JD: 00-195 DoW: WED/THU UTC Date: 13JULY2000

SUMMARY: MCS Decays Before Dark

TLE PREDICTION: 0.45 (0.9x0.5)

RESULTS: 0, storm died before dark

LESSONS: old decaying storms don’t make sprites

PERSONNEL: Lyons, Nelson, Fossum, Nordem, Gerken

STEPS STATUS: STEPS down.

YRFS OPERATION LOGS: Partial operations. Large MCS with considerable severe weather developed over northeast Colorado and southeast WY during afternoon. Tops to 65,000, severe t-storm watch issued. Systems merged into one large MCS which drifted southeast during the evening towards the LMA. But it rapidly decayed, and just and a few CGs remaining as dark fell. Used GEN III and Xybion to watch. Did see some IC and CGs. Debris clouds only partially cleared so it is possible a sprite occurred behind the clouds but there were few supporting VLF sounds. Ended around 0450Z

Debris clouds partially blocked view of large MCS 250 km to east. Air rather hazy. Moon illuminated clouds.

STEPS OPERATIONS: STEPS down

KEY RESULTS : n/a

Total TLEs from Yucca Ridge This Campaign: 950+

FMA

Red Xybion (A)-Patrol: 1 tapes

Sony TRV900 3CCD: time lapse of late storm ;

GEN III unit; 1 DV tapes; TL of clouds plus lightning; 1 S-VHS

JVC KY-19: shoot daytime TL/STEPS Cam (to ESE);

Pulnix CCD: shoot various TL scenes;

Photodiode: available

Winckler PMT: available

GPS: OK

WWV Source: OK

VLF Inspire: used

ELF N-S: not available

ELF E-W: not available

NLDN Live: OK

NLDN Paper: 8 maps

NLDN Archive: 3 saves

MRC Data Acquisition: few samples

FMA Data Acquisition: not available

Thunder Mic: available

LANL Tracker: OK

Red Xybion (B)-Zoom; 0 tapes (on tracker)

Red Xybion (C)-Tele: 0 tapes-on tracker

Blue Xybion(D)-zoom: 0 tapes - problems with focus

Mountain Cam: nominal

STEPS Cam: nominal

Shure Mic: OK

NEXRAD Archive: Revised EDIS;

GOES Archive: OK

RUC2 Archive: OK

STANFORD/STAR LAB:

Telescope available

LLTV available

ELF/VLF/PMT available

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY:

Xybion GEN III (6 deg FOV) available

White or blue

CCD, Medium FOV OH imager available

Gravity waves/sprites

MIT ELF: operational

FUELLEKRUG ELF: operational

ISRAELI ELF: nominal