Courtesy photo of ATSC research scientist Jennifer Mercer as she releases a balloon near McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

TODAY Show Visits Atmospheric Scientist at McMurdo Station in Antarctica

Courtesy of Atmospheric Science Department

November 20, 2007 - UW atmospheric scientist Jennifer Mercer was recently interviewed by the NBC TODAY Show while studying the Ozone Hole at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Three months each year she measures the ozone layer by launching balloons 100,000 feet into the stratosphere. "I love working on a global problem and love Antarctica," states Mercer.

It is anticipated that the ozone layer over Antarctica is coming back, suggesting that the Montreal Protocol which restricted chlorofluorocarbons use may be responsible for this. These Antarctic measurements are part of a larger balloon-based research program which began at the University of Wyoming in 1971 under the direction of Professors Jim Rosen and Dave Hofmann, Department of Physics and Astronomy, and has continued since 1991 under the direction of Terry Deshler, Department of Atmospheric Science. Helium-filled balloons, released near the Laramie airport, carry 100 - 200 lb payloads and ascend to 110,000 feet at which point they are separated from the balloon and descend on parachute. The balloon flights are coordinated with Denver air traffic control, and the gondola carries GPS locating devices and a transponder for this purpose. The balloon, destroyed upon payload separation, also carries a GPS device. No instrument package released from Laramie has been lost, a testament to the balloon team's skill. UW is one of three sites in the United States (the only one at a university) which continue to conduct atmospheric research using balloon-borne instruments.