from 01.01.2011 until now Irkutsk, Russian Federation
Irkutsk, Russian Federation
UDC 504.3
UDC 520.2
Precipitated water vapor (PWV) is one of the key integral characteristics that determine the transparency of the atmosphere in the infrared, millimeter, and submillimeter ranges. For mountainous regions, the spatial variability of PWV is determined not only by the altitude of the terrain, but also by the configuration of the topography, the barrier effect of the ridges, and the regional transport of moisture. Therefore, the detailed analysis of the spatial distribution of atmospheric characteristics and the assessment of the potential of astronomical sites require an analysis based on the determination of mesoscale fluctuations. In this study, the spatial and temporal variations of PWV over the Caucasus region were examined using the mesoscale model WRF. It was found that during the reference period of 26.03-04.04.2025 (selected for certain average atmospheric conditions), the western stations (SAO and Kislovodsk) were characterized by higher moisture content in the atmospheric column, while Terskol and Dzhufudag were located in an area with lower PWV values. The averaged PWV field reveals elongated areas of lower moisture content along the mountainous structures, allowing for the numerical estimation of PWV with high spatial resolution. This enables the use of WRF to identify promising areas within a single mountainous region.
precipitable water vapor, millimeter telescope, WRF
1. Shikhovtsev A.Yu., Kovadlo P.G. Statistical estimations of the vapor content and optical thickness of the atmosphere using reanalysis and radiosonding data as applied to millimeter telescopes // Optika atmosfery i okeana. 2024. Vol. 37. No. 2. P. 169–175. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15372/AOO20240212.
2. Bolbasova L., Shikhovtsev A., Ermakov S.A. Statistics of precipitable water vapour above the sites of the 6-m Big Telescope Alt-azimuthal and new 3-m Large Solar Telescope using ERA5 data // Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 2023. Vol. 520. No. 3. P. 4336–4344. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad300.
3. Balbay R., Kaba K., Fişek S., Yeşilyaprak C. Evaluation of PWV products derived from satellite-based and radiosonde retrievals for the Eastern Anatolia Observatory (DAG) // Experimental Astronomy. 2024. Vol. 58. Art. 2. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-024-09949-5.
4. Valeria L., Martínez-Ledesma M., Reeves R.A. Satellite-based atmospheric characterization for sites of interest in millimeter and sub-millimeter astronomy // Astronomy & Astrophysics. 2024. Vol. 684. Art. A186. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202347773.
