Estimate of Radiosonde Dry Bias From Far-Infrared Measurements on the Antarctic Plateau

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
• Main Authors: Rizzi, R., Maestri, T., AROSIO, CARLO
• Other Authors: Rizzi, R.*, Arosio, C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: dry bia; far infrared; water vapor continuum; Geophysic; Oceanography; Forestry; Aquatic Science; Ecology; Condensed Matter Physic; Water Science and Technology; Soil Science; Geochemistry and Petrology; Earth-Surface Processe; Physical and Theoretical Chemistry; Polymers and Plastic; Atmospheric Science; Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous); Space and Planetary Science; Materials Chemistry2506 Metals and Alloy; Paleontology; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11585/634586; https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JD027874; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)2169-8996

The experimental data set of downwelling radiance spectra measured at the ground in clear conditions during 2013 by a Far-Infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometer at Dome-C, Antarctica, presented in Rizzi et al. (2016, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD025341) is used to estimate the effect of solar heating of the radiosonde humidity sensor, called dry bias. The effect is quite evident comparing residuals for the austral summer and winter clear cases and can be modeled by an increase of the water vapor concentration at all levels by about 15%. Such an estimate has become possible only after a new version of the simulation code and spectroscopic data has become available, which has substantially improved the modeling of water vapor absorption in the far infrared. The negative yearly spectral bias reported in Rizzi et al. (2016, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD025341) is in fact greatly reduced when compared to the same measurement data set.