Pulse Heating of Humidity Sensors Continued Down to Temperature -60°C

  • ​A sensor that has gathered ice cannot measure humidity profile details accurately in the lower atmosphere. In the upper atmosphere it shows a too high humidity reading
  • Vaisala Radiosonde RS92 has two thin film humidity sensors. While the other sensor measures humidity, the other one is heated. The heating functionality reduces icing and condensation effects on the sensor. This results in reliable humidity measurements also when emerging from a cloud
  • When the Vaisala Radiosonde RS92-SGP was first released, the alternate heating was turned off when the radiosonde reached -40°C temperature. Since March 2005 the heating functionality has been continued to temperature -60°C. This functionality was also used in the WMO radiosonde intercomparison in Mauritius in 2005. The change leads to more reliable humidity measurements in soundings where there are high humidity conditions between temperatures -40°C and -60°C