meteorological balloon
Definition
Noun: A small, unmanned balloon that is released into the atmosphere to gather and transmit data about weather conditions, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind speed.
Usage
A "meteorological balloon" is a specific tool used in weather science and forecasting. It is typically filled with helium or hydrogen and carries a small instrument package called a radiosonde. As the balloon ascends through the atmosphere, the instruments collect data, which is then transmitted to a ground station.
Examples
- The weather station launches a meteorological balloon twice daily to collect upper-air data.
- Data from the meteorological balloon showed a rapid drop in temperature at high altitude.
- Scientists tracked the path of the meteorological balloon to calculate wind patterns.
Advanced Usage
- Synoptic observation: Meteorological balloons are a crucial component of global synoptic observation networks, providing vertical profiles of the atmosphere for weather prediction models.
Variants and Related Words
- Radiosonde (noun): The instrument package carried aloft by a meteorological balloon.
- Weather balloon (noun): A common synonym for "meteorological balloon."
- Balloon sounding (noun): The technique of using a balloon to carry instruments aloft for atmospheric measurement.
Synonyms
- Weather balloon
- Sounding balloon
- Upper-air balloon
Related Phrases
- To launch a meteorological balloon: The act of releasing the balloon for data collection.
- The team prepared to launch the meteorological balloon at dawn.
Noun
-
a small unmanned balloon set aloft to observe atmospheric conditions
