Overview of and first observations from the TILDAE High-Altitude Balloon Mission
Though the presence of intermittent turbulence in the stratosphere has been well established, much remains unknown about it. In situ observations of this phenomenon, which have provided the greatest details of it, have mostly been achieved via sounding balloons (i.e., small balloons which burst at p...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2017-04-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/10/1595/2017/amt-10-1595-2017.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819098453447278592 |
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| author | B. A. Maruca R. Marino D. Sundkvist N. H. Godbole S. Constantin V. Carbone H. Zimmerman |
| author_facet | B. A. Maruca R. Marino D. Sundkvist N. H. Godbole S. Constantin V. Carbone H. Zimmerman |
| author_sort | B. A. Maruca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Though the presence of intermittent turbulence in the stratosphere has been
well established, much remains unknown about it. In situ observations of this
phenomenon, which have provided the greatest details of it, have mostly been
achieved via sounding balloons (i.e., small balloons which burst at peak
altitude) carrying constant-temperature <q>hot-wire</q> anemometers (CTAs). The
Turbulence and Intermittency Long-Duration Atmospheric Experiment (TILDAE)
was developed to test a new paradigm for stratospheric observations. Rather
than flying on a sounding balloon, TILDAE was incorporated as an <q>add-on</q>
experiment to the payload of a NASA long-duration balloon mission that
launched in January 2016 from McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Furthermore,
TILDAE's key instrument was a sonic anemometer, which (relative to a CTA)
provides better-calibrated measurements of wind velocity and a more robust
separation of velocity components. During the balloon's ascent, TILDAE's
sonic anemometer provided atmospheric measurements up to an altitude of about
18 km, beyond which the ambient air pressure was too low for the instrument
to function properly. Efforts are currently underway to scientifically
analyze these observations of small-scale fluctuations in the troposphere,
tropopause, and stratosphere and to develop strategies for increasing the
maximum operating altitude of the sonic anemometer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T00:31:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bfe64287f84d48dea8a704f2071701c3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1867-1381 1867-8548 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T00:31:14Z |
| publishDate | 2017-04-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| spelling | doaj.art-bfe64287f84d48dea8a704f2071701c32022-12-21T18:44:55ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Measurement Techniques1867-13811867-85482017-04-011041595160710.5194/amt-10-1595-2017Overview of and first observations from the TILDAE High-Altitude Balloon MissionB. A. Maruca0R. Marino1D. Sundkvist2N. H. Godbole3S. Constantin4V. Carbone5H. Zimmerman6Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USALaboratoire de Mécanique des Fluides et d'Acoustique, CNRS, École Centrale de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 69134 Écully, FranceSpace Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USASpace Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USAModular Robotics, Boulder, CO 80301, USADipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Cs, ItalyApplied Technologies, Longmont, CO 80501, USAThough the presence of intermittent turbulence in the stratosphere has been well established, much remains unknown about it. In situ observations of this phenomenon, which have provided the greatest details of it, have mostly been achieved via sounding balloons (i.e., small balloons which burst at peak altitude) carrying constant-temperature <q>hot-wire</q> anemometers (CTAs). The Turbulence and Intermittency Long-Duration Atmospheric Experiment (TILDAE) was developed to test a new paradigm for stratospheric observations. Rather than flying on a sounding balloon, TILDAE was incorporated as an <q>add-on</q> experiment to the payload of a NASA long-duration balloon mission that launched in January 2016 from McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Furthermore, TILDAE's key instrument was a sonic anemometer, which (relative to a CTA) provides better-calibrated measurements of wind velocity and a more robust separation of velocity components. During the balloon's ascent, TILDAE's sonic anemometer provided atmospheric measurements up to an altitude of about 18 km, beyond which the ambient air pressure was too low for the instrument to function properly. Efforts are currently underway to scientifically analyze these observations of small-scale fluctuations in the troposphere, tropopause, and stratosphere and to develop strategies for increasing the maximum operating altitude of the sonic anemometer.http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/10/1595/2017/amt-10-1595-2017.pdf |
| spellingShingle | B. A. Maruca R. Marino D. Sundkvist N. H. Godbole S. Constantin V. Carbone H. Zimmerman Overview of and first observations from the TILDAE High-Altitude Balloon Mission Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| title | Overview of and first observations from the TILDAE High-Altitude Balloon Mission |
| title_full | Overview of and first observations from the TILDAE High-Altitude Balloon Mission |
| title_fullStr | Overview of and first observations from the TILDAE High-Altitude Balloon Mission |
| title_full_unstemmed | Overview of and first observations from the TILDAE High-Altitude Balloon Mission |
| title_short | Overview of and first observations from the TILDAE High-Altitude Balloon Mission |
| title_sort | overview of and first observations from the tildae high altitude balloon mission |
| url | http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/10/1595/2017/amt-10-1595-2017.pdf |
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