GIFTS EDU Validation UW-SSEC/CIMSS AERIbago Date: 13 Sept 2006 (Wednesday) Crew: DeSlover (Larar) Author: DeSlover, Larar http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/gifts/edu/ Weather Conditions: Clear. Instrument Analysis All instruments operated nominally. 1946 UTC sonde lost telemetry near 200 mb. Sondes (6) 1150, 1351, 1554, 1749, 1946 (200 mb lost telemetry), 2115 UTC I mistakingly used the incorrect surface station readings for the first two sondes (1150 and 1351 UTC). Please use the Hand Probe values below to represent the surface measurements for these sondes. Vaisala Temperature Probe Readings: 1154 UTC AERI-05 34.0% RH, 19.3 C Midpoint to mirror 32.6% RH, 19.6 C Mirror 42.0% RH, 17.4 C AERIbago 47.2% RH, 15.7 C 1355 UTC AERI-05 36.8% RH, 18.3 C Midpoint to mirror 36.9% RH, 18.5 C Mirror 47.7% RH, 16.3 C AERIbago 49.3% RH, 15.0 C 1558 UTC AERI-05 33.3% RH, 21.4 C Midpoint to mirror 34.5% RH, 21.5 C Mirror 40.6% RH, 20.2 C AERIbago 38.4% RH, 20.9 C 1753 UTC AERI-05 31.5% RH, 24.3 C Midpoint to mirror 32.0% RH, 24.2 C Mirror 29.1% RH, 24.6 C AERIbago 24.0% RH, 26.8 C 1950 UTC AERI-05 27.6% RH, 27.1 C Midpoint to mirror 29.2% RH, 26.6 C Mirror 25.4% RH, 27.1 C AERIbago 18.2% RH, 30.3 C 2119 UTC AERI-05 27.1% RH, 23.9 C Midpoint to mirror 27.6% RH, 24.1 C Mirror 22.6% RH, 25.6 C AERIbago 15.1% RH, 29.2 C Science Discussion Modifications that SDL folks made to the tracking system yesterday afternoon proved to be worthwhile, allowing the successful completion of the moon viewing portion of the Moon-tracking and Sky-viewing Event (MSE) started yesterday; tracking drifts observed were on the order of 0.2 pixels per interferometer scan. Between 1030 and 1038 UTC, 25 long scans (while viewing the moon) were recorded in the variable time integration mode, thus completing the MSE. An additional 25 scans were also run in the nominal fixed time integration mode between 1040 and 1049 UTC. While a gimbal cable was replaced yesterday, improved tracking performance may have also resulted from a reboot of the controlling computer system (i.e. odd behavior has been previously caused from the Windows operating system). The data files were then copied off the data drive to enable sufficient space for storing the Atmospheric Variation Event (AVE) test. The AVE test objective is to record GIFTS EDU high spectral resolution (0.57 cm-1) zenith sky data from pre-dawn to mid-afternoon (over a period of approximately 9 hours). Sky conditions were clear throughout the test duration. Radiosondes were launched approximately every 2 hours. A calibration sequence was run between 1150 and 1206 UTC, and the first sky-view data of this AVE experiment started at 1210 UTC. Five high-spectral resolution scans were recorded approximately every 10 minutes throughout the bulk of the day (54 data files), with the last sky-view data file ending approximately 2100 UTC. The AVE final calibration sequence was performed between 2110 and 2130 UTC, completing the AVE test procedure. Around 2030 UTC a person not involved in our test inadvertently walked in front of the GIFTS and AERI-05 FORs; the GIFTS scans were re-run for this file, but note that this time segment for AERI may be contaminated. Another possible data quality issue to note is that increased scan velocity errors were observed during the last approximately 50 mins of AVE sky-view data, possibly increasing noise during this period. This is believed to have been caused by anomalous behavior of the cryo-cooling chiller. While the weather is not expected to start to deteriorate until after tomorrow morning, no testing is planned. Activities will focus on trouble-shooting the chiller anomalous performance, looking at data, and planning for the coming days.