The Determination of Atmospheric Structure from Quantitative Satellite Data.
Abstract
The question regarding the extent to which satellite sounding data can be used to determine atmospheric structure was addressed. Comparisons were made between rawinsonde and satellite profiles in seven areas for a wide range of surface and weather conditions. Variables considered consist of temperature, dewpoint temperature, thickness, precipitable water, lapse rate of temperature, stability, geopotential height, mixing ratio, wind direction, wind speed, and kinematic parameters including vorticity and the advection of vorticity and temperature. In addition, comparisons are made in the form of cross sections and synoptic fields for selected variables. Sounding data from both the NIMBUS-6 and TIROS-N satellites were used. The NIMBUS-6 data were linearly interpolated in order to obtain soundings coincident in time with the rawinsonde soundings. The TIROS-N data were obtained concurrently with the rawinsonde data and no interpolation was performed. Geostrophic wind computed from smoothed geopotential heights provided large-scale flow patterns that agreed well with the rawinsonde wind fields. Surface wind patterns as well as magnitudes computed by use of the log law to extrapolate wind to a height of 10 m agreed well with observations. The results of this study demonstrate rather conclusively that satellite profile data can be used to determine characteristics of large-scale systems, but that small-scale features such as frontal zones cannot yet be resolved satisfactorily.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 03, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA078980
Entities
People
- James R. Scoggins
Organizations
- Texas A&M University