Airborne Radio Occultation (ARO) WHyMSIE

The Airborne Radio Occultation (ARO) instrument is a passive airborne sensor that detects refractive delays in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio signals. ARO uses these measurements to determine vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and water vapor. It has a horizontal spatial resolution of 150-250 km and a vertical resolution of 200-400 m. ARO has a sampling rate of 1 Hz and typically collects about 45 profiles per flight. The ARO observations took place during the Westcoast and Heartland Hyperspectral Microwave Sensor Intensive Experiment (WHyMSIE) field campaign. WHyMSIE aimed to capture a wide variety of thermodynamic, moisture, and planetary boundary layer regimes across a variety of surface types. Comparing observations from ARO, other instruments, and with in situ observations of temperature and humidity will allow for scientific advancement of remote-sensing techniques into the hyperspectral microwave era and improved understanding of the planetary boundary layer at different measurement scales. The dataset files are available in netCDF-5 format from October 22, 2024, through November 13, 2024.