Identification of tropopause using bending angle profile from GPS radio occultation (RO): A radio tropopause

Abstract

In this paper, it is shown that the altitude of the tropopause can be determined directly from the profile of Bending Angle (α) of GPS RO (hereafter called as Radio Tropopause, RT) instead of from the derived parameter of temperature which needs further assumptions like hydrostatic equilibrium. Above the altitude range of moist atmosphere, the altitude of peak in α′(=dα/dh) profiles above which it decreases for at least 1 km is defined as the RT. The RT altitude is compared with the cold point tropopause (CPT)/lapse rate tropopause (LRT) altitude from independent measurements of temperature by the radiosonde at different stations. A very good agreement is observed between the tropopause altitudes from these two independent techniques. Particularly at polar latitudes, where it is often difficult to identify the tropopause altitude from temperature profiles, the present method is a more reliable means of identifying the tropopause. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.