This photo shows the launch of a driftsonde from Zinder, Niger, during the AMMA (African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses) field project in 2006. The balloons drifted west from Africa over the Atlantic Ocean at heights of around 65,000-70,000 feet. Each one carried a gondola filled with instrument packages. Scientists on the ground sent signals to the gondola when they wanted it to drop an instrument package into a storm. The instrument package, which radioed back information about temperature, relative humidity, and wind, helped researchers determine which storms could strengthen into hurricanes. The driftsondes provided unique data on the atmospheric conditions over the tropical Atlantic, a remote area where hurricanes develop.
