The Bright Idea
I re-hacked the ‘by latitude’ program to figure out what percentage of stations are at airports and report that. This is a bit hobbled by the primitive data structure of the “station inventory” file. It only stores an “Airstation” flag for the current state. Because of this, any given location that was an open field in 1890 but became an airport in 1970 will show up as an airport in 1890. Basically, any trend to “more airports” is understated. Many of the early “airports” are likely old military army fields that eventually got an airport added in later years.
With that caveat, the charts are rather interesting. I’ll be adding more of these over time. This is just the first cut. Well, not completely the first cut, we did look at airports in a different way in 3 earlier postings.
This one does an aggregate of all the data by a few limited climate bands and as a total of all data.
https://chiefio.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/agw-gistemp-measure-jet-age-airport-growth/
And these two look at how GIStemp uses those airports as pristine “rural” areas to adjust other areas for Urban Heat Island Effect. A completely broken behaviour.
https://chiefio.wordpress.com/2009/08/23/gistemp-fixes-uhi-using-airports-as-rural/
https://chiefio.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/most-used-rural-airport-for-uhi-adj/
But it is the first time for this particular report.
The Pacific, New Zealand, and Australia
One would expect to find a lot of airports on islands. Much more than in, say, Europe where there are many passenger rail services. The actual numbers were a bit startling anyway. Here is the entire “5” region, that includes the Pacific basin (exclusive of Hawaii and Japan). Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Philippines, and all those lovely pacific islands.
Year SP -35 -30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 5 10 -NP
DArPct: 1839 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0100.0 0.0 0.0100.0
DArPct: 1849 81.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 18.2 0.0 0.0100.0
DArPct: 1859 27.8 16.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 44.4
DArPct: 1869 13.3 8.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 21.7
DArPct: 1879 12.9 4.0 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.4 0.0 0.0 19.7
DArPct: 1889 8.4 2.1 0.2 2.9 0.0 1.7 0.0 1.5 2.1 1.5 20.4
DArPct: 1899 6.8 1.5 0.4 3.5 0.0 1.5 0.0 1.3 0.9 2.6 18.5
DArPct: 1909 4.9 1.2 0.4 1.9 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.7 0.4 1.2 12.6
DArPct: 1919 3.1 2.1 1.3 2.6 1.2 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.4 0.8 13.0
DArPct: 1929 2.5 2.2 1.3 2.5 1.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.9 1.0 13.1
DArPct: 1939 2.4 2.4 1.4 2.3 2.4 0.6 0.7 1.1 1.8 1.0 16.1
DArPct: 1949 3.9 3.8 2.6 3.1 3.1 1.0 1.0 1.3 1.1 1.0 21.8
DArPct: 1959 4.6 4.1 3.1 3.9 3.1 1.8 2.8 3.8 4.5 4.5 36.1
DArPct: 1969 4.9 4.5 2.8 4.0 2.9 2.6 5.8 8.3 4.1 4.2 44.2
DArPct: 1979 5.6 5.3 2.9 4.0 3.7 3.3 3.6 5.4 3.6 3.4 40.8
DArPct: 1989 5.9 6.3 3.4 4.6 4.5 3.8 3.6 4.3 3.6 2.6 42.7
DArPct: 1999 7.6 7.2 4.0 6.3 5.1 3.9 3.2 5.3 6.1 3.5 52.2
DArPct: 2009 10.7 8.3 5.1 7.8 5.6 4.8 4.1 11.1 9.4 4.5 71.3
For COUNTRY CODE: 5
From source ./vetted/v2.inv.id.withlat
The right most column is the percentage of total thermometer stations that had the “A” for Airstn flag set for the stations present in that year. (Some airports do not have the flag set, so these numbers will be low to some extent.) We can see the bogus value of 100% of stations being Airports in the decade ending in 1839. That just means that that particular station is an airport NOW, but was something else then. In 1909 we have a bit over 12% Airports. So we’ve added a lot of thermometers at places that never become an airport. From that point on, the percentage of thermometers at airports climbs. We end at 71.3% of all thermometers in the Pacific Basin are at airports. Kind of hard to find a “rural reference station” for urban heat island correction when everything is tarmac, parking lots, jet exhaust, and terminal buildings…
The other values show the percentage of the total thermometers for that region that are airports. This lets us see if there is any particular geographic bias to the airports. In this case, the cooler bottom band has a higher percentage (most likely due to Australia and New Zealand) and the ‘at the equator’ is a bit high too (that “more than -5 and less than 5 band at 11.1% )
We’ll zoom in a little on two countries in particular.
First, New Zealand:
This chart is by latitude bands from “South Pole up to 44 S” latitude to “above 36 S” labeled “NP” (as in “everything to the North Pole…)
Year SP -44 -43 -42 -41 -40 -39 -38 -37 -36 -NP
DArPct: 1869 0.0 21.4 14.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 21.4 0.0 0.0 57.1
DArPct: 1879 0.0 23.1 19.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 19.2 0.0 0.0 61.5
DArPct: 1889 0.0 26.2 2.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 23.8 0.0 0.0 52.4
DArPct: 1899 0.0 21.7 13.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 21.7 0.0 0.0 56.5
DArPct: 1909 0.0 37.5 15.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 15.6 0.0 0.0 68.8
DArPct: 1919 0.0 33.3 16.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.7 0.0 0.0 66.7
DArPct: 1929 0.0 20.0 20.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 20.0 0.0 0.0 60.0
DArPct: 1939 0.0 23.1 19.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 19.2 0.0 0.0 61.5
DArPct: 1949 0.0 27.8 9.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.3 0.0 0.0 46.3
DArPct: 1959 6.1 23.5 4.7 4.2 0.0 4.2 0.0 4.7 4.2 0.0 51.6
DArPct: 1969 9.8 20.6 3.5 3.5 0.0 3.5 2.8 4.9 3.5 3.1 55.2
DArPct: 1979 11.6 20.3 5.7 3.0 0.0 5.7 3.0 6.0 3.0 5.7 63.9
DArPct: 1989 11.3 24.8 5.0 0.9 0.0 5.0 4.5 10.4 0.5 4.5 66.7
DArPct: 1999 12.3 23.6 9.4 0.0 0.0 9.4 9.4 6.6 0.0 9.4 80.2
DArPct: 2009 12.0 24.1 12.0 0.0 0.0 12.0 12.0 0.0 0.0 12.0 84.3
For COUNTRY CODE: 507
From source ./vetted/v2.inv.id.withlat
Clearly the 50 percent early values are places that started life as “flat but not an airport” fields and later got tarmac.
