The 2004 North Slope Of Alaska Arctic Winter Radiometric Experiment: Overview and Highlights

An intensive operating period (IOP) was conducted at the U. S. Department of Energy's atmospheric radiation measurement (ARM) program's field site near Barrow, Alaska, during March 9 to April 9 2004. During this IOP, radiometers were deployed over a broad frequency range (22.235 to 380 GHz), including several channels near the strong water vapor absorption line at 183.31 GHz. These radiometers were supplemented by 4-times-a-day observations by Vaisala RS90 radiosondes at the ARM Duplex in Barrow, 8 dual-radiosonde launches with "Snow White" chilled mirror radiosondes at the same location, once daily Vaisala RS90 radiosondes launched at the ARM primary field site, and twice-daily synoptic launches by the US National Weather Service. Radiometers deployed included the ground-based scanning radiometer of NOAA (several frequencies from 50 to 380 GHz), the microwave radiometer and the radiometric profiler of ARM (frequencies from 22.235 to 60 GHz), and a global positioning system operated by NOAA. In addition, all of the ARM active cloud sensors were operated. Selected results from this experiment are presented, including observed radiometric sensitivities to precipitable water vapor and liquid water path, radiosonde comparisons between radiosondes types and to MWRP measurements, and a preliminary comparison of forward models with GSR data