New sensor platform for expansion of in-situ measurements for meteorological and climate change measurements

As water is known to be a critical resource for hydrology and water management, with an estimated 2 billion people already affected by water scarcity and a projected 3 billion facing shortages by 2050, it was realized that this was an opportunity for designing and developing a new solution.

Evapotranspiration (ET) plays a vital role in the global water cycle, moving a staggering 500,000 km³ of water annually, with 70,000 km³ occurring over land. However, conventional methods for quantifying ET – such as potential, reference, max, equilibrium, and pan – do not achieve the necessary level of accuracy.

To address these challenges, a new cost-effective solution for direct, automated, and real-time ET measurements has been developed. The LI-710 sensor is a user-friendly device that measures ET, sensible heat, temperature, humidity, and air pressure every 30 minutes. It is significantly more affordable than typical eddy covariance flux stations, costing 5-10 times less, and it consumes 3-15 times less power. Moreover, it can be easily installed and utilized by individuals with limited experience in the field.

Years of field testing alongside traditional research-grade eddy covariance systems have provided excellent results.

Benefits from this innovative sensor have allowed for comprehensive global deployment in locations where infrastructure, funding, and local experience have made it difficult. Applications are extensive across agricultural fields, forests, wetlands, grasslands, water bodies, and many more. Every 30-minutes, fully processed ET values are provided in real-time, including quality flags, to reduce ‘data latency’ for immediate and effective actions.

Within the last year, multiple research agencies have been developing ET networks spanning states, countries, and continents, which this new LI-710 sensor makes possible.

Further innovations include the establishment of a new Internet of the Environment (IoE) platform. The new IoE system connects the Water Node with the Cloud platform. The Water Node includes all hardware necessary for direct, real-time measurement, data collection, and transmission to the Cloud.  The Cloud platform with remote access allows for data storage, analysis, and sharing.

This innovative LI-710 sensor fills needs for both meteorologists and climate change researchers as these two groups work together on new discoveries, interdependencies, and feedback loops. Governments around the world are focusing and funding hydrological-cycle research, and these sensors provide measurements where there were previously gaps in remote field locations. The information from these measurements will help with predicting future weather and climate patterns and with developing solutions for hydrology and water management challenges.