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MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS)

FLIGHT SUMMARY INFORMATION

Flight Track Map
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Flight: 03-916
Date: 24 November 2002
Location: Texas / Oklahoma / Missouri
Deployment: TX-2002
Principal Investigators: Drs. Paul Menzel & Chris Moeller (UWISC)
Additional Sensors: CPL, MVIS, NAST-I, RC-10 (dual), SHIS, VIS

Data Evaluation
Overall quality is good
TERRA Underflight @17:02

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

Browse Imagery
Flight Tracks: 6
Scanlines: 46126

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 15:57 - 16:24 7.9 30.466 - 33.420 96.263 - 95.471 9999 19912
2 16:24 - 16:39 11.7 33.420 - 35.144 95.471 - 94.989 5748 19893
3 16:44 - 17:06 8.0 35.201 - 37.580 94.964 - 94.274 7901 19870
4 17:11 - 17:37 190.4 37.318 - 34.497 94.373 - 95.171 9999 19824
5 17:37 - 18:04 195.8 34.497 - 31.614 95.171 - 95.964 9999 19917
6 18:04 - 18:11 196.4 31.613 - 30.900 95.964 - 96.154 2480 19954
Images 01 through 06 in sequence
Flight Summary Report

Mission Objectives

Collect data of single and multilayer (ice over water) cirrus cloud for validating MODIS Cloud Top heights and Cloud Phase using CPL depolarization data.  Collect data of very thin cirrus for MODIS Cloud Mask thin cirrus bit validation.

Flight Summary

Take-off was at 1530 UTC.  ER-2 landed at 1905 UTC.

ER-2 flew towards eastern TX where it picked up a line parallel to the Terra MODIS orbital track (23 deg view from MODIS) and flew this line towards SW Missouri, meeting the Terra MODIS overpass (1702 UTC) near the northern extent.  Total length of this line was about 70 minutes.  All along this line was single layer cirrus of varying thickness, and some cases of single layer cirrus over scattered or broken stratus.  At the Terra overpass, the ER-2 was observing cirrus with spotty strato-cu (sct) below.  Pilot then reversed course and flew the same line back to SE TX where he got off this line and returned to SAT.

Highlights

Abundant cirrus in single layer and multi-layer (ice over water) scenes w/Terra overpass.

Instrument Status
  • Modis Airborne Simulator (MAS): Operated. Good data.
  • NPOESS Atmospheric Sounder Testbed (NAST-I): Problems with signal level in all bands.
  • Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL): Operated. Good data.
  • Scanner High-Resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS): Good data.
  • VIS video camera: Operated.  Good video collected.
  • M/VIS mini video camera: Operated.  Good video collected.
  • RC-10 Cameras: Operated 6" (b/w) camera for 5 minutes surrounding Terra overpass time  (1659 - 1704 UTC)
  • Nav recorder failed but Nav data collected by individual instruments through RS-232 feed
Additional Pilot Notes

Could see surface through clouds about 70% of time.  Low stratus deck under cir rus at Terra overpass time.

GOES Satellite Image
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Flight 03-916

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Sample Imagery
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Track #03
Missouri
Click to load the full resolution image Flight Direction Indicator
R: 2.15µm
G: 1.64µm
B: 0.55µm