GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network

The climate reference network

The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN) is an international reference observing network of sites measuring essential climate variables above Earth's surface, designed to fill an important gap in the current global observing system. GRUAN measurements are providing long-term, high-quality climate data records from the surface, through the troposphere, and into the stratosphere. These are being used to determine trends, constrain and calibrate data from more spatially‐comprehensive observing systems (including satellites and current radiosonde networks), and provide appropriate data for studying atmospheric processes. GRUAN is envisaged as a global network of eventually 30-40 sites that, to the extent possible, builds on existing observational networks and capabilities.

GRUAN promotional video

This video provides an excellent overview of the goals and principles of GRUAN and its relation to the current challenges in climate research. You can find this and other public outreach material here.

Status of GRUAN sites

GRUAN is envisaged as a global network of eventually 30-40 measurement sites. To the extent possible, it builds on existing observational networks and capabilities. As at March 2024, GRUAN comprises of 33 sites, 14 of which have been GRUAN certified.

Status of data flow

A comprehensive volume of measurement data has been collected by GRUAN since 2008. The archive includes raw data and related meta-data. For the Vaisala RS41 & RS92 and the Meisei iMS-100 & RS-11G radiosondes, GRUAN Data Products (GDP) have been fully implemented and certified. Further GDPs are in certification process or under development.

Latest news

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Meeting

ICM-15: 11 - 15 March 2024 in Bern, Switzerland

ICM-15 will be organized 11 - 15 March 2024 in Bern, Switzerland. Now the time has come.

Article

RS paper Rannat et al. 2023 published

The manuscript "The Novel Copernicus Global Dataset of Atmospheric Total Water Vapour Content with Related Uncertainties from GNSS Observations" by…

Article

AMT paper Faber et al. 2023 published

The manuscript "Acquiring high-resolution wind measurements by modifying radiosonde sounding procedures" by Faber et al. has been published on…

Article

Axioms paper Fassò et al. 2023 published

The manuscript "On the Kalman Smoother Interpolation Error Distribution in Collocation Comparison of Atmospheric Profiles" by Fassò et al. has been…

Document

GRUAN Technical Note 14 published

GRUAN Technical Note 14 (GRUAN-TN-14) published with title "GRUAN Policy on Silent Sites"

Document

GCOS-253 - GRUAN Implementation Plan 2024-2030 published

The GRUAN Implementation Plan 2024-2030 is available for download.  

Document Data product

RS41 GRUAN Technical Document 8 (GRUAN-TD-8) published

The GRUAN Lead Centre announces the publication of the Technical Document (GRUAN-TD-8) on version 1 of the GRUAN data product for the Vaisala RS41…
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Meeting

ICM-15 mid-March 2024 in Switzerland

ICM-15 is provisionally scheduled for mid-March 2024, and will either be 11-15 March, or 18-22 March. We will announce once the exact dates and venue…

Article

AMT paper Trent et al. 2023 published

The manuscript "Evaluation of tropospheric water vapour and temperature profiles retrieved from MetOp-A by the Infrared and Microwave Sounding scheme"…

Article

RS paper Wee et al. 2022 published

The manuscript "Atmospheric GNSS RO 1D-Var in Use at UCAR: Description and Validation" by Wee et al. has been published on Remote Sensing.

Article

RS paper Zhang et al. 2023 published

The manuscript "Assessment of AIRS Version 7 Temperature Profiles and Low-Level Inversions with GRUAN Radiosonde Observations in the Arctic" by Zhang…