@article{,
title= {integrated-global-radiosonde-archive},
journal= {},
author= {Durre, I. and Yin, X. and Vose, R. S. and Applequist, S. and Arnfield, J. and and D. B. Wuertz and C. N. Williams and Ingleby, B},
year= {},
url= {https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/weather-balloon/integrated-global-radiosonde-archive},
abstract= {The Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA) consists of radiosonde and pilot balloon observations from more than 2,800 globally distributed stations. The earliest data date back to 1905, and recent data become available in near real time from about 800 stations worldwide. Observations are available at standard and variable pressure levels, fixed and variable-height wind levels, and the surface and tropopause. Variables include pressure, temperature, geopotential height, relative humidity, dew point depression, wind direction and speed, and elapsed time since launch. 



IGRA consists of three components:

    Individual soundings, organized into one file per station
    Monthly means, organized into one file per variable and time of day (0000 and 1200 Coordinated Universal Time)
    Sounding-derived parameters, organized into one file per station

NCEI also provides access to IGRA station metadata that can be helpful for interpreting data. They include current station names and locations as well as information on changes in station location, instrumentation, and observing practices over time, to the extent that they are available.

The IGRA period of record varies for each station and variable. Approximately 800 of the more than 2,800 IGRA stations are currently reporting data. Vertical extent as well as temporal and vertical resolution also vary among stations and over time.

Recommended Uses and Limitations

IGRA can be used as input to air pollution models, for studies of the detailed vertical structure of the troposphere and lower stratosphere, for assessing the atmospheric conditions during a particular meteorological event, and for many other analyses and operational applications. NCEI scientists have applied a comprehensive set of quality control procedures to the data to remove gross errors. However, the data may still include jumps and other discontinuities caused by changes in instrumentation, observing practice, or station location. Users studying long-term trends may prefer to use the NOAA Radiosonde Atmospheric Temperature Products for Assessing Climate (RATPAC) or one of the available non-NOAA IGRA-derived, homogeneity-adjusted radiosonde datasets.},
keywords= {NOAA, NCEI, climate, climate change, historical climate record, radiosonde, IGRA, pressure, temperature, geopotential height, dewpoint, humidity},
terms= {},
license= {},
superseded= {}
}