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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.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Scandinavia studies of recent crustal movements and the space geodetic baseline network

A brief review of crustal movements within the Fenno-Scandia shield is given. Results from postglacial studies, projects for measuring active fault regions, and dynamic ocean loading experiments are presented. The 1979 Scandinavian Doppler Campaign Network is discussed. This network includes Doppler translocation baseline determination of future very long baseline interferometry baselines to be measured in Scandinavia. Intercomparison of earlier Doppler translocation measurements with a high precision terrestrial geodetic baseline in Scandinavia has yielded internal agreement of 6 cm over 887 km. This is a precision of better than 1 part in to the 7th power.

Anderson, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Water vapor as an error source in microwave geodetic systems: Background and survey of calibration techniques

Water vapor as an error source in radio interferometry systems is briefly examined. At microwave frequencies, the delay imposed by tropospheric water vapor becomes a limiting error source for high accuracy geodetic systems. The mapping of tropospheric induced errors into 'solved-for' parameters depends upon baseline length and observing strategy. Simulation analysis (and experience) indicates that in some cases, errors in estimating tropospheric delay can be magnified in their effect on baseline components. The various techniques by which tropospheric water can be estimated or measured are surveyed with particular consideration to their possible use as a calibration technique in support to very long baseline interferometry experiments. The method of remote sensing using a microwave radiometer seems to be the most effective way to provide an accurate estimate of water vapor delay.

Claflin, E. S.↗
NASA NTRS1980

NASA geodetic applications of the Mark 3 VLBI system

The Mark 3 very long baseline interferometer system was used in monitoring the following geodetic phenomena: the regional deformation and strain accumulation related to large earthquakes in the plate boundary region of the western United States; contemporary relative plate tectonic motions of the North American, Pacific, South American, Eurasian, and Australian Plates; the internal deformation of continental and oceanic lithospheric plates with particular emphasis on North America and the Pacific; the rotational dynamics of the Earth and their possible correlation to earthquakes, plate motions, and other geophysical phenomena; and motions and deformation occurring in regions of high earthquake activity.

Coates, R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Geodetic distance measuring apparatus

A geodetic distance measuring apparatus which compensates for the refractive index of the atmosphere is discussed. A mode locked laser system with a laser device and its peripheral components is utilized to derive two mutually phase locked optical wavelength signals and one phase locked microwave CW signal which respectively traverse the same distance measurement path. The optical signals are comprised of pulse type signals. Phase comparison of the two optical wavelength pulse signals is used to provide the dry air density while phase comparison of one of the optical wavelength pulse signals and the microwave CW signal issued to provide wet or water vapor density of the air. The distance to be measured corrected for the atmospheric dry air and water vapor densities in the measurement path is computed from these measurements. A time interval unit is included for measuring transit time of individual optical pulses for resolving the phase ambiguity needed with the phase measurements to give the true target distance.

Abshire, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Baseline mathematics and geodetics for tracking operations

Various geodetic and mapping algorithms are analyzed as they apply to radar tracking systems and tested in extended BASIC computer language for real time computer applications. Closed-form approaches to the solution of converting Earth centered coordinates to latitude, longitude, and altitude are compared with classical approximations. A simplified approach to atmospheric refractivity called gradient refraction is compared with conventional ray tracing processes. An extremely detailed set of documentation which provides the theory, derivations, and application of algorithms used in the programs is included. Validation methods are also presented for testing the accuracy of the algorithms.

James, R.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Transformation formulas relating geodetic coordinates to a tangent to Earth, plane coordinate system

Formulas and their approximation were developed to map geodetic position to an Earth tangent plane with an airport centered rectangular coordinate system. The transformations were developed for use in a terminal area air traffic model with deterministic aircraft traffic. The exact configured vehicle's approximation equations used in their precision microwave landing system navigation experiments.

Credeur, L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Geodetic monitoring of tectonic deformation: Toward a strategy

Issues of interest and importance to society and science are presented. The problems considered are of national concern; their solutions may contribute to a better understanding of tectonic deformation and earthquake hazards. The need for additional field data, the role of geodetic measurements, the importance of both ground and space techniques, and the need for advanced instrumentation development are discussed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1982

A case for inherent geometric and geodetic accuracy in remotely sensed VNIR and SWIR imaging products

Significant aberrations can occur in acquired images which, unless compensated on board the spacecraft, can seriously impair throughput and timeliness for typical Earth observation missions. Conceptual compensations options are advanced to enable acquisition of images with inherent geometric and geodetic accuracy. Research needs are identified which, when implemented, can provide inherently accurate images. Agressive pursuit of these research needs is recommended.

Driver, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

On the geodetic applications of simultaneous range-differencing to LAGEOS

The possibility of improving the accuracy of geodetic results by use of simultaneously observed ranges to Lageos, in a differencing mode, from pairs of stations was studied. Simulation tests show that model errors can be effectively minimized by simultaneous range differencing (SRD) for a rather broad class of network satellite pass configurations. The methods of least squares approximation are compared with monomials and Chebyshev polynomials and the cubic spline interpolation. Analysis of three types of orbital biases (radial, along- and across track) shows that radial biases are the ones most efficiently minimized in the SRC mode. The degree to which the other two can be minimized depends on the type of parameters under estimation and the geometry of the problem. Sensitivity analyses of the SRD observation show that for baseline length estimations the most useful data are those collected in a direction parallel to the baseline and at a low elevation. Estimating individual baseline lengths with respect to an assumed but fixed orbit not only decreases the cost, but it further reduces the effects of model biases on the results as opposed to a network solution. Analogous results and conclusions are obtained for the estimates of the coordinates of the pole.

