radiosonde
/ˈreɪdɪəʊˌsɒnd
/noun
An instrument carried by balloon or other means to various levels of the atmosphere and transmitting measurements by radio.This rate of temperature decrease, the environmental lapse rate, must be measured to be known; this is done routinely by balloons carrying instruments called radiosondes....
- The MMS sounds the atmosphere with a balloon-borne radiosonde, which measures the meteorological parameters of temperature, pressure, relative humidity, wind speed and wind direction.
- These problems are sufficiently serious that the US National Weather Service adjusts satellite data every week to match radiosondes, in effect relying upon radiosondes as a reference instrument.
Origin
1930s: from radio- (relating to broadcasting) + German Sonde 'probe'.