The startling value is that ending value of 84.3% Airports in New Zealand. This is one of the highest I’ve seen so far. The temperature in New Zealand IS the temperature at the airports. Especially the most southern, cold, latitudes. In fact, if we zoom in on that last year:
LATpct: 2009 12.5 25.0 12.5 0.0 0.0 12.5 12.5 0.0 0.0 25.0 100.0 AIRpct: 12.5 25.0 12.5 0.0 0.0 12.5 12.5 0.0 0.0 12.5 87.5
That LATpct is the percentage of total thermometers in a given latitude band. There is only one value, the most northernly, that has a higher percentage than the airports percentage. It looks like there is ONE non-airport thermometer in New Zealand. Looking at those stations still active in 2009, we find it is Raoul Island:
[chiefio@tubularbells analysis]$ more Temps/507.stns2009
50793012000 KAITAIA -35.13 173.27 87 91R -9FLxxCO 7A-9WARM DECIDUOUS A 0
50793292000 GISBORNE AERO -38.65 177.98 5 65S 30FLxxCO 2A 2WATER C 22
50793309000 NEW PLYMOUTH -39.02 174.18 32 0S 44FLxxCO 2A10WARM FIELD WOODSB 0
50793615000 HOKITIKA AERO -42.72 170.98 40 0R -9HIxxCO 1A-9WARM MIXED B 0
50793780000 CHRISTCHURCH -43.48 172.52 37 47U 165FLxxCO15A 2WARM CROPS C 13
50793844000 INVERCARGILL -46.70 168.55 4 28S 49FLxxCO 1A 1WARM MIXED A 0
50793987000 CHATHAM ISLAN -43.95 -176.57 49 0R -9HIxxCO 1A-9WATER A 0
50793994000 RAOUL ISLAND, -29.25 -177.92 49 0R -9HIxxCO 1x-9WATER A 0
[chiefio@tubularbells analysis]$
The only record with an “x” instead of an “A” in the Airstn field. Half way to Tonga and not what most folks think of when talking about New Zealand…
Australia
Not much better:
Year SP -50 -45 -40 -35 -30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -NP
DArPct: 1849 0.0 0.0100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0100.0
DArPct: 1859 0.0 0.0 27.8 0.0 16.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 44.4
DArPct: 1869 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 11.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 11.9
DArPct: 1879 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.8 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.4
DArPct: 1889 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.7 2.6 0.3 3.6 0.0 2.1 0.0 13.2
DArPct: 1899 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.5 1.8 0.5 4.2 0.0 1.8 0.0 11.8
DArPct: 1909 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.9 1.3 0.5 1.6 0.7 0.8 0.0 6.8
DArPct: 1919 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.7 2.3 1.2 2.0 1.3 0.4 0.0 8.8
DArPct: 1929 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 2.4 1.2 2.0 1.3 0.4 0.0 8.9
DArPct: 1939 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 2.8 1.2 1.9 1.5 0.4 0.0 9.2
DArPct: 1949 0.0 0.0 0.3 2.6 4.4 2.4 2.4 1.8 0.9 0.0 14.9
DArPct: 1959 0.0 0.0 0.8 3.6 6.5 4.0 3.5 2.4 1.0 0.0 21.9
DArPct: 1969 0.0 0.0 1.2 4.4 8.3 4.4 4.1 2.8 1.9 0.0 27.0
DArPct: 1979 0.0 0.0 1.2 4.1 8.2 3.8 3.6 3.2 2.2 0.0 26.3
DArPct: 1989 0.0 0.0 0.9 4.8 9.1 4.2 4.0 3.8 2.7 0.0 29.4
DArPct: 1999 0.0 0.0 1.8 5.9 11.5 5.5 5.6 4.4 3.0 0.0 37.7
DArPct: 2009 0.0 0.0 3.8 11.0 21.9 11.4 11.4 7.6 3.8 0.0 71.0
For COUNTRY CODE: 501
From source ./vetted/v2.inv.id.withlat
We once again have the “bogus high” as the first place with a thermometer became an airport. We drop to about 8% then start the climb to modernity. The “Odd Duck” here is that jump from 29% in decade ending 1989 to 71% today. “The Great Dying of Thermometers” seems to have spared those at airports in Australia…
South America
Has the migration of thermometers from the mountains to the beach also put them at airports?
Year SP -50 -40 -35 -30 -25 -20 -15 -10 10 -NP
DArPct: 1849 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 55.6 0.0 55.6
DArPct: 1859 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 21.4 0.0 21.4
DArPct: 1869 0.0 0.0 34.5 31.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 65.5
DArPct: 1879 0.0 0.0 20.4 20.4 6.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 46.9
DArPct: 1889 2.6 0.0 5.2 13.0 13.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 33.8
DArPct: 1899 6.1 0.0 2.4 6.1 10.3 3.0 0.0 0.0 9.7 0.0 37.6
DArPct: 1909 9.8 6.6 2.7 2.7 6.4 5.0 2.4 0.0 5.3 0.0 40.8
DArPct: 1919 8.5 6.4 2.1 2.1 6.0 4.3 2.6 0.0 3.6 0.0 35.5
DArPct: 1929 8.1 6.1 2.0 2.0 6.1 4.0 4.0 0.0 4.0 0.0 36.4
DArPct: 1939 6.1 6.3 6.5 7.7 9.1 2.8 3.1 0.9 5.9 0.0 48.5
DArPct: 1949 4.4 4.6 7.4 7.0 10.7 4.4 3.5 0.9 8.5 0.0 51.4
DArPct: 1959 2.9 4.2 5.5 8.6 7.1 4.9 7.4 3.8 13.0 3.9 61.3
DArPct: 1969 2.3 5.1 4.2 8.6 5.7 4.7 6.1 6.1 18.3 3.3 64.4
DArPct: 1979 2.5 5.0 4.9 7.8 6.8 4.7 5.3 6.2 18.8 3.4 65.4
DArPct: 1989 3.0 5.5 5.4 9.6 6.8 4.6 5.7 5.4 18.4 3.5 67.9
DArPct: 1999 2.7 6.6 6.0 11.7 7.1 4.8 3.1 3.0 19.8 4.9 69.8
DArPct: 2009 1.9 6.5 6.1 12.1 7.6 4.9 2.6 2.3 18.4 5.4 67.9
For COUNTRY CODE: 3
From source ./vetted/v2.inv.id.withlat
Why, yes! About 68% now.
