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SUCCESS 04/24/96 Mission Daily Schedule

The DC-8 and T-39 flew a coordinated mission over the CART site to profile cirrus clouds and for the T-39 to do near-field sampling of the DC-8 exhaust plume. Cirrus cells were observed the entire flight. While the DC-8 flew up and down wind tracks over the CART site, at different altitudes, the T-39 sampled its exhaust. Cirrus profiling was accomplished by the DC-8 by flying a racetrack pattern, in the up and down wind direction, while ascending, and then descending in slow spirals.

Highlights

Flight Reports

 

Mission Summary

DC-8 SUCCESS flight #208 [960208] (scientists: Brian Toon and Eric Jensen)

SUMMARY: The basic flight went very well. All of the instruments are functioning, with small problems left to be worked out.
This was an excellent cirrus sampling flight. Cirrus clouds were sampled at a very cold tropopause and appear to be very interesting. The T-39 also got good particle measurements in the DC-8 exhaust/contrails.

Mission Objective

 

  • profile cirrus clouds over the CART site
  • generate and sample persistent contrails
  • sample the DC-8 exhaust/contrails with the T-39

 

Flight Track

 

Flight Log

OPERATIONS
FLIGHT PLAN:
We will initially fly to a point 45 mi. downwind of the CART site (the wind is forecast at 300 deg., 50 knots). We will then fly a 15 min. leg upwind over the CART site at 20 K'. Then we will fly a climbing leg (not necessarily directly aligned with the previous leg) to the downwind point at 24 K'. Next, we will fly a level upwind leg at 24 K', then a climbing leg to 30 K', then a level leg at 30 K', then a climbing leg to 37 K', then a level leg at 37 K'. At the end of the upwind leg at 37 K', we will turn around, drop about a hundred feet, and attempt to visually pick up and fly into our contrail. Then we will fly another level leg upwind at 37 K' (hopefully in our contrail). Once we are slightly upwind of the CART site, we will fly 3 Lagrangian circles and spiral down over the CART site. We should have time to repeat the entire pattern. The T-39 will follow us as far as possible: either until they run short of gas or until the clouds are too thick for coordinated flying. The ER-2 is grounded due to high winds.

TAKEOFF/LANDING
The DC-8 left Salina at 16.30 UTC (11.30 am local time) and returned to Salina around 23.45 UTC

FLIGHT REPORT
The DC-8 climbed to 30 K' and transited to a point about 50 miles downwind of the CART site, with the T-39 sampling its exhaust. A 15 min. leg upwind over the CART site was flown at 30 K'. Then legs at 33 and 37 K' were flown. At 37 K', we attempted a fly back up to our contrail, and three circles were flown to intersect our contrail. Finally, we spiraled down to 30 K' over the CART site.
The along-wind, ascending legs pattern was then repeated with legs at 29, 33, 37, 39, and 41 K'. The legs at 39 and 41 K' were repeated to sample our own contrails. After these legs, we flew three circles, sampling our own exhaust/contrails. Finally, we spiraled down over the CART site.

METEOROLOGY-REPORT
FORECAST: Cirrus clouds over the CART site are forecast throughout the day, getting thicker with time. A front is moving in, and the tropopause should be lifting. This condition should be ideal for persistent contrails.
OBSERVATIONS: Patchy cirrus were observed during the first few legs of the first pattern. During the end of the first pattern and the beginning of the second, the CART site region was in a hole in the cirrus. Subsequently, deep cirrus moved in, with tops sometimes higher than 41 K'. The legs at 41 K' were in very cold cirrus (T = -68 C). Contrails generally did not persist more than a few minutes. Observation of contrails behind the DC-8 indicated that they typically dissipated just after the vortices broke up. Ground observers indicated that we only conned on the first of our three final Lagrangian circles.

INSTRUMENT STATUS
All instruments are functioning.

  • BALLENTHIN: Worked fine
  • BAUMGARDNER: Worked fine
  • BRUNE: Worked fine
  • CHAN: Worked fine
  • COGGIOLA: Worked fine
  • COOPER: Problem with IN instrument. Unknown status
  • DADS: Worked fine
  • FERRY: Worked fine
  • GARY: Worked fine
  • GERBER: Worked fine
  • HAGEN: Worked fine
  • HALLET: Cloudscope worked fine. Replicator had plumbing problem.
  • HEYMSFIELD: Worked fine
  • HUDSON: Worked fine
  • LAWSON: Worked fine
  • RODGERS: Some air leaks in system during flight.
  • SACHSE: Worked fine
  • TALBOT: Worked fine
  • TWOHY: Worked fine
  • UTHE: Worked fine
  • VALERO: Worked fine
  • WEINHEIMER: Worked fine

 

Mission Highlights

 

  • Aerosols and cirrus particles were highly volatile on this flight
  • At -67 C, ice crystals appeared to leave a solution residue on Hallet's cloudscope.
  • Relatively large amounts of particulate NOy were also apparent during the cold cirrus penetrations at 41 K'.

