GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network

Testing of new Korean Dual Thermistor Radiosonde

Campaign

In September, the CORETEMP 2017 campaign was hosted by the GRUAN Lead Centre in Lindenberg.

From 11 to 15 September 2017, 6 colleagues from the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) and from a Korean developer of radiosondes visited the Lead Centre to participate in the CORETEMP 2017 (Comparison of the Radiation Effect on Temperature Sensors of Radiosondes 2017) campaign. During this campaign, several intercomparison soundings were performed with prototypes of the Dual Thermistor Radiosonde (DTR) from Korea, and the Vaisala RS92, Vaisala RS41, and Graw DFM-09 radiosondes.

Goal of the campaign was to investigate and compare the solar radiation temperature error of the various radiosonde types. The Korean DTR radiosonde is equipped with two thermistors, one with an Aluminium coating, the other coated with dark paint.

Stormy conditions posed considerable challenges when launching the balloons with the extended payloads, but in the end nine successful soundings, including two at night time, were performed. In addition, the DTR radiosonde was investigated in the radiation test chamber at Lindenberg.