Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay

The Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay ( AMDAR ) is a project for obtaining meteorological data, from the World Meteorological Organization ( WMO ) is used in operational service since 1991.

When AMDAR project the on-board temperature, pressure and humidity sensors partly modern, commercially used aircraft are used to obtain information about the vertical distribution of temperature and humidity in the atmosphere. In Germany this especially Lufthansa's aircraft are equipped with the appropriate technology. The data so collected is preprocessed still on the plane and then transmitted directly via VHF communication via ACARS ( Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System ) or by satellite link on ASDAR ( Aircraft to Satellite Data Relay ) to a receiving station on the ground. After receiving the data, these are centrally collected and undergo intensive quality control and a Nachprozessierung before they are distributed to the airlines, weather services and other users.

With the help of these additional vertical soundings to the existing radiosonde is especially in areas with increased air traffic a much better temporal and spatial resolution of vertical soundings of the atmosphere. In addition to this, there are also so soundings in areas where no radiosonde ascents take place, however, is a commercial airport in the nearby. An example of this is Hamburg, since although a commercial airport exists ertikalsondierungen daily with about 16 AMDAR-V, the next radiosonde stations of the German Weather Service, however, about 120 kilometers north of Schleswig and about 80 kilometers south are located in Bergen.