How are data collected at USGS gaging stations transferred automatically to the USGS web site?
The gaging stations for which data appear on the Current Streamflow Conditions section of our web site have satellite telemetry that basically works like this–An electronic data logger, using a 12-volt battery supply, monitors and records gage heights at selected intervals (usually 15 minutes). The data are periodically transmitted to a satellite in geo-stationary orbit over the equator. The transmitter is called a GOES radio transmitter, and USGS stations typically transmit data every 4 hours. The data are relayed via the satellite to a groundstation in Maryland and then from Maryland via satellite to a USGS groundstation in Denver, Colorado. The data are transmitted via landline to our computer system. USGS software decodes the data, which often (but not always) arrive in binary format, and puts the data in a format that our hydrologic-data processing software (ADAPS) can recognize. The gage-height data are stored and manipulated to provide streamflow in cubic feet per second. USGS
Related Questions
- I downloaded DEM files from the USGS web site or from the GIS Data Depot, but Surfer fails to recognize the DEM file as valid. How can I load these files into Surfer?
- How are data collected at USGS gaging stations transferred automatically to the USGS web site?
- How are data collected at USGS gaging stations tranferred automatically to the USGS website?
