Development of an Adjustable Buoyancy Balloon Tracer of Atmospheric Motion. Phase 3. Refinement of the Operational Prototype System

摘要

The adjustable buoyancy balloon tracer of atmospheric motion is a research tool designed to follow atmospheric flows in both the horizontal and the vertical. The design goals for the tracer balloon specify a lifetime less than 3 days, tracking range less than 1000 km, ceiling altitude less than 5.5 km (500 mb), and capability to respond to mean vertical flows as low as 1 cm/s. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the accuracies of air pollution transport (trajectory) models used to establish source-receptor relationships to distances of order 1000 km, and to assess the limits on the predictability of source impacts at long distances. Two test flights were made, and while the results from these flights were inadequate.