MICROWAVE REMOTE-SENSING OF THE ATMOSPHERE IN SWITZERLAND

Microwave radiometry is an extremely powerful tool for atmospheric res earch. It is specially suited for the investigation of the dynamical a nd chemical processes that are important in the depletion of the ozone layer and related phenomena of the middle atmosphere. The theoretical and technical concepts of microwave remote sensing of the atmosphere are briefly reviewed. A special weight is given to the approaches as u sed at the Institute of Applied Physics (IAP) of the University of Ber n for ground-based instruments and sensors on aircraft and on the spac e shuttle. Examples of results from the different instruments in the f requency range of 20 to 200 GHz illustrate the huge potential of this technique for atmospheric research.