Africa
Well, at least Africa fares a bit better.
Year SP -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 -NP
DArPct: 1849 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
DArPct: 1859 0.0 9.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 64.5 0.0 74.2
DArPct: 1869 0.0 25.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.7 0.0 46.2 0.0 79.5
DArPct: 1879 0.0 11.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.1 8.3 1.2 14.3 0.0 42.9
DArPct: 1889 0.0 9.9 3.4 0.3 0.0 6.2 0.0 3.4 30.8 0.0 54.1
DArPct: 1899 0.0 7.1 4.1 3.0 1.6 8.3 2.5 3.2 23.1 0.0 52.7
DArPct: 1909 0.0 4.6 3.5 4.5 3.0 5.5 6.9 3.3 13.3 0.0 44.6
DArPct: 1919 0.0 3.8 4.1 4.7 2.2 4.2 10.0 5.0 7.6 0.0 41.7
DArPct: 1929 0.0 3.2 5.5 7.9 2.1 5.8 10.6 3.8 6.4 0.0 45.3
DArPct: 1939 0.0 2.7 6.5 7.3 2.7 4.6 8.9 4.3 7.7 0.0 44.7
DArPct: 1949 0.0 4.4 7.0 8.3 4.5 6.6 11.2 4.7 7.9 0.0 54.6
DArPct: 1959 0.0 2.3 5.2 8.5 7.1 14.5 14.6 3.3 5.2 0.0 60.7
DArPct: 1969 0.0 1.8 5.4 8.6 7.6 14.5 13.4 3.5 4.3 0.0 59.1
DArPct: 1979 0.0 2.0 6.1 7.7 6.4 14.5 16.2 2.9 5.0 0.0 60.8
DArPct: 1989 0.0 2.6 6.7 6.4 6.0 13.4 15.5 2.6 7.0 0.0 60.2
DArPct: 1999 0.0 1.8 5.2 5.6 4.8 11.0 16.6 3.6 9.7 0.0 58.2
DArPct: 2009 0.0 1.6 4.2 4.6 5.1 10.0 16.2 4.8 10.9 0.0 57.5
For COUNTRY CODE: 1
From source ./vetted/v2.inv.id.withlat
We peak at about 60% after the aviation age actually begins, then drift back down to 57.5% now. Still rather a lot. And we know that 1909 decade ending value was really a zero, so I think what we really have here is the fact that a lot of the African thermometers are at fields left over from the Colonial Occupation era and bases that became airports later.
Asia
Strangely, Asia is rather low on Airports.
Year SP 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 -NP
DArPct: 1799 0.0 0.0100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0100.0
DArPct: 1819 0.0 0.0 68.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 68.2
DArPct: 1829 0.0 0.0 28.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 28.6
DArPct: 1839 0.0 0.0 11.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 11.8
DArPct: 1849 0.0 0.0 3.1 0.0 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.6
DArPct: 1859 0.0 0.0 2.9 0.0 4.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.8
DArPct: 1869 0.0 0.6 1.1 0.0 4.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.6
DArPct: 1879 0.0 2.5 3.7 4.7 10.3 4.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 26.1
DArPct: 1889 0.0 0.8 2.4 4.8 6.5 3.8 0.7 3.8 0.0 0.0 22.8
DArPct: 1899 0.0 0.4 1.9 2.9 3.4 2.9 3.7 4.9 0.0 0.0 20.1
DArPct: 1909 0.0 0.3 1.9 3.7 3.3 2.4 3.4 5.6 0.0 0.0 20.5
DArPct: 1919 0.0 0.2 1.8 3.3 2.9 2.7 3.3 4.3 0.2 0.0 18.7
DArPct: 1929 0.0 0.2 1.5 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.8 0.4 0.0 17.3
DArPct: 1939 0.0 0.1 1.0 3.5 3.4 2.6 3.5 5.2 0.6 0.0 19.8
DArPct: 1949 0.0 0.1 1.3 3.5 3.6 2.9 3.3 5.9 0.8 0.0 21.3
DArPct: 1959 0.0 0.3 2.7 4.7 4.1 2.3 2.5 4.5 0.8 0.0 21.9
DArPct: 1969 0.0 0.3 2.7 4.8 4.4 2.0 2.0 4.0 0.9 0.0 21.0
DArPct: 1979 0.0 0.2 2.2 4.4 4.1 2.0 2.0 4.1 0.8 0.0 19.8
DArPct: 1989 0.0 0.1 1.6 4.3 3.3 2.1 2.0 4.3 0.8 0.0 18.6
DArPct: 1999 0.0 0.2 4.6 8.4 5.3 1.9 1.3 3.2 0.8 0.0 25.8
DArPct: 2009 0.0 0.3 5.5 9.3 5.5 2.3 1.8 3.9 0.8 0.0 29.2
For COUNTRY CODE: 2
From source ./vetted/v2.inv.id.withlat
“Only” 29% at Airports. One is left to wonder to what extent Russian Siberia and China were paranoid about advertising the location of their airports and may have “fudged” the airstation flag (or even the LAT LONG values). But that “Dig Here” will have to wait for another day…
Europe
More than I’d expected, though less than the Pacific.
