Architecting the 3D Mesonet: Integration, Visualization, and Analysis of UAS Network Observations
Keywords
UAS, 3D Mesonet, PBL, Mesoanalysis, SCALES
Presenter Abstract
Traditional meteorological observations are often bifurcated between high-frequency 2D surface mesonets and spatially sparse, twice-daily radiosonde launches. This leaves a critical "observational gap" in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), where mesoscale heterogeneities can drive significant weather evolution. This study presents a framework for a “3D Mesonet” using a multiday dataset from the SCALES network, a coordinated deployment of about 10 uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) sites across central and northeast Oklahoma. Profiling simultaneously from the surface to 5,000 ft AGL, the campaign provides a high-resolution volumetric perspective of the atmosphere.
A central challenge in distributed UAS operations is the integration of irregularly distributed point-source profiles into a cohesive meteorological product. Here we explore data-fusion techniques that merge the network of in-situ UAS observations to generate a 4D atmospheric data “cube,” which preserves fine-scale vertical features, such as sharp inversions and narrow jet cores, and horizontal heterogeneity while maintaining physical consistency across the network footprint. These analyses provide a proof-of-concept for tomorrow’s “3D Mesonets,” emphasizing the role of coordinated UAS networks in improving situational awareness, NWP model assimilation and validation, and fundamental understanding of boundary layer evolution.
Presentations
Presented in Session 11: Research to Operations I
Architecting the 3D Mesonet: Integration, Visualization, and Analysis of UAS Network Observations
Traditional meteorological observations are often bifurcated between high-frequency 2D surface mesonets and spatially sparse, twice-daily radiosonde launches. This leaves a critical "observational gap" in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), where mesoscale heterogeneities can drive significant weather evolution. This study presents a framework for a “3D Mesonet” using a multiday dataset from the SCALES network, a coordinated deployment of about 10 uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) sites across central and northeast Oklahoma. Profiling simultaneously from the surface to 5,000 ft AGL, the campaign provides a high-resolution volumetric perspective of the atmosphere.
A central challenge in distributed UAS operations is the integration of irregularly distributed point-source profiles into a cohesive meteorological product. Here we explore data-fusion techniques that merge the network of in-situ UAS observations to generate a 4D atmospheric data “cube,” which preserves fine-scale vertical features, such as sharp inversions and narrow jet cores, and horizontal heterogeneity while maintaining physical consistency across the network footprint. These analyses provide a proof-of-concept for tomorrow’s “3D Mesonets,” emphasizing the role of coordinated UAS networks in improving situational awareness, NWP model assimilation and validation, and fundamental understanding of boundary layer evolution.