Cite this dataset as
Smith, R., Antoniou, V., Askquith-Ellis, A., Ball, L.A., Bennett, E.S., Blake, J.R., Boorman, D.B., Brooks, M., Clarke, M., Cooper, H.M., Cowan, N., 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., Rylett, D., Scarlett, P.M., St Quintin, P., Stanley, S., Swain, O.D., Szczykulska, M., Teagle, S., Thornton, J.L., Trill, E.J., Vincent, P., Ward, H.C., Warwick, A.C., Winterbourn, J.B. (2024). Daily and sub-daily hydrometeorological and soil data (2013-2023) [COSMOS-UK]. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. (Dataset). https://doi.org/10.5285/399ed9b1-bf59-4d85-9832-ee4d29f49bfb
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This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence 
Daily and sub-daily hydrometeorological and soil data (2013-2023) [COSMOS-UK]
This is the most recent version of this dataset (view other versions )
This dataset contains daily and sub-daily hydrometeorological and soil moisture observations from COSMOS-UK (cosmic-ray soil moisture) monitoring network from October 2013 to the end of 2023. 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/R016429/1 as part of the UK-SCAPE 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/R016429/1 as part of the UK-SCAPE programme delivering National Capability.
Publication date: 2024-04-08
View record as
Format
Comma-separated values (CSV)
Spatial information
- Study area
-
- Spatial representation type
- Tabular (text)
- Spatial reference systems
-
OSGB 1936 / British National Grid
WGS 84
Temporal information
- Temporal extent
-
2013-01-01 to 2023-12-31
- Temporal resolution
- 1 day, 30 minutes
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.
Citations
Wang, Q., Shan, Y., Morten, C., Hunt, J., Harris, P., & Wu, L. (2024). Spatial and temporal measurement of soil moisture and nitrogen in a pasture field [Dataset]. Rothamsted Research. https://doi.org/10.23637/ROTHAMSTED.9910X
Supplemental information
COSMOS-UK website
To find out more about the different available datasets, see our video data guide
Evans, J.G., Ward, H.C., Blake, J.R., Hewitt, E.J., Morrison, R., Fry, M., Ball, L. A., Doughty, L.C., Libre, J.W., Hitt, O.E., Rylett, D., Ellis, R.J., Warwick, A.C., Brooks, M., Parkes, M.A., Wright, G.M.H., Singer, A.C., Boorman, D.B., & Jenkins, A. (2016). Soil water content in southern England derived from a cosmic-ray soil moisture observing system - COSMOS-UK. In Hydrological Processes (Vol. 30, Issue 26, pp. 4987–4999). Wiley.
Deriving snow water equivalent using cosmic-ray neutron sensors from the COSMOS-UK network for modelling snowmelt floods Wallbank, John R. ; Anderson, Seonaid R. ; Cole, Steven J. ; Moore, Robert J. ; Wells, Steven C., 2020.
Penman-Monteith method, Chapter 4 - Determination of ETo in ‘Crop evapotranspiration - Guidelines for computing crop water requirements - FAO Irrigation and drainage paper 56’.
Correspondence/contact details
Richard Smith
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford
Wallingford
Oxfordshire
OX10 8BB
UNITED KINGDOM
enquiries@ceh.ac.uk
Wallingford
Oxfordshire
OX10 8BB
UNITED KINGDOM
Authors
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-6740
Askquith-Ellis, A.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Clarke, M.
Farrand, P.
Harvey, D.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Houghton-Carr, H.
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
Scarlett, P.M.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
St Quintin, P.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Swain, O.D.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Teagle, S.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Thornton, J.L.
UK Met Office
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 Centreinfo@eidc.ac.uk
- Publisher
-
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centreinfo@eidc.ac.uk
Additional metadata
- Topic categories
- environment
- INSPIRE theme
- Environmental Monitoring Facilities
- Keywords
- cosmic-ray sensing probe , COSMOS-UK , Environmental survey , Hydrology , Soil , soil depth 10cm , soil depth 20cm , soil depth 2cm , soil depth 50cm , soil depth 5cm , UK , UK-SCAPE
- Observed properties
- Albedo (Mean between 10:00 and 14:00 GMT)
Daily mean soil moisture (volumetric water content) from crns
Daily total corrected moderated counts from crns
Daily mean effective depth of crns (d86 at 75m)
DateTime GMT
Heat flux 1
Heat flux 2
Daily max green colour content. proportion of green from a phenocam image
Incoming longwave radiation (Mean over preceding time period)
Daily total incoming longwave radiation
Outgoing longwave radiation (Mean over preceding time period)
Daily total outgoing longwave radiation
Atmospheric pressure
Daily total potential evapo-transpiration
Precipitation from pluvio
Precipitation from rain[e]
Precipitation from tipping bucket
Absolute humidity
Relative humidity
Net radiation (Mean over preceding time period)
Daily total net radiation
Snow days
Snow depth
Soil temperature at depth 10 cm
Soil temperature at depth 2 cm
Soil temperature at depth 20 cm
Soil temperature at depth 5 cm
Soil temperature at depth 50 cm
Snow water equivalent (value at midday 12:00 GMT)
Incoming shortwave radiation (Mean over preceding time period)
Daily total incoming shortwave radiation
Outgoing shortwave radiation (Mean over preceding time period)
Daily total outgoing shortwave radiation
Air temperature
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 1 at 10 cm
Soil moisture - volumetric water content from tdt sensor 1 at 10 cm
Soil temperature from tdt sensor 9 at 50 cm, except for heytesbury site where sensors at 5 cm
Soil moisture - volumetric water content from tdt sensor 10 at 50 cm, except for heytesbury site where sensors at 5 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 2 at 10 cm
Soil moisture - volumetric water content from tdt sensor 2 at 10 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 3 at 5 cm
Soil moisture - volumetric water content from TDT sensor 3 at 5 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 4 at 5 cm
Soil moisture - volumetric water content from TDT sensor 4 at 5 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 5 at 15 cm
Soil moisture - volumetric water content from TDT sensor 5 at 15 cm
Soil temperature from TDT sensor 6 at 15 cm
Soil moisture - volumetric water content from TDT sensor 6 at 15 cm
Soil temperature from tdt sensor 7 at 25 cm
Soil moisture - volumetric water content from tdt sensor 7 at 25 cm
Soil temperature from tdt sensor 8 at 25 cm
Soil moisture - volumetric water content from tdt sensor 8 at 25 cm
Soil temperature from tdt sensor 10 at 50 cm, except for heytesbury site where sensors at 5 cm
Soil moisture - volumetric water content from tdt sensor 9 at 50 cm, except for heytesbury site where sensors at 5 cm
X component of wind speed (Mean over preceding time period)
Y component of wind speed (Mean over preceding time period)
Z component of wind speed (Mean over preceding time period)
Wind direction
Wind speed - Funding
- Natural Environment Research Council Award: NE/R016429/1
- Last updated
- 14 November 2024 14:09
More information about these numbers
View numbers valid from 08 April 2024 Download numbers valid from 20 June 2024 (information prior to this was not collected)