Status of Remote Sensing of the Troposphere

Abstract

This paper attempts to summarize the status of remote sensing of the troposphere. It opens with a statement of the need for remote sensing and identifies the potential advantages inherent to such techniques. The main material is in the form of a series of tables which identify the stage of development of each method (acoustic, radio, or optical) for the measurement of the different meteorological parameters relevant to the troposphere. The tables are used to differentiate between those capabilities which as yet are limited to the boundary layer, and those applicable to the full height range of the troposphere; and also between those techniques which are limited to clear air as opposed to those which can operate in the presence of cloud particles and/or precipitation. Examples of the current capabilities of various active and passive acoustic, optical, and radio remote sensing systems are presented in the form of figures, primarily from the work of the Wave Propagation Laboratory.