Ground-based Mobile Measurement Systems

While stationary measurements can be performed relatively frequently, they do not permit detailed spatial analyses of meteorological variables, particularly air temperature. This problem can be resolved by making the sensor mobile and then taking measurements at a variety of locations within the area of interest. Mobile measurements have therefore been used in climatological research since the early twentieth century. Due to improvements in and the miniaturization of the relevant measurement technologies, mobile measurements have undergone a renaissance since the 1970s. Urban climatology has become an important field of great scientific interest. The realization that the measurements of just one urban weather station—generally located (in line with the recommendations of the World Meteorological Organization) on short-cut lawn—is not sufficient to represent all of the climates present in an urban area has led to the acceptance of and even the need for mobile measurements taken on cars, bikes, or buses. New methodologies have been implemented, and advances in digital measurement and storage on data loggers have made mobile measurements an important tool for spatially distributed studies of air temperature, air humidity, and air pollution.