WIND MEASUREMENTS OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC USING A LORAN-C DROPWINDSONDE

Vincent E. Lally, Dean Lauritsen, Terrence Hock, and Kenneth Norris

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	The Experiment on Rapid Intensification of Cyclones over the Atlantic (ERICA) was conducted from December 1988 through February 1989. One of the principal tools for studying these storms was a newly developed Lightweight Loran Digital Dropwindsonde (L2D2). Four aircraft were equipped with this device as a means of obtaining three-dimensional profiles of winds and other meteorological parameters as the severe winter storms intensified off the east coast of the United States. An analysis of Loran-C coverage over the North Atlantic was first performed to determine whether a Loran-based dropsonde could replace the Omega dropwindsonde presently used by NOAA and the U.S. Air Force. Since the results of this analysis were positive, a development program was undertaken to provide a light-weight dropwindsonde that could be dropped in the airlanes or over land, and could measure winds to greater precision than an Omega-based system. The Loran translator and other sonde characteristics are described, as well as the aircraft-based data system. Results of the 430 drops from four aircraft are also given, and Loran performance in the severest weather conditions is discussed.
Published in:	NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation, Volume 36, Number 4
Pages:	363 - 382
Cite this article:	Lally, Vincent E., Lauritsen, Dean, Hock, Terrence, Norris, Kenneth, "WIND MEASUREMENTS OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC USING A LORAN-C DROPWINDSONDE", NAVIGATION: Journal of The Institute of Navigation, Vol. 36, No. 4, Winter 1989-1990, pp. 363-382.
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