Low Altitude Weather Balloon Research

[brunota2003]

So, I have asked a few different people that work for the NWS/NOAA about this idea, but so far have received zip in return for responses. So I figured I would ask here, and see what you guys think.

Having been a meteorological crewmember in the Army, I do have some experience in launching balloons and the capabilities they provide. Knowing the data they provide, I looked into research the SPC/NSSL have been doing with storms (like VORTEX/VORTEX2, etc) and what has been done with balloons. I know that they have been launched with all sorts of different equipment on them, and allowed to go to their bursting altitude. What I failed to see was the use of a smaller balloon that is inflated to float at a certain altitude. One exception: Last night, I found a part of the ARLFRD that created a "smart" balloon to launch over the ocean/into hurricanes, with a 50 meter ballast on it to hold the altitude to 50 meters, so the end of the weight would be level with the water. Here's a link to learn more about this: http://www.noaa.inel.gov/capabilities/s ... alloon.htm

The ARLFRD balloon is different, however, from what I would like to see, and a totally different sector of research. A radiosonde attached to a smaller, or less inflated, balloon should limit the altitude the balloon can get to (thus preventing it from reaching it's bursting altitude). If the amount of helium and weight is known, one should be able to calculate the altitude the balloon will level out at. The balloon will then travel with the prevailing winds until it pops or helium escapes and the balloon descends to the ground (preferably the balloon is popped). A radiosonde will, on average, last for 3 or 4 hours on one battery.

Where would this capability come into excellent play? Near a thunderstorm (both tornadic and nontornadic). If launched in the inflow a decent distance from the storm, you could receive a lot of data from the point of launch all the way until the balloon is popped, at an altitude of your choice! My preferable choice? The base level, so we can learn more about features there, and around mesocyclones. Now, as long as the balloon isn't destroyed, it could make it into the updraft region and who knows where from there? I have read that data is needed in the lower levels of the storm, well we DO have a way to get it!

Another area that this could help out? Launching them on the shorelines of the Great Lakes, so we can learn more about Lake Effect Snow events (and water spout events). Imagine a balloon being launched from near Buffalo/Niagara toward an LES band that is over Lake Ontario, it could be pulled into the band and you could have data along almost the whole length of the lake!

Now, I know there are a couple of possible issues with this:

1. Because the balloon is floating at a lower elevation, the distance the signal could be picked up would be greatly reduced. However, there are two ways to help prevent/overcome this. The first is the use of tall antennas (such as on the shoreline of the lake, for LES studies). These would be at "hard sites", which could be strategically located to provide coverage of the sonde and a "hand off" of the signal. This could also work for thunderstorm studies as well, if the studies are conducted in storm prone areas, such as the Great Plains (which is where the NSSL is). The second is similar to the first, but is for the mobile data platforms that the scientists use, and would be mostly for studying thunderstorms. Vehicles placed in different locations could help keep track of the balloon.

2. I am not certain how well the balloons would hold up, especially in a thunderstorm environment. A lot of things could pop a balloon at 1500 feet in a thunderstorm. However, I feel the data gathered would far outweigh the balloon popping prior to you wanting it to.

I love the idea, I thought about it a while back and have asked around about it, but have yet to receive any kind of comments back about it...so, I am interested in what you guys think?