JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Just about every parent at one time has consoled a child who's helium balloon escaped and floated up, up and away. Did you ever wonder wear it goes? Now you can say it explodes and here is video proof.
While not you everyday birthday balloon, modified rubber weather balloons soar upwards to measure weather conditions like temperature, wind and moisture. Weather balloons are launched twice a day to monitor weather conditions above the ground.
The flight upwards ends because the air becomes so thin with height that the balloon expands 100 times its size until it ruptures. But they don't just pop, instead they shatter, shred and explode!
Scientists at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences in Boulder, Colorado were able to capture photos taken with a GoPro Hero4 operating at 48 frames per second. The GPS payload fell back to Earth on a parachute after the balloon exploded 18.5 miles above ground.
The photos, show the balloon begins to shatter at a single point and rapidly shreds symmetrically towards a focus on the opposite side. Photos of six other balloon bursts show similar point failure with the shredding rubber contracting to a mirror point on the opposite side of the balloon.
The American Meteorological Society will publish a paper on this research and you can see more of the authors videos here.