User:Raelue/Sandbox
TWEETAR
[edit]TWEETAR is a data-recording and disseminating format used by students involved in the Ball State University Campus Microclimate Project. TWEETAR is used to send micrometeorological observations via Twitter.
Origination and History
[edit]The Ball State University Campus Microclimate Project, a social media-based citizen science endeavor, was started in September, 2009. Student researchers use Twitter to record and transmit microclimate observations. To facilitate a consistent method of data recording, a template (TWEETAR) was developed to ensure a consistent format. TWEETAR was modeled after METAR, the widely used format employed to report weather observations from sites such as automated weather stations found at airports[1]. A standardized system was required so that all current project participants would record observations for the same variables; additionally, a standard system facilitates the uploading of information into other applications (e.g. spread sheet, geographic information systems).
Format and Variables
[edit]TWEETAR conforms to the 140-character limit established by Twitter. The observations recorded and the spacing conventions are:
1 T Temperature Identifier
2 # Tens of Degrees (F)
3 # Degree (F)
4 Space
5 R Relative
6 H Humidity
7 # Tens of Percentage
8 # Ones of Percentage
9 Space
10 N/S North or South Latitude Identifier
11 # Tens of Degrees
12 # Single Degree(s)
13 Space
14 # Tens of Minutes of Degree(s)
15 # Single Minutes of Degrees(s)
16 # Tenths of Minutes of Degrees(s)
17 # Hundredths of Minutes of Degrees(s)
18 # Thousands of Minutes of Degrees(s)
19 Space
20 E/W East or West Longitude Identifier
21 # Tens of Degrees
22 # Single Degree(s)
23 Space
24 # Tens of Minutes of Degree(s)
25 # Single Minutes of Degrees(s)
26 # Tenths of Minutes of Degrees(s)
27 # Hundredths of Minutes of Degrees(s)
28 # Thousands of Minutes of Degrees(s)
29 Space
30 O/S Open or Shaded Location
31 Space
32 C Three Character Land Surface Classification
33 L GRS -‐ Grass, BLT -‐ Built (Concrete, Asphalt, Wood, Etc.)
34 S DRT -‐ Dirt, MLH -‐ Mulch, SNW -‐ Snow/Ice
35 Space
36 Additional Comments
37
38
How TWEETAR differs from METAR
[edit]Although the structure of TWEETAR was based on the METAR model, significant differences do exist. Although less comprehensive than METAR, TWEETAR reports include not only meteorological observations, but also information describing the ambient environment, specifically sky cover and surface type. TWEETAR also reports fewer meteorological variables.
See also
[edit]