[Scan-DC] Re: Arlington Cemetery Balloon Launch

[Jackie McElroy]

         On Mon, 03 May 2004 at 04:01:37 EDT,
         Jeff in Virginia <JWilliamH@aol.com> wrote:
 >
 > I don't know if it is related but on Friday night I noticed a
 > small blimp type ballon being launched from the area of
 > the Pentagon south parking.
 >

This is part of an atmospheric dispersion survey at the Pentagon from April 
19 to May 15, 2004. Aim is to check weather conditions and movement of 
simulated airborne contaminants around and inside the Pentagon. It's called 
Pentagon Shield.

The sensors being used are standard weather sensors:
-Wind sensors on light poles around the Pentagon, on the building roof, and 
in the courtyard.
-100-foot tower with weather sensors southwest of the Pentagon on Arlington 
Cemetery property.
-A 30-foot by 10-foot blimp parked in the South Parking Lot and flown 
mostly at night to measure the winds at various heights.
-Two long-range laser-based sensors on the grounds of the Navy Annex to 
measure winds around the entire Pentagon reservation.

Major participants in exercise Pentagon Shield are:
-National Center for Atmospheric Research,
-Field Research Division, Air Resources Laboratory, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration
-U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground
-The University of Colorado.

-jackie

Jackie McElroy
Washington, D.C.
http://www.mcjackie.com