SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > AEROSOLS”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

1235 Preparing for TEMPO: A Review of Planned Metadata, Data Structure, and Distribution by NASA’s Atmospheric Science Data Center

The Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) is in the Science Directorate located at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), in Hampton, Virginia. The ASDC is one of NASA’s Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAAC) and supports over 60 projects and provides access to more than 1,000 archived collections. These datasets were created from satellite measurements, field experiments, and modeled data products. ASDC projects focus on the following Earth science disciplines: Radiation Budget, Clouds, Aerosols, and Tropospheric Composition. The ASDC is the official Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) of record for the upcoming Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument.. The instrument will share a ride on a commercial satellite as a hosted payload and will be launched to an orbit about 22,000 miles above Earth's equator. The investigation will, for the first time, use a space-based instrument to make accurate observations of tropospheric pollution concentrations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, and aerosols with high resolution and frequency over the U.S, Canada, and Mexico.

Ashlee Autore↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

1235 Preparing for TEMPO: A Review of Planned Metadata, Data Structure, and Distribution by NASA’s Atmospheric Science Data Center

Ashlee Autore↗

NASA NTRS2010

The Detection, Characterization and Tracking of Recent Aleutian Island Volcanic Ash Plumes and the Assessment of Their Impact on Aviation

The Aleutian Islands of Alaska are home to a number of major volcanoes which periodically present a significant hazard to aviation. During summer of 2008, the Okmok and Kasatochi volcanoes experienced moderate eruptive events. These were followed a dramatic, major eruption of Mount Redoubt in late March 2009. The Redoubt case is extensively covered in this paper. Volcanic ash and SO2 from each of these eruptions dispersed throughout the atmosphere. This created the potential for major problems for air traffic near the ash dispersions and at significant distances downwind. The NASA Applied Sciences Weather Program implements a wide variety of research projects to develop volcanic ash detection, characterization and tracking applications for NASA Earth Observing System and NOAA GOES and POES satellites. Chemistry applications using NASA AURA satellite Ozone Monitoring System (OMI) retrievals produced SO2 measurements to trace the dispersion of volcanic aerosol. This work was complimented by advanced multi-channel imager applications for the discrimination and height assignment of volcanic ash using NASA MODIS and NOAA GOES and POES imager data. Instruments similar to MODIS and OMI are scheduled for operational deployment on NPOESS. In addition, the NASA Calipso satellite provided highly accurate measurements of aerosol height and dispersion for the calibration and validation of these algorithms and for corroborative research studies. All of this work shortens the lead time for transition to operations and ensures that research satellite data and applications are operationally relevant and utilized quickly after the deployment of operational satellite systems. Introduction

Murray, John J.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

What is LAADS DAAC? How to Download Data from NASA's Source for Cloud and Aerosol Data

The Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) primarily archives and distributes data on clouds and aerosols in Earth’s atmosphere in addition to providing Level 0 and 1 Moderate Imaging Radiometer Suite (MODIS), Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and airborne data as well as data from the European Space Agency’s Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) and the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI). Secondarily, LAADS DAAC serves as a backup source for MODIS and VIIRS land products. As one of twelve DAACS supported by NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS), LAADS DAAC provides a gateway to data through multiple tools. The newest, View Data, allows users to preview data sets before downloading or applying any post-processing transformations. Learn about how to access LAADS DAAC data, get up-to-date information about LAADS DAAC's migration to hosting data in the cloud, and discover how to use the View Data tool.

Tassia Owen↗

NASA NTRS1983

The sensitivity of a general circulation model to Saharan dust heating

Evidence is accumulating that tropospheric aerosols, such as Saharan dust, can significantly influence weather and climate. The Climate Model of the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences is presently used to assess the possible effects of Saharan dust on the weather and climate of North Africa and the tropical Atlantic Ocean. The three-dimensional model solves the conservation equations for the horizontal wind vector, potential temperature, water vapor mixing ratio, and surface pressure. Parameterizations are included for turbulent exchange at the earth surface, cumulus convection, large scale saturation, diurnally varying solar radiation, and terrestrial radiation. Realistic simulations are thereby produced for many aspects of the observed climate.

