Weather balloon#Materials and equipment

One of the first people to use weather balloons was the French meteorologist Léon Teisserenc de Bort. Starting in 1896 he launched hundreds of weather balloons from his observatory in Trappes, France. These experiments led to his discovery of the tropopause and stratosphere.{{Cite EB1922|wstitle=Teisserenc de Bort, Léon Philippe}}

Transosondes, weather balloons with instrumentation meant to stay at a constant altitude for long periods of time to help diagnose radioactive debris from atomic fallout, were experimented with in 1958.{{cite web|author=Staff|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/wb_topicsandpersonnel/1958.pdf|title=Chief Special Projects Section: Dr. Lester Machta|pages=39–41|publisher=United States Weather Bureau|date=February 1958|access-date=21 April 2012|archive-date=3 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303193131/https://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/wb_topicsandpersonnel/1958.pdf|url-status=dead}}

The drone technology boom has led to the development of weather drones since the late 1990s.{{Cite journal |last1=Holland |first1=G. J. |last2=Webster |first2=P. J. |last3=Curry |first3=J. A. |last4=Tyrell |first4=G. |last5=Gauntlett |first5=D. |last6=Brett |first6=G. |last7=Becker |first7=J. |last8=Hoag |first8=R. |last9=Vaglienti |first9=W. |date=2001-05-01 |title=The Aerosonde Robotic Aircraft: A New Paradigm for Environmental Observations |journal=Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society |language=en |volume=82 |issue=5 |pages=889–902 |doi=10.1175/1520-0477(2001)082<0889:TARAAN>2.3.CO;2 |bibcode=2001BAMS...82..889H |issn=0003-0007|doi-access=free }}

These may begin to replace balloons as a more specific means for carrying radiosondes.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-08 |title=Drones May Replace Weather Balloons Soon |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/drones-may-replace-weather-balloons-soon-news-201051 |access-date=2022-11-07 |website=www.outlookindia.com/ |language=en}}

The balloon itself produces the lift, and is usually made of a highly flexible latex material, though chloroprene may also be used. The unit that performs the actual measurements and radio transmissions hangs at the lower end of the string, and is called a radiosonde. Specialized radiosondes are used for measuring particular parameters, such as determining the ozone concentration.

The balloon is usually filled with hydrogen, though helium – a more expensive, but viable option nonetheless – is also frequently used. The ascent rate can be controlled by the amount of gas with which the balloon is filled, usually at around {{convert|300|m/min}}.{{cite web |title=FAA-H-8083-28A, Aviation Weather Handbook |url=https://www.faa.gov/regulationspolicies/handbooksmanuals/aviation/faa-h-8083-28a-aviation-weather-handbook |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration |access-date=27 December 2024}}{{rp|24-54}} Weather balloons may reach altitudes of {{convert|40|km|abbr=on}} or more, limited by diminishing pressures causing the balloon to expand to such a degree (typically by a 100:1 factor) that it disintegrates. In this instance the instrument package is usually lost,{{Cite web |last1=Dabberdt |first1=W F |last2=Shellhorn |first2=R |last3=Cole |first3=H |last4=Paukkunen |first4=A |last5=Horhammer |first5=J |last6=Antikainen |first6=V |date=2003 |title=Radiosondes |url=http://www.radiopassioni.it/pdf/materialirsonde/Radiosondes.pdf |publisher=Elsevier Science Direct}} although a parachute may be employed to help in allowing retrieval of the instrument. Above that altitude sounding rockets are used to carry instruments aloft, and for even higher altitudes satellites are used.

Image:Hydrogen balloon at upper air.jpg Upper Air station, Nunavut, Canada]]

File:011 Launch of wiki payload into stratosphere MAH02425.webm

Weather balloons are launched around the world for observations used to diagnose current conditions as well as by human forecasters and computer models for weather forecasting. Between 900 and 1,300 locations around the globe do routine releases, two or four times daily, usually at 0000 UTC and 1200 UTC.{{cite web|url=http://www.ua.nws.noaa.gov/factsheet.htm |title=NWS factsheet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220121505/http://www.ua.nws.noaa.gov/factsheet.htm |archive-date=2016-02-20 }} Some facilities will also do occasional supplementary special releases when meteorologists determine there is a need for additional data between the 12-hour routine launches in which time much can change in the atmosphere. Military and civilian government meteorological agencies such as the National Weather Service in the US typically launch balloons, and by international agreements, almost all the data are shared with all nations.

