DQRID : D031008.1
Start DateStart TimeEnd DateEnd Time Data Quality Metric
10/02/2003023210/02/20030300Incorrect
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Subject:
TWP/SONDE/C2 - Strange problem with data -
DataStreams:twpsondewnpnC2.b1, twpsondewnpnC2.00, twpsondeC2.00
Description:
This is very strange.  The data has what appears to be a pressure jump at launch (from 
1007.2 to 956.5 hPa) but the sounding temperature and RH data clearly look to be 
interpolated between the surface and tropopause.  By examining the absolutely raw data, I found that 
the system assigned an elapsed time of 408 seconds (since system start up) to the launch 
point, but there is no raw data between 410 and 532 seconds.  The raw pressure value at 
410 seconds is 1007.6 hPa and that at 532 seconds is 40.9 hPa!  Unless this sounding was 
done by using a rocket-powered balloon (maybe even then), it would be impossible for the 
sonde to get to 40.9 hPa in 2 minutes.  Because the apparent gap is only two minutes, the 
system was able to interpolate but is not sophisticated enough to understand that the 
limits of the interpolation are unreasonable.

I can't imagine what went wrong - I've not seen anything like this before.
Suggestions: 
I'd call this one completely bad.  It was an AIRS IOP sounding.
Measurements:twpsondewnpnC2.b1:
  • asc
  • time_offset
  • wstat
  • lon
  • alt
  • tdry
  • pres
  • u_wind
  • base_time
  • rh
  • deg
  • wspd
  • v_wind
  • dp
  • lat
more
twpsondeC2.00:
  • Raw data stream - documentation not supported
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twpsondewnpnC2.00:
  • Raw data stream - documentation not supported
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