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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

The Probing In-Situ With Neutron and Gamma Rays (PING) Instrument for Planetary Composition Measurements

The Probing In situ with Neutrons and Gamma rays (PING) instrument (formerly named PNG-GRAND) [I] experiment is an innovative application of the active neutron-gamma ray technology successfully used in oil field well logging and mineral exploration on Earth over many decades. The objective of our active neutron-gamma ray technology program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC) is to bring PING to the point where it can be flown on a variety of surface lander or rover missions to the Moon, Mars, Venus, asteroids, comets and the satellites of the outer planets and measure their bulk surface and subsurface elemental composition without the need to drill into the surface. Gamma-Ray Spectrometers (GRS) have been incorporated into numerous orbital planetary science missions. While orbital measurements can map a planet, they have low spatial and elemental sensitivity due to the low surface gamma ray emission rates reSUlting from using cosmic rays as an excitation source, PING overcomes this limitation in situ by incorporating a powerful neutron excitation source that permits significantly higher elemental sensitivity elemental composition measurements. PING combines a 14 MeV deuterium-tritium Pulsed Neutron Generator (PNG) with a gamma ray spectrometer and two neutron detectors to produce a landed instrument that can determine the elemental composition of a planet down to 30 - 50 cm below the planet's surface, The penetrating nature of .5 - 10 MeV gamma rays and 14 MeV neutrons allows such sub-surface composition measurements to be made without the need to drill into or otherwise disturb the planetary surface, thus greatly simplifying the lander design, We are cun'ently testing a PING prototype at a unique outdoor neutron instrumentation test facility at NASA/GSFC that provides two large (1.8 m x 1.8 m x ,9 m) granite and basalt test formations placed outdoors in an empty field, Since an independent trace elemental analysis has been performed on both these Columbia River basalt and Concord Gray granite materials, these large samples present two known standards with which to compare PING's experimentally measured elemental composition results, We will present both gamma ray and neutron experimental results from PING measurements of the granite and basalt test formations in various layering configurations and compare the results to the known composition.

Parsons, A.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Reservoirs Modify River Thermal Regime Sensitivity to Climate Change: A Case Study in the Southeastern United States

Seasonal thermal stratification in reservoirs changes the thermal regime of regulated river systems as well as stream temperature responses to climate change. Cold releases from reservoir hypolimnion can depress downstream river temperature during warm seasons. Recent large-scale climate change studies on stream temperature have largely ignored reservoir thermal stratification. In this study, we used established models to develop a framework which considers water demand and reservoir regulation with thermal stratification, and applied this model framework to the southeastern US. About half of all 271 reservoirs in our study area retain strong thermal stratification by the 2080s (2070-2099) under RCP8.5 even as median residence times decrease to 60 days from 69 days in the historic period (1979-2010). Reservoir impacts on downstream temperatures become slightly weaker in the future because of higher air temperature and stronger solar radiation. We defined a “cooling potential” to quantify the thermal energy that a water body can absorb before exceeding a water temperature threshold. In the future, higher river temperatures will reduce the cooling potential for all river segments, but more so for river segments minimally impacted by thermal stratification. Reservoir impacts on cooling potential remain strong for river segments downstream of reservoirs with strong thermal stratification. We conducted a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the robustness of our findings to errors in the hydrological simulations. While river segments subject to reservoir regulation are more sensitive to errors in hydrology than those without regulation impacts, our overall findings do not materially change due to these errors.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Large Plate Experiment of Chloride-induced Stress Corrosion Cracking in Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Canisters

