Water Vapor Profiles Research Articles

Assimilation of shipborne precipitable water vapour by Global Navigation Satellite Systems for extreme precipitation events

AbstractWater vapour advection from the sea causes extremely heavy rainfall in Japan. Therefore, accurately describing the water vapour distribution over the sea in a forecast model's initial conditions should improve the prediction accuracy of heavy rainfall events. Thus, we assimilated the shipborne precipitable water vapour (PWV) observed by the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) onboard ships to show its impact on a heavy rainfall event in July 2020. We obtained the GNSS observations during a continuous water vapour observation campaign conducted at sea, one of the few in the world. In this study, we applied the shipborne PWV, on the upwind side of the heavy rainfall, to the four‐dimensional variational data assimilation method and conducted assimilation–forecast cycles. Although the shipborne PWV is a point observation, it can be assimilated as observation data covering space and time because the ships conducting the GNSS observation sailed around Japan. In addition, in the assimilation–forecast cycle, the effect of assimilation spread widely over the forecast area. Although the ship motion affects the shipborne observations, we found that the impact on PWV assimilation is negligible for practical use. For the temporal thinning of the data assimilation slot for the shipborne PWV, an interval of 30 min is more effective than an interval of 1 hr. As a result of assimilating this shipborne PWV on the upwind side of the disastrous heavy rainfall of July 2020, the forecast accuracy of rainfall, especially rainfall amount, was improved. We also found that statistical improvements could be obtained from the water vapour profiles and wind velocity field in the lower atmosphere. We demonstrate that the assimilation of shipborne PWV observations can improve the prediction accuracy of heavy rainfall events.

Impacts of tropical cyclones on the thermodynamic conditions in the tropical tropopause layer observed by A-Train satellites

Abstract. The tropical tropopause layer (TTL) is the transition layer between the troposphere and the stratosphere. Tropical cyclones may impact the TTL by perturbing the vertical distributions of cloud, temperature, and water vapor. This study combines several A-Train instruments, including radar from CloudSat, lidar from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite, and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the Aqua satellite, to detect signatures of cyclone impacts on the distribution patterns of cloud, water vapor, temperature, and radiation by compositing these thermodynamic fields relative to the cyclone center location. Based on the CloudSat 2B-CLDCLASS-LIDAR product, this study finds that tropical cyclone events considerably increase the occurrence frequencies of TTL clouds, in the form of cirrus clouds above a clear troposphere. The amount of TTL cloud ice, however, is found to be mostly contributed by overshooting deep convection that penetrates the base of the TTL at 16 km. To overcome the lack of temperature and water vapor products in cloudy conditions, this study implements a synergistic method that retrieves temperature, water vapor, ice water content, and effective radius simultaneously by incorporating observations from AIRS, CloudSat, and CALIPSO. Using the synergistic method, we find a vertically oscillating pattern of temperature anomalies above tropical cyclones, with warming beneath the cloud top (around 16 km) and cooling above. Based on water vapor profiles retrieved by the synergistic method, we find that the layer integrated water vapor (LIWV) above 16 km is higher above tropical cyclones, especially above overshooting deep convective clouds, compared to climatological values. Moreover, we find that the longwave and net radiative cooling effect of clouds prevails within 1000 km of tropical cyclone centers. The radiative heating effects of clouds from the CloudSat 2B-FLXHR-LIDAR product are well differentiated by the collocated brightness temperature of an infrared window channel from the collocated AIRS L1B product. By performing instantaneous radiative heating rate calculations, we further find that TTL hydration is usually associated with radiative cooling of the TTL, which inhibits the diabatic ascent of moist air across isentropic surfaces to the stratosphere. Therefore, the radiative balance of the TTL under the impact of the cyclone does not favor the maintenance of moist anomalies in the TTL or transporting water vertically to the stratosphere.

