Specific targets are the improvement of scientific knowledge about climate variability and the impacts of climate changes, and assuring data availability over long periods. To achieve these targets a global network of mountain observatories has been created to study atmosphere composition, meteorology, glaciology, hydrology and water resources, biodiversity and health. These observatories for climatic and environmental monitoring are located across the Alps, Asia and Africa, in collaboration with UNEP, WMO, NASA, ESA and IUCN.
The Ev-K2-CNR Committee is best represented by its Pyramid Laboratory/Observatory located at an altitude of 5050 m at the base of Mount Everest in Nepal. Starting from the Pyramid the SHARE Everest project began in 2008. Since then there has been a meteorological station located on the ‘South Col’ at 8000 m above sea level that, in the first 3 years, supplied very useful data to the scientific community. This is the highest operational meteorological station in the world.
This year a new automatic weather station (AWS) has been added. “At this moment we have all the standard meteorological data and some are transmitted in duplicate, due to the fact that two stations are installed.” says Giampietro Verza, who is responsible for the scientific equipment of the CNR Pyramid and of the whole SHARE Everest project.
“The data collected are; air temperature (more than one probe), humidity, atmospheric pressure, and wind. This is one of the most important and more stressful parameters because winds here can reach 300-350 km/h. For this reason wind is acquired with a system of double sensors and a double recording and transmission system. Moreover, we also have radiometers measuring global and UV radiation. An interesting parameter, that has been implemented, is battery condition, because it has helped to use batteries better than those available in 2008. We will improve in the future, and add additional measurements.”
You can find more information about Ev-K2-CNR and the SHARE Everest project at:
www.evk2cnr.org/cms/en/evk2cnr_committee/presentation
The Everest AWS was designed and developed by LSI LASTEM s.r.l. of Milan, Italy (www.lsi-lastem.it) and incorporates Kipp & Zonen solar radiation instruments. A crew of the finest Italian alpinists installed the AWS at 8000 m after extensive training by LSI Lastem. LSI LASTEM s.r.l. has been a Kipp & Zonen OEM customer for over 20 years.
Eurelettronica Icas is the dedicated distributor of Kipp & Zonen products in Italy.