AIRBORNE FIELD MILL PROJECT
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

SYNTHESIS FOR MAY 27, 2001 - ABFM

Flight Summary (Anvil Day)

Case 1 (Times: 2135 - 2201)
Type of case anvil
Complexity complex
Convection line of convection
Electric field
  kV/m
Min Em_m = 0.003
Max Em_m = 0.625
Mean Em_m = 0.055
Microphysics
  #/Liter
Max CON_FSSP = 1329.640
Mean CON_FSSP = 35.047
Max Tot_con_1DC = 8.281
Mean Tot_con_1DC = 0.259
Max Tot_con_2DC = 13.188
Mean Tot_con_2DC = 0.364
Max 2DC_100_400 = 4.663
Mean 2DC_100_400 = 0.147
Max 2DC_400_1000 = 1.762
Mean 2DC_400_1000 = 0.053
Max 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.298
Mean 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.007
Location (x,y) ~ (40,-50)
Storm Motion 0

Brief Description

Early stage of developing anvil.

Case 2 (Times: 2201 - 2222)
Type of case anvil
Complexity complex
Convection none
Electric field
  kV/m
Min Em_m = 0.162
Max Em_m = 0.946
Mean Em_m = 0.290
Microphysics
  #/Liter
Max CON_FSSP = 8409.798
Mean CON_FSSP = 963.794
Max Tot_con_1DC = 121.463
Mean Tot_con_1DC = 17.500
Max Tot_con_2DC = 131.886
Mean Tot_con_2DC = 18.407
Max 2DC_100_400 = 70.871
Mean 2DC_100_400 = 10.754
Max 2DC_400_1000 = 20.561
Mean 2DC_400_1000 = 1.913
Max 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.095
Mean 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.007
Location (x,y) ~ (70,-50)
Storm Motion 0

Brief Description

This looks to have been part of the anvil studied in Case 1 that broke away, but the MER plots suggest it is debris. Did it dissipate, or was it consumed by a larger, growing anvil?

Case 3 (Times: 2222 - 2322)
Type of case anvil
Complexity complex
Convection multiple cells
Electric field
  kV/m
Min Em_m = 0.192
Max Em_m = 2.941
Mean Em_m = 0.960
Microphysics
  #/Liter
Max CON_FSSP = 9619.742
Mean CON_FSSP = 2332.695
Max Tot_con_1DC = 106.593
Mean Tot_con_1DC = 29.080
Max Tot_con_2DC = 133.901
Mean Tot_con_2DC = 35.562
Max 2DC_100_400 = 72.557
Mean 2DC_100_400 = 17.405
Max 2DC_400_1000 = 21.670
Mean 2DC_400_1000 = 4.285
Max 2DC_GT_1000 = 1.202
Mean 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.262
Location (x,y) ~ (60,-40)
Storm Motion 0

Brief Description

The anvil that collided with CAse 2. The flight covers more than one "finger" of the anvil.

Case 4 (Times: 2322 - 2409)
Type of case decaying convection
Complexity simple
Convection large single cell
Electric field
  kV/m
Min Em_m = 0.370
Max Em_m = 24.927
Mean Em_m = 5.653
Microphysics
  #/Liter
Max CON_FSSP = 32301.449
Mean CON_FSSP = 7285.780
Max Tot_con_1DC = 424.713
Mean Tot_con_1DC = 93.876
Max Tot_con_2DC = 512.869
Mean Tot_con_2DC = 112.612
Max 2DC_100_400 = 246.894
Mean 2DC_100_400 = 56.378
Max 2DC_400_1000 = 80.317
Mean 2DC_400_1000 = 15.058
Max 2DC_GT_1000 = 3.581
Mean 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.505
Location (x,y) ~ (0,-70)
Storm Motion 0

Brief Description

This is a well developed 25-35 dBZ region at 4 km. It briefly develops a 35 dBZ region at about 2346.

Case 5 (Times: 2409 - 2422)
Type of case anvil
Complexity simple
Convection large singel cell
Electric field
  kV/m
Min Em_m = 0.464
Max Em_m = 2.412
Mean Em_m = 1.347
Microphysics
  #/Liter
Max CON_FSSP = 7009.365
Mean CON_FSSP = 2051.291
Max Tot_con_1DC = 126.475
Mean Tot_con_1DC = 37.548
Max Tot_con_2DC = 149.062
Mean Tot_con_2DC = 44.717
Max 2DC_100_400 = 82.118
Mean 2DC_100_400 = 24.949
Max 2DC_400_1000 = 15.625
Mean 2DC_400_1000 = 4.345
Max 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.897
Mean 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.065
Location (x,y) ~ (40,-40)
Storm Motion 0

Brief Description

This is the anvil associated with the decaying cell of Case 4.

It is not clear how separate these cases are. The convection is roughly stationary and made up of different cells that develop, combine, and separate again, while the anvil(s) come off like fingers at the 7-8 km level.







SYNTHESIS FOR MAY 27, 2001 - ABFM

Investigator: Monte Bateman
[presented on Feb 21, 2002]


Last Modified: 12 June 2002

 

SUMMARY: (Jim Dye)

During the early part of this flight from about 2140 until 2320 the Citation investigated a weak decaying anvil that contained very weak E fields and weak reflectivity. For examples see the HOR and MER plots for periods around 2227 to 2235 and 2259 to 2307. The main anvil outflow appears to be at ~7 km. The cores which produced the outflow did not show much motion during the investigations.

Beginning near 2320 the Citation starts to make penetrations from the weaker anvil towards the higher reflectivity, convective regions of the storm with strong E fields.
See Monte's plots below which cover most of the period with stronger fields.
Or see HOR for 2330 to 2333 and MER plots for 2314-2322 and 2322-2330 for this first pass.
[As of June 2002 we have added times after 2400 to the MER and HOR plots, which we didn't have at the time of the conference call in Feb.]
This pattern continues until approx. 2400.
During the last pass of the Citation from ~2403 to 2408 in stronger reflectivity the E fields had decayed and become weak.
See HOR 2404-2407 and MER 2402-2410.


THE MATERIAL BELOW WAS PRESENTED BY MONTE DURING THE Feb 21, 2002 CONFERENCE CALL.

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