Inter-comparision and Application of Atmospheric Humidity Profiles Measured by CFH and Vaisala RS80 Radisondes

Yan Xiaolu; Zheng Xiangdong; Li Wei; Ma Jin

Vol.23, NO.4, 2012

Article Contents

Article Navigation > Journal of Applied Meteorological Science > 2012 > 23(4): 433-440

Yan Xiaolu, Zheng Xiangdong, Li Wei, et al. Inter-comparision and application of atmospheric humidity profiles measured by CFH and Vaisala RS80 radisondes. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2012, 23(4): 433-440.

Citation:

Yan Xiaolu, Zheng Xiangdong, Li Wei, et al. Inter-comparision and application of atmospheric humidity profiles measured by CFH and Vaisala RS80 radisondes. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2012, 23(4): 433-440.

Yan Xiaolu, Zheng Xiangdong, Li Wei, et al. Inter-comparision and application of atmospheric humidity profiles measured by CFH and Vaisala RS80 radisondes. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2012, 23(4): 433-440.

Citation:

Yan Xiaolu, Zheng Xiangdong, Li Wei, et al. Inter-comparision and application of atmospheric humidity profiles measured by CFH and Vaisala RS80 radisondes. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2012, 23(4): 433-440.

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Inter-comparision and Application of Atmospheric Humidity Profiles Measured by CFH and Vaisala RS80 Radisondes

Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081

Received Date: 2011-08-12
Rev Recd Date: 2012-06-01
Publish Date: 2012-08-31

Abstract

Abstract

Vertical profiles of atmospheric humidity simultaneously measured by balloon-borne Cryogenic Frostpoint Hygrometer (CFH) and Vaisala RS80 radiosonde in Tengchong, Yunnan in August 2010 are analyzed. Currently, CFH is the reference instrument in the measurement of atmosphere water vapor profile. RS80 radiosonde is ever extensively used in the world before the middle of 1990s. The humidity data measured by CFH is used to assess the quality of RS80 radiosonde humidity data. The difference of RS80 radiosonde humidity data in day and night time respectively compared to CFH data is also given in individual inter-comparison. The results have revealed there is a large dry bias produced by the RS80 humidity sensor with average of (23.7±18.5)%, and the daytime dry bias is (13.5±14.8)% larger than that in the nighttime owing to solar radiation heating on the humidity sensor. In addition, RS80 radiosonde is almost incapable of measuring the valuable humidity data in the transition region from upper troposphere to lower stratosphere. For the integrated precipitable water (PW) amounts from the profiles of GTS1, RS80, CFH and their comparisons with GPS measurements, CFH integrated PW is (4.3±2.0) mm (number of samples is 11) higher than that of GPS because that CFH tends to be saturation at moist condition, especially when passes through cloud in lower troposphere, while the PW differences of RS80, GTS1 from the GPS measurements are (0.2±1.4) mm (number of samples is 12) and (-0.2±2.2) mm (number of samples is 43) respectively. The value of GPS PW is not sensitive to the humidity variations in the altitudes above upper troposphere. CFH is demonstrated as an effective instrument measuring water vapor concentration in the circumstance with lower temperature as well as lower humidity, such as in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Owing to dry bias, RS80 radiosonde detects less middle or high clouds than CFH does, especially in the detection of high clouds above 6000 m where the low humidity value from RS80 radiosonde almost cannot indicate the occurrence of cloud. Therefore, the occurrence frequency and altitude of high cloud would be much underestimated if RS80 radiosonde water profiles are used.
- RS80 radiosonde;
- Cryogenic Frost-point Hygrometer;
- GPS PW measurements

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References(21)

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1 Vertical profiles of water concentration (a) measured by CFH and RS80 radiosondes with their relative difference δq(b) at Tengchong, Yunnan in August 2010

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图 2 2010年8月26日白天云南腾冲CFH，RS80探空仪观测水汽垂直分布的比较

(a) 水汽垂直分布，(b) 相对误差

Fig. 2 Individual intercomparison of day-time water vapor concentration profiles (a) measured by CFH and RS80 radiosondes with their relative difference δq(b) at Tengchong, Yunnan on 26 August 2010

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图 3 2010年8月15日夜间云南腾冲CFH，RS80探空仪观测水汽垂直分布的比较

(a) 水汽垂直分布，(b) 相对误差

Fig. 3 Individual intercomparison of night-time water vapor concentration profiles (a) measured by CFH and RS80 radiosondes with their relative difference δq(b) at Tengchong, Yunnan on 15 August 2010

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Fig. 4 Intercomparisons of precipitable water (PW) amounts between GPS measurements and different integrated values of radiosonde-based water concentration profiles at Tengchong, Yunnan in August 2010

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Table 1 Intercomparsion of averaged water vapor concentrations between CFH and Vaisala RS80 radiosonde measurements (unit: 10^－6)

高度/km	RS80		CFH
高度/km	混合比±标准差	样本数	混合比±标准差	样本数
0~5	13583±5426	546	15334±6403	540
5~10	2164±1865	542	2335±2044	517
10~15	58±90	550	79±109	485
15~20	10±14	526^*	4.7±1.1	382
20以上	135±233	322^*	5.0±1.0	192
注：*表示测值已没有意义。

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Table 2 Inter-comparison of cloud altitudes detected by RS80 and CFH at Tengchong, Yunnan in 2010(unit: m)

日期	低云		中云		高云
日期	CFH	RS80	CFH	RS80	CFH	RS80
08-08	500~1725		3710~4206
08-13	500~2000	749~1826	2000~3875	2155~2596
			5875~6067
08-15	500~1624	572~1595	3382~6000	3654~6000	6000~8939	6000~6572
08-17	500~2000	566~2000	2000~3795	2000~3094	7700~8225
08-19	500~2000	1468~2271	2000~4480	3365~4417	5924~6557
					7376~8079
08-21	500~2000	500~3391	2000~5387	4179~5070	6075~6557
					7037~7170
					8331~8343
08-22	685~4393	1700~1751	4977~6157	3933~4073	6523~6694
08-24	500~2000	1661~2439	2000~4969	2888~4931
08-26	500~2081	1871~2013	2510~3622		6180~6788	6449~6500
			3926~5200		7105~7181
08-28	523~1676	1394~1460	1933~2897	2324~2690	7376~7937
			3099~3276
			3629~3843
08-30	500~2000		2000~3805	2657~3766

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References

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