Title
The GEWEX Water Vapor Assessment: Overview and Introduction to Results and Recommendations.
Abstract
To date, a large variety of water vapour data records from satellite and reanalysis are available. It is key to understand the quality and uncertainty of these data records in order to fully exploit these records and to avoid data being employed incorrectly or misinterpreted. Therefore, it is important to inform users on accuracy and limitations of these data records based on consistent inter-comparisons carried out in the framework of international assessments. Addressing this challenge is the major objective of the Global Water and Energy Exchanges (GEWEX) water vapor assessment (G-VAP) which was initiated by the GEWEX Data and Assessments Panel (GDAP). Here, an overview of G-VAP objectives and an introduction to the results from G-VAP's first phase are given. After this overview, a summary of available data records on water vapour and closely related variables and a short introduction to the utilized methods are presented. The results from inter-comparisons, homogeneity testing and inter-comparison of trend estimates, achieved within G-VAP's first phase are summarized. The conclusions on future research directions for the wider community and for G-VAP's next phase are outlined and recommendations have been formulated. For instance, a key recommendation is the need for recalibration and improved inter-calibration of radiance data records and subsequent reprocessing in order to increase stability and to provide uncertainty estimates. This need became evident from a general disagreement in trend estimates (e.g., trends in TCWV ranging from -1.51 +/- 0.17 kg/m(2)/decade to 1.22 +/- 0.16 kg/m(2)/decade) and the presence of break points on global and regional scale. It will be a future activity of G-VAP to reassess the stability of updated or new data records and to assess consistency, i.e., the closeness of data records given their uncertainty estimates.
Year
DOI
Venue
2019
10.3390/rs11030251
REMOTE SENSING
Keywords
Field
DocType
total column water vapour,specific humidity,temperature,climate data record,stability,satellite observation,reanalysis
Meteorology,Satellite,Remote sensing,Satellite observation,Exploit,Geology,Radiance,Water vapor,Data records
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
11
3
2072-4292
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
0
0.34
2
Authors
15
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Marc Schröder100.34
Maarit Lockhoff200.34
Lei Shi330655.98
Thomas August400.68
Ralf Bennartz569.48
Helene Brogniez600.34
Xavier Calbet711319.95
Frank Fell801.35
John Forsythe900.34
Antonia Gambacorta1023.45
shupeng ho1101.01
E. R. Kursinski1263.74
Anthony Reale1341.69
Tim Trent1410.82
Qiong Yang1532328.34