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CHAMP
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Background on the CHAMP Experiment
In the year 2000, the German satellite CHAMP was launched
carrying a new generation of GPS receivers, the "Blackjack",
developed at JPL. The mission is managed by the
Geophysikalisches Forschungszentrum (GFZ) at Potsdam (Germany) which is the other
main data processing center for CHAMP radio occultations.
The CHAMP Blackjack started collecting atmospheric profiles
on April 6, 2001 and since then has been collecting up
to 250 daily occultations during much of 2001. This receiver
has enhanced capabilities over the older generation GPS/MET
instrument which include "enhanced
codeless" tracking (i.e., the ability to track the encrypted
GPS signals), higher signal-to-noise ratio, and lower tracking
in the atmosphere. The Blackjack GPS receiver is capturing high
vertical resolution profiles over land and oceans and is
providing data complementary to other sounding
techniques. From this point on, the amount of data is expected
to increase with ongoing enhancements of the receiver's
software.
JPL ftp server for CHAMP data
Early Results from CHAMP
Statistics of 962 CHAMP occultations collected during
8 days in April, 2001. From left to right, the mean and
standard deviation of fractional refractivity difference,
temperature difference and water vapor pressure difference
between CHAMP occultations and NCEP analysis interpolated
to the location and time of the occultations are shown.
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