Radiometric Measurements of Temperature Profiles in the Planetary Boundary Layer

Abstract

A ground-based 5-mm wavelength radiometer, named the Radiometric Thermasonde, has been developed. Typical vertical temperature profiles, derived from a recently developed radiometric data processing technique, are compared with profiles measured simultaneously by conventional techniques. Two years of performance testing of the operational prototype Thermasonde have demonstrated the feasibility of using radiometric remote probing techniques to describe thermal stability conditions within the first 1.5?2.0 km above the surface, during fair weather conditions. Preliminary tests indicate that temperature profiles derived from the Thermasonde can provide useful information, particularly for air pollution meteorology, for describing dispersion characteristics within the planetary boundary layer. The evaluation of a preliminary data reduction technique is described.