DAILY SHIP REPORT for 1998042100

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                        Ship Observer: Uttal, Taneil

                              Date: 1998042100

                                 Time: 00 UT

             Submitted at: Wed Apr 22 10:32:45 US/Eastern 1998

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          GPS Ship Position 76 02.976 N 165 29.876
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    Ship Movement in last 24
                        hrs ------------------------------------------------

        Surface Temperature -15 C
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         Surface Wind Chill -36 C
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                            Maybe some haze, thing at 300 m. Has been
    Cloud Heights-from LIDARmostly clear immediately over site for the past
                  and RADAR 5 hours
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  Liquid Water Layers-LIDAR thin at 300 m possible.
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           Inversion Height 500 m from 0000 Z April 21 sounding
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           Ship Orientation 353
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           Prevailing Winds 16 knots at 290 degrees
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          Rawindonde Status Normal launches
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    Tethered Balloon Status No flights today
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                            Clear, unrestricted visibility, slight haze,
        Visual Observations maybe some lead fog.
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                            Extensive new system of open leads 3 km wide as
                Lead Report close as 10 km from the ship. Multiple cracks
                            in camp.
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     Ship Instrument status Operational.....monitoring cloud radar
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          Helicopter Status No Helicopter on site
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          Ultralight Status No Ultralight status
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   Ship-to-Air CommunicationVHF/AM 121.5/126.7
                Frequencies ------------------------------------------------
  Ship-to-Land CommunicationHF 6200/6501
                Frequencies ------------------------------------------------
                            FIRE Folks-

                            At the minute there are crystal clear blue
                            skies with the slightest cloud bands on the
                            horizons. Judging from their position, they may
                            be associated with an extensive lead system
                            which has opened up in the vicinity of the
                            ship. The report below describes the postions
                            of the new leads explicitly....the haze or
                            cloud above them (if I am judging correctly)
                            are thin, dark, and very low. Above the surface
                            site proper, things appear to be completely
                            clear. According to the satellite terrascan
                            images that just came in at 0000Z for the 21,
                            we are presently in a dry slot associated with
                            a low pressure system just to the NE of SHEBA
                            which has carried the warmer air and moisture
                            out of the immediate area around SHEBA.
                            (temperatures have dropped to a respectable -15
                            C. This is consistent with the 00 Z sounding
                            which shows a thin level of saturation at 500 m
                            and a dry atmosphere above. The terrascan
                            forecast indicates that cloudiness will move
                            back in over the site in the middle of the
                            night. Getting back to the subject of leads,
                            multiple cracks opened up today in camp. There
                            are cracks running under the gangway, between
                            the ship and the met city and ocean city
                            installations, and some are presently opened up
                            to 2.5 feet wide for a couple of hundred fee.

                            Besides the forecast, there are three other
                            issues that must be carefully considered when
                            planning a mission for tomorrow:

                            1) The SHEBA project office is presently
                            planning two twin otter transporation flights
                            to SHEBA tomorrow, weather and runway
                            conditions allowing. Therefore, it the Canadian
                            Convair comes to SHEBA, there must be careful
                            coordination between the pilots since the ship
                            CANNOT provide any kind of air traffic control.
                            George, I would recommend calling Andy Heiberg
        Comments and Missionin Barrow, he works out of the Cape Smyth Air
            Recommendations office at the airport, his number there is
                            907-852-6656. He is staying at the King Eider
                            hotel, I assume you have that number since you
                            guys stay there also.

                            2) If the lead situation around camp develops
                            adversely in the next 24 hours, we could be in
                            a position where all camp personnel will be
                            required to assist on the ice with moving
                            equipment and power lines. If it were an
                            extremely active period, the bridge personnel
                            would already be quite busy coordinating ice
                            operations.

                            3) at 1630 UT on April 17, (just before the
                            ISAACS group arrived for their second fight) a
                            circulator switch went out on the cloud radar.
                            We think that we got it fixed on 0400 UT on
                            April 19, and we are presently in a mode of
                            intensively monitoring the radar return from
                            the radar. The cloudless skies which have been
                            above since 1900 UT April 20 are not helping
                            with this project. Things look good so far, but
                            it is still possible that the radar is
                            operating in mode where reflectivities are
                            attenuated.

                            Please note on the following report that the
                            sounding data is more current inusual. This
                            wordy and extensive surface report is a result
                            of receiving two phone calls from the Isaacs
                            group today indicating that they are quite
                            interested in flying tomorrow. There will
                            another full report tomorrow faxed to at 7:30
                            A.M. Inuvik time.

                            QUESTION TO DON WYLIE: Don...it is my
                            understanding that with the terrascan system
                            here on the ship that we can get satellite
                            images more real time that you can for this
                            region in Wisconsin.....is it useful to start
                            including that information in our surface
                            reports? The terrascan group is more than
                            willing to help out with forecasting.
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