Aerul şi Apa: Componente ale Mediului (Mar 2014)
GLOBAL AEROLOGICAL DATABASE FROM THE LAST 40 YEARS RADIO SOUNDING
Abstract
We have downloaded upper-air observation data over the period of 1973 to 2013 in TEMP reports of all radiosonde stations and pilot-ballon stations from a free American website. WMO keeps register of around 750 radiosonde stations in operation today in the Global Observing System. The purpose of this database is to prepare upper-air case studies and statistical analyses. Not only data of the main isobaric surfaces but of the significant levels (marked points) are available as well, so the whole vertical profile of temperature, humidity and wind can be reconstructed. It enables investigation of climate of isohypses, short and long term variation in the height of tropopause, inversions and isotherms in the future. In the starting phase we can analyse the spatial and temporal variation of data capture that can result interesting outcomes. Since radio sounding is a costly observation method economic considerations of certain countries are reflected in the frequency or even suspending of the measurements. On the other hand several developing countries perform extended upper-air monitoring.