Randall, D.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Remote Measurement of Pollution-A 40-Year Langley Retrospective: Aerosols and Clouds - Part 2

A workshop was convened in 1971 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the Remote Measurement of Pollution (RMOP), and the findings and recommendations of its participants are in a NASA Special Publication (NASA SP-285). The three primary workshop panels and their chairmen were focused on trace gas species (Will Kellogg), atmospheric particulates or aerosols (Verner Suomi), and water pollution (Gifford Ewing). Many of the workshop participants were specialists in the techniques that might be employed for regional to global-scale, remote measurements of the atmospheric parameters from Earth-orbiting satellites. In 2011 the author published a 40-year retrospective (or Part I) of the instrumental developments that were an outgrowth of the RMOP panel headed by Will Kellogg, i.e., on atmospheric temperature and gaseous species. The current report (or Part II) is an analogous retrospective of the vision of the panel led by Verner Suomi for the measurement of particulates (or aerosols) and clouds and for their effects on Earth s radiation budget. The class of measurement techniques includes laser radar or lidar, solar occultation, limb emission and scattering, nadir-viewing photometry or radiometry, and aerosol polarimetry. In addition, the retrospective refers to the scientific imperatives that led to those instrument developments of 1971-2010. Contributions of the atmospheric technologists at the Langley Research Center are emphasized, and their progress is placed in the context of the parallel and complementary work from within the larger atmospheric science community.

Remsberg, Ellis E.↗

NASA NTRS2002

A Perspective of Our Planet's Atmosphere, Land, and Oceans: A View from Space

A birds eye view of the Earth from afar and up close reveals the power and magnificence of the Earth and juxtaposes the simultaneous impacts and powerlessness of humankind. The NASA Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in an historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to South America with its Andes Mountains and the glaciers of Patagonia, ending up close and personal in Buenos Aires. See the latest spectacular images from NASA & NOAA remote sensing missions like GOES, TRMM, Landsat 7, QuikScat, and Terra, which will be visualized and explained in the context of global change. See visualizations of global data sets currently available from Earth orbiting satellites, including the Earth at night with its city lights, aerosols from biomass burning in South America and Africa, and global cloud properties. See the dynamics of vegetation growth and decay over South America over 17 years, and its contrast to the North American and Africa continents. New visualization tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global mosaic images from the Himalayas to the dynamics of the Pacific Ocean that affect the climate of South and North America. New visualization tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global mosaic images including Landsat and Terra tours of South America and Africa showing land use and land cover change from Patagonia to the Amazon Basin, including the Andes Mountains, the Pantanal, and the Bolivian highlands. Landsat flyins to Rio Di Janeiro and Buenos Aires will be shows to emphasize the capabilities of new satellite technology to visualize our natural environment. Spectacular new visualizations of the global atmosphere & oceans are shown. See massive dust storms sweeping across Africa and across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and Amazon basin. See ocean vortexes and currents that bring up the nutrients to feed tiny phytoplankton and draw the fish, giant whales and fisherman. See how the ocean blooms in response to these currents and El Nino/La Nina climate changes. We will illustrate these and other topics with a dynamic theater-style presentation, along with animations of satellite launch deployments and orbital mapping to highlight aspects of Earth observations from space.

King, Michael D.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Initial Operation and Checkout of Stratospheric Aerosol Gas Experiment and Meteor-3M Satellite

Under a joint agreement between the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) and the Russian Aviation and Space Agency (RASA), the Stratospheric Aerosol Gas Experiment III (SAGE III) instrument was launched in low earth orbit on December 10,2001 aboard the Russian Meteor-3M satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. SAGE III is a spectrometer that measures attenuated radiation in the 282 nm to 1550 nm wavelength range to obtain the vertical profiles of ozone, aerosols, and other chemical species that are critical in studying the trends for the global climate change phenomena. This instrument version is more advanced than any of the previous versions and has more spectral bands, elaborate data gathering and storage, and intelligent terrestrial software. There are a number of Russian scientific instruments aboard the Meteor satellite in addition to the SAGE III instrument. These instruments deal with land imaging and biomass changes, hydro-meteorological monitoring, and helio-geophysical research. This mission was under development for over a period of six years and offered a number of unique technical and program management challenges for both Agencies. SAGE III has a long space heritage, and four earlier versions of this instrument have flown in space for nearly two decades now. In fact, SAGE II, the fourth instrument, is still flying in space on NASA s Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), and has been providing important atmospheric data over the last 18 years. It has provided vital ozone and aerosol data in the mid latitudes and has contributed vastly in ozone depletion research. Ball Aerospace built the instrument under Langley Research Center s (LaRC) management. This paper presents innovative approaches deployed by the SAGE III and the Meteor teams in performing the initial on-orbit checkout. It further documents a number of early science results obtained by deploying low risk, carefully coordinated procedures in resolving the serious operational issues of this satellite.

