Weather Station

The Lake Thoreau weather station provides research-grade, near real-time environmental data to the USM campus community.  For all sensors, 1-minute averages are logged and transmitted via a cellular modem to display centers located in Walker Science Building  (USM main campus), as well as the Lake Thoreau Environmental Center (forthcoming).  Students and faculty alike have access to these data, which helps support a wide variety of environmental research at Lake Thoreau.  The specifications of the station are below:

 

Sensors:

RM Young 05103 - Wind monitor (wind speed and direction)

Campbell NR-LITE2 – net radiometer

Rotronic HygroClip2 HC2s3 – Temperature and RH probe

Vaisala PTB110 CS106 – Barometer

Texas Electronics TE525WS – 0.01 inch tip, rain gauge

 

Power:

Campbell SP20 solar panel

Campbell CH100-SW regulator

Campbell BP 24 12v sealed battery

 

Communications:

Campbell CR800 Datalogger

AirLink – Raven XTG GPRS Cellular modem

 

Lightning protection:

Lightning Master Candelabra Air Terminal 72” (LM-CA-72C) – static dissipater

 

 

This station was made possible through joint funding from USM Department of Geography and Geology, USM Department of Biological Sciences, USM College of Science and Technology, USM Office of the Vice-President for Research, and a grant from the Aubrey and Ella Lucas Endowment for Faculty Excellence.  Dr. Andy Reese, Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Geography and Geology at The University of Southern Mississippi, currently oversees this station.