The Thirty Meter Telescope Site Conditions Monitoring System

We examine the experiences and ideas from operating observatories regarding the measurements of the characteristics of the atmosphere that must be gathered within the locality of the observatory in order to support safe, efficient and scientifically optimized observatory operations as well as commissioning, performance monitoring and support the scientific analysis of telescope observations. We describe the expected requirements for the measurement capabilities of the the TMT Site Conditions Monitoring System (SCMS) and discuss how these plans are being developed with input from staff at operating observatories and active observational astronomers.