Habib, Shahid↗

NASA NTRS2023

Observations Suggest That North African Dust Absorbs Less Solar Radiation Than Models Estimate

Desert dust accounts for a large fraction of shortwave radiation absorbed by aerosols, which adds to the climate warming produced by greenhouse gases. However, it remains uncertain exactly how much shortwave radiation dust absorbs. Here, we leverage in-situ measurements of dust single-scattering albedo to constrain absorption at mid-visible wavelength by North African dust, which accounts for approximately half of the global dust. We find that climate and chemical transport models overestimate North African dust absorption aerosol optical depth (AAOD) by up to a factor of two. This occurs primarily because models overestimate the dust imaginary refractive index, the effect of which is partially masked by an underestimation of large dust particles. Similar factors might contribute to an overestimation of AAOD retrieved by the Aerosol Robotic Network, which is commonly used to evaluate climate and chemical transport models. The overestimation of dust absorption by models could lead to substantial biases in simulated dust impacts on the Earth system, including warm biases in dust radiative effects.

Atmospheric science↗

NASA NTRS2003

Promise and Capability of NASA's Earth Observing System to Monitor Human-Induced Climate Variations

The Earth Observing System (EOS) is a space-based observing system comprised of a series of satellite sensors by which scientists can monitor the Earth, a Data and Information System (EOSDIS) enabling researchers worldwide to access the satellite data, and an interdisciplinary science research program to interpret the satellite data. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), developed as part of the Earth Observing System (EOS) and launched on Terra in December 1999 and Aqua in May 2002, is designed to meet the scientific needs for satellite remote sensing of clouds, aerosols, water vapor, and land and ocean surface properties. This sensor and multi-platform observing system is especially well suited to observing detailed interdisciplinary components of the Earth s surface and atmosphere in and around urban environments, including aerosol optical properties, cloud optical and microphysical properties of both liquid water and ice clouds, land surface reflectance, fire occurrence, and many other properties that influence the urban environment and are influenced by them. In this presentation I will summarize the current capabilities of MODIS and other EOS sensors currently in orbit to study human-induced climate variations.

King, M. D.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Lidar Measurements of Tropospheric Wind Profiles with the Double Edge Technique

Research has established the importance of global tropospheric wind measurements for large scale improvements in numerical weather prediction. In addition, global wind measurements provide data that are fundamental to the understanding and prediction of global climate change. These tasks are closely linked with the goals of the NASA Earth Science Enterprise and Global Climate Change programs. NASA Goddard has been actively involved in the development of direct detection Doppler lidar methods and technologies to meet the wind observing needs of the atmospheric science community. A variety of direct detection Doppler wind lidar measurements have recently been reported indicating the growing interest in this area. Our program at Goddard has concentrated on the development of the edge technique for lidar wind measurements. Implementations of the edge technique using either the aerosol or molecular backscatter for the Doppler wind measurement have been described. The basic principles have been verified in lab and atmospheric lidar wind experiments. The lidar measurements were obtained with an aerosol edge technique lidar operating at 1064 nm. These measurements demonstrated high spatial resolution (22 m) and high velocity sensitivity (rms variances of 0.1 m/s) in the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The aerosol backscatter is typically high in the PBL and the effects of the molecular backscatter can often be neglected. However, as was discussed in the original edge technique paper, the molecular contribution to the signal is significant above the boundary layer and a correction for the effects of molecular backscatter is required to make wind measurements. In addition, the molecular signal is a dominant source of noise in regions where the molecular to aerosol ratio is large since the energy monitor channel used in the single edge technique measures the sum of the aerosol and molecular signals. To extend the operation of the edge technique into the free troposphere we have developed a variation of the edge technique called the double edge technique. In this paper a ground based aerosol double edge lidar is described and the first measurements of wind profiles in the free troposphere obtained with this lidar will be presented.

Gentry, Bruce M.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Free Radicals and Reactive Intermediates for the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) Mission

This grant provided partial support for participation in the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment. The NASA-sponsored SOLVE mission was conducted Jointly with the European Commission-sponsored Third European Stratospheric Experiment on Ozone (THESEO 2000). Researchers examined processes that control ozone amounts at mid to high latitudes during the arctic winter and acquired correlative data needed to validate the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III satellite measurements that are used to quantitatively assess high-latitude ozone loss. The campaign began in September 1999 with intercomparison flights out of NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards. CA. and continued through March 2000. with midwinter deployments out of Kiruna. Sweden. SOLVE was co-sponsored by the Upper Atmosphere Research Program (UARP). Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project (AEAP). Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling and Analysis Program (ACMAP). and Earth Observing System (EOS) of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) as part of the validation program for the SAGE III instrument.

