Stanley, S. et al
Daily and sub-daily hydrometeorological and soil moisture data (2013-2024) [COSMOS-UK]
https://doi.org/10.5285/2dce161d-2fab-47bb-9fe6-38e7ed1ae18a
Cite this dataset as:
Stanley, S.; Antoniou, V.; Askquith-Ellis, A.; Ball, L.; Bennett, E.S.; Blake, J.R.; Boorman, D.B.; Brookes, M.; Clarke, M.A.; Cooper, H.M.; Cowan, N.J.; Cumming, A.; Evans, J.G.; Farrand, P.; Fry, M.; Harvey, D.; Houghton-Carr, H.; Howson, T.; Jiménez-Arranz, G.; Keen, Y.; Khamis, D.; Leeson, S.; Lord, W.D.; Morrison, R.; Nash, G.V.; O'Callaghan, F.; Retter, A.; Rylett, D.; Scarlett, P.M.; Smith, R.J.; St Quintin, P.; Swain, O.; Szczykulska, M.; Teagle, S.; Thornton, J.L.; Trill, E.J.; Vincent, P.; Ward, H.C.; Warwick, A.C.; Winterbourn, J.B. (2025). Daily and sub-daily hydrometeorological and soil moisture data (2013-2024) [COSMOS-UK]. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/2dce161d-2fab-47bb-9fe6-38e7ed1ae18a
Download/Access
PLEASE NOTE:
By accessing or using this dataset, you agree to the terms of the relevant licence agreement(s). You will ensure that this dataset is cited in any publication that describes research in which the data have been used.
This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence
Bulk download options
You can use WGET to download data. For example
wget --user=YOUR_USERNAME --password=YOUR_PASSWORD --auth-no-challenge https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/datastore/eidchub/2dce161d-2fab-47bb-9fe6-38e7ed1ae18a
This dataset contains daily and sub-daily hydrometeorological and soil moisture observations from the COSMOS-UK (cosmic-ray soil moisture) monitoring network from October 2013 to the end of 2024 . These data are from 51 sites across the UK recording a range of hydrometeorological and soil variables.
Each site in the network records the following hydrometeorological and soil data at 30-minute resolution: Radiation (short wave, long wave, and net), precipitation, atmospheric pressure, air temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, soil heat flux, and soil temperature and volumetric water content (VWC), measured by point sensors at various depths.
Each site hosts a cosmic-ray sensing probe; a novel sensor technology which counts fast neutrons in the surrounding atmosphere. In combination with the recorded hydrometeorological data, neutron counts are used to derive VWC over a field scale (COSMOS VWC), provide at daily resolution.
The presence of snow leads to erroneously high measurements of COSMOS VWC due to all the extra water in the surrounding area. Included in the daily data are indications of snow days, on which, the COSMOS VWC are adjusted, and the snow water equivalent (SWE) is given.
The potential evapotranspiration (PE), derived from recorded hydrometeorological and soil are also included at daily resolution.
Two levels of quality control are carried out, firstly data is run through a series of automated checks, such as range tests and spike tests, and then all data is manually inspected each week where any other faults are picked up, including sensor faults or connection issues. Quality control flags are provided for all recorded (30 minute) data , indicating the reason for any missing data.
This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council award number NE/Y006208/1 as part of the UKCEH NC-UK programme delivering National Capability.
Each site in the network records the following hydrometeorological and soil data at 30-minute resolution: Radiation (short wave, long wave, and net), precipitation, atmospheric pressure, air temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, soil heat flux, and soil temperature and volumetric water content (VWC), measured by point sensors at various depths.
Each site hosts a cosmic-ray sensing probe; a novel sensor technology which counts fast neutrons in the surrounding atmosphere. In combination with the recorded hydrometeorological data, neutron counts are used to derive VWC over a field scale (COSMOS VWC), provide at daily resolution.
The presence of snow leads to erroneously high measurements of COSMOS VWC due to all the extra water in the surrounding area. Included in the daily data are indications of snow days, on which, the COSMOS VWC are adjusted, and the snow water equivalent (SWE) is given.
The potential evapotranspiration (PE), derived from recorded hydrometeorological and soil are also included at daily resolution.
Two levels of quality control are carried out, firstly data is run through a series of automated checks, such as range tests and spike tests, and then all data is manually inspected each week where any other faults are picked up, including sensor faults or connection issues. Quality control flags are provided for all recorded (30 minute) data , indicating the reason for any missing data.
This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council award number NE/Y006208/1 as part of the UKCEH NC-UK programme delivering National Capability.
Publication date: 2025-06-24
View numbers valid from 24 June 2025 Download numbers valid from 24 June 2025 (information prior to this was not collected)
Format
Comma-separated values (CSV)
Spatial information
Study area
Spatial representation type
Tabular (text)
Spatial reference system
WGS 84
Temporal information
Temporal extent
2013-01-01 to 2024-12-31
Temporal resolution
30m, 1d
Provenance & quality
Hydrometeorological and soil observations are recorded at sites around the UK using an array of sensors. Every hour, the raw data collected is sent to UKCEH in Wallingford, where it is subject to quality control. Soil volumetric water content data are derived from 30-minute hydrometeorological data and data from the cosmic-ray sensing probe by Python scripts run every hour. The data are calculated using the method outlined in Evans et al. 2016. Snow water equivalents are derived by Python scripts at the end of the day from the hydrometeorological data according to Wallbank et al., 2020. Potential evapotranspiration data are derived by Python scripts at the end of the day from the hydrometeorological data according to the Penman-Monteith method, (FAO Crop evapotranspiration - Guidelines for computing crop water requirements - FAO Irrigation and drainage paper 56). All data (including raw, quality controlled and derived) is saved in an Oracle database.
