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Balloon-borne winch system; stratospheric free radicals; stratospheric sounding; copper vapor lasers; ozone measurement; NO2 analysis; chlorine chemistry; trace elements; and ClO observations are discussed.
We have analyzed atmospheric thermal emission spectra obtained with the balloon-borne FIRS-2 far infrared Fourier transform spectrometer during balloon flights from Palestine, Texas on May 12-13, 1988 and from Fort Sumner, New Mexico on September 26-27, 1989 and on July 4-5, 1990. Seven and two pure rotational transition lines in 100-205 cm(exp -1) range are analyzed for deriving vertical profiles of stratospheric HCl and HF, respectively. We obtain both the daytime and nighttime average vertical profiles from 15 to 50 km. We compare these profiles with the ones obtained in June, 1983 with the first version of FIRS spectrometer during the Balloon Intercomparison Campaign (BIC-2). BIC-2 results were revised to be consistent with the present analysis which uses the latest spectral parameters. According to our comparison results no increase is recognized for HCl but about 3 percent per year increase for HF from 1983 to 1990, assuming a linear trend. These annual increase rates are smaller than those reported by other groups. Recently Rinsland et al. (1991) and Wallace and Livingston (1991) reported long term behavior of total HCl and HF observed on Kit Peak between 1977 and 1990. As Kit Peak is located near both balloon launching sites, Palestine and Fort Sumner, we think our results are favorably comparable with theirs. Comparison results with ours and ground-based measurements will be presented and discussed.
Abstract A helium‐filled mylar balloon carrying a smartphone and infrasound sensors ascended to a stratospheric height of 35 km over the surface detonation of a chemical explosive, with a total acoustic propagation distance of 127 km. The smartphone was configured to collect multi‐modal data at high rates from internal sensors. Analysis of the data shows successful collection of the explosion signal by both the smartphone's microphone and its accelerometers, the first from an ascending balloon. Comparison of the acoustic signal with that collected by other infrasound sensors, both airborne and ground‐based, provides insight into the possibilities and limitations of collecting acoustic data from the stratosphere.
A new remote sensing instrument, the Submillimeterwave Limb Sounder, has been developed to simultaneously measure ClO, HCl, O3 and HO2 from high altitude balloon and aircraft platforms. The instrument is a double sideband heterodyne radiometer measuring atmospheric thermal emission spectra near 640 GHz from the Earth's limb. The instrument was flown in April and October, 1991 and in February, 1992 on high altitude balloon platforms over the southwestern United States.
Simultaneous in situ measurements of stratospheric NO2, HNO3, HCl, and CH4 from 34 to 24 km were made in August 1992 from Palestine, Texas, using the Balloon-borne Laser In-Situ Sensor (BLISS) tunable diode laser spectrometer. Although the measurements of NO2, HNO3, and NO2/HNO3 agree well with gas-phase model calculations near 34 km where Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) 2 data show little sulfate aerosol, this is not true at the lower altitudes where SAGE 2 shows high aerosol loadings. At 24 km the BLISS NO2 and HNO3 measurements are 70% lower and 50% higher, respectively, than the gas phase model predictions, with a measured NO2/HNO3 ratio 5 times smaller. When the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N2O5 and ClONO2 on sulfate aerosol of surface area densities matching the SAGE 2 measurements is added to the model, good agreement with the BLISS measurements is found over the whole altitude range.
A balloon-borne winch system has been developed and flight tested which permits the repetitive lowering and hoisting of a stratospheric sampling payload for distances of up to 20 km from a float altitude of 35-40 km. This new approach to in situ stratospheric measurements permits multiple scans of various depths and velocities, closely spaced over a period of hours or days, thus dramatically increasing observational effectiveness. The motor driven winch permits control of ascent velocities from 0-9 m/s with energy derived from a large battery; for descent, the motors are used as generators, velocity is controlled over the same range, and the energy is dumped radiatively to space. The 1.75 mm diameter tether is of braided Kevlar construction with a nylon jacket; it exhibits a 2900 N break strength. Both the winch and the payload suspended by the tether are fully instrumented to evaluate potentially destructive system-induced dynamics and the effects of stratospheric wind shears. The system was successfully flight tested by lowering a 62 kg payload for a distance of 12 km from a float altitude of 38.5 km and hoisting it back up again, both at velocities ranging between 5-9 m/s. Observations indicated minimal system-induced dynamical effects, and no adverse effects due to the 8 m/s wind shear present during flight.
