Radiosonde

Modern radiosondes showing progress of miniaturisation
A GPS sonde, approx 220 × 80 ×75 mm (8.7 × 3.1 × 3 in) (with grounding station in the background, used to perform a 'ground check' and also recondition the humidity sensor)

A radiosonde is a battery-powered telemetry instrument carried into the atmosphere usually by a weather balloon that measures various atmospheric parameters and transmits them by radio to a ground receiver. Modern radiosondes measure or calculate the following variables: altitude, pressure, temperature, relative humidity, wind (both wind speed and wind direction), cosmic ray readings at high altitude and geographical position (latitude/longitude). Radiosondes measuring ozone concentration are known as ozonesondes.[1]

Radiosondes may operate at a radio frequency of 403 MHz or 1680 MHz. A radiosonde whose position is tracked as it ascends to give wind speed and direction information is called a rawinsonde ("radar wind -sonde").[2][3] Most radiosondes have radar reflectors and are technically rawinsondes. A radiosonde that is dropped from an airplane and falls, rather than being carried by a balloon is called a dropsonde. Radiosondes are an essential source of meteorological data, and hundreds are launched all over the world daily.

  1. ^ Karin L. Gleason (March 20, 2008). "Ozonesonde". noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  2. ^ "Frequently asked questions about NWS observation program". Upper-air observation program. US National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2014-10-09.
  3. ^ "Rawinsonde". Encyclopædia Britannica online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2014.