anthopogon, R. setosum, R. nivale, spotted with dwarf form of Juniperus

Canopy height: No information.

Land cover within 50 m of site: No information.

Land cover within 500 m of site: No information.

Land cover within 12 km of site: No information.

Seasonal land cover changes: No information.

Major changes in land cover at site from October 2002 to December 2004: None.

Slope at the site: No information.

Other notes: None.

Soil Type and Characterization:

Surface soil type: Sand: 39.42%; Silt: 58.19%; Clay: 2.39%.

Soil type in deeper layers: No information.

Surface soil porosity: 16%.

Soil porosity in deeper layers: No information.

Soil infiltration rate: No information.

Bulk Dry Density: No information.

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: No information.

The Soil Reference Group(s) (from World Reference Base for Soil Resources): No information.

Climate:

No information.

CEOP Parameters Measured and Instrumentation:

SURFACE METEOROLOGY AND RADIATION INSTRUMENTATION AND DESCRIPTION:

Station pressure 2m CX115P Lsi-Lastem (Italy)
Air Temperature 2m DMA570 Lsi-Lastem (Italy))
Dew point - (2 m derived)
Relative humidity 2 m DMA570 Lsi-Lastem (Italy)
Specific humidity (2 m derived)
Wind speed 5m DNA022 Lsi-Lastem (Italy)
Wind direction 5m DNA022 Lsi-Lastem (Italy)
U wind component (derived) (5 m)
V wind component (derived) (5 m)
Precipitation - 1.5m DQA035 Lsi-Lastem (Italy)
Snow depth - 2m Snow Depth SLU4/20 Micros (Italy)
Incoming shortwave radiation - 2m CM3 Kipp&Zonen (The Netherlands)
Outgoing shortwave radiation - 2m CM3 Kipp&Zonen (The Netherlands)
Incoming longwave radiation - 2m CG3 Kipp&Zonen (The Netherlands)
Outgoing longwave radiation - 2m CG3 Kipp&Zonen (The Netherlands)
Net radiation 2 m derived
Skin temperature - Not measured
Incoming Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) - Not measured.
Outgoing Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) - Not measured.
Surface meteorological station at Pyramid (click for full resolution):

METEOROLOGICAL TOWER INSTRUMENTATION AND DESCRIPTION:

No data of this type available at this station.

FLUX INSTRUMENTATION AND DESCRIPTION:

Sensible Heat Flux Not measured
Latent Heat Flux Not measured
CO2 Flux Not measured
Soil Heat Flux (5 cm depth; Soil Heat Flux DPE260 Lsi-Lastem (Italy)

SOIL INSTRUMENTATION AND DESCRIPTION:

Soil temperature (5 and 20 cm depth) - DLA400 Lsi-Lastem (Italy)
Soil moisture (5 cm depth). Soil Moisture HMS9000 Sdec (France)

RADIOSONDE INSTRUMENTATION AND DESCRIPTION:

No data of this type available at this station.

Site References

None provided.

Literature:

Ueno K., R. B. Kayastha, M. R. Chitrakar, O. R. Bajracharya, A. P. Pokhrel, H. Fujinami, T. Kadota, H. Iida, D. P. Manandhar, M. Hattori, T. Yasunari, and M. Nakawo, 2001: Meteorological observations during 1994-2000 at the Automatic Weather Station (GEN-AWS) in Khumbu region, Nepal Himalayas, Bull. Glac. Res., 18, 23-30.

Ueno K., H. Iida, H. Yabuki, K. Seko, A. Sakai, G. S. Lhakupa, R. B. Kayastha, A. P. Pokhrel, M. L. Shrestha, T. Yasunari, and M. Nakawo, 1996: Establishment of the GEN Automatic Weather Station (AWS) in Khumbu region, Nepal Himalayas, Bull. Glac. Res., 14, 13-22.

Presentations:

MAHASRI (13 March 2007; Washington, DC, USA)
Introduction to CAMP Quality Control Data System (27 February 2006; Paris, France)
GAME/CAMP (10 March 2004; Irvine, California, USA)
GAME/CAMP (02 April 2003; Berlin, Germany)
CAMP Himalayas 31 March 2003; Berlin Germany)
CAMP Himalayas (6 March 2002; Tokyo, Japan)

Data Sets and Documentation: