RADIOMETRIC PROFILING OF TEMPERATURE, WATER-VAPOR AND CLOUD LIQUID WATER USING VARIOUS INVERSION METHODS

We have developed a tunable temperature profiler based on a highly sta ble synthesizer that can observe at multiple frequencies on the should er of the 60-GHz atmospheric oxygen feature. We are developing a simil ar radiometer to obtain the vertical distribution of water vapor by ma king observations on the pressure-broadened water vapor line from 22 t o 29 GHz. Information on cloud liquid water profiles is also contained in these two wave bands. Various mathematical retrieval methods for t emperature, water vapor, and cloud liquid water profiles were tested b ased on these radiometer designs. These include neural networking, New tonian iteration of statistically retrieved profiles, and Bayesian ''m ost probable'' retrievals. On the basis of realistic radiometer errors and performance, very good retrieval capability is demonstrated. The performance of the various retrieval methods are presented and compare d. Examples of profile retrievals are also presented. Data were not bi nned into seasons to reduce computer time; better retrieval results fo r all methods would be expected with binning.