Anderson, James G.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

On the Importance of Laboratory Astrophysics and Astrochemistry and Interdisciplinary Research: Two Success Stories

Here we present two examples that demonstrate how cross-disciplinary research projects, where experimentalists, modelers and observers work together to answer science questions, allow expertise to be shared and misconceptions or missing key elements to be tackled by looking at the problem from different perspectives. They also show how, by working in unison, the group can accomplish more than the sum of its parts by combining results into a higher-level understanding of the chemical processes taking place. The first project is a collaborative study between experimentalists, modelers and observers to1) produce laboratory analogs of cosmic grains and planetary aerosols (Titan, Pluto...) from different gas mixtures in cold astrophysically relevant conditions (<200 K); and 2) characterize them with scanning electron microscopy and visible-to-far-infrared spectroscopy in order to assess the impact of the precursors on their growth structure and optical properties. We can then produce and study analogs that are representative of different formation stages or environments, and provide their complex refractive indices to the scientific community. We will show how, by using these experimental optical constants of more representative analogs in radiative transfer and reflectance spectra models, better interpretations of (exo)planetary atmosphere- and surface observations are possible. The second project is an interdisciplinary study of the formation of benzene clouds in the atmosphere of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. We will show how combining Earth and Planetary Science laboratory expertise, modeling and observations has led to providing to the scientific community, for the first time, experimental vapor pressures for benzene at cold temperatures(<200K) relevant to Titan’s atmospheric conditions. These have been used in microphysical models instead of the higher temperature extrapolations used previously, allowing a better match to observations.

Ella Sciamma-o'Brien↗

NASA NTRS2000

Hand-Held Sunphotometers for High School Student Construction and Measuring Aerosol Optical Thickness

Science education is taking the teaching of science from a traditional (lecture) approach to a multidimensional sense-making approach which allows teachers to support students by providing exploratory experiences. Using projects is one way of providing students with opportunities to observe and participate in sense-making activity. We created a learning environment that fostered inquiry-based learning. Students were engaged in a variety of Inquiry activities that enabled them to work in cooperative planning teams where respect for each other was encouraged and their ability to grasp, transform and transfer information was enhanced. Summer, 1998: An air pollution workshop was conducted for high school students in the Medgar Evers College/Middle College High School Liberty Partnership Summer Program. Students learned the basics of meteorology: structure and composition of the atmosphere and the processes that cause weather. The highlight of this workshop was the building of hand-held sunphotometers, which measure the intensity of the sunlight striking the Earth. Summer, 1999: high school students conducted a research project which measured the mass and size of ambient particulates and enhanced our ability to observe through land based measurements changes in the optical depth of ambient aerosols over Brooklyn. Students used hand held Sunphotometers to collect data over a two week period and entered it into the NASA GISS database by way of the internet.

Almonor, Linda↗

NASA NTRS2012

Aerosol Remote Sensing from AERONET, the Ground-Based Satellite

Atmospheric particles including mineral dust, biomass burning smoke, pollution from carbonaceous aerosols and sulfates, sea salt, impact air quality and climate. The Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) program, established in the early 1990s, is a federation of ground-based remote sensing aerosol networks of Sun/sky radiometers distributed around the world, which provides a long-term, continuous and readily accessible public domain database of aerosol optical (e.g., aerosol optical depth) and microphysical (e.g., aerosol volume size distribution) properties for aerosol characterization, validation of satellite retrievals, and synergism with Earth science databases. Climatological aerosol properties will be presented at key worldwide locations exhibiting discrete dominant aerosol types. Further, AERONET's temporary mesoscale network campaign (e.g., UAE2, TIGERZ, DRAGON-USA.) results that attempt to quantify spatial and temporal variability of aerosol properties, establish validation of ground-based aerosol retrievals using aircraft profile measurements, and measure aerosol properties on compatible spatial scales with satellite retrievals and aerosol transport models allowing for more robust validation will be discussed.

