Met Office Cardington: 1 min averages of surface to 50 m meteorology, radiation and subsoil measurements, 2004-2024

This repository provides a continuous hydrometeorological record of the Met Office Observation-based research Boundary Layer Facility at the semi-rural field site (18 Ha) of Cardington (52° 06′ N, 00° 25′ W, 29 m ± 1 m amsl) in central-southern England between 2004 and 2024. The dataset contains recorded surface meteorology, radiation and subsoil from sensor measurements at 1 minute averaging period and measured by instruments mounted on 2 m, 10 m, 25 m and 50 m masts.

Instruments mounted on 2 m, 10 m, 25 m and 50 m masts include:
• Vector Instruments T302 PRT temperature sensors were located at all heights.
• Screened and aspirated HMP155s were located at all heights.
• Gill HS50 3-D horizontally symmetric ultrasonic anemometers were located at all heights.
• Licor Li-7500 open-path hygrometer was located at 10m.
• Setra Model 270 transducer measured barometric pressure at 1.5 m.
• Michell chilled mirror hygrometer measured dew and frost point temperature at 1.2 m

Surface instrumentation includes:
• Rainfall is measured with a Met Office Mk5 tipping-bucket gauge with a 0.2 mm accuracy.
• Screened and aspirated Rotronics Hydroclip2 measured grass canopy air temperature and RH located at 0.4 m, 0.15 m and 0.08 m.

Radiation instrumentation includes:
• Clear-domed Kipp and Zonen CM21 pyranometers located at 2 m measured global downwelling, diffuse downwelling, and upwelling components (of wavelength between 0.3-3 μm).
• Kipp and Zonen CG4 pyrgeometers located at 2 m measured the downwelling and upwelling longwave radiation (4.5–40 μm).
• Grass canopy, or skin temperature was measured radiometrically with the Heitronics KT15 pyrometer.

Aerosol and visibility instrumentation includes:

• A Belfort 6230A instrument located at 2 m measured visual range through air (visibility) (2004-April 2011).
• A Biral HSS VPF-730 instrument located at 2 m measured visual range through air (visibility), and for the determination of present weather (April 2011-2024).
• Visible total scattering coefficients were measured with MRI integrating nephelometer (2004-2011) and Optec integrating nephelometer (2011-2024) located at 3 m.
Subsoil instrumentation includes:
• Delta-T ML2/ML3 theta probes measured volumetric soil moisture at depths of 10, 22, 57 and 160 cm.
• Delta-T PRT measured soil temperature at 1, 4, 7, 10, 17, 35, 65 and 100 cm (2004-March 2012).
• Delta-T ST2-396 thermistor probes measured soil temperature at 1, 4, 7, 10, 17, 35, 65 and 100 cm (March 2012-2024).
• Hukseflux HFP01SC flux plate measured ground heat flux.
• Druck 1830 pressure transducer measured water table depth.

A full list of NetCDF variables can be found in “A continuous hydrometeorological record (2004–2024) at the Met Office surface site of Cardington, UK.” Osborne et al. (2025). This paper should be referenced in any research/publications pertaining to this dataset.

To ensure optimal traceability and transparency of data, comprehensive metadata is included.