High-Elevation Meteorological Datasets from the Quelccaya Ice Cap and Surrounding Sites in the Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
- 1. University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
- 2. Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA
- 3. Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
- 4. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, USA
- 5. King's College London, London, England, UK
- 6. Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (SENAMHI), Lima, Peru
- 7. University of Leeds, Leeds, England, UK
- 8. Universidad Nacional de San Antonio de Abád del Cusco (UNSAAC), Cusco, Peru
- 9. Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, USA
Description
This dataset contains quality-controlled high-elevation meteorological and cryospheric observations from the Cordillera Vilcanota, including the Quelccaya Ice Cap and surrounding sites. The dataset includes automatic weather station (AWS) observations from five sites spanning elevations from 4,895 to 6,349 m, together with snow-pit and snow-density measurements, precipitation-phase observations from Parsivel disdrometers, and radiosonde.
The AWS datasets are provided primarily at hourly resolution. Missing observations are retained as missing values and are not interpolated. Depending on the station, variables include air temperature, relative humidity, relative humidity with respect to ice, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, incoming and outgoing radiations, snow depth, precipitation, soil temperature, soil moisture, and undercatch-corrected precipitation.
Files and station data
1 Ausangate_20220725_20260722.csv
Ausangate AWS, 6,349 m a.s.l.
Location: -13.78978°, -71.23375°
Period: 26 July–21 November 2022
Variables: Tair, Tair_max, Tair_min, RH, RHi, PRESS, WS, WD, WS_max, SWin, SWin_max, SWout, SnDep.
Murmurani_Alto_20120404_20170709.csv
Murmurani Alto AWS, 5,050 m a.s.l.
Location: -13.81105°, -71.09148°
Period: 4 April 2012–9 July 2017
Variables: Tair, RH, RHi, PRESS, SWin, Tsoil, SM, SnDep.
Osjollo_Anante_20120407_20150721.csv
Osjollo Anante Glacier AWS, 5,540 m a.s.l.
Location: -13.76714°, -71.08914°
Period: 7 April 2012–21 July 2015
Variables: Tair, RH, RHi, WS, WD.
Quelccaya_20141014_20250928.csv
Quelccaya Ice Cap AWS, 5,650 m a.s.l.
Location: -13.91972°, -70.81645°
Period: 14 October 2014–28 September 2025
Variables: Tair, RH, RHi, WS, WD, WS_max, SWin, SWin_max, SnDep, Precip, corrected_P.
Sibinacocha_20170718_20260816.csv
Lake Sibinacocha AWS, 4,895 m a.s.l.
Location: -13.92230°, -71.01805°
Period: 18 July 2017–16 December 2025
Variables: Tair, RH, RHi, Precip, Precip24, corrected_P, modelled_phase, SWin, SWin_max, SnDep.
Additional files contain Parsivel disdrometer raw observations, snow-pit and snow-density profiles, and radiosonde soundings. Snow-pit observations was collected adjacent to Quelccaya AWSs. Radiosondes were released during field campaigns in November 2014 and March 2018 between Nevado Ausangate and the Quelccaya Ice Cap and provide vertical profiles of atmospheric conditions.
Files
data_Perry_et_al.zip
Additional details
Funding
- This work was supported by U.S. National Science Foundation grants AGS 1347179 and AGS 1566450, the Justin Brooks Fisher Foundation, and the National Geographic Society. Appalachian State University summer study abroad students (2012-2014) assisted with maintenance and data download of the Murmurani Alto and Osjollo Anante stations. The authors are grateful to citizen science observer P. Godofredo for taking daily precipitation measurements and for permission to install an AWS on his land in Murmurani Alto. The authors acknowledge the helpful guidance and field support from Adrían Ccahuana, Alfredo Ccahuana, Raul Ccahuana, Pedro Choque, Paulino Choque, Christian Crispin, David Crispin Condori, Felipe Crispin Condori, Gumercindo Crispin Condori, Eric Burton, Jason Endries, Barry Goodison, Ben Graves, Doug Hardy, Cecilia Llusco, Senobia Llusco, Daniel Martin, Paul Mayewski, Evan Montpellier, Alex Moore, Ruthmery Pillco, Lonnie Thompson, Laura Ticona, and Alfredo Tupayachi.
Dates
- Submitted
-
2016-10-31