Spatial sampling requirements for monitoring upper‐air climate change with radiosondes

The global climate observing system upper air network (GUAN) was established to provide a network of high quality radiosonde stations with sufficient historical data records, and a commitment to future observing, in support of the needs of the climate research community. An assessment of the spatial sampling requirements for such a network in order to monitor large-scale climate changes has been conducted. The GUAN provides adequate coverage for monitoring global, tropical and hemispheric mean climate. Priority stations within the GUAN have been identified based upon their unique contribution to the network. Further sampling improvements to the GUAN may be possible by utilizing radiosonde stations located in India, Africa and northern polar regions. To keep sampling-related trend error below 0.05 K/decade in the troposphere, and 0.1 K/decade in the stratosphere, requires a radiosonde station to be located approximately every 30° longitude and 15° latitude north of 30°N. The inhomogeneous distribution of radiosonde stations in the tropics and southern hemisphere place a stronger requirement of 20° longitude and 10° latitude south of 30°N. The radiosonde network is inadequate for monitoring humidity except in the northern mid-latitudes. © Crown Copyright 2007. Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

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