Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Continuous In-Situ Soundings in the Arctic Boundary Layer: A New Atmospheric Measurement Technique Using Controlled Meteorological Balloons

  • Published:
Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Controlled Meteorological (CMET) balloons are small airborne platforms that use reversible lift-gas compression to regulate altitude. These balloons have approximately the same payload mass as standard weather balloons but can float for many days, change altitude on command, and transmit meteorological and system data in near-real time via satellite. Since 2004, more than 50 CMET balloons have been flown in nearly all of the earth’s major climate zones, from the Amazon to Antarctica. This paper describes one notable flight in 2011 in which a CMET balloon performed continuous soundings in the Arctic marine boundary layer off the coast of Svalbard. It is likely that this is the first time such a feat has been accomplished by a free balloon or any other flight platform. The series 18 consecutive profiles show the time evolution of the boundary layer as it is advected northward over a 10-h period. The paper focuses on the balloon design, control algorithm, and in-flight performance. Analysis of the unique atmospheric dataset will be the subject of a subsequent publication.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Labiztke, K.G., van Loon, H.: The Stratosphere: Phenomena, History, and Relevance. Springer, New York (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  2. National Weather Service, NWS Radiosonde Observations - Factsheet. http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/gyx/weather_balloons.htm (2001). Accessed 20 June 2012

  3. Durre, I., Vose, R.S., Wuertz, D.B.: Overview of the integrated global radiosonde archive. J. Clim. 19, 53–68 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Angell, J.K., Pack, D.H.: Analysis of some preliminary low-level constant level balloon (Tetroon) flights. Mon. Weather Rev. 88, 235–248 (1960)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Lally, V.E.: Superpressure balloons for horizontal soundings of the atmosphere. Rept. No. NCAR-TTN-28, 167, NCAR, Boulder, Colorado (1967)

  6. Banta, R.M.: Vertical wind velocities from superpressure balloons: a case study using Eole data. Mon. Weather Rev. 104, 628–640 (1976)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Cadet, D., Ovarlez, H., Sommeria, G.: The BALSAMINE experiment during the Summer MONEX. Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 62, 381–388 (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Zak, B.D.: Lagrangian studies of atmospheric pollutant transformations. In: Nriagu, J.O. (ed.) Trace Atmospheric Constituents: Properties, Transformations, Fates, pp. 303–344. Wiley, New York (1983)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Reverdin, G., Sommeria, G.: The dynamical structure of the planetary boundary layer over the arabian sea, as deduced from constant-level balloon trajectories. J. Atmos. Sci. 40, 1435–1452 (1983)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Knudsen, B.M., Carver, G.D.: Accuracy of the isentropic trajectories calculated for the AESOE campaign. Geophys. Res. Lett. 21, 1199–1202 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Stohl, A.: Computation, accuracy and applications of trajectories-a review and bibliography. Atmos. Environ. 32, 947–966 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Businger, S., Johnson, R., Katzfey, J., Siems, S., Wang, Q.: Smart tetroons for Lagrangian air-mass tracking during ACE 1. J. Geophys. Res. 104(D9), 11709–11722 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Johnson, R.S., Businger, S., Baerman, A.: Lagrangian air-mass tracking with Smart Balloons during ACE-2. Tellus, Ser. B Chem. Phys. Meteorol. 52(2), 321–334 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Riddle, E.E., Voss, P.B., Stohl, A., Holcomb, D., Maczka, D., Washburn, K., Talbot, R.W.: Trajectory model validation using newly developed altitude-controlled balloons during the international consortium for atmospheric research on transport and transformations 2004 campaign. J. Geophys. Res. 111, D23S57 (2006). doi:10.1029/2006JD007456

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Mao, H., Talbot, R., Troop, D., Johnson, R., Businger, S., Thompson, A.M.: Smart balloon observations over the North Atlantic: O3 data analysis and modeling. J. Geophys. Res. 111, D23S56 (2006). doi:10.1029/2005JD006507

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Zaveri, R.A., Voss, P.B., Berkowitz, C.M., Fortner, E., Zheng, J., Zhang, R., Valente, R.J., Tanner, R.L., Holcomb, D., Hartley, T.P., Baran, L.: Overnight atmospheric transport and chemical processing of photochemically aged Houston urban + petrochemical industrial plume. J. Geophys. Res. 115, D23303 (2010). doi:10.1029/2009JD013495

