Hydrological and Meteorological Observations for West and Central Africa
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Description
AOC-HYCOS, established in 1999, provides hydrological and meteorological data for West and Central Africa. The system collects temperature, humidity, and daily and monthly rainfall data from stations across 11 countries, transmitted via ARGOS and Meteosat. Data is managed by the Hydrologic Regional Observatory, with near-real-time data available online and historical records obtainable by request.
Use Cases
Modeling regional water cycles using water level, air temperature, and soil temperature data from hydrological platforms.
Analyzing long-term precipitation trends by comparing near-real-time rainfall data with the 1951-1989 precipitation averages map.
Correlating humidity and temperature data to study climate patterns across 11 participating countries.
Monitoring near-real-time hydrological conditions using data transmitted every 3 hours from stations like Chari N'Djamena.
Strengths
Covers 11 countries in West and Central Africa, providing regional breadth.
Includes a long-term reference map of precipitation averages spanning 38 years (1951-1989).
Data is transmitted from stations every 3 hours, enabling near-real-time monitoring.
Limitations
Online access is limited to data from the last 7 days, restricting immediate historical analysis.
Historical data must be requested manually, which adds friction for comprehensive temporal studies.
The specific number of stations, rows of data, and data completeness are unknown.
Provenance
Source
Hydrologic Regional Observatory of the AOC-HYCOS project.
Collection Method
Collected from hydrological platforms equipped with ARGOS and Meteosat transmission devices.
Time Range
Pilot project from 1999 onward; precipitation map covers 1951-1989.
Freshness
Near-real-time data is updated every 3 hours, but full historical access is not automated.
Geography
West and Central Africa, specifically Burkina, Cap-Vert, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Chad.
The primary website and data links are in French. Historical data is not available online and must be requested via contact email ([email protected]).