GNSS Precipitable Water Vapor from an Amazonian Rain Forest Flux Tower

Understanding the complex interactions between water vapor fields and deep convection on the mesoscale requires observational networks with high spatial (kilometers) and temporal (minutes) resolution. In the equatorial tropics, where deep convection dominates the vertical distribution of the most im...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of atmospheric and oceanic technology 2011-10, Vol.28 (10), p.1192-1198
Main Authors: Adams, David K, Fernandes, Rui M S, Maia, Jair M F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum
Antennas
Convection
Data collection
Experiments
Global navigation satellite system
Global positioning systems
GPS
Humidity
Mathematical analysis
Mesoscale phenomena
Meteorological networks
Meteorology
Navigation behavior
Navigational satellites
Networks
Positioning systems
Precipitable water
Radiometers
Rain
Rainforests
Receivers & amplifiers
Satellites
Spatial discrimination
Spatial resolution
Studies
Towers
Tropical environments
Vertical distribution
Water vapor
Water vapour
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Summary:Understanding the complex interactions between water vapor fields and deep convection on the mesoscale requires observational networks with high spatial (kilometers) and temporal (minutes) resolution. In the equatorial tropics, where deep convection dominates the vertical distribution of the most important greenhouse substance—water—these mesoscale networks are nonexistent. Global Navigational Satellite System (GNSS) meteorological networks offer high temporal/spatial resolution precipitable water vapor, but infrastructure exigencies are great. The authors report here on very accurate precipitable water vapor (PWV) values calculated from a GNSS receiver installed on a highly nonideal Amazon rain forest flux tower. Further experiments with a mechanically oscillating platform demonstrate that errors and biases of approximately 1 mm (2%–3% of PWV) can be expected when compared with a stable reference GNSS receiver for two different geodetic grade receivers/antennas and processing methods [GPS-Inferred Positioning System (GIPSY) and GAMIT]. The implication is that stable fixed antennas are unnecessary for accurate calculation of precipitable water vapor regardless of processing techniques or geodetic grade receiver.
ISSN:0739-0572
1520-0426
DOI:10.1175/JTECH-D-11-00082.1