The RMI AND ITS WEATHER BALLOONS REWARDED

27/09/2019

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has rewarded the ozone research group from the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (RMI) to mark the 50th anniversary of ozone measurements at Uccle.

Since 1959, the RMI has measured atmospheric ozone three times a week. The method they use is that of weather balloons. By ascending to an altitude of 35km, the balloons are able to measure the concentration of ozone. The measurements are then compared to those recorded by satellites. In this way, abnormal phenomena – such as holes in the ozone layer - are easily spotted.

The data collected is also essential in fields other than meteorology, because the concentration of ozone may have effects on our health, for example.

The certificate of recognition received by the RMI highlights the specific nature of the series of measurements made by the balloons at Uccle: these are one of the longest series of ozone measurements in the world.

The WMO also wanted to use the occasion to highlight the RMI's contribution to the development of earth sciences and the understanding of atmospheric processes.