9.3 Monitoring Objectives and Goals

When the primary use of upper-air data is for the analysis and modeling of meteorological and air quality conditions in the boundary layer and lower troposphere, the focus of the upper air program should be to maximize the temporal and spatial resolution of the data collected in this portion of the atmosphere, i.e. the first one to three km. Each modeling and analysis application will have its own unique objectives and scales of interest. However there are certain characteristics that have a large bearing on the type of upper-air measurement system chosen, the manner in which it is operated, and data processing and archival procedures. These characteristics include the duration of the measurement program, that is whether the measurements are part of a long-term monitoring program of seasonal to yearly extent, or a shorter-term intensive field campaign characterized by a greater number of measurements. The types of measured and derived meteorological variables required for the modeling/analysis, including the required spatial and temporal resolution, will also affect the choice of measurement system, as will the need, in many cases, to make comparable measurements with surface-based meteorological systems.

The choice of upper-air measurement technologies is considerably greater now than at any time in the last two decades. With that choice comes the need to carefully consider the requirements of the application and to choose and configure the appropriate systems. Considerable field experience has been gained in the use of the various measurement technologies, especially since 1990. The following discussion for each class of upper-air measurement system is meant to stimulate thinking regarding the best match of the system to the specific application.

9. UPPER-AIR MONITORING 
9.1 Fundamentals  
      9.1.1 Upper-Air Meteorological Variables  
     9.1.2 Radiosonde Sounding System  
     9.1.3 Doppler Sodar 
     9.1.4 Radar Wind Profiler 
     9.1.5 RASS  
 9.2 Performance Characteristics  
     9.2.1 Definition of Performance Specifications  
     9.2.2 Performance Characteristics of Radiosonde Sounding Systems 
     9.2.3 Performance Characteristics of Remote Sensing Systems  
 9.3 Monitoring Objectives and Goals  
     9.3.1 Data Quality Objectives  
 9.4 Siting and Exposure
 9.5 Installation and Acceptance Testing 
 9.6 Quality Assurance and Quality Control 
     9.6.1 Calibration Methods  
     9.6.2 System and Performance Audits  
     9.6.3 Standard Operating Procedures 
     9.6.4 Operational Checks and Preventive Maintenance  
     9.6.5 Corrective Action and Reporting  
     9.6.6 Common Problems Encountered in Upper-Air Data Collection 
 9.7 Data Processing and Management (DP&M) 
      9.7.1 Overview of Data Products  
     9.7.2 Steps in DP&M 
     9.7.3 Data Archiving  
 9.8 Recommendations for Upper-Air Data Collection