The Hydrostatic Equation in the Evaluation Algorithm for Radiosonde Data

Abstract

In upper-air observations, height data are normally computed from pressure and virtual temperature by resort of the hydrostatic equation. Errors in the primary variables affect the accuracy of height data depending on how the integration of the hydrostatic equation is carded out. Based on simulated ascents in a standard atmosphere, the effects of pressure and temperature errors on the accuracy of height data are for three different integration schemes. Actual data from an intercomparison flight are also used to demonstrate that the effects of differences in the observation data can be minimized by using an indirect integration algorithm. The information presented here is not new. However, it seems that none of the operational weather services applies the procedure that maximally inhibits error propagation. By using the slightly more sophisticated indirect integration method, errors associated with height data for pressure levels in the troposphere could roughly be cut in half.