Mobile Radiosonde Deployments during the Mesoscale Predictability Experiment (MPEX): Rapid and Adaptive Sampling of Upscale Convective Feedbacks

Abstract

Abstract The Mesoscale Predictability Experiment (MPEX) was a field campaign conducted 15 May through 15 June 2013 within the Great Plains region of the United States. One of the research foci of MPEX regarded the upscaling effects of deep convective storms on their environment, and how these feed back to the convective-scale dynamics and predictability. Balloon-borne GPS radiosondes, or “upsondes,” were used to sample such environmental feedbacks. Two of the upsonde teams employed dual-frequency sounding systems that allowed for upsonde observations at intervals as fast as 15 min. Because these dual-frequency systems also had the capacity for full mobility during sonde reception, highly adaptive and rapid storm-relative sampling of the convectively modified environment was possible. This article documents the mobile sounding capabilities and unique sampling strategies employed during MPEX.