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    • Rights: The University of Waikato
    Published 29 July 2008 Referencing Hub media
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    The weekly launch of an ozonesonde1 at Lauder in Central Otago enables scientists to monitor the distribution of ozone2 up through the atmosphere3.

    Transcript

    NARRATOR
    The NIWA scientists at Lauder are interested in monitoring how ozone concentration is distributed up through the atmosphere. Each week, they prepare an ozonesonde and attach it to a radio transmitter all packaged in a polystyrene box. Two staff members put on protective clothing to inflate a rubber balloon with hydrogen4 gas. They then attach a clear plastic5 parachute. The ozonesonde is carefully hung from the balloon.

    During the two hours after it is released, the balloon will rise about 32 kilometres and expand as the air pressure6 decreases. Along the way, the sonde will continually take readings of ozone concentration, temperature7, pressure8 and humidity9 and radio them back to Lauder.

    Eventually, the balloon will burst, and the sonde will take about an hour to parachute back to Earth. Lauder offers a reward to anyone who finds and returns the sonde.

    1. ozonesonde: An instrument for measuring the concentration of ozone in the atmosphere. Usually attached to a hydrogen-filled balloon and a parachute.
    2. ozone: Ozone is made up of three atoms of oxygen (O3). It is a highly reactive pale blue gas with a noticeable odour. Ozone forms a thin layer in the stratosphere. This layer protects life on Earth from ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet radiation is a known cause of skin cancer.
    3. atmosphere: 1. The layer of gas around the Earth. 2. (atm) A non-SI unit of pressure equivalent to 101.325 kPa.
    4. hydrogen: First element on the periodic table –­ symbol H, with the atomic number of 1, meaning that it has a single proton in its nucleus.
    5. plastic: A synthetic material made from a wide range of organic polymers (such as polyethylene, PVC and nylon) that can be moulded into shape while soft and then set into a rigid or slightly elastic form.
    6. air pressure: The force exerted by the weight of a column of air over a given surface area.
    7. temperature: A measure of the degree of hotness or coldness of an object or substance. Temperature is measured with a thermometer calibrated in one or more temperature scales. Kelvin scale temperature is a measure of the average energy of the molecules of a body.
    8. pressure: The force per unit area that acts on the surface of an object.
    9. humidity: The amount of water vapour in the air.

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    ARTICLE

    Monitoring ozone levels

    Dr Greg Bodeker was a research scientist for the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), based at Lauder in Central Otago. Lauder is the primary southern hemisphere ...

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      ozonesonde

    1. + Create new collection

      2. An instrument for measuring the concentration of ozone in the atmosphere. Usually attached to a hydrogen-filled balloon and a parachute.

      hydrogen

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      3. First element on the periodic table –­ symbol H, with the atomic number of 1, meaning that it has a single proton in its nucleus.

      temperature

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      4. A measure of the degree of hotness or coldness of an object or substance. Temperature is measured with a thermometer calibrated in one or more temperature scales. Kelvin scale temperature is a measure of the average energy of the molecules of a body.

      ozone

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      5. Ozone is made up of three atoms of oxygen (O3). It is a highly reactive pale blue gas with a noticeable odour. Ozone forms a thin layer in the stratosphere. This layer protects life on Earth from ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet radiation is a known cause of skin cancer.

      plastic

    5. + Create new collection

      6. A synthetic material made from a wide range of organic polymers (such as polyethylene, PVC and nylon) that can be moulded into shape while soft and then set into a rigid or slightly elastic form.

      pressure

    6. + Create new collection

      7. The force per unit area that acts on the surface of an object.

      atmosphere

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      8. 1. The layer of gas around the Earth.

      2. (atm) A non-SI unit of pressure equivalent to 101.325 kPa.

      air pressure

    8. + Create new collection

      9. The force exerted by the weight of a column of air over a given surface area.

      humidity

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      10. The amount of water vapour in the air.

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