Summary of GAME-T Data Plan

Following is a brief summary of the data plan for GAME-T. Please refer the implementation plan about details.

Contents

• Overview
• Data Source
• Data Management

Overview

As a part of GEWEX /GAME, the objective of GAME-Tropics (GAME-T) is the quantitative monitoring of vapor flux, precipitation, evapotranspiration, radiative flux, and their seasonal, intra-seasonal, and interannual variation in the south-east Asia. In order to accomplish these objectives, various field observations and data collections are planned and some of them has been implemented. A brief summary of them is presented below. Even though the target area of GAME-T largely covers the warm humid region in the south-east Asia, here we have particularly focused on the activity in Thailand.

Figure 1: Locations of the observing stations in GAME-T.
PostScript file and PDF file are available.

Data Sources

There are mainly 6 data sources relevant to GAME-T. The locations of these observing stations are illustrated in Figure 1. The time schedule of these observations are summarized in Figure 2.

1. Routing rawinsonde observation in the target area is once daily only. In order to obtain better atmospheric data for the four dimensional data assimilation, the rawinsonde observation will be enhanced up to 4 times daily during the Intensive Observation Period (IOP). Two periods of IOP are planned under GAME-T.
   • Middle of Apr. through middle of Jun., 1998
   • Middle of Aug. through middle of Sep., 1998
   The observed data will be on the communication line of the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) in real time.

2. Surface flux will be measured at a few stations; monsoon forest, paddy field, and shrubbery forest in Thailand, tropical rain forest in Malay Peninsula and Borneo Island, and forest and grass land in Sri Lanka. Energy and water budget will be continuously observed at these stations. During the IOP, detailed observations, such as stomata resistance measurement and sensible heat flux measurement by sonic anemometer thermometer, will be done.

3. More than 10 weather radars are being operated by Thai Meteorological Department (TMD). A new system to produce digital composite images from these radars is under development and should be completed within 1997. BRRAA (Bureau of the Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation) is also operating a latest weather radar at Om Koi during rainy season.

4. Routing observation data of surface meteorology will be collected mainly from TMD. They have more than 80 stations within Thailand, and daily values of rainfall, humidity, wind, temperature etc. are archived. Daily rainfall is contributed from Royal Irrigation Department (RID) and Electric Generation Authority of Thailand (EGAT), as well. These two agencies are also measuring river discharge. Hourly precipitation data is observed by BRRAA. Precise radiometers and a spectrometer have been installed at Si Samrong agrometeorological station in June, 1997. Soil temperature is measured at 0, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 cm depth by 3 hourly intervals at more than 30 agrometeorological stations of TMD. Land Development Department (LDD) started a study on drought prediction, and they will observe soil moisture at 50 stations by 5 day intervals.

5. Various satellite data will be used in GAME-T. GMS/SVISSR data is received and archived at IIS, Univ. of Tokyo, and used for studies of cloud, radiation, and rainfall. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from J-ERS1 and RADARSAT will be used for the detection of water surface in the area and the monitoring of surface soil wetness. Vegetation and landscapes are monitored by NOAA/AVHRR received and archived at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). Precipitation data from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) will be extensively validated and utilized.

6. Published maps of topography, geology, land cover, and land use will be digitized and prepared for modelling study and the validation of the satellite estimates. Horizontal resolution will be less than 1 km.

Figure 2: Observational Plans of GAME-T.
PostScript file and PDF file is available.

Data Management

Data will be primarily archived at IIS, Univ. of Tokyo, one of the GAME Archive Information Network (GAIN) nodes. There will be other distributed active archive centers as well. The data will be opened within the GAME-T community after quality checks. They will be prepared for sharing among GEWEX /GAME community within a year, and they will be opened for the rest of the research community within 2 years after the project.