2005 Image National Weather Service's office launched a weather balloon appears
Shreveport, Louisiana. Mario Villafuerte, Bloomberg News by the PIX
Weather balloon - big hurricane was headed Joaquin earlier this month, where sophisticated computer forecast models can not know when, the National Weather Service, one of the oldest instruments ordered additional launches .
International cooperation may be the world's largest law twice a day, 850 offices throughout the world and especially the staff go out of style at the same time set loose balloon.
Satellite, radar, jet aircraft and high-speed computers a year old, I was 80 years ago that the only way to collect weather data would seem outdated. Not so, William Blackmore, National Weather Service meteorologist with the upper air observation program said.
All modern advances are important tools for forecasting, weather balloons can not everyone else can do: about 115,000 feet (35 km) from the atmosphere every other measure, he said.
"What makes it unique is that it has to provide information every 15 to 20 feet," Blackmore said. "At the present time, that can not be beat."
In the United States, 92 weather service offices in the atmosphere, usually hydrogen-filled balloons, sending, twice- daily to start, Blackmore said. With a few extra thrown in the beginning, the United States alone 70,000 75,000 annually toward heaven sends bubbles. Labor, maintenance and parts, including the sound of a balloon costs about $ 300.
Worldwide, only two-thirds of them, according to the World Meteorological Organization's Web site, the balloons take part in daily sampling, can be introduced where there are 1,300 sites. This year nearly 620,500 balloons. This may be why so many U.F.O. Reports over the years have been dismissed as weather balloons.
Around the humans have been able to Hawaii has been compared to what is happening on the idea of reaching into the sky to see.
Before taking thermometer kites were used in Europe in 1749. In 1885, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Henry Allen hazen the site, according to observation balloon ride above ground level.
Outside of Boston, Blue Hill Observatory, 19th century researchers Aug 4, 1894 sent a kite at 2,030 feet above sea level, the organization's website said. By 1898, the kite was being used throughout the United States
"If you look at a kite, it can create a very good platform," Blackmore said. "What you have problems with the kite and they can be so much more."
Kite was out and by 1909 was in the balloon. In 1938, the balloons radio information back on the season and instruments that measure radiosondes, starting packages. The meteorologists as high as 100,000 feet, allowing data to be collected.
A global positioning satellite data such as technological improvements, as well, the same system is in place today.
Air pressure, wind speed, temperature - - land bases, collect balloons after radioed for information to help forecast weather forecast data from other sources is fed into the computer model.
Blackmore balloon began when about 5 feet and about 115,000 feet in time to reach more than 20 feet would swell. Low air pressure at high altitude balloon finally burst causes.
In the case of a plastic or Styrofoam, back where forecasters hope, the radiosonde parachutes, to find someone to come along and to weather service will email it. This is a message written on the description of radiosonde, plus a postage paid mail bag.
Less than 20 percent are refurbished and re-entered, Blackmore said.
Similarly, the season can not do without the service equipment.