 

Mission Objective

T-39 Flight 07

  • To conduct near field sampling of the DC-8 with and without contrail formation.

 

Flight Log

TAKEOFF/LANDING:
The T-39 departed SLN at 1633UTC and returned at 1900UTC

FLIGHT REPORT:
The T-39 accomplished a rendezvous with the DC-8 approximately 5 min. after takeoff. The aircraft then performed near-field sampling of the lead aircraft's exhaust plume over the ensuing 2 hrs of flight time. Observations were obtained at 24, 30, 35 and 37 kft during constant altitude runs over the CART site.

METEOROLOGY-REPORT:

INSTRUMENT STATUS:

  • CIMS - mass spec - WORKED
  • MS - Met/Nav system - WORKED
  • AMS - Air Motion Sensor - WORKED
  • NDIR - CO2 - WORKED
  • 3760 - fine CN - WORKED
  • 3025 - ultra fine CN - WORKED
  • FSSP - 0.3-20um aerosols - NO DATA
  • PCASP - 0.1-3um aerosols - NO DATA

 

Highlights

 

  • Recorded over 100 DC-8 plume crossings at air temperatures ranging from 0 to -45C.
  • Observed a reduction in volatile particle concentration within contrail producing wake/plumes.
  • Enjoyed 90 degree roll in DC-8 wake.

96/04/24 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
  • E10: SIROS
  • E12: SIROS
  • E16: ECOR
  • E22: SIROS
  • E24: SMOS,SIROS

 

Key Comments/Observations related to flights

Variable thin to thick cirrus fibratus, generally tow layers from 7.5 km to 14 km. The DC-8 generally created persistent contrails only in connection with existing contrails.

CART-site observations (04/24):

Very windy (SW-direction) and dusty (blown up soil)
Cirrus clouds mainly above 10km altitude
Cirrus about 2 km thick, occasional concective cells without a bottom, then less humid sections, only a few halos events were sighted
Winds at cloud level 300/50kn turning northerly with altitude
No mid-level and no low-level clouds

DC-8 overpasses over the CART site (times in UTC):
17.17 SE-NW overpass, 30Kft
17.38 NW-SW overpass DC-8 laying contrail, sampled by T-39, 26Kft, sampling at the bottom of a convective cell (tops at 14km!)
17.48 thick cell 8-14km direct over the site (lidar)
18.05 another aircaft to north lays a (in clouds only) contrail
18.08 another aircraft passing to the south (picture of 4min con)
18.12 weak halo, lot of uncinus structure to the south
18.22 SE-NW overpass, contrail in cloud 10min later (no T-39)
18.38 NW-SE overpass, non-persistent contrail (no T-39)
18.58 SE-NW overpass, non-persistent contrail
19.15 dog-fight of two trainers over the lidar
19.19 NW-SE overpass, picture sequence of growing contrail,
contrail moved faster than the cirrus below (wind shear!)
19.40 cirrus clearing out, replaced by a dryer air-field
19.59 SE-NW overpass, non-persistent cirrus, longer lasting near cirrus fields only (easily identified by the bubbly structure and an often brighter appearance
for 20 minutes: looping just W of the CART site at different altitudes: from 20.07 on no visible contrails
20.25 leaving the CART site to SE, no contrails, visually lost
20.45 SE-NW overpass no contrail
21.07 NW-SE overpass
21.30 SE-NW overpass, making contrails, persistent near clouds
21.52 NW-SE overpass, passing upwind-leg contrail to the north
22.10 notice DC-8 laying contrail over the dryer patch downwind about 50 miles out
22.17 SE-NW overpass, non-persistent contrail, weaving off line, in thicker cirrus deck to the north and soon lost
22.37 NW-SE overpass, in heavy cirrus, hardly visible brightening
22.50 dark line above the horizon to the east: aerosol layer?
23.10 SE-NW overpass north of CART, cloud cover is dense and the overpass as well as the spirals remained undetected