Retrospective on the resource for radiative cooling

The history of quantitative measurements of radiative cooling is briefly reviewed, starting with Count Rumford in 1804. The cooling results from upward emission of thermal infrared radiation (wavelengths of 5 to 50 μm) that is not fully offset by downward atmospheric emission. The downward emission is characterized by the apparent atmospheric (sky) emittance and the surface air temperature. In 1984, an equation was published that describes the clear sky emittance as a function of the surface dew point temperature. At the time, this equation was merely one of many empirical relations. Now that time has passed, experimental and theoretical advances support its validity. Further refinements can include improved corrections for time-of-day and the lower air pressure at elevated locations. Complex computer codes for predicting atmospheric radiation have reached quantitative maturity. Given profiles of air temperature, water vapor, CO2, O3, CH4, N2O, and aerosols, they can compute spectral radiances with an accuracy of ∼3 % . The effect of clouds in reducing radiative cooling remains more uncertain.

Spaceborne differential absorption radar water vapor retrieval capabilities in tropical and subtropical boundary layer cloud regimes

Abstract. Differential absorption radar (DAR) near the 183 GHz water vapor absorption line is an emerging measurement technique for humidity profiling inside of clouds and precipitation with high vertical resolution, as well as for measuring integrated water vapor (IWV) in clear-air regions. For radar transmit frequencies on the water line flank away from the highly attenuating line center, the DAR system becomes most sensitive to water vapor in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), which is a region of the atmosphere that is poorly resolved in the vertical by existing spaceborne humidity and temperature profiling instruments. In this work, we present a high-fidelity, end-to-end simulation framework for notional spaceborne DAR instruments that feature realistically achievable radar performance metrics and apply this simulator to assess DAR's PBL humidity observation capabilities. Both the assumed instrument parameters and radar retrieval algorithm leverage recent technology and algorithm development for an existing airborne DAR instrument. To showcase the capabilities of DAR for humidity observations in a variety of relevant PBL settings, we implement the instrument simulator in the context of large eddy simulations (LESs) of five different cloud regimes throughout the trade-wind subtropical-to-tropical cloud transition. Three distinct DAR humidity observations are investigated: IWV between the top of the atmosphere and the first detected cloud bin or Earth's surface; in-cloud water vapor profiles with 200 meter vertical resolution; and IWV between the last detected cloud bin and the Earth's surface, which can provide a precise measurement of the sub-cloud humidity. We provide a thorough assessment of the systematic and random errors for all three measurement products for each LES case and analyze the humidity precision scaling with along-track measurement integration. While retrieval performance depends greatly on the specific cloud regime, we find generally that for a radar with cross-track scanning capability, in-cloud profiles with 200 m vertical resolution and 10 %–20 % uncertainty can be retrieved for horizontal integration distances of 100–200 km. Furthermore, column IWV can be retrieved with 10 % uncertainty for 10–20 km of horizontal integration. Finally, we provide some example science applications of the simulated DAR observations, including estimating near-surface relative humidity using the cloud-to-surface column IWV and inferring in-cloud temperature profiles from the DAR water vapor profiles by assuming a fully saturated environment.

Impact of assimilating lidar water vapour and temperature profiles with a hybrid ensemble transform Kalman filter: Three‐dimensional variational analysis on the convection‐permitting scale

