Volcanic balloon-borne laboratory

自18世纪以来，气象气球就被用作观测大气天气的载体平台。关于大气结构的基本发现是由早期的研究者做出的。大气过程，如雷暴中的电气化和臭氧层的厚度，已经使用气球载仪器进行了观测。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况，为天气预报提供初步条件。在野外活动中，气象气球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持无线电探空仪的气球组成。无线电探空仪是一种小型设备，包含无线电发射机、天气传感器、GPS和电池。它的无线电链路将天气数据中继到地面站，使设备可以一次性使用。无线电探空仪很少用于标准天气测量以外的用途。除了用于常规测量臭氧层厚度的一小部分外，气象气球是科学界尚未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，以便中继到地面站。额外花费很少，可以在这个接口上添加其他传感器。雷丁大学气象系开发了一种简化的数据连接系统，可以将多个传感器连接在一起，并为无线电探空仪供电。额外的数据通过现有的无线电链路中继，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附加的传感器数据结合起来。小型一次性传感器已被开发用于测量湍流、太阳辐射、云的光学特性和高能粒子浓度。与研究飞机相比，无线电探空仪的自动一次性特性允许以最小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，这在2010年和2011年冰岛火山爆发期间得到了证明。本项目拟建立一个多传感器微型实验室，对危险火山烟羽进行采样。由五个定制传感器组成的套装将测量灰烬、二氧化硫、冰、电气化和湍流混合。该传感器包将由气象气球携带，目的是在火山灰云再次威胁国际空域时，提高决策质量和预测模型的预测能力。

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.