This report provides a description of the testing (in progress at the Savannah River National Laboratory) to evaluate the corrosion behavior of a large section of welded plate material harvested from the Sandia National Laboratories’ full-size mockup of a spent nuclear fuel (SNF) dry storage canister. The details of the establishment of this plate test, the interim corrosion results (from visual examination), and the general plan for examination of the plate in CY21 to evaluate crack growth behavior (if any) are provided. This work is intended to inform aging management programs for SNF canisters under conditions of extended dry storage. A “large plate” (approximately 51 x 46 cm with thickness 16 mm and weight about 30 kg) and containing a circumferential weldment from the mockup is the test specimen. The knowledge of the salt, temperature, humidity conditions for chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) including the threshold stress intensity factor, K iscc , were used to setup the large plate test in which a set of part-through-wall and through-wall electrical discharge machined (EDM) defects were positioned in the weld residual stress field of the welded plate material from the mockup canister. A marine salt solution was applied to this plate specimen with an air-brush spray, then dried, and then exposed to a sustained 71-73% RH condition at an ambient room temperature of 22 °C. The salt loading and environmental condition is expected to be aggressive to cause CISCC

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS2021

Montana Water Resources II: Enhancing a Moisture Index for Drought and Flood Monitoring in the Missouri River Basin

The Missouri River Basin is a major global breadbasket, containing large amounts of agricultural land. Recent devastating weather events have motivated regional organizations to dedicate efforts to drought and flood monitoring and early warning systems. The DEVELOP team partnered with the following organizations: Montana Climate Office, NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Missouri Basin River Forecast Center, NOAA Regional Climate Services of the Central Region, NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, and the US Army Corps of Engineers' Missouri River Basin Water Management Division. The team collaborated with the partners in their efforts to monitor flood and drought by enhancing a composite moisture index (CMI) for the Missouri River Basin. The CMI leverages NASA Earth observations to derive snow cover data from the Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) mission and snow water equivalent and snowdepth datasets from the NOAA NWS National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center’s Snow Data Assimilation System (SNODAS). Building upon this framework, the team added groundwater storage data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow-On missions, soil moisture data from Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), and United States Geological Survey in situ streamflow data to the CMI. To test the tool’s validity, the team compared the CMI results to historically extreme dry and extreme wet years, March 2017 and March 2019, respectively. The CMI accurately reflects both 2017 and 2019 climate conditions in the Missouri River Basin. The refined CMI enhances the understanding of antecedent soil moisture conditions and improves flood and drought forecasting in the Missouri River Basin before the growing season.

Chloe Schneider↗
DOE OSTI2022

Population Structure of White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in the Columbia River Inferred from Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms

White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) are the largest freshwater fish in North America, with reproducing populations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin, Fraser, and Columbia River Basins. Of these, the Columbia River is the largest, but it is also highly fragmented by hydroelectric dams, and many segments are characterized by declining abundance and persistent recruitment failure. Efforts to conserve and supplement these fish requires an understanding of their spatial genetic structure. Here, we assembled a large set of samples from throughout the Columbia River Basin, along with representative collections from adjacent basins, and genotyped them using a panel of 325 single-nucleotide markers. Results from individual- and group-based analyses of these data indicate that white sturgeon in the uppermost Columbia River Basin, in the Kootenai and upper Snake Rivers, are the most distinct, while the remaining populations downstream in the basin can be described as a genetic gradient consistent with an isolation-by-distance effect. Notably, the population in the lowest reaches of the Columbia River is more distinct from the middle or upper reaches than from outside basins, and suggests historically a higher or more recent gene exchange through coastal routes than with populations in the interior Columbia Basin. Nonetheless, proximal reaches were generally only marginally or non-significantly divergent, suggesting that transplanting larvae or juveniles from nearby sources poses relatively little risk of outbreeding depression. Indeed, we inferred examples of dispersal between reaches via close-kin mark-recapture and genetic mark-recapture that indicate movement between nearby reaches is not unusual. Samples from the Kootenai and upper Snake Rivers exhibited notably lower genetic diversity than the remaining samples as a result of population bottlenecks, genetic drift, and/or historical divergence. Conservation actions, such as supplementation, are underway to maintain population viability and will require balanced efforts to increase demographic abundance while maintaining genetic diversity.

