How fast do weather balloons rise
In the winter, when atmospheric winds are much more powerful, we typically predict weather balloons will travel approximately miles from the launch site.
In the summer, we predict balloons will travel approximately miles. Want to learn even more about what happens during a balloon launch? Check out our high-altitude weather balloon FAQ to learn more and find answers to your questions. Free Resource Get E-Book. Weather balloons, which are made of latex or synthetic rubber neoprene , are filled with either hydrogen or helium. The sides are about 0. The balloons, which start out measuring about 6 ft.
An instrument called a radiosonde is attached to the balloon to measure pressure, temperature and relative humidity as it ascends up into the atmosphere. A transmitter on the radiosonde sends the data back to tracking equipment on the ground every one to two seconds. By tracking the position of the radiosonde, we can also calculate wind speed and wind direction. The radiosonde is powered by a small battery.
A parachute, attached to the end of the balloon, allows the radiosonde to fall slowly to the ground at speeds less than 22 mph after the balloon bursts. Each radiosonde contains a mailing bag and instructions on what to do if you find one. These instruments are fixed and reused, saving the government money. Weather balloons are the primary source of data above the ground. But is this really space? Most organizations use a latex balloon. This is typically like a very large party balloon.
It is a thicker rubber and when filled, it can reach a size of about six feet across while on the ground. After the balloon is filled, it will be released and will rise about feet per minute or 5 meters per second traveling through the troposphere to the tropopause , which has an average temperature of about degrees Fahrenheit, but it can get colder depending upon he time of the year.
The weather balloon will carry a parachute as well as a payload or a box with the sensors to detect items such as temperature, pressure, humidity and GPS. It will rise through the atmosphere, and after leaving the tropopause it will enter the stratosphere. We can recognize when this is happening because there is a change in the temperature. It actually starts warming up because the UV radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer at this level.
The stratosphere typically is about 50, feet above the earth. As the payloads and balloons ascend through the atmosphere, the balloon will grow in size. This is due to the helium or the hydrogen matching the pressure outside the balloon, and the air pressure as you go up in altitude decreases. As I mentioned before, when we first launch a balloon, it is about six feet across, but right before burst, it will grow all the way to approximately 27 feet across.
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