Day 107 Met Page

Ship Downloads

Afternoon  AVHRR and SeaWiFS
gms5 vis at 0100 (1000 LT)
SeaWiFS Truecolor 1
SeaWiFS Truecolor 2
SeaWiFS Optical Depth at 865nm

OverNight Satellite Pictures  (from the night of 106)
n12 ch4 at 2021 (0506 Local)
gms5 ir at 18Z
n12 sst at 2021

From the OPS Center
 

GENERAL OVERVIEW

The meteorological situation as it is expected to be at 0000 UTC on Tuesday,
April 17 is shown in the 24 hour forecast chart. The area of clouds and
precipitation near 30 N includes a weak but developing system SE of Shanghai
which will become a more important feature south and southeast of Japan on
Wednesday. The circulation around this system will bring clouds and showers
north of 32 N in the vicinity of Kyushu on Tuesday. Elsewhere in the area of
operations east of Korea clouds are expected to be quite widespread. The
mid-tropospheric trough which spawned the surface system just discussed will
cause broken clouds to develop in the area west of southern Japan and across
southernmost Korea. Further east there will be scattered cirrus clouds from the
convective cloud area south of 32 N, and further north over the Sea of Japan
there will be scattered low to mid-level clouds remaining from the weak frontal
system which will lie north of 40 N at that time. Over the Yellow Sea fewer
clouds are expected, but with some cirrus moving in from the SW.

The expected situation for 0000 UTC on Wednesday, April 18 is shown in the 48
hour map. Surface disturbances with weak frontal systems continue to form
and move from west to east in the area north of 42 N. The low near 45 N, 125 E
has the potential to cause minor dust outbreaks, but it will track to the east
and is unlikely to bring dust far enough south to be accessible. Rather
extensive clouds will be present near the coast of China north of 35 N, and
scatteredclouds are expected in the Yellow Sea, with more continuous cloud cover and
showers of rain in the southern section. Scattered, primarily low-level clouds
areanticipated in the areas of the Sea of Japan indicated. The areas with the best
chance of reduced cloud coverage are west and east of Japan, north of
approximately 36 N.

For the ship these are the expected winds:
for the 16th, 1200 UTC, W at 5-8 ms-1;
for 0000 UTC on the 17th, variable up to 5 ms-1;
for 1200 UTC on the 17th, SE at 5 ms-1;
for 0000 UTC on the 18th, SE 8-10 ms-1; and
for 1200 UTC on the 18th, SE at 8-10 ms-1.

For the area of Cheju, at 1200 UTC on the
16th, S at 5-8 ms-1; at 0000 UTC on the 17th, SSW at 5 ms-1; for 1200 on the
17th, S at 5 ms-1; for 0000 UTC on the 18th, SE at 5-8 ms-1; and for 1200
UTC on the 18th, SE at 8-10 ms-1.

DISCUSSION

The 24 hour forecast chart indicates weak surface-level winds from the south in
the Yellow Sea area. It is important to note that there is a vertical shear, and
the winds are expected to be from the SW-W at 1500 m and from the NW-N at
elevations up to about 6000 m, returning to westerly above 9 km. The
speeds are low, less than 15 ms-1 below 6000 m. This outflow of dry continental
air above the surface layer will help limit the cloud coverage.
 

Operations summary
The Ron Brown is positioned at 32N, 126 46E, southeast of Cheju Is., for
coordination with a Terra satellite overpass.
Today's C-130 flight was cancelled due to instrument problems with the LTI and
sun photometer. The LTI has been repaired.
The Twin Otter took off at 0000 UTC (0900 JLT) for a radiation profiling mission
in coordination with the Terra satellite overpass near 32 45N, 127 30E.
King Air test fight scheduled for this afternoon.

MISSION PLANS:

PRIMARY MISSION:
C-130 plans aerosol characterization mission in the Sea of Japan near Oki
Island (36N, 133E)followed by an intercomparison with the Ron Brown near
3N, 128E.

The Twin Otter will fly to the vicinity of the ship (33N, 128E) to make
radiation and chemistry measurements.
RA King plans to fly on 4/17 in support of APEX project in vicinity of
Amami-o-Shima.

SECONDARY MISSION:
     N/A

TAKE OFF / LANDING TIMES:
       Plane      Take-off Times(UTC)        Landing Times(UTC)
      NCAR C-130   0001 UTC, 0901 JLT               0900 UTC
 CIRPAS Twin Otter 0200 UTC, 1100 JLT               0830 UTC

Pre-flight briefing times(UTC): 2200 UTC (4/16), 0700 JLT
Update times(UTC): N/A

AIRBORNE MISSION SCIENTIST NAMES:
     NCAR C-130 :  Barry Huebert
     CIRPAS Twin Otter : H. Jonsson
     ARA King Air :

SHIP OPERATIONS:
 Ron Brown will move northeastward to a new position near 33N, 128E for sampling
of the Asian plume and intercomparison measurements with both aircraft.