The ATM radiosonde and implications for radiosonde accuracy

The ATM radiosonde, used in various radiosonde tests, has allowed inspection of temperature errors. A brief discussion is given of ATM accuracy and results of radiosonde intercomparisons held in the UK, Japan, and the United States between 1992 and 2004. The comparison results show that the ATM radiosonde provides a requirement for a transfer standard important for determining the reliability of different operational radiosonde temperature measurements. We explain the influence of the atmospheric temperature profile on determining the size and shape of most thermistor errors, as well as the influence of water vapor on thermistors. The radiosonde's environmental background is very significant.