AIRBORNE FIELD MILL PROJECT
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

SYNTHESIS FOR JUNE 04, 2001 - ABFM

Flight Summary (Anvil Day)

Case 1 (Times: 1901 - 1908)
Type of case anvil
Complexity simple
Convection no convection
Electric field
  kV/m
Min Em_m = 0.009
Max Em_m = 8.671
Mean Em_m = 0.668
Microphysics
  #/Liter
Max CON_FSSP = 70944.039
Mean CON_FSSP = 1710.345
Max Tot_con_1DC = 64.622
Mean Tot_con_1DC = 2.328
Max Tot_con_2DC = 55.162
Mean Tot_con_2DC = 2.159
Max 2DC_100_400 = 18.426
Mean 2DC_100_400 = 0.793
Max 2DC_400_1000 = 3.251
Mean 2DC_400_1000 = 0.156
Max 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.071
Mean 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.007
Location (x,y) ~ (5,-40)
Storm Motion 2.0 m/s south, 2.0 m/s west, gives: 2.8 m/s SW

Brief Description

This shows precip going to the ground, but no cores.

Case 2 (Times: 1908 - 1921)
Type of case debris
Complexity simple
Convection no convectoin
Electric field
  kV/m
Min Em_m = 0.013
Max Em_m = 0.325
Mean Em_m = 0.058
Microphysics
  #/Liter
Max CON_FSSP = 788.773
Mean CON_FSSP = 52.551
Max Tot_con_1DC = 53.469
Mean Tot_con_1DC = 2.401
Max Tot_con_2DC = 43.713
Mean Tot_con_2DC = 2.725
Max 2DC_100_400 = 21.197
Mean 2DC_100_400 = 1.232
Max 2DC_400_1000 = 0.938
Mean 2DC_400_1000 = 0.079
Max 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.243
Mean 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.005
Location (x,y) ~ (0,-35)
Storm Motion 0

Brief Description

This is very close to the radar data void and rather small so we can't really say much about it.

Case 3 (Times: 1921 - 1928)
Type of case anvil, detached
Complexity simple
Convection no convection
Electric field
  kV/m
Min Em_m = 0.055
Max Em_m = 0.273
Mean Em_m = 0.146
Microphysics
  #/Liter
Max CON_FSSP = 1267.406
Mean CON_FSSP = 209.337
Max Tot_con_1DC = 7.837
Mean Tot_con_1DC = 0.912
Max Tot_con_2DC = 7.595
Mean Tot_con_2DC = 1.201
Max 2DC_100_400 = 2.052
Mean 2DC_100_400 = 0.362
Max 2DC_400_1000 = 1.207
Mean 2DC_400_1000 = 0.194
Max 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.333
Mean 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.064
Location (x,y) ~ (20,-45)
Storm Motion 0

Brief Description

It is possible this anvil is from the cell studied in Case 1.

Case 4 (Times: 1928 - 2010)
Type of case anvil, attached
Complexity simple
Convection single cell
Electric field
  kV/m
Min Em_m = 0.043
Max Em_m = 37.928
Mean Em_m = 2.970
Microphysics
  #/Liter
Max CON_FSSP = 26551.457
Mean CON_FSSP = 3296.961
Max Tot_con_1DC = 364.183
Mean Tot_con_1DC = 33.796
Max Tot_con_2DC = 549.160
Mean Tot_con_2DC = 46.613
Max 2DC_100_400 = 230.642
Mean 2DC_100_400 = 19.106
Max 2DC_400_1000 = 32.092
Mean 2DC_400_1000 = 4.058
Max 2DC_GT_1000 = 2.287
Mean 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.384
Location (x,y) ~ (-10,-70)
Storm Motion 0

Brief Description

At this time this is a separate cell with some lightning. It will soon be taken over by the one to the south. This anvil becomes detached at about 2003.

Case 5 (Times: 2010 - 2259)
Type of case anvil
Complexity simple
Convection single, large cell
Electric field
  kV/m
Min Em_m = 0.164
Max Em_m = 55.885
Mean Em_m = 9.268
Microphysics
  #/Liter
Max CON_FSSP = 28613.617
Mean CON_FSSP = 6240.858
Max Tot_con_1DC = 330.589
Mean Tot_con_1DC = 54.911
Max Tot_con_2DC = 515.988
Mean Tot_con_2DC = 78.871
Max 2DC_100_400 = 227.374
Mean 2DC_100_400 = 34.083
Max 2DC_400_1000 = 32.416
Mean 2DC_400_1000 = 7.343
Max 2DC_GT_1000 = 3.415
Mean 2DC_GT_1000 = 0.675
Location (x,y) ~ (0,-110)
Storm Motion 0 m/s until about 2045 when it exits the frame at 9.8m/s west, 3.3 m/s north gives: 10.3 m/s NW.

