Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Yan, Xiao-Hai

Publications and source records attributed to Yan, Xiao-Hai.

11 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

Estimation of subsurface thermal structure using sea surface height and sea surface temperature

A method of determining a subsurface temperature in a body of water is disclosed. The method includes obtaining surface temperature anomaly data and surface height anomaly data of the body of water for a region of interest, and also obtaining subsurface temperature anomaly data for the region of interest at a plurality of depths. The method further includes regressing the obtained surface temperature anomaly data and surface height anomaly data for the region of interest with the obtained subsurface temperature anomaly data for the plurality of depths to generate regression coefficients, estimating a subsurface temperature at one or more other depths for the region of interest based on the generated regression coefficients and outputting the estimated subsurface temperature at the one or more other depths. Using the estimated subsurface temperature, signal propagation times and trajectories of marine life in the body of water are determined.

Kang, Yong Q.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Geometric registration of images by similarity transformation using two reference points

A method for registering a first image to a second image using a similarity transformation. The each image includes a plurality of pixels. The first image pixels are mapped to a set of first image coordinates and the second image pixels are mapped to a set of second image coordinates. The first image coordinates of two reference points in the first image are determined. The second image coordinates of these reference points in the second image are determined. A Cartesian translation of the set of second image coordinates is performed such that the second image coordinates of the first reference point match its first image coordinates. A similarity transformation of the translated set of second image coordinates is performed. This transformation scales and rotates the second image coordinates about the first reference point such that the second image coordinates of the second reference point match its first image coordinates.

Kang, Yong Q.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Application of Space Shuttle photography to studies of upper ocean dynamics

Three studies have been conducted using space shuttle imagery to explain the dynamics behavior of internal waves in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and to derive tide-related parameters for Delaware Bay. By interpreting space shuttle photographs taken during mission STS-40, a total of 34 internal wave packets on the continental shelf of the Middle Atlantic Bight have been recognized. Using the finite-depth theory we derived that the maximum amplitude of solitons is 5.6 m, the phase speed 0.42 m/s, and the period 23.8 min. Deep-ocean internal waves in the western equatorial Indian Ocean on photographs taken during mission STS-44 were also interpreted and analyzed. The internal waves occurred in the form of a multisoliton packet in which there are about a dozen solitons. The average wavelength of the solitons is 1.8 +/- 0.5 km. The crest lines are mostly straight and reach as long as 100 km. The distance between two adjacent packets is about 66 km. Using the deepwater soliton theory, we derived that the mean amplitude of the solitons is 25 m, the nonlinear phase speed 1.7 m/s, and the average period 18 min. For both cases, the semidiural tides are the principal generating mechanism. The tide-related parameters of Delaware Bay were derived from space shuttle time-series photographs taken during mission STS-40. The water area in the bay were measured from interpretation maps of the photographs. The corresponding tidal levels were calculated using the exposure time. From these data, an approximate function relating the water area to the tidal level at a reference point was determined. Then, the water areas of the Delaware Bay at mean high water (MHW) and mean low water (MLW), below 0 m, for the tidal zone, and the tidal flux were inferred. All parameters derived were reasonable and compared well with results of previous investigations.

Zheng, Quanan↗
NASA NTRS1995

Satellite observations of upper-layer variabilities in the western Pacific warm pool

The variabilities of the upper layer of the western Pacific warm pool (WPWP) were observed using satellite infrared data from 1982 to 1991 and altimeter data from November 1986 to September 1989. The warm pool was defined as the area where the sea surface temperatures are above 28 C. The eastern boundary oscillation, the centroid movement, and the upper-layer volume variation of the WPWP were intensively studied. Spectral analysis revealed that the eastern boundary oscillation of the WPWP was related to the El Nino event and the annual cycle. The centroid of the WPWP traced an ellipselike trajectory during a year and moved counterclockwise in most years. However, in 1982 and 1986, the years of the onset of El Nino events, the movements were clockwise. The upper-layer volume of the WPWP was divided latitudinally into three sections. The annual cycles in the northern (from 3 deg to 30 deg N) and southern (from 3 deg to 30 deg S) sections were dominant. No annual cycle was found in the equatorial section (from 3 deg S to 3 deg N), but the volume of warm water in the equatorial Pacific increased during the 1986/87 El Nino event. The equatorial section was further divided into the eastern and western sectors along 165 deg W. During the 1986/87 El Nino event, the volume of warm water increased in the eastern sector, but the variation was smaller in the western sector than that in the eastern sector. During the 1988 La Nina event, the warm water volumes decreased in both sectors.

Ho, Chung-Ru↗
NASA NTRS1995

Dynamic interpretation of space shuttle photographs: Deepwater internal waves in the western equatorial Indian Ocean

Visible images of deep-ocean internal waves in the western equatorial Indian Ocean taken by the space shuttle Atlantis during mission STS 44 in 1991 are interpreted and analyzed. The internal waves occurred in the form of a multisoliton packet in which there are about a dozen solitons. The average wavelength of the solitons is 1.8 +/- 0.5 km, ranging from 1.1 to 2.6 km. The crest lines are mostly straight and reach as long as 100 km. The distance between two adjacent packets is about 66 km. Using the deepwater soliton theory, we derived that the mean amplitude of the solitons is 25 m, the nonlinear phase speed is 1.7 m/s, and the average period is 18 min. The internal semidiurnal tides are the principal generating mechanism. The oblique collision of two multisoliton packets shown on photograph STS 44-93-103 is examined. The results show that the deep-ocean internal waves obey the general properties of soliton collision. The leading solitons and a few followers exhibit some properties of inelastic collision characterized by a phase shift, and the rest of the solitons exhibits properties of elastic collision under resonance conditions.

