Stuart A. Foster

Increase in Near-Surface Atmospheric Moisture Content due to Land Use Changes: Evidence from the Observed Dewpoint Temperature Data

Abstract Land use change can significantly affect root zone soil moisture, surface energy balance, and near-surface atmospheric temperature and moisture content. During the second half of the twentieth century, portions of the North American Great Plains have experienced extensive introduction of irrigated agriculture. It is expected that land use change from natural grass to irrigated land use would significantly increase near-surface atmospheric moisture content. Modeling studies have already shown an enhanced rate of evapotranspiration from the irrigated areas. The present study analyzes observed dewpoint temperature (Td) to assess the affect of irrigated land use on near-surface atmospheric moisture content. This investigation provides a unique opportunity to use long-term (1982–2003) mesoscale Td data from the Automated Weather Data Network of the high plains. Long-term daily Td data from 6 nonirrigated and 11 irrigated locations have been analyzed. Daily time series were developed from the hourly da...

Federal health care policy and the geographic diffusion of physicians: A macro-scale analysis

The federal government passed legislation in the 1960s and 70s to increase physician supplies and reduce spatial inequalities in access to physicians. A major policy was to aggressively continue increasing the overall supply of physicians on the assumption that market forces would eventually divert physicians from areas of high physician density to those of low density. Using state-level, annual data collected over a 21-year period, this paper investigates the macro-scale spatial diffusion of physicians as an essential element in evaluating this policy. The results provide evidence of the policy impacting locational trends relating to primary care physicians, but not specialists. They also indicate that the Medicaid/Medicare programs may have adversely affected the maldistribution problem.

Reply to comment by David E. Parker et al. on ''Unresolved issues with the assessment of multidecadal global land surface temperature trends''

[1] Pielke et al. [2007a] identified a variety of problems affecting the accuracy or appropriate level of confidence of the global historical land surface temperature data set, as applied to estimates of global temperature trends, and called for several measures to be taken to improve this network for this purpose. Parker et al. [2009], while acknowledging the importance of making improvements to the network and its data, take issue with two particular aspects of our analysis. We are grateful for the opportunity to engage in further discussion regarding these important issues.

Mesonets: Mesoscale Weather and Climate Observations for the United States

AbstractMesoscale in situ meteorological observations are essential for better understanding and forecasting the weather and climate and to aid in decision-making by a myriad of stakeholder communities. They include, for example, state environmental and emergency management agencies, the commercial sector, media, agriculture, and the general public. Over the last three decades, a number of mesoscale weather and climate observation networks have become operational. These networks are known as mesonets. Most are operated by universities and receive different levels of funding. It is important to communicate the current status and critical roles the mesonets play.Most mesonets collect standard meteorological data and in many cases ancillary near-surface data within both soil and water bodies. Observations are made by a relatively spatially dense array of stations, mostly at subhourly time scales. Data are relayed via various means of communication to mesonet offices, with derived products typically distribut...

Spatial Metadata for Weather Stations and the Interpretation of Climate Data

Observations made at weather stations are often assumed to be representative of their surrounding region, but they can be significantly influenced by highly localized forcings associated with the environmental exposure of instruments. The documentation of spatial metadata via digital elevation models, digital orthophotographs, site photographs, and descriptive narratives integrated within a geographic information system can provide key insights to aid the interpretation of climate data. Comparative analyses of climate data from proximate stations with documented spatial metadata help to reveal sources of observational bias associated with instrument exposures and contribute to a better understanding of the historical climate record.