Integrated Water Vapor Estimation Through Microwave Propagation Measurements: First Experiment on a Ground-to-Ground Radio Link
Year: 2022
Authors: Montomoli F., Macelloni G., Facheris L., Cuccoli F., Del Bianco S., Gai M., Cortesi U., Di Natale G., Toccafondi A., Puggelli F., Antonini A., Volpi L., Dei D., Grandi P., Mariottini F., Cucini A.
Autors Affiliation: Inst Appl Phys Nello Carrara, Natl Res Council IFAC CNR, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Univ Florence, Dept Informat Engn, I-50139 Florence, Italy; Natl Inst Opt, Natl Res Council INO CNR, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Univ Siena, Dept Informat Engn, I-53100 Siena, Italy; Lab Monitoring & Environm Modelling Sustainable D, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Pasquali Microwave Syst, I-50142 Florence, Italy; Florence Engn Srl, I-50141 Florence, Italy; Lab Victoria Srl, I-51100 Pistoia, Italy; Wavecomm Srl, I-53034 Colle Di Val Delsa, Italy.
Abstract: Measurement of water vapor (WV) in the lower troposphere on a continuous temporal basis would improve our knowledge of the atmospheric dynamics and the performance of numerical weather prediction models. In recent studies, a new measurement concept, the normalized differential spectral attenuation (NDSA) approach, was proposed. It is based on measurements of differential attenuation at 18.8 and 19.2 GHz performed along a tropospheric radio link. While NDSA measurement at a fixed elevation angle provides information on integrated WV (IWV), measurements at different elevation angles allow to retrieve the vertical WV content profile. A prototype NDSA demonstrator, which consists of two units, a synthesized transmitter and a software-defined radio receiver, has been designed and implemented. The system was accurately characterized through several laboratory tests, and then a first experimental campaign was conducted at fixed elevation angle along a ground-to-ground radio link. Obtained results confirm the sensitivity of the NDSA measurements to the IWV along such link with a good agreement with the existing ground-based and satellite data products.
Journal/Review: IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING
Volume: 60 Pages from: 4101613-1 to: 4101613-13
More Information: This work was supported by the SWAMM Project (PAR FAS 2007-2013), ASI Project SATCROSS (ASI con tract N. 2020-2-U.0).KeyWords: Attenuation; Microwave measurement; Attenuation measurement; Frequency measurement; Radio links; Atmospheric modeling; Atmospheric measurements; Microwaves; normalized differential spectral attenuation (NDSA); radio link; scintillation; water vapor (WV)DOI: 10.1109/TGRS.2021.3067929Citations: 4data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2025-01-12References taken from IsiWeb of Knowledge: (subscribers only)