Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory Climatic Measurements Since 1934

Monthly climatic parameters from the main Coweeta station, active since 1934. The dataset includes monthly mean, maximum, and minimum temperature, total precipitation, and mean global radiation. Data is provided by the Coweeta LTER Data Bank, a partnership between the University of Georgia and the U.S. Forest Service.

Use Cases

• Analyze long-term trends in monthly mean temperature and precipitation for climate change impact studies.
• Model forest canopy effects by correlating monthly mean global radiation with seasonal canopy cover (10-15% summer vs. 50% dormant transmission).
• Study topographic precipitation modification using data from over 135 historical precipitation gage sites.
• Investigate summer cloud cover influence on ecosystem energy balance via monthly mean global radiation records.

Strengths

• Continuous data collection from the main station since 1934, providing a multi-decade record.
• Includes measurements from a network of over 135 precipitation gage sites operated over 50 years.
• Captures multiple key parameters: temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation.

Limitations

• Data from only one main station is continuous; 30 other stations have intermittent coverage.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and precise update frequency are not provided.
• Geographic scope is limited to the Coweeta basin in North Carolina, USA.

Provenance

Source

Coweeta LTER Data Bank (Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia & U.S. Forest Service Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory).

Collection Method

Daily measurements summarized into monthly parameters for the main climatic station.

Time Range

1934 to present for the main station; additional data from ~30 stations over the last 50 years.

Freshness

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Geography

Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory basin, Otto, North Carolina, USA.