SGP/EBBR - Incorrect Units for Soil Heat Capacity (cs1, cs2, cs3, cs4, cs5) in 30EBBR 
Header

The units for Soil Heat Capacity (cs1, cs2, cs3, cs4, cs5) in the 
EBBR 30 minute netcdf header have been incorrect from the beginning 
of processing the data into netcdf files.  The correct units are 
MJ/m^3/C.

This does not affect the data quality.

• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)
• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)
• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)
• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)
• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)

• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)
• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)
• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)
• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)
• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)

• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)
• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)
• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)
• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)
• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)

• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)
• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)
• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)
• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)
• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)

• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)
• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)
• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)
• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)
• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)

• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)
• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)
• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)
• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)
• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)

• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)
• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)
• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)
• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)
• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)

• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)
• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)
• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)
• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)
• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)

• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)
• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)
• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)
• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)
• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)

• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)
• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)
• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)
• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)
• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)

• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)
• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)
• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)
• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)
• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)

• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)
• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)
• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)
• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)
• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)

• Soil heat capacity 5(cs5)
• Soil heat capacity 3(cs3)
• Soil heat capacity 4(cs4)
• Soil heat capacity 2(cs2)
• Soil heat capacity 1(cs1)

SGP/EBBR/E13 -  6 Month Checks

Many measurements were incorrect while the AEM was positioned with both aspirators at the 
same height for comparison checks.

• Temperature of left humidity sensor chamber(rr_thum_l)
• Left air temperature(tair_l)
• Temperature of right humidity sensor chamber(rr_thum_r)
• Right air temperature(tair_r)
• Left relative humidity(mv_hum_l)
• Right relative humidity(mv_hum_r)

• Temperature of left humidity sensor chamber(rr_thum_l)
• Left air temperature(tair_l)
• Right air temperature(tair_r)
• Temperature of right humidity sensor chamber(rr_thum_r)
• Right relative humidity(mv_hum_r)
• Left relative humidity(mv_hum_l)

• bottom relative humidity(hum_bot)
• temperature of the bottom humidity sensor chamber(thum_bot)
• temperature of the top humidity sensor chamber(thum_top)
• top vapor pressure(vp_top)
• top air temperature(tair_top)
• bottom air temperature(tair_bot)
• bottom vapor pressure(vp_bot)
• top relative humidity(hum_top)

• bottom relative humidity(hum_bot)
• ratio of sensible/latent heat fluxes (Bowen ratio)(bowen)
• temperature of the bottom humidity sensor chamber(thum_bot)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)
• top air temperature(tair_top)
• top relative humidity(hum_top)
• top vapor pressure(vp_top)
• bottom vapor pressure(vp_bot)
• temperature of the top humidity sensor chamber(thum_top)
• latent heat flux(e)
• bottom air temperature(tair_bot)

• latent heat flux(e)
• top vapor pressure(vp_top)
• temperature of the bottom humidity sensor chamber(thum_bot)
• bottom relative humidity(hum_bot)
• ratio of sensible/latent heat fluxes (Bowen ratio)(bowen)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)
• temperature of the top humidity sensor chamber(thum_top)
• bottom air temperature(tair_bot)
• bottom vapor pressure(vp_bot)
• top air temperature(tair_top)
• top relative humidity(hum_top)

SGP/EBBR/E13  - Water In Net Radiometer; Surface Fluxes are Incorrect

The net radiometer top dome was punctured by migrating birds.  This alone does not cause 
incorrect net radiation measurements.  However, when it subsequently rains, water collects 
in the bottom dome, causing the net radiation measurements to be too large during the 
day and too small at night.

• Net radiation(mv_q)

• Net radiation(mv_q)

• specific humidity(q)
• latent heat flux(e)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)

• specific humidity(q)

• latent heat flux(e)
• specific humidity(q)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)

SGP/EBBR/E13  - Water in Net Radiometer, Surface Fluxes Incorrect

The net radiometer top dome was punctured by migrating birds.  This alone does not cause 
incorrect net radiation measurements.  However, when it subsequently rains, water collects 
in the bottom dome, causing the net radiation measurements to be too large during the 
day and too small at night.

• Net radiation(mv_q)

• Net radiation(mv_q)

• specific humidity(q)
• latent heat flux(e)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)

• specific humidity(q)

• latent heat flux(e)
• specific humidity(q)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)

SGP/EBBR/E13 - 6 Month Checks

Many measurements were incorrect while the AEM was positioned with both aspirators at the 
same height for comparison checks.

