On Tuesday I took a tour of the National Weather Service office next to the Shelby County airport in Calera. Brian Peters and Kevin Pence showed us interns the behind the scene action that most people (including me) may not realize. I found it hard to absorb all the information that was delivered to me, yet I was able to pinpoint bits and pieces of the meteorology aspects. One thing I found interesting was that the satellites consist of 21
channels, but by 2010 or 2012 it will be upgraded to over one thousand channels. This new advance will allow a more precise observation when spotting those summer afternoon storms or severe weather. I cannot even imagine what 1000 more channels will do or how clear the image will be.
I also got to witness the release of a weather balloon. It was entirely different from what I’d interpreted. It’s a large rubber balloon filled with hydrogen (it is cheaper than helium) and has an attached string that holds a small box that looks similar to Chinese takeout. Inside there are instruments to measure data on temp, pressure, and humidity. It takes 2 hours for the balloon to complete its trip, while along the way being manually tracked. They are released twice a day at exactly the same time at different stations across the U.S. The balloons expand into a large canopy then parachute back down through the atmosphere. According to the office in Calera, only 20% of the balloons are retrieved and returned back to the station to be recycled and reused. Others are either thrown out or lost in
Alabama’s woods. A funny story was shared about a man who called the police to come get the “alien” off of his house.
Visiting the National Weather Service opened my eyes to a whole different area of meteorology. I’m even considering doing some volunteer work for them next summer in hopes to solve some unanswered meteorology questions by getting hands on experience.
~Leah Dailey
X-Ray
