KA-20240829a

KA-20240829a#

ec_under ec_track in_cloud spiral_mindelo insitu_aerosol

Crew#

Tim Carlsen, Sorin Ghemulet, Alex Vlad

EarthCARE target scenarios

Cumulus and marine aerosol: Marine low clouds.
Mixed aerosol types: Marine and Saharan dust.

Flight summary

During the research flight on 29th August 2024, we targeted low-level, marine liquid clouds below EarthCARE. After a full aerosol profile at the beginning of the EC leg, we collocated with the ATR on our way North and sampled in-cloud underneath EarthCARE (orbit #1442E). Unfortunately, EarthCARE experienced a CPR anomaly on that day with no CPR measurements available. We concluded the flight with a double spiral (descending and ascending) over the Mindelo ground site, sampling a distinct aerosol layer.

Track#

track

Flight path superimposed on the natural color image from NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) 16 satellite on 29th August 2024 at 16:00 UTC. The location of the aircraft at the time of the EarthCARE overpass is shown by the orange cross.

Conditions#

During the EC leg, we experienced scattered low-level liquid clouds with thin higher clouds above. A distinct aerosol layer was visible during the descent before WP1 and over the Mindelo ground site.

Flight video#

This video shows the forward and sideward view from the King Air aircraft together with live data (basic navigation data, aerosol/cloud in-situ data) during the EC leg and ATR overpass.

Events#

Time (UTC)

Comment

14:20

Takeoff Praia

15:29-15:48

Collocation with ATR

15:48

EarthCARE overpass (orbit #1442E)

16:25-17:00

Spiral descent and ascent over Mindelo ground site

18:00

Landing Praia

Execution#

  • 14:20 UTC (13:20 LT): takeoff, CAS works, TAS/Tamb OK

  • 14:29 UTC: FCDP failed to connect to probe, restart, now works

  • 14:34 UTC: CAPS display frozen

  • 14:41 UTC: CAPS back

  • 15:00 UTC: WP1, start hold, instruments work, request FL180 to go above aerosol layer

  • 15:04 UTC: start climb to FL180

  • 15:08 UTC: reached FL180, start descent 1000 ft/min

  • 15:14 UTC: start descent for full profile

  • 15:29 UTC: start @WP1 going down into cloud FL030

  • 15:48 UTC: WP2 EC_meet right on time

  • 16:09 UTC: arrive WP3, head towards WP4, start climb to FL180

  • 17:01 UTC: go home towards RAI

  • 18:00 UTC: landing Praia

Impressions#

  • 15:04 UTC: Cirrus seems too high to reach, there seem to be low clouds at beginning of EC track, CAS/FCDP almost at 0 (above aerosol layer)

  • 15:34 UTC: FL021, TAS87m/s, in and out of thin clouds

  • 15:39 UTC: FL020

  • 15:40 UTC: cruising at ‘cloud level’, have to get lucky, TAS91m/s

  • 15:43 UTC: FCDP/2DS see some droplets from time to time

  • 15:47 UTC: also some signal in CIP, in and out of cloud

  • 15:49 UTC: number concentration 300-1500 cm-3

  • 15:53 UTC: stay at FL020, lands us at in-and-out-of-cloud level, TAS150kt, Tamb 20°C

  • 15:58 UTC: TAS155kt

  • 16:05 UTC: less clouds now, but we stay at FL020 until WP3, TAS157kt, Tamb 23°C, ATR 20 miles behind us

  • 16:23 UTC: over the island, FL165, CAS shows 4 cm-3

  • 16:25 UTC: start descent from FL175 for racetrack descent over Mindelo supersite, 1000 ft/min, right turn, hazy outside, 2D-S sees particles

  • 16:30 UTC: some low clouds in vicinity, but clear sky above ground-based lidar

  • 16:37 UTC: FL055

  • 16:41 UTC: FL040 full overflight Mindelo direct hit

  • 16:42 UTC: start ascent again, same racetrack pattern, 1000 ft/min, right turn, CAS 0.1 cm-3

  • 16:48 UTC: TAS190kt, Tamb 16°C

  • 16:53 UTC: CAS 23 cm-3, FL140, Tamb 5°C, TAS200kt

  • 17:00 UTC: CAS 1 cm-3, FCDP 0 cm-3, TAS215kt, Tamb -6°C, direct overpass over Mindelo, end of ascent

Instrument status & quicklooks#

Instrument

Operational

Comment

CAS-DPOL

✅

None

CIP

✅

None

LWC Hotwire

❌

None

FCDP

✅

None

2D-S

✅

None

CPI

✅

None

Gopros

✅

None

EarthCARE MSI image (RGR-1C:AF) with EarthCARE ground track (red) and King Air flight track (yellow).

Sideward view to Mindelo ground site during spiral.

Sideward view during the EarthCARE overpass at around 15:48 UTC.

Contents