The use of signals of opportunity for the measurement of atmospheric refractivity

The next generation of high-resolution numerical weather models require fine-scale (1-5 km) measurements of water vapour over large areas (>20,000 km²). Existing observing techniques such as GPS are not able to meet these requirements. This paper discusses the feasibility of a novel technique for measuring atmospheric refractivity by the reception and processing of digital radio and television signals (DAB & DVB-T). This technique is step towards the realization of a wide-area water vapour sensor network made possible by the soon-to-be widespread availability of digital broadcast signals. The paper presents an error analysis and preliminary results.