Pablis, E. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Application of a recursive distortion estimator to the geodetic correction of thematic mapper imagery

It is pointed out that the higher resolution provided by the Thematic Mapper increases the demands on the accuracy needed by the ground processing in correcting for geodetic errors deriving from internal misalignments and uncertainties in the knowledge of spacecraft ephemeris and attitude. In addition, the Thematic Mapper will also process longer imagery intervals than previous missions. The recursive distortion estimator to be used is a Kalman filter. Here, a minimum variance spacecraft state error vector is estimated for known initial covariance of the elements of that vector and known image noise. Tests of the recursive distortion estimator with various spacecraft models carried out using a simulation of real world state vector dynamics are described. A determination is made of the density of control points needed to meet specified geometric correction requirements; it is expressed as a function of imagery interval length and control point measurement error.

Arnold, P.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A comparison of geodetic Doppler satellite receivers

A great number of geodetic Doppler satellite receivers of various types have been employed since early 1970s. In October and November 1979, a comparison was conducted of three more recent types of receivers, including the CMA-751, the JMR-1A, and the MX-1502. A description of the studies involved in conducting the comparison is presented, taking into account the preliminary results obtained on the basis of the processing of the collected data. Attention is given to tracking statistics, chord difference results, range rate measurement errors, residual tests, station position repeatability, and absolute differences to ground control. Recommendations for future comparisons are also provided.

Archinal, B.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Geodetic and geophysical results from Lageos

Seven years of laser tracking of the Lageos spacecraft have been used to derive geodetic quantities describing the earth and its rotational motion. The dynamical motions of the solid-earth on its axis have been derived continuously since launch and changes in the length-of-day show very high correlation with variations in the atmospheric zonal winds between 1000 and 50 mbars. A significant improvement in the determination of the product of the earth's mass and the gravitational constant has been made. The high accuracy of the orbit determination of Lageos over the 7 years since launch has permitted the identification of a small deceleration in the nodal precession of the orbit. This deceleration is being caused by a small reduction in the flattening of the earth arising from the rebound of the earth after the last ice age. Measurements of the distances between the tracking stations over several years are showing changes consistent with tectonic plate motion and with general ideas of vertical movements.

Smith, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

A comparison of four precise global positioning system geodetic receivers

Four precise global positioning system (GPS) geodetic receivers were operated simultaneously in January and February 1984 over ten baselines ranging in distance from 13 to 1304 km. Several of the baselines had been previously measured using very long baseline interferometry and, therefore, provide very good standards to which the satellite results can be compared. Results of these experiments are presented along with a brief description of each receiver and the associated analysis techniques.

Goad, C. C.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Suboceanic geodetic measurements

This paper reviews the needs for geodetic ties among sea-floor points and between such points and others on land, as well as the environmental constraints on potential systems for making such measurements. Underwater acoustic techniques provide the best opportunities, and an essential element on which to build acoustic systems - a precision-transponder system capable of making travel-time measurements over ranges of several kilometers with an accuracy of a few microseconds - is described. Finally, three particular systems are discussed. One uses direct transmission between transponders to achieve an accuracy of 1 part in 100,000 over ranges from a few meters to about a kilometer. The second, using a larger transponder network and an intermediate vehicle, can achieve similar accuracy over ranges up to about 10 km. The third is a composite acoustic global positioning system (GPS) which should be able to achieve subdecimeter accuracy over ranges of a few hundred kilometers.

Spiess, F. N.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A study of tectonic activity in the Basin-Range Province and on the San Andreas Fault. No. 3: Kinematics of Great Basin intraplate extension from earthquake, geodetic and geologic information

Strain rates assessed from brittle fracture, associated with earthquakes, and total brittle-ductile deformation measured from geodetic data were compared to paleostrain from Quaternary geology for the intraplate Great Basin of the western United States. These data provide an assessment of the kinematics and mode of lithospheric extension that the western U.S. Cordillera has experienced in the last 5 to 10 million years. Strain and deformation rates were determined by the seismic moment tensor method using historic seismicity and fault plane solutions. Contemporary deformation of the Great Basin occurs principally along the active seismic zones. The earthquake related strain shows that the Great Basin is characterized by regional E-W extension at 8.4 mm/a in the north that diminishes to NW-SE extension of 3.5 mm/a in the south. Zones of maximum extension correspond to belts of shallow crust, high heat flow, and Quaternary basaltic volcanism, suggesting that these parameters are related through an effect such as a stress relaxation allowing bouyant uplift and ascension of magmas.

Eddington, P. K.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Plate motions and deformations from geologic and geodetic data

A satellite laser ranging experiment conducted by NASA since 1972 has measured the relative motion between the North America and Pacific plates in California. Based on these measurements, the 896-km distance between San Diego and Quincy, California, is shortening at 62 + or - 9 mm/yr. This geodetic estimate is consistent with the rate of motion between the two plates, calculated from geological data to be 53 + or - 3 mm/yr averaged over the past few million years.

Jordan, T. H.↗
NASA NTRS1985

On the geodetic applications of simultaneous range differences to Lageos

While the majority of the currently deployed satellite laser systems are of centimeter level precision, the accuracy of the geodetic products corresponds to the accuracy in which geodesists are interested. On several occasions, the best models are either not good enough or result in tedious computations which are required to achieve accuracies comparable to those of the observations. A possible alternative is related to the development of a new method of data analysis. This method involves the minimization of the effect of the systematic errors and, in particular, the minimization of errors arising from an incorrectly modeled orbit. The present paper provides a summary of the results of a study of this option, taking into account laser ranging data from Lageos.

Pavlis, E. C.↗