Recent divergences in stratospheric water vapor measurements by frost point
hygrometers and the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder

Hurst, Dale F.; Read, William G.; Vömel, Holger; Selkirk, Henry B.; Rosenlof, Karen H.; Davis, Sean M.; Hall, Emrys G.; Jordan, Allen F.; Oltmans, Samuel J.

doi:10.5194/amt-9-4447-2016

Articles | Volume 9, issue 9

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4447-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

Water vapour in the upper troposphere and middle atmosphere:...

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4447-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 9, issue 9

Research article

|

08 Sep 2016

Research article |

| 08 Sep 2016

Recent divergences in stratospheric water vapor measurements by frost point hygrometers and the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder

Dale F. Hurst, William G. Read, Holger Vömel, Henry B. Selkirk, Karen H. Rosenlof, Sean M. Davis, Emrys G. Hall, Allen F. Jordan, and Samuel J. Oltmans

Viewed

Total article views: 3,816 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)

HTML	PDF	XML	Total	BibTeX	EndNote
2,526	1,158	132	3,816	174	169

HTML: 2,526
PDF: 1,158
XML: 132
Total: 3,816
BibTeX: 174
EndNote: 169

Views and downloads (calculated since 06 Jun 2016)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Jun 2016	89	28	2	119
Jul 2016	15	9	2	26
Aug 2016	19	10	1	30
Sep 2016	88	23	2	113
Oct 2016	16	5	1	22
Nov 2016	13	8	0	21
Dec 2016	9	6	1	16
Jan 2017	16	12	0	28
Feb 2017	9	6	1	16
Mar 2017	18	10	2	30
Apr 2017	25	12	3	40
May 2017	22	19	0	41
Jun 2017	21	14	0	35
Jul 2017	16	12	0	28
Aug 2017	10	10	2	22
Sep 2017	12	10	0	22
Oct 2017	13	10	0	23
Nov 2017	11	11	0	22
Dec 2017	13	13	0	26
Jan 2018	11	12	0	23
Feb 2018	10	5	0	15
Mar 2018	20	9	0	29
Apr 2018	27	12	1	40
May 2018	16	11	2	29
Jun 2018	5	8	0	13
Jul 2018	9	9	0	18
Aug 2018	25	14	0	39
Sep 2018	21	11	0	32
Oct 2018	12	17	2	31
Nov 2018	16	10	0	26
Dec 2018	12	7	0	19
Jan 2019	18	18	1	37
Feb 2019	15	9	0	24
Mar 2019	13	10	0	23
Apr 2019	14	9	0	23
May 2019	15	12	1	28
Jun 2019	8	13	0	21
Jul 2019	7	6	0	13
Aug 2019	9	7	0	16
Sep 2019	6	7	0	13
Oct 2019	5	8	1	14
Nov 2019	5	8	0	13
Dec 2019	8	9	0	17
Jan 2020	5	9	1	15
Feb 2020	18	6	0	24
Mar 2020	9	8	0	17
Apr 2020	3	3	0	6
May 2020	13	6	0	19
Jun 2020	14	11	1	26
Jul 2020	35	25	8	68
Aug 2020	10	13	4	27
Sep 2020	7	3	0	10
Oct 2020	12	7	1	20
Nov 2020	16	15	1	32
Dec 2020	21	11	0	32
Jan 2021	13	7	0	20
Feb 2021	19	11	0	30
Mar 2021	18	10	1	29
Apr 2021	13	11	0	24
May 2021	16	13	1	30
Jun 2021	13	9	0	22
Jul 2021	13	10	1	24
Aug 2021	10	11	0	21
Sep 2021	12	7	0	19
Oct 2021	14	39	3	56
Nov 2021	11	23	3	37
Dec 2021	16	10	1	27
Jan 2022	17	16	1	34
Feb 2022	21	14	3	38
Mar 2022	16	9	1	26
Apr 2022	7	8	1	16
May 2022	7	4	0	11
Jun 2022	14	8	0	22
Jul 2022	12	4	1	17
Aug 2022	15	7	1	23
Sep 2022	6	10	1	17
Oct 2022	17	6	1	24
Nov 2022	13	10	2	25
Dec 2022	17	10	1	28
Jan 2023	11	6	0	17
Feb 2023	16	4	4	24
Mar 2023	44	7	0	51
Apr 2023	16	8	1	25
May 2023	47	8	0	55
Jun 2023	57	5	1	63
Jul 2023	49	8	2	59
Aug 2023	47	7	4	58
Sep 2023	46	14	1	61
Oct 2023	47	11	1	59
Nov 2023	30	3	4	37
Dec 2023	47	4	1	52
Jan 2024	41	10	1	52
Feb 2024	38	9	1	48
Mar 2024	50	9	4	63
Apr 2024	41	4	2	47
May 2024	18	8	4	30
Jun 2024	17	8	2	27
Jul 2024	28	6	2	36
Aug 2024	50	9	4	63
Sep 2024	12	3	0	15
Oct 2024	19	5	0	24
Nov 2024	28	3	1	32
Dec 2024	36	10	0	46
Jan 2025	56	9	5	70
Feb 2025	64	9	5	78
Mar 2025	11	11	0	22
Apr 2025	27	13	0	40
May 2025	25	4	1	30
Jun 2025	49	11	4	64
Jul 2025	36	12	4	52
Aug 2025	56	8	4	68
Sep 2025	80	23	2	105
Oct 2025	28	29	2	59
Nov 2025	24	7	1	32

Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 06 Jun 2016)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Jun 2016	89	28	2	119
Jul 2016	15	9	2	26
Aug 2016	19	10	1	30
Sep 2016	88	23	2	113
Oct 2016	16	5	1	22
Nov 2016	13	8	0	21
Dec 2016	9	6	1	16
Jan 2017	16	12	0	28
Feb 2017	9	6	1	16
Mar 2017	18	10	2	30
Apr 2017	25	12	3	40
May 2017	22	19	0	41
Jun 2017	21	14	0	35
Jul 2017	16	12	0	28
Aug 2017	10	10	2	22
Sep 2017	12	10	0	22
Oct 2017	13	10	0	23
Nov 2017	11	11	0	22
Dec 2017	13	13	0	26
Jan 2018	11	12	0	23
Feb 2018	10	5	0	15
Mar 2018	20	9	0	29
Apr 2018	27	12	1	40
May 2018	16	11	2	29
Jun 2018	5	8	0	13
Jul 2018	9	9	0	18
Aug 2018	25	14	0	39
Sep 2018	21	11	0	32
Oct 2018	12	17	2	31
Nov 2018	16	10	0	26
Dec 2018	12	7	0	19
Jan 2019	18	18	1	37
Feb 2019	15	9	0	24
Mar 2019	13	10	0	23
Apr 2019	14	9	0	23
May 2019	15	12	1	28
Jun 2019	8	13	0	21
Jul 2019	7	6	0	13
Aug 2019	9	7	0	16
Sep 2019	6	7	0	13
Oct 2019	5	8	1	14
Nov 2019	5	8	0	13
Dec 2019	8	9	0	17
Jan 2020	5	9	1	15
Feb 2020	18	6	0	24
Mar 2020	9	8	0	17
Apr 2020	3	3	0	6
May 2020	13	6	0	19
Jun 2020	14	11	1	26
Jul 2020	35	25	8	68
Aug 2020	10	13	4	27
Sep 2020	7	3	0	10
Oct 2020	12	7	1	20
Nov 2020	16	15	1	32
Dec 2020	21	11	0	32
Jan 2021	13	7	0	20
Feb 2021	19	11	0	30
Mar 2021	18	10	1	29
Apr 2021	13	11	0	24
May 2021	16	13	1	30
Jun 2021	13	9	0	22
Jul 2021	13	10	1	24
Aug 2021	10	11	0	21
Sep 2021	12	7	0	19
Oct 2021	14	39	3	56
Nov 2021	11	23	3	37
Dec 2021	16	10	1	27
Jan 2022	17	16	1	34
Feb 2022	21	14	3	38
Mar 2022	16	9	1	26
Apr 2022	7	8	1	16
May 2022	7	4	0	11
Jun 2022	14	8	0	22
Jul 2022	12	4	1	17
Aug 2022	15	7	1	23
Sep 2022	6	10	1	17
Oct 2022	17	6	1	24
Nov 2022	13	10	2	25
Dec 2022	17	10	1	28
Jan 2023	11	6	0	17
Feb 2023	16	4	4	24
Mar 2023	44	7	0	51
Apr 2023	16	8	1	25
May 2023	47	8	0	55
Jun 2023	57	5	1	63
Jul 2023	49	8	2	59
Aug 2023	47	7	4	58
Sep 2023	46	14	1	61
Oct 2023	47	11	1	59
Nov 2023	30	3	4	37
Dec 2023	47	4	1	52
Jan 2024	41	10	1	52
Feb 2024	38	9	1	48
Mar 2024	50	9	4	63
Apr 2024	41	4	2	47
May 2024	18	8	4	30
Jun 2024	17	8	2	27
Jul 2024	28	6	2	36
Aug 2024	50	9	4	63
Sep 2024	12	3	0	15
Oct 2024	19	5	0	24
Nov 2024	28	3	1	32
Dec 2024	36	10	0	46
Jan 2025	56	9	5	70
Feb 2025	64	9	5	78
Mar 2025	11	11	0	22
Apr 2025	27	13	0	40
May 2025	25	4	1	30
Jun 2025	49	11	4	64
Jul 2025	36	12	4	52
Aug 2025	56	8	4	68
Sep 2025	80	23	2	105
Oct 2025	28	29	2	59
Nov 2025	24	7	1	32

Latest update: 16 Nov 2025

Short summary

This study compares stratospheric water vapor measurements by the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and balloon-borne frost point hygrometers (FPs) at five sites that launch two different types of FPs. The results demonstrate that FP and MLS measurements have been diverging at statistically significant rates of 0.6 to 1.5 % per year since approximately 2010. Similarities in the divergences at different sites suggest a positive drift in MLS retrievals since approximately 2010.