During the Global Hawk’s first HS3 checkout flight over the Pacific Ocean, data from the dropsonde system were used to construct a cross section of the atmosphere along the longitude of Hawaii from 10 to 50°N, revealing the structure of the winds, temperature, and relative humidity as the aircraft crossed over a “river” of high moisture in the atmosphere and an associated frontal zone and jet stream.September 9, 2011
NASA graphic image
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