• Temperature of left humidity sensor chamber(rr_thum_l)
• Left air temperature(tair_l)
• Temperature of right humidity sensor chamber(rr_thum_r)
• Right air temperature(tair_r)
• Left relative humidity(mv_hum_l)
• Right relative humidity(mv_hum_r)

• top air temperature(tair_top)
• temperature of the top humidity sensor chamber(thum_top)
• bottom relative humidity(hum_bot)
• bottom vapor pressure(vp_bot)
• temperature of the bottom humidity sensor chamber(thum_bot)
• top vapor pressure(vp_top)
• top relative humidity(hum_top)
• bottom air temperature(tair_bot)

• bottom relative humidity(hum_bot)
• ratio of sensible/latent heat fluxes (Bowen ratio)(bowen)
• temperature of the bottom humidity sensor chamber(thum_bot)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)
• top relative humidity(hum_top)
• top air temperature(tair_top)
• top vapor pressure(vp_top)
• bottom vapor pressure(vp_bot)
• temperature of the top humidity sensor chamber(thum_top)
• latent heat flux(e)
• bottom air temperature(tair_bot)

SGP/EBBR/E13  - Wind Speed Sensor Frozen By Ice Storm

The wind speed sensor was frozen stopped by ice from a storm.  The wind speed 
and residual wind speed measurements are incorrect.

• scalar wind speed(wind_s)

• Resultant wind speed(res_ws)
• scalar wind speed(wind_s)

• scalar wind speed(wind_s)
• Resultant wind speed(res_ws)

SGP/EBBR/E13  - Net Radiometer Iced Over During Storm

The net radiometer was covered with ice from a storm.  Net radiation values are incorrect, 
and are sometimes even negative during the daytime.  Sensible and latent heat fluxes are 
therefore incorrect.

• Net radiation(mv_q)

• specific humidity(q)

• specific humidity(q)
• latent heat flux(e)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)

SGP/EBBR/E13  - Wind Speed Frozen Stopped By Ice

An ice storm froze the wind speed sensor to a stopped condition.

The wind speed and residual wind speed measurements are incorrect.

This sensor failure does not affect the sensible and latent heat fluxes.

• scalar wind speed(wind_s)

• Resultant wind speed(res_ws)
• scalar wind speed(wind_s)

• scalar wind speed(wind_s)
• Resultant wind speed(res_ws)

SGP/EBBR/E13  - Wind Direction Frozen Stopped By Ice

The wind direction sensor was frozen stopped by ice from a storm.  
The wind direction, sigma_wd, and residual wind speed measurements 
are incorrect.

• Resultant wind speed(res_ws)
• wind direction (relative to true north)(wind_d)
• standard deviation of wind direction (sigma theta)(sigma_wd)

• standard deviation of wind direction (sigma theta)(sigma_wd)
• wind direction (relative to true north)(wind_d)
• Resultant wind speed(res_ws)

SGP/EBBR/E13 - Automatic Exchange Mechanism Failure

The AEM was stuck in the home_15 position or reported near zero
home signals during much of the indicated period.

The Bowen ratio and latent and sensible heat fluxes were incorrect 
when the AEM was not operating properly; the periods of incorrect
data can be determined from the home signal values.

On 7/14/04 the AEM was replaced.

• Left air temperature(tair_l)
• Right air temperature(tair_r)

• temperature of the bottom humidity sensor chamber(thum_bot)
• top vapor pressure(vp_top)
• top air temperature(tair_top)
• temperature of the top humidity sensor chamber(thum_top)
• bottom vapor pressure(vp_bot)
• bottom relative humidity(hum_bot)
• top relative humidity(hum_top)
• bottom air temperature(tair_bot)

• bottom relative humidity(hum_bot)
• ratio of sensible/latent heat fluxes (Bowen ratio)(bowen)
• bottom vapor pressure(vp_bot)
• temperature of the bottom humidity sensor chamber(thum_bot)
• temperature of the top humidity sensor chamber(thum_top)
• latent heat flux(e)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)
• bottom air temperature(tair_bot)
• top air temperature(tair_top)
• top relative humidity(hum_top)
• top vapor pressure(vp_top)

SGP/EBBR/E13 - Net Radiation Incorrect, Fluxes Incorrect

Rain entered the net radiometer through a crack in the upper dome and
settled in the bottom dome.  This caused too large net radiation measurements
during the following daylight hours, until the domes were replaced and dried out the same 
day.