Specialized uses also exist, such as for aviation interests, pollution monitoring, photography or videography, and research. Examples include pilot balloons (Pibal). Field research programs often use mobile launchers from land vehicles as well as ships and aircraft (usually dropsondes in this case). In recent years, weather balloons have also been used for scattering human ashes at high altitudes.

The weather balloon was also used to create the fictional entity 'Rover' during the production of the 1960s TV series The Prisoner in Portmeirion, Gwynedd, North Wales, UK in September 1966. This was retained in further scenes shot at MGM Borehamwood UK during 1966–67.{{Cite book|title=The Prisoner Handbook|last=Paul-Davies|first=Steven|publisher=Pan Books|year=2002|isbn=978-0-230-53028-7|location=London}}

While weather forecasting is increasingly reliant on satellites and radar technology, it still heavily involves the use of weather balloons. These devices, launched from thousands of stations worldwide, ascend into the atmosphere to collect meteorological data. The United States, for example, releases approximately 76,600 balloons annually, while Canada launches 22,000.{{cite web | last=Magazine | first=Hakai | title=Weather Forecasting Is Deadly for Marine Wildlife | website=Hakai Magazine | date=2024-10-11 | url=https://hakaimagazine.com/news/weather-forecasting-is-deadly-for-marine-wildlife/ | access-date=2024-10-14}}

Weather balloons, after reaching an altitude of approximately 35 kilometers, burst, releasing their instruments and the latex material they are made of. While the instruments are often recovered, the latex remains in the environment, posing a significant threat to marine ecosystems. Studies have shown that a substantial portion of weather balloons eventually end up in the ocean. For instance, one Australian researcher collected over 2,460 weather balloon debris from the Great Barrier Reef, estimating that up to 300 balloons per week may be released into the marine environment. This environmental impact underscores the need for sustainable alternatives in weather data collection.

Scientists and environmentalists have raised concerns about weather balloons' environmental impact. The latex material, which can persist in the ocean for extended periods, can harm marine life, including sea turtles, birds, and fish. Efforts to minimize the environmental impact of weather balloons include developing biodegradable materials and improved recovery methods. However, the continued reliance on weather balloons for meteorological data challenges balancing the need for accurate weather forecasts with environmental sustainability.

• Atmospheric sounding
• Ceiling balloon
• High-altitude balloon
• SCR-658 radar
• Skyhook balloon
• Timeline of hydrogen technologies
• High-altitude platform

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons|Weather balloon}}

• [http://weather.uwyo.edu/upperair/sounding.html Atmospheric Soundings for Canada and the United States] – University of Wyoming
• [http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/uham/lift.html Balloon Lift With Lighter Than Air Gases] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224035221/http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/uham/lift.html |date=24 February 2014 }} – University of Hawaii
• [http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/projects/telex/videos.html Examples of Launches of Instrumented Balloons in Storms] – NSSL
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20131222081748/http://www.ofcm.gov/fmh3/text/default.htm Federal Meteorological Handbook No. 3 – Rawinsonde and Pibal Observations]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070704045456/http://www.ua.nws.noaa.gov/photo.htm Kites and Balloons] – NOAA Photo Library
• [http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/code820/ NASA Balloon Program Office] – Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20040404125719/http://avc.comm.nsdlib.org/cgi-bin/wiki_grade_interface.pl?Weather_Balloons National Science Digital Library: Weather Balloons] – Lesson plan for middle school
• [http://www.pilotballoon.com/ Pilot Balloon Observation Theodolites] – Martin Brenner, CSULB
• [http://stratocat.com.ar/indexe.html StratoCat] – Historical recompilation project on the use of stratospheric balloons in the scientific research, the military field and the aerospace activity
• [http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/ois/volume-a/vola-home.htm WMO spreadsheet of all Upper Air stations around the world (revised location September 2008)]

{{Meteorological equipment}}

{{Earth-based meteorological observation}}

Category:Earth observation balloons

Category:Atmospheric sounding

Category:Meteorological instrumentation and equipment

Category:Scientific observation

Category:French inventions