GuMNet, a unique monitoring network for high mountains

The GuNNet project (Guadarrama Monitoring Network) was born within the Campus Moncloa: Campus of International Excellence as a result of the collaboration among the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, CIEMAT (Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological), AEMET (State Meteorological Agency) and the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park.

28/04/2014

The GuNNet project (Guadarrama Monitoring Network) was born within the Campus Moncloa: Campus of International Excellence as a result of the collaboration among the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, CIEMAT (Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological), AEMET (State Meteorological Agency) and the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park.

Sierra de Guadarrama is considered the water source of Madrid, the main green area of Madrid and a popular leisure place. These reasons explain the social interest to know the real condition of this area. In fact, Jesús Fidel González Rouco, the main researcher of GuMNet project and a professor at the Faculty of Physical, explains that this initiative is based on three pillars: the social, scientific and educational interest.

The Guadarrama Monitoring Network aims to create a unique laboratory: “Our project aims to convert this mountain into a prestigious high mountain observatory for scientific, technical and environmental demands by providing data about the state of the atmosphere, cryosphere and subsoil”. Data will be transmitted to the involved institutions in real time.

The devices that will be installed by next summer and which are divided into four categories are funded by the Universidad Complutense through the Moncloa Campus. The first category is related to subsoil research. Subsoil conditions will be monitored by introducing sensors at different depth: up to two meters to register humidity and up to 20 meters to register the temperature.

The second category of devices is designed to register variables such as rainfall, humidity, wind and air temperature. The third category will be responsible for the flow measures of CO2 emissions and the steam in some locations of interest. Finally, there is a category of communication and usages of equipments to monitor the sierra from the campus and to integrate the data of the other three categories in a single database.

Historical data

González Rouco explains that there were already two monitoring networks, one from AEMET, “with limited signal in areas of high mountains” and other monitoring network for Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. GunMNet will reuse some emplacements of these institutions and will create other new emplacements to enhance the signal.

The integration of old and new records in the GuMNet database will allow future researchers to study the climate evolution and to keep monitoring the water resources of Madrid. The data interchange with other similar observatories will boost the general knowledge of the atmosphere and its trends globally.

Research

The equipment will facilitate new PhDs programmes and novel research projects. For example, development of new energy technologies, weather prediction, regional impact analysis, hydrology, snow science, subsurface geological studies, or air pollution and its impacts on ecosystems.

Tag: Global Change and new Energies    Source: Tribuna Complutense

Event date:

28/04/2014