Day 096 Met Page

Ship Downloads
 
 

April 05 00Z Radiosonde temperature humidity
April 05 00Z Radiosonde winds

April 05 03Z Radiosonde temperature humidity (Launched 01:45 UTC)
April 05 03Z Radiosonde winds

Afternoon AVHRR

Nighttime AVHRR
noaa12 at 2053 (0553 LT)

From the OPS Center
 

Weather discussion
GENERAL OVERVIEW

The weather depiction for 0900 JST, Saturday, April 7 is shown in Image 2. A
frontal system lying above the surface is shown extending from a
weak, incipient disturbance near 33 N, 114 E toward the NE to 45 N, 140 E.
Clouds associated with this system are expected to extend west of
Cheju Island and into the Sea of Japan north of 36 N. The winds at the ship's
location and near Cheju Island should be from the NE and E,
respectively. The surface high pressure center NE of Japan should be moving
slowly to the NE, but its rate of movement may or may not be rapid
enough to allow aerosol transport plumes far enough south to be within range of
the aircraft during the following 36-48 hours.

The situation at 0300 UTC on Sunday, April 8 is shown in Image 3. The winds at
the ship and near Cheju will have shifted to the SE and
stregnthened somewhat. High clouds associated with mountain waves are possible
along the east coast of Korea, and a larger area of cloudiness
could extend toward the NE from 38 N. There will be scattered clouds E of Japan
south of 38 N. A signifcant storm system entering NW China will
generate widespread dust storms.

Wind forecasts for the Cheju and ship's operations area are as follows. For the
Cheju area, at 1200 on April 6, SE at 5 ms-1; at 0000 on April 7, E
at 5 ms-1; for 1200 on April 7, SE at 5 ms-1; for 0000 UTC on April 8, SE at 5-8
ms-1; and at 1200 on April 8, E-SE at 8-10 ms-1.
For the ship, at 1200 UTC on April 6, NE at 8-10 ms-1;
at 0000 UTC on April 7 through 1200 on the 7th, NE at 5-8 ms-1;
at 0000 UTC on April 8, SE at 8 ms-1; and
at 1200 UTC on April 8, ESE at 8-10 ms-1.

DISCUSSION

The balloon sounding from Cheju Island for 0000 UTC today, Image 1, shows that
there is a dry layer beginning at about 760 hPa, lying above an
incompletely mixed layer with more moistureg, and that the winds shift to
westerly within this upper layer. If this situation extends further north and
west it is likely that middle-level clouds will be limited.

SUMMARY

Conditions are generally favorable for the planned flights of the Twin Otter and
the C-130 for Friday, April 6, except that cloud amounts and depths
are now expected to be greater than anticipated. Conditions are also favorable
for a Twin Otter flight to the vicinity of Oki Island on April 7. There is
uncertainty in the forecast, but the potential exists for interesting and
favorable conditions for a C-130 flight north of 36 N, east of 135 E on Sunday,
April

OPERATIONS SUMMARY
Ron Brown collecting data at 32 55N, 127 50E beginning 0000 UTC. Coordinated
observations with Twin Otter beginning 0100 through 0400
UTC
Twin Otter took off at 2300 UTC (4/5) for coordinated observations with R.V. Ron
Brown, in vicinity 32 55N, 127 50E.
C-130 took off at 0035 UTC for an aerosol characterization flight with
multilevel measurements west of Cheju Is. and off the west coast of Korea
from 33-37N.

MISSION PLANS:
PRIMARY MISSION:
     Twin Otter will conduct coordinated observations with R.V. Ron Brown in
vicinity of 36N, 132 40E.

     No C-130 flight is planned.

SECONDARY MISSION:
     N/A

TAKE OFF / LANDING TIMES:
       Plane           Take-off Times(UTC)           Landing Times(UTC)

  CIRPAS Twin Otter      0000 UTC, 0900 JLT                0630 UTC

Pre-flight briefing times(UTC): 2200 UTC (4/6), 0700 JLT
Update times(UTC): 2330 UTC (4/6), 0830 JLT