COD Meteorology Program Hosts Weather Balloon Launch April 22
The College of DuPage Meteorology program will kick off its spring thunderstorm laboratory field trips with the launching of a meteorological weather balloon at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, at the College's Glen Ellyn campus, 425 Fawell Blvd. Please click here for details and a map.
"This free event is open to all community members, students, staff, faculty and especially storm chasers," said Victor Gensini, COD Assistant Earth Science Professor. "This is a great opportunity to learn about the science behind weather balloons - why they are used and the data they provide that is essential to weather prediction."
The balloons, which start out measuring about 6 ft. wide before release, expand as they rise to about 20 ft. in diameter. An instrument called a radiosonde is attached to the balloon to measure pressure, temperature and relative humidity as it ascends up into the atmosphere. The balloon flights last for around two hours, and they can drift as far as 125 miles away and rise up to over 100,000 ft. (about 20 miles) in the atmosphere.
For more information about the College's Meteorology program, its storm chasing opportunities and Next Generation Weather Lab, please click here.