Tenders Are Invited For Delivery Of 75 Ozonesondes

Ozonesondes Measure The Amount Of Ozone In The Atmosphere By Leading The Outside Air Through A Pump To Two Electrochemical Cells In An Isolation Box, In Which A Chemical Reaction Of The Ozone Molecules Generates An Electric Current, Which Is A Measure Of The Ozone Concentration In The Atmosphere. These Ozonesondes Are Launched With Meteorological Weather Balloons And The Measured Currents Are Transmitted Via A Numerical Interface To A Radiosonde (= A Mini Weather Station), Which In Turn Transmits These Data To The Radiosounding Receiving Station At Uccle. Batteries Ensure The Alimentation Of The Ozonesondes Pump. The Need For These Measurements Lies In One Of The Core Tasks Of The Rmi, Namely Observing The Vertical Distribution Of Ozone Concentrations (Thickness Of The Ozone Layer) Over Belgium In The Context Of The United Nations Montreal Protocol. For This Purpose, Ozonesonde Launches Are Carried Out 3 Times A Week, Since 1969. The Length And Frequency Of This Time Series Of Measurements Makes It Virtually Unique In The World. Before Launching These Ozonesondes, They Must First Be Very Carefully Tested And Calibrated To Ensure Consistency And Homogeneity Of The Time Series. After All, Each Instrument Is Unique. To This End, The Rmi Has An Ozone Lab With Test Units And Calibration Instruments That Provide Reference Measurements For Ozone. The Ozonesondes Are, Since 2018, Ordered Every 2 Years So That The Rmi Can Enjoy The Latest Minor Improvements And Developments Of The Instrument.