Brief Description

This cell started off a moderate size when the aircraft took off, but it grew. The >= 45 dBZ region in the 4 km level at 2009 is abotu 40kmx30km with maximum > 60 dBZ.

There isn't a lot of motion in this system until about 2032 or 2045.

The aircraft arrives early in the development of this storm. It starts off as a line of small convective cells. The northern most cells deminish while the southern most cell gets so large that it eventually becomes the only thing there.

There is quite a lot of lightning associated with the cell. At about 2104 - 2135 there appears to be lightning out in the anvil.









SYNTHESIS FOR JUNE 04, 2001 - ABFM

Investigator: Jim Dye, Geoff Dix
[presented on January 23, 2002]

Description: CASE 1: (1901 - 2259)
The first storm worked by the Citation first gave radar return at 7 km between 1645 and 1700 near X,Y of -10,-20 to -35 and showed 3 cells close together. [RADAR LINK] [Click on 7 km only, then click on CAPPIS from 1644 to 2014 -- this shows the sequence from before first echo of CASE 1 to the beginning of the Citation penetrations near the core of CASE 3.] There was little movement of this cluster over the next hour or more. By 1715 the refelectivity at 7 km was slightly in excess of 40 dBZ. A fourth, stronger cell appeared on the south end of this cluster near 1800. The weakness and small area of these cells at 10km altitude suggest tops did not go much above 10km. What little anvil that appeared seemed to move to the ENE but most in the 7 to 10 km levels.
The first lightning occurred in these cells at 1710 and by 1800 approx. 15 flashes had occurred. [LIGHTNING Grid 1] [LIGHTNING Grid 2] We need to examine the LDAR and CGLSS with better time and spatial resolution to determine the time of the last flash in this cluster of cells, but it appears that it might be near 1815.
The Citation took off at 1848 and flew chaotic patterns thru the debris and poorly formed anvil until about 1900 when it moved to the 2nd case. The E field during this first case was very weak except near 1907 when the A/C flew near somewhat higher reflectivity of ~20 dBZ. [MER Applet] Althought the A/C was in weaker reflectivity than 10 dBZ there was ~20dBZ within 5 to 10 km. This example shows the importance of looking at reflectivity not only at the A/C location, but also nearby.
CASE 2:
Near 1900 a new stronger cell(s) appeared at X,Y=-1-,-75 with 54 dBZ at 7 km at 1900. The first small cell was probably present by 1845. From 1915 to 1930 it weakens but still has reflectivity of 40 to 45 dBZ at 7km. Because of spoking of the LDAR VHF sources it is hard to tell the time of the first lightning, but it was clearly active with CG flashes by 1900. The lightning from this cell is melded with flashed from the early cells to the north and makes it hard to distinquish which cell had what lightning.
The Citation moved to this cell at 1930 making it's first pass N to S near reflectivities of 20 to 30 dBZ. E fields on this pass were 30 to 40 kV/m. LINK MER 1937 The Citation made a 270 degr. loop and then proceeded East along the anvil which was moving directly E at 7 km, but the pass was on the southern edge so the E fields were not as large as near the cores. The measured E fields decreased with time, but the A/C did not pass through the higher reflectivities (~10-20 dBZ) so it's hard to know if strong E fields existed. During this case there is a good association between strong E field and larger reflectivity.
Near 2000 the A/C started towards the big complex of very strong cells which had moved/propagated north from Lake Ochochobee. This complex produce the long, long-lived anvil which was presented for CASE 3.

Summary

Type of case 
Complexity 
Convection 
Electric field 
Precipitation 
Location 

Focus issues 
Microphysics 

  debris with weak anvil
  cluster of small cells
  yes
  probably still precipitating during the flight
  yes
  south, south East of KSC ~30 km; 
 

 

    Instruments

Airborne mills 
Ground KSC mills 
Radar WSR74C 
Nexrad KMLB 
LDAR 
CGLSS 
FSSP 
2-DC 
HVPS 
CPI 
GOES 
  ok.
  ok.
  ok.
  ok.
  ok.
  ok.
  ok.
  ok.
  ok.
  ok.
  ?

HTML page with regrouped plots: 25 June 2001



Detailed analysis of the measurements:
volume scan @ 194909 UT
1940-1950
- No particle observations because out of cloud.
- UND-Citation was heading to the storm after notification
- A self calibration of the mills was carried out during that period.
 

volume scan @ 195146 UT
1950-2000
- The aircraft was arriving in the area of the anvil (see the track of the aircraft as
well the 74C and nexrad plots).
- First FSSP sensed small particles the cloud, then 2DC reported particles.
- MEz (from M-matrix) and KEz (from K-matrix) were similar.


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Last Modified: 17 Jan 2002