Zheng, Quanan↗
NASA NTRS1993

Derivation of Delaware Bay tidal parameters from Space Shuttle photography

The tide-related parameters of the Delaware Bay are derived from Space Shuttle time-series photographs. The water areas in the bay are measured from interpretation maps of the photographs with a CALCOMP 9100 digitizer and ERDAS Image Processing System. The corresponding tidal levels are calculated using the exposure time annotated on the photographs. From these data, an approximate function relating the water area to the tidal level at a reference point is determined. Based on the function, the water areas of the Delaware Bay at mean high water (MHW) and mean low water (MLW), below 0 m, and for the tidal zone are inferred. With MHW and MLW areas and the mean tidal range, we calculate the tidal influx of the Delaware Bay, which is 2.76 x 10 exp 9 cu m. The velocity of flood tide at the bay mouth is determined using the tidal flux and an integral of the velocity distribution function at the cross section between Cape Henlopen and Cape May. The result is 132 cm/s, which compares well with the data on tidal current charts.

Zheng, Quanan↗
NASA NTRS1993

Statistical and dynamical analysis of internal waves on the continental shelf of the Middle Atlantic Bight from Space Shuttle photographs

The internal waves on the continental shelf on the Middle Atlantic Bight seen on Space Shuttle photographs taken during the STS-40 mission in June 1991 are measured and analyzed. The internal wave field in the sample area has a three-level structure which consists of packet groups, packets, and solitons. An average packet group wavelength of 17.5 km and an average soliton wavelength of 0.6 km are measured. Finite-depth theory is used to derive the dynamic parameters of the internal solitons: the maximum amplitude of 5.6 m, the characteristic phase speed of 0.42 m/s, the characteristic period of 23.8 min, the velocity amplitude of the water particles in the upper and lower layers of 0.13 m/s and 0.030 m/s respectively, and the theoretical energy per unit crest line of 6.8 x 10 exp 4 J/m. The frequency distribution of solitons is triple-peaked rather than continuous. The major generation source is at 160 m water depth, and a second is at 1800 m depth, corresponding to the upper and lower edges of the shelf break.

Zheng, Quanan↗
NASA NTRS1992

Three-dimensional analytical model for the mixed layer depth

A three-dimensional (3D) semianalytical mixed-layer thermal inertia model for the mixed layer depth is developed, which includes the horizontal advection and diffusion processes modeled previously by Yan et al. (1991) in a one-dimensional (1D) model. The 3D model, which is based on the 3D thermal energy conservation equation, can be used as a supplement to the 1D model in the area where advection is important and for a finer resolution grid prediction. The model can be easily forced by remotely sensed data and is much simpler to compute than numerical 3D mixed-layer turbulence closure models. The new model was verified using data from the AVHRR/multichannel sea surface temperature data set and the Cooperative Ocean Atmosphere Data Set for the North Pacific Ocean, showing good agreement.

Yan, Xiao-Hai↗
NASA NTRS1992

Temperature and size variabilities of the Western Pacific Warm Pool

Variabilities in sea-surface temperature and size of the Western Pacific Warm Pool were tracked with 10 years of satellite multichannel sea-surface temperature observations from 1982 to 1991. The results show that both annual mean sea-surface temperature and the size of the warm pool increased from 1983 to 1987 and fluctuated after 1987. Possible causes of these variations include solar irradiance variabilities, El Nino-Southern Oscillaton events, volcanic activities, and global warming.

Yan, Xiao-Hai↗
NASA NTRS1990

Oceanic upper mixed layer depth determination by the use of satellite data

A method has been developed to determine the oceanic daily mean mixed layer depth from satellite observations and a mixed layer thermal inertia (MLTI) model. The algorithms were developed to use remotely-sensed values of sea surface temperature, albedo, and surface wind speeds to calculate the thermal inertia and to predict changes in subsurface diurnal mixed layer depth. The MLTI model, based on a mixed layer model of the upper ocean, has been used to simulate the diurnal mixing process and thermal inertia distribution in the Sargasso Sea around 34 deg N, 70 deg W. Sea surface temperature and albedo have been obtained from the NOAA7-AVHRR images. Surface wind speeds have been derived from the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) aboard Nimbus 7. Image processing was performed for images gathered between June and July 1982. The daily mean mixed layer depths predicted by the MLTI model agree well with data gathered at the LOTUS mooring located in the Sargasso Sea. This suggests that vertical mixing is the dominant physical process that controls the thermal inertia distribution in the midocean, far from major current systems, and that remote sensing is a promising tool to study such upper ocean processes.

Yan, Xiao-Hai↗