E-Paper
Jammu: First weather balloon to study climate change & atmosphere
The project, Radiosonde Network for National Information System for Climate and Environment Sciences (RANN), formulated by ISRO, aims to build an extensive information base for climate change impact assessment and provide mitigation recommendations, added Prof Kumar.
Amid an unprecedented spike in intense heat-wave conditions across North India, the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in collaboration with Central University of Jammu (CU Jammu), launched its first weather balloon as part of a new initiative.
“The primary aim of this initiative is to measure vertical profiles of temperature, relative humidity, and wind parameters using GPS-aided radiosondes. These small instruments, equipped with various sensors, are crucial for collecting high-resolution atmospheric data,” said Prof Vinay Kumar, dean, science and head of the physics department at the Central University of Jammu.
The project, Radiosonde Network for National Information System for Climate and Environment Sciences (RANN), formulated by ISRO, aims to build an extensive information base for climate change impact assessment and provide mitigation recommendations, added Prof Kumar.
Under the programme, regular GPS-aided radiosonde measurements will be conducted to gather data on air temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, and wind patterns at multiple locations across India using ISRO-developed Pisharoty Sondes, he informed.
Pisharoty Sondes are advanced atmospheric measurement devices specifically designed for aerospace applications and atmospheric research.
Integrated with a GPS module, the sonde provides precise navigation parameters, including latitude, longitude, and altitude, enabling accurate positioning during its flight.
Technical details of launch:
Height: Up to 35-40 km
Radius: Approximately 100 km
Data Recording Interval: Every 5 meters/second
