A new microwave radiometer, the Mesoradiometer, was constructed and the meteorological information contained in its data were examined. This instrument is designed to measure the distribution of water vapor and liquid water in the atmosphere. / The Mesoradiometer uses 32 channels located on both sides of the 22.235 GHz water vapor absorption peak, as well as a narrow beam width antenna, and a pedestal giving the instrument the capacity to scan the atmosphere in order to detect water vapor. During the characterization of the instrument, a problem in maintaining the stability of the instrument's temperature was detected. / Even with this problem, the Mesoradiometer successfully measured atmospheric water vapor and liquid water. The instrument was capable of tracking the movements of clouds. This is possible thanks to its rapid scanning strategy, such tracking being impossible with traditional radiometers.

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No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.