Page 60 - GIS for Science Technology Showcases
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CLIMATE DATA FOR THE GIS COMMUNITY
A global network of high-tech weather stations measures conditions every hour or even every few seconds—and stores and archives those measurements in databases. The data gathered by this network is the basis for how we know the normal daily temperatures and the record highs and lows. We also use this data to determine the best time to plant wheat or when to watch for frost or freezing conditions that could harm blooms on fruit trees. We depend on this data for many other reasons, including human health, cost of living, risk analysis of extreme weather, and more.
Historically, weather and climate data have been difficult to use in GIS. Often, weather data was only presented as tables, without station location information. With GIS, location is integrated with the weather and climate data, allowing each weather station to serve as an individual database.
As a result, annual and monthly summarizations of global climate records are starting to appear in GIS. This map and related graphs are examples of presenting National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) historical climate data with GIS.
Mapping a global network of weather stations
Charlie Frye, Esri
194 GIS for Science