TRMM Tethered Balloon Site: Meck Island
Daily Activity Report for August 20–22 GMT
Tower measurements are unavailable during the time period from about 0000Z on the 21st through approximately 0500 on the 22nd due to an electrical outage that occurred while the site was vacated for the mission. Approximately 30 hours of data were affected by this outage. The boom measuring radiation flux and sea surface temperatures was also removed during the mission, and will not be reinstalled until Tuesday 24 Aug due to an incoming barge that docks at its mounting location. On the 20th of August, soundings were suspended in order to conduct an inter-comparison with the instruments on the NOAA ship R.H. Brown. On 21-22 August, temperatures at Meck ranged from 299K to 302K, and relative humidity from approximately 70% to 100%. Winds were fairly consistently from the east, with wind speeds generally about 6-8 m/s; although at several points they exceeded 10 m/s. Tethered balloon soundings were done at 23:00Z on August 21st, and at 02:00Z, 08:00 and 11:00Z on August 22nd. The 05:00Z and 17:00Z soundings on August 22nd were cancelled due to rain and high winds, with ample warning from Aeromet. For all soundings except for the one at 08:00Z on the 22nd, only data for the ascent are provided. Descent data are unavailable due to rainy conditions that affected the measurements.