What are the chances that the pilots Steve Fossett and Einar Enevoldson will reach 62,000 feet sometime between July 22 – August 11, 2002?
The atmospheric requirements necessary for the pilots penetrate the troposphere and get into the stratosphere are quite unique. • Active Polar Vortex • Prefrontal conditions best • Wind direction within 30 of perpendicular to the mountain ridgeline • Subtropical jet located to the north of New Zealand • Strong low-level winds in a stable atmosphere • A gradual increase in wind with altitude (energy) • A weak tropopause that will allow the wave to traverse into the stratosphere • Ridgetop winds at 20 knots minimumAs our field program is relatively short (only about 19 days long) and if we average about one frontal passage every 4 days, that gives us four or 5 chances for prefrontal wave conditions.
