ANALYSIS OF METEOROLOGICAL STATIONS SITUATION ON URBAN,

SEMIURBAN OR NONURBAN AREAS IN BRAZIL

D. T. F. Nascimento, and B. N. de Brito
Pontifcia Universidade Catlica de Gois, Goinia, Brasil (diego.tarley@gmail.com,
brenda.12leg@hotmail.com)
ABSTRACT: Even when dealing with direct measurements, data records by meteorological
stations have several problems, such as: 1) the quality of records that depend on the type of
material used in stations; 2) poor and uneven density of the network of stations; 3) errors in
readings caused by poor choice of location; 4) defects which instruments can present and result
in failures or anomalous data datasets; 5) changes of equipment or even the place where the
weather station is located and; 6) changes in coverage and land use where the instruments are
located. In time of discussion about global climate change, little attention has been given to the
conditions of cover and land use at the site and the surrounding meteorological stations.
Considering the growth of cities, many stations formerly located in rural areas, are currently
incorporated in urban areas. In this sense, the present work aims to analyze the situation of the
meteorological stations in urban, semi-urban and non-urban areas in Brazil, in order to ascertain
that these are incorporated into the urban centers and, in addition, give issues as to the
influences of urbanization in the meteorological date. For this propose, conventional and
automatic meteorological stations of the official network of the National Institute of
Meteorology (INMET) were intercepted by image night lights stabilized on the surface (stable
lights) recorded at Operational Linescan System (OLS) aboard the Defense Meteorological
Satellite Program (DMPS ). The image of night lights for the year 2012, with a spatial
resolution of 1 km was compiled. The digital value for the pixels classified has on urban, nonurban or semiurban by natural breaking from histogram. Of the total of 710 meteorological
stations of the INMET network, 342 are located in urban areas (52.5%), 198 in semi-urban areas
(26.8%) and 170 in non-urban areas (20.7%). However, that amount of meteorological stations
INMET, 237 are conventional stations and 473 are based on automatic stations. This division
(conventional VS automatic) there is a considerable difference in the proportion between
stations located in urban, semi-urban or non-urbanized areas. Among the 237 conventional
stations, 155 are located in urban areas (65.4%), 56 in semi-urban (23.6%) and 26 in non-urban
areas (11%). Therefore, 89% of these stations are located in areas of influence of urbanization.
In turn, the amount of automatic stations (473), 187 are located in urban areas (39.5%), 142 in
semi-urban (30%) and in non-urban areas 144 (30.5%) - indicating a homogeneous distribution
over these three conditions and land use. It is seen that most of the INMET network
meteorological stations are located in urban or semi-urban areas, which suggests that the
meteorological data currently recorded are suffering the influence of urbanized areas. This fact
can explain the variations or changes in the time series of data records, particularly of the air
temperature.
Key words: Meteorological Station, Situation, Brazil, INMET.

ANLISE DA SITUAO DAS ESTAES METEOROLGICAS EM REAS

URBANAS, SEMI-URBANAS E NO URBANAS NO BRASIL

RESUMO: Mesmo se tratando de medies diretas, os registos de dados de estaes

meteorolgicas possuem vrios problemas, tais como: 1) a qualidade de registos que dependem
do tipo de material utilizado nas estaes; 2) a rarefeita e desigual distribuio da rede de
estaes; 3) os erros nas leituras causados por m escolha do local; 4) os defeitos que os
instrumentos podem apresentar; 5) as mudanas de equipamento ou mesmo do lugar onde a
estao est localizada e; 6) as mudanas na cobertura e uso da terra onde os instrumentos esto
localizados. Em tempo de ampla discusso sobre mudanas climticas globais, pouca ateno
tem sido dada s condies de cobertura e uso do solo no entorno das estaes meteorolgicas.
Considerando-se o crescimento das cidades, muitas estaes anteriormente localizadas em reas
rurais, esto atualmente incorporadas em reas urbanas. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo
averiguar a situao das estaes meteorolgicas em reas urbanas, semi-urbanas e no-urbanas
no Brasil, a fim de verificar se esto incorporadas aos centros urbanos e, alm disso, fornecer
subdios s questes como da influncia da urbanizao no registro dos dados meteorolgicos.
Para tanto, estaes meteorolgicas convencionais e automticas da rede oficial do Instituto
Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET) foram interceptadas por imagem de luzes noturnas
estabilizadas na superfcie registradas pelo Operational Linescan System (OLS), a bordo do
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMPS). Foi utilizada a imagem referente a 2012,
com uma resoluo espacial de 1 km, sendo os valores digitais dos pixels classificados em
urbano, semi-urbano ou no urbano por quebra natural a partir do histograma. Do total de 710
estaes meteorolgicas da rede do INMET, 342 esto localizados em reas urbanas (52,5%),
198 em reas semi-urbanas (26,8%) e 170 em reas no urbanas (20,7%). No entanto, dessa
quantidade, 237 so estaes convencionais e 473 so estaes automticas. Nesta diviso
(convencional VS automtica), h uma diferena considervel na condio de cobertura e uso
do solo onde se situam. Dentre as 237 estaes convencionais, 155 esto localizadas em reas
urbanas (65,4%), 56 em semi-urbanas (23,6%) e 26 em reas no urbanas (11%). Por sua vez, a
quantidade de estaes automticas (473), 187 esto localizados em reas urbanas (39,5%), 142
em semi-urbana (30%) e em reas no urbanas 144 (30,5%), indicando uma distribuio
homognea ao longo destes trs condies de cobertura e uso do solo. Percebe-se que maior
parte da rede de estaes do INMET est localizada em reas urbanas ou semi-urbanas, o que
sugere que os dados meteorolgicos registados atualmente sofram a influncia de zonas
urbanizadas. Esse fato permite explicar as variaes ou mudanas na srie temporal dos dados,
particularmente referente temperatura do ar.
Palavras-chave: Estaes Meteorolgicas, Situao, Brasil, INMET.