Based on the evidence of the correlation between certain differential spectral parameters that can be estimated through attenuation measurements in the 18-22 GHz spectral range and the columnar content of atmospheric water vapor (IWV: Integrated Water Vapor), recently we pointed out that such correlation can be profitably exploited to provide direct estimates of the IWV along vertical Earth-satellite links, showing in particular that at 19 GHz a practically deterministic relationships holds between the IWV and such differential spectral parameters. In this paper we present some new simulation results to show that the parameters can be estimated by means of a 19 GHz CW-FM nadir pointing radar, providing in this way a continuous monitoring of the IWV along vertical atmospheric sections. Differential attenuation measurements are made by exploiting the backscatter from the Earth surface. Simulations, that are based on real vertical profiles of temperature, pressure and water vapor concentration as provided by a large radiosonde dataset, refer to a LEO satellite and to an airborne configuration, indicate the possibility to retrieve the IWV in both cases.
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