SPACE

The Satellite Precipitation and Cloud Experiment (SPACE) project operated as an adjuct to the Microburst and Severe Thunderstorm (MIST) experiment, which in turn was part of the Cooperative Huntsville Meterological Experiment (COHMEX). 11 PAM-II stations were deployed in a wide circle around Huntsville, Alabama, about 75kM apart. The intention of the experiment was to intercompare ground based meteorological and radiometric data with satellite based sensors for precipitation and cloud cover studies. PAM stations were equipped with Epply pyranometers provided by NASA in addition to their normal complement of sensors. The stations were co-located with beta rawinsonde units. Data provided by these stations proved to be of high quality. Initially, however, there was a noise insertion problem within some of the radiometer readings due to the ten-second transmission of data every five minutes. This was corrected by improved shielding techniques within the sensor's cabling.