• Net radiation(mv_q)

• specific humidity(q)

• specific humidity(q)
• latent heat flux(e)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)

SGP/EBBR/E13 - AEM Failure, Fluxes Incorrect

The AEM failed.  Sensible and latent heat fluxes were incorrect, as well as gradient 
measurements.

• Left air temperature(tair_l)
• Right air temperature(tair_r)

• temperature of the bottom humidity sensor chamber(thum_bot)
• top vapor pressure(vp_top)
• top air temperature(tair_top)
• temperature of the top humidity sensor chamber(thum_top)
• bottom vapor pressure(vp_bot)
• bottom relative humidity(hum_bot)
• top relative humidity(hum_top)
• bottom air temperature(tair_bot)

• bottom relative humidity(hum_bot)
• ratio of sensible/latent heat fluxes (Bowen ratio)(bowen)
• bottom vapor pressure(vp_bot)
• temperature of the bottom humidity sensor chamber(thum_bot)
• temperature of the top humidity sensor chamber(thum_top)
• latent heat flux(e)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)
• bottom air temperature(tair_bot)
• top air temperature(tair_top)
• top relative humidity(hum_top)
• top vapor pressure(vp_top)

SGP/EBBR/E13 - 6 Month Checks

Many measurements were incorrect while the AEM was positioned with both aspirators at the 
same height for comparison checks.

• Temperature of left humidity sensor chamber(rr_thum_l)
• Left air temperature(tair_l)
• Temperature of right humidity sensor chamber(rr_thum_r)
• Right air temperature(tair_r)
• Left relative humidity(mv_hum_l)
• Right relative humidity(mv_hum_r)

• top air temperature(tair_top)
• temperature of the top humidity sensor chamber(thum_top)
• bottom relative humidity(hum_bot)
• bottom vapor pressure(vp_bot)
• temperature of the bottom humidity sensor chamber(thum_bot)
• top vapor pressure(vp_top)
• top relative humidity(hum_top)
• bottom air temperature(tair_bot)

• bottom relative humidity(hum_bot)
• ratio of sensible/latent heat fluxes (Bowen ratio)(bowen)
• temperature of the bottom humidity sensor chamber(thum_bot)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)
• top relative humidity(hum_top)
• top air temperature(tair_top)
• top vapor pressure(vp_top)
• bottom vapor pressure(vp_bot)
• temperature of the top humidity sensor chamber(thum_top)
• latent heat flux(e)
• bottom air temperature(tair_bot)

SGP/EBBR/E13 - Improved EBBR CR10 Program

Effective 20050331.2100, the EBBR.E13 CR10 program was revised to improve the quality of 
the primary measurements as follows:

1) An RMS procedure is used to determine max and min limits of acceptable soil heat flow.  
This is applied to the individual soil sets.  Measurements outside the limits are 
rejected and the measurements within the limits are used to calculate the average soil heat flow.

2) Max and min limits are used to determine incorrect values of net radiation, sensible 
heat flux (h), latent heat flux (e), and automatic exchange mechanism (AEM) signal.  If AEM 
signal is outside the limits, h and e are set to 999s.  If net radiation is outside the 
limits, h and e are set to 999s. If h or e are outside the limits, h and e are set to 999s.

Virtually no incorrect soil measurement will affect the primary measurements of h and e.

By setting h and e to 999s, it can be easily seen that the primary variables are 
incorrect; no other interpretation is possible.

Prior to 20050331, the improved CR10 program was NOT in effect.  DQRs have been submitted 
for known instances of incorrect soil measurements which affected the quality of the 
primary measurements of h and e.

Note: the DQR begin date is the begin date of the sgp30ebbrE13.b1 data stream.  The 
earlier version of the CR10 program was also used on previous EBBR datastream names (e.g. 
sgp30ebbrE13.a1).

• average surface soil heat flow at the surface(ave_shf)
• latent heat flux(e)
• corrected sensible heat flux(h)

SGP/EBBR/E13 - metadata corrections

On 20050723, a series of metadata corrections and additions were completed.  These 
metadata changes apply to all EBBR.E13 data collected by ARM back to the installation of the 
instrument in September 1992.  Please see the current metadata for correct information.  
These changes do not affect data values or quality.

The changes are summarized below:
1) Update of "sensor location" information
2) Addition of installation dates for systems
3) Correction of soil type
4) Correction of soil moisture units (from "by volume" to "gravimetric")

• Time offset from base_time(base_time)

• Time offset from base_time(base_time)

• Time offset from base_time(base_time)