Analysis on characteristics of radiosonde bias using GPS precipitable water vapor

Abstract

As an observation instrument of the longest record of tropospheric water vapor, radiosonde data provide upper-air pressure (geopotential height), temperature, humidity and wind. However, the data have some well-known elements related to inaccuracy. In this article, radiosonde precipitable water vapor (PWV) at Sokcho observatory was compared with global positioning system (GPS) PWV during each summertime of year 2007 and 2008 and the biases were calculated. As a result, the mean bias showed negative values regardless of the rainfall occurrence. In addition, on the basis of GPS PWV, the maximum root mean square error (RMSE) was 5.67 mm over the radiosonde PWV. © The Korean Space Science Society.