Articles | Volume 11, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6043-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6043-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
08 Nov 2018
Research article |
| 08 Nov 2018
| 08 Nov 2018
Improvements to a long-term Rayleigh-scatter lidar temperature climatology by using an optimal estimation method
Ali Jalali
Department of Physics and Astronomy, the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
Department of Physics and Astronomy, the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, MeteoSwiss, Payerne, Switzerland
Alexander Haefele
Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, MeteoSwiss, Payerne, Switzerland
Department of Physics and Astronomy, the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6395–6417, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6395-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6395-2022, 2022
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Fernando Chouza, Thierry Leblanc, Mark Brewer, Patrick Wang, Giovanni Martucci, Alexander Haefele, Hélène Vérèmes, Valentin Duflot, Guillaume Payen, and Philippe Keckhut
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 4241–4256, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4241-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4241-2022, 2022
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The comparison of water vapor lidar measurements with co-located radiosondes and aerosol backscatter profiles indicates that laser-induced aerosol fluorescence in smoke layers injected into the stratosphere can introduce very large and chronic wet biases above 15 km, thus impacting the ability of these systems to accurately estimate long-term water vapor trends. The proposed correction method presented in this work is able to reduce this fluorescence-induced bias from 75 % to under 5 %.
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René Stübi, Herbert Schill, Eliane Maillard Barras, Jörg Klausen, and Alexander Haefele
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Total ozone column has been measured since 1926 in the Swiss Alps station Arosa. These worldwide series are based on Dobson sun spectrophotometers. To assure the continuity of these series, a two-stage project was realized at MeteoSwiss: first, Dobson instruments were automated, and then parallel measurements between Arosa and a nearby site in Davos were carried out. The analysis of the data of the manual-to-automated transition and coincident data between the two sites are presented here.
Giovanni Martucci, Francisco Navas-Guzmán, Ludovic Renaud, Gonzague Romanens, S. Mahagammulla Gamage, Maxime Hervo, Pierre Jeannet, and Alexander Haefele
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This article presents a validation of 1.5 years of pure rotational temperature data measured by the Raman lidar RALMO installed at the MeteoSwiss station of Payerne. The statistical results are in terms of bias and standard deviation with respect to two well-established radiosounding systems. The statistics are divided into daytime (bias = 0.28 K, SD = 0.62±0.03 K) and nighttime (bias = 0.29 K, SD = 0.66±0.06 K). The lidar temperature profiles are applied to cloud supersaturation studies.
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Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 2267–2285, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2267-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2267-2021, 2021
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Ghazal Farhani, Robert J. Sica, and Mark Joseph Daley
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 391–402, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-391-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-391-2021, 2021
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While it is relatively straightforward to automate the processing of lidar signals, it is difficult to automatically preprocess the measurements to distinguish between
goodand
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Shannon Hicks-Jalali, Robert J. Sica, Giovanni Martucci, Eliane Maillard Barras, Jordan Voirin, and Alexander Haefele
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 9619–9640, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-9619-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-9619-2020, 2020
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We have calculated an 11.5-year water vapour climatology using the Raman Lidar for Meteorological Observations (RALMO), located in Payerne, Switzerland. The climatology shows that the highest water vapour concentrations are in the summer months and the lowest in the winter months. We present for the first time height-resolved water vapour trends, which show that water vapour increases specific humidity by between 5 % and 15 % per decade depending on the altitude.
Eliane Maillard Barras, Alexander Haefele, Liliane Nguyen, Fiona Tummon, William T. Ball, Eugene V. Rozanov, Rolf Rüfenacht, Klemens Hocke, Leonie Bernet, Niklaus Kämpfer, Gerald Nedoluha, and Ian Boyd
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 8453–8471, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8453-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8453-2020, 2020
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To determine the part of the variability of the long-term ozone profile trends coming from measurement timing, we estimate microwave radiometer trends for each hour of the day with a multiple linear regression model. The variation in the trend with local solar time is not significant at the 95 % confidence level either in the stratosphere or in the low mesosphere. We conclude that systematic sampling differences between instruments cannot explain significant differences in trend estimates.
Holger Baars, Albert Ansmann, Kevin Ohneiser, Moritz Haarig, Ronny Engelmann, Dietrich Althausen, Ingrid Hanssen, Michael Gausa, Aleksander Pietruczuk, Artur Szkop, Iwona S. Stachlewska, Dongxiang Wang, Jens Reichardt, Annett Skupin, Ina Mattis, Thomas Trickl, Hannes Vogelmann, Francisco Navas-Guzmán, Alexander Haefele, Karen Acheson, Albert A. Ruth, Boyan Tatarov, Detlef Müller, Qiaoyun Hu, Thierry Podvin, Philippe Goloub, Igor Veselovskii, Christophe Pietras, Martial Haeffelin, Patrick Fréville, Michaël Sicard, Adolfo Comerón, Alfonso Javier Fernández García, Francisco Molero Menéndez, Carmen Córdoba-Jabonero, Juan Luis Guerrero-Rascado, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, Daniele Bortoli, Maria João Costa, Davide Dionisi, Gian Luigi Liberti, Xuan Wang, Alessia Sannino, Nikolaos Papagiannopoulos, Antonella Boselli, Lucia Mona, Giuseppe D'Amico, Salvatore Romano, Maria Rita Perrone, Livio Belegante, Doina Nicolae, Ivan Grigorov, Anna Gialitaki, Vassilis Amiridis, Ourania Soupiona, Alexandros Papayannis, Rodanthi-Elisaveth Mamouri, Argyro Nisantzi, Birgit Heese, Julian Hofer, Yoav Y. Schechner, Ulla Wandinger, and Gelsomina Pappalardo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 15183–15198, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-15183-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-15183-2019, 2019
Shayamila Mahagammulla Gamage, Robert J. Sica, Giovanni Martucci, and Alexander Haefele
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 5801–5816, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5801-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5801-2019, 2019
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We present a new method for retrieving temperature from pure rotational Raman (PRR) lidar measurements using an optimal estimation method. We show that the error due to calibration can be reduced significantly using our method. The new method is tested on PRR temperature measurements from the MeteoSwiss Raman Lidar for Meteorological Observations system in different sky conditions. The next step is to assimilate the temperature profiles into models to help improve weather forecasts.
Francisco Navas-Guzmán, Giovanni Martucci, Martine Collaud Coen, María José Granados-Muñoz, Maxime Hervo, Michael Sicard, and Alexander Haefele
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 11651–11668, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11651-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11651-2019, 2019
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The present study demonstrates the capability of a Raman lidar to monitor aerosol hygroscopic processes. The results showed a higher hygroscopicity and wavelength dependency for smoke particles than for mineral dust. The higher sensitivity of the shortest wavelength to hygroscopic growth found for smoke particles was qualitatively reproduced using Mie simulations. The impact of aerosol hygroscopicity on the Earth's radiative balance has been evaluated using a radiative transfer model.
