Evaluation of the Dropsonde Humidity Sensor Using Data from DYCOMS-II and IHOP_2002

Abstract

Abstract The dropsonde humidity data have not been fully utilized due to lack of knowledge on performance of the dropsonde humidity sensor. This study evaluates the performance of the dropsonde humidity sensor using data collected from two field experiments, the Dynamics and Chemistry of Marine Stratocumulus Phase II: Entrainment Studies (DYCOMS-II) and the International H2O Project (IHOP)_2002. During DYCOMS-II, 63 dropsondes were dropped above marine stratocumulus clouds. It provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the performance of the dropsonde humidity sensor within clouds. Relative humidity (RH) inside clouds did not reach 100% all the time, but the maximum RH reached 100% for 28% of soundings and was within the sensor accuracy range (94%–100%). This suggests that the dropsonde humidity sensor displays no systematic dry bias near saturation. The dropsonde humidity sensor experienced large time-lag errors when it descended from a dry environment above clouds into clouds. The mean estimated time constant of the sensor is 5 s at 15°C, which is much larger than 0.5 s at 20°C given by the manufacturer. The humidity sensor still reported near-saturation RH after it exited clouds because of water on the sensor. The approximately coincident dropsonde and aircraft temperature data during DYCOMS-II show that the dropsonde underestimates temperatures inside and below clouds by averages of 0.21° and 0.93°C, respectively. Seventy-one pairs of dropsonde and radiosonde soundings during IHOP_2002 were launched within a half hour and 50 km and sampled the same air mass based on the visual examination. The comparisons show that the dropsonde and radiosonde RH data agree with each other within ±2% RH, suggesting no systematic dry bias in dropsonde humidity data. However, dropsonde-measured temperature is consistently colder than that by radiosonde by ∼0.4°C.