Relative Accuracies of Wind, Virtual Temperature, and Cn2 Profiler Measurements at the Atmospheric Profiler Research Facility, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

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Abstract : Three wind profiling radars are being used at the Atmospheric Profiler Research Facility at White Sands Missile Range, NM, to obtain vertical profiles of wind, virtual temperature, and the refractive index structure parameter (C sub n)squared from the boundary layer to the lower stratosphere. To assess the accuracy of the wind data measured with the 50-, 404-, and 92-MHz profilers, statistical intercomparisons were made of the winds measured by the three systems for 3 days during the spring of 1993 when there were complete data sets from the three systems. To assess the accuracy of vertical profiles of virtual temperature data measured with Radio Acoustic Sounding Systems (RASS) associated with each of the three wind profilers, comparisons were made with profiles of virtual temperature computed from the 21 radiosonde runs (spanning 13 days) during the spring of 1993 when there were data from all three RASS systems. Seven systems are used to obtain vertical profiles of (C sub n)squared: 50-, 404-, and 924-MHz profilers, sodar, tower systems, a tethered balloon system, and FM-CW radar. The capability of each system to measure (C sub n)squared is demonstrated.