View source for Measurement tower

{{Refimprove|date=May 2008}}
[[Image:Forschungszentrum.Karlsruhe.-.Measurement.Tower.png|thumb|right|200px|The measurement tower of [[Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe]]]]

A '''measurement tower''' or '''measurement mast''', also known as '''meteorological tower''' or '''meteorological mast''' ('''met tower''' or '''met mast'''), is a free standing [[tower]] or a removed [[:wikt:mast|mast]], which carries measuring instruments with [[meteorological]] instruments, such as [[thermometers]] and [[Anemometer|instruments to measure wind speed]]. Measurement towers are an essential component of [[rocket]] launching sites, since one must know exact wind conditions for an execution of a rocket launch. Met masts are crucial in the development of [[wind farms]], as precise knowledge of the wind speed is necessary to know how much energy will be produced, and whether the turbines will survive on the site. Measurement towers are also used in other contexts, for instance near nuclear power stations, and by [[Automated Surface Observing System|ASOS]] stations.

==Examples==

===Meteorology===

{| class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+
|- style="background:#ececec;"
! Structure
! City or region
! Country
! Height (metres)
! Year built
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes

|-
| [[Amazon Tall Tower Observatory]] || Vila de Balbina || {{flag|Brazil}} || 325 || 2015 || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mpg.de/9358794/atto-inauguration|title = ATTO inauguration ceremony in the Brazilian rain forest}}</ref>
|-
| [[IAP Meteorological Tower]] || Beijing || {{flag|China}} || 325 || 1979 || for meteorological measurements, studies of air pollution and studies of the atmospheric boundary layer
|-
| [[Obninsk Meteorological tower]] || Obninsk || {{flag|Russia}} || 310 || 1958 || for meteorological and radioactivity measurements
|-
| [[Zotino Tall Tower Observation Facility]] || Zotino || {{flag|Russia}} || 302 || || for measurements of meteorological variables and of concentration of greenhouse gases and aerosols
|-
| [[KNMI-mast Cabauw]] || Cabauw || {{flag|Netherlands}} || 213 || 1972 || for meteorological research
|-
| [[Jaslovské Bohunice Meteorological Tower]]|| Jaslovské Bohunice || {{flag|Slovakia}} || 212 || 1986 || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/1226337/jaslovske-bohunice-meteorological-tower-trnava-slovakia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018233757/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/1226337/jaslovske-bohunice-meteorological-tower-trnava-slovakia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 18, 2016 |title=Jaslovské Bohunice Meteorological Tower, Trnava &#124; 1226337 |publisher=Emporis |date= |accessdate=2022-05-03}}</ref>
|-
| Meteorological tower of [[Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe]] || Karlsruhe || {{flag|Germany}} || 200 || 1972 || 
|-
| Rödeser Berg Meteorological Mast || Wolfshagen || {{flag|Germany}} || 200 || 2011 || 
|-
| [[Gundremmingen|KFU-Tower]] Gundremmingen || Gundremmingen || {{flag|Germany}} || 174 || 1978 || 
|-
| [[Grafenrheinfeld|KFU-Mast]] Grafenrheinfeld || Grafenrheinfeld || {{flag|Germany}} || 164 || 1978 || for the measurement of meteorological parameters and environmental radioactivity
|-
| Mast of Richard Assmann Observatory || Falkenberg || {{flag|Germany}} || 99 || 1998 || 
|-
| Mast of [[Obrigheim Nuclear Power Plant#Meteorological towers|Asbach]] || Obrigheim || {{flag|Germany}} || || || dismantled 
|-
| [[Oskar-von-Miller-Tower]] || [[Garching]] || {{flag|Germany}} || 62 || 2010 || 
|-
| Mast of [[Dukovany Nuclear Power Station#Meteorological Tower|Dukovany Nuclear Power Station]] || [[Dukovany]] || {{flag|Czech Republic}} || || || 
|-
| Košetice Meteorological Tower || [[Košetice (Pelhřimov District)|Košetice]] || {{flag|Czech Republic}} || 250 || 2012 || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/1298696/kosetice-meteorological-mast-kosetice-czech-republic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018222914/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/1298696/kosetice-meteorological-mast-kosetice-czech-republic |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 18, 2016 |title=Košetice Meteorological Mast, Košetice &#124; 1298696 |publisher=Emporis |date= |accessdate=2022-05-03}}</ref> 
|-
| [[Hegyhátsál TV Tower]] || [[Hegyhátsál]] || {{flag|Hungary}} || 117 || || transmission tower equipped with instruments for the measurement of meteorological parameters and carbon dioxide concentration
|-
| Norunda tower || [[Uppsala County]] || {{flag|Sweden}} || 103 || || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://fluxnet.ornl.gov/site/730|title=Fluxnet}}</ref>
|-
| [[Puijo tower]] || [[Kuopio]] || {{flag|Finland}} || 75 || 1963 || 
|-
| NAVO-Toren || [[Veurne]] || {{flag|Belgium}} || 243 || || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/1225959/navo-toren-veurne-belgium |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018225348/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/1225959/navo-toren-veurne-belgium |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 18, 2016 |title=Zendmast Jump Trading Houtem, Houtem &#124; 1225959 |publisher=Emporis |date= |accessdate=2022-05-03}}</ref>
|}

===Other measurement towers===
* [[Aerial test facility Brück]], Brück, Germany
* [[BREN Tower]], Nevada Test Site, USA

===Wind farm development===

Before [[Wind farm#Location planning|developers construct a wind farm]], they first measure the wind resource on a prospective site by erecting temporary measurement towers. Typically these mount [[anemometer]]s at a range of heights up to the hub height of the proposed wind turbines, and log the wind speed data at frequent intervals (e.g. every ten minutes)<ref name="anemometer_loan">{{cite web
  |url=http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/anemometer_loans.asp
  |title=Anemometer Loan Programs
  |publisher=Wind Powering America, [[National Renewable Energy Laboratory|NREL]], [[United States Department of Energy|USDOE]]
  |accessdate=2010-05-04
  |date=2009-09-01
  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425054143/http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/anemometer_loans.asp
  |archive-date=2010-04-25
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref> for at least one year and preferably two or more. The data allow the developer to determine if the site is economically viable for a wind farm, and to choose wind turbines optimized for the local wind speed distribution.

==See also==
*[[Automatic weather station#Mast]]
*[[Guyed mast]]
*[[Radio masts and towers]]
*[[Truss tower]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Measurement Tower}}
[[Category:Meteorological instrumentation and equipment]]
[[Category:Towers]]