TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTERS
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose and Scope
1.2 Relation to Other Handbooks and Manuals
1.3 Changes and Revisions
1.4 Agency Specific Procedures
1.5 Rawinsonde Program - General
1.6 History of U.S. Upper-air Observing Programs
1.7 Present Rawinsonde Program
1.7.1 Network of U.S. Stations
1.7.2 Network Design and Configuration
1.7.3 Transmission of Observations
1.7.4 Recording and Preserving Observations
1.7.5 Data Applications
Chapter 2: SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Accuracy and Precision of the Measurements
2.3 Flight Subsystem
2.3.1 Balloons
2.3.2 Flight-Train
2.3.3 Radiosondes
2.4 The Surface Subsystem
2.4.1 The Antenna
2.4.2 The Receiver and Sensor Processing Units
2.5 The Data Processing Subsystem
2.5.1 Recording Data
2.5.2 Signal Processing
2.5.3 Data File Formats
Chapter 3: PREFLIGHT PROCEDURES AND SUCCESS CRITERIA
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Safety Considerations
3.3 Flight Equipment Prerelease Actions
3.3.1 Balloon Inflation and Performance
3.3.2 Balloon Inflation
3.3.3 Flight-Train Assembly
3.4 Preparing the Radiosonde for the Preflight Check
3.4.1 Calibration of the Radiosonde Sensors
3.4.2 The Surface Observation
3.4.3 NAVAID Radiosonde
3.4.4 Release Notifications
3.5 Notice to Airmen (NOTAM)
3.6 The Release
3.6.1 Release into Thunderstorms
3.6.2 Delayed Release
3.7 Termination of Radiosonde Observation
3.7.1 Due to Missing Data
3.7.2 Due to Weak Signal
3.7.3 Other Reasons for Termination
3.8 Successful/Unsuccessful Observation Criteria
3.9 Multiple Releases
3.10 Unscheduled or Special Observations
Chapter 4: Quality Control at the Station
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Pressure Anomalies
4.2.1 Anomalies Caused By Pressure Sensor or Radiosonde Failure
4.2.2 Anomalies Caused By Balloon
4.2.3 Anomalies Cased By Atmospheric Events
4.3 Temperature Anomalies
4.3.1 Anomalies Caused By Temperature Sensor or Radiosonde Failure
4.3.2 Superadiabatic Lapse Rates
4.4 Relative Humidity Anomalies
4.4.1 Missing Relative Humidity Data
4.4.2 Erroneous RH Data
4.4.3 RH Data Biased Too High or Too Low
4.4.4 Rapid Change in RH Immediately After Release
4.5 Wind Anomalies
4.5.1 Anomalous Wind Data From Radio Direction Finding
4.5.2 Anomalous Wind Data From NAVAID (LORAN or GPS) Systems
4.5.3 Doubtful Wind Data
Chapter 5: PROCESSING SOUNDING DATA
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Level Selection - Thermodynamics Variables
5.2.1 Standard Pressure Levels
5.2.2 Mandatory Significant Levels
5.2.3 Additional Level Selection
5.3 Wind Data
5.3.1 Fixed Levels for Reporting Purposes
5.3.2 Additional Winds
5.3.3 Terminating Wind
5.3.4 Maximum Winds
5.3.5 Primary and Secondary Maximum Winds
5.3.6 Wind Shear
5.3.7 Mean Winds
5.3.8 Other Factors
5.4 Selecting The Tropopause
5.4.1 The First Tropopause
5.4.2 Multiple Tropopause Levels
5.4.3 Reporting
5.5 Coded Message Generation
5.6 Additional Information
Chapter 6: PILOT BALLOON OBSERVATIONS
6.1 Introduction
6.2 The Pibal Observation
6.3 Selecting the Site
6.4 The Theodolite
6.4.1 Optical Features
6.4.2 Angular Measurements
6.4.3 Other Features
6.5 Theodolite Leveling and Orientation
6.6 Focusing the Theodolite
6.7 General Test
6.8 The Observation
6.8.1 Release Time
6.8.2 Theodolite Preparation
6.9 Balloons
6.10 Night Pibal Lighting Units
6.11 Train Assembly
6.12 The Release
6.13 Errors Encountered in Tracking the Balloon
6.13.1 Extraneous Light
6.13.2 Sun in Field
6.13.3 Confusion of Stars with the Lighting Device
6.14 Termination
6.15 Preliminary Inspection of Data
6.16 Criteria for Satisfactory Observations
6.17 Pibal Evaluation
6.17.1 Missing Data
6.17.2 Errors
6.18 The Pibal Message
6.19 Theodolite Care and Adjustments
6.20 Storage Between Observations
Chapter 7: DATA DISSEMINATION
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Global, Regional, and National Telecommunications
7.2.1 The Regional Telecommunications System
7.2.2 National Telecommunications Systems
7.3 WMO Index Numbers
7.3.1 Assignment of International Station Index Numbers
7.3.2 Obtaining Assignments of WMO Block/Station Numbers
7.4 Transmitting Rawinsonde Reports
7.4.1 RADAT
7.5 Data Archiving
Chapter 8: QUALITY ASSURANCE
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Monitoring and Quality Control
8.2.1 Operational Quality Control
8.2.2 Administrative Quality Control
8.2.3 WMO Reports
8.3 Coordination and Quality Assurance
8.3.1 The National and Regional Headquarters
8.3.2 Exchange of Information Notifying Individual Upper-air Units
8.4 Documenting Quality Information for Archival Data
APPENDIX
Appendix A: REFERENCES
Appendix B: OBSERVATION SITE SPECIFICATIONS
B.1 Introduction
B.2 Site Standards
B.2.1 Surveying the Site
B.2.2 Posting the Location of Wires, Antennas, and Other Obstructions
B.2.3 Developing the RDF Limiting Angles Table
B.2.4 Developing the Surface Elevation/Launch Elevation Pressure Correction Table
B.3 Equipment Orientation Checks
B.4 Equipment and Shelter Considerations
B.5 Inflation Gasses
B.5.1 Hydrogen Cylinders
B.5.2 Pressure Regulation
B.5.3 Heat/Leak Detectors
B.5.4 Inflation Equipment - Hydrogen Cylinders
B.5.5 Inflation Equipment - Hydrogen Generators
B.6 Safety Standards for Hydrogen Gas
B.6.1 Grounding
B.6.2 The Hydrogen Safety Switch
B.6.3 Electrical Components
B.6.4 Hydrogen Housing
B.6.5 Storage of Flammable Materials
B.6.6 Fire Extinguishers
B.6.7 Additional Equipment
B.7 Procedure for Ground Equipment
B.8 Hydrogen Generator Maintenance
B.9 General Safety
B.9.1 Smoking
B.9.2 Safety Instructions
B.9.3 Inflation Building Safety Inspections
B.9.4 Daily Inspections
B.9.5 Annual Inspections of Inflation Facilities
Appendix C: U.S. LAND-BASED RAWINSONDE STATIONS
Appendix D: COMPUTATIONAL FORMULAE AND CONSTANTS
D.1 Radiosonde Sensors and Data Reduction
D.2 Geopotential Height
D.3 Thermodynamic Relationships
D.3.1 Vapor Pressure
D.3.2 Virtual Temperature
D.3.3 Dew Point and Dew Point Depression
D.4 Mixing Ratio
D.5 Potential Temperature
D.6 Wind Variables
D.6.1 Wind Speed and Direction
D.6.2 Wind Shear
D.7 Location of the Balloon
D.8 Three-Dimensional Balloon Location
D.9 Logarithmic Pressure Ratio (for Interpolation to Selected Pressure)
Appendix E: PILOT BALLOON AND RAWINSONDE ENCODING AND DECODING
Table of Contents
E-I Code Form for PILOT Observations
E-II Code Form for TEMP Rawinsonde Observations
E-III Required Code Tables for PILOT and TEMP Code Forms
Appendix F: ARCHIVING
F.1 Introduction
F.2 Data Centers
F.3 Data Transfer to the Data Centers
F.4 Station Information
Appendix G: GLOSSARY
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