Volcanic balloon-borne laboratory

自18世纪以来，气象气球一直被用作观测大气层天气的载体平台。关于大气层结构的基本发现是由早期的研究人员完成的。使用气球携带的仪器观测到了大气过程，如雷暴中的带电和臭氧层的厚度。每天，世界各地的气象组织都会发射数百个气象气球来观测大气状态，为天气预报提供初始条件。气象气球在野外作战中也被用作研究大气的重要工具。现代气象气球系统由一个支撑无线电探空仪的气球组成。无线电探空仪是一种小型设备，它包括无线电发射器、天气传感器、GPS和电池。它的无线电链路将天气数据转发到地面站，使该设备成为一次性设备。无线电探空仪除了用于标准天气测量之外，很少被用于任何其他用途。除了用于常规测量臭氧层厚度的一小部分外，气象气球在科学界是一个未得到充分利用的测量平台。有可能携带臭氧传感器的气象气球有一个接口，可以通过无线电探空仪发送额外的信息，然后转发到地面站。只需很少的额外成本，就可以在这个接口上添加其他传感器。在雷丁大学气象系，已经开发了一种简化的数据连接系统，允许多个传感器与无线电探空仪连接并供电。额外的数据通过现有的无线电链路进行中继，因此不需要额外的接收硬件。安装在地面站的软件将标准天气数据与额外的传感器数据结合在一起。人们已经开发出了用于测量湍流、太阳辐射、云的光学性质和高能粒子浓度的一次性小型传感器。无线电探空仪的自动一次性性质使得与研究飞机相比，可以以最低的成本进行额外的测量。在飞机的危险条件下，气象气球提供了一种低风险的测量方法，提议者在2010年和2011年冰岛火山喷发期间证明了这一点。该项目建议开发一个多传感器微型实验室来对危险的火山羽流进行采样。由五个定制的传感器组成的套装将测量灰烬、二氧化硫、冰、带电和湍流混合。当火山灰云下一次威胁国际空域时，传感器包将由气象气球携带，旨在提高决策质量和预测模型的预测技能。

Since the eighteenth century, weather balloons have been used as a carrier platform to make observations of the weather in our atmosphere. Fundamental discoveries about the structure of the atmosphere were made by early investigators. Atmospheric processes such as the electrification in thunderstorms and the thickness of the ozone layer have been observed using balloon-borne instrumentation. On a daily basis, hundreds of weather balloons are launched by meteorological organizations across the world to observe the state of the atmosphere, providing the initial conditions for weather forecasts. Weather balloons are also used during field campaigns as an essential tool for studying the atmosphere.A modern weather balloon system consists of a balloon supporting a radiosonde. The radiosonde is a small device which contains a radio transmitter, weather sensors, GPS and batteries. Its radio link relays weather data to a ground station, making the device disposable. Radiosondes are rarely used for anything more than standard weather measurements. Other than a small percentage used to routinely measure the thickness of the ozone layer, weather balloon are an under-exploited measurement platform in the scientific community. Weather balloons that have the potential to carry ozone sensors have an interface to send additional information via the radiosonde for relay to the ground station. For little extra cost it is possible to add other sensors to this interface.In the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, a simplified data connection system has been developed allowing multiple sensors to be interfaced and powered with the radiosonde. The additional data is relayed over the existing radio link, hence no additional receiving hardware is required. Software installed at the ground station combines the standard weather data with the additional sensor data. Small disposable sensors have been developed to measure turbulence, solar radiation, optical properties of clouds, and high-energy particle concentration. The automated disposable nature of the radiosonde allows additional measurements to be made with minimal cost when compared to that of a research aircraft.During hazardous conditions for aircraft, weather balloons provide a low-risk method to obtain measurements, which was demonstrated by the proposers during the 2010 and 2011 Icelandic volcano eruptions. This project proposes to develop a multi-sensor miniature laboratory to sample hazardous volcanic plumes. The package of five bespoke sensors will measure ash, SO2, ice, electrification, and turbulent mixing. The sensor package will be carried by weather balloons and aims to improve the quality of decision-making and the predictive skill of forecast models, when a volcanic ash cloud next threatens international airspace.