JD: 00-204 DoW: FRI/SAT UTC Date: 22JULY2000

SUMMARY: Sprites Over LMA + Trolls + Blue Starters

TLE PREDICTION: 0.63 (0.9x0.6)

RESULTS: 70+, Complex MCS makes sprites and trolls, small cells makes

blue starters

LESSONS: Best Case So Far !!

PERSONNEL: Lyons, Nelson, Nordem

STEPS STATUS: STEPS over. LMA runs.

YRFS OPERATION LOGS: High CAPES over High Plains along with strong west-northwest flow aloft creates complex MCS. Severe tornado and severe-tstsm watch areas in eastern CO and western KS/NE extend into night. Large LP supercell with massive tornado near Ft. Morgan during afternoon. Rather large anvil canopy after dark was not too cold compared to recent nights, but cold turrets were noted. Radar tops to 55000, with TVS, mesos and hail. Actually several MCS, one of which tracked right through LMA center. At 0319Z, 80 mph heat burst wind broke Mark Stanley’s antenna for the long range interferometer measurements. Rolled GEN III by 0252 and TLEs started at 0302. Southern area closet to LMA went first. Had a few sprites from northern system later on. New cells began forming in line from GLD area back towards GXY. These entered FOV by 0530 and quickly developed by 0600 into LP or classic supercells in the immediate foreground. By 0600, could see carrots with trolls in from more distant storm (450 km). First IC from near field cell was about 0609 and within ten minutes a series of blue starters and blue "dots" flashed along top of this cell. Several seemed to have VLF signatures, but this may have been coincidence. Ran GEN III, S-VHS Dub, patrol, tele (but did not turn tape on until late), and zoom. Initially had to go panoramic because of large FOV. Ran VLF and Winckler samples (but Winckler signal weak). Had slit filter on initially to block ground lights. Ran Utah CCD and did see weal gravity waves along with sprites until moon up around 0500. Also ran blue Xybion. Turned both off when moon got in FOV. Had broken down system at 0600 but left GEN III running…restarted patrol and telescope after break to look at sprites to left of anvil of near field storm. Turn all off at 0700Z as near field cell weakens and blocks view of other storms.

STEPS OPERATIONS: LMA runs

KEY RESULTS : Dozens of sprites over LMA. Many start as c-sprites, end as big carrots with trolls. Near field cell produces six blue starters and a dozen or so "blue dots" . Some gravity wave action before moon rise.

Total TLEs from Yucca Ridge This Campaign: 1000+

FMA

Red Xybion (A)-Patrol: 2 tapes

Sony TRV900 3CCD: time lapse of storms;

GEN III unit; 5 DV tapes; TL of clouds; 2 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: used-sky bright

GPS: OK

WWV Source: OK

VLF Inspire: many samples

ELF N-S: not available

ELF E-W: not available

NLDN Live: OK (some problems with flash buffer)

NLDN Paper: 10 maps

NLDN Archive: 3 saves

MRC Data Acquisition: many samples

FMA Data Acquisition: not available

Thunder Mic: available

LANL Tracker: OK

Red Xybion (B)-Zoom; 2 tapes (on tracker)

Red Xybion (C)-T500 mm tele: 1 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 gone

LLTV gone

ELF/VLF/PMT gone

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY:

Xybion GEN III (6 deg FOV) used for while-moon in way-gravity waves and sprites

blue

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

Gravity waves/sprites

MIT ELF: operational

FUELLEKRUG ELF: operational

ISRAELI ELF: nominal