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Businger, S., Johnson, R., Talbot, R.: Scientific insights from four generations of Lagrangian smart balloons in atmospheric research. Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 87, 1539–1554 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Vialard, J., Duvel, J.-P., McPhaden, M., Bouruet-Aubertot, P., Ward, B., Key, E., Bourras, D., Weller, R., Minnett, P., Weill, A., Cassou, C., Eymard, L., Fristedt, T., Basdevant, C., Dandoneau, Y., Duteil, O., Izumo, T., de Boyer Montégut, C., Masson, S.: Cirene: air sea interactions in the seychelles-chagos thermocline ridge region. Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 90, 45–61 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Ethe, C., Basdevant, C., Sadourny, R., Appu, K.S., Harenduprakash, L., Sarode, P.R., Viswanthan, G.: Air mass motion, temperature, and humidity over the Arabian Sea and western Indian Ocean during the INDOEX intensive phase, as obtained from a set of superpressure drifting balloons. J. Geophys. Res. 107(D19), 8023 (2002). doi:10.1029/2001JD001120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Malaterre, P.: Vertical sounding balloons for long duration flights. Adv. Space Res. 14(2), 53–59 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Cadet, D.: The superpressue balloon sounding technique for the study of atmospheric meso-and microscale phenomena. Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 59(9), 1119–1127 (1978) doi:10.1175/1520-0477(1978)059<1119:TSBSTF>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Voss, P.B., Zaveri, R.A., Flocke, F.M., Mao, H., Hartley, T.P., DeAmicis, P., Deonandan, I., Contreras-Jiménez, G., Martínez-Antonio, O., Figueroa Estrada, M., Greenberg, D., Campos, T.L., Weinheimer, A.J., Knapp, D.J., Montzka, D.D., Crounse, J.D., Wennberg, P.O., Apel, E., Madronich, S., de Foy, B.: Long-range pollution transport during the MILAGRO-2006 campaign: a case study of a major Mexico City outflow event using free-floating altitude-controlled balloons. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 10, 7137–7159 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Voss, P., Hole, L.R., Mentzoni, A., Helbling, E.F., Johnston, H.G., Roberts, T.J.: Controllable meteorological balloons for Arctic research. In: Conference Proceeding from 11th AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations (ATIO) Conference, including the AIAA Balloon Systems Conference and 19th AIAA Lighter-Than-Air Technology Conference, Virginia Beach, VA, 20–2 Sep 2011

  24. Radke, F.S., Lyons, J.H., Hegg, D.A., Hobbs, P.V., Bailey, I.H.: Airborne observations of Arctic aerosols, I, characteristics of Arctic haze. Geophys. Res. Lett. 11, 393–396 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Brock, C.A., Radke, L.F., Lyons, J.H., Hobbs, P.V.: Arctic hazes in summer over Greenland and the north American Arctic, I, incidence and origins. J. Atmos. Chem. 9, 129–148 (1989)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Lindzen, R.S., Fox-Rabinovitz, M.: Consistent vertical and horizontal resolution. Mon. Weather Rev. 117, 2575–2583 (1989). (ISSN 0027—0644)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Voss, P.B., Riddle, E.E., Smith, M.S.: Altitude control of long-duration balloons. AIAA J. Aircr. 42(2), 478–482 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Voss, P.B.: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, U.S. Patent for a “System and Method for Altitude Control”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,469,857B2, Granted 30 Dec 2008

  29. United States Government, Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Aviation Regulations Part 101: Moored Balloons, Kites, Amateur Rockets, and Unmanned Free Balloons, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. www.ecfr.gpoaccess.gov (2012). Accessed 25 June 2012

  30. International Civil Aviation Authority, International Standards Rules of the Air, 10th edn. Annex 2 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (2005)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Picker Engineering Program, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA

    Paul B. Voss & Elizabeth F. Helbling

  2. Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Bergen, Norway

    Lars R. Hole

  3. Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, Norway

    Tjarda J. Roberts

Authors
  1. Paul B. Voss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lars R. Hole
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elizabeth F. Helbling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tjarda J. Roberts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul B. Voss.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Voss, P.B., Hole, L.R., Helbling, E.F. et al. Continuous In-Situ Soundings in the Arctic Boundary Layer: A New Atmospheric Measurement Technique Using Controlled Meteorological Balloons. J Intell Robot Syst 70, 609–617 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-012-9758-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-012-9758-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation