A new method to retrieve relative humidity profiles from a synergy of Raman lidar, microwave radiometer, and satellite

Abstract

Precise continuous measurements of relative humidity (RH) vertical profiles in the troposphere have emerged as a considerable scientific issue. In recent years, a combination of diverse ground-based remote sensing devices has effectively facilitated RH vertical profiling. This work introduces a newly developed approach for obtaining continuous RH profiles by integrating data from a Raman lidar, a microwave radiometer (MWR), and satellite sources. RH profiles obtained using synergistic approaches are subsequently compared with radiosonde data throughout a 5-month observational study in China. Our suggested method for RH profiling demonstrates optimal concordance with the best correction coefficients R of 0.94 in Huhehaote (HHHT), 0.92 in Yibin (YB), and 0.93 in Qingyuan (QY). The mean value of RH decreased with height and presented seasonal characteristics in QY. Finally, the RH height-Time evolution was used to distinguish hail and heavy precipitation. This study integrates satellite data into ground-based measurements to retrieve RH vertical profiles in China.