Why sometimes meteorological balloon explodes when it's rising up fast?

Question

I know it got something with pressure or electricity...

Answer 1

I used to be a weatherman in the Air Force. We sent up weather balloon for upper winds and temperatures. The balloon we used was about 10 feet in diameter when we released it, by the time it exploded they were about a mile across. We could get some balloons to sometimes 3 or 4 millibars of pressure. Almost outer space. The pressure in the balloon wants to stay at atmospheric pressure. At sea level, there is about 14.7 pounds per square inch pushing in on the balloon. It is pushing 14.7 psi back - so the size stays the same. As the balloon rises because helium is lighter than air at the same pressures, the atmosphere gets less and less as it approaches outer space. The balloon starts expanding because it's pushing out, starting at 14.7 psi. trying to equalize with atmosphereic pressure. At 0 millibars, the pressure is almost nothing. The balloon is so stretched out it bursts before it could reach outer space. For science purposes, the atmosphere is divided up into 1000 bars. Each millibar represents 1/1000 of atmospheric pressure. 1000 bars is at surface level and 0 bars is outer space. The bars get further and further apart as you get to outer space.

Answer 2

I have sent up a few balloons at a SAWRS (supplementary aviation weather reporting station) some years ago and never had one burst. We used a chart that related to the time it took the balloon to rise until we couldn't see it anymore (to determine ceiling/cloud height). The balloons are about 3 feet in diameter and are quite rugged. However, in thin skinned type helium (party)balloons the sun heats the helium up and causes the pressure to rise resulting in a burst balloon. I suppose that the same can happen to a weather balloon. I do know that atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude so therefore, the pressure inside the balloon would cause the ballon to expand incrementally as it rises unitil it may burst depending on how durable the balloon is and the pressure it was filled at. Pressure would be the likely answer.

Answer 3

meteorological balloons are filled with He and are opened at the bottom similar to a hot air balloon. There is no pressure equilization to worry about. The pressure will be the same inside or out. They cannot explode due to a difference. The He does however expand under the lighter atmospheric pressure and will eventually fill the balloon completely until it escapes through the opening at the bottom.

I have never heard of one exploding.

Answer 4

The atmosphere pressure at high altitudes is much lower than the pressure within a meteorological balloon, and if the balloon rises before the pressures can equalize, the balloon may burst due to the difference in pressures.

Answer 5

the air inside the balloon expands as the air outside gets thinner or something like that.