radiosonde balloon / sounding balloon

A meteorological balloon that ascends freely in the atmosphere, from which a radiosonde hangs. It is made of a special, particularly resistant latex, and is filled with helium. As it ascends, it increases in diameter, as it encounters increasingly lower atmospheric pressures, until it finally bursts, falling to the ground. It is capable of covering the entire troposphere and part of the stratosphere. Apart from the measurements the radiosonde takes during the ascent, sounding balloons also allow wind data to be obtained, for which radiolocation systems, satellite-based navigation systems, or radar are used. There are special sounding balloons - larger in size -, capable of reaching greater altitudes, such as those that measure stratospheric ozone.