A New Technique for Estimation of Lower-Tropospheric Temperature and Water Vapor Profiles from Radio Occultation Refractivity

Abstract

Abstract An empirical technique is proposed to obtain temperature and humidity profiles over the tropics using radio occultation refractivity profiles and surface/available lower-altitude temperature and pressure measurements over humid tropical regions. The technique is tested on a large number of diverse radiosonde-derived refractivity profiles over the tropics (30°S–30°N) and selected Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) radio occultation refractivity profiles that have collocated radiosonde observations over the region 10°S–30°N during the boreal summer of 2006. In a number of cases, the results were in good agreement with the collocated radiosonde data. The error statistics of temperature and humidity profiles obtained from the proposed technique are discussed and compared with the previously published results from another technique and also with the results of a one-dimensional variational data assimilation (1DVAR) technique given with COSMIC data. It is found that the previously published results and proposed technique are marginally better (worse) in reproducing observed relative humidity (specific humidity) when compared to the 1DVAR technique. The proposed new technique is applied on COSMIC refractivity profiles over the Bay of Bengal during summer 2007 to derive changes in vertical thermal and moisture changes in the troposphere between active and break phases of the monsoon pattern and many of the observed features are captured reasonably well.