95 W Mission 1
Successful flight and test of ocean drop launch procedure. Suppressed convection at ITCZ, almost 100% boundary layer cloud cover from SST front to 6 N, with very moist air above PBL. Reached 1 S; E-W low level legs at 3.5N, 2N, 0.5N. SST front close to equator; 19 C SST to S with Tair > SST, decreased 100 ft winds, and only weak low-level PBL turbulence. Boundary layer height as low as 550 m over cool SST. This mission had good polar-orbiter and Quikscat swath coverage, very 'classic'.
| Time | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1339 - Engines on
1349 - Takeoff | |
| 1356 - Moderate rain cell (LWC .5-1) | |
| 1401 - Exited rain | |
| 1405 - Entered light rain | |
| 1408 - Winds 120 @ 2 m/s (2200 m) | |
| 1409 - Out of rain | |
| 1411 - Levelling at 10 K' | |
| 1421 - winds 300 @ 4 m/s | |
| 1427 - Isolated towering Cu, SCT Ci | |
| 1436 - Beginning descent for Sawtooths | |
| 1443 - Start of 100', 12.36 N | |
| 1450 - Start Ascent at 12.04 N, TAO not sighted. On 100' leg, 220@2.5m/s, SST = 29.2, Tair = 27.5, th-e=357, almost no PBL cld. | |
| 1456 - Simulated drop. 5000' winds 320 @ 1 m/s. | |
| 1502 - 5000' leg, 11.66-11.04 N. Over small shallow Cu. A few penetrative Cu congestus; cirrostratus overhead | |
| 1509 - In cloud
1512 - Start of 100' leg at 10.66 N, wind 270 @ 6 m/s, q - 19, Thetae 355, SST = 29.9, Tair = 26.3. | |
| 1520 - Isolated showers in area
1522 - Simulated drop near 10 N TAO buoy location. Buoy not sighted. | |
| 1529 - Cloudbase 400 m on ascent. Simulated drop near start of 5K' leg
1530 - Level at 5 K' starting 9.58 N, Winds 313 @ 4 m/s. Considerable shallow Cu, tops 1-1.5km, a few congestus showers, cirrostratus overcast. | |
| 1537 - In cloud
1538 - LGT Turb, LWC max 1.0 1539 - Simulated drop; begin descent at 8.96 N. Cloudbase 500m on descent, complex cloud field with lots of low-level detrainment layers. | |
| 1544 - Some whitecaps
1545 - Simulated drop Begin 100' at 8.58 N: 240@7m/s, SST 29.3, Tair 26.6, thetae 352-354. | |
| 1548 - Scattered shallow Cu, with little or no Ci OVHD | |
| 1549 - Scattered shallow cu. No showers or deep clouds in sight
1555- Simulated drop near TAO buoy, sighted at 8.05 N. 1556 - Began ascent at 7.99 N, cloudbase 350-400 m. | |
| 1559 - BKN-OVC As over scattered shallow Cu, tops to 1 km. | |
| 1602 - Simulated drop; leveling at 5K' at 7.62 N. | |
| 1604 - 5000' thetae 346, q 15, winds 350 @ 3 m/s; light showers to west | |
| 1608 - Begin descent at 7.24 N
1611 - In cloud LWC up to .7 1614 - Simulated drop 1615 - Begin 100' at 6.86N, wind 240 @ 6 m/s, SST 28.2, T 26.3, thetae 350-2, q 17, No Ci some As. | |
| 1620 - Sim Drop; begin ascent at 6.52 N.
Cloudbase 400m, FSSP 100 cm3 1625 - Approaching deeper cell with capping pileus cloud 1626 - In cloud w + - 2 m/s 1627 - Sim Drop; begin 5K' at 6.14 N, thetae 347, wind 040 @ 3 m/s lots of thin detrainment As layers visible above shallow Cu with isolated taller km with 2-3 km tops. | |
| 1631 - No mid or high clouds
1633 - Sim Drop; begin descent at 5.76N to 100', in cloud for much of descent, FSSP~50, light precip, cloud base 350 m. | |
| 1637 - In cloud LWC .6, w 1
1639 - Sim Drop; cloud OVHD 1640 - Some light precip or drizzle; slight chop | |
| 1645 - Sim Drop on 100' leg at 5.10 N TAO site (buoy not sighted). SST 27.7, Tair 24.3, thetae 348, wind 200 @ 8 m/s,
almost 100% Sc cover 1646 - Begin Ascent to 5K' at 5.04N. cloud base 300m. Extensive shallow cu rising into As at several heights, 1000-1500. FSSP 50-100. | |
| 1652 - Sim drop; Begin 5K' at 4.67N near cloud tops but mostly below, thetae 344 wind 050 @ 6 m/s
1655 - LGT-MOD chop | |
| 1658 - Sim Drop; begin descent at 4.29N.