AbstractWe discuss the analysis impact of the ensemble‐based assimilation of differential absorption lidar observed water vapour and Raman lidar observed temperature profiles into the Weather Research and Forecasting model at convection‐permitting scale. The impact of flow‐dependent background error covariance in the data assimilation (DA) system that uses the hybrid three‐dimensional variational (3DVAR) ensemble transform Kalman filter (ETKF) was compared to 3DVAR DA. The 3DVAR‐ETKF experiment resulted in a 50% lower temperature and water vapour RMSE than the 3DVAR experiment when taking the assimilated lidar data as reference and 26% (38%) lower water vapour (temperature) RMSE when comparing against independent radiosonde observations collocated with the lidar site. The planetary boundary‐layer height of the analyses compared to independent ceilometer data provided additional evidence of improvement. The 3DVAR analysis RMSE showed 140 m, whereas 3DVAR‐ETKF showed 60 m. Although limited to a single case study, we attribute these improvements to the flow‐dependent background error covariance matrix in the 3DVAR‐ETKF approach. The vertical profile measured from a single stationary lidar system established a spatial impact with a 100 km radius. This seems to indicate future assimilation of water vapour and temperature data from an operational lidar network. The assimilation impact persisted 7 hr into the forecast time compared with the ceilometer data and 4 hr with GPS observations.

Comparisons of Different Methods to Determine Starting Altitudes for Dry Air Atmosphere by GNSS-RO Data

Boundary profile evaluation (BPV) is an approach proposed in order to estimate water vapor content in the atmosphere. It exploits radio occultation (RO) observations of the signals emitted by the satellites of global navigation systems (GNSS) which are eclipsing (rising) as viewed by a low earth orbit satellite (LEO). BPV requires, as a preliminary step, the estimation of the dry background atmosphere model of refractivity (i.e., obtained from bending angle profiles) to be subtracted from the real observations in order to extract water vapor profiles. The determination of the lowest layer of the atmosphere over which the concentration of water vapor can be deemed negligible is particularly crucial for a correct application of the BPV method. In this study, we have applied three methods to set the starting altitudes for the dry air layers of the atmosphere: (1) by air temperature below some threshold values (for example, 250 K); (2) by “smooth” bending angle profiles in ROs; (3) by saturated water vapor pressure. These methods were tested with thermodynamic and bending angle profiles from 912 radiosonde excursions colocated with RO observations. For every dry air starting altitude we determined the best estimator from each of the three methods. In particular, by comparing those estimators with the quantiles and momenta of the dry air starting altitude distributions, we achieved improvements of up to 50% of the humidity profiles.

Adaptive Algebraic Reconstruction Algorithms for GNSS Water Vapor Tomography

Objectives Global navigation satellite system(GNSS) tomography, characterized by reconstructing the three-dimensional distribution of the atmospheric water vapor, has proved its capacity for studying the extreme weather events. The ill-conditioned problem resulting from the GNSS acquisition geometry is the critical issue of the GNSS tomography system. Algebraic reconstruction techniques, with the advantages of simple iteration and fast convergence, has been widely applied to the tropospheric tomography. However, the error allocation principle based on the intersection length of GNSS rays with each ray-voxel affects the accuracy of tomographic results. An improved adaptive algebraic reconstruction techniques are proposed to address this problem. Methods In view of the unreasonable error allocation in the traditional algorithm, we suggest a new error allocation principle based on the variation of water vapor density(WVD) in voxels for the adaptive algorithms, in which the product of the intersection length and WVD is considered as a new principle to redistribute the difference between the GNSS slant water vapor(SWV)and the reconstructed SWV. Besides, the weight matrix model of elevation angles is introduced to the improved algorithm to optimize the tomographic results. Results The new algorithms are tested by measured data from Xuzhou continuously operating reference stations(CORS) network and radiosonde during July2016. Experimental results reveal that the WVD derived from the adaptive algorithms performs better than that of the general algorithms in root mean squared error(RMSE), standard deviation(STD) and mean absolute error(MAE), and the RMSE is decreased by 25.91%, 15.81%, and 24.64% for adaptive algebraic reconstruction technique(AART), adaptive multiplicative algebraic reconstruction technique(AMART)and adaptive simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique(ASIRT) respectively. Under the conditions of light rain, moderate rain and heavy rain, the adaptive algorithms retrieve better water vapor profile than the traditional ones. Conclusions Overall, the water vapor profile derived from the adaptive algorithms agrees with the radiosonde distribution better than the traditional algorithms, which reveals the advantage of the proposed method on optimizing the tomography solutions.

