In this article we analyze the variations of the Zenith Tropospheric Delay (ZTD) and its components, Zenith Hydrostatic Delay (ZHD) and Zenith Wet Delay (ZWD) recorded by the GPS reference stations in the area of the Canary Islands during the passing of the tropical storm Delta on November 28 and 29, 2005. During this event, we observed that all GPS stations experienced significant increases of the ZWD value of over 100 mm and a decrease in the ZHD values of about 30 mm. The increase of the normal ZWD values was detected several hours prior to the manifestation of the weather phenomena on the ground. We also noticed a connection between the maximum ZWD values observed and the temporal distribution of the rain. The observed variations of the tropospheric slant directional gradients correlate significantly with the variations in direction and intensity of the observed winds. The relation noted between the ZWD values and the tropospheric slant delay gradients with meteorological observables highlights the convenience of using existing or new GPS networks when studying weather phenomena such as severe cyclones.

Peer reviewed