By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

Why Are Meteorologists Tracking The Location Of The Chinese Balloon?

Beijing on Saturday offered a subdued rebuttal to Washington’s decision to delay a high-level visit after a suspected Chinese spy balloon was discovered hovering over the United States, derailing China’s recent efforts to repair its most important bilateral relationship.

The balloon, which is reportedly being used for research purposes, accidentally went off course and is now floating over U.S. airspace, according to China's Foreign Affairs Ministry. But it's causing havoc in U.S. national security: The Defense Department claims the balloon is actually being used for surveillance — and this conflicting view even led Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a trip to Beijing. The balloon's presence comes at a time of increased tension between China and the U.S. over national security.

The balloon, which U.S. officials began tracking east from Montana, is now somewhere over the continental United States. And while officials say the balloon poses zero threat to civilians, it garners attention as meteorologists and amateur observers track its route.

Showing the importance of the issue hours before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was to take off, Washington postponed the trip, saying it “would not be appropriate” after discovering the airship floating around 60,000 feet above the central United States.

Blinken had been expected to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the trip, and while few expected concrete results, officials on both sides hoped it would start the process of capping tensions over issues such as Taiwan, U.S. sanctions targeting Chinese tech companies, human rights and China’s friendship with Russia. The trip would help pave the way for a potential visit to the United States by Xi when San Francisco hosts an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meeting in November.

On the eve of such a critical meeting, the balloon incident raises questions over whether it was an accident or a deliberate effort by Beijing to send a message to Washington. The Pentagon said Thursday that the air vehicle is not currently considered a threat to people on the ground. In either case, it is a setback for China’s leadership.

But also, previous visits to China by U.S. officials have been marred by provocative moves. In 2011, hours before receiving Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Beijing, the People’s Liberation Army staged a new stealth fighter jet test flight. When U.S. officials raised the issue with President Hu Jintao, the leader, his retinue appeared caught off guard.

China’s foreign affairs chief Wang Yi told Blinken on Friday that Beijing does not “accept any groundless speculation and hype, according to a readout released by Beijing. Wang also called on both sides to “communicate, avoid misjudgments, manage and control differences.

What we find interesting is that a vessel sighted in Latin America is also of Chinese origin.

In China, coverage of the balloon saga was relatively subdued, with state-run outlets such as the Global Times tabloid accusing U.S. politicians of “hyping” the incident. Earlier in the week, a Global Times article argued that claims such balloons would be sent from China to the United States were “nonsense.” On Saturday, that article appeared to have been deleted.

Reuters reported Friday night that – according to the U.S. military – the suspected Chinese spy balloon has changed course and is now floating eastward at about 60,000 feet (18,300 meters) over the central United States, “demonstrating a capability to maneuver.” Several media outlets are reporting on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) model for computing air parcel trajectories (NOAA’s HYSPLIT model), which has predicted that the suspected Chinese spy balloon was somewhere over southeast Missouri by 6 a.m. CT (12 UTC) on Saturday, February 4. The balloon follows the pattern of winds sweeping across the U.S. Find a map below of its suspected course into the United States and where it could travel next.

The balloon is huge. It’s up to 3-bus-lengths long. According to reports, you should be able to spot it under clear daytime skies, even though it is very high. Some reports say the balloon is flying as high as 60,000 feet, or about 11 miles up (18,000 meters). The balloon is sailing through the layer of Earth’s atmosphere called the stratosphere. That’s well above where airplanes fly, at around 32,000 feet (10,000 meters).

 

For updates click hompage here