Licensing and constraints
This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence
Cite this dataset as:
Stanley, S.; Antoniou, V.; Askquith-Ellis, A.; Ball, L.; Bennett, E.S.; Blake, J.R.; Boorman, D.B.; Brookes, M.; Clarke, M.A.; Cooper, H.M.; Cowan, N.J.; Cumming, A.; Evans, J.G.; Farrand, P.; Fry, M.; Harvey, D.; Houghton-Carr, H.; Howson, T.; Jiménez-Arranz, G.; Keen, Y.; Khamis, D.; Leeson, S.; Lord, W.D.; Morrison, R.; Nash, G.V.; O'Callaghan, F.; Retter, A.; Rylett, D.; Scarlett, P.M.; Smith, R.J.; St Quintin, P.; Swain, O.; Szczykulska, M.; Teagle, S.; Thornton, J.L.; Trill, E.J.; Vincent, P.; Ward, H.C.; Warwick, A.C.; Winterbourn, J.B. (2025). Daily and sub-daily hydrometeorological and soil moisture data (2013-2024) [COSMOS-UK]. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/2dce161d-2fab-47bb-9fe6-38e7ed1ae18a
Correspondence/contact details
Authors
Askquith-Ellis, A.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Clarke, M.A.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Farrand, P.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Keen, Y.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Khamis, D.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Leeson, S.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
O'Callaghan, F.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Retter, A.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Scarlett, P.M.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
St Quintin, P.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Swain, O.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Teagle, S.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Vincent, P.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Warwick, A.C.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Other contacts
Rights holder
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Custodian
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
info@eidc.ac.uk
Publisher
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
info@eidc.ac.uk
Additional metadata
Keywords
Absolute humidity , Agriculture , air temperature , atmospheric humidity , atmospheric precipitation , Atmospheric pressure , Climate and climate change , Cosmic-Ray sensing probe , COSMOS-UK , Ecosystem services , Environmental survey , evapotranspiration , Hydrology , Land use , Latent heat , Longwave radiation , Net radiation , Potential evapotranspiration , Rainfall , Relative humidity , Sensible heat , Shortwave radiation , soil , Soil , Soil depth 10cm , Soil depth 20cm , Soil depth 2cm , Soil depth 50cm , Soil depth 5cm , Soil heat flux , Soil humidity , soil moisture , Soil temperature , Soil water content , Soil wetness , UK , Volumetric water content , VWC , Wind direction , Wind speed
Observed properties
DateTime
Mean heat flux 1
Mean heat flux 2
Incoming longwave radiation
Mean incoming longwave radiation
Mean outgoing longwave radiation
Mean atmospheric pressure
Total precipitation from Pluvio
Total precipitation from rain[e]
Total precipitation from tipping bucket
Maen absolute humidity
mean relative humidity
Mean Net radiation
Snow depth
Mean soil temperature at depth 10 cm
Mean soil temperature at depth 2 cm
Mean soil temperature at depth 20 cm
Mean soil temperature at depth 5 cm
Mean soil temperature at depth 50 cm
Mean incoming shortwave radiation
Mean outgoing shortwave radiation
Mean air temperature
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 2 at 10 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 1 at 10 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 10 at 50 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 10 at 50 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 1 at 10 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 2 at 10 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 4 at 5 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 3 at 5 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 3 at 5 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 4 at 5 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 5 at 15 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 5 at 15 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 6 at 15 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 6 at 15 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 7 at 25 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 7 at 25 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 8 at 25 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 8 at 25 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 9 at 50 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 9 at 50 cm
Mean X component of wind speed
Mean Y component of wind speed
Mean Z component of wind speed
Mean wind direction
Mean wind speed
Mean heat flux 1
Mean heat flux 2
Incoming longwave radiation
Mean incoming longwave radiation
Mean outgoing longwave radiation
Mean atmospheric pressure
Total precipitation from Pluvio
Total precipitation from rain[e]
Total precipitation from tipping bucket
Maen absolute humidity
mean relative humidity
Mean Net radiation
Snow depth
Mean soil temperature at depth 10 cm
Mean soil temperature at depth 2 cm
Mean soil temperature at depth 20 cm
Mean soil temperature at depth 5 cm
Mean soil temperature at depth 50 cm
Mean incoming shortwave radiation
Mean outgoing shortwave radiation
Mean air temperature
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 2 at 10 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 1 at 10 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 10 at 50 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 10 at 50 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 1 at 10 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 2 at 10 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 4 at 5 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 3 at 5 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 3 at 5 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 4 at 5 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 5 at 15 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 5 at 15 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 6 at 15 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 6 at 15 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 7 at 25 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 7 at 25 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 8 at 25 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 8 at 25 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 9 at 50 cm
Volumetric water content from TDT sensor 9 at 50 cm
Mean X component of wind speed
Mean Y component of wind speed
Mean Z component of wind speed
Mean wind direction
Mean wind speed
Funding
Natural Environment Research Council Award: NE/Y006208/1
Last updated
01 July 2025 07:06