SHARE (Stations at High Altitude for Research on the Environment) Network

In the Khumbu Valley, located in the central part of the Himalayan range and including the area of Sagarmatha National Park, a network of 7 Automatic Weather Station (AWSs) has been installed since 1994.
These weather stations are located at different altitudes: Lukla (2,660 m a.s.l), Namche (3,570 m a.s.l), Periche (4,260 m a.s.l), Lobuche (5,050 m a.s.l) near the Pyramid Laboratory - Observatory, Kala Patthar (5,600 m a.s.l), Changri Nup Glacier (5,700 m a.s.l) and Mt. Everest - South Col (8.000 m a.s.l).
The network mainly takes measurements of 7 standards parameters: air temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, global radiation and total precipitation.
After a test period during summer 2008, the South Col AWS station has been re-installed on May 2011. The South Col station is equipped with technologically-advanced sensors for measuring temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure and solar radiation. Support, energy and data transmission systems are optimized for functioning in adverse weather conditions. South Col AWS observations can provide useful information for investigating: (i) the variability of the subtropical jet stream analysis, (ii) the summer monsoon onset and decay, (iii) the stratospheric intrusion events, (iv) the occurrence of severe weather conditions on Mt. Everest.

Geographical coordinates:
- Latitude: 27deg 58' N
- Longitude: 86deg 56' ESouth Col AWS provides data (with a 60 minute time resolution) of the following parameters:
- air temperature (degC)
- relative humidity (%)
- atmospheric pressure (hPa)
- wind speed (m/s)
- wind direction (degree)
- incoming shortwave radiation (W/m2)
- incoming UVA radiation (W/m2)