Comments on: Quality Control of pre-1948 Cooperative Observer Network Data http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/ The world's most viewed site on global warming and climate change Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:09:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: jorgekafkazar http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/#comment-62848 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:02:31 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.com/?p=4492#comment-62848 That Santa Cruz B44 form from 1976 doesn’t show the barbecue. Oh, wait. They had to add the barbecue later to get the temperature uptick. Never mind.

]]> By: Earle Williams http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/#comment-62756 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:04:51 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.com/?p=4492#comment-62756 I’m aware of the NCDC gaffe last year whereby they restricted the access to the metadata in the name of “privacy concerns”. This may well be the same sort of issue, however the federal law may not be easily dismissed because the data is available elsewhere. That doesn’t preclude making redacted versions of the forms available. But bear in mind that the are harsh penalties for a bureaucrat that improperly releases e.g a social security number. The Privacy Act has teeth for a reason, and provides for criminal penalties:

“Any officer or employee of an agency, who by virtue of his employment or official position, has possession of, or access to, agency records which contain individually identifiable information the disclosure of which is prohibited by this section or by rules or regulations established thereunder, and who knowing that disclosure of the specific material is so prohibited, willfully discloses the material in any manner to any person or agency not entitled to receive it, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not more than $5,000.” 5 U.S.C. § 552a(i)(1).

]]> By: Rod Smith http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/#comment-62732 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:45:55 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.com/?p=4492#comment-62732 Bill in Vigo (06:05:34) :
“It seems that the quality control portion might be a very hard task to perform due to the possibility of the forms having been lost by agencies using them for study and number crunching.”

I was under the impression that NCDC’s QC was performed early-on after receipt and before being released for any other purpose. And unless the old memory is failing more than I am aware of (a distinct possibility), errors found for Air Weather Service Observations were in my day returned to the originating site for final correction. Perhaps someone here has a different memory.

As a comment on the supplied examples, I fail to see that any really significant QC is possible at NCDC.

Further, I was under the distinct impression that “original” records were only maintained for a short time at NCDC these days (5-10 years) due primarily to lack of storage space.

I remember several decades ago hearing that NCDC had 23 warehouses filled with original weather records. Unfortunately, I no longer remember the source of that revelation.

]]> By: Chris H http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/#comment-62711 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:41:17 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.com/?p=4492#comment-62711 @Janet Rocha
Disable Javascript to get rid of the snow. IMHO the easiest way is to get Firefox (if you don’t already), and then use the NoScript add-on to enable/disable it on a per-site basis.

]]> By: Richard (Swe) http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/#comment-62695 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:42:18 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.com/?p=4492#comment-62695 I agree with Janet, get rid of the snowfall. Cheers from a “mysterios cloud covered” Sweden

]]> By: Bill in Vigo http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/#comment-62686 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:05:34 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.com/?p=4492#comment-62686 It seems that the quality control portion might be a very hard task to perform due to the possibility of the forms having been lost by agencies using them for study and number crunching. I can only imagine the embarrassment for some agencies that have been very vocal about the amount of warming if the original data doesn’t agree with the “corrected” data that they are using to expand their programs. Times are bad and getting worse I have an idea that the people paying for this will take a dim view if there has been any chicanery in the process. I think some of our overzealous advocates are going to be in trouble especially if they are incharge of keeping the records.

Bill Derryberry

]]> By: Sid http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/#comment-62680 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:32:03 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.com/?p=4492#comment-62680 No more snow indeed – Houston got a pretty good dusting last night. http://www.chron.com for pics – first snow in 4 years.

In other news Al Gore was sighted at the Houston Hobby airport waiting for a connecting flight to somewhere..

]]> By: Novoburgo http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/#comment-62673 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:14:00 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.com/?p=4492#comment-62673 Anthony,
A note for general interest. When considering precipitation records keep in mind that readings at most stations are done at 7AM local. Any rain falling after that time gets recorded the next next morning. When transitioning from one month to the next this may be the difference that determines whether there’s been a record drought or record rainfall. The Altoona B-91 is a good example. The 0.04 rainfall entered on the 1st may have actually fallen in April. ASOS recorded data is generally for midnight standard time. In most cases this wouldn’t make a difference but in this hyped up world – who knows?

]]> By: JimB http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/#comment-62672 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:10:10 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.com/?p=4492#comment-62672 Janet,
If you shrink your screen from side to side and eliminate the borders, the snow all but dissapears.

Jim

]]> By: Janet Rocha http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/#comment-62650 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:38:18 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.com/?p=4492#comment-62650 Please , no more snow. I suffer from ADD and the snow is so distracting that I can’t concentrate on reading the articles. Thank you.

]]> By: JimB http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/#comment-62649 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:18:41 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.com/?p=4492#comment-62649 “Since the “privacy issue” no longer exists due to this volume of info available on individual observers, perhaps it is time for NCDC to free the B44 forms.”

Anthony,
Perhaps a FIOA request from someone (not you) would help things along? Steve seems well versed at these, though not in this country, but I’m sure there are those among us that could help frame such a request.

JimB

]]> By: Denis Hopkins http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/10/quality-control-of-pre-1948-cooperative-observer-network-data/#comment-62636 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 07:57:35 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.com/?p=4492#comment-62636 OT hot mapping of towns !
just another thing to give an excuse for more taxes for those losing too much heat from their houses?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/3704118/Global-warming-mapping-plan-delayed-by-climate-change.html

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