Willis, Stuart C.↗
NASA NTRS2022

San Diego Water Resources: Monitoring Pollution Plumes due to Storm and Wastewater Runoff in the San Diego Bay and Tijuana River Estuary to Inform Water Quality Management

Stormwater and wastewater runoff are a large source of pollutant discharge along the southern California coast and are a major concern to the health of local communities and ecosystems. In partnership with the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and the California Department of Environmental Quality, NASA DEVELOP utilized satellite imagery to visualize and analyze the water quality of the Tijuana Estuary and southern California coast after major storm and wastewater events. Using Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument (MSI), we estimated the extent and severity of plumes released from the Tijuana River Estuary. We used remotely sensed turbidity to map the extent of plumes, and used remotely sensed turbidity, Chlorophyll-a (chl-a), and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) to quantify and visualize stormwater, wastewater, and mixed plumes from 2013 to 2022. Furthermore, remotely sensed CDOM, turbidity, and chl-a were validated with in-situ data from NOAA and the San Diego Public Utilities in the San Diego coastal area to evaluate the accuracy of water quality data derived from satellite imagery. End products of this project include maps of stormwater, wastewater, and mixed plumes, tables illustrating the average area, CDOM, turbidity, and chl-a of each plume type, and validation graphs between satellite and in-situ data sources. These end products informed the environmental management of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and the public beaches in San Diego.

Ethan Gates↗
NASA NTRS1974

California coastal processes study

Preliminary findings are presented and applications derived from ERTS-1 satellite imagery of the nearshore coastal processes of the California coast. The objectives were to analyze nearshore currents, sediment transport, and estuarine and river discharges along the California coast through the use of synoptic and repetitive imagery from ERTS as well as aircraft underflights and surface data. The major conclusions are: (1) Distinct seasonal patterns for sediment transport as a function of the oceanic current systems and coastal morphology have been identified. (2) Large scale sediment plumes from intermittent streams and rivers extend offshore to previously unanticipated ranges. (3) Computer generated contouring of radiance levels from computer-compatible tapes result in charts that can be used for determination of surface and nearsurface suspended sediment distribution. (4) Flying spot scanner enhancements result in details of nearshore features. (5) Data is providing significant information for coastal planning and construction projects.

Pirie, D. M.↗
DOE OSTI2026

The Amazon River‐Breeze Circulation Limits Detection of Aerosol‐Cloud Interactions in Warm Clouds

Increased aerosol concentrations can brighten low-level clouds and extend their lifetimes, but aerosol–cloud interactions (ACI) remain highly uncertain and difficult to quantify. We show that part of this uncertainty is caused by topographical influences on clouds, that is, those arising from land–water contrasts. This is demonstrated using satellite retrievals in regions with extensive river networks, such as the Amazon Basin. 15 years of MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data show cloud formation over the Amazon River basin is suppressed by 26% with warm low clouds above the river exhibiting a 22% smaller droplet effective radius and 18% higher droplet concentration ($N_d$) compared to adjacent land clouds. Thus, clouds above the river may appear polluted but are actually influenced by river-breeze circulations driven by the thermal contrast between the river and the surrounding land. These responses are robust in both wet and dry seasons, and tests using an improved MODIS retrieval product show cloud differences are unlikely due to retrieval artifacts. In situ measurements from the Green Ocean Amazon Experiment (GoAmazon) confirm that $N_d$ is elevated above rivers and are also higher when carbon monoxide concentrations are elevated near the large city of Manaus. Lagrangian airmass tracking over Manaus shows that regional-scale river-breeze circulations impact $N_d$ as much as the urban aerosol plume, complicating ACI attribution and highlighting the need to isolate land-surface effects to assess ACI in continental regions.

