Assessments of the Retrieval of Atmospheric Profiles from GNSS Radio Occultation Data in Moist Tropospheric Conditions Using Radiosonde Data
The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Occultation (RO) retrieved temperature and specific humidity profiles can be widely used for weather and climate studies in troposphere. However, some aspects, such as the influences of background data on these retrieved moist profiles have not bee...
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doaj-6057aeacbb2f4dc8821f7f2e8f18c1b82020-11-25T03:39:29ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922020-08-01122717271710.3390/rs12172717Assessments of the Retrieval of Atmospheric Profiles from GNSS Radio Occultation Data in Moist Tropospheric Conditions Using Radiosonde DataYing Li0Yunbin Yuan1Xiaoming Wang2State Key Laboratory of Geodesy and Earth’s Dynamics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology (APM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geodesy and Earth’s Dynamics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology (APM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, ChinaAerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Dengzhuang South Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100094, ChinaThe Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Occultation (RO) retrieved temperature and specific humidity profiles can be widely used for weather and climate studies in troposphere. However, some aspects, such as the influences of background data on these retrieved moist profiles have not been discussed yet. This research evaluates RO retrieved temperature and specific humidity profiles from Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change (WEGC), Radio Occultation Meteorology Satellite Application Facility (ROM SAF) and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Boulder RO processing centers by comparing with measurements from 10 selected Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA) radiosonde stations in different latitudinal bands over 2007 to 2010. The background profiles used for producing their moist profiles are also compared with radiosonde. We found that RO retrieved temperature profiles from all centers agree well with radiosonde. Mean differences at polar, mid-latitudinal and tropical stations are varying within ±0.2 K, ±0.5 K and from −1 to 0.2 K, respectively, with standard deviations varying from 1 to 2 K for most pressure levels. The differences between RO retrieved and their background temperature profiles for WEGC are varying within ±0.5 K at altitudes above 300 hPa, and the differences for ROM SAF are within ±0.2 K, and that for UCAR are within 0.5 K at altitudes below 300 hPa. Both RO retrieved and background specific humidity above 600 hPa are found to have large positive differences (up to 40%) against most radiosonde measurements. Discrepancies of moist profiles among the three centers are overall minor at altitudes above 300 hPa for temperature and at altitudes above 700 hPa for specific humidity. Specific humidity standard deviations are largest at tropical stations in June July August months. It is expected that the outcome of this research can help readers to understand the characteristics of moist products among centers.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/17/2717Global Navigation Satellite Systemradio occultationtropospheremoist profilesradiosonde |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Ying Li Yunbin Yuan Xiaoming Wang |
spellingShingle |
Ying Li Yunbin Yuan Xiaoming Wang Assessments of the Retrieval of Atmospheric Profiles from GNSS Radio Occultation Data in Moist Tropospheric Conditions Using Radiosonde Data Remote Sensing Global Navigation Satellite System radio occultation troposphere moist profiles radiosonde |
author_facet |
Ying Li Yunbin Yuan Xiaoming Wang |
author_sort |
Ying Li |
title |
Assessments of the Retrieval of Atmospheric Profiles from GNSS Radio Occultation Data in Moist Tropospheric Conditions Using Radiosonde Data |
title_short |
Assessments of the Retrieval of Atmospheric Profiles from GNSS Radio Occultation Data in Moist Tropospheric Conditions Using Radiosonde Data |
title_full |
Assessments of the Retrieval of Atmospheric Profiles from GNSS Radio Occultation Data in Moist Tropospheric Conditions Using Radiosonde Data |
title_fullStr |
Assessments of the Retrieval of Atmospheric Profiles from GNSS Radio Occultation Data in Moist Tropospheric Conditions Using Radiosonde Data |
title_full_unstemmed |
Assessments of the Retrieval of Atmospheric Profiles from GNSS Radio Occultation Data in Moist Tropospheric Conditions Using Radiosonde Data |
title_sort |
assessments of the retrieval of atmospheric profiles from gnss radio occultation data in moist tropospheric conditions using radiosonde data |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Remote Sensing |
issn |
2072-4292 |
publishDate |
2020-08-01 |
description |
The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Occultation (RO) retrieved temperature and specific humidity profiles can be widely used for weather and climate studies in troposphere. However, some aspects, such as the influences of background data on these retrieved moist profiles have not been discussed yet. This research evaluates RO retrieved temperature and specific humidity profiles from Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change (WEGC), Radio Occultation Meteorology Satellite Application Facility (ROM SAF) and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Boulder RO processing centers by comparing with measurements from 10 selected Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA) radiosonde stations in different latitudinal bands over 2007 to 2010. The background profiles used for producing their moist profiles are also compared with radiosonde. We found that RO retrieved temperature profiles from all centers agree well with radiosonde. Mean differences at polar, mid-latitudinal and tropical stations are varying within ±0.2 K, ±0.5 K and from −1 to 0.2 K, respectively, with standard deviations varying from 1 to 2 K for most pressure levels. The differences between RO retrieved and their background temperature profiles for WEGC are varying within ±0.5 K at altitudes above 300 hPa, and the differences for ROM SAF are within ±0.2 K, and that for UCAR are within 0.5 K at altitudes below 300 hPa. Both RO retrieved and background specific humidity above 600 hPa are found to have large positive differences (up to 40%) against most radiosonde measurements. Discrepancies of moist profiles among the three centers are overall minor at altitudes above 300 hPa for temperature and at altitudes above 700 hPa for specific humidity. Specific humidity standard deviations are largest at tropical stations in June July August months. It is expected that the outcome of this research can help readers to understand the characteristics of moist products among centers. |
topic |
Global Navigation Satellite System radio occultation troposphere moist profiles radiosonde |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/17/2717 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT yingli assessmentsoftheretrievalofatmosphericprofilesfromgnssradiooccultationdatainmoisttroposphericconditionsusingradiosondedata AT yunbinyuan assessmentsoftheretrievalofatmosphericprofilesfromgnssradiooccultationdatainmoisttroposphericconditionsusingradiosondedata AT xiaomingwang assessmentsoftheretrievalofatmosphericprofilesfromgnssradiooccultationdatainmoisttroposphericconditionsusingradiosondedata |
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1724538514696044544 |