The Truth About Weather Balloons

news7g02/08/2023

6 1 minute read

There’s been a lot of talk about weather balloons this week, and some information–from a certain country west of us– has been problematic.

So let me give you the candid story about weather balloons!

Weather bubbles are used by meteorologists to determine weather conditions on the surface. This is important because we cannot understand or predict weather conditions without detailed knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of the atmosphere.

Two types of weather balloon systems

Some weather balloons are used to hang weather instruments that broadcast their observations of temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind back to the surface (see below). These devices are called radio tuner. (see below)

Other airships carry targets that are optically tracked from the ground. These are called pilot balloons or balloons and can provide wind information.

Approximately 1000 radio detectors are launched twice a day around the world (see map below)

Will radioactive and probe balloons travel long distances around the world, as some have claimed?

The answer is definitely no.

Weather bubbles expand as they rise and eventually burst, then fall to the ground. That’s why all radio detectors have parachutes.

Want to watch a weather balloon soar and explode? Check out this video on YouTube:

Radiosondes typically ascend to about 100,000-110,000 ft before exploding, slightly above China’s recent “weather ball”, which is drifting at 60,000 ft.

And the weather balloons don’t fly far before they hit the earth – no more than 100 miles or so, even with the strongest winds overhead.

Long Range Balloons

There are a number of companies trying to develop long-range balloons that could be used to collect weather data, act as communication centers, or be used for other purposes.

For example, a company named wind system has a long-range balloon that can travel up and down from the surface into the stratosphere, performing observations or other tasks.

And Google has tried a long-range balloon that can deliver internet to remote locations: their LOON program. Unfortunately, that project was canceled in 2021.