Radiosonde Temperature and Humidity Profiles from Summit, Greenland

Twice-daily profiles from Vaisala RS92-K radiosondes launched at Summit, Greenland, processed with standard EDT software and converted to netCDF. The data collection is supported by the National Science Foundation's Arctic Observing Network Program, with operations noted from at least mid-2011. The dataset was last updated on December 31, 2020.

Use Cases

• Modeling atmospheric boundary layer processes in the Arctic based on vertical temperature and humidity profiles.
• Analyzing temporal trends in Arctic atmospheric conditions based on twice-daily launch frequency.
• Validating and calibrating satellite or reanalysis data products using in-situ radiosonde observations.
• Studying specific humidity and temperature phenomena at the Summit, Greenland high-altitude research station.

Strengths

• Data originates from a high-altitude Arctic research station (Summit, Greenland), providing a unique observational location.
• Profiles are generated from industry-standard Vaisala RS92-K radiosondes and processed with standard 'EDT' software.
• Launch frequency is nominally twice daily, suggesting a regular time series for analysis.
• Data is converted to the widely-used netCDF format for interoperability.

Limitations

• The dataset explicitly lacks wind tracking information for the RS92-K sondes, limiting its use for full atmospheric dynamics studies.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality, column definitions, and file structure require manual inspection after download.
• Last updated 2020-12-31 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified for current research needs.

Provenance

Source

NASA Earthdata, with field operations by ICECAPS supported by the National Science Foundation's Arctic Observing Network (AON) Program.

Collection Method

Observed by Vaisala RS92-K radiosondes launched from Summit, Greenland, and processed by Vaisala software.

Time Range

Data collection noted from at least mid-2011; specific start and end dates are unknown.

Freshness

Last updated 2020-12-31 23:59:59.999000.

Geography

Summit, Greenland.