Simultaneous in situ measurements of stratospheric NO(sub 2), HNO(sub 3), HCI, and CH(sub 4) from 34 to 24 km were made in August 1992 from Palestine, Texas, using the Balloon-borne Laser In-Situ Sensor (BLISS)tunable diode laser spectrometer.
Stratospheric balloon-borne IR coronagraph to observe outer solar corona, discussing detection system and solar tracking
The state-of-the-art in stratospheric balloon-borne vector electric field measurements, from its origins to the present is reviewed. Consideration is given to the Extended Life Balloon-Borne Observatories program that utilizes an extensively modified payload and dual telemetry systems to improve the measurements and increase the data rates.
A balloon-borne laser radar (LIDAR) system for determining the stratospheric hydroxyl radical concentration constructed and flown by the Goddard Space Flight Center is discussed. The system measured hydroxyl in the altitude range of 34-37 km during an afternoon and early evening, producing the first post-sunset hydroxyl determination ever obtained. Daytime values (approximately 5 x 10 to the 6th/cu cm) are somewhat lower than previous measurements using in situ resonance fluorescence. Nighttime values (approximately 7 x 10 to the 5th/cu cm at 2100 CDT) are found to be higher than predicted by current one-dimensional models. Possible sources of these discrepancies, together with improvements possible in future systems, are outlined.
During the period of AMA (Antarctic Middle Atmosphere), various style balloons were used to measure atmospheric parameters at Syowa Station (69.00 deg S, 39.35 deg E), Antarctica. The measurements which were made using balloons specially designed to monitor stratospheric aerosol particles are discussed. This type balloon was first used by JARE (Japan Antarctic Research Expedition) 24th Team in 1983. Until that time, the Japan Antarctic Research Expedition Team had been using only a large plastic balloon to monitor various minor constituents in the stratosphere. The plastic balloon was very useful, but it took a long time to arrange a balloon launching. Additionally, launching time strongly depended on weather conditions. A timely launching of the balloon was carried out with this specially designed sonde.
The balloon-borne microwave limb sounder (BMLS) measures atmospheric thermal emission from millimeter wavelength spectral lines to determine vertical profiles of stratospheric species. The instrument flown to date operates at 205 GHz to measure ClO, O3, and H2O2. A 63 GHz radiometer will be added to test the technique for determining tangent point pressure from the MLS experiment on the upper atmosphere research satellite (UARS). Many additional species could also be measured by the BMLS. A radiometer at 270 GHz would provide measurements of HO2, NO2, HNO3, N2O, O-16O-18O-16, and HCN. With this addition, the BMLS can test the current theory of O3 photochemical balance in the upper stratosphere.
The IR limb emission of the lower stratosphere has been measured using a balloon-borne liquid nitrogen-cooled Michelson interferometer with liquid helium-cooled Si:Ga detectors. Portions of the thermal emission spectrum have been recorded between 650 and 2000/cm with an unapodized spectral resolution of 0.03/cm. This is the highest spectral resolution limb emission thus far obtained. A preliminary description is given of these data along with a discussion of the significant features. Species identified to date include CO2, O3, CFCl3, CF2Cl2, H2O, CH4, HNO3, N2O, NO2, and ClONO2. A tentative identification is made for NO, representing the first direct spectroscopic detection of NO in emission.
Abstract The heliotrope is a solar balloon design which is constructed out of painter’s plastic, and the exterior is coated in charcoal powder. Darkening the plastic gives the balloon a high solar absorptance, which allows it to ascend into the lower stratosphere and float for hours at a time. The balloons have previously been used to lift scientific instruments into the stratosphere to study chemical explosions, earthquakes, and stratospheric aerosols. They have also been proposed as a platform for planetary exploration. Flight predictions are crucial to preflight planning to reduce safety risks and meet flight objectives. However, there exists a wide range of possible flight paths due to varying environmental conditions and solar balloon configurations. EarthSHAB is one such software that was designed to support flight planning using the weather forecasts and balloon properties to predict the flight path of a solar balloon. We compare EarthSHAB-simulated flight paths to a set of observed flight paths for the 3.5-m diameter heliotrope design called the “Cloudskimmer.” Using the criteria that the modeled paths must fall within 5% of the observations to be considered successful, we found that EarthSHAB successfully predicted the Cloudskimmer ascent rate and average float altitude 10% and 90% of the time, respectively. We also found that the average difference in the observed and predicted landing locations was 97 km and landing times were 54 ± 38 min. Significant deviations between the observed and predicted ascent rates and excursions at float were found to be associated with heavy payloads and convective cloud development, respectively. Significance Statement Solar balloons are used to lift scientific instruments into the lower stratosphere for hours at a time to study chemical explosions, earthquakes, stratospheric aerosols, and more. The flight paths of solar balloons can be difficult to predict due to variability in their design and surrounding environment. We evaluate the accuracy of EarthSHAB, a software that predicts the altitude profile and horizontal trajectory of a solar balloon using inputs such as the weather, balloon size, and balloon mass. Our results suggest that for the balloon design used in this study, EarthSHAB is best suited for modeling the behavior of balloons with lightweight payloads that do not fly within or directly above clouds.
