Documents / Report
This is the final report of the Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects, conducted by the University of Colorado under Air Force contract F44620-67-C-0035, with Edward U. Condon as scientific director and Daniel S. Gillmor as editor. It was submitted to the National Academy of Sciences on 15 November 1968 for review. The report includes field studies, photographic and radar analyses, case studies, historical chapters and appendices such as the Robertson Panel report and the Twining letter.
winds in the lower atmosphere, that i:;, on a scale smaller than
ordinarily analyzed on ~)lnort i c weather maps. '111e synoptic
maps for 2l100 LST 26 January 19S~, for the 70() mlJ (ahout lO,nOn ft.),
500 mb (about 19,000 ft.), and 300 mb (ahout 27,O()() ft.) levels are
shown in Figs. 10 and 11.
Al though the general windflow in the Ari zona-New Mexico area
for at least the 700 and 50n mb maps is from the west, there are in-
dications of a secondary mesoscale circulation somewhere in the
vicinity of the Arizona-New Mexico border, which is ~mhedded in the
general trough overlying the southwestern states. Especially sig-
nificant are the II/inds at the 700 and 500 mb levels at Tucson and
at Phoenix, mainly at the son mb level, which show evidence of a
mesoscale cyclonic circulation in the area.
In view of the general meteorological situation at the time,
a quite likely explanation for the Continental Divide sighting is
as fol1O\vs: The Winslow pibal balloon, which \'1as leaking, was
carried aw~y to the cast, probably sinking slowly asit went. :lna
was lost fl'om view of the Winslow weather station. Upon reaching
the general vi, for tile 71)() mll (ahout lO,nOo ft.),
SOO mb (about 19,O[)O ft.), and 300 mb (about 27,O()() ft.) levels are
shown in Figs. 10 and 11.
Although the general windflow in the Arizona-New Mexico area
for at least the 700 and son mb maps is from the west, there are in-
dications of a secondary mesoscale ci.rculation somewhere in the
vicinity of the Arizona-New Mexico border, which is ~mhedded in the
general trough overlying the soutbwestern states. Especially ~ig
nificant are the \Vinds at the 700 and 500 mil levels at Tucson and
at Phoenix, mainly at the son mb level, which show evidence of a
mesoscale cyclonic circulation in the area.
In view of the general meteorDlogi~al situation at the time,
a quite likely explanation for the Continental iJivide sighting is
as fol101.s: 'Ihe Winslow pihal balloon, which 1185 leaking, was
carried aw~y to the east, prohably sinking s J o\Vly asi t went. :tnU
was lost from view of the Winslow weather station. Upon reaching
the general vidnity of (,allup, N. M. the leaking hallc!'n was
probably caught up in a loen! cyclonic vortex and updraft, which,
being instigated by the mesoscale cyclonic flow in the region may
have formed on the windl1ard s ide of the range of low mounts ins
forming the Divide in that area. This would havE' ciluscd the' lJ;lllool1
to be carried toward the north, slowly rising, as first observe,.!.
111is would rw followed in sequenc'~ by a turll to the west, and
ultimately, l~on reaching B somewhat high~T level, a turn toward
the sOllthea~t ngai n a" the 11alloon bCClIlIIC cf,ught in the morc general
flow from the west and l1orthw('st prcvai lini~ at midllle lcv('ls in tli('
atlnospht're.
'111is hypothesis fits the details of tIll' ob~crvatioll~i rather
well, and considpt'ing the lal~k of 8dditioTlul infonnatioll or ual" Report, from the classic collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 1497 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.