Mission 9

ER-2 Sortie 00-155

Friday, September 01, 2000

Chris Moeller: Flight Scientist

Objectives and Summary: Map evening fires in Zambia with MAS and under fly Terra for MODIS L1B and cloud mask validation in nighttime conditions.

The ER-2 flew northwest to Zambia in clear sky on transit to 18 minute leg (220 km) centered Mongu airport (15° 15’S, 23° 09’E) where MPL is operating.  Over flew MPL at 0815 UTC providing collocated up and down looking lidar measurements.  Mongu flight line aligned at 346° to parallel the Terra orbital track (21:15 UTC overpass).  ER-2 proceeded to fly five additional parallel 18 minute legs east of Mongu line, spaced for contiguous MAS coverage (about 20 km separation) to map evening burning in Zambia.   Many fires, some linear, some circular observed by pilot.  ER-2 then flew around Zimbabwean air space to align on track parallel to Terra orbital track for transit back to base.  Clear skies at 21:15 UTC for Terra overpass (22° 05’S, 25° 58’E; 1.3° view angle) and during entire flight.

The skies were cloud free and the visibility good.  The pilot noted large fire at 17:47:10 UTC (18:13S, 24:19E).

Highlights: Nighttime burning prevalent in Zambia.  Large (>5000 hectare) fire observed.  First night mission for MOPITT-A

ER-2 Mission:   Pilot:             Jim Barrilleaux

                             Takeoff         1630 UTC

                             Landing        2215 UTC

                             Duration       5:45

Instrument Status:

·        AirMISR – not on plane; being repaired

·        CPL – worked well, navigation data not recorded

·        LAS – not operated (ballast)

·        MAS – worked well

·        MOPITT-A –worked well

·        S-HIS – operated in nadir mode; worked well

·        SSFR – worked well

Meteorology:

A cold front runs southeastwards from the Transkei coast with the south

Atlantic high pressure cell ridging across the southern parts of the sub continent.  A cell of high pressure is centered over the southern parts of Zimbabwe and is controlling the circulation over the northern provinces of South Africa where it remains hot and dry.  Cloudy areas around the coast from the southwestern Cape to Durban. Cloudy areas over the southern and southwestern interior. Fog along the Namibian coast.  Fine

elsewhere with a high fire danger rating over the Northern Province.

AirMISR – Airborne Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer

CPL – Cloud Physics Lidar

LAS - Leonardo Airborne Simulator

MAS – MODIS Airborne Simulator

MOPITT-A – MOPITT Airborne Simulator

S-HIS – Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder

SSFR – Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer

ER-2 Ground Track: