What to Observe and Record
The S'COOL 1-page
report form.
Read here for a discussion of how accurately you
need to measure, observe and record all these things.
You should only report cloud properties for levels you actually
observe. If there are no clouds in a layer, leave that layer blank.
If there is a completely overcast low layer that you cannot see through,
leave the other two layers blank.
Note: When recording cloud type we would like you to determine which is the
most prevalent cloud type for each level observed. Use the comments section
to record that other cloud types were also present.
You say you're not completely sure whether that's stratus or stratocumulus?
Then check this for a discussion of how
accurate you need to be. You may also want to use a
Dichotomous
Key for Cloud Identification (developed by Dr. Tina Cartwright).
Only the surface cover information is required. You can submit any or all of
the other measurements, depending on your situation.
Helpful sites with information on units and
conversions for these measurements can be found at
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/elp/wxcalc/wxcalc.html or
http://www.speckdesign.com/Tools2a.html.
Identification
When you register you will be given a login ID and password. This will be used
to tag your observations with your location. It also tells us who to contact
in case we have any questions.
Time/Satellite
Next we ask you to identify when the observation took place and the name of the overpassing satellite. We
need the exact time of the observation, even if it does not exactly coincide
with the satellite overpass. This must be reported in both local and
Universal Time (UT) to provide a uniform
time reference for the observations. To convert your local time to UT, see
this worksheet.
Cloud Observations
The cloud properties we are seeking are cloud type,
cloud height, cloud cover
, and visual opacity or cloud thickness.
See an example from the initial pilot test.
We have added some questions on
contrails - condensation
trails are clouds formed by the passage of aircraft. This information will be
used by CERES researcher Dr. Patrick Minnis, in attempting to assess whether
aircraft traffic may have some influence on Earth's climate.
Ground Observations
We also ask for some information about the surface
conditions where you made the observation: surface cover, temperature,
pressure, and relative humidity.
Comments
This is to record anything unusual, or anything you are unsure about.
Some suggestions are: if there is more than one type of cloud at a single
level record the other types here; or if there is significant haze present.
S'COOL
Report Form
Glossary
Observation Database