The aircraft measurements were performed on 26.07.07, 31.07.07 and 01.08.08 to investigate the potential of a passive microwave profiler for the detection of the spatial variability of water vapor in the troposphere. For that purpose the Metair-Dimona mapped the water vapor (and a lot of additional meteorological and chemical variables) within the Murg Valley. The flight pattern was star like with 6 vertical planes spaced by 30 deg in azimuth angle. In each azimuth plane the aircraft was descending (or ascending) from around 1500 m to 50 m above ground. At the same time HATPRO (at supersite M) performed synchronous elevation scans in the azimuth planes and in between some azimuth scans (at fixed 30 degree elevation) to observe both the temporal and spatial variability. These DIMONA flights for the NEWVAP project were sponsored by EUFAR.
[1] DOIWulfmeyer, V.; Flamant, C.; Behrendt, A.; Blyth, A.; Brown, A.; Dorninger, M.; Illingworth, A.; Mascart, P.; Montani, A.; Weckwerth, T. (2011). Advances in the understanding of convective processes and precipitation over low-mountain regions through the Convective and Orographically-induced Precipitation Study (COPS). doi:10.1002/qj.799
[2] DOIWulfmeyer, V.; Flamant, C.; Behrendt, A.; Blyth, A.; Brown, A.; Dorninger, M.; Illingworth, A.; Mascart, P.; Montani, A.; Weckwerth, T (Eds.). (2011). Special Issue: Advances in the understanding of convective processes and precipitation over low-mountain regions through the Convective and Orographically-induced Precipitation Study (COPS). doi:10.1002/qj.v137.1s