Retrieval of Water Vapour Profiles from GLORIA Nadir Observations

We present the first analysis of water vapour profiles derived from nadir measurements by the infrared imaging Fourier transform spectrometer GLORIA (Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere). The measurements were performed on 27 September 2017, during the WISE (Wave driven ISentropic Exchange) campaign aboard the HALO aircraft over the North Atlantic in an area between 37°–50°N and 20°–28°W. From each nadir recording of the 2-D imaging spectrometer, the spectral radiances of all non-cloudy pixels have been averaged after application of a newly developed cloud filter. From these mid-infrared nadir spectra, vertical profiles of H2O have been retrieved with a vertical resolution corresponding to five degrees of freedom below the aircraft. Uncertainties in radiometric calibration, temperature and spectroscopy have been identified as dominating error sources. Comparing retrievals resulting from two different a priori assumptions (constant exponential vs. ERA 5 reanalysis data) revealed parts of the flight where the observations clearly show inconsistencies with the ERA 5 water vapour fields. Further, a water vapour inversion at around 6 km altitude could be identified in the nadir retrievals and confirmed by a nearby radiosonde ascent. An intercomparison of multiple water vapour profiles from GLORIA in nadir and limb observational modes, IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) satellite data from two different retrieval processors, and radiosonde measurements shows a broad consistency between the profiles. The comparison shows how fine vertical structures are represented by nadir sounders as well as the influence of a priori information on the retrievals.

All‐Sky Aerosol Direct Radiative Effects at the ARM SGP Site

AbstractAll‐sky aerosol direct radiative effect (DRE) was estimated for the first time at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains site using multiyear ground‐based observations. The NASA Langley Fu‐Liou radiation model was employed. Observed inputs for the radiation model include aerosol and cloud vertical extinction profile from Raman lidar; spectral aerosol optical depth, single‐scattering albedo, and asymmetry factor from Aerosol Robotic Network; cloud water content profiles from radars; temperature and water vapor profiles from radiosondes; and surface shortwave spectral albedo from radiometers. A cloudy‐sky radiative closure experiment was performed. The relative mean differences between modeled and observed surface downwelling shortwave total fluxes were 6% (7%) for transparent (opaque) cloudy‐skies. The estimated annual mean all‐sky aerosol DRE is −2.130.54 W m−2 at the top of atmosphere (TOA) and −5.950.87 W m−2 at the surface, compared to −3.000.58 W m−2 and −6.851.00 W m−2, respectively, under clear‐sky conditions. The seasonal cycle of all‐sky aerosol DRE is similar to that of the clear‐sky, except with secondary influences of the clouds: The cloud radiative effect is strongest (most negative) in the spring, which reduces the all‐sky aerosol DRE. The relative uncertainties in all‐sky aerosol DRE due to measurement errors are generally comparable to those in clear‐sky conditions except for the aerosol single‐scattering albedo. The TOA all‐sky aerosol DRE relative uncertainty due to aerosol single‐scattering albedo uncertainty is larger than that in clear‐sky, leading to a larger total relative uncertainty. The measurement errors in cloud properties have small effects on the all‐sky aerosol DRE.

Interpretation of the Precipitation Structure Contained in Polarimetric Radio Occultation Profiles Using Passive Microwave Satellite Observations

