05/15/13, Boise State University, Dept of Geosciences, Hydrologic Sciences, Jim McNamara Research Director, Pam Aishlin Data Management

Data provided herein is for soil instrumentatin site MLN (Mid-low elevation, north-facing) of Dry Creek Experimental Watershed, Boise, Idaho.


DATA STREAM:    

1. Four pits were emplaced jointly by graduate student Toni Smith, Boise State University in 2007.   


2. Data collection and site maintenance is provided by Boise State University Hydrologic Sciences.
 

3. Data files collected via Campbell Scientific datalogger are quality checked and post processed 
for gapfilling, noise filtering and/or corrected according to established instrument calibrations. 
 

SITE NOTES:

Soil moisture and soil temperature measurement site.  Site includes four soil pits with sensors at multiple depths, 
2, 15, 30 cm and near bedrock. Pits are located at 3 m quadrilateral separation.  Bedrock sensor depths for 
pits 1-4, accordingly, are 84,89,61 and 71 cm, though bedrock depth is indicated as 100,96,70 and 83 cm, accordingly.  
This site is north-facing, located in the Shingle Creek catchment of DCEW.  It is one of 8 soil sites established as 
north-south facing paired sites in 2007, 2008. Geology at this location is Sandy loam over fractured granodiorite.
Slop is grass and shrub vegetated, moderately steep. 


DATA/INSTRUMENT NOTES:

Sensors initially installed are Decagon ECH2O EC-TM soil moisture and soil temperature sensors. Sensor precision is 
0.001 for volumetric water content (cm3/mc3) and  0.1 celsius for soil temperature.  Sensors were calibrated in-lab at Boise
State University by Toni Smith, in cooperation with Decagon technical support, in accordance with manual specifications
and expected sandy loam soil.  An appropriate datalogger program was written  by Toni Smith in collaboration with Decagon 
technical support. 

An ultrasonic snow depth sensor was installed fall 2012. 



DATA POSTPROCESSING: 
Data gaps and NAN values are filled w/ -6999 as a nodata value.  
Algorithms are used to remove obviously erroneous values, such as negative moisture values and temperature above expected range
of -10 to 40 celsius, as well as obviously 'stuck' values. In some years, these algorithms were not applied in order to preserve 
trends such as occur with soil moisture into the negative range due to sensor calibration offset. 



ANNUAL ERRORS/GAPS/UPDATES:

Data collection initiated June 15, 2008, initially as 10 minute data.

general- under very dry conditions the sensors may output erroneous, negative value data for soil moisture. 
Moles and/or other  animals chew the sensors and cables. Unexplained sensor failures where no damage is apparent.  
30 minute data interval to 10/28/10. 

2008- Data collection initiated June 15, 2008. Data Gaps: 12/6/2008 -12/23/2008

2009- Data Gaps: 2/1/2009 -3/10/2009; 4/25/2009 1200; 5/30/2009 -6/12/2009; 8/13/2009 -8/18/2009; 10/9/2009 -11/29/2009. 

2010- Data Gaps: 10/28/2010 -11/18/2010, 11/23- 12/2/2010; 12/5 - 12/31/2010. Data interval changed to 10 minute on 10/28/10. 

2011- Data gaps 12/5/10-1/16/11 (Rain on snow event 1/17/11); minor gaps on 1/28/11 1000-1300, 2/3/11 1600 and 9/17/11 1500; 
      12/1/11 100-1500; 12/6-12/23/2011; 12/30/2011 - 1/10/2012. Logger changed from cr10x to cr800 on 2/3/11, resumed 30 minute data interval.  
      pit3 15 cm data bad due to wiring issue or sensor damage, noted on 1/16/11 and thereafter. 

2012- Data gap 12/30/2011 - 1/10/2012; 1/13-1/16/12; 1/19-1/27/12;2/3/12 330-1600; 2/4/12 0600-1600; 2/5/12 0700-1600;2/6/12 0800-1600;
      2/7/12 0200- 2/10 1500; 8/9/12-9/12/12; 9/17/12-10/12/12;12/1-12/4/12; minor gaps and time discrepencies 12/10 0130, 12/11 2045, 
      12/14 0830, 12/15 0400, 2300, 12/16 1700, 12/17 945....daily minor gaps as power cycled with solar charge to 12/28/12;Also datalogger 
      clock drift suspected after 12/7/12, therefore data after 12/7/12 is not published.  
      2012 30 minute data interval, changed to 15 minute interval from 10/12/12 1445. 

2013, 2014- Data suspect due to datalogger clock drift, particularly winter data during low power conditions and intermittent gaps.  
Datalogger replaced on 12/26/2014

2015  5 moisture sensors have failed, 4 temp sensors. 3 failed sensors are at 2 cm. 

2016  OK.

2017  No gaps as of 10/14/2017.