xvii, 206 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cmWater vapour is the principle source of opacity at infrared wavelengths in the Earth’s atmosphere.
In support of site testing for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT),
we have used La Silla and Paranal as calibration sites to verify satellite measurements of
precipitable water vapour (PWV). We reconstructed the PWV history over both sites by
analysing thousands of archived high-resolution echelle calibration spectra and compared
that to satellite estimates for the same period. Three PWV measurement campaigns were
conducted over both sites using several independent measurement techniques. Radiosondes
were launched to coincide with satellite measurements and provide a PWV reference
standard allowing intercomparison between the various instruments and methods. This
multi-faceted approach has resulted in a unique data set. Integral to this analysis is the
internal consistency provided by using a common atmospheric model
