Kipp&Zonen BSRN Scientific Solar Monitoring System - Manual (Page 14)

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im plem entation docum entation. W hether a site is new or has been in operation for m any years,
operators and scientists can learn from each other to im prove the m easurem ent of surface radiation
budget param eters at there own observatories.
The purpose of this m anual is to provide a standardized guide to m easurem ent techniques for all
stations involved in the program m e based on the experiences gained from a variety of researchers
and site scientists. Recognizing that site-scientists are responsible not only to the BSRN, but to their
own agencies, som e of the guidelines presented in this m anual m ay not be im plem ented fully.
Others, because of clim atic conditions, m ay need to exceed the specifications presented. As stated
throughout the m anual, the goal of the BSRN is to obtain radiation and ancillary m easurem ents of
the highest quality possible. This requires that each station m anager adapt the techniques presented
in the m anual to the station for which they are responsible.
1.1 Overall goals and purpose of the BSRN
The original concept for the BSRN developed from the needs of both the clim ate change and satellite
validation com m unities. The initial plan for a global network of radiation stations was developed by
the W CRP W orking Group on Radiative Fluxes (W GRF) in 1989, and refined at two workshops on
the im plem entation of the BSR N , the first in W ashington, DC, USA in Decem ber 1990, and the
second in Davos, Switzerland in August 1991. The form al goals and objectives were set down as
follows:
• provide data for calibrating satellite-based estim ates of the surface radiation budget (SRB)
and radiation transfer through the atm osphere
• m onitor regional trends in radiation fluxes at the surface.
W ith the im portant contribution to global clim ate research m ade by the BSRN, it is em phasized that
countries assum ing the responsibility of operating a BSRN station will benefit significantly from
having a reference surface radiation m easurem ent station, especially in the context of national efforts
to exploit environm entally clean renewable energy resources and, to som e extent, in enhancing
agricultural production. These issues have increased in im portance with discussions in m any nations
on the im portance and im pact of the Kyoto Protocol. The m easurem ents from a BSRN station are
also a key elem ent in m onitoring national and regional clim ate variations, and in assessing the
associated econom ic im plications. In countries where radiation networks already exist, the
instrum entation and operational procedures developed for the BSRN can be used as effective
argum ents to upgrade equipm ent and m ethods of observation, and to enhance calibration traceability
to the W orld R adiation Centre. In sum m ary, BSRN data sets have a wide range of applications
beyond clim ate research.
Location of Operating and Planned BSRN Stations
Symbol Station Name Sponsor Latitude Longitude Status
TAM Tam anrasset Algerie 22/ 47' N 5/ 51' E Operational
ASP Alice Springs Australia 23/ 42' S 133/ 52' E Operational
BAL Balbina Brazil 3/ 10' S 60/ 00' W Operational
FLO Florinopolis Brazil 27/ 32' S 48/ 31' W Operational
REG Regina Canada 50/ 12' N 104/ 43' W Operational
TOR
Toravere
Observatory
Estonia 58/ 16' N 26/ 28' E Operational
CAR Carpentras France 44/ 03' N 5/ 02' E Operational
GVN
Georg von
Neum ayer,
Antarctica
Germ any 70/ 39' S 8/ 15' W Operational
LIN Lindenberg Germ any 52/ 13' N 14/ 07' E Operational
NYA
Ny Ålesund,
Spitsbergen (N)
Germ any/Norway 78/ 56' N 11/ 56' E Operational
LER
Lerwick, Shetland
Islands
Great Britain 60/ N 1/ W Operational