Remote Sensing of Temperature Profiles from a Combination of Observations from the Satellite-Based Microwave Sounding Unit and the Ground-Based Profiler

Abstract

Temperature profiles are derived from ground- and satellite-based microwave radiometric observations. Data taken by the NOAA Profiler during December 1981 to December 1982, at Stapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado, are combined with NOAA 6/7 Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) observations over Denver. The results of 460 retrievals by the Profiler, the MSU, and the Profiler + MSU are compared with soundings by National Weather Service radiosondes (RAOBs). From the surface to 300 mb, maximum rms differences between the combined retrievals and RAOBs are less than about 2 K. For 17 cases in March 1981, radiometric data from the Profiler and MSU were combined with tropopause height measurements obtained from a VHF radar. The combined retrievals using the tropopause height information were improved in the vicinity of the tropopause by about 2 K rms relative to the pure passive ones.