What data will COSMIC produce?
COSMIC will produce about 4,000 soundings of bending angle and refractivity globally in all weather each day for at least two years after launch in 2001. From these soundings, estimates of electron density in the ionosphere and temperature, water vapor and pressure in the stratosphere and troposphere will be derived. Desirable characteristics of this data include: High accuracy High vertical resolution All weather (clouds and aerosols do not affect measurements) No calibration of instrument required No instrument drift Require no first guess Modest cost 8. What will be the value of COSMIC data? How will the data be used? A. For operational numerical weather prediction The most likely use of COSMIC data will be in the assimilation of bending angles or refractivity. Early studies have shown that assimilation of accurate bending angle or refractivity data will cause all of the model’s variables–temperature, water vapor, winds and pressure–to adjust toward the true atmospheric state. B.
