Atlantic-THORpex Observing System Test

ATOST_ER2_MAS is the MODIS Airborne Simulartor data taken aboard the NASA ER-2 aircraft for the ATOST campaign. Atlantic - THORpex Observing System Test (ATOST) is part of an international research program to accelerate improvements in the accuracy of 1 to 14 day weather forecasts. A number of additional air, ground, and water observation platforms are selected daily from forecast flow patterns. The ATOST campaign is the first to attempt real-time adaptive control over several platforms at short notice. The MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) is an airborne scanning spectrometer that acquires high spatial resolution imagery of cloud and surface features from its vantage point on-board a NASA ER-2 high-altitude research aircraft. Data acquired by the MAS are helping to define, develop, and test algorithms for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), a key sensor of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS). The MODIS program will emphasize the use of remotely sensed data to monitor variation in environmental conditions for assessing both natural and human-induced global change. The MAS spectrometer acquires high spatial resolution imagery in the range of 0.55 to 14.3 microns. A total of 50 spectral bands are available in this range. Pre-1995 the digitizer was configured for each mission to record a pre-selected group of 12 bands during the flight. For most of these missions the digitizer was configured to record four 10-bit channels and seven 8-bit channels. A 50-channel digitizer which records all 50 spectral bands at 12 bit resolution became operational in January 1995. The MAS spectrometer is mated to a scanner sub-assembly which collects image with an IFOV of 2.5 mrad, giving a ground resolution of 50 meters from 20000 meters altitude, and a cross track scan width of 85.92 degrees.