Climate, snow, and soil moisture data set for the Tuolumne and Merced river watersheds, California, USA

James W. Roche; Robert Rice; Xiande Meng; Daniel R. Cayan; Michael D. Dettinger; Douglas Alden; Sarina C. Patel; Megan A. Mason; Martha H. Conklin; Roger C. Bales

doi:10.5194/essd-11-101-2019

USGS · 70202090

Climate, snow, and soil moisture data set for the Tuolumne and Merced river watersheds, California, USA

James W. Roche·Robert Rice·Xiande Meng·Daniel R. Cayan·Michael D. Dettinger·Douglas Alden·Sarina C. Patel·Megan A. Mason·Martha H. Conklin·Roger C. Bales

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Abstract

We present hourly climate data to force land surface process models and assessments over the Merced and Tuolumne watersheds in the Sierra Nevada, California, for the water year 2010–2014 period. Climate data (38 stations) include temperature and humidity (23), precipitation (13), solar radiation (8), and wind speed and direction (8), spanning an elevation range of 333 to 2987 m. Each data set contains raw data as obtained from the source (Level 0), data that are serially continuous with noise and nonphysical points removed (Level 1), and, where possible, data that are gap filled using linear interpolation or regression with a nearby station record (Level 2). All stations chosen for this data set were known or documented to be regularly maintained and components checked and calibrated during the period. Additional time-series data included are available snow water equivalent records from automated stations (8) and manual snow courses (22), as well as distributed snow depth and co-located soil moisture measurements (2–6) from four locations spanning the rain–snow transition zone in the center of the domain. Spatial data layers pertinent to snowpack modeling in this data set are basin polygons and 100 m resolution rasters of elevation, vegetation type, forest canopy cover, tree height, transmissivity, and extinction coefficient. All data are available from online data repositories ( https://doi.org/10.6071/M3FH3D ).

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Source-reported bounding extent: 37.5° to 38.25466492845389° latitude; -120.5° to -119° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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BibTeX RIS

James W. Roche, Robert Rice, Xiande Meng, Daniel R. Cayan, Michael D. Dettinger, Douglas Alden, Sarina C. Patel, Megan A. Mason, Martha H. Conklin, Roger C. Bales. 2019-01-17. Climate, snow, and soil moisture data set for the Tuolumne and Merced river watersheds, California, USA. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-11-101-2019

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