MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS)

1. Overfly Maun tower site and recently repaired AERONET sun photometer in conjunction with Terra overpass,
2. Overfly large burn scare and possibly active fire in northeast Namibia first observed by SAWB Aerocommander JRA several days before,
3. Overfly powerplants east of Johannesburg (Witbank, Secunda and Tutuka),
4. Overfly industrial sites south of Johannesburg along with the Vredefort dome (ancient impact crater site),
5. Overfly Thabazimibia-Murchinson Lineament.

SAWB JRA worked the burn scar in northeast Namibia. The UK C-130 (based in Windhoek, Namibia) made its final SAFARI flight on Saturday 16 September. The CV-580 (based in Walvis Bay, Namibia) canceled remaining SAFARI flights due to aircraft mechanical problems.

RC-10 photography was acquired over the two ground sites, the industrial/power plant legs, and various points of opportunity in Mozambique (smoke plume across ER-2 track at 0748 UTC, coastal areas at 0955, 1204 UTC).

The ER-2 flight track over Maun, Botswana was oriented parallel to Terra and at the same time as the 0904 UTC overpass. The Terra ground track was approximately 160 km west of Maun (14 degree viewing angle). The flight legs over the power plants and industrial sites was reported by the pilot to be approximately 80% cloud cover. Other legs were in clear sky.

Overpasses of Maun Tower with working sun photometer, large burn scar in northeast Namibia coordinated with JRA, Thabazimibia-Murchinson Lineament.

• Maun Tower, Botswana (19° 53´ S, 23° 33´ E)
• Thabazimibia-Murchinson Lineament, RSA
  (24° 53.7´ S, 25° 52.9´ E to 23° 45´ S, 31° 18´ E)
• Vredefort Dome, RSA (26° 50´ S, 27° 20´ E)

N/A

A cold front runs from the Orange River mouth to Port Elizabeth and southeastwards, with a low off the Transkei coast. A trough/cutoff low has weakened and moved to the central interior, with a new trough developing to the west of South Africa. Middle level moisture ahead of the trough is diminishing significantly over the northern regions, where isolated thundershowers are likely, but more extensive over the southern areas. Fine weather over Namibia and western Botswana otherwise partly cloudy, but cloudy in the south. Showers are expected along the southern coastal areas, while scattered thundershowers are likely over the southeastern areas of South Africa becoming more isolated over the remainder of the eastern parts, except in the extreme north.

• AirMISR: not on aircraft
• CLS: Lidar worked properly, but navigation data not recorded
• LAS: not on aircraft
• MAS: worked well
• MOPITT-A: worked well
• SHIS: operated in scanning mode
• SSFR: worked well
• RC-10: worked well