In cloud, showery on descent, FSSP 25-50, LWC < 0.5, cloud base 400m. 1703 - Stratus OVHD; thetae increasing with height, hint of stable layer. 1704 - Sim Drop, start 100' leg at 3.91N, SST 27.5, Tair 24.6, thetae 342, wind 205 @ 9 m/s, Cu under Sc. | |
| 1710 - Making turn for EW leg
1711 - 100' EW leg at 3.63N, 200@8m/s, SST 27.4, Tair 24.2, thetae 341, q 15, BKN-OVC stratus 1715 - Sim Drop at TAO location, no buoy sighting. 1716 - Begin ascent to 5K' at 3.63N. Cloudbase 430m. 2-3 K inversion between 750 m cloud top and 1000m. Almost pure Sc. | |
| 1722 - Sim Drop at 5000' leg start (3.26N), over mostly uniform Sc tops, thetae 342, q 13, wind 040 6 m/s, no obvious haze. | |
| 1725 - CLR OVHD at 5000'
1728 - Sim Drop, began descent at 2.88N. | |
| 1731 - Cloud top near 900 m under 3 K inversion to 1200 m. FSSP 50-75, no drizzle, LWC < 0.5.
1733 - Cloud base 450-500 m 1735 - Sim drop. Begin 100 m leg at 2.50N. thetae 335, wind 190 @ 8 m/s, q 14, light turb. | |
| 1738 - SST 26.5, Air temp 22.6, stratus OVC
1743 - Making turn for E-W leg at 2.04N | |
| 1747 - Sim drop at 2N TAO, no buoy sighting. 100' E-W SST 26.2, Tair 22.6,
190@8m/s, solid Sc overhead. 1748 - Begin Ascent to 5000' at 2.04N. 1749 - Cloud base 400-450 m, cloud top 750-800 m, FSSP 150-200, no drizzle, 4-5K sharp inversion. | |
| 1755 - Sim Drop at 5000' leg start (1.66N), thetae 340, wind 040 @ 7m/s, q surprisingly high at 12.
1757 - A few patches of As visible at 2-3 km, otherwise clear above. Sc below a little more broken 1802 - Sim Drop; begin descent at 1.29N, wind 90 @ 2 m/s. | |
| 1804 - Top of inversion 850 m, cloud top 700 m, cloud base 350 m, LWC up to 0.5, FSSP 150-200.
1809 - Sim Drop, 100 m leg start 0.91N, SST = 23.7, Tair = 21, thetae 330, q 13, wind 170 @ 10, 80-90% Sc overhead,lighter turb. | |
| 1816 - Start of E-W 100' leg at 0.50N, sunbreaks, SST = 23.5, Tair = 20.3, thetae= 330.
1821 - Sim Drop, Cu under stratus, begin ascent at 0.50N 1822 - cloud base 300 m, cloud top 550 m, 100 FSSP, <0.25LWC, no drizzle. | |
| 1828 - Sim drop, leveling at 5 K' at 0.12N, a drier layer (11 g/kg) here aloft, more undulating stratus, wind 90 @ 4 m/s, thetae 340, q 12, large open areas in undercast. Clear overhead.
1834 - Sim Drop. Start descent at 0.26S. 1836 - Patch or line of As to the South | |
| 1839 - Inversion base near 500 m. Still moist above inversion, almost no turb
below inversion. Sc patches at inversion base, but look very laminar. q=12 (very moist still) above inversion. 1841 - Sim drop, Begin 100' leg at 0.63S. SST 19, Tair 19.4, quite light turb, thetae 328, wind 140 @ 5 m/s, q 12. 1845 - Mostly CLR OVHD | |
| 1847 - Sim Drop, begin ascent at 1S to 6300 m, tracking north.
1849 - Inversion base near 600 m, inversion top 950 m, large Sc patches at inversion, but nearly clear further N. Top of moist layer at 4 km. 1905 - First dropsonde good (at Equator) | |
| 1921 - 2nd sonde good
1928 - Cloud tops at 500 m from SABL, very regular undulations with broad NE-SW oriented swells (lat 1.3 N). 1939 - Cloud tops at 700 m, backscatter over thicker layer, beginning of more variable lower cloud deck 1941 - 1st appearance of As at 1.9 km. | |
| 1956 - Sounding at 3 N failed, repeated at 3.2 N. Weak southerlies at equator have shifted to weak easterlies. | |
| 2006 - Chaotic cloud field from SABL, As tops now about 1.7 km (Lat 5 N)
2013 - OCNL tops to 2.8 km, highly variable cloud field, some deep convection distant N 2030 - Ac tops at 2-2.5 km (7 N) | |
| 2037 - Sondes at 4-7 N look OK
2039 - Patches of more uniform As at 2.1 km 2059 - Extensive OVC aloft probably blow-off from deep cell to east. Otherwise extremely suppressed deep convective activity. 2121 - 6.3 km wind shifted around from NW 2140 - All remaining sondes OK | |
| 2236 - Touchdown at Huatulco. |