Ali Jalali, Shannon Hicks-Jalali, Robert J. Sica, Alexander Haefele, and Thomas von Clarmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 3943–3961, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3943-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3943-2019, 2019
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This paper builds upon the work in von Clarmann and Grabowski (2007) concerning the a priori profile influence in the optimal estimation method applied to active remote sensing measurements, with examples given for lidar retrievals of temperature and water vapor mixing ratio. The optimal estimation method is a new technique for many active remote sensing researchers. This study gives insight into understanding the effect on retrievals of the a priori information.
Shannon Hicks-Jalali, Robert J. Sica, Alexander Haefele, and Giovanni Martucci
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 3699–3716, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3699-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3699-2019, 2019
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Water vapour trend calculations with lidars require rigorous calibrations. Here, we improve water vapour lidar calibrations using GCOS Reference Upper Air Network (GRUAN) radiosondes and a new trajectory method. The trajectory method improved the lidar calibration and more consistently agreed with the radiosonde measurement compared to the traditional method. Using GRUAN radiosondes enabled the calculation, for the first time, of a complete uncertainty budget of the calibration constant.
Ghazal Farhani, Robert J. Sica, Sophie Godin-Beekmann, and Alexander Haefele
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 2097–2111, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-2097-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-2097-2019, 2019
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This paper presents a new application of the optimal estimation method (OEM) for the retrieval of ozone density profiles from DIAL measurements. The OEM results show excellent agreement with coincident ozonesonde measurements, with improved resolution over the traditional technique. The method also provides averaging kernels (facilitating comparison with other instruments), the vertical resolution of the retrieval, and a complete random and systematic uncertainty budget.
Christopher Perro, Thomas J. Duck, Glen Lesins, Kimberly Strong, Penny M. Rowe, James R. Drummond, and Robert J. Sica
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2018-381, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2018-381, 2019
Publication in AMT not foreseen
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A satellite retrieval for water vapour column was adapted for use over different surfaces in the wintertime Arctic. The retrieval was validated at multiple locations where there was excellent agreement. Reanalyses were found to be 10–15 % drier compared to our water vapour retrieval. Reanalyses represent the present day understanding of the atmosphere so this discrepancy between reanalyses and our retrieval could have implications for the current understanding of the climate.
Matthias Wiegner, Ina Mattis, Margit Pattantyús-Ábrahám, Juan Antonio Bravo-Aranda, Yann Poltera, Alexander Haefele, Maxime Hervo, Ulrich Görsdorf, Ronny Leinweber, Josef Gasteiger, Martial Haeffelin, Frank Wagner, Jan Cermak, Katerina Komínková, Mike Brettle, Christoph Münkel, and Kornelia Pönitz
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 471–490, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-471-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-471-2019, 2019
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Many ceilometers are influenced by water vapor absorption in the spectral range around 910 nm. Thus, a correction is required to retrieve aerosol optical properties. Validation of this correction scheme was performed in the framework of CeiLinEx2015 for several ceilometers with good agreement for Vaisala's CL51 ceilometer. For future applications we recommend monitoring the emitted wavelength and providing
darkmeasurements on a regular basis to be able to correct for signal artifacts.
Emily M. McCullough, Robert J. Sica, James R. Drummond, Graeme J. Nott, Christopher Perro, and Thomas J. Duck
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 861–879, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-861-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-861-2018, 2018
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Measuring the phase (liquid and ice) of Arctic clouds is essential for understanding the changing global climate. Using a lidar, two polarized signals are usually needed. At CRL lidar, one of these signals is small, so phase measurements have low resolution. Another method can use a large unpolarized signal in place of the small polarized signal. We show how to use the original low-resolution measurement to calibrate the new high-resolution method. At CRL, this gives 20 times higher resolution.
Francisco Navas-Guzmán, Niklaus Kämpfer, Franziska Schranz, Wolfgang Steinbrecht, and Alexander Haefele
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 14085–14104, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-14085-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-14085-2017, 2017
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The paper presents assessment of the stratospheric measurements of a relatively new temperature radiometer (TEMPERA) at 60 GHz. The temperature profiles from TEMPERA have been compared with measurements from different techniques such as radiosondes, MLS satellite and Rayleigh lidar and with the temperature outputs from the SD-WACCM model. The results showed absolute biases and standard deviations lower than 2 K for most of the altitudes and comparisons, proving the good performance of TEMPERA.
Emily M. McCullough, Robert J. Sica, James R. Drummond, Graeme Nott, Christopher Perro, Colin P. Thackray, Jason Hopper, Jonathan Doyle, Thomas J. Duck, and Kaley A. Walker
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 4253–4277, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4253-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4253-2017, 2017
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CRL lidar in the Canadian High Arctic uses lasers and a telescope to study polar clouds, essential for understanding the changing global climate. Hardware added to CRL allows it to measure the polarization of returned laser light, indicating whether cloud particles are liquid or frozen. Calibrations show that traditional analysis methods work well, although CRL was not originally set up to make this type of measurement. CRL can now measure cloud particle phase every 5 min, every 37.5 m, 24h/day.
Francesco De Angelis, Domenico Cimini, Ulrich Löhnert, Olivier Caumont, Alexander Haefele, Bernhard Pospichal, Pauline Martinet, Francisco Navas-Guzmán, Henk Klein-Baltink, Jean-Charles Dupont, and James Hocking
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 3947–3961, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-3947-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-3947-2017, 2017
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Modern data assimilation systems require knowledge of the typical differences between observations and model background (O–B). This work illustrates a 1-year O–B analysis for ground-based microwave radiometer (MWR) observations in clear-sky conditions for a prototype network of six MWRs in Europe. Observations are MWR brightness temperatures (TB). Background profiles extracted from the output of a convective-scale model are used to simulate TB through the radiative transfer model RTTOV-gb.
Yann Poltera, Giovanni Martucci, Martine Collaud Coen, Maxime Hervo, Lukas Emmenegger, Stephan Henne, Dominik Brunner, and Alexander Haefele
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 10051–10070, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10051-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10051-2017, 2017
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We present the PathfinderTURB algorithm for the analysis of ceilometer backscatter data and the real-time detection of the vertical structure of the planetary boundary layer. PathfinderTURB has been applied to 1 year of data measured by two ceilometers operated at two Swiss stations: the Aerological Observatory of Payerne on the Swiss plateau, and the Alpine Jungfraujoch observatory. The study shows that aerosols from the boundary layer significantly influence the air measured at Jungfraujoch.
