Some Measurements of the Distribution of Water Vapor in the Stratosphere

Abstract

The results of three high-altitude ascents of an experimental radiosonde incorporating an electronic dew point hygrometer and carried by a large plastic balloon are presented. Significant features of the moisture distribution in the stratosphere revealed by these nights include at least one saturated layer in the vicinity of the tropopause on each occasion, and marked increases of the mixing ratio with height in the layer between 16 and 30 km in the two summer soundings. Charts and tabulations of the data from the three soundings are presented. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1950.tb00340.x