Middle Atmospheric Water Vapour Radiometer - MIAWARA

Atmospheric water vapour is a major field of the research activities at the Institute of Applied Physics (IAP) at the University of Bern. It plays a key role in the earth's radiative budget and in the destruction of the ozone layer. Mechanisms that control the long term variability of stratospheric water vapour are not well understood. There is an urgent need for longterm high quality measurements of middle atmospheric water vapour.

The radiometer MIAWARA on the roof of the building for Atmospheric Remote Sensing in Zimmerwald (46.88 N / 7.46 E, 907 m amsl), close to Bern.

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The ground-based radiometer called MIAWARA (MIddle Atmospheric WAter Vapour RAdiometer) is designed to provide longterm measurements of stratospheric and mesospheric water vapour in the range of approx. 20-80 km by measuring the microwave emission line of H2O at 22.235 GHz. MIAWARA has started its operation in Winter 2001/2002 in the center of Bern and was moved to the building for Atmospheric Remote Sensing in Zimmerwald (46.88 N / 7.46 E, 907 m amsl), close to Bern, in September 2006. The instrument is a member of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change NDACC (former NDSC) and is included in the STARTWAVE project.

NCCR LOGO

MIAWARA took part in the LAUTLOS / WAVVAP (Lapbiat Upper Troposphere Lower Stratosphere Water Vapor Validation Project) Campaign in Northern Finland in February 2004.
Most recently MIAWARA provides data to the GEOMON integrated project of the EC that started on Feb. 1st 2007.