| << | Profiling of Water Vapour and Temperature | >> |
Abstract
Measurements with the multiwavelength Raman lidar BERTHA (Backscatter Extinction lidar Ratio Temperature Humidity profiling Apparatus) have been performed during COPS (Convective Orographically induced Precipitation Study) in the Black Forest, Germany, from June to August 2007. Profiles of the water vapor mixing ratio from BERTHA are compared with data from airborne DIAL (DIfferential Absorption Lidar, onboard the French Safire Falcon) and radiosonde. The data of the two lidar systems are in better agreement (with a difference of -0.03 g/kg ± 0.36 g/kg) than the results of BERTHA and the radiosonde (with a difference of 0.27 g/kg ± 0.53 g/kg). The worse agreement between lidar and radiosonde is attributed to the drift of the radiosonde during its ascent.
Raman lidar data are compared with short-range outputs of the COSMO-DE model (German Weather Service). Two days are shown in detail. It can been seen that the water vapor field is predicted better in case of a more layered atmosphere under high pressure conditions than in case of cyclonic conditions before of a strong convective event. Comparisons of all measurements showed that the short-range forecast of water vapor mixing ratio within the residual layer yields values that are on average 7.9 % smaller than the measurement. In the free troposphere predicted values are 9.7 % smaller than the measurement.