The Athalassa Radiosonde Station was established in 1981 for upper air meteorological observations. The upper-air observations of Radiosonde Station are made twice daily: 0600 and 1200 UTC.
A radiosonde is a unit that measures various atmospheric parameters and transmits them to a fixed receiver. The device is tied to a helium or hydrogen filled balloon, which lifts the device up through the atmosphere. The maximum altitude the balloon ascends to is determined by the size of the balloon. A balloon will burst at certain height due to the much lower atmospheric pressure at that altitude. The modern radiosonde communicate via radio with a computer that stores all the variables in real time. Modern radiosondes can use a variety of mechanisms for determining wind speed and direction, such as LORAN C and GPS. The most important variables measured by a modern radionsonde are:-
- Atmospheric Pressure
- Altitude
- Temperature
- Relative Humidity
- Wind Speed and Direction
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