Mission

Met Instruments Project exists to support atmospheric research through the development of standardized, modular, and scientifically rigorous observing systems that reduce the logistical burden of field operations.

The organization designs observing platforms, operational methodologies, and supporting infrastructure that allow researchers to spend less time managing instrumentation and more time conducting science. Every system is developed through iterative engineering, field validation, and documented operational experience to ensure observations are reliable, traceable, and repeatable.

Rather than pursuing rapid expansion, Met Instruments Project emphasizes deliberate growth in response to demonstrated scientific need. New capabilities are incorporated as they mature through testing and field experience, allowing the organization to expand while maintaining a strong commitment to data quality, maintainability, and practical field operation.

Ultimately, the goal is to provide atmospheric researchers, educators, and collaborators with observing capabilities that make field campaigns more efficient, more accessible, and scientifically robust.

Guiding Principle

Every capability developed within Met Instruments Project is evaluated against one guiding question:

Does it make atmospheric field research more effective, more repeatable, and easier to perform?

Our goal is simple: make atmospheric field research easier to conduct without compromising scientific rigor—and help people make better measurements easier.

Operational Methodology

Independently observed. Empirically evaluated. Collaboratively applied.

Met Instruments Project independently develops atmospheric observing systems through hands-on engineering, sustained field experience, and internal research and development. These systems are empirically evaluated through field deployment, intercomparison, and performance characterization to better understand their capabilities and limitations. When appropriate, these capabilities are applied collaboratively to support researchers in obtaining observations suited to their scientific objectives.

Strategic Vision

Met Instruments Project seeks to build capability progressively, allowing experience gained from existing systems to inform each subsequent stage of development. Near-term efforts focus on documenting and characterizing current platforms, strengthening operational infrastructure, and preparing emerging systems for field use. Longer-term growth will be guided by opportunities to apply these capabilities meaningfully in atmospheric research.

Current Priorities

• Publish the QDAWS design and operational experience manuscript.
• Conduct the year-long QDAWS / ASOS performance characterization study.
• Develop standardized calibration, validation, and deployment methodologies across MIP observing systems.
• Advance QDAWS V2 and scalable rapidly deployable observing architectures.
• Present Met Instruments Project to the broader atmospheric science community and develop research collaborations.
• Continue empirical refinement of observing systems through field deployment and long-term operational evaluation.

Near-Term Development

• Expand internal calibration and metrology capabilities with traceable reference instrumentation and documented procedures.
• Complete QDAWS V2 design, construction, and validation.
• Standardize modular pressure, thermodynamic, wind, power, and telemetry configurations across observing platforms.
• Continue development of production mobile mesonet systems using lessons learned from TOOL.
• Develop scalable power and winterization configurations for extended-duration field deployments.
• Expand the QDAWS fleet in response to demonstrated research demand and collaborative opportunities.
• Continue development of fixed-site observing systems for long-term performanc evaluation and community applications.

Long-Term Vision

• Operate integrated fleets of QDAWS, FluxDAWS, mobile mesonets, sticknets, and fixed observing systems.
• Provide rapidly deployable, configurable observing networks for atmospheric field research.
• Support collaborative field campaigns with standardized deployment, calibration, metadata, and data-management methodologies.
• Maintain internal metrology capabilities supporting traceable atmospheric measurements across MIP platforms.
• Advance modular observing technologies that reduce cost and logistical barriers without compromising measurement quality.
• Provide high-quality, traceable atmospheric observations that enable scientific research.

Agenda

Current Focus Areas:

• QDAWS atmospheric observing platforms and performance characterization
• Rapidly deployable mesonet development
• TOOL dual-antenna GNSS position and heading architecture validation
• Mobile observing system development
• Fixed-site observing and development testbeds
• Instrument calibration, validation, and metrology
• Standardized field operations and data infrastructure
• Organizational development and research collaboration

Recent:

• QDAWS commissioned for year-long ASOS performance characterization (2026)
• QDAWS pressure measurement system characterized against ASOS observations (2026)
• Quad plate pressure port manufacturing and standardization program initiated (2026)
• Fixed Site Development Testbed upgraded for high-frequency continuous operation (2026)
• Internal atmospheric instrument calibration and metrology program initiated (2026)
• QDAWS manuscript advanced toward submission (2026)
• Met Instruments Project abstract submitted for the 107th AMS Annual Meeting (2026)

Upcoming:

• QDAWS manuscript submission
• Formal commencement and continued operation of the year-long QDAWS / ASOS study
• QDAWS V2 construction and validation
• Production mobile mesonet architecture development
• Expansion of in-house calibration capabilities
• Research observing site development
• Sainte Genevieve, MO community observing station development
• Development and testing of extended-duration winterized QDAWS configurations
• AMS Annual Meeting presentation, pending abstract acceptance
• Continued student education and technical mentorship

Quickly Deployable Automated Weather Station (QDAWS) – 2024

A rapidly deployable, temporary fixed-site automated weather station designed to provide research-quality atmospheric observations for field campaigns, environmental monitoring, and scientific studies.

Current Research:

A technical manuscript describing the design, deployment methodology, and field performance of the Quickly Deployable Automated Weather Station (QDAWS) is currently in preparation for journal submission. The manuscript documents the instrument architecture, operational performance, and experience gained through research deployments, including deployment during the 2025 CROCUS field campaign. Future work will include an intercomparison study against an ASOS to further quantify system measurement performance.

Fixed-Site Development Testbed – 2025

A continuously operating fixed-site meteorological testbed supporting the development and long-term evaluation of Met Instruments Project observing infrastructure.

Development Role:

The Fixed-Site Development Testbed provides a continuously operating environment for the development and long-duration evaluation of Met Instruments Project data acquisition, communications, and data-delivery infrastructure. Current work includes continued development of legacy Campbell Scientific PakBus interoperability with modern IP-based communications, server-side data processing, automated data products, and user-facing visualization systems. Capabilities developed using the testbed are subsequently adapted for application across other MIP observing platforms, including planned mobile mesonet systems.

Thunderstorm On-site Observations & Logging (TOOL) – 2026

A mobile wind measurement testbed developed to evaluate instrumentation, mounting systems, and data acquisition methods for future mobile atmospheric observing platforms.

Research & Development:

TOOL serves as an experimental mobile atmospheric observing platform used to investigate vehicle-mounted wind measurement techniques, instrumentation integration, and deployment methodologies. Development efforts currently focus on GNSS-based heading determination, time synchronization, and improvements in measurement quality to support future mobile mesonet systems. Lessons learned through this platform directly inform the design of future atmospheric observing systems developed by the Met Instruments Project.

© 2026 Met Instruments Project

Independent Atmospheric Observing Systems