Atmospheric Structure Determined from Satellite Data.

The capabilities of the Nimbus-6 satellite sounding data for use in synoptic analysis are considered and interpreted. An evaluation of the ability of the satellite sounding data to detect and depict structural features of the atmosphere is made on the basis of 1 vertical profiles of average difference and standard deviation of differences between satellite and rawinsonde data at nine pressure levels form 850 to 100 mb, and 2 constant-pressure charts and cross sections of satellite, rawinsonde, and difference values. Results indicate the 1 satellite measurements of temperature as well as the vertical lapse rate and horizontal gradient of temperature are accurate enough to show large-scale patterns but not to define fronts or tropopauses 2 satellite measurements of dew-point temperature are smoothed enough to severely reduce contrasts between air masses across fronts 3 the magnitude of the standard deviation of differences between rawinsonde and satellite data for most variables increases with the synoptic activity in the region and 4 the most reliable variables to exmaine from satellite data for depiction of synoptic features are the temperature, lapse rate of temperature, equivalent potential temperature, mixing ratio. Author