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MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS)

FLIGHT SUMMARY INFORMATION

Flight Track Map
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Flight: 00-149
Date: 22 August 2000
Location: South Africa and Mozambique
Deployment: SAFARI
Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael King (NASA GSFC)
Flight Scientist: Dr. Michael King (NASA GSFC)
Additional Sensors: AirMISR, CLS, LAS, MOPITT-A, S-HIS, & SSFR
Objective: To understand the key linkages between the physical, chemical and biological processes, including human activities, that comprise the southern African biogeophysical system.

Data Evaluation
Overall quality is good

Processing Information
Level-1B Data in HDF format is available
Flight Line Summary
Spectral Band Configuration
Spectral Response Function Table

Browse Imagery
Flight Tracks: 13
Scanlines: 69451

Browse Imagery Table
Click a Flight Track number to view a quicklook image
Lat/Lon ranges are for the BEG-END scanline nadir pixels
Flight
Track
Time Span
(GMT)
Heading
(Deg)
Lat Range
(Deg North)
Lon Range
(Deg West)
Length
(scanlines)
Altitude
(meters)
1 07:41-07:58 90 23.02-23.00 30.29-32.35 6457 18530
2 08:07-08:34 185 22.84-25.84 32.09-31.55 9892 19746
3 08:35-08:50 227 25.90-27.16 31.51-30.05 5958 20079
4 08:51-09:01 185 27.24-28.34 30.01-30.00 3568 20122
5 09:03-09:26 6 28.35-25.85 30.19-30.50 8475 20023
6 09:28-09:36 254 25.76-26.09 30.36-29.35 3213 19969
7 09:36-09:40 254 26.09-26.23 29.35-28.87 1493 19979
8 09:41-09:55 273 26.24-26.24 28.80-27.01 5311 20000
9 09:58-10:11 90 26.04-26.03 27.09-28.69 4838 19940
10 10:15-10:29 270 26.13-26.14 28.74-27.07 4967 20001
11 10:31-10:43 84 26.00-25.86 27.06-28.60 4659 20141
12 10:47-10:57 312 26.07-25.36 28.63-27.75 3580 19880
13 10:59-11:18 55 25.16-23.77 27.86-29.59 7040 19940
Images 01 through 13 in sequence
Flight Summary Report

Author: Dr. Michael King
Mission Scientist: Dr. Michael King
ER-2 Pilot: Jim Barrilleaux
Takeoff: 0725 (UTC)
Landing: 1155 (UTC)
Duration: 4:30 (h:mm)

Objective and Summary:

  1. Overfly the Limpopo River and then down the entire length of Kruger National Park from 23° S, 38° 05´ E to 25° 50´ S, 31° 33´ E along the descending orbit of Terra (heading of 192.8°),
  2. Overfly Skukuza at the time of the Terra overpass at 0828 UTC.

Key Flight Legs:

After the TERRA overpass, the ER-2 cut across Swaziland and flew a southerly flight track over Durnacol coal mines in Kwazulu-Natal, before proceeding north and turning to overfly the Witbank coal-fired power plants of the highveld. Numerous passes of the ER-2 were made over Johannesburg so that detailed photos could be taken with the RC10 camera, followed by a single pass over Pretoria before heading back to Pietersburg.

The mission was coordinated with the CV-580 over Skukuza at the time of the Terra overpass, with JRA over a prescribed burn in Satara, and later with JRB over Witbank and downtown Johannesburg.

The RC-10 camera was turned on for flights over the Limpopo River, Kruger National Park, Durnacol, Witbank, Johannesburg, and Pretoria.

Highlights:

N/A

AERONET sites and features overflown during this mission:

  • Sowa Pan (20° 33´ S, 26° 04´ E)
  • Maun Tower (19° 55´ S, 23° 36´ E)

Pilot Report:

Skies were entirely devoid of cloud cover, but were exceedingly hazy north and east of Pietersburg, including the lowveld of Kruger National Park. The sky was somewhat polluted over Johannesburg, but considerably less hazy than over the lowveld to the east.

Meteorology:

A detached cell of high pressure lay over the Northern Province, whilst the complex low pressure system to the south continued to move away from the country in a southeasterly direction. Aloft, a weak ridge lay over the northern parts of South Africa between the old trough that has weakened and moved eastwards. Fine, and generally cloud free weather over the northern and northeastern parts of South Africa with partly cloudy regions over the central and southern areas. The Congo air boundary moved into the extreme northwestern regions of Zambia and some showers and isolated thunderstorms is expected in these parts.

ER-2 Science Instrument Payload Status

  • AirMISR: not on aircraft; being repaired
  • CLS: Lidar worked properly, but navigation data not recorded
  • LAS: failed prior to take off
  • MAS: worked well
  • MOPITT-A: worked well
  • SHIS: not on aircraft due to instrument problem in interferometer
  • SSFR: worked well
  • RC-10: worked well

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Flight 00-149

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Sample Imagery
Click image for full resolution
Track #1
South Africa & Mozambique
Click to load the full resolution image Flight Direction Indicator
R: 11.01µm
G: 2.15µm
B: 0.46µm

Sample Imagery
Click image for full resolution
Track #3
South Africa & Mozambique
Click to load the full resolution image Flight Direction Indicator
R: 11.01µm
G: 2.15µm
B: 0.46µm