Met Office Cardington: 30 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 30 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
• Covariances over 30 minute intervals were used to calculate the turbulent heat fluxes. The sonic data have cross-wind speed correction, coordinate rotation, detrending and despiking applied.
• For latent heat flux calculations over 30 minute intervals, the 10-m covariance using the Licor hygrometer should be used as standard.

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 "Continuous meteorological surface and soil records (2004-2024) at the Met Office surface site of Cardington, UK." Osborne et al. ESSD (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.