Hydro-Meteorological Observations in Hypersaline Basin of Lake Urmia

This technical paper describes the challenges of installing and operating two observatory hydro-meteorological stations in a hypersaline lake (Lake Urmia). We installed two observatory platforms in Lake Urmia and equipped them with diverse sensors. Some of that sensors were site-specific and entailed modifications to meet the study objective. Based on our experience, site-specific modifications are the most important factor in designing and running a successful hydro-meteorological observatory. This has mainly been overlooked in the design and plan setting phases. For Lake Urmia, the associated challenges were exacerbated by harsh and unique environment, lack of historical recordings, and strong variabilities associated with global changes. The observatories were deployed in 2017 and they are functional to date.