# Presentation: 041582

## Driftsonde Observing SystemStatus & Field Programs

***Earth Observing Lab ****(formerly ATD)*
*Boulder, CO*
**Driftsonde Group**
- Terry Hock, Hal Cole, Joe VanAndel,
- Jack Fox, Charlie Martin

- Driftsonde Observing SystemStatus & Field Programs

**Notes:**
Hail Shaft

## System Concept

***Cost-effective dropsonde observations of wind, temperature, and humidity to fill critical gaps in coverage over oceanic and remote artic and continental regions over days to weeks.***

**Notes:**
Hail Shaft

## Pacific Coverage

## Driftsonde Operation

- Provide Soundings with Global coverage
- Cost effective (Complete system is expendable)
- Flight duration 5 to 20 days
- Altitude 100-50 mb
- Deploy Dropsondes on command (Targeting) or automatically  (Timed)
- Payload of minimum 50 dropsondes
- Real-time position tracking - ATC monitoring
- _Engineering Challenges_
- Cost, disposable sounding system
_**Reliable**_ global satellite communications (Iridium)
- Harsh environment, temperature extremes (diurnal variations in radiation)
- Altitude control [zero-pressure balloon – ballasting algorithms]
- Integration issues (GPS, Iridium, Sonde Transmitters, Receivers)
- Flight train launch

## System Status

**STATUS:**
**Partnership with CNES/France, Super Pressure Balloons**
**Successful Phase I field tests completed in 2003 (5 balloon flights)**
**Phase II development underway of operational system**
**Field program summer 2006**
**MIST sonde: in development**

**Goal: Deployable research system; Operational system **

**MIST**

**Dropsonde**

**Notes:**
Hail Shaft

## Driftsonde Gondola Overview

## System Electronics Diagram

## Miniature In-situ Sounding Technology (MIST Sonde)

_**MIST Design Criteria & Motivation**_
- - Low cost (current dropsondes cost >$700)
- - Small (credit card size)
- - Lightweight (**Gondola to carry 50 sondes**)
- - Sensors:
-      1. GPS Winds & Altitude
-      2. Temperature (thermistor)
-      OEM Humidity sensor under investigation
- - Pressure derived from GPS & hydrostatic  equation (launch pressure)
- - Operate at -60o C (Battery issues)
_**Status**_
- 2nd version of prototypes built
- Integration testing in process

- Standard Dropsonde

- MIST
- Sonde

- credit
- card

- Miniature In-situ Sounding Technology (MIST Sonde)

## MIST Sonde Details

** **Size: 4.45 cm diameter, length ~25.4 cm
-  Weight: ~160 grams
-  2-cell Lithium battery
-  Fall rate ~12 m/s at surface
-  Sensor sample rate 2 Hz
- Thermistor temperature sensor
- OEM u-Blox GPS receiver winds-altitude

## GPS Altitude – Static Testu-Blox OEM GPS Receiver

**GPS**
**Receiver**

- GPS Altitude – Static Testu-Blox OEM GPS Receiver

- _Accuracy_
- Std. Dev. 4.6 m
- Variance: 20.9 m
- Median: 1628.0 m
- Range: 27.8 m

**Notes:**
Hurricane Katrina Eyewall

## Wind Inter-comparison

- Eye-wall Hurricane Drop
- Red: Standard GPS Dropsonde
- Blue: U-Blox GPS Dropsonde
- Sondes release within seconds of each other.

- two

- MIST GPS Receiver in a standard Dropsonde

## Ground System Overview

- Balloon Trajectory, Soundings, and Engineering data stored in database
- Monitoring and control via web applications
- WEB monitoring by Air Traffic Control

## Google Maps

- Supported by several web browsers on
- Windows
- Mac
- Unix/Linux
- Can display flight tracks
- Can’t easily display dynamic images, like model outputs
- For Africa, we’ll have to display 3rd party maps showing roads, cities, infrastructure.

## Using Google Maps for Driftsonde Command and Control

## Slide 15

## Slide 16

## Using Google Earth 3-D for Driftsonde Position Tracking

## Slide 18

## THORPEX-AMMA TestSummer 2006

- 8-10 balloons during later stages of the 2006 hurricane season (AMMA SOP-3) with French CNES group
- Launches from Chad, Africa
- Demonstrates synoptic coverage unlike obtained from even multiple aircraft
- Flights at 50 hPa so a greater depth of the atmosphere is characterized
- Each gondola will carry 40 to 50 MIST sondes
- Enables us to be ready for any subsequent THORPEX effort
- Future possible programs
- International Polar Year (Arctic & Antarctic), Possible Flights with French S.P. Balloon in Antarctic.

## Proposed Driftsonde Operation on French CNES Stratospheric Balloons for 2006

- Trajectories: 1
- balloon launch per
- day for 1 Sept –
- 15 Sept 2000
- 10-day duration
- (can go up to 20);
- 50 sondes per
- balloon

## Hurricane Tracks1970 – 2003 

***Greg Holland, Joanne Simpson, Peter Webster***

- Hurricane Tracks1970 – 2003

## French/CNES Ballooning Group

**French 12 m S.P.**
**Balloon**

_**French/CNES Ballooning Group**_
-  Developing a 12 meter super-  pressure Balloon.
-  Provide 8 to 10 balloons
-  CNES gondola for communications,   tracking, safety and recovery
-    system.
-  Provide launch facility & staff at their   military base in N’DAjamena, Chad
-  Control & operations center in   Toulouse
-  Coordinate with Air Traffic Control

**NCAR Driftsonde**
**Gondola**** **

_**NCAR/EOL Driftsonde Group**_
-  Providing 8 TO 10 Driftsonde    gondolas.
-  40 - 50 MIST Sondes/Gondola
-  Ground support crew in Chad ??
-  NCAR staff at at the CNES control   and operations center in Toulouse.
-  System control of sonde releases
-  Data post processing

## Thank You

**©** 2004 Copyright University
-    Corporation for Atmospheric Research