Year SP 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 -NP
DArPct: 1709 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 69.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 69.2
DArPct: 1719 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.1
DArPct: 1729 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.7
DArPct: 1739 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 47.6 4.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 52.4
DArPct: 1749 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 30.3 30.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 60.6
DArPct: 1759 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.8 13.8 10.0 12.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 45.0
DArPct: 1769 0.0 0.0 0.0 11.6 20.4 0.0 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 33.3
DArPct: 1779 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.6 17.7 0.0 1.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 29.2
DArPct: 1789 0.0 0.0 1.3 10.0 15.2 0.0 2.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 29.0
DArPct: 1799 0.0 0.0 0.0 12.0 14.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 26.2
DArPct: 1809 0.0 0.0 1.0 13.7 11.8 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 27.5
DArPct: 1819 0.0 0.0 3.8 12.9 10.9 2.2 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 30.3
DArPct: 1829 0.0 0.0 2.5 12.6 8.5 0.7 0.0 1.2 0.0 0.0 25.5
DArPct: 1839 0.0 0.0 1.3 9.4 9.5 2.7 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 23.7
DArPct: 1849 0.0 0.0 3.3 8.3 8.5 3.2 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 23.6
DArPct: 1859 0.0 0.6 3.7 9.6 6.7 2.1 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 23.4
DArPct: 1869 0.4 1.3 4.0 7.7 6.7 1.8 0.0 0.9 0.0 0.0 22.8
DArPct: 1879 0.6 2.2 4.9 7.6 6.8 1.8 0.5 2.6 0.0 0.0 26.9
DArPct: 1889 0.8 2.2 4.5 8.7 6.1 2.8 0.7 2.2 0.0 0.0 28.1
DArPct: 1899 0.7 2.7 5.0 8.3 6.7 3.5 0.7 1.8 0.0 0.0 29.5
DArPct: 1909 0.7 3.2 4.0 7.7 7.0 3.9 1.1 1.9 0.4 0.0 29.9
DArPct: 1919 0.4 3.0 4.0 7.4 7.1 3.4 1.6 2.2 0.4 0.0 29.4
DArPct: 1929 0.6 3.0 4.0 7.6 7.6 3.1 1.6 2.0 0.9 0.0 30.3
DArPct: 1939 0.6 3.0 3.5 6.8 6.7 3.7 1.5 1.5 0.9 0.0 28.3
DArPct: 1949 0.8 3.7 4.1 6.3 5.8 3.9 1.4 1.3 0.6 0.0 27.9
DArPct: 1959 1.6 5.4 6.2 10.2 7.7 3.1 2.4 0.9 0.4 0.0 37.9
DArPct: 1969 1.7 6.2 6.7 9.1 7.0 2.8 2.5 0.8 0.4 0.0 37.2
DArPct: 1979 1.7 5.9 6.8 8.9 6.1 2.8 2.5 0.5 0.4 0.0 35.6
DArPct: 1989 1.4 5.8 5.5 9.2 6.8 3.4 2.6 0.5 0.4 0.2 35.8
DArPct: 1999 2.8 8.9 5.6 11.0 8.4 4.4 4.1 1.0 0.7 0.3 47.2
DArPct: 2009 2.8 8.7 4.5 11.1 8.2 3.8 4.0 1.1 0.7 0.3 45.2
For COUNTRY CODE: 6
From source ./vetted/v2.inv.id.withlat
We again have the bogus early values. (Airports in 1709? I don’t think so! But that is what GHCN thinks…) The more interesting bit is the rise from 28% in 1949 to 45% today. Almost half the thermometers in Europe are at airports.
North America
To finish out the set, we will look at North America.
Year SP 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 -NP
DArPct: 1749 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0100.0
DArPct: 1759 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 83.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 83.3
DArPct: 1769 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 66.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 66.7
DArPct: 1779 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 45.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 45.5
DArPct: 1789 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 75.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 75.0
DArPct: 1799 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 80.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 80.8
DArPct: 1809 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 69.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 69.0
DArPct: 1819 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 46.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 46.3
DArPct: 1829 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.8 7.7 33.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 43.6
DArPct: 1839 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.0 7.7 25.1 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 37.0
DArPct: 1849 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 7.6 23.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 34.6
DArPct: 1859 0.0 0.0 1.0 4.5 15.2 15.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 36.3
DArPct: 1869 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.6 12.2 16.7 0.5 0.4 0.0 0.0 32.3
DArPct: 1879 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.5 15.1 19.6 1.2 0.6 0.3 0.0 38.4
DArPct: 1889 0.0 0.1 0.2 1.3 14.6 16.8 3.3 0.5 0.2 0.0 37.1
DArPct: 1899 0.0 0.0 0.4 1.0 11.0 13.1 3.2 0.5 0.1 0.0 29.3
DArPct: 1909 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.9 9.2 10.7 3.2 1.0 0.1 0.0 25.5
DArPct: 1919 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.8 8.2 9.9 4.1 1.6 0.1 0.0 25.0
DArPct: 1929 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.9 7.6 9.4 4.5 1.8 0.2 0.0 24.9
DArPct: 1939 0.0 0.1 0.5 0.9 7.4 9.1 4.5 2.6 0.3 0.0 25.4
DArPct: 1949 0.0 0.1 0.6 1.2 8.6 10.1 5.6 3.6 0.5 0.0 30.3
DArPct: 1959 0.0 0.1 1.9 2.2 12.8 11.9 5.2 4.1 1.0 0.1 39.4
DArPct: 1969 0.0 0.1 2.4 2.4 13.0 12.6 5.6 4.5 1.1 0.2 41.8
DArPct: 1979 0.0 0.1 2.7 2.1 11.0 12.2 6.2 4.2 1.1 0.2 39.8
DArPct: 1989 0.0 0.0 1.8 2.1 12.7 13.4 5.5 4.0 1.0 0.1 40.7
DArPct: 1999 0.0 0.0 1.3 2.3 15.3 13.6 1.6 1.8 0.4 0.0 36.3
DArPct: 2009 0.0 0.0 1.6 2.0 13.2 11.9 2.0 1.6 0.4 0.0 32.5
For COUNTRY CODE: 4
From source ./vetted/v2.inv.id.withlat
Surprisingly stable at about 1/3 more or less.
Though when we peek inside the last years when USHCN was not added in by GIStemp, we find a more interesting story:
LATpct: 2006 0.0 0.0 2.4 4.9 44.2 44.4 2.0 1.6 0.4 0.1 100.0 AIRpct: 0.0 0.0 1.3 1.3 9.5 9.3 1.6 1.1 0.3 0.0 24.4 LATpct: 2007 0.0 0.0 13.2 12.8 26.0 25.1 11.9 8.5 2.1 0.4 100.0 AIRpct: 0.0 0.0 6.8 5.5 24.7 19.6 8.9 6.0 1.7 0.0 73.2 LATpct: 2008 0.0 0.0 14.1 13.7 25.0 25.0 11.7 8.1 2.0 0.4 100.0 AIRpct: 0.0 0.0 7.7 5.6 23.8 19.0 9.3 5.6 1.6 0.0 72.6 LATpct: 2009 0.0 0.0 14.7 13.8 26.7 26.3 11.6 5.2 1.3 0.4 100.0 AIRpct: 0.0 0.0 7.8 5.6 25.4 19.8 9.5 3.0 0.9 0.0 72.0 DLaPct: 2009 0.0 0.0 2.7 5.5 43.7 42.9 2.5 2.2 0.4 0.1 100.0 DArPct: 0.0 0.0 1.6 2.0 13.2 11.9 2.0 1.6 0.4 0.0 32.5 For COUNTRY CODE: 4
So GHCN by itself is at 72% of thermometers at Airports. Only the addition of the USHCN data set in the USA, that ended in 2007, keeps the decade average fairly low. As an interesting “someday” report I may go back and make a “without USHCN” report (but that takes a new input data set and will have to wait…)
Mexico
Interesting to see is that Mexico is fairly low in airports:
Year SP 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 -NP
DArPct: 1879 0.0 0.0 0.0 50.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 50.0
DArPct: 1889 0.0 0.0 0.0 34.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 34.5
DArPct: 1899 0.0 0.0 0.0 34.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 34.1
DArPct: 1909 0.0 0.0 0.0 34.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 34.0
DArPct: 1919 0.0 0.0 0.0 40.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 40.4
DArPct: 1929 0.0 0.0 0.0 17.4 2.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 20.5
DArPct: 1939 0.0 0.0 0.0 13.6 2.0 0.0 0.0 2.3 0.0 0.0 17.9
DArPct: 1949 0.1 0.0 0.0 8.0 1.3 1.0 0.0 1.9 1.0 0.0 13.3
DArPct: 1959 1.4 0.6 0.0 6.6 0.7 0.7 0.0 2.1 0.8 0.0 13.0
DArPct: 1969 1.3 0.7 0.0 6.8 0.7 0.7 0.0 2.0 1.3 0.0 13.5
DArPct: 1979 1.8 0.6 0.0 7.6 0.6 0.6 0.0 1.3 1.2 0.0 13.8
DArPct: 1989 2.2 0.8 0.0 5.8 0.5 0.6 0.0 1.2 1.1 0.0 12.2
DArPct: 1999 3.3 0.0 0.0 5.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.8
DArPct: 2009 3.5 0.0 0.0 4.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.7 0.0 0.0 9.4
For COUNTRY CODE: 414
From source ./vetted/v2.inv.id.withlat
I have to wonder if the Mexican airports are properly flagged. Here are the 2009 Mexican Stations. Anyone know?
[chiefio@tubularbells analysis]$ more Temps/414.stns2009 41476160000 HERMOSILLO,SO 29.07 -110.95 211 225U 233HIxxno-9x-9WARM GRASS/SHRUBC3 77 41476220000 TEMOSACHIC,CH 28.95 -107.83 1870 1944R -9MVxxno-9x-9WARM DECIDUOUS B2 0 41476225000 UNIV. DE CHIH 28.63 -106.08 1435 1528U 327MVxxno-9x-9WARM GRASS/SHRUBC3 78 41476243000 PIEDRAS NEGRA 28.70 -100.52 250 227S 21FLxxno-9A 1WARM GRASS/SHRUBC3 44 41476311000 CHOIX,SIN. 26.72 -108.28 238 403R -9HIxxno-9x-9TROP. SAVANNA A2 0 41476342000 MONCLOVA,COAH 26.88 -101.42 615 768U 78MVxxno-9x-9SUCCULENT THORNSC3 46 41476373000 TEPEHUANES,DG 25.35 -105.75 1810 2061R -9MVxxno-9x-9WARM DECIDUOUS B2 0 41476382000 TORREON,COAH. 25.53 -103.45 1124 1339U 244HIxxno-9x-9WARM GRASS/SHRUBC3 51 41476390000 SALTILLO,COAH 25.45 -100.98 1790 1594U 201MVxxno-9x-9SUCCULENT THORNSC3 72 41476393000 MONTERREY,N.L 25.87 -100.20 512 548U 1923MVxxno-9x-9WARM IRRIGATED C2 14 41476405000 LA PAZ, B.C.S 24.27 -110.42 18 71S 46HIxxCO 3x-9WATER A1 0 41476458000 MAZATLAN 23.20 -105.40 3 1642U 147FLxxCO 1x-9TROP. SAVANNA A 0 41476525000 ZACATECAS,ZAC 22.78 -102.57 2612 2421U 50HIxxno-9x-9WARM DECIDUOUS C 57 41476548000 TAMPICO, TAMP 22.22 -97.85 9 32U 212FLxxCO 5x-9COASTAL EDGES C 36 41476556000 TEPIC,NAY. 21.52 -104.90 922 927U 109MVxxCO30x-9WARM CROPS C 66 41476577000 GUANAJUATO,GT 21.02 -101.25 1999 2244S 37HIxxno-9x-9WARM FIELD WOODSC 42 41476581000 RIO VERDE,S.L 21.85 -100.00 990 1038S 17HIxxno-9x-9COOL DESERT A 0 41476632000 PACHUCA,HGO. 20.13 -98.73 2417 2508U 84MVxxno-9x-9WARM CROPS C 72 41476640000 TUXPAN.VER. 20.95 -97.40 28 27S 34FLxxCO 7x-9WARM CROPS C 25 41476644000 AEROP.INTERNA 20.98 -89.65 9 10U 234FLxxno-9A 2WARM CROPS C 68 41476647000 VALLADOLID,YU 20.70 -88.22 22 15S 15FLxxno-9x-9TROP. SAVANNA C 24 41476654000 MANZANILLO,CO 19.05 -104.33 3 30S 21HIxxCO 1x-9TROPICAL DRY FORC 21 41476662000 ZAMORA,MICH. 19.98 -102.32 1562 1733R -9MVxxno-9A-9WARM CROPS C 22 41476665000 MORELIA,MICH. 19.70 -101.18 1913 1979U 199MVxxno-9x-9WARM FIELD WOODSC 63 41476680000 MEXICO (CENTR 19.40 -99.20 2303 2307U13994MVxxno-9x-9WARM CROPS C 118 41476683000 TLAXCALA,TLAX 19.32 -98.23 2248 2342S 10HIxxno-9x-9TROP. MONTANE C 44 41476685000 PUEBLA,PUE. 19.05 -98.17 2179 2151U 466MVxxno-9x-9TROP. MONTANE C 94 41476687000 JALAPA,VER. 19.53 -96.92 1389 1423U 161MVxxno-9x-9WARM CROPS C 32 41476692000 HACIENDA YLAN 19.15 -96.12 13 6U 256FLxxCO 1x-9TROP. SEASONAL C 56 41476695000 CAMPECHE,CAMP 19.85 -90.55 5 8U 70FLxxCO 1x-9WATER C 47 41476726000 CUERNAVACA,MO 18.88 -99.23 1618 1720U 240MVxxno-9x-9WARM CROPS C 34 41476741000 COATZACOALCOS 18.15 -94.42 23 3U 70FLxxCO 1x-9WATER C 69 41476750000 CHETUMAL,Q.RO 18.48 -88.30 9 3S 24FLxxCO 1x-9TROP. SEASONAL C 0 41476775000 OAXACA,OAX. 17.07 -96.72 1550 1858U 115MVxxno-9x-9TROP. SAVANNA C 65 41476805000 ACAPULCO,GRO. 16.83 -99.93 13 113U 309MVxxCO 1x-9COASTAL EDGES C 19 41476845000 SN. CRISTOBAL 16.73 -92.63 2276 2336S 26MVxxno-9x-9TROP. SEASONAL C 35 41476903000 TAPACHULA, CH 14.92 -92.27 118 281U 60MVxxCO20A 3TROPICAL DRY FORC 55 [chiefio@tubularbells analysis]$
Of these, the only ones flagged as Airports are: Piedras Negra, Aerop Interna, Zamora MICH, and Tapachula CH. Somehow I think there are more airports than that in Mexico.
Canada
And then there is Canada:
Year SP 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 -NP
DArPct: 1779 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
DArPct: 1829 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
DArPct: 1839 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
DArPct: 1849 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
DArPct: 1859 9.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.8
DArPct: 1869 12.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 12.2
DArPct: 1879 3.8 10.8 2.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.7
DArPct: 1889 2.6 6.8 12.8 2.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 24.6
DArPct: 1899 1.7 6.4 18.5 2.1 0.4 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 29.8
DArPct: 1909 1.6 5.0 18.7 2.0 1.3 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 29.1
DArPct: 1919 0.8 5.4 18.5 2.3 2.0 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 30.1
DArPct: 1929 0.5 5.8 16.9 2.3 1.9 1.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 28.7
DArPct: 1939 0.1 5.9 15.3 2.5 3.5 2.1 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 29.7
DArPct: 1949 1.3 8.3 16.5 2.9 4.2 2.2 0.9 0.3 0.0 0.0 36.6
DArPct: 1959 1.8 8.8 15.7 2.9 4.4 3.4 1.7 1.2 0.6 0.0 40.5
DArPct: 1969 1.9 9.5 15.3 3.2 4.1 5.2 2.0 1.3 0.7 0.0 43.2
DArPct: 1979 1.9 9.7 15.3 3.9 3.8 5.0 1.9 1.4 0.6 0.0 43.4
DArPct: 1989 2.2 10.0 14.4 3.7 3.7 5.5 2.0 1.2 0.5 0.0 43.1
DArPct: 1999 4.2 14.9 17.5 3.4 4.0 8.3 3.6 3.1 0.5 0.0 59.5
DArPct: 2009 2.9 6.9 29.2 7.2 5.5 10.8 4.3 2.4 0.0 0.0 69.1
For COUNTRY CODE: 403
From source ./vetted/v2.inv.id.withlat
Wow, another nice climb to 69% airports in Canada. Wonder if the Airport Heat Island effect is stronger in colder places?
And finally, the USA.
The United States of America
Again we have the apparent stable numbers in the mid years:
Year SP 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 -NP
DArPct: 1749 0.0 0.0 0.0100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0100.0
DArPct: 1759 0.0 0.0 0.0 83.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 83.3
DArPct: 1769 0.0 0.0 0.0 76.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 76.9
DArPct: 1789 0.0 0.0 0.0 76.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 76.0
DArPct: 1799 0.0 0.0 0.0 87.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 87.5
DArPct: 1809 0.0 0.0 0.0 69.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 69.0
DArPct: 1819 0.0 0.0 0.0 63.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 63.3
DArPct: 1829 2.9 2.9 5.2 34.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 45.9
DArPct: 1839 4.1 4.7 3.3 26.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 38.4
DArPct: 1849 3.3 4.1 4.1 25.1 0.0 0.0 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 37.7
DArPct: 1859 4.2 8.6 8.2 16.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 37.6
DArPct: 1869 0.9 5.4 8.7 17.7 0.3 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 33.7
DArPct: 1879 1.5 5.8 13.6 18.2 3.5 0.1 0.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 43.7
DArPct: 1889 1.4 8.0 10.7 15.2 4.0 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 39.9
DArPct: 1899 1.0 5.0 8.2 10.5 3.8 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 28.9
DArPct: 1909 1.0 3.9 7.0 8.4 3.2 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.0 24.6
DArPct: 1919 1.0 3.2 6.7 7.3 3.5 0.2 0.6 0.9 0.2 0.0 23.7
DArPct: 1929 0.9 3.1 6.5 7.0 3.4 0.2 1.0 1.1 0.3 0.2 23.8
DArPct: 1939 0.9 3.3 6.4 7.0 3.3 0.1 1.1 1.3 0.5 0.2 24.2
DArPct: 1949 1.2 4.3 7.3 7.7 3.3 0.3 1.5 2.3 0.6 0.2 28.7
DArPct: 1959 2.6 7.6 10.5 9.9 3.9 0.3 1.5 2.8 0.6 0.3 40.0
DArPct: 1969 2.9 8.1 11.2 10.5 4.4 0.3 1.6 2.6 0.6 0.3 42.4
DArPct: 1979 2.5 6.8 10.4 10.1 4.3 0.3 1.8 2.5 0.5 0.4 39.5
DArPct: 1989 2.6 6.9 11.1 10.6 4.3 0.2 1.5 2.1 0.4 0.3 40.1
DArPct: 1999 2.4 6.7 9.9 9.9 3.9 0.0 0.7 1.1 0.2 0.1 34.9
DArPct: 2009 2.1 5.7 8.8 8.9 3.7 0.0 0.6 0.8 0.2 0.1 30.7
For COUNTRY CODE: 425
But the decade granularity masks the rather astounding effect of deletions in GHCN in the last few years. This report is by individual year:
LATpct: 2006 3.7 18.3 29.5 33.2 14.4 0.0 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.1 100.0 AIRpct: 1.3 4.0 6.3 6.7 3.2 0.0 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.1 22.4 LATpct: 2007 8.2 17.2 28.4 26.9 11.2 0.0 3.7 3.0 0.7 0.7 100.0 AIRpct: 8.2 15.7 27.6 23.1 9.0 0.0 3.7 3.0 0.7 0.7 91.8 LATpct: 2008 8.8 16.9 28.7 26.5 11.0 0.0 3.7 2.9 0.7 0.7 100.0 AIRpct: 8.8 15.4 27.9 22.8 8.8 0.0 3.7 2.9 0.7 0.7 91.9 LATpct: 2009 8.1 17.8 28.1 26.7 11.1 0.0 3.7 3.0 0.7 0.7 100.0 AIRpct: 8.1 16.3 27.4 23.0 8.9 0.0 3.7 3.0 0.7 0.7 91.9 DLaPct: 2009 4.3 18.4 29.5 32.5 13.6 0.0 0.7 0.9 0.2 0.1 100.0 DArPct: 2.1 5.7 8.8 8.9 3.7 0.0 0.6 0.8 0.2 0.1 30.7 For COUNTRY CODE: 425
Yup, just shy of 92% of all GHCN thermometers in the USA are at airports.
I’d call that a problem…
UPDATE:
I’ve added a table of GHCN February 2010 v2.mean for the USA.
This table is from the February 2010 GHCN Vintage.
Year SP 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 -NP
DArPct: 1749 0.0 0.0 0.0100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0100.0
DArPct: 1759 0.0 0.0 0.0 83.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 83.3
DArPct: 1769 0.0 0.0 0.0 76.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 76.9
DArPct: 1789 0.0 0.0 0.0 76.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 76.0
DArPct: 1799 0.0 0.0 0.0 87.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 87.5
DArPct: 1809 0.0 0.0 0.0 69.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 69.0
DArPct: 1819 0.0 0.0 0.0 63.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 63.3
DArPct: 1829 2.9 2.9 5.2 34.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 45.9
DArPct: 1839 4.1 4.7 3.3 26.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 38.4
DArPct: 1849 3.3 4.1 4.1 25.1 0.0 0.0 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 37.7
DArPct: 1859 4.2 8.6 8.2 16.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 37.6
DArPct: 1869 0.9 5.4 8.7 17.7 0.3 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 33.7
DArPct: 1879 1.5 5.8 13.6 18.2 3.5 0.1 0.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 43.7
DArPct: 1889 1.4 8.0 10.7 15.2 4.0 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 39.9
DArPct: 1899 1.0 5.0 8.2 10.5 3.8 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 28.9
DArPct: 1909 1.0 3.9 7.0 8.4 3.2 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.0 24.6
DArPct: 1919 1.0 3.2 6.7 7.3 3.5 0.2 0.6 0.9 0.2 0.0 23.7
DArPct: 1929 0.9 3.1 6.5 7.0 3.4 0.2 1.0 1.1 0.3 0.2 23.8
DArPct: 1939 0.9 3.3 6.4 7.0 3.3 0.1 1.1 1.3 0.5 0.2 24.2
DArPct: 1949 1.2 4.3 7.3 7.7 3.3 0.3 1.5 2.3 0.6 0.2 28.7
DArPct: 1959 2.6 7.6 10.5 9.9 3.9 0.3 1.5 2.8 0.6 0.3 40.0
DArPct: 1969 2.9 8.1 11.2 10.5 4.4 0.3 1.6 2.6 0.6 0.3 42.4
DArPct: 1979 2.5 6.8 10.4 10.1 4.3 0.3 1.8 2.5 0.5 0.4 39.5
DArPct: 1989 2.6 6.9 11.1 10.6 4.3 0.2 1.5 2.1 0.4 0.3 40.1
DArPct: 1999 2.4 6.7 9.9 9.9 3.9 0.0 0.7 1.1 0.2 0.1 34.9
DArPct: 2009 2.1 5.7 8.8 8.9 3.7 0.0 0.6 0.8 0.2 0.1 30.7
DArPct: 2010 9.0 15.7 27.6 22.4 9.0 0.0 3.7 3.0 0.7 0.7 91.8
For COUNTRY CODE: 425
From source /GHCN/2010/data/v2.mean.inv
We again see the artifact of the Metadata having no decent status flag by year (only assigning current status to ALL years), so the station from 1749 manages to eventually become an airport; which means that GHCN makes it an airport for all time, even before airplanes existed. (They really need to fix that…)
If we set the start of aviation as the decade ending 1919, we can say that there were roughly zero airports then, so that 23.7% represents those grass fields that survived to become an airport at some time in the future years. We rise fairly smoothly to about 40%, then drop back to 30.7%, and then have the sudden rise to 91.8% at present (2010 gets it’s own line as it is the only year in this decade).
Musings from the Chiefio 
Our world-wide station library in the USAF had as entries for the primary runway direction. This was used for crosswind calculations. Frankly, I’m not sure that entry was up-to-date for the iron curtain countries, but then that was during the cold war.
I suspect the U.S. Weather Service has this information if it could be pried out. It also might be worth a call to the US WMO Rep. And I’m sure ICAO knows, but as I remember their documents were EXTREMELY expensive as well as difficult in some cases to read, and nearly impossible to keep current with pen and ink changes..
I will make one more comment that is not likely to be appreciated. Despite the UHI at airports, I feel certain they are more accurately measuring the temperature of their local environment than, for example, COOP stations. They have to as a matter of public safety. I would also posit that the equipment maintenance is more likely to be reasonably routine.
REPLY: [ I’ve regularly made the (under appreciated, imho) observation that the temperature reporting at airports OUGHT TO BE from near the runway and over the tarmac and if it has an error, it is better that the error be to the high side. Density altitude will kill you if you get it wrong and think it’s a couple of degrees colder where the wings are because your thermometer is “well sited” over in the forest… The “climate guys” often don’t appreciate that… but the pilots do. So I, for one, do appreciate your comment about airports ACCURATELY reporting the runway temps. If they don’t, somebody crashes. There was a “honey pot” about 7000 msl IIRC near where I grew up and first flew. A loaded Cessna 152 could take off in the low valley where I lived, fly an hour or so and land at this great place… and not get off again until cold came… The FBO who taught ground school Really Really got tired of sending the 120 lb wife to fetch the plane from the 200 lb renter and friend… so we got LOTS of density altitude problems 8-} All we really need, IMHO, is a proper understanding of how much Airport Heat Island effect there is so we can adjust these properly sited (for their intended pilot use) and well tended thermometers and repurpose the data for ‘climate’ use. Unfortunately the climate modelers don’t do that, they treat airports as pristine rural. -E.M.Smith ]
This looks as if it is the world’s airports and related sites, ARTC centers, NEXRAD installations, etc.
See ” http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/surface/stations.txt ”
Some sites are listed more that once depending on the function of the office. Honolulu/Hickam HI is an example with five entries.
REPLY: [ Thanks. I’ll take a look. BTW, if you leave ‘white space’ between the URL and the quotes, wordpress will automagically make it into an active link. – E.M.Smith ]
If most of the earth’s surface were covered with tarmac, I would have no problem with the use of data from airport thermometers in climate studies. It would make perfect sense. Imagine covering the oceans with floating concrete pontoon bridges and paving over most of the land, too. In this scenario, the airport would be a pretty darn good choice for a site. Yeah, ChiefIO would be out of a hobby and we wouldn’t be having this discussion but at least we would have greater confidence in the site selection and the data.
@Harold
You mean like the Marshal Islands picture at the top of this posting:
I love that picture. This skinny little line of an atol turned into a broad plain of tarmac…
Thanks for the tip about wordpress & URL’s.
I’ve always wondered why all these vaunted climate scientists haven’t tried to look at a map with isotherms after they “compute” all their temperatures. Sometimes it is amazing how clearly errors are highlghted with graphics.
I still remember the first “computer” generated map of surface (I think) winds for the Pacific that went out to “users.” The map covered from our west coast to the Asian rim and from maybe Anchorage to nearly the equator. Without exception every wind-barb plotted was identical. They showed winds from the north at (as I remember) 15 knots.
Keep up the good work.
REPLY: [ Thanks! As near as I can tell, the “climate guys” (I have trouble calling them scientists since they don’t seem to use the scientific method… at least not the one I was taught) suffer from 2 or 3 major ills. 1) They have goal driven behaviour and believe their own B.S.; a lethal combination. 2) They are happy to “fudge the books”. Something that got you an immediate “F” in every lab class I ever took. 3) They let too much education in advanced techniques captivate their imaginations (rather than ask what the simple truths are, and what the limits of the advanced techniques might be).
And example of #3 is the pernicious belief they have that they can statistically pull 1/100 C of precision out of whole degree measurement, but fail to ‘get it’ that that technique is void of meaning on independent trials in a chaotic system (and miss the point that OTHER things, like programmer choices in how to compute the average, can move it around by 1/2 C anyway… so whatever your 1/100 C or even 1/10 C value was is washed away in a programmer choosing ((A+B+C/3) + (D+E+F/3))/2 v.s. (A+B+C+D+E+F)/6.
Please note: any attempts at discussing “the precision issue” in this thread are out of place and belong under the “Mr. McGuire” thread:
They will be deleted or moved there depending on my whim at the moment. If you want to flog this horse more, go to that thread.
For #2, we’ve got the HadCRUT debacle with blatant manipulation and lying. GIStemp has several “cherry picks” and does a broken UHI designed, IMHO, to fudge the books. And NCDC has so thoroughly cooked the temperature history by selective deletion of cold thermometers, but only in the recent past, as to be criminal (again, IMHO).
And at #1, well, the Climate gate emails say it all. “You find what you look for” is to be guarded against all all times, and these folks were instead putting it on steroids. Wanting crib death for ideas that challenged their beliefs and fabricating trends to match expectations.
And yes, you are absolutely right. If the would just look at the data and ask it politely what it has to say, then shut up an listen; we would have a whole different “climate science”. But they torture the data until it says what they “Know” it ought to say.
-E.M.Smith ]
@EM:
lmao!
The shape of the island speaks volumes. ;-)
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