The 3-D measurement system, developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, will be used by MetroSwiss -- Switzerland's national weather service.

The system, said to be unique in the world, uses light detection and ranging, or lidar, to gather data on the vertical distribution of temperatures and humidity in the atmosphere. The system collects those data automatically up to an altitude of approximately six miles.

The researchers said lidar is similar to radar, but instead of utilizing radio waves lidar sends a beam of laser light vertically into the sky. The "echo" or reflection of that light from different layers in the atmosphere provides an instantaneous vertical profile of temperature and humidity.

Since the laser can be fired 30 times per second, the scientists said it represents a vast improvement over weather balloons that take minutes to reach the upper atmosphere and can only be sent a few times a day.

The project was supported by funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation.