[NLRS] Skew - T data for over Lake Superior

[jcplatt1@mmm.com]

I was taking with Bob,W0AUS, at our club breakfast last Sat. regarding 10
GHz propagation over the Great Lakes and my thoughts once again turned
toward "ducting" over that large body of pretty darn cold water and what is
going on.    We know that the 10 GHz group has shown on at least several
occasions that height above the lake is detrimental to making the path and
that being located close to the water was important.   This would suggest
some type of duct effect, or maybe a boundary layer.

We do know that a refraction layer is created when you have warmer drier
air over colder moist air and that the required duct thickness for
propagation decreases with increasing frequency.   So, is Lake Superior
with its very cold water capable of cooling the air right above it and
providing moisture to that same air mass ?   Given that the lake is pretty
fixed in its physical characteristics, but the weather above it fluctuates,
are there better weather days to look for any ducts over the lake, like
perhaps a warm dry day with little or no wind ?     A humid day may be bad
for duct forming in this case as it may neutralize any boundary.

So, here is my question, is anyone aware of temperature & dew point data,
or studies, for the summertime over the Great Lakes, preferably just the
lowest 200 feet or so, with vertical resolution (data points) of 10's of
feet ?    Best data would include air pressure, air temperature, and dew
point for each vertical data point (just like the sounding balloons that
the NWS puts up twice a day).

73, Jon
W0ZQ