Spatiotemporal Analysis of Tropospheric Variability Using GNSS Radio Occultation: A Decadal Study

Abstract. Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) offers a unique means of retrieving vertical atmospheric profiles with high precision and global coverage. This study investigates the spatiotemporal characteristics of tropospheric parameters temperature, pressure, and humidity using ten years (2007–2016) of Level-3 gridded data from the ROM SAF Climate Data Records. The dataset, processed in NetCDF format, was analyzed using multidimensional array tools to extract monthly, seasonal, and anomaly-based trends within the 0–10 km (troposphere) altitude range and between 40°S and 40°N. Seasonal variations reveal clear hemispheric patterns, with equatorial regions maintaining consistently high values across all parameters. Anomalies indicate that 2016 experienced pronounced warming and increased humidity, while 2008 marked the coldest and driest year in the period studied. Climatological plots confirm a strong dependence of all three parameters on both latitude and altitude, with consistent inversion patterns between hemispheres. By integrating satellite-based atmospheric profiling with spatial and temporal data analysis, this work provides valuable insight into lower atmosphere dynamics and contributes to long-term climate monitoring efforts.