SGP/SWATS/E8 - Sensor failure, 15cm W

The temperature rise readings from the 15-cm depth on the west profile are incorrect. This 
also causes the matric potential and water content data to be incorrect.

Instrument removed from service 20091110.

• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)

SGP/SWATS/E1 - Sensor failure, 85cm W

The 85-west sensor failed and began reporting missing values (-9999) with intermittent 
incorrect values.

Instrument removed from service 20091014.

• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Soil Temperature, West Profile(tsoil_W)

SGP/SWATS/E5 - Sensor failure, 25cm E

The 25-cm East sensor began reporting missing values (-9999) after 0130 GMT, with 
intermittent incorrect values.  All data from this sensor are missing or incorrect. 

Instrument removed from service 20091102.

• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)
• Soil Temperature, East Profile(tsoil_E)

SGP/SWATS/E1 - Sensor failure, 25cm E

The soil sensor at the 25-cm depth on the East profile began reporting missing or 
incorrect values for all soil moisture measurements (trise, tsoil, soilwatpot, watcont).

Instrument removed from service 20091014.

• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Temperature, East Profile(tsoil_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)

SGP/SWATS/E9 - Incorrect reference temperature

The reference temperature was incorrect resulting in incorrect results for soil moisture 
measurements.

• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• tref
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)

SGP/SWATS/E12 - Incorrect soil moisture

Temperature rise values were way to high (~40 deg C).  Water potential is calculated from 
a rise (and subsequent drop) in temperature in the sensor that is normally ~1-5 degrees 
C.  When the temperature rise is too high, the soil moisture data is dubious at best and 
unusable at worst.  Since this "out-of-bounds" t_rise is so high, the soil moisture data 
are practically unusable.

Soil temperature measurements were not affected.

• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)

SGP/SWATS/E8 - Sensor failure, 35cm W

The sensor installed at 35 cm at the west profile has produced questionable data ince it 
was installed back in 1996.  Once the sensor began to stabilize at 17:00 GMT on 07/20/99, 
it has produced questionable or incorrect values of temperature rise.  From 07/20/99 to 
the present date, 35cm W temperature rise values have stayed within a range of 
approximately 0.8-2.0 C, while the sensor from the 35cm E profile has produced an approximate range 
of 1.5-4.0 C.

In addition, the calibration for this sensor is so bad it is not possible to correct it 
using field data.  The range of temperature rise values produced by this sensor is too 
limited to reliably re-calibrate the instrument.  Under the old ARM calibration for SWATS, 
the calibrated reference temperature change should fall within a range of 1.45-4.00 C (the 
new range is 1.38-3.96 C).  For this sensor, the reference temperature change has fallen 
within an approximate range of 0.2-1.7 C and the calibration is actually adjusting the 
trise measurements in the wrong direction.  

Therefore, all temperature rise, matric potential and water content data 
are all highly suspect from the 35cm W sensor.

The soil temperature data appear to be OK.

Instrument removed from service 20091110.

• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)

SGP/SWATS/E19 - Sensor failure, 60cm E

The 60cm East profile sensor began reporting temperature rise values near 0 C. This 
problem continued until the old profile of sensors was disconnected and the new set of sensors 
was connected. The soil temperature measure was not impacted by this problem.

• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)

SGP/SWATS/E20 - Sensor failure, 5cm E

The temperature rise readings from the 5-cm depth on the east profile are incorrect. This 
also causes the matric potential and water content data for the 5-cm depth to be 
incorrect. The soil temperature measurements were not affected.

• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)

SGP/SWATS/E27 - Sensor failure, 85cm W

The 85 cm West sensor (based on location in the multiplexer) at this facility appears to 
have failed.  After initially demonstrating problems in mid-2006, all variables from this 
sensor began to report as -9999 on and after 7:00 GMT on 08/04/06.  

Note, although this sensor is listed as 85 cm W in the data files due to its location in 
the multiplexer, it is actually the 85 cm E sensor in the ground.  

Instrument removed from service 20091204.

• Soil Temperature, West Profile(tsoil_W)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)

SGP/SWATS/E1 - Sensor failure, 85cm E

Both trise and tsoil for the 85cm E sensor dropped out reporting values of -9999 starting 
on 08/24/2005.  Interestingly, both this sensor and the one at 85 cm W (D040730.1) began 
to report data again June-August 2006.  Both sensors have reported values of -9999 after 
this brief period through the current date.  This problem impacts tsoil_E, trise_E, 
soilwatpot_E, and watcont_E. 

Instrument was removed from service 20091014.

• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Temperature, East Profile(tsoil_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)

SGP/SWATS/E5 - Sensor failure, 125cm W

Both the temperature rise and soil temperature measures of the 125-cm W profile are 
reported as -9999 since 10/07/99. This sensor has been essentially dead since then, and all 
associated variables are impacted. 

Instrument removed from service 20091102.

• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Soil Temperature, West Profile(tsoil_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)

SGP/SWATS/E5 - Sensor failure, 175cm W

The temperature rise of the 175cm W profile began reporting as incorrect with values near 
0 C on 20010817. This also causes the matric potential and water content data to be 
incorrect.

Soil temperature data are not affected.

Instrument removed from service 20091102.

• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)

SGP/SWATS/E19 - Sensor failure, 125 W

Temperature rise values form the 125 cm West profile sensor began reporting values near 0 
C. This problem continued until the old profile of sensors was disconnected and the new 
set of sensors was connected. The soil temperature measure was not impacted by this problem.

• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)

SGP/SWATS/E20 - Sensor failure, 15cm E

The temperature rise readings from the 15-cm depth on the east profile were incorrect (0 
or -9999) This also caused the matric potential and water content data for the 15-cm depth 
to be incorrect.

Soil temperature data measurements also failed 20060502.  No data from this sensor should 
be used at or beyond this date.

• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Temperature, East Profile(tsoil_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)

SGP/SWATS/E20 - Sensor failures

Following a period of missing values (-9999) from 08/05/05-08/17/05, sensors at several 
depths failed.

Temperature rise values from the 60cm West and 85cm East profile sensors were very noisy 
after 08/17/05. These data, including matric potential and water content, were incorrect.

Temperature rise values from the 85cm West and 125cm East profile sensors are reported as 
0 after 08/17/05. Matric potential and water content data for these sensor were also 
incorrect.  Soil temperatures for these depths were unaffected.

Temperature rise and soil temperature measurements for the 60cm East and 125cm West 
profile sensors were reported as 0 or -9999 after 08/17/05. Matric potential and water content 
data for these sensors were also incorrect.

• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Temperature, East Profile(tsoil_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Soil Temperature, West Profile(tsoil_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)

SGP/SWATS/E27 - Incorrect serial numbers

The wiring at E27 from the Campbell Scientific 229-L sensors is backwards. This issue 
impacts the following variables but does not impact data quality: serial_numbers_W, 
serial_numbers_E.

All serial numbers stored in the serial_numbers_W variable apply to data stored in the 
trise_E and tsoil_E variables, and vice versa.  Thus, the user should be aware that the 
trise_W, trise_E, tsoil_W, and tsoil_E variables actually contain data from the opposite 
profile.

• serial_numbers_E
• serial_numbers_W

SGP/SWATS/E27 - Reprocess: Miscalibration

The wiring at E27 from the Campbell Scientific 229-L sensors is backwards. Matric 
potential and water content data are incorrect due to incorrect calibrations being applied to 
temperature rise sensor data.

• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)

SGP/SWATS/E16 - Sensor failure, 125cm E

The 125cm East sensor reported temperature rise values at or about 0 for the duration of 
the specified period.

Soil temperature data were not affected.

• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)