How are data collected at USGS gaging stations tranferred automatically to the USGS website?
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USGS Frequently Asked Questions
Question:
How are data collected at USGS gaging stations tranferred automatically to the USGS website?
Answer:
All the gaging stations that appear on the “Current Conditions” section of our website have satellite telemetry that basically works like this--An electronic data logger, using a 12-volt battery supply, monitors and records gage heights at selected intervals (usually 15 minutes). The data are periodically transmitted to a satellite in geo-stationary orbit over the equator. The transmitter is called a GOES radio transmitter, and USGS stations typically transmit data every 4 hours. The data are relayed via the satellite to a groundstation in Maryland, and then from Maryland via satellite to a USGS groundstation in Carson City, Nevada. From Nevada, the data are transmitted via landline to our computer system. USGS software decodes the data, which often (but not always) arrives in binary format, and puts it in a format that our hydrologic-data processing software (ADAPS) can recognize. The gage-height data are stored and manipulated to provide streamflow in cubic feet per second. USGS website software continuously accesses the various data files (site information, gage height, and discharge) and portrays the information graphically. Most of the data-logging systems use 12-volt power from a wet-cell battery with a solar panel recharging system. Data can also be transmitted via cellular and FM frequencies, but both require direct line of sight to a repeater.
