Quality Assurance
The Oklahoma Mesonet’s quality-assurance (QA) consists of four principal components:
1) laboratory calibration,
2) on-site intercomparison,
3) automated QA, and
4) manual QA.
In the instrument laboratory, all sensors are calibrated to validate or improve upon factory calibrations.
On an annual basis, the accuracy of several types of sensors in the field is verified through comparison to calibrated reference sensors housed in a portable system.
To make a first pass through the 640,000+ observations that are received at the Mesonet each day, automated QA software includes numerous algorithms to evaluate the data received from remote stations.
Finally, the Mesonet’s QA meteorologists employ numerous manual techniques to complement automated QA including analysis of monthly statistics to detect sensor drift or bias (click on a month and year to the left to download a PDF version of a Monthly Report). In addition to detecting problematic sensors, the QA meteorologists trace the true start time of each problem so that appropriate data can be manually flagged as erroneous. The QA meteorologists are responsible for communicating problems to, and coordinating with, appropriate field technicians to ensure proper resolution (see a list of the current outstanding tickets below).
Current Trouble Tickets in the Oklahoma Mesonet
(For questions regarding these tickets, contact )
| Station | Variable | Date Reported | Problem Description |
| SULP | Wind Speed at 10 m | 2023-03-21 16:32:37 | WSPD reports low bias beginning during hail storm on 03/16. Suspect WSPD damaged. While WDIR data look reasonable, cannot confirm the vane has not also sustained damage. Please inspect both WSPD and WDIR and replace if necessary. |
| WAL2 | Rain since midnight UTC at 0.6m | 2023-03-03 17:27:05 | Primary rain gauge records tips at much slower rate than secondary rain gauge, but total accumulation is similar to secondary rain gauge. |
| WIST | 229L Delta Temperature at 25 cm | 2023-03-02 17:10:18 | Soil moisture values report saturation values as high as 1.08. Sensor cannot be recalibrated. Please replace. |
| GRA2 | 229L Delta Temperature at 25 cm | 2023-03-02 17:00:02 | Soil moisture reports saturation values around 1.04. Sensor cannot be recalibrated. Please replace. |
| BYAR | 229L Delta Temperature at 5 cm | 2023-02-23 20:45:12 | 5cm soil moisture does not properly saturate during moist soil conditions. Current excitation replacement did not change behavior. Please replace sensor if no other problem found. |
| COOK | Relative Humidity at 1.5 m | 2023-01-03 12:07:48 | Relative humidity sometimes exceeds 103 for extended periods after exposure to abundant moisture. Data currently report 110. ROTATION Equipment at Site: TEMP_RH, L0830905 |
| TALI | 229L Delta Temperature at 10cm under Bare Soils | 2022-12-16 14:22:32 | 10cm bare soil moisture sometimes does not properly heat, causing soil moisture to exceed allowed wet range. Prior tech visit revealed that moving soil moisture to different CE port did not change output. Tech noted bad conduit for sensor. Please replace both sensor and conduit. |