The design and construction of a balloon-borne instrument for remote-sensing of stratospheric composition is described. Thermal emission from the constituents is detected and the spectral selectivity of the instrument is tailored to a specific gas by the use of a cell of the same gas in the optical path of the radiometer. The pressure of the gas in the cell is cycled and the resultant transmission function is shown to be highly selective to radiation from the same gas in the atmosphere. The first flight of the instrument and the retrieval of a water vapour profile in the range 15-40 km is described.
Abstract Infrasound waveforms generated by natural and anthropogenic phenomena contain important clues about the size and nature of the event. We show that sensors on balloons in the lower stratosphere can record faithful representations of the near‐source acoustic wave field at unprecedented range. The acoustic signature of a buried chemical explosion recorded at a range of 56 km and an altitude of 21.8 km was nearly identical to that recorded on the ground 0.5 km from the epicenter, but absent on a ground sensor located 46 km away. Our results demonstrate that balloon‐borne infrasound techniques greatly increase the range at which well‐preserved acoustic representations of near‐source physics can be acquired, and that their propagation is simple to model. Our work has implications for monitoring remote regions of the earth for explosions, volcanic eruptions, and other phenomena. It also supports the prospect of balloon‐based infrasound seismology on Venus.
We investigated water vapor variations in the tropical lower stratosphere on seasonal, quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), and decadal time scales using balloon-borne cryogenic frost point hygrometer data taken between 1993 and 2009 during various campaigns including the Central Equatorial Pacific Experiment (March 1993), campaigns once or twice annually during the Soundings of Ozone and Water in the Equatorial Region (SOWER) project in the eastern Pacific (1998-2003) and in the western Pacific and Southeast Asia (2001-2009), and the Ticosonde campaigns and regular sounding at Costa Rica (2005-2009). Quasi-regular sounding data taken at Costa Rica clearly show the tape recorder signal. The observed ascent rates agree well with the ones from the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) satellite sensor. Average profiles from the recent five SOWER campaigns in the equatorial western, Pacific in northern winter and from the three Ticosonde campaigns at Costa Rica (10degN) in northern summer clearly show two effects of the QBO. One is the vertical displacement of water vapor profiles associated with the QBO meridional circulation anomalies, and the other is the concentration variations associated with the QBO tropopause temperature variations. Time series of cryogenic frost point hygrometer data averaged in a lower stratospheric layer together with HALOE and Aura Microwave Limb Sounder data show the existence of decadal variations: The mixing ratios were higher and increasing in the 1990s, lower in the early 2000s, and probably slightly higher again or recovering after 2004. Thus linear trend analysis is not appropriate to investigate the behavior of the tropical lower stratospheric water vapor.
Stratospheric levels of particles with r or = 0.15 microns were monitored with optical particle counters in approximately monthly balloon soundings at Laramie, Wyoming (41 deg N) since 1971. These measurements were used to characterize the background stratospheric aerosol layer and the disturbed layer following major volcanic eruptions. Levels of particles with r or = 0.01 microns have also been measured with balloon-borne counters since 1973. The latter are collectively called condensation nuclei (CN) as they are characteristic of aerosol in the early stages of growth. While they dominate the size distribution in the tropsophere, they are a trace species in the undisturbed stratosphere. From 1972 until 1980, annual balloon soundings from McMurdo Station (78 deg S) and/or Amundsen-Scott Station (90 deg S), in Antarctica, have also been conducted to crudely monitor Southern Hemisphere aerosol levels. These measurements were continued in 1983 and 1984. Profiles of r 0.15 microns aerosol concentrations as measured during January at the south pole from 1972 to 1975 and in 1980 are given. The former are typical of undisturbed conditions and indicate the small degree of variability under these conditions. The latter indicates the effect of minor volcanic activity, visible in the 10 to 15 km region.