What Is a Radiosonde?

A radiosonde is an instrument that measures the physical parameters of the atmosphere at different heights in the sky to determine the vertical distribution of meteorological elements.

A radiosonde is an instrument that measures the physical parameters of the atmosphere at different heights in the sky to determine the vertical distribution of meteorological elements. This measurement is done through wireless channel telemetry, so it is also called a radiosonde. A radiosonde and a ground receiving and processing device connected by a communication channel constitute a sounding system, also called an atmospheric sounding system. The sounding device can be divided into a general class and a special class according to the purpose. There are coded radiosondes, electronic radiosondes, artillery-specific radiosondes, and low-level radiosondes. ^[1]

Radiosonde for high altitude detection

The radiosonde is carried on a weather balloon. It measures multiple atmospheric parameters and transmits these data by radio back to the ground receiving station. The radio frequency 403MHz is reserved for use by radiosondes. Radiosondes are carried into the atmosphere by helium balloons or hydrogen balloons. The size and weight of the balloon and the material determine the maximum height the balloon can reach. Balloons are available in sizes from 150 to 3000 grams. An 800-gram balloon bursts at a height of 30 kilometers due to the low atmospheric pressure at this altitude. Contemporary radiosondes communicate by radio with computers on the ground. The computer stores this returned data in real time. Initially, radiosondes were observed from the ground through theodolites, and wind speed was estimated by measuring changes in the position of the instruments in the atmosphere. The contemporary radiosonde can use a variety of devices to determine the wind speed and direction, such as Loran (long-range radio navigation system), radio director, GPS and so on. Important data measured by contemporary radiosondes include: atmospheric pressure, altitude, latitude and longitude, temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed and direction. Some radiosondes measure atmospheric ozone concentrations simultaneously. Charts can be drawn from the analysis of the data. Scientists can use charts to explain atmospheric phenomena such as atmospheric inversion. A typical radiosonde weighs 250 grams. The main producer is Vaisala (Visa). In 1985, the Soviet Venus probes "Vega 1" and "Vega 2" dropped a radiosonde into Venus' atmosphere. The signals from these two radiosondes can be tracked for two days. (The instrument may be damaged in Venus' atmosphere after two days.)

Atmospheric boundary layer refers to the free atmosphere that is obviously affected by the ground surface. It has the characteristics of large turbulence coefficient of airflow, unstable temperature stratification and obvious daily changes. Human activities are carried out inside the boundary layer. Detection and research of them are good for pollution prevention and weather forecasting. Modern boundary layer detection methods include weather radar and satellite detection. Obtaining dense basic meteorological data is a prerequisite for the study of the boundary layer. As a means of directly measuring meteorological elements in the atmosphere, radiosondes play an important role in atmospheric detection. Status. ^[5]