DELIVERED JULY 2007
TRANSMISSOMETER DATA README FILE - JULY 2007
This CD contains level-1 hourly transmissometer-based visibility data from the 12
transmissometer sites (listed below) in the IMPROVE visibility monitoring network. The data
included are from 1/1/06 through 12/31/06. There is a total of 38 transmissometer level-1 data
files included on this CD. As with all level-1 transmissometer data, careful attention should be
paid to the validity interference codes, which indicate a variety of uncertainties in the processed
measurements.
DATA FILE FORMAT KEY
The data file format key for all transmissometer data files is included in this folder and is
available in:



MS Word format
Adobe Acrobat format
Text only
(transkeyNov2003.doc)
(transkeyNov2003.pdf)
(transkeyNov2003.txt)
FILE NAMING CONVENTIONS
Quarterly data files are named XXXXX_T1W.YYS, where XXXXX is the site abbreviation, YY
is the year, and S is the calendar season:
1.
2.
3.
4.
=
=
=
=
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
(January, February, and March)
(April, May, and June)
(July, August, and September)
(October, November, and December)
For example, GRCA1_T1W.061 contains Grand Canyon (South Rim) National Park
transmissometer data for the period January 1, 2006 through March 31, 2006. The average size
of a quarterly transmissometer file is 202 Kb.
SITE SPECIFIC NOTES FOR TRANSMISSOMETER DATA (1/1/2006 – 12/31/2006)
BADL1 – NPS directed shutdown of transmissometer 10/01/06.
BAND1 – Smoke from regional fires affecting extinction readings from mid June to mid July.
NPS directed shutdown of transmissometer 10/01/06.
BRID1 – Smoke from local fires affecting extinction readings from mid August through
September . Suspect extinction readings from 10/01/06 – 10/12/06 (extinction readings too high
and not matching actual conditions) due to uncertain lamp voltage with lamp #3481.
SITE SPECIFIC NOTES FOR TRANSMISSOMETER DATA (1/1/2006 – 12/31/2006)
CANY1 – Suspect extinction readings from 1/01/06 – 5/16/06 (extinction readings too high and
not matching actual conditions) due to alignment being off at transmitter. Smoke from regional
fires affecting extinction readings from mid to late June. NPS directed shutdown of
transmissometer 10/01/06.
GLAC1 – Smoke from fires in the park affecting extinction readings from late July through mid
September. NPS directed shutdown of transmissometer 10/01/06.
GRBA1 – Extinction readings possibly too low and not matching actual conditions with lamp
#3386 from 5/31/06 – 8/04/06. Smoke from regional fires affecting extinction readings from late
June through August. NPS directed shutdown of transmissometer 10/01/06.
GRCA1 – Suspect extinction readings from ~4/20/06 – 9/26/06 (extinction readings too high and
not matching actual conditions) due to spider web in transmitter telescope that was discovered
when LPV-003 was removed during annual ARS site visit. Extinction readings affected by fires
in the park in early May and from mid June through July and again in late September through
early November.
GRCW1 - Extinction readings affected by fires in the park in early May and from mid June
through July and again in late September through early November.
GUMO1 – NPS directed shutdown of transmissometer 10/01/06.
ROMO2 – NPS directed shutdown of transmissometer 10/01/06.
SAGO1 - USFS directed shutdown of transmissometer 6/01/06.
YOSE2 – Invalid extinction readings from 1/01/06 – 2/23/06 due to power problem at transmitter
and unstable lamp voltage. Transmitter removed 2/23/06 and shipped to ARS for repair/servicing
(damaged feedback block discovered). No instrument at site from 2/23/06 until ARS visit on
4/20/06 to replace deep cycle batteries at transmitter. NPS directed shutdown of transmissometer
10/01/06.
TRANSMISSOMETER SITES IN THE IMPROVE VISIBILITY MONITORING
NETWORK:
1) BADL1 – Badlands National Park, SD
2) BAND1 – Bandelier National Monument, NM
3) BRID1 – Bridger Wilderness, WY
4) CANY1 – Canyonlands National Park, UT
5) GLAC1 – Glacier National Park, MT
6) GRBA1 – Great Basin National Park, NV
7) GRCA1 – Grand Canyon National Park (South Rim), AZ
8) GRCW1 – Grand Canyon National Park (In-Canyon), AZ
9) GUMO1 – Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX
10) ROMO2 – Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
11) SAGO1 – San Gorgonio Wilderness, CA
12) YOSE2 – Yosemite National Park, CA