MODIS Airborne Simulator
Field Experiment Data
FIRE-ACE Campaign
Flight #98-068

Hi-Res Images
click image!
26 May 1998
Track #02


"Shadow-casting cumulus over stratus clouds cover the Brooks Range"

click image!
26 May 1998
Track #03


"Altocumulus clouds cover coastal wetlands near Alaska's northern shore"

click image!
26 May 1998
Track #13


"Cirrus clouds streak over broken sea ice in the vicinity of the Sheba Ice Station"

R: 2.13 microns
G: 0.95 microns
B: 0.65 microns
Summary Information
Date: May 26-27, 1998
ER-2 Flight Number: 98-068
Location: Fairbanks,Alaska to Arctic Ocean
Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael King (NASA GSFC)
Additional Sensors: AirMISR, AMPR, CLS, HIS, MIR, SSFR (see Instrument Status, below)

Level-1B Processing Information
Level-1B Data Version: #02
Calibration Type: Final
Calibration Version: FIRE-ACE_Ames 1.0
Details: Configuration and Calibration
Temperature Adjustment: No
Status: Processed with Final Calibration

Flight Track Map

click map!
Level-1B Browse Imagery
Straight Line Flight Tracks: 20
Scanlines Processed: 106267
Solar Azimuth and Zenith Angles
Browse Images
Click on the Flight Track number to load images.
Lat/Lon ranges are for the BEG-END scanline nadir pixels.
Flight
Track
Time_Span
(GMT)
Heading
(Deg)
Lat_Range
(Deg_N)
Lon_Range
(Deg_W)
Length
(Scanlines)
01 19:24-19:31 335 66.71-67.41 149.61-150.48 2424
02 19:31-19:45 335 67.42-68.92 150.47-152.52 5312
03 19:45-20:00 335 68.92-70.38 152.52-154.85 5306
04 20:00-20:19 331 70.40-72.31 154.85-158.57 7105
05 20:19-20:41 340 72.35-74.75 158.62-162.26 8294
06 20:41-21:06 336 74.75-77.35 162.19-167.82 9383
07 21:12-21:31 151 77.50-75.63 168.34-163.93 6910
08 21:35-21:55 333 75.47-77.49 165.17-170.01 7434
09 22:00-22:23 151 77.68-75.44 170.51-165.10 8256
10 22:24-22:25 242 75.28-75.21 165.41-165.91 461
11 22:27-22:38 334 75.25-76.41 166.41-169.04 4284
12 22:38-22:48 331 76.42-77.34 169.08-171.55 3480
13 22:53-23:14 149 77.50-75.41 171.92-166.67 7786
14 23:14-23:16 152 75.38-75.23 166.74-166.44 542
15 23:16-23:18 141 75.18-75.02 166.31-165.78 698
16 23:18-23:33 141 75.02-73.66 165.69-161.79 5647
17 23:33-23:48 144 73.66-72.29 161.77-158.49 5634
18 00:00-00:13 149 71.23-69.93 156.41-154.13 5030
19 00:13-00:26 150 69.93-68.61 154.13-152.13 5023
20 00:27-00:46 153 68.58-66.64 152.06-149.54 7258
Images 01 through 20 in sequence

Level-0 Data Quality
Evaluation Report

Level-1B HDF Data Distribution Point
Order Form (NASA LaRC Atmospheric Sciences Data Center)

ER-2 Flight Log
Author: Dr. Michael King
Mission Scientist: Dr. Michael King
ER-2 Pilot: Jim Barrilleaux
Takeoff: 26May1998 1900 UTC
Landing: 27May1998 0125 UTC
Flight Duration: 6:25

Objective:

    The objective of this mission was to fly repeated ground tracks over and near the SHEBA ice station (76°27.96’N, 167°30.1’W) and nearby sea ice of the Chukchi Sea.

Coordinations:

    The ER-2 flew three parallel and repeating ground tracks of 261 km in length that were parallel and at a heading of 330°.

    The bulk of the flight tracks over the Chukchi Sea were cloudy, with thick cirrus between 4 and 10 km with underlying Arctic stratus on some occasions. Other coordinations included:

    • F-14 satellite (2146 UTC)
    • NOAA-14 satellite (2219 UTC)

Key Flight Legs:

    After overflying the ARM site at point 1 (71°19.37’N, 156°34.9’W), the ER-2 flew a NW flight line from point 2 (75°37’N, 164°00’W) to point 3 (77°20’N, 168°00’W), then reversed course. The aircraft then flew a parallel track displaced 40 km to the west with two round trip flight legs, between point 4 (75°27’N, 165°15’W) and point 6 (77°30’N, 170°10’W), overflying the SHEBA ice station (point 5). Each flight leg was 261 km in length. The flight tracks were all parallel and on a heading of 330°/150°. Finally, the ER-2 flew a third flight line displaced 40 km further west between point 7 (75°16’N, 166°30’W) and point 8 (77°20’N, 171°35’W). The return leg overflew the ARM site en route back to Ft. Wainright.

    The AirMISR was turned on for 8 acquisitions over the Barrow ARM site and flight legs in the vicinity of SHEBA, including acquisitions when the sun was in the plane of the ground track, and when the NOAA-14 and F-14 satellites passed over the area. The AirMISR operated at the following times:

    • 2003.25-2019.25 (ARM–broken cirrus)
    • 2052-2053.5 UTC (eastern line)
    • 2116-2131 UTC (eastern line)
    • 2138.75-2154 UTC (SHEBA, F-14, central line; broken cloud)
    • 2207-2222 UTC (SHEBA, NOAA-14, central line)
    • 2232-2247 UTC (western line)
    • 2259.75-2315 UTC (western line)
    • 2352.75-0008 (ARM)

Pilot Report:

    The ER-2 pilot reported thick cirrus clouds over the ice up to the northern extent of the flight lines at 77°N, where the clouds started to break up. The Brooks Range had thin to moderately thick cirrus over it on the way out and thin cirrus with some underlying altostratus on the return leg to Fairbanks.

Meteorology:

    Cirrus moved over the ice camp during the morning. Lower stratus occurred over the camp during the previous evening. Both cirrus and stratus were highly broken and covered the camp throughout the mission. Winds at the surface were 13 kts from the southeast and temperatures dropped from Monday’s high of -2° to -4°C during the night.

    The surface high-pressure system east of the camp was moving slowly to the east. The upper air ridge that kept the cloud cover away from the camp on Sunday was moving slightly to the east. Upper level winds and clouds were from the south.

Instrument Status:

  • AirMISR (Airborne Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer): The 1st and 2nd scenes failed, but all remaining scenes collected all 9 look angles
  • AMPR (Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer): Worked well
  • CLS (Cloud Lidar System): Worked well
  • HIS (High-resolution Interferometer Sounder): Worked well
  • MAS (MODIS Airborne Simulator): Worked well
  • MIR (Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer): Worked well
  • SSFR (Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer): Worked well

Questions or comments regarding missions processed by the A mes Research Center

Back to: [FIRE-ACE Campaign]

Another FIRE-ACE Flight?
#98-063 #98-064 #98-065 #98-066 #98-067
#98-068 #98-069 #98-070 #98-071 #98-072
#98-073 #98-074 #98-075 #98-076 #98-077