STEPS 2000 JD 00162 10JUN2000
PRELIMINARY SPRITE LOG
The following is a very preliminary listing of the times of sprites imaged at the Yucca Ridge Field Station. These are based solely on real-time visual inspection of the video monitoring system. There are most likely some additional sprites not listed and not all those below may in fact be sprites. All times are UTC. Times are likely to be within ±5 seconds of actual time.
SUMMARY: Full Operations at YRFS and STEPS (but for different storms). Long range viewing. Employed ITT GEN III unit and caught many sprites. Few cells moved off mountains in afternoon with some local microbursts, but most convection was east of the dewpoint gradient in Kansas and northeast in NE, WY and SD in association with a frontal system and low pressure. Cold front swept through YRFS just before sunset and cleared out clouds and some haze. Monitored NE and SD storms as soon as dark fell Sprites were going even at dusk. Frequent, bright, carrot-like and dancing sprites. MCS was complex, in fact a series of partially connected centers of action. Could see frequent cloud flashes from closer in parts of system. Did not look at system in Texas panhandle. Sampled VLF, but storms too far to use photodiode, but could easily sub-horizon cloud flashes in GEN III system, perhaps as far out as 400 km. Stanford telescope captured some events as did 500 mm tele lens. Sampled VLF. Little if any lightning in LMA (except perhaps northeast fringe).
Shot Red XYBION patrol, Red Xybion with 500 mm Tele lens and Blue Xybion Zoom along with GEN III (2 Sony tapes plus two hours on S-VHS with GPS timing). Perhaps some residual smoke in area, though sky was fairy clear clear, but lacked a little crispness. Clouds not a real factor. Half moon backlit scene. V
Total TLEs from Yucca Ridge This Campaign: 240
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(S) = Sprite; (E) = Elve; (B) = Blue Jet; (CF/CG) = Cloud/Ground flash; (M)=Meteor
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JD 00156 – 4 JUN 2000
0318Z. Start LLTV Observations
0525Z. End LLTV Observations
O319.xx [S]
0323.38 [S]
0326.12 [S-]
0328.44 [S-]
0329.08 [S-]
0332.30 [S--]
0333.28 [S-]
0334.10 [S-]
0334.30 [S]
0336.16 [S+]
0338.04 [S]
0339.54 [S+]
0342.05 [S]
0346.03 [S-]
0346.00 [S]
0346.22 [S]
0348.58 [S]
0349.56 [S]
0351.05 [S-]
0351.41 [S]
0356.00 [S]
0358.18 [S?]
0358.57 [S]
0359.34 [S]
0403.23 [S]
0406.10 [S]
0406.40 [S+]
0407.06 [S?]
0407.20 [E?]
0409.20 [S]
0415.23 [S]
0421.24 [S]
0427.17 [S]
0450.50 [S]
0502.30 [S]
at least 4 more
sprites after taping ended
(through 0550)