JD: 00-201 DoW: TUE/WED UTC Date: 19JULY2000

SUMMARY: Two MCS Makes Sprites Over LMA!!

TLE PREDICTION: 0.42 (0.7x0.6)

RESULTS: 23+, debris clouds block view but some distant sprites seen

LESSONS: Two storms

PERSONNEL: Lyons, Nelson, Fossum, Nordem, Gerken

STEPS STATUS: STEPS over. CHILL still runs.

YRFS OPERATION LOGS: Increasing shear and some CAPE allowed numerous MCS to form over High Plains and move east. The cells produced severe weather (hail, mesos, TVS) and had tops to 65,000 ft. Severe t-storm watches for northern Kansas at night. Moon a major problem…rose right into field of view at 0400 as sprites were occurring. Split the several cameras to try to maintain coverage. Use ND filter on GEN III unit. Stanford operates-camera problems, may not have any. Many of the sprites looked like tall c-sprites. Had pretty good cloud flash viewing but hard to see evidence of spiders at that range. Sampled VLF audio only as moon just too bright for any PMTs. Mark was clouded in during sprite times.

Sprites actually came form two MCS. The first passed through the LMA and began spriting as it went into its decaying stages some 100-150 km east of GLD as the stratiform developed. The second system moved into the LMA from Colorado and intensified after dark. It had tops to 650,00, a TVS, hail and was more of a large supercellular structure initially. As it began to enlarge there were a burst of sprites. No elves noted.

VLF audio was very complex and loud.

STEPS OPERATIONS: Chill runs

KEY RESULTS : Two dozen sprites in the LMA!! Mark sees very large excursions and long CCs (to one second!). One cell had tornado.

Total TLEs from Yucca Ridge This Campaign: 950+

FMA

Red Xybion (A)-Patrol: 3 tapes

Sony TRV900 3CCD: time lapse of late storm ;

GEN III unit; 5 DV tapes; TL of clouds; 3 S-VHS

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

Pulnix CCD: shoot various TL scenes;

Photodiode: available-moon too bright

Winckler PMT: available-moon too bright

GPS: OK

WWV Source: OK

VLF Inspire: many samples

ELF N-S: not available

ELF E-W: not available

NLDN Live: OK

NLDN Paper: 15 maps

NLDN Archive: 4 saves

MRC Data Acquisition: many samples

FMA Data Acquisition: not available

Thunder Mic: available

LANL Tracker: OK

Red Xybion (B)-Zoom; 3 tapes (on tracker)

Red Xybion (C)-Tele: 3 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 used- maybe one or two

LLTV used

ELF/VLF/PMT used

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY:

Xybion GEN III (6 deg FOV) used for short time-moon in way

White or blue

CCD, Medium FOV OH imager used for short time-moon in way

Gravity waves/sprites

MIT ELF: operational

FUELLEKRUG ELF: operational

ISRAELI ELF: nominal