Atmospheric data set from the Geodetic Observatory Wettzell during the CONT-17 VLBI campaign

Continuous very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations are designed to obtain highly accurate data for detailed studies of high-frequency Earth rotation variations, reference frame stability, and daily to sub-daily site motions. During the CONT-17 campaign that covered a time span of 15 days between 28 November and 12 December 2017, a comprehensive data set of atmospheric observations was acquired at the Geodetic Observatory Wettzell, where three radio telescopes contributed to three different networks which have been established for this campaign. These data were supplemented by weather model data. The data set is made available to all interested users in order to provide an optimal database for the analysis and interpretation of the CONT-17 VLBI data. In addition, it is an outstanding data set for the validation and comparison of tropospheric parameters resulting from different space techniques with regard to the establishment of a common atmosphere at co-location sites. The regularly recorded atmospheric parameters comprise many meteorological quantities (pressure, temperature, humidity, wind, radiation, and precipitation) taken from the local weather station close to the surface, solar radiation intensity, temperatures up to 1000 m above the surface from a temperature profiler, total vapor and liquid water content from a water vapor radiometer, and cloud coverage and cloud temperatures from a nubiscope. Additionally, vertical profiles of pressure, temperature, and humidity from radiosonde balloons and from numerical weather models were used for comparison and validation. The graphical representation and comparison show a good correlation in general but also some disagreements in certain weather situations. While the accuracy and the temporal and spatial resolution of the individual data sets are very different, the data as a whole characterize the atmospheric conditions around Wettzell during the CONT-17 campaign comprehensively and represent a sound basis for further investigations (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.895518; Klügel et al., 2018).