CAP LTER weather stations at Papago Park and Lost Dutchman State Park in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area: long-term monitoring of microclimate, ongoing since 2006

The CAP LTER maintains two 10-m micrometeorological stations in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, including at Lost Dutchman State Park and near the Desert Botanical Garden at Papago Park. The local terrain at both sites is flat or gently sloping Sonoran desert, and the vegetation canopy consists of patchy coverage of desert shrubs and trees. The dominant vegetation species include bursage (Ambrosia deltoidea) and creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), while minor species include palo verde (Parkinsonia microphylla) and saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea). Wind speed and direction, incoming solar radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation (see table below) have been monitored nearly continuously since the fall of 2010. Each variable is measured every 5 seconds and the average (or total for precipitation and total solar radiation) is saved to a data logger every 10 minutes.