GNSS precipitable water vapor from an Amazonian rain forest flux tower

• Autor(a) principal: Adams, David K.
• Data de Publicação: 2011
• Outros Autores: Silva Fernandes, Rui Manuel da, Maia, Jair Max Furtunato
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional do INPA
• Texto Completo: https://repositorio.inpa.gov.br/handle/1/16175
• topic: Amazon Rainforest; Complex Interaction; Convective Storms; Deep Convection; Gnss Receivers; Instrumentation/sensors; Meso Scale; Mesoscale Networks; Mesoscale Process; Navigational Satellites; Nonideal; Oscillating Platform; Positioning System; Precipitable Water Vapor; Processing Method; Processing Technique; Rain Forests; Vertical Distributions; Water Vapor Fields; Forestry; Geodesy; Geodetic Satellites; Global Positioning System; Natural Convection; Navigation Systems; Processing; Rain; Signal Receivers; Water Vapor; Accuracy Assessment; Convective System; Gnss; Gps; Mesoscale Meteorology; Precipitation Assessment; Precipitation Intensity; Rainforest; Spatial Resolution; Temporal Variation; Water Vapor; Forestry; Processing; Rain; Satellites; Sensors; Signals; Water Vapor; Amazonia

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) andGAMIT]. The implication is that stable fixed antennas are unnecessary for accurate calculation of precipitable water vapor regardless of processing techniques or geodetic grade receiver. © 2011 American Meteorological Society.