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Article: How Nanotechnology Can Revolutionize Meteorological Observing with Lagrangian Drifters
- Article from:
- Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
- Article date:
- August 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright American Meteorological Society Aug 2008. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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The idea of using Lagrangian drifters for atmospheric sampling has been prevalent for more than half a century. Many past and current efforts have focused on creating massive super-pressure balloons (tens of meters in diameter or larger) that carry payloads of tens to hundreds of kilograms for astronomy, atmospheric chemistry, meteorology, and other remote/in situ measurements while flying above the cruise altitude of commercial airliners. There are smaller Lagrangian drifters currently available, such as tetroons and smart balloons (~3 m in diameter) that feature constant volume but adjustable density.
Substantial reductions in platform mass, size, and cost along with added functionality ...