Remote temperature profiling in the lower troposphere

Abstract

Remote probing of atmospheric phenomena has become an area of intense research during the past decade. One result of this research is a technique for remote measurement of temperature profiles in the lower troposphere, which was developed and is being tested at Stanford University. This technique is based on the concept of Doppler‐tracking an acoustic pulse by an electromagnetic radar; hence the name radio‐acoustic sounding system (RASS). With this system, real‐time temperature profiles from near ground level to 1 to 3 km have been obtained. These data compare in accuracy with those obtained from radiosondes; however, use of the RASS is a much more cost‐effective procedure.