There are thousands of glider flights
around the world each year - potentially a
huge source of data on atmospheric
conditions.
Image: iStockphoto
Professor Rick Millane has been processing data collected using gliders, or sailplanes, that can potentially help understand atmospheric phenomena, weather systems and ozone depletion. The results, showing the potential of the technique, have been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology.
Knowing more about atmospheric mountain waves, which influence the atmospheric general circulation, windstorms and turbulence, is important for understanding weather, climate and aviation hazards. They can also affect ozone abundance through mixing and inducing polar stratospheric clouds.
Mountain waves form when wind flows up and over a mountain range, such as the Southern Alps, and then back down the other side. The air then continues the wave pattern downwind of the range, the wind rising and sinking and so on, creating a series of updrafts and downdrafts parallel to the mountains.
It is this phenomenon that has made the Mackenzie Basin famous for gliding and is what attracted the late Steve Fossett when he came to New Zealand to attempt the record altitude in a glider as part of the “Perlan Project”.
Being a glider pilot himself - and head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering - Professor Millane saw the opportunity to combine two of his interests: gliding and data analysis.
When meeting Steve Fosset’s co-pilot, Einar Enevoldson, and meteorologist, Dr Elizabeth Austin of WeatherExtreme.com, in Omarama in the Mackenzie Basin, Professor Millane thought of using the data collected during their flights to study mountain-wave phenomena. Traditionally this information is obtained using helium balloons, which has limitations, he said.
He and his students developed algorithms and software to analyse the data, including position, altitude, temperature, pressure and air speed, collected during the Perlan Project flights. It is this analysis that has contributed to the current published material, but Professor Millane’s next project will be to look at using data from recreational glider flights.
“Gliders can reach heights of 10 000 to 12 000 metres and there are thousands of glider flights around the world every year," said Professor Millane.
“There are competitions where 30 or more gliders will fly in the same area at the same time. These gliders carry GPS systems and the data is often archived from all around the world.
“We want to see what we can do with this routine but more limited data to obtain the same kinds of information. This avoids having to use special flights and equipment, as was the case with the Perlan Project flights.”
Professor Millane has been working with a number of undergraduate and postgraduate students on this project. Current PhD student Amanda Zhang contributed to the published work and is working on further development of the project.
“This project gives students the opportunity to develop and utilise their technical skills and to see the diverse applications of electrical and computer engineering,” Professor Millane said.
Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.
|