Holben, Brent N.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Lidar Technology at the Goddard Laser and Electro-Optics Branch

The Laser and Electro-Optics Branch at Goddard Space flight Center was established about three years ago to provide a focused center of engineering support and technology development in these disciplines with an emphasis on spaced based instruments for Earth and Space Science. The Branch has approximately 15 engineers and technicians with backgrounds in physics, optics, and electrical engineering. Members of the Branch are currently supporting a number of space based lidar efforts as well as several technology efforts aimed at enabling future missions. The largest effort within the Branch is support of the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESAT) carrying the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) instrument. The ICESAT/GLAS primary science objectives are: 1) To determine the mass balance of the polar ice sheets and their contributions to global sea level change; and 2) To obtain essential data for prediction of future changes in ice volume and sea-level. The secondary science objectives are: 1) To measure cloud heights and the vertical structure of clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere; 2) To map the topography of land surfaces; and 3) To measure roughness, reflectivity, vegetation heights, snow-cover, and sea-ice surface characteristics. Our efforts have concentrated on the GLAS receiver component development, the Laser Reference Sensor for the Stellar Reference System, the GLAS fiber optics subsystems, and the prelaunch calibration facilities. We will report on our efforts in the development of the space qualified interference filter [Allan], etalon filter, photon counting detectors, etalor/laser tracking system, and instrument fiber optics, as well as specification and selection of the star tracker and development of the calibration test bed. We are also engaged in development work on lidar sounders for chemical species. We are developing new lidar technology to enable a new class of miniature lidar instruments that are compatible with small Discovery-class orbiters now in the NASA planetary program. The purpose of the lidar is to continuously profile the water vapor and dust in the Mars atmosphere from orbit in order to quantify its dynamics, their relationship in the diurnal cycles, and to infer water vapor exchange with the Mars surface. To remotely measure the water-vapor height profiles, we will use the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique. We are also developing a laser sensor for measuring the total column content of CO2 in the atmosphere of the earth. CO2 is the principal greenhouse gas and has increased by roughly 80 ppm in the last century and a half. We will report our efforts in the development of the laser transmitter and photon counting detector components for a Mars Orbiting DIAL system and for the CO2 sounder.

Heaps, William S.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Satellite Remote Sensing: Aerosol Measurements

Aerosols are solid or liquid particles suspended in the air, and those observed by satellite remote sensing are typically between about 0.05 and 10 microns in size. (Note that in traditional aerosol science, the term "aerosol" refers to both the particles and the medium in which they reside, whereas for remote sensing, the term commonly refers to the particles only. In this article, we adopt the remote-sensing definition.) They originate from a great diversity of sources, such as wildfires, volcanoes, soils and desert sands, breaking waves, natural biological activity, agricultural burning, cement production, and fossil fuel combustion. They typically remain in the atmosphere from several days to a week or more, and some travel great distances before returning to Earth's surface via gravitational settling or washout by precipitation. Many aerosol sources exhibit strong seasonal variability, and most experience inter-annual fluctuations. As such, the frequent, global coverage that space-based aerosol remote-sensing instruments can provide is making increasingly important contributions to regional and larger-scale aerosol studies.

Kahn, Ralph A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

PACE OCI Short-Wave Infrared Detection Assembly frequency-dependent linearity characterization and uncertainty analysis

The Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), the primary payload of the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)observatory, will collect data to monitor the health of Earth’s oceans and atmosphere. The Short-Wave Infrared(SWIR) Detection Assembly (SDA) was built and characterized by the Utah State University Space DynamicsLaboratory (SDL) and is a subsystem of OCI. The SDA measures seven bands centered at 940, 1038, 1250, 1378,1615, 2130, and 2260 nm, with standard- and high-gain varieties for the 1250 and 1615 nm bands, resulting in nine total detection configurations in the SWIR. The delivery of high-quality science data is critically dependent upon accurately characterizing the linearity of the SDA. Two metrology techniques were employed to measure the linearity and characterize the frequency-dependent linearity uncertainty of the system. The first technique used superposition linearity measurements to determine the DC linearity, and the second technique involved an oscillating small-signal response at seven frequencies to determine the frequency-dependent linearity. Discrepancies between the DC and frequency-dependent linearities constrain the uncertainty between the two. Examining the difference between these two methods for all SDA channels, we find most channels experience an uncertainty below0.2% with a worst-case measurement uncertainty of 0.31%. Averaging SDA channels with similar detectors, optical filters, and electronics to simulate the flight-like data products yields a worst-case frequency-dependence linearity uncertainty of 0.12%, demonstrating minimal frequency dependence, implying an excellent linearity knowledge.Detailed performance knowledge, including linearity performance, verifies data quality and builds confidence in the success of the PACE mission.

PACE↗