AbstractObservationally, a major source of uncertainty in evaluation of climate models arises from the difficulty in obtaining globally distributed, fine scale profiles of temperature, pressure and water vapor, that probe through convective precipitating clouds, from the boundary layer to the upper levels of the free troposphere. In this manuscript, a two-year analysis of data from the Radio Occultations through Heavy Precipitation (ROHP) polarimetric RO demonstration mission onboard the Spanish PAZ spacecraft is presented. ROHP measures the difference in the differential propagation phase delay (Δ𝜙) between two orthogonal polarization receive states that is induced from the presence of non-spherically shaped hydrometeors along the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) propagation path, complementing the standard RO thermodynamic profile. Since Δφ is a net path-accumulated depolarization and does not resolve the precipitation structure along the propagation path, orbital coincidences between ROHP and the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) constellation passive MW radiometers are identified to provides three-dimensional precipitation context to the RO thermodynamic profile. Passive MW-derived precipitation profiles are used to simulate the Δφalong the ROHP propagation paths. Comparison between the simulated and observed Δφare indicative of the ability of ROHP to detect threshold levels of ray path-averaged condensed water content, as well as to suggest possible inferences on the average ice phase hydrometeor non-sphericity. The use of the polarimetric RO vertical structure is demonstrated as a means to condition the lower tropospheric humidity by the top-most height of the associated convective cloud structure.

An Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer – New Generation (IASI‐NG) channel selection for numerical weather prediction

AbstractIn the framework of the EUMETSAT Polar System–Second Generation (EPS‐SG) preparation, a new generation of the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) instrument has been designed. The IASI‐New Generation (IASI‐NG) will measure radiances at a doubled spectral resolution compared to its predecessor and with a signal‐to‐noise ratio improved by a factor of 2. The large amount of data arising from IASI‐NG will present many challenges for data transmission, storage and assimilation. Moreover, the full set of measured radiances will not be exploitable in an operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) context. For these reasons, an appropriate IASI‐NG channel selection in needed, aiming to select the most informative channels for NWP models. Therefore, the standard iterative channel selection methodology, based on the optimal linear estimation theory and assuming spectrally correlated errors, has been applied to a set of simulated data of the IASI‐NG spectrum. The entire simulated IASI‐NG spectrum has been first investigated, while finally focusing the channel selection procedure on the most interesting wavelength ranges for the assimilation. Through this process, a total of 500 channels have been chosen to serve as a basis for future channel selections to be provided to NWP centres – 277 temperature, 23 surface‐sensitive and 200 water vapour channels. One‐dimensional variational (1D‐Var) assimilation experiments show that using this selected set of channels leads to a reduction of the standard deviation of the error in temperature (up to 30%) and water vapour (up to 50%) profiles with respect to the information.

MicroPulse DIAL (MPD) – a diode-laser-based lidar architecture for quantitative atmospheric profiling

Abstract. Continuous water vapor and temperature profiles are critically needed for improved understanding of the lower atmosphere and potential advances in weather forecasting skill. Ground-based, national-scale profiling networks are part of a suite of instruments to provide such observations; however, the technological method must be cost-effective and quantitative. We have been developing an active remote sensing technology based on a diode-laser-based lidar technology to address this observational need. Narrowband, high-spectral-fidelity diode lasers enable accurate and calibration-free measurements requiring a minimal set of assumptions based on direct absorption (Beer–Lambert law) and a ratio of two signals. These well-proven quantitative methods are known as differential absorption lidar (DIAL) and high-spectral-resolution lidar (HSRL). This diode-laser-based architecture, characterized by less powerful laser transmitters than those historically used for atmospheric studies, can be made eye-safe and robust. Nevertheless, it also requires solar background suppression techniques such as narrow-field-of-view receivers with an ultra-narrow bandpass to observe individual photons backscattered from the atmosphere. We discuss this diode-laser-based lidar architecture's latest generation and analyze how it addresses a national-scale profiling network's need to provide continuous thermodynamic observations. The work presented focuses on general architecture changes that pertain to both the water vapor and the temperature profiling capabilities of the MicroPulse DIAL (MPD). However, the specific subcomponent testing and instrument validation presented are for the water vapor measurements only. A fiber-coupled seed laser transmitter optimization is performed and shown to meet all of the requirements for the DIAL technique. Further improvements – such as a fiber-coupled near-range receiver, the ability to perform quality control via automatic receiver scanning, advanced multi-channel scalar capabilities, and advanced processing techniques – are discussed. These new developments increase narrowband DIAL technology readiness and are shown to allow higher-quality water vapor measurements closer to the surface via preliminary intercomparisons within the MPD network itself and with radiosondes.

