Seminar Ozean, Eis, Atmosphäre

The US Global Positioning System (GPS) can be used to actively sense properties of the Earth's atmosphere and ionosphere by using groundbased or spaceborne receivers. We will present some results of the HGF Strategy Fund Project GASP (GPS Atmosphere Sounding Project): Due to its high variability water vapor is a crucial parameter in short-term numerical weather prediction. Integrated water vapor data obtained from the GFZ/GPS network over Germany and specific humidity profiles derived from CHAMP and SAC-C within the troposphere over Europe were compared with the high resolution regional model HRM of the Deutscher Wetterdienst. CHAMP data were also compared with AMSU-A over oceans and AMSU-B over Antarctica. The total electron content (TEC) were obtained with groundbased receivers and the electron density distribution with spaceborne GPS receivers onboard Low Earth Orbiters. We will give an introduction to the algorithms applied as well as a short outlook to some related new missions of ESA and NASA.