Francisco Navas-Guzmán, Niklaus Kämpfer, and Alexander Haefele
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 4587–4600, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4587-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4587-2016, 2016
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The paper presents the assessment of the tropospheric measurements of a new temperature radiometer (TEMPERA) at 60 GHz. The temperature profiles from TEMPERA are compared with independent in situ radiosonde measurements. The TEMPERA performance is also compared with that of a commercial microwave radiometer (HATPRO). In addition, the brightness temperatures from both microwave radiometers are compared with the ones simulated using a radiative transfer model, ARTS.
Thierry Leblanc, Robert J. Sica, Joanna A. E. van Gijsel, Sophie Godin-Beekmann, Alexander Haefele, Thomas Trickl, Guillaume Payen, and Frank Gabarrot
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 4029–4049, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4029-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4029-2016, 2016
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This article prescribes two standardized formulations for the reporting of vertical resolution of lidar ozone and temperature profiles across an entire atmospheric observation network. Thanks to these standardized definitions, profiles from various instruments and techniques can be compared without ambiguity when interpreting their ability to resolve vertically fine geophysical structures.
Thierry Leblanc, Robert J. Sica, Joanna A. E. van Gijsel, Sophie Godin-Beekmann, Alexander Haefele, Thomas Trickl, Guillaume Payen, and Gianluigi Liberti
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 4051–4078, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4051-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4051-2016, 2016
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This article proposes a standardized approach for the treatment of uncertainty in the ozone differential absorption lidar data processing algorithms. The recommendations are designed to be used homogeneously across large atmospheric observation networks such as NDACC, and allow a clear understanding of the uncertainty budget of multiple lidar datasets for a large spectrum of ozone-related science applications (e.g., climatology, long-term trends, air quality).
Thierry Leblanc, Robert J. Sica, Joanna A. E. van Gijsel, Alexander Haefele, Guillaume Payen, and Gianluigi Liberti
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 4079–4101, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4079-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4079-2016, 2016
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This article prescribes a standardized approach for the treatment of uncertainty in the backscatter temperature lidar data processing algorithms. The recommendations are designed to be used homogeneously across large atmospheric observation networks such as NDACC, and allow a clear understanding of the uncertainty budget of multiple lidar datasets for a large spectrum of middle atmospheric science applications (e.g., climatology, long-term trends, mesospheric tides, satellite validation).
Maxime Hervo, Yann Poltera, and Alexander Haefele
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 2947–2959, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2947-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2947-2016, 2016
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Imperfections in a lidar's overlap function lead to artefacts in the lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) signals. These artefacts can erroneously be interpreted as an aerosol gradient or, in extreme cases, as a cloud base leading to false cloud detection. In this study an algorithm is presented to correct such artefacts.
The algorithm is completely automatic and does not require any intervention on site. It is therefore suited for use in large automatic lidar networks.
M. Sicard, G. D'Amico, A. Comerón, L. Mona, L. Alados-Arboledas, A. Amodeo, H. Baars, J. M. Baldasano, L. Belegante, I. Binietoglou, J. A. Bravo-Aranda, A. J. Fernández, P. Fréville, D. García-Vizcaíno, A. Giunta, M. J. Granados-Muñoz, J. L. Guerrero-Rascado, D. Hadjimitsis, A. Haefele, M. Hervo, M. Iarlori, P. Kokkalis, D. Lange, R. E. Mamouri, I. Mattis, F. Molero, N. Montoux, A. Muñoz, C. Muñoz Porcar, F. Navas-Guzmán, D. Nicolae, A. Nisantzi, N. Papagiannopoulos, A. Papayannis, S. Pereira, J. Preißler, M. Pujadas, V. Rizi, F. Rocadenbosch, K. Sellegri, V. Simeonov, G. Tsaknakis, F. Wagner, and G. Pappalardo
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 4587–4613, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-4587-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-4587-2015, 2015
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In the framework of the ACTRIS summer 2012 measurement campaign (8 June–17 July 2012), EARLINET organized and performed a controlled exercise of feasibility to demonstrate its potential to perform operational, coordinated measurements and deliver products in near-real time. The paper describes the measurement protocol and discusses the delivery of real-time and near-real-time lidar-derived products.
E. Maillard Barras, A. Haefele, R. Stübi, and D. Ruffieux
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amtd-8-3399-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amtd-8-3399-2015, 2015
Revised manuscript not accepted
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We report on a method to combine simultaneous radiosonde and microwave radiometer measurements in order to obtain the SASBE of the vertical ozone distribution above Payerne, Switzerland. The two measurements are combined by using the radiosonde ozone profile as a priori information in the optimal estimation retrieval of the microwave radiometer. A comparison of the SASBE ozone profiles with AURA/MLS ozone profiles is presented.
M. Collaud Coen, C. Praz, A. Haefele, D. Ruffieux, P. Kaufmann, and B. Calpini
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 13205–13221, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-13205-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-13205-2014, 2014
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An operational planetary boundary layer height detection method with several remote sensing instruments (wind profiler, Raman lidar, microwave radiometer) and algorithms (Parcel and bulk Richardson number methods, surface-based temperature inversion, aerosol and humidity gradient analysis) was validated against radio sounding. A comparison with the numerical weather prediction model COSMO-2 and the seasonal cycles of the day- and nighttime PBL for two stations on the Swiss plateau are presented.
F. Madonna, M. Rosoldi, J. Güldner, A. Haefele, R. Kivi, M. P. Cadeddu, D. Sisterson, and G. Pappalardo
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 3813–3823, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-3813-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-3813-2014, 2014
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The paper provides the community with criteria to quantify the value of complementary climate measurements and to assess how the uncertainty in a measurement of an ECV is reduced by measurement complementarity. The study demonstrates the potential of entropy and mutual correlation, defined in information theory as metrics for quantifying synergies, and shows that the random uncertainties of a single instrument time series of TCWV can be strongly reduced by including complementary measurements.
E. Brocard, R. Philipona, A. Haefele, G. Romanens, A. Mueller, D. Ruffieux, V. Simeonov, and B. Calpini
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 1347–1358, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-1347-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-1347-2013, 2013
A. Moss, R. J. Sica, E. McCullough, K. Strawbridge, K. Walker, and J. Drummond
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 741–749, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-741-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-741-2013, 2013
P. E. Sheese, K. Strong, E. J. Llewellyn, R. L. Gattinger, J. M. Russell III, C. D. Boone, M. E. Hervig, R. J. Sica, and J. Bandoro
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 5, 2993–3006, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-5-2993-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-5-2993-2012, 2012
Related subject area
Subject: Others (Wind, Precipitation, Temperature, etc.) | Technique: Remote Sensing | Topic: Data Processing and Information Retrieval
Combining commercial microwave links and weather radar for classification of dry snow and rainfall
Improved consistency in solar-induced fluorescence retrievals from GOME-2A with the SIFTER v3 algorithm
An information content approach to diagnosing and improving CLIMCAPS retrieval consistency across instruments and satellites
Characterizing urban planetary boundary layer dynamics using 3-year Doppler wind lidar measurements in a western Yangtze River Delta city, China
Radar-based high-resolution ensemble precipitation analyses over the French Alps
Gravity waves above the northern Atlantic and Europe during streamer events using Aeolus
Observations of tall-building wakes using a scanning Doppler lidar
A new method to retrieve relative humidity profiles from a synergy of Raman lidar, microwave radiometer and satellite
Mid-Atlantic nocturnal low-level jet characteristics: a machine learning analysis of radar wind profiles
Mitigating radome-induced bias in X-band weather radar polarimetric moments using an adaptive discrete Fourier transform algorithm
GNSS-RO residual ionospheric error (RIE): a new method and assessment
Best Estimate of the Planetary Boundary Layer Height from Multiple Remote Sensing Measurements
Benchmarking KDP in rainfall: a quantitative assessment of estimation algorithms using C-band weather radar observations
Comparative experimental validation of microwave hyperspectral atmospheric soundings in clear-sky conditions
Propagating Information Content: An Example with Advection
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation climatologies mapped by machine learning and Bayesian interpolation
Use of commercial microwave links as scintillometers: potential and limitations towards evaporation estimation
Determination of low-level temperature profiles from microwave radiometer observations during rain
Aeolus lidar surface return (LSR) at 355 nm as a new Aeolus Level-2A product
Sampling the diurnal and annual cycles of the Earth's energy imbalance with constellations of satellite-borne radiometers
Retrieval of top-of-atmosphere fluxes from combined EarthCARE lidar, imager, and broadband radiometer observations: the BMA-FLX product
Analysis of the measurement uncertainty for a 3D wind lidar
Improving solution availability and temporal consistency of an optimal-estimation physical retrieval for ground-based thermodynamic boundary layer profiling
Reconstruction of 3D precipitation measurements from FY-3G MWRI-RM imaging and sounding channels
An improved geolocation methodology for spaceborne radar and lidar systems
Combining low- and high-frequency microwave radiometer measurements from the MOSAiC expedition for enhanced water vapour products
HAMSTER: Hyperspectral Albedo Maps dataset with high Spatial and TEmporal Resolution
TanSat-2: a new satellite for mapping solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence at both red and far-red bands with high spatio-temporal resolution
Global-scale gravity wave analysis methodology for the ESA Earth Explorer 11 candidate CAIRT
Evolution of Wind Field in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer with using of Multiple Sources Observations during the Transit of Super Typhoon Doksuri (2305)
Retrieval of pseudo-BRDF-adjusted surface reflectance at 440 nm from the Geostationary Environmental Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS)
Drop size distribution retrieval using dual-polarization radar at C-band and S-band
Thermal tides in the middle atmosphere at mid-latitudes measured with a ground-based microwave radiometer
Global sensitivity analysis of simulated remote sensing polarimetric observations over snow
Improving the Gaussianity of radar reflectivity departures between observations and simulations using symmetric rain rates
On the temperature stability requirements of free-running Nd:YAG lasers for atmospheric temperature profiling through the rotational Raman technique
Limitations in wavelet analysis of non-stationary atmospheric gravity wave signatures in temperature profiles
A new non-linearity correction method for the spectrum from the Geostationary Inferometric Infrared Sounder on board Fengyun-4 satellites and its preliminary assessments
Observing atmospheric rivers using multi-GNSS airborne radio occultation: system description and data evaluation
Determination of high-precision tropospheric delays using crowdsourced smartphone GNSS data
Unfiltering of the EarthCARE Broadband Radiometer (BBR) observations: the BM-RAD product
Variance estimations in the presence of intermittent interference and their applications to incoherent scatter radar signal processing
A clustering-based method for identifying and tracking squall lines
A multi-instrument fuzzy logic boundary-layer-top detection algorithm
Sensitivity of thermodynamic profiles retrieved from ground-based microwave and infrared observations to additional input data from active remote sensing instruments and numerical weather prediction models
Scale separation for gravity wave analysis from 3D temperature observations in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region
Estimating the refractivity bias of FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation in the deep troposphere
Observed impact of the GNSS clock data rate on Radio Occultation bending angles for Sentinel-6A and COSMIC-2
High Spectral Resolution Lidar – generation 2 (HSRL-2) retrievals of ocean surface wind speed: methodology and evaluation
Dual adaptive differential threshold method for automated detection of faint and strong echo features in radar observations of winter storms
Erlend Øydvin, Renaud Gaban, Jafet Andersson, Remco (C. Z.) van de Beek, Mareile Astrid Wolff, Nils-Otto Kitterød, Christian Chwala, and Vegard Nilsen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2279–2293, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2279-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2279-2025, 2025
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We present a novel method for classifying rain and snow by combining data from commercial microwave links (CMLs) with weather radar. We compare this to a reference method using dew point temperature for precipitation type classification. Evaluations with nearby disdrometers show that CMLs improve the classification of dry snow and rainfall, outperforming the reference method.
Juliëtte C. S. Anema, K. Folkert Boersma, Lieuwe G. Tilstra, Olaf N. E. Tuinder, and Willem W. Verstraeten
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1961–1979, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1961-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1961-2025, 2025
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Long-term records of plant fluorescence offer vital insights into changing vegetation activity. The GOME-2A sensor provides extensive global observations but suffers from calibration and instrument degradation, which affects data consistency. This study presents the SIFTER v3 algorithm, which effectively resolves these issues and includes other improvements, resulting in robust, accurate, and consistent GOME-2A fluorescence measurements from 2007 to 2017.
Nadia Smith and Christopher D. Barnet
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1823–1839, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1823-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1823-2025, 2025
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CLIMCAPS extends the Aqua AIRS+AMSU record with retrievals from CrIS+ATMS on Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) and Joint Polar Satellite System series (JPSS-1 to JPSS-4). With “continuous”, we mean a data record that is consistent in its characterization of natural variation despite changes in source instrumentation. Here we investigate how sounding continuity can improve across the full CLIMCAPS record (2002 to the present day), spanning multiple instruments and satellites.
Tianwen Wei, Mengya Wang, Kenan Wu, Jinlong Yuan, Haiyun Xia, and Simone Lolli
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1841–1857, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1841-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1841-2025, 2025
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This study analyzes three years of wind lidar measurements to explore the dynamics of the urban planetary boundary layer in Hefei, China. Results reveal that nocturnal low-level jets are most frequent in spring and intensify in summer, significantly enhancing turbulence and shear near the surface, particularly at night. Additionally, cloud cover raises the mixing layer height by approximately 100 m at night due to the greenhouse effect but reduces it by up to 200 m in the afternoon.
Matthieu Vernay, Matthieu Lafaysse, and Clotilde Augros
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1731–1755, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1731-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1731-2025, 2025
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This paper provides a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of radar-based precipitation estimation in mountainous areas and presents a method to mitigate the main shortcomings identified. It then compares three different ensemble analysis methods that combine radar-based precipitation estimates with forecasts from an ensemble numerical weather prediction model.
Sabine Wüst, Lisa Küchelbacher, Franziska Trinkl, and Michael Bittner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1591–1607, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1591-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1591-2025, 2025
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Information on the energy transported by atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) is crucial for improving atmosphere models. Most space-based studies report the potential energy. We use Aeolus wind data to estimate the kinetic energy (density). However, the data quality is a challenge for such analyses, as the accuracy of the data is in the range of typical GW amplitudes. We find a temporal coincidence between enhanced or breaking planetary waves and enhanced gravity wave kinetic energy density.
Natalie E. Theeuwes, Janet F. Barlow, Antti Mannisenaho, Denise Hertwig, Ewan O'Connor, and Alan Robins
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1355–1371, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1355-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1355-2025, 2025
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A Doppler lidar was placed in a highly built-up area in London to measure wakes from tall buildings during a period of 1 year. We were able to detect wakes and assess their dependence on wind speed, wind direction, and atmospheric stability.
Chengli Ji, Qiankai Jin, Feilong Li, Yuyang Liu, Zhicheng Wang, Jiajia Mao, Xiaoyu Ren, Yan Xiang, Wanlin Jian, Peitao Zhao, and Zhenyi Chen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1171, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1171, 2025
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This study presents the humidity measurements with a synergetic algorithm combining Raman lidar, MVR, and satellite. The results from 47 sites in China show the best correlation over 0.9 concerning the radiosonde measurements. It validates the RH accuracy with various data integrations. Three representative sites present the different seasonal characteristics indicating the geographic and height influences on the RH vertical distribution.
Maurice Roots, John T. Sullivan, and Belay Demoz
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1269–1282, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1269-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1269-2025, 2025
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This paper presents a supervised-machine-learning approach for the automatic isolation of nocturnal low-level jets (NLLJs) using observations from a radar wind profiler. This analysis isolated 90 southwesterly NLLJs observed from May to September 2017–2021, highlighting key features in the evolution and morphology of the mid-Atlantic NLLJ.
Padmanabhan Thiruvengadam, Guillaume Lesage, Ambinintsoa Volatiana Ramanamahefa, and Joël Van Baelen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1185–1191, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1185-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1185-2025, 2025
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This study explores how the joints in a weather radar's protective cover affect its measurements. We developed a new method to correct these errors, improving the accuracy of the radar's data. Our method was tested during an intense cyclone on Réunion Island, demonstrating significant improvements in data accuracy. This research is crucial for enhancing weather predictions and understanding, particularly in challenging terrains.
Dong L. Wu, Valery A. Yudin, Kyu-Myong Kim, Mohar Chattopadhyay, Lawrence Coy, Ruth S. Lieberman, C. C. Jude H. Salinas, Jae N. Lee, Jie Gong, and Guiping Liu
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 843–863, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-843-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-843-2025, 2025
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Global Navigation Satellite System radio occultation data help monitor climate and weather prediction but are affected by residual ionospheric errors (RIEs). A new excess-phase-gradient method detects and corrects RIEs, showing both positive and negative values, varying by latitude, time, and solar activity. Tests show that RIE impacts polar stratosphere temperatures in models, with differences up to 3–4 K. This highlights the need for RIE correction to improve the accuracy of data assimilation.
Damao Zhang, Jennifer Comstock, Chitra Sivaraman, Kefei Mo, Raghavendra Krishnamurthy, Jingjing Tian, Tianning Su, Zhanqing Li, and Natalia Roldán-Henao
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3959, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3959, 2025
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Planetary boundary layer height (PBLHT) is an important parameter in atmospheric process studies and numerical model simulations. We use machine learning methods to produce a best-estimate planetary boundary layer height (PBLHT-BE-ML) by integrating four PBLHT estimates derived from remote sensing measurements. We demonstrated that PBLHT-BE-ML greatly improved the comparisons against sounding-derived PBLHT.
Miguel Aldana, Seppo Pulkkinen, Annakaisa von Lerber, Matthew R. Kumjian, and Dmitri Moisseev
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 793–816, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-793-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-793-2025, 2025
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Accurate KDP estimates are crucial in radar-based applications. We quantify the uncertainties of several publicly available KDP estimation methods for multiple rainfall intensities. We use C-band weather radar observations and employed a self-consistency KDP, estimated from reflectivity and differential reflectivity, as a framework for the examination. Our study provides guidance for the performance, uncertainties, and optimisation of the methods, focusing mainly on accuracy and robustness.
Lei Liu, Natalia Bliankinshtein, Yi Huang, John R. Gyakum, Philip M. Gabriel, Shiqi Xu, and Mengistu Wolde
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 471–485, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-471-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-471-2025, 2025
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This study evaluates and compares a new microwave hyperspectrometer with an infrared hyperspectrometer for clear-sky temperature and water vapor retrievals. The analysis reveals that the information content of the infrared hyperspectrometer exceeds that of the microwave hyperspectrometer and provides higher vertical resolution in ground-based zenith measurements. Leveraging the ground–airborne synergy between the two instruments yielded optimal sounding results.
David D. Turner, Maria P. Cadeddu, Julia Simonson, and Timothy J. Wagner
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4124, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4124, 2025
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When deriving a geophysical variable from remote sensors, the uncertainty and information content are critical. The latter quantify specifies what fraction of a real perturbation would be observed in the derived variable. This paper outlines, for the first time, a methodology for propagating the information content from multiple remote sensors into a derived product, using horizontal advection as an example.
Endrit Shehaj, Stephen Leroy, Kerri Cahoy, Alain Geiger, Laura Crocetti, Gregor Moeller, Benedikt Soja, and Markus Rothacher
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 57–72, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-57-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-57-2025, 2025
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This work investigates whether machine learning (ML) can offer an alternative to existing methods to map radio occultation (RO) products, allowing the extraction of information not visible in direct observations. ML can further improve the results of Bayesian interpolation, a state-of-the-art method to map RO observations. The results display improvements in horizontal and temporal domains, at heights ranging from the planetary boundary layer up to the lower stratosphere, and for all seasons.
Luuk D. van der Valk, Oscar K. Hartogensis, Miriam Coenders-Gerrits, Rolf W. Hut, Bas Walraven, and Remko Uijlenhoet
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2974, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2974, 2025
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Commercial microwave links (CMLs), part of mobile phone networks, transmit comparable signals as instruments specially designed to estimate evaporation. Therefore, we investigate if CMLs could be used to estimate evaporation, even though they have not been designed for this purpose. Our results illustrate the potential of using CMLs to estimate evaporation, especially given their global coverage, but also outline some major drawbacks, often a consequence of unfavourable design choices for CMLs.
Andreas Foth, Moritz Lochmann, Pablo Saavedra Garfias, and Heike Kalesse-Los
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 7169–7181, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-7169-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-7169-2024, 2024
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Microwave radiometers are usually not able to provide atmospheric quantities such as temperature profiles during rain. We present a method based on a selection of specific frequencies and elevation angles from microwave radiometer observations. A comparison with a numerical weather prediction model shows the presented method allows low-level temperature profiles during rain to be resolved, with rain rates of up to 2.5 mm h−1,, which was not possible before with state-of-the-art retrievals.
Lev D. Labzovskii, Gerd-Jan van Zadelhoff, David P. Donovan, Jos de Kloe, L. Gijsbert Tilstra, Ad Stoffelen, Damien Josset, and Piet Stammes
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 7183–7208, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-7183-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-7183-2024, 2024
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The Atmospheric Laser Doppler Instrument (ALADIN) on the Aeolus satellite was the first of its kind to measure high-resolution vertical profiles of aerosols and cloud properties from space. We present an algorithm that produces Aeolus lidar surface returns (LSRs), containing useful information for measuring UV reflectivity. Aeolus LSRs matched well with existing UV reflectivity data from other satellites, like GOME-2 and TROPOMI, and demonstrated excellent sensitivity to modeled snow cover.
Thomas Hocking, Thorsten Mauritsen, and Linda Megner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 7077–7095, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-7077-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-7077-2024, 2024
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The imbalance between the energy the Earth absorbs from the Sun and the energy the Earth emits back into space gives rise to climate change, but measuring the small imbalance is challenging. We simulate satellites in various orbits to investigate how well they sample the imbalance and find that the best option is to combine at least two satellites that see complementary parts of the Earth and cover the daily and annual cycles. This information is useful when planning future satellite missions.
Almudena Velázquez Blázquez, Carlos Domenech, Edward Baudrez, Nicolas Clerbaux, Carla Salas Molar, and Nils Madenach
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 7007–7026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-7007-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-7007-2024, 2024
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This paper focuses on the BMA-FLX processor, in which thermal and solar top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes are obtained from longwave and shortwave radiances measured along track by the EarthCARE Broadband Radiometer (BBR). The BBR measurements, at three fixed viewing angles (fore, nadir, aft), are co-registered either at the surface or at a reference level. A combined flux from the three BRR views is obtained. The algorithm has been successfully validated against test scenes.
Wolf Knöller, Gholamhossein Bagheri, Philipp von Olshausen, and Michael Wilczek
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6913–6931, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6913-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6913-2024, 2024
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Three-dimensional (3D) wind velocity measurements are of major importance for the characterization of atmospheric turbulence. This paper presents a detailed study of the measurement uncertainty of a three-beam wind lidar designed for mounting on airborne platforms. Considering the geometrical constraints, the analysis provides quantitative estimates for the measurement uncertainty of all components of the 3D wind vector. As a result, we propose optimized post-processing for error reduction.
Bianca Adler, David D. Turner, Laura Bianco, Irina V. Djalalova, Timothy Myers, and James M. Wilczak
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6603–6624, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6603-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6603-2024, 2024
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Continuous profile observations of temperature and humidity in the lowest part of the atmosphere are essential for the evaluation of numerical weather prediction models and data assimilation for better weather forecasts. Such profiles can be retrieved from passive ground-based remote sensing instruments like infrared spectrometers and microwave radiometers. In this study, we describe three recent modifications to the retrieval framework TROPoe for improved temperature and humidity profiles.
Yunfan Yang, Wei Han, Haofei Sun, Jun Li, Jiapeng Yan, and Zhiqiu Gao
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-175, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-175, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for AMT
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Our research improves satellite-based precipitation monitoring by using deep learning to reconstruct radar observations from passive microwave radiances. Active radar is costly, so we focus on a more accessible approach. Using data from the FengYun-3G satellite, we successfully tracked severe weather like Typhoon Khanun and heavy rainfall in Beijing in 2023. This method enhances global precipitation data and helps better understand extreme weather.
Bernat Puigdomènech Treserras and Pavlos Kollias
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6301–6314, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6301-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6301-2024, 2024
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The paper presents a comprehensive approach to improve the geolocation accuracy of spaceborne radar and lidar systems, crucial for the successful interpretation of data from the upcoming EarthCARE mission. The paper details the technical background of the presented methods and various examples of geolocation analyses, including a short period of CloudSat observations when the star tracker was not operating properly and lifetime statistics from the CloudSat and CALIPSO missions.
Andreas Walbröl, Hannes J. Griesche, Mario Mech, Susanne Crewell, and Kerstin Ebell
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6223–6245, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6223-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6223-2024, 2024
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We developed retrievals of integrated water vapour (IWV), temperature profiles, and humidity profiles from ground-based passive microwave remote sensing measurements gathered during the MOSAiC expedition. We demonstrate and quantify the benefit of combining low- and high-frequency microwave radiometers to improve humidity profiling and IWV estimates by comparing the retrieved quantities to single-instrument retrievals and reference datasets (radiosondes).
Giulia Roccetti, Luca Bugliaro, Felix Gödde, Claudia Emde, Ulrich Hamann, Mihail Manev, Michael Fritz Sterzik, and Cedric Wehrum
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6025–6046, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6025-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6025-2024, 2024
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The amount of sunlight reflected by the Earth’s surface (albedo) is vital for the Earth's radiative system. While satellite instruments offer detailed spatial and temporal albedo maps, they only cover seven wavelength bands. We generate albedo maps that fully span the visible and near-infrared range using a machine learning algorithm. These maps reveal how the reflectivity of different land surfaces varies throughout the year. Our dataset enhances the understanding of the Earth's energy balance.
Dianrun Zhao, Shanshan Du, Chu Zou, Longfei Tian, Meng Fan, Yulu Du, and Liangyun Liu
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3118, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3118, 2024
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The TanSat-2 satellite is designed for global carbon monitoring. It provides high-resolution, dual-band observations of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence, a key indicator of plant photosynthesis. Through simulations, we optimized the satellite's data processing and found it can retrieve this fluorescence with great accuracy. These findings suggest that TanSat-2 will enhance global monitoring of carbon cycles and vegetation health, offering valuable insights for climate change research.
Sebastian Rhode, Peter Preusse, Jörn Ungermann, Inna Polichtchouk, Kaoru Sato, Shingo Watanabe, Manfred Ern, Karlheinz Nogai, Björn-Martin Sinnhuber, and Martin Riese
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5785–5819, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5785-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5785-2024, 2024
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We investigate the capabilities of a proposed satellite mission, CAIRT, for observing gravity waves throughout the middle atmosphere and present the necessary methodology for in-depth wave analysis. Our findings suggest that such a satellite mission is highly capable of resolving individual wave parameters and could give new insights into the role of gravity waves in general atmospheric circulation and atmospheric processes.
Xiaoye Wang, Jing Xu, Songhua Wu, Qichao Wang, Guangyao Dai, Peizhi Zhu, Zhizhong Su, Sai Chen, Xiaomeng Shi, and Mengqi Fan
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-156, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-156, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for AMT
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In this paper, we proposed a data fusion method to obtain the no-blind zone wind speed profiles covering the whole Atmospheric Boundary Layer based on the joint measurements of coherent Doppler lidar (CDL), radar wind profiler (RWP) and automatic weather station (AWS). Since above instruments are widely deployed in China, we believe this method has broad application prospects on the improvement of the boundary layer parameterization scheme in numerical forecast models.
Suyoung Sim, Sungwon Choi, Daeseong Jung, Jongho Woo, Nayeon Kim, Sungwoo Park, Honghee Kim, Ukkyo Jeong, Hyunkee Hong, and Kyung-Soo Han
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5601–5618, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5601-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5601-2024, 2024
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This study evaluates the use of background surface reflectance (BSR) derived from a semi-empirical bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model based on GEMS satellite images. Analysis shows that BSR provides improved accuracy and stability compared to Lambertian-equivalent reflectivity (LER). These results indicate that BSR can significantly enhance climate analysis and air quality monitoring, making it a promising tool for accurate environmental satellite applications.
Daniel Durbin, Yadong Wang, and Pao-Liang Chang
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5397–5411, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5397-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5397-2024, 2024
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A method for determining drop size distributions (DSDs) for rain using radar measurements from two frequencies at two polarizations is presented. Following some preprocessing and quality control, radar measurements are incorporated into a model that uses swarm intelligence to seek the most suitable DSD to produce the input measurements.
Witali Krochin, Axel Murk, and Gunter Stober
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5015–5028, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5015-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5015-2024, 2024
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Atmospheric tides are global-scale oscillations with periods of a fraction of a day. Their observation in the middle atmosphere is challenging and rare, as it requires continuous measurements with a high temporal resolution. In this paper, temperature time series of a ground-based microwave radiometer were analyzed with a spectral filter to derive thermal tide amplitudes and phases in an altitude range of 25–50 km at the geographical locations of Payerne and Bern (Switzerland).
Matteo Ottaviani, Gabriel Harris Myers, and Nan Chen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4737–4756, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4737-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4737-2024, 2024
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We analyze simulated polarization observations over snow to investigate the capabilities of remote sensing to determine surface and atmospheric properties in snow-covered regions. Polarization measurements are demonstrated to aid in the determination of snow grain shape, ice crystal roughness, and the vertical distribution of impurities in the snow–atmosphere system, data that are critical for estimating snow albedo for use in climate models.
Yudong Gao, Lidou Huyan, Zheng Wu, and Bojun Liu
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4675–4686, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4675-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4675-2024, 2024
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A symmetric error model built by symmetric rain rates handles the non-Gaussian error structure of the reflectivity error. The accuracy and linearization of rain rates can further improve the Gaussianity.
José Alex Zenteno-Hernández, Adolfo Comerón, Federico Dios, Alejandro Rodríguez-Gómez, Constantino Muñoz-Porcar, Michaël Sicard, Noemi Franco, Andreas Behrendt, and Paolo Di Girolamo
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4687–4694, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4687-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4687-2024, 2024
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We study how the spectral characteristics of a solid-state laser in an atmospheric temperature profiling lidar using the Raman technique impact the temperature retrieval accuracy. We find that the spectral widening, with respect to a seeded laser, has virtually no impact, while crystal-rod temperature variations in the laser must be kept within a range of 1 K for the uncertainty in the atmospheric temperature below 1 K. The study is carried out through spectroscopy simulations.
Robert Reichert, Natalie Kaifler, and Bernd Kaifler
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4659–4673, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4659-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4659-2024, 2024
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Imagine you want to determine how quickly the pitch of a passing ambulance’s siren changes. If the vehicle is traveling slowly, the pitch changes only slightly, but if it is traveling fast, the pitch also changes rapidly. In a similar way, the wind in the middle atmosphere modulates the wavelength of atmospheric gravity waves. We have investigated the question of how strong the maximum wind may be so that the change in wavelength can still be determined with the help of wavelet transformation.
Qiang Guo, Yuning Liu, Xin Wang, and Wen Hui
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4613–4627, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4613-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4613-2024, 2024
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Non-linearity (NL) correction is a critical procedure to guarantee that the calibration accuracy of a spaceborne sensor approaches a reasonable level. Different from the classical method, a new NL correction method for a spaceborne Fourier transform spectrometer is proposed. To overcome the inaccurate linear coefficient from two-point calibration influencing NL correction, an iteration algorithm is established that is suitable for NL correction of both infrared and microwave sensors.
Bing Cao, Jennifer S. Haase, Michael J. Murphy Jr., and Anna M. Wilson
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-119, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-119, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for AMT
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This paper describes an Airborne Radio Occultation (ARO) observation system installed on reconnaissance aircraft that uses GPS signal refraction in the atmosphere to retrieve information about the temperature and moisture in the storm environment as far away as 400 km surrounding the flight track. The characteristics and quality of 1700 ARO refractivity profiles were assessed. These observations are collected to help understand atmospheric rivers and improve their forecasting.
Yuanxin Pan, Grzegorz Kłopotek, Laura Crocetti, Rudi Weinacker, Tobias Sturn, Linda See, Galina Dick, Gregor Möller, Markus Rothacher, Ian McCallum, Vicente Navarro, and Benedikt Soja
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4303–4316, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4303-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4303-2024, 2024
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Crowdsourced smartphone GNSS data were processed with a dedicated data processing pipeline and could produce millimeter-level accurate estimates of zenith total delay (ZTD) – a critical atmospheric variable. This breakthrough not only demonstrates the feasibility of using ubiquitous devices for high-precision atmospheric monitoring but also underscores the potential for a global, cost-effective tropospheric monitoring network.
Almudena Velázquez Blázquez, Edward Baudrez, Nicolas Clerbaux, and Carlos Domenech
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4245–4256, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4245-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4245-2024, 2024
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The Broadband Radiometer measures shortwave and total-wave radiances filtered by the spectral response of the instrument. To obtain unfiltered solar and thermal radiances, the effect of the spectral response needs to be corrected for, done within the BM-RAD processor. Errors in the unfiltering are propagated into fluxes; thus, accurate unfiltering is required for their proper estimation (within BMA-FLX). Unfiltering errors are estimated to be <0.5 % for the shortwave and <0.1 % for the longwave.
Qihou Zhou, Yanlin Li, and Yun Gong
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4197–4209, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4197-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4197-2024, 2024
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We discuss several robust estimators to compute the variance of a normally distributed random variable to deal with interference. Compared to rank-based estimators, the methods based on the geometric mean are more accurate and are computationally more efficient. We apply three robust estimators to incoherent scatter power and velocity processing, along with the traditional sample mean estimator. The best estimator is a hybrid estimator that combines the sample mean and a robust estimator.
Zhao Shi, Yuxiang Wen, and Jianxin He
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4121–4135, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4121-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4121-2024, 2024
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The squall line is a type of convective system. Squall lines are often associated with damaging weather, so identifying and tracking squall lines plays an important role in early meteorological disaster warnings. A clustering-based method is proposed in this article. It can identify the squall lines within the radar scanning range with an accuracy rate of 95.93 %. It can also provide the three-dimensional structure and movement tracking results for each squall line.
Elizabeth N. Smith and Jacob T. Carlin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4087–4107, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4087-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4087-2024, 2024
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Boundary-layer height observations remain sparse in time and space. In this study we create a new fuzzy logic method for synergistically combining boundary-layer height estimates from a suite of instruments. These estimates generally compare well to those from radiosondes; plus, the approach offers near-continuous estimates through the entire diurnal cycle. Suspected reasons for discrepancies are discussed. The code for the newly presented fuzzy logic method is provided for the community to use.
Laura Bianco, Bianca Adler, Ludovic Bariteau, Irina V. Djalalova, Timothy Myers, Sergio Pezoa, David D. Turner, and James M. Wilczak
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3933–3948, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3933-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3933-2024, 2024
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The Tropospheric Remotely Observed Profiling via Optimal Estimation physical retrieval is used to retrieve temperature and humidity profiles from various combinations of passive and active remote sensing instruments, surface platforms, and numerical weather prediction models. The retrieved profiles are assessed against collocated radiosonde in non-cloudy conditions to assess the sensitivity of the retrievals to different input combinations. Case studies with cloudy conditions are also inspected.
Björn Linder, Peter Preusse, Qiuyu Chen, Ole Martin Christensen, Lukas Krasauskas, Linda Megner, Manfred Ern, and Jörg Gumbel
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3829–3841, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3829-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3829-2024, 2024
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The Swedish research satellite MATS (Mesospheric Airglow/Aerosol Tomography and Spectroscopy) is designed to study atmospheric waves in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. These waves perturb the temperature field, and thus, by observing three-dimensional temperature fluctuations, their properties can be quantified. This pre-study uses synthetic MATS data generated from a general circulation model to investigate how well wave properties can be retrieved.
Gia Huan Pham, Shu-Chih Yang, Chih-Chien Chang, Shu-Ya Chen, and Cheng Yung Huang
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3605–3623, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3605-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3605-2024, 2024
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This research examines the characteristics of low-level GNSS radio occultation (RO) refractivity bias over ocean and land and its dependency on the RO retrieval uncertainty, atmospheric temperature, and moisture. We propose methods for estimating the region-dependent refractivity bias. Our methods can be applied to calibrate the refractivity bias under different atmospheric conditions and thus improve the applications of the GNSS RO data in the deep troposphere.
Sebastiano Padovan, Axel Von Engeln, Saverio Paolella, Yago Andres, Chad R. Galley, Riccardo Notarpietro, Veronica Rivas Boscán, Francisco Sancho, Francisco Martin Alemany, Nicolas Morew, and Christian Marquardt
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-80, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-80, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for AMT
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Radio Occultation (RO) measurements are an important contribution to numerical weather predictions and long-term climate studies. Using more than a hundred thousand occultations recorded by instruments onboard the Sentinel-6A and Cosmic-2 satellites, this work studies the effects of the clock data rate of the Global Navigation Satellite System on the RO data quality. GLONASS occultations benefit of high-rate clock data (1 second), GPS occultation have high quality already at 30 seconds.
Sanja Dmitrovic, Johnathan W. Hair, Brian L. Collister, Ewan Crosbie, Marta A. Fenn, Richard A. Ferrare, David B. Harper, Chris A. Hostetler, Yongxiang Hu, John A. Reagan, Claire E. Robinson, Shane T. Seaman, Taylor J. Shingler, Kenneth L. Thornhill, Holger Vömel, Xubin Zeng, and Armin Sorooshian
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3515–3532, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3515-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3515-2024, 2024
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This study introduces and evaluates a new ocean surface wind speed product from the NASA Langley Research Center (LARC) airborne High-Spectral-Resolution Lidar – Generation 2 (HSRL-2) during the NASA ACTIVATE mission. We show that HSRL-2 surface wind speed data are accurate when compared to ground-truth dropsonde measurements. Therefore, the HSRL-2 instrument is able obtain accurate, high-resolution surface wind speed data in airborne field campaigns.
Laura M. Tomkins, Sandra E. Yuter, and Matthew A. Miller
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3377–3399, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3377-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3377-2024, 2024
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We have created a new method to better identify enhanced features in radar data from winter storms. Unlike the clear-cut features seen in warm-season storms, features in winter storms are often fuzzier with softer edges. Our technique is unique because it uses two adaptive thresholds that change based on the background radar values. It can identify both strong and subtle features in the radar data and takes into account uncertainties in the detection process.
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Short summary
We use 16 years of lidar (laser radar) temperature measurements of the middle atmosphere to form a climatology for use in studying atmospheric temperature change using an optimal estimation method (OEM). Using OEM allows us to calculate a complete systematic and random uncertainty budget and allows for an additional 10–15 km in altitude for the measurement to be used, improving our ability to detect atmospheric temperature change up to 100 km of altitude.
We use 16 years of lidar (laser radar) temperature measurements of the middle atmosphere to form...
