Citation

Abstract

A water vapor radiometer is used to estimate the columnar content of atmospheric water vapor or equivalently the line-of-sight path delay due to water vapor. Two measurement channels are used in order to separate the effects of the liquid and vapor phases of water. The efficiency of the path delay or columnar vapor estimate is dependent on the choice of on-line frequency channel. Previous analysis of this problem has suggested frequencies from 20.3 to 21 GHz. The frequency that yields the minimum error in the inversion algorithm is shown here to be both site and season dependent. Hence, the concept of an “optimum” frequency must represent an averaging process over the entire range of meteorological conditions that is expected. For a range of sites and conditions representing a cross section of the continental United States the optimum on-line frequency seems to be 20.6 GHz.

Details

Volume
42-76
Published
February 15, 1984
Pages
1–11
File Size
697.6 KB