Drones offer alternative to balloons for weather research
Pre-programmed flights gather data at different altitudes then return to bases to recharge and download Weather happens in the boundary layer, the atmosphere from ground level to a few thousand metres, but this can be difficult to study in detail: weather stations are too low, and aircraft are expensive. Instrumented weather balloons are the traditional solution, and thousands are released every…
Weather phenomena occur within a specific atmospheric layer, known as the boundary layer, which ranges from ground level to a few thousand meters above. Traditionally, instrumented weather balloons have been employed to study this area, with thousands of them launched daily. However, these balloons are susceptible to wind and rely on helium, a resource that cannot be replenished.
In response to these limitations, US-based company Meteomatics has developed an alternative solution – a ground-based station named Meteobase. This station is equipped with a drone that can be launched and retrieved automatically. The drone is programmed to undertake a predetermined flight, collecting data at varying heights along the way.
Once the mission is complete, the drone autonomously returns to the base station, where it recharges and transfers the gathered information to researchers. This innovative approach provides a cost-effective and efficient means of gathering weather data, circumventing the drawbacks associated with traditional weather balloons.
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- Drones offer alternative to balloons for weather research theguardian.com
- Drones Offer Alternative to Balloons For Weather Research news.slashdot.org
