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MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS)

FLIGHT SUMMARY INFORMATION

Flight Track Map
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Flight: 00-157
Date: 6 September 2000
Location: Botswana and Zambia
Deployment: SAFARI
Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael King (NASA GSFC)
Flight Scientist: Dr. Chris Moeller (UW CIMSS)
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: 18
Scanlines: 106111
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 07:14-07:40 320 21.70-19.38 28.03-25.95 9999 19602
2 07:40-08:07 321 19.38-17.01 25.95-23.91 9999 20014
3 08:07-08:14 318 17.01-16.46 23.91-23.36 2516 19962
4 08:15-08:41 358 16.39-13.40 23.33-23.09 9888 20029
5 08:46-09:13 176 13.21-16.12 23.03-23.21 9999 19989
6 09:19-09:46 357 16.45-13.41 23.23-23.04 9976 19907
7 09:49-10:02 153 13.34-14.56 23.26-23.92 4771 20051
8 10:02-10:15 114 14.61-15.15 23.98-25.32 4849 20039
9 10:21-10:34 293 15.23-14.65 25.56-24.11 5043 19884
10 10:34-10:42 274 14.63-14.58 24.06-23.25 2665 19921
11 10:44-10:58 179 14.74-16.24 23.14-23.22 5173 19890
12 10:58-11:04 135 16.31-16.71 23.25-23.68 2019 19989
13 11:04-11:13 138 16.71-17.45 23.68-24.34 3377 20048
14 11:13-11:40 146 17.46-19.93 24.35-25.90 9999 20090
15 11:40-11:46 149 19.93-20.50 25.90-26.26 2274 20035
16 11:46-11:50 148 20.50-20.92 26.27-26.53 1705 19937
17 11:51-12:17 154 20.95-23.55 26.55-27.91 9999 19830
18 12:17-12:22 156 23.54-24.04 27.91-28.15 1860 19410
Images 01 through 18 in sequence
Flight Summary Report

Author: Chris Moeller
Mission Scientist: Chris Moeller
ER-2 Pilot: Jan Nystrom
Takeoff: 0640 (UTC)
Landing: 1255 (UTC)
Duration: 6:15 (h:mm)

Objective and Summary:

  1. Overfly the Mongu Tower (15° 26´ S, 23° 15´ E) on a line from about Senanga to Zambezi with the CV580 doing BRDF below,
  2. Overfly the Mongu airfield (15° 156´ S, 23° 10´ E) twice on the same line shifted slightly to the west with CV580 doing profiles below and MPL lidar looking up,
  3. Overfly a controlled burn (Ward) at Kaoma (about 1000 and 1020 UTC),
  4. Overfly MPL at the Mongu airfield one more time on N-S transect.

Key Flight Legs:

ER-2 overpass of Mongu tower (~0823 UTC) and Mongu airfield (~0905 and ~0930 UTC) in clear sky with much smoke/haze noted by pilot. AirMISR successfully operated on tower and 1st airfield overpass. The ER-2 then flew to burn scars and a small controlled fire launch near Kaoma for two overpasses centered on about 14° 55´ S, 24° 45´ E. Mission then returned to Mongu airfield line for a final overpass of MPL and on to Senanga site. ER-2 then proceeded on a flyby of Matimba power station near Ellisras (~1220 UTC).

Highlights:

Coordinated ER-2/CV580 BRDF and profiling over ground based instruments in Mongu region. After the mission, learned that Mongu MPL not operative due to power outage.

AERONET sites and features overflown during this mission:

  • Mongu Airport
  • Senanga
  • Zambezi
  • Kaoma
  • Mongu Tower

Pilot Report:

Skies clear throughout the Zambian sites with much smoke/haze noted.

Meteorology:

A cold front has crossed the Cape, causing cloudy rainy weather over the southwestern parts of South Africa. To the north of the front, the south atlantic high is ridging across the western interior. The indian ocean high has moved off to the east and the influx of cool moist air into the northeastern areas has collapsed. Aloft, the flow has become more zonal over southern Africa with a trough and upper jet to the east. Weather will be generally fine, except for the southwestern areas where it will be cloudy at times with occasional rain.

ER-2 Science Instrument Payload Status

  • AirMISR: collected data over Mongu tower
  • CLS: Lidar worked properly, but navigation data not recorded
  • LAS: worked well
  • MAS: worked well
  • MOPITT-A: worked well
  • SHIS: worked well in nadir mode
  • SSFR: worked well
  • RC-10: worked well
  • ER-2 Nav Recorder: failed to record data
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Flight 00-157

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Sample Imagery
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Track #6
Zambia
Click to load the full resolution image Flight Direction Indicator
R: 2.15µm
G: 0.91µm
B: 0.55µm