Aerosol-Cloud Interactions↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of El Niño‐Southern Oscillation and Madden‐Julian Oscillation on the US Puget Sound Regional Hydroclimate

El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) are two major modes of climate variability with global hydroclimate impacts. However, their impacts often depend on the local climate and geography, resulting in large regional differences. In this study, we examined the connection of ENSO and MJO to the hydroclimate conditions and extremes in the Puget Sound (PS) basin located in the US Pacific Northwest coast. The results indicate that ENSO significantly modulates the cold season temperature and temperature-mediated hydrologic processes. El Niño cold seasons feature less snow accumulation and intensified surface runoff, even if the precipitation amount is similar to La Niña cold seasons. Therefore, El Niño causes more snow drought (in the form of compound dry and warm snow drought) and shifts the surface runoff seasonality by reducing runoff in the subsequent warm season. MJO phases 6–7 trigger more extreme precipitation, temperature, snowmelt, and runoff in the PS region at 0–9–day lags, and such connections are robust regardless of how the ENSO signals are removed. Meanwhile, MJO modulates large-scale extreme weather systems (e.g., atmospheric rivers) with significant enhancement during phases 6–7. ENSO impacts have intensified in the 2001–2020 period, whereas MJO impacts showed some phase shift in this period. This study reveals ENSO and MJO phases 6–7 as useful predictors of the PS hydroclimate anomalies/extremes at seasonal and daily scales, respectively. Utilizing these findings holds the potential to improve regional water resources prediction and management.

ENSO↗
DOE OSTI2025

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fish collected from the Rio Grande and reservoirs in northern New Mexico

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of industrial and commercial chemicals widely used throughout the world due to their beneficial chemical properties. Because of their widespread use, their chemical stability, and their ability to be transported over long distances through atmospheric deposition and movement through waterways, PFAS are found throughout most aquatic ecosystems; yet large sampling gaps exist among reservoir and river ecosystems in the desert southwest of the United States. In this study, we examine PFAS concentrations in the tissue of fish (catfish [channel and blue], common carp, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white crappie and white sucker) collected in northern New Mexico, including examining PFAS composition and concentration relative to trophic level distribution. We collected fish from two man-made reservoirs and from the Rio Grande. We then collected muscle and liver tissues from fish specimens, which were screened for 39 PFAS compounds. We detected PFAS compounds in most fish tissue sampled, including the biomagnification of PFAS compounds within liver samples, with PFOS concentrations ranged from 1.13 to 350.1 (64.4 average) times higher in the liver samples compared to muscle samples. Most PFAS concentrations within muscle samples were within the range of atmospheric transportation previously reported and average tissue concentrations of PFAS were calculated to be 2.02 ± 1.81 ng g -1 . Using stable isotopes as a predictor of trophic-foraging exposure and PFAS concentrations, we noted a correlation between enriched δ 15 N values, which had higher perfluorodecanoic acid concentrations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

AmeriFlux CA-Mer Ontario - Eastern Peatland, Mer Bleue

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-Mer Ontario - Eastern Peatland, Mer Bleue. Site Description - The Mer Bleue peatland is primarily a large ombrotrophic bog located in the Ottawa River Valley, 10 km east of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (45.40º N lat., 75.50º W long.). Mean annual temperature is 6.3ºC ranging from -10.5ºC in January to 21.0ºC in July. Mean annual precipitation is 943 mm, 268 mm of which falls during the summer months (Environment Canada; climate normals). Peat began to form approximately 8500 years ago, but the bog phase began later, about 6400 years ago (Lafleur et al., 2003; Richard, pers. comm.). The peat depth now ranges from 2 m at the edge to >5 m in the middle. Beaver ponds are found at the lagg margin of the bog. The bog is dominated by plant communities comprised primarily of the ericaceous shrubs Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench, Ledum groenlandicum Oeder, and Kalmia angustifolia L. Clusters of the deciduous shrub Vaccinium myrtilloides Michx. and the tufted sedge Eriophorum vaginatum L. are fairly common across the bog. The most common tree species found in the bog are Larix laricina (Duroi) K. Koch., Betula populifolia Marshall and Picea mariana (Miller) BSP occurring less frequently. In the poor fen, located to the north of the bog proper, community composition is primarily composed of the ericaceous shrubs listed above, including higher densities of K. angustifolia and Andromeda glaucophylla Link. The primary sedge in this area is Carex oligosperma Michx. All sites are dominated by an under story of bryophytes, mainly Sphagnum magellanicum Brid., Sphagnum capillifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw., and Polytrichum strictum Brid. in the bog, with Sphagnum papillosum Lindb., and Sphagnum fallax (Klinggr.) Klinggr. common in the wetter portions of the poor fen

Humphreys, Elyn↗
DOE OSTI2025

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F CA-Mer Ontario - Eastern Peatland, Mer Bleue

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-Mer Ontario - Eastern Peatland, Mer Bleue. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-Mer Ontario - Eastern Peatland, Mer Bleue produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - The Mer Bleue peatland is primarily a large ombrotrophic bog located in the Ottawa River Valley, 10 km east of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (45.40º N lat., 75.50º W long.). Mean annual temperature is 6.3ºC ranging from -10.5ºC in January to 21.0ºC in July. Mean annual precipitation is 943 mm, 268 mm of which falls during the summer months (Environment Canada; climate normals). Peat began to form approximately 8500 years ago, but the bog phase began later, about 6400 years ago (Lafleur et al., 2003; Richard, pers. comm.). The peat depth now ranges from 2 m at the edge to >5 m in the middle. Beaver ponds are found at the lagg margin of the bog. The bog is dominated by plant communities comprised primarily of the ericaceous shrubs Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench, Ledum groenlandicum Oeder, and Kalmia angustifolia L. Clusters of the deciduous shrub Vaccinium myrtilloides Michx. and the tufted sedge Eriophorum vaginatum L. are fairly common across the bog. The most common tree species found in the bog are Larix laricina (Duroi) K. Koch., Betula populifolia Marshall and Picea mariana (Miller) BSP occurring less frequently. In the poor fen, located to the north of the bog proper, community composition is primarily composed of the ericaceous shrubs listed above, including higher densities of K. angustifolia and Andromeda glaucophylla Link. The primary sedge in this area is Carex oligosperma Michx. All sites are dominated by an under story of bryophytes, mainly Sphagnum magellanicum Brid., Sphagnum capillifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw., and Polytrichum strictum Brid. in the bog, with Sphagnum papillosum Lindb., and Sphagnum fallax (Klinggr.) Klinggr. common in the wetter portions of the poor fen

Humphreys, Elyn [Carleton University]↗
NASA NTRS2016

Seahawk: An Advanced Cubesat Mission for Sustained Ocean Color Monitoring

Sustained ocean color monitoring is vital to understanding the marine ecosystem. It has been identified as an Essential Climate Variable (ECV) and is a vital parameter in understanding long-term climate change. Furthermore, observations can be beneficial in observing oil spills, harmful algal blooms and the health of fisheries. Space-based remote sensing, through MERIS, SeaWiFS and MODIS instruments, have provided a means of observing the vast area covered by the ocean which would otherwise be impossible using ships alone. However, the large pixel size makes measurements of lakes, rivers, estuaries and coastal zones difficult. Furthermore, retirement of a number of widely used and relied upon ocean observation instruments, particularly MERIS and SeaWiFS, leaves a significant gap in ocean color observation opportunities. This paper presents an overview of the SeaHawk mission, a collaborative effort between Clyde Space Ltd., the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Cloudland Instruments, and Goddard Spaceflight Center, funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The goal of the project is to enhance the ability to observe ocean color in high temporal and spatial resolution through use of a low-cost, next-generation ocean color sensor flown aboard a CubeSat. The final product will be 530 times smaller (0.0034 vs 1.81cu m) and 115 time less massive (3.4 vs 390.0 kg) but with a ground resolution 10 times better whilst maintaining a signal/noise ratio 50 that of SeaWiFs. This paper will describe the objectives of the mission, outline the payload specification and the spacecraft platform to support it.

SeaHawