A semiempirical error estimation technique for PWV derived from atmospheric radiosonde data
A semiempirical method for estimating the error and optimum number of sampled levels in precipitable water vapour (PWV) determinations from atmospheric radiosoundings is proposed. Two terms have been considered: the uncertainties in the measurements and the sampling error. Also, the uncertainty has...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:7813f0129f1d48278fd41e825ba8346f 2023-05-15T15:18:32+02:00 A semiempirical error estimation technique for PWV derived from atmospheric radiosonde data J. A. Castro-Almazán G. Pérez-Jordán C. Muñoz-Tuñón 2016-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4759-2016 https://doaj.org/article/7813f0129f1d48278fd41e825ba8346f EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/9/4759/2016/amt-9-4759-2016.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1867-1381 https://doaj.org/toc/1867-8548 1867-1381 1867-8548 doi:10.5194/amt-9-4759-2016 https://doaj.org/article/7813f0129f1d48278fd41e825ba8346f Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, Vol 9, Iss 9, Pp 4759-4781 (2016) Environmental engineering TA170-171 Earthwork. Foundations TA715-787 article 2016 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4759-2016 2022-12-31T02:39:34Z A semiempirical method for estimating the error and optimum number of sampled levels in precipitable water vapour (PWV) determinations from atmospheric radiosoundings is proposed. Two terms have been considered: the uncertainties in the measurements and the sampling error. Also, the uncertainty has been separated in the variance and covariance components. The sampling and covariance components have been modelled from an empirical dataset of 205 high-vertical-resolution radiosounding profiles, equipped with Vaisala RS80 and RS92 sondes at four different locations: Güímar (GUI) in Tenerife, at sea level, and the astronomical observatory at Roque de los Muchachos (ORM, 2300 m a.s.l.) on La Palma (both on the Canary Islands, Spain), Lindenberg (LIN) in continental Germany, and Ny-Ålesund (NYA) in the Svalbard Islands, within the Arctic Circle. The balloons at the ORM were launched during intensive and unique site-testing runs carried out in 1990 and 1995, while the data for the other sites were obtained from radiosounding stations operating for a period of 1 year (2013–2014). The PWV values ranged between ∼ 0.9 and ∼ 41 mm. The method sub-samples the profile for error minimization. The result is the minimum error and the optimum number of levels. The results obtained in the four sites studied showed that the ORM is the driest of the four locations and the one with the fastest vertical decay of PWV. The exponential autocorrelation pressure lags ranged from 175 hPa (ORM) to 500 hPa (LIN). The results show a coherent behaviour with no biases as a function of the profile. The final error is roughly proportional to PWV whereas the optimum number of levels ( N 0 ) is the reverse. The value of N 0 is less than 400 for 77 % of the profiles and the absolute errors are always < 0.6 mm. The median relative error is 2.0 ± 0.7 % and the 90th percentile P 90 = 4.6 %. Therefore, whereas a radiosounding samples at least N 0 uniform vertical levels, depending on the water vapour content and distribution of the atmosphere, the ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Ny Ålesund Ny-Ålesund Svalbard Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Svalbard Ny-Ålesund Lindenberg ENVELOPE(-59.685,-59.685,-64.924,-64.924) Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 9 9 4759 4781 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental engineering TA170-171 Earthwork. Foundations TA715-787 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental engineering TA170-171 Earthwork. Foundations TA715-787 J. A. Castro-Almazán G. Pérez-Jordán C. Muñoz-Tuñón A semiempirical error estimation technique for PWV derived from atmospheric radiosonde data |
topic_facet |
Environmental engineering TA170-171 Earthwork. Foundations TA715-787 |
description |
A semiempirical method for estimating the error and optimum number of sampled levels in precipitable water vapour (PWV) determinations from atmospheric radiosoundings is proposed. Two terms have been considered: the uncertainties in the measurements and the sampling error. Also, the uncertainty has been separated in the variance and covariance components. The sampling and covariance components have been modelled from an empirical dataset of 205 high-vertical-resolution radiosounding profiles, equipped with Vaisala RS80 and RS92 sondes at four different locations: Güímar (GUI) in Tenerife, at sea level, and the astronomical observatory at Roque de los Muchachos (ORM, 2300 m a.s.l.) on La Palma (both on the Canary Islands, Spain), Lindenberg (LIN) in continental Germany, and Ny-Ålesund (NYA) in the Svalbard Islands, within the Arctic Circle. The balloons at the ORM were launched during intensive and unique site-testing runs carried out in 1990 and 1995, while the data for the other sites were obtained from radiosounding stations operating for a period of 1 year (2013–2014). The PWV values ranged between ∼ 0.9 and ∼ 41 mm. The method sub-samples the profile for error minimization. The result is the minimum error and the optimum number of levels. The results obtained in the four sites studied showed that the ORM is the driest of the four locations and the one with the fastest vertical decay of PWV. The exponential autocorrelation pressure lags ranged from 175 hPa (ORM) to 500 hPa (LIN). The results show a coherent behaviour with no biases as a function of the profile. The final error is roughly proportional to PWV whereas the optimum number of levels ( N 0 ) is the reverse. The value of N 0 is less than 400 for 77 % of the profiles and the absolute errors are always < 0.6 mm. The median relative error is 2.0 ± 0.7 % and the 90th percentile P 90 = 4.6 %. Therefore, whereas a radiosounding samples at least N 0 uniform vertical levels, depending on the water vapour content and distribution of the atmosphere, the ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
J. A. Castro-Almazán G. Pérez-Jordán C. Muñoz-Tuñón |
author_facet |
J. A. Castro-Almazán G. Pérez-Jordán C. Muñoz-Tuñón |
author_sort |
J. A. Castro-Almazán |
title |
A semiempirical error estimation technique for PWV derived from atmospheric radiosonde data |
title_short |
A semiempirical error estimation technique for PWV derived from atmospheric radiosonde data |
title_full |
A semiempirical error estimation technique for PWV derived from atmospheric radiosonde data |
title_fullStr |
A semiempirical error estimation technique for PWV derived from atmospheric radiosonde data |
title_full_unstemmed |
A semiempirical error estimation technique for PWV derived from atmospheric radiosonde data |
title_sort |
semiempirical error estimation technique for pwv derived from atmospheric radiosonde data |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4759-2016 https://doaj.org/article/7813f0129f1d48278fd41e825ba8346f |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-59.685,-59.685,-64.924,-64.924) |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard Ny-Ålesund Lindenberg |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard Ny-Ålesund Lindenberg |
genre |
Arctic Ny Ålesund Ny-Ålesund Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Arctic Ny Ålesund Ny-Ålesund Svalbard |
op_source |
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, Vol 9, Iss 9, Pp 4759-4781 (2016) |
op_relation |
http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/9/4759/2016/amt-9-4759-2016.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1867-1381 https://doaj.org/toc/1867-8548 1867-1381 1867-8548 doi:10.5194/amt-9-4759-2016 https://doaj.org/article/7813f0129f1d48278fd41e825ba8346f |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4759-2016 |
container_title |
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
4759 |
op_container_end_page |
4781 |
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1766348736990019584 |