Investigating the Vertical Variability of Tropospheric Water Vapor with GPS

In the past few years, characterizing tropospheric water vapor has become the focus of the atmospheric scientific community, as it plays a crucial role in weather and climate studies. The Global Positioning System radio occultation (GPSRO) technique offers a unique opportunity to sense tropospheric water vapor with vertical resolutions that can reach ~100 m. Comparing collocated water vapor profiles among GPSRO-derived profiles and ECMWF, AIRS, and radiosonde measurements can reveal vertical structures not observable by other satellite-based instruments. Different cases will be presented, selected around the globe, to assess the variability of the vertical water vapour structures. Our objective is to explore and expand on our knowledge of the vertical properties of water vapor profiles by taking advantage of the high vertical resolution of the RO technique.