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A weather or '''sounding balloon''' is a Balloon which carries instruments aloft to send back information on Atmospheric Pressure , Temperature , and Humidity by means of a small, expendable measuring device called a Radiosonde . To obtain Wind data, they can be tracked by Radar , Radio Direction Finding , or navigation systems (such as the satellite based Global Positioning System ). MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT The balloon itself produces the lift, and is usually made of a highly flexible Latex material (though Chloroprene may also be used). The unit that performs the actual measurements and Radio Transmissions hangs at the lower end of the string, and is called a radiosonde. Specialized radiosondes are used for measuring particular parameters, such as determining the Ozone concentration. In s are used. After sounding rockets, satellites are used for even higher altitudes. Major manufacturers of balloons are Totex and Cosmopren of Japan , Pawan Rubber Products of India , Kaysam (now Kaymont), and Scientific Sales, Inc. of the U.S. . Weather balloons are sometimes cited as the cause for Unidentified Flying Object sightings, e.g. Project Mogul . Weather balloons are also used for Cluster Ballooning . LAUNCH TIME, LOCATION, AND USES Weather balloons are launched around the world for observations used to diagnose current conditions as well as by human forecasters and and 1200 UTC. Some facilities will also do occasional supplementary "special" releases when meteorologists determine there is a need for additional data between the 12 hour routine launches in which time much can change in the atmosphere. Military and civilian government meteorological agencies such as the National Weather Service in the US typically launch balloons, and by international agreements almost all the data is shared with all nations. Specialized uses also exist, such as for aviation interests, pollution monitoring, and research. Examples include Pilot Balloon s ( Pibal ). Field research programs often use mobile launchers from land vehicles as well as ships and aircraft (usually Dropsonde s in this case). SEE ALSO REFERENCE EXTERNAL LINKS
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