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logo Field Report ~ SAFARI 2000

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"Second Site Recon - Sua Pan & Skukuza"

Mark Helmlinger visited southern Africa from March 29 to April 15, 2000 to attend a planning workshop for the SAFARI 2000 international experiment as well as visit potential experiment sites. SAFARI 2000 (http://safari.gecp.virginia.edu), the Southern African Regional Science Initiative, is a regional climate experiment with an intensive field campaign to be conducted in August and September 2000 by African, European, and U.S. researchers. On the U.S. side, it will involve participants from many EOS teams, including MISR.

It was determined that the MISR Calibration/Validation Team will attempt to acquire field measurements at Sua Pan, Botswana, and Skukuza Camp, Kruger National Park, South Africa. Measurements from the Sua site will be used to calibrate MISR, AirMISR, and any other Visible/NearInfra-Red (VNIR) sensor that flies over. Ground Truth data from both sites will be used to verify that dust and veggie estimates made remotely by MISR and other sensors are correct. AirMISR will fly under the Terra orbital track - under MISR - over many of the vegetation and other types of sites, including fires, that will be measured by other ground teams during SAFARI 2000. Calibrated and validated MISR data products will be used to assist "S2K" scientists in understanding the overall time history of the ecology of the region as Terra has, and continues to, orbit overhead.

Below are captions written by Mark to explain the photos he took during the trip which appear in thumbnail form on the right. Clicking on the small images will load larger versions. To allow for slower web connections, none is larger than 200KB. For high resolution (and much larger) versions of any of these images, contact Mark directly.

50 of Mark's Photos + Words, on Four Pages:

(Click here to go to the next page of photos.)
The Instigators of SAFARI 2000
How many PhD's does it take to bring together an international field campaign? All you really need are these three dudes. Bob Swap, Tim Suttles, and Harold Annegarn. Here they are on the steps of the meeting hall at Pietersburg Airport, after setting up the room. Note Harold giving us the "South African Salute". Everyone seems to have a cell phone in South Africa, and each plays its own classical music. How many PhD's does it take to bring together an international field campaign? All you really need are these three dudes. Bob Swap, Tim Suttles, and Harold Annegarn. Here they are on the steps of the meeting hall at Pietersburg Airport, after setting up the room. Note Harold giving us the 'South African Salute.' Everyone seems to have a cell phone in South Africa, and each plays its own classical music.
The Roving E-Theatre
Before we set up the meeting hall, we went to a Community Center on the other side of Pietersburg for an outreach effort, presenting the E-Theater developed by the EOS Project at GSFC. Bob Swap explained many concepts of remote sensing and the presentation team zoomed from the global view seen here through several layers of resolution until the streets around the Community Center were visible. The audience was quite impressed, and pointed out their neighborhoods. Before we set up the meeting hall, we went to a Community Center on the other side of Pietersburg for an outreach effort, presenting the E-Theater developed by the EOS Project at GSFC. Bob Swap explained many concepts of remote sensing and the presentation team zoomed from the global view seen here through several layers of resolution until the streets around the Community Center were visible. The audience was quite impressed, and pointed out their neighborhoods.
The Old Hangar
Before the meeting, arrangements were made to use this nice big hangar for the ER-2. (AirMISR flies in its nose.) When we got to Pietersburg, we expected an empty hangar for our inspection, but instead found it full of these planes. Rumors flew about why the whole airline was there, in pieces. All of a sudden, getting ahold of the owners was difficult. (The ER-2 will be housed in another hangar especially modified -in record time- for its huge wings.) Welcome to Africa. Before the meeting, arrangements were made to use this nice big hangar for the ER-2. (AirMISR flies in its nose.) When we got to Pietersburg, we expected an empty hangar for our inspection, but instead found it full of these planes. Rumors flew about why the whole airline was there, in pieces. All of a sudden, getting ahold of the owners was difficult. (The ER-2 will be housed in another hangar especially modified -in record time- for its huge wings.) Welcome to Africa.
The SAFARI 2000 Pietersburg Meeting
Tim addresses the crowd. Note Bob falling asleep. That may have been the only sleep he got. The meeting, meals, events, etc. all kept us on our toes and working hard to plan the experiment, thanks to Bob, Tim, and Harold. This photo is of less than half the room, a converted hangar. Everyone had an opportunity to describe what their contribution to the experiment would be, and many scenarios were discussed for resource deployment - for several days. Tim addresses the crowd. Note Bob falling asleep. That may have been the only sleep he got. The meeting, meals, events, etc. all kept us on our toes and working hard to plan the experiment, thanks to Bob, Tim, and Harold. This photo is of less than half the room, a converted hangar. Everyone had an opportunity to describe what their contribution to the experiment would be, and many scenarios were discussed for resource deployment - for several days.
(Click here to go to the next page of photos.)