MeteoSwiss Payerne atmospheric observatory
Payerne is the principal atmospheric observation station of Switzerland, with operational and research surface and upper air measurement systems belonging to several international long-term monitoring networks and research projects. Other measurement systems are located at higher altitudes within the Alps at some distance from Payerne up to 3500 m asl (Jungfraujoch). Both in situ and surface based remote sensing techniques are used. The main objectives are the monitoring of a vertical atmospheric column on a long-term basis, the quality assurance of atmospheric measurement systems, as well as the validation of the numerical weather prediction models. The measurements meet the requirements of several international networks (GSN, GUAN, GAW, BSRN, NDSC, EMEP). Payerne is also presently involved in several COST projects and has a close collaboration with several research groups. Location: 46.8 N, 7.0 E, 491 m asl, hilly terrain on the Swiss Middleland between the Jura Mountains and the Alps. Main measurement systems:
- Operational radiosonde station
- 2 PTU soundings per day (12 and 00 UTC)
- 2 RAWIN soundings per day (18 and 06 UTC)
- 1 tropospheric “reference” humidity sounding per month
- 3 ozone soundings per week
- Low Level Wind Profiler (1290 MHz), 48 wind profiles/day, 100m-~4’000m, ~50m-200m vertical resolution
- Temperature and water vapour microwave “RPG”, 144 profiles/day, 50m-~5’000m, 50m-200m vertical resolution
- GPS (water vapour column), 24 values/day
- Ozone microwave, 48 profiles/day, 20’000m-65’000m
- Surface meteorological station
- Surface radiation measurements (full Baseline Surface Radiation Network programme + UV components + surface layer measurements on a 30 m mast)
- Surface air pollution
Additional information can be found in the following web-sites:
Contact: dominique.ruffieux@meteoswiss.ch