Technician Support for Real-Time Hydrologic Sensor Systems within the Penn State Experimental Forest

该奖项将设立一个新的信息系统技术员职位，以支持宾夕法尼亚州立大学环境研究所(PSIE)的实时水文监测网(RTH_NET)。RTH_NET是该大学实验森林内的一个野外设施，支持专注于大气、陆地和水文过程之间相互作用的研究和教育。RTH_Net将通过长期部署和维护集成传感器系统的实时网络来支持这些努力，该网络旨在加强宾夕法尼亚州立实验森林内现有的实验基础设施。RTH_Net将整合宾夕法尼亚州立森林内现有但不同的观测系统，使地表水、地下水和大气数据流保持连贯和实时。传统气象站技术与土壤湿度/压力阵列、地下水位和水位传感器的部署和集成将使在山坡、流域和流域尺度上估计临界通量和反馈的方法更加一致。该网络将在改进极端事件(洪水、干旱)的预报模型以及季节性和年际水资源动态方面发挥重要作用。该设施将对宾夕法尼亚州立大学实验森林内现有的研究基础设施进行现代化改造和扩展。信息系统技术人员将部署物理传感器系统，维护传感器数据的互联网可访问性(即IP连接)，并管理无线或陆线通信网络。该技术员职位将通过管理现场和非现场的综合档案，帮助确保RTH_NET可靠的数据访问和存储。这位技术人员将使用专门的软件管理基于互联网的出版物，该软件将使研究人员和学生能够轻松地查询、分析和可视化RTH_Net的数据集。这些系统将向PSIE内对水资源有研究兴趣的30多名教职员工开放。RTH_NET将支持大学一级的长期努力，以开发工具，更全面地实时监测水资源。*

0418798ReedSupport form this award will establish a new Information Systems Technician position in support of the Penn State Institutes of the Environment's (PSIE) Real-Time Hydrologic Monitoring Network (RTH_Net). RTH_Net is a field facility within the university's experimental forest supporting research and education focusing on the interaction among atmospheric, terrestrial, and hydrologic processes. RTH_Net will support these efforts through the long-term deployment and maintenance of a real-time network of integrated sensor systems designed to augment the existing experimental infrastructure within the Penn State Experimental Forest. RTH_Net will integrate the existing but disparate observing systems within the Penn State Forest such that surface, groundwater and atmospheric data streams are coherent and in real time. Deployment and integration of traditional weather station technology with soil moisture/pressure arrays, groundwater level and stream stage sensors will allow a more coherent approach to the estimation of critical fluxes and feedbacks at the hillslope, watershed, and river basin scales. The network will play a fundamental role in improving forecast models of extreme events (flood, drought) as well as seasonal and interannual water resource dynamics. The facility will modernize and expand the current research infrastructure within the Penn State Experimental Forest. The Information Systems Technician will deploy physical sensor systems, maintain internet accessibility (i.e., IP connectivity) for the sensor data, and manage wireless or landline communication networks. The technician position will help ensure reliable data access and storage for RTH_Net through the management of combined onsite and offsite archives. The technician will manage internet-based publication using specialized software that will enable RTH_Net's datasets to be easily queried, analyzed, and visualized by researchers and students. These systems will be made accessible to the more than 30 faculty members within PSIE that have research interests in water resources. RTH_Net will support a long-term university-level effort to develop tools for a more holistic approach to real-time monitoring of water resources.***