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Daily and sub-daily hydrometeorological and soil moisture data (2013-2024) [COSMOS-UK]

This dataset contains daily and sub-daily hydrometeorological and soil moisture observations from the COSMOS-UK (cosmic-ray soil moisture) monitoring network from October 2013 to the end of 2024 . 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/Y006208/1 as part of the UKCEH NC-UK programme delivering National Capability. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/2dce161d-2fab-47bb-9fe6-38e7ed1ae18a

Simple

Date (Publication)
2025-06-24
Identifier
https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/2dce161d-2fab-47bb-9fe6-38e7ed1ae18a
Identifier
doi: / 10.5285/2dce161d-2fab-47bb-9fe6-38e7ed1ae18a
Other citation details
Stanley, S., Antoniou, V., Askquith-Ellis, A., Ball, L., Bennett, E.S., Blake, J.R., Boorman, D.B., Brookes, M., Clarke, M.A., Cooper, H.M., Cowan, N.J., 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., Retter, A., Rylett, D., Scarlett, P.M., Smith, R.J., St Quintin, P., Swain, O., Szczykulska, M., Teagle, S., Thornton, J.L., Trill, E.J., Vincent, P., Ward, H.C., Warwick, A.C., Winterbourn, J.B. (2025). Daily and sub-daily hydrometeorological and soil moisture data (2013-2024) [COSMOS-UK]. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre 10.5285/2dce161d-2fab-47bb-9fe6-38e7ed1ae18a
Point of contact
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Richard Smith
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-6740
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Stanley, S.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8303-2969
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Antoniou, V.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6011-4075
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Askquith-Ellis, A.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Ball, L.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0203-5958
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Bennett, E.S.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7398-9268
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Blake, J.R.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1033-4712
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Boorman, D.B.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6436-5266
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Brookes, M.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7439-0393
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Clarke, M.A.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Cooper, H.M.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1382-3407
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Cowan, N.J.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7473-7916
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Cumming, A.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5704-9006
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Evans, J.G.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4194-1416
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Farrand, P.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Fry, M.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1142-4039
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Harvey, D.
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9102-5413
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Houghton-Carr, H.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4465-2169
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Howson, T.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9822-316X
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Jiménez-Arranz, G.
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4445-8272
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Keen, Y.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Khamis, D.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Leeson, S.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Lord, W.D.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2987-488X
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Morrison, R.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1847-3127
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Nash, G.V.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1611-2042
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - O'Callaghan, F.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Retter, A.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Rylett, D.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7426-1153
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Scarlett, P.M.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Smith, R.J.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-6740
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - St Quintin, P.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Swain, O.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Szczykulska, M.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5820-7093
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Teagle, S.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Thornton, J.L.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8350-4823
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Trill, E.J.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6233-8942
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Vincent, P.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Ward, H.C.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8881-185X
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Warwick, A.C.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Winterbourn, J.B.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1318-5281
Owner
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Custodian
  NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
Publisher
  NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
  • Environmental Monitoring Facilities
GEMET - Concepts, version 4.1.3
  • atmospheric humidity
  • air temperature
  • soil
  • soil moisture
  • atmospheric precipitation
  • evapotranspiration
Keywords
  • Agriculture
  • Climate and climate change
  • Ecosystem services
  • Environmental survey
  • Hydrology
  • Land use
  • Soil
  • COSMOS-UK
  • Absolute humidity
  • Atmospheric pressure
  • Cosmic-Ray sensing probe
  • Longwave radiation
  • Shortwave radiation
  • Net radiation
  • Potential evapotranspiration
  • Rainfall
  • Relative humidity
  • Soil heat flux
  • Soil humidity
  • Soil temperature
  • Soil water content
  • Soil wetness
  • Soil depth 2cm
  • Soil depth 5cm
  • Soil depth 10cm
  • Soil depth 20cm
  • Soil depth 50cm
  • UK
  • Volumetric water content
  • VWC
  • Wind direction
  • Wind speed
  • Latent heat
  • Sensible heat
Access constraints
otherRestrictions Other restrictions
Other constraints
no limitations
Use constraints
otherRestrictions Other restrictions
Other constraints
This resource is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence
Use constraints
otherRestrictions Other restrictions
Other constraints
If you reuse this data, you should cite: Stanley, S., Antoniou, V., Askquith-Ellis, A., Ball, L., Bennett, E.S., Blake, J.R., Boorman, D.B., Brookes, M., Clarke, M.A., Cooper, H.M., Cowan, N.J., 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., Retter, A., Rylett, D., Scarlett, P.M., Smith, R.J., St Quintin, P., Swain, O., Szczykulska, M., Teagle, S., Thornton, J.L., Trill, E.J., Vincent, P., Ward, H.C., Warwick, A.C., Winterbourn, J.B. (2025). Daily and sub-daily hydrometeorological and soil moisture data (2013-2024) [COSMOS-UK]. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre https://doi.org/10.5285/2dce161d-2fab-47bb-9fe6-38e7ed1ae18a
Spatial representation type
textTable Text, table
Metadata language
EnglishEnglish
Character set
utf8 UTF8
Topic category
  • Climatology, meteorology, atmosphere
  • Environment
  • Geoscientific information
Begin date
2013-01-01
End date
2024-12-31
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S
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Unique resource identifier
WGS 84
Distribution format
  • Comma-separated values (CSV) ()

Distributor
  NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
OnLine resource
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Supporting information

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Hierarchy level
dataset Dataset
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dataset

Conformance result

Date (Publication)
2010-12-08
Statement
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.
File identifier
2dce161d-2fab-47bb-9fe6-38e7ed1ae18a XML
Metadata language
EnglishEnglish
Character set
ISO/IEC 8859-1 (also known as Latin 1) 8859 Part 1
Hierarchy level
dataset Dataset
Hierarchy level name
dataset
Date stamp
2025-11-13T16:26:24
Metadata standard name
UK GEMINI
Metadata standard version
2.3
Point of contact
  NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg , Lancaster , LA1 4AP , UK
https://eidc.ac.uk/
 
 

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Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
Environmental Monitoring Facilities

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