Airborne lidar observations of wind, water vapor, and aerosol profiles during the NASA Aeolus calibration and validation (Cal/Val) test flight campaign

Abstract. Lidars are uniquely capable of collecting high-precision and high spatiotemporal resolution observations that have been used for atmospheric process studies from the ground, aircraft, and space for many years. The Aeolus mission, the first space-borne Doppler wind lidar, was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and launched in August 2018. Its novel Atmospheric LAser Doppler INstrument (ALADIN) observes profiles of the component of the wind vector and aerosol/cloud optical properties along the instrument's line-of-sight (LOS) direction on a global scale. A total of two airborne lidar systems have been developed at NASA Langley Research Center in recent years that collect measurements in support of several NASA Earth Science Division focus areas. The coherent Doppler Aerosol WiNd (DAWN) lidar measures vertical profiles of LOS velocity along selected azimuth angles that are combined to derive profiles of horizontal wind speed and direction. The High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) measures high resolution profiles of atmospheric water vapor (WV) and aerosol and cloud optical properties. Because there are limitations in terms of spatial and vertical detail and measurement precision that can be accomplished from space, airborne remote sensing observations like those from DAWN and HALO are required to fill these observational gaps and to calibrate and validate space-borne measurements. Over a 2-week period in April 2019, during their Aeolus Cal/Val Test Flight campaign, NASA conducted five research flights over the eastern Pacific Ocean with the DC-8 aircraft. The purpose was to demonstrate the following: (1) DAWN and HALO measurement capabilities across a range of atmospheric conditions, (2) Aeolus Cal/Val flight strategies and comparisons of DAWN and HALO measurements with Aeolus, to gain an initial perspective of Aeolus performance, and (3) ways in which atmospheric dynamic processes can be resolved and better understood through simultaneous observations of wind, WV, and aerosol profile observations, coupled with numerical model and other remote sensing observations. This paper provides a brief description of the DAWN and HALO instruments, discusses the synergistic observations collected across a wide range of atmospheric conditions sampled during the DC-8 flights, and gives a brief summary of the validation of DAWN, HALO, and Aeolus observations and comparisons.

Revealing a High Water Abundance in the Upper Mesosphere of Mars With ACS Onboard TGO

AbstractWe present the first water vapor profiles encompassing the upper mesosphere of Mars, 100–120 km, far exceeding the maximum altitudes where remote sensing has been able to observe water to date. Our results are based on solar occultation measurements by Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO). The observed wavelength range around 2.7 μm possesses strong CO2 and H2O absorption lines allowing sensitive temperature and density retrievals. We report a maximum H2O mixing ratio varying from 10 to 50 ppmv at 100–120 km during the global dust storm (GDS) of Martian Year (MY) 34 and around southern summer solstice of MY 34 and 35. During other seasons water remains persistently below ∼2 ppmv. We claim that contributions of the MY34 GDS and perihelion periods into the projected hydrogen escape from Mars are nearly equivalent.

Long-Term Observations of Microwave Brightness Temperatures over a Metropolitan Area: Comparison of Radiometric Data and Spectra Simulated with the Use of Radiosonde Measurements

Ground-based microwave radiometers are increasingly used in operational meteorology and nowcasting. These instruments continuously measure the spectra of downwelling atmospheric radiation in the range 20–60 GHz used for the retrieval of tropospheric temperature and water vapor profiles. Spectroscopic uncertainty is an important part of the retrieval error budget, as it leads to systematic bias. In this study, we analyze the difference between observed and simulated microwave spectra obtained from more than four years of microwave and radiosonde observations over Nizhny Novgorod (56.2° N, 44° E). We focus on zenith-measured and elevation-scanning data in clear-sky conditions. The simulated spectra are calculated by a radiative transfer model with the use of radiosonde profiles and different absorption models, corresponding to the latest spectroscopy research. In the case of zenith-measurements, we found a systematic bias (up to ~2 K) of simulated spectra at 51–54 GHz. The sign of bias depends on the absorption model. A thorough investigation of the error budget points to a spectroscopic nature of the observed differences. The dependence of the results on the elevation angle and absorption model can be explained by the basic properties of radiative transfer and by cloud contamination at elevation angles.

GNSS-RS Tomography: Retrieval of Tropospheric Water Vapor Fields Using GNSS and RS Observations

High spatiotemporal resolution atmospheric water vapor can be retrieved using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) tomography technique, in which the remained ill-posed problem of the tomography system resulting from the acquisition geometry is a vital issue to be addressed. Remote sensing (RS) water vapor data, with high-resolution and global coverage, show great potential for retrieval of slant water vapor (SWV) observations to improve the tomographic geometrical distribution. In this article, we develop a GNSS-RS (GNSS combining RS) tomography model to fully exploit the value of observation signals from GNSS and RS measurements. The two key factors of retrieving the RS SWV are performed by calibrating the original precipitable water vapor (PWV) images and adding the tropospheric horizontal gradients. The results reveal that when introducing the RS SWV observations into the tomography model, the acquisition geometry is significantly improved, with the average rate of voxels crossed by rays from 62% to 95% and the mean number of observation signals from 395 to 508 during the tomographic periods. Independent radiosonde data are used to validate the tomographic water vapor fields. The mean root-mean-square error (RMSE) and bias of the water vapor profiles derived from GNSS-RS solutions are decreased by 28% and 45% with respect to the GNSS-only results, respectively. Such improvements highlight that GNSS-RS troposphere tomography has significant potential to improve the reconstruction of the atmospheric water vapor fields.

Dual-wavelength locking technique for coherent 2-µm differential absorption lidar applications

A dual-wavelength locking technique for coherent 2-µm differential absorption lidar (DIAL) applications has been developed for simultaneously measuring water vapor (${{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{O}}$) and radial wind velocity profiles. The two wavelengths for DIAL measurement were stabilized by sidebands of an electro-optic modulated laser, which was locked to the ${{\rm{CO}}_2}$ R30 absorption line. We selected wavelengths of 2050.550 and 2051.103 nm to minimize the effects of height-dependent temperature and pressure variations. The long-term wavelength stability of the two locked lasers of ${\lt}{0.2}\;{\rm{pm}}$, which corresponds to 14 MHz, was achieved. The DIAL instrument using the developed technique meets the requirement of measuring the ${{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{O}}$ concentration with a systematic error ${\lt} {{5}}\%$ below an altitude of 5 km.

Estimation of the Precipitable Water and Water Vapor Fluxes in the Coastal and Inland Cities of China Using MAX-DOAS

Water vapor transport affects regional precipitation and climate change. The measurement of precipitable water (PW) and water vapor flux (WVF) is of great importance for the study of precipitation and water vapor transport. This study presented a new method of computing PW and estimating WVF using the water vapor vertical column density (VCD) and profile retrieved from multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS), combined with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA5 wind profiles. We applied our method to MAX-DOAS observations in the coastal (Qingdao) and inland (Xi’an) cities of China from June 2019 to May 2020 and compared the results to the ERA5 reanalysis datasets. Good agreement with ERA5 datasets was found; the correlation coefficient (r) of the PW and the zonal and meridional WVFs were r ≥ 0.92, r = 0.77, and r ≥ 0.89, respectively. The comparison results showed the feasibility and reliability of estimating PW and WVF using MAX-DOAS. Then, we analyzed the seasonal and diurnal climatology of the PW and WVFs in Qingdao and Xi’an. The results indicated that the seasonal and diurnal variations of the PW in the two cities were similar. The zonal water vapor transport of the two cities mainly involved eastward transport, Qingdao’s meridional water vapor mainly involved southward transport, and that of Xi’an mainly involved northward transport. The WVFs of the two cities were higher in the afternoon than in the morning, which may be related to wind speed. The results also indicated that the WVF transmitting belts appeared at around 2 and 1.4 km above the surface in Qingdao and around 2.8, 2.6, 1.6, and 1.0 km above the surface in Xi’an. Before precipitation, the WVF transmitting belt moved from near the ground to a high level, reaching its maximum at about 2 km, and the PW and meridional vertically integrated WVF increased. Finally, the sources and transports of water vapor during continuous precipitation and torrential rain were analyzed according to a 24 h backward trajectory. The air mass from the southeast accounted for more than 84% during continuous precipitation in Xi’an, while the air mass from the ocean accounted for more than 75% during torrential rain in Qingdao and was accompanied by a high-level ocean jet stream. As an optical remote sensing instrument, MAX-DOAS has the advantages of high spatiotemporal resolution, low cost, and easy maintenance. The application of MAX-DOAS to meteorological remote sensing provides a better method for evaluating the PW and WVF.

Ground-based temperature and humidity profiling: combining active and passive remote sensors

Abstract. Thermodynamic profiles in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) are important observations for a range of atmospheric research and operational needs. These profiles can be retrieved from passively sensed spectral infrared (IR) or microwave (MW) radiance observations or can be more directly measured by active remote sensors such as water vapor differential absorption lidars (DIALs). This paper explores the synergy of combining ground-based IR, MW, and DIAL observations using an optimal-estimation retrieval framework, quantifying the reduction in the uncertainty in the retrieved profiles and the increase in information content as additional observations are added to IR-only and MW-only retrievals. This study uses ground-based observations collected during the Perdigão field campaign in central Portugal in 2017 and during the DIAL demonstration campaign at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains site in 2017. The results show that the information content in both temperature and water vapor is higher for the IR instrument relative to the MW instrument (thereby resulting in smaller uncertainties) and that the combined IR + MW retrieval is very similar to the IR-only retrieval below 1.5 km. However, including the partial profile of water vapor observed by the DIAL increases the information content in the combined IR + DIAL and MW + DIAL water vapor retrievals substantially, with the exact impact vertically depending on the characteristics of the DIAL instrument itself. Furthermore, there is a slight increase in the information content in the retrieved temperature profile using the IR + DIAL relative to the IR-only; this was not observed in the MW + DIAL retrieval.

A reel-down instrument system for profile measurements of water vapor, temperature, clouds, and aerosol beneath constant-altitude scientific balloons

Abstract. The tropical tropopause layer (TTL; 14–18.5 km) is the gateway for most air entering the stratosphere, and therefore processes within this layer have an outsized influence in determining global stratospheric ozone and water vapor concentrations. Despite the importance of this layer there are few in situ measurements with the necessary detail to resolve the fine-scale processes within this region. Here, we introduce a novel platform for high-resolution in situ profiling that lowers and retracts a suspended instrument package beneath drifting long-duration balloons in the tropics. During a 100 d circumtropical flight, the instrument collected over a hundred 2 km profiles of temperature, water vapor, and aerosol at 1 m resolution, yielding unprecedented geographic sampling and vertical resolution. The instrument system integrates proven sensors for water vapor, temperature, pressure, and cloud and aerosol particles with an innovative mechanical reeling and control system. A technical evaluation of the system performance demonstrated the feasibility of this new measurement platform for future missions with minor modifications. Six instruments planned for two upcoming field campaigns are expected to provide over 4000 profiles through the TTL, quadrupling the number of high-resolution aircraft and balloon profiles collected to date. These and future measurements will provide the necessary resolution to diagnose the importance of competing mechanisms for the transport of water vapor across the TTL.