Correcting Geopotential Height Errors of Some Mandatory Levels of Chinese Historic Radiosonde Observations

Ruan Xin; Xiong Anyuan; Hu Kaixi; Liang Xiuhui; Wang Zhiwen; Yang Yanru; Zou Fengling

doi:10.11898/1001-7313.20150301

Vol.26, NO.3, 2015

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Article Navigation > Journal of Applied Meteorological Science > 2015 > 26(3): 257-267

Ruan Xin, Xiong Anyuan, Hu Kaixi, et al. Correcting geopotential height errors of some mandatory levels of Chinese historic radiosonde observations. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2015, 26(3): 257-267. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20150301.

Citation:

Ruan Xin, Xiong Anyuan, Hu Kaixi, et al. Correcting geopotential height errors of some mandatory levels of Chinese historic radiosonde observations. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2015, 26(3): 257-267. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20150301.

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Correcting Geopotential Height Errors of Some Mandatory Levels of Chinese Historic Radiosonde Observations

DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20150301

1.
National Meteorological Information Center, Beijing 100081
2.
Hebei Provincial Meteorological Bureau, Shijiazhuang 050021
3.
Beijing Meteorological Bureau, Beijing 100089

Received Date: 2014-09-10
Rev Recd Date: 2015-03-02
Publish Date: 2015-05-31

Abstract

Abstract

Radiosonde observations are crucial in weather forecast and upper-air climate research. Due to their high vertical resolution, they are also important for calibration and validation of satellite temperature and water vapor retrievals. Quality control of Chinese radiosonde observations of 1951-2012 is conducted with hydrostatic check, and the result reveals that ratios of erroneous geopotential height (GPH) of 900 hPa, 800 hPa, 80 hPa and 60 hPa before 1963 are 2%-11%, which are much higher than other levels. The ratios of erroneous GPH of 250 hPa and 70 hPa in mid of the 1970s of a few stations in Yunnan Province are also much higher than other levels. Changes with observation code and practice in Chinese radiosonde observations are thoroughly investigated. Then the possible cause of the phenomenon is analyzed and validated with observations.The height of each pressure level in sounding is calculated by accumulating the thickness of layers between each pressure levels below on the base of station elevation. And the thickness is determined by hydrostatic equation automatically nowadays, but due to the limitation of calculation capacity before the 1980s, they are available in ready-made GPH-table. However, 900 hPa, 800 hPa, 80 hPa and 60 hPa are not included in the GPH-table possibly because they are not directly used in weather charts then. So GPHs of levels in question are obtained through interpolation on time-GPH chart after GPH of other levels are available on the chart through looking up the GPH-table. This practice makes GPH of levels in question vulnerable to human mistakes, thus many records contain errors. The explanation to the cause of the problem is validated with observations.Furthermore, the method to correct the erroneous GPH record is proposed, which is to recalculate it based on hydrostatic equation with correct observations of other levels from the same sounding. The correcting method is validated since the originally correct GPH records are reproduced accurately. For 900 hPa and 800 hPa of Ganzhou Station, differences between reproduced GPHs and original ones are less than 5 gpm, and about 50% of reproduced GPHs are exactly the same as original ones. Differences for 250 hPa of Kunming Station are all less than 5 gpm either, but differences are slightly larger for 70 hPa, possibly because the layer between 70-100 hPa is as large as 2300 gpm approximately, and significant levels are not enough to reveal all the details of temperature profile. Besides, the correcting method is validated from another aspect, since after the erroneous GPH are corrected, the relevant hydrostatic residue series become consistent.
- radiosonde observations;
- geopotential height;
- correction

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References(35)

Figures and Tables

图 1 1951—2012年中国探空资料规定等压面

Fig. 1 Annual erroneous ratio of mandatory-level geopotential heights of Chinese radiosonde observations from 1951 to 2012

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图 2 1951—2012年中国探空资料规定等压面

Fig. 2 Erroneous ratio of each mandatory-level geopotential heights of Chinese radiosonde observations from 1951 to 2012

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图 3 1963年12月前后江西省赣州站各相邻等压面之间气层静力学余差标准差

Fig. 3 Standard deviation of hydrostatic residue of each mandatory level at Ganzhou Station of Jiangxi before and after Dec 1963

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图 4 1977年5月前后云南省昆明站各相邻等压面之间气层静力学余差标准差

Fig. 4 Standard deviation of hydrostatic residue of each mandatory level at Kunming Station of Yunnan before and after May 1977

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图 5 1963年12月前后江西省赣州站900 hPa和800 hPa相关气层静力学余差变化

Fig. 5 Different range of hydrostatic residue for 900 hPa and 800 hPa at Ganzhou Station of Jiangxi before and after Dec 1963

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图 6 1977年5月前后云南省昆明站250 hPa和70 hPa

Fig. 6 Different range of hydrostatic residue for 250 hPa and 70 hPa at Kunming Station of Yunnan

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图 7 1963年12月前后江西省赣州站各跨层静力学余差标准差

Fig. 7 Standard deviation of hydrostatic residue at Ganzhou Station of Jiangxi before and after Dec 1963

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图 8 1977年5月前后云南省昆明站各跨层静力学余差标准差

Fig. 8 Standard deviation of hydrostatic residueat at Kunming Station of Yunnan before and after May 1977

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图 9 江西省赣州站计算高度与原始高度差的概率密度分布

Fig. 9 Probability density distribution of difference between calculated and original geopotential heights at Ganzhou Station of Jiangxi

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图 10 云南省昆明站计算高度与原始高度差的概率密度分布

Fig. 10 Probability density distribution of difference between calculated and original geopotential heights at Kunming Station of Yunnan

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图 11 江西省赣州站900 hPa和800 hPa相关气层静力学余差 (1963年12月以前为订正后位势高度)

Fig. 11 Hydrostatic residue of 900 hPa and 800 hPa at Ganzhou Station of Jiangxi (with corrected geopotential heights before Dce 1963)

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图 12 云南省昆明站250 hPa和70 hPa位势高度相关气层静力学余差 (1977年5月以前为订正后位势高度)

Fig. 12 Hydrostatic residue of 250 hPa and 70 hPa at Kunming Station of Yunnan (with corrected geopotential heights before May 1977)

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