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SUCCESS 04/23/96 Mission Daily Schedule

The ER-2 overflew mountain wave clouds and contrails in and out of the principle plane of the sun. Measurements were coordinated with a NOAA-14 satellite overpass at 2032 UTC.

Highlights

Flight Reports

ER-2 Flight: 96107

Date: April 23, 1996

Mission: Remote sensing of lee wave clouds.

Mission Objectives

Observe wave clouds over the front range and contrails during overpass of the NOAA-14 satellite.

 

Flight Track

Flight Summary

Take-off time was 1730 UTC and landing 2130 UTC. ER-2 flew to approximately 41:22N 106:19W and arrived at approximately 1839 UTC. Mission was to overfly mountain wave clouds and contrails in and out of the principal plane of the sun. Pilot was to visually locate the clouds. Coorindate flight track with ground track of the NOAA-14 satellite between 2031 and 2033 UTC. Track of satellite was approximately 40:36:20N 107:18:00W; 41:19.5N 107:34.8N; 41:59:51 107:48:00W; 42:39:09 108:00:00.

Denver did not give clearance to turn the lidar on until 1827 UTC.

Highlights

Flew parallel to NOAA-14 track while south of Denver.

Instrument Status

  • MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS): Operated. Good data collected.
  • Cloud Aerosol Lidar System (CALS): Operated. Good data collected.
  • High-Resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS): Operated. Good data collected in bands 1 and 2. Doubled dwell time of nadir view between calibration cylces.
  • Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer(MIR): Operated. Good data collected.
  • Tilt Scan CCD Camera (TSCC): Operated. Images collected.
  • Radiation Measuring System (RAMS): Operated. Good data collected.
  • RC-10 Camera: Operated (black and white visible film- 6 inch lens).

Additional Pilot Notes: ER-2 flew over a long cirrus cloud that extended for about 100 mi. downwind of near Laramie. This cirrus appeared to be rolling and turbulent. Commercial aircraft reported wave clouds. Could visually see roll clouds out side cockpit window, but could not see them when over the clouds due to cirrus above of the wave clouds. No persistent contrails, ER-2 overflew some non persistent contrails. Flew south of Denver to get contrails and roll clouds. Flew satellite overpass while south of Denver.

96/04/23 CART site activity

 

Meteorology at the Central Facility

Weather Conditions from Site Operators Log

 

Visiting Instruments at Central Facilities

 

 

 

CART Instrument Operations at Central Facilities

Key: O = operational, X = down or degraded

  • RASS, 50 MHz, (hourly): X
  • RASS, 915 MHz, (hourly): O
  • BSRN: O
  • SIROS: O
  • SMOS, (24 hrs): O
  • SWATS (24 hrs): O
  • EBBR, (24 hrs): O
  • WSI, (every 10 min.) X
  • MWR, (24 hrs): O
  • IRT: X
  • MPL, (24 hrs): X
  • BLC, (24 hrs): O
  • AERI, (24 hrs): O
  • SORTI, (daytime, sunny): O
  • Raman Lidar (daytime): X
  • 60M Temperature and Humidity: O
  • 25M Temperature and Humidity: O
  • 25M IRT: O
  • 25M MultiFilter Radiometer: O
  • 25M Upwelling IR: O
  • 25M Upwelling Solar: O
  • 10M IRT: O
  • 10M MultiFilter Radiometer: O
  • Aerosol System: O
  • Radiosondes, (Every 3 hrs, from 1:30 UTC): O

 

CART Instrument Operations at Boundary Facilities

There are four staffed Boundary Facilities, each having Balloon Borne Sounding Systems (BBSS) and MicroWave Radiometers (MWR). During the IOP period, sondes are launched every three hours round the clock, starting at 5:30 GMT (12:30 CST). The sites are listed below. Times listed following a site indicate questionable data or failed sonde launches. Weather conditions are recorded in the Boundary Facilities Site Operator's Log.

  • Hillsboro, KS (BF-1): Okay
  • Vici, OK (BF-4): Okay
  • Morris, OK (BF-5): Okay
  • Purcell, OK (BF-6): Okay

 

CART Instrumentation at Extended Facilities

There are numerous unstaffed Extended Facilities. The specific instrumentation at the extended facilities varies from site to site, but generally includes a flux station (either an Energy Balance Bowen Ration (EBBR) system or an Eddy Correlation (ECOR) system), a Solar and InfraRed Observing System (SIROS), and a Standard Meteorology Observing Station (SMOS). For the locations of the Extended Facilities, and their suite of instrumentation, see the table and map of the Extended CART site. The comments below indicate specific data streams with identified problems.

  • Problem at Extended Facility:
  • E1: ECOR
  • E2: SIROS
  • E3: SIROS
  • E7: SIROS
  • E12: SIROS
  • E15: SMOS, EBBR, SIROS
  • E16: SIROS, ECOR
  • E22: SIROS
  • E26: EBBR

 

Key Comments/Observations related to flights

Excellent cirrus and persistent contrails from commercial flights. Unfortunately, no flights over CART.