Andrew Clarke, meteorological system

Andrew Clark designed and built a new meteorological system for NOAA’s atmospheric baseline observatory network, after consulting extensively with partners around the world to ensure he understood their data needs. The system is exceeding all expectations, setting up the science community with higher-resolution, more accurate data. Clark’s new data logger and software design allow researchers to view data in near real-time at 1-min intervals, and his incorporation of heated sonic anemometers increased not only accuracy of wind measurements, but has improved safety—eliminating the need for technicians to climb towers in the dead of winter to remove daily frost.

Importantly, improved meteorological measurements and data access support operations as well as science. In American Samoa, for example, new-and-improved meteorological data went into the official storm report for Tropical Storm Gita, helping forecasters and leadership make critical decisions about continuity of operations plans at the federal level.

According to a letter submitted by a NOAA partner in Hawaii: “His contribution …  has improved the access of obtaining meteorological data for both NOAA and cooperative research staff and translates to saving both time and money in our organization.”