GIFTS EDU Validation
UW-SSEC/CIMSS AERIbago

Date:  10 Sept 2006 (Sunday)
Crew: DeSlover, Smith, Taylor  (Larar)
Author: DeSlover
http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/gifts/edu/

	Weather Conditions:

Partly cloudy becoming clear into this evening.  Expecting severe clear over the next couple days (Monday, Tuesday).

	Instrument Analysis

All instruments operated nominally.  AERI-05 sky data started around 1120 thru 1400 UTC.  GIFTS sky data started at 1202 thru 1210 UTC.

Sonde (1) 1202 UTC  (RH intermittent throughout flight, mixed good and bad data. Lost RH altogether around 220 mb).

Vaisala Temperature Probe Readings:

1205 UTC
AERI-05			47.7% RH,	17.8 C
Midpoint to mirror	50.0% RH,	17.4 C
Mirror			55.2% RH,	16.7 C
AERIbago		58.8% RH,	15.5 C

	Science Discussion

This was planned to be the 10 hr AVE, but early morning clouds caused us to scrap that idea.  GIFTS crew were already here doing mirror alignment for the moon views. We took an 8 minute GIFTS sky view with a sonde launch to get BL inversion data.

Next two days are going to be severe clear and are ideal for AVE.  AVE might be put on hold due to moon view requirements (the moon is going to be fading into daylight soon and they need to get these tasks completed).