Corrections to Observed Rocketsonde and Balloonsonde Temperatures

Abstract

Atmospheric temperature sensing elements studied in this report are presently being used at Meteorological Rocket Network stations. The steady-state solution to the heat transfer equation is given for a thermistor which is attached to an instrument package by some type of mounting configuration, the instrument in turn being supported by a parachute. The solution includes the effects of aerodynamic heating of the thermistor and thermistor mount; conduction along the thermistor lead wires, as well as heat transfer by convection from them; and solar irradiation of the thermistor and its leads. The solution gives expressions for the dissipation factors and thermal time constants of the sensing elements which, in turn, permit the calculation of corrections to the observed spherical bead thermistor temperatures of the rocketborne Stratospheric Temperature Sonde (STS) and Arcasonde instruments, as well as corrections to the observed cylindrical rod thermistor temperatures of the balloon-borne AN/AMT-4 radiosonde. Temperature profiles obtained with the STS and Arcasonde instruments are presented. The computer program, in Fortran IV language, developed to calculate the temperature corrections is outlined.