Variability of GPS derived water vapor and comparison with MODIS data over the Indo-Gangetic plains

Abstract

The water vapor is one of the important constituents of the atmosphere that affects the thermodynamics of the atmosphere and has direct impact on the weather conditions. The total column atmospheric water vapor, obtained from Global Positioning System (GPS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), is found to be very dynamic over the Indo-Gangetic (IG) plains. In this paper, we present an analysis of GPS data recently deployed (as of May 2007) on the campus of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (latitude 25°15'N, longitude 82°59'E). Further, we have compared the variability of water vapor from Kanpur GPS, AERONET and MODIS water vapor data for the year 2007. The monthly variability of water vapor shows characteristic features and dynamics of water vapor between two closely spaced GPS stations, found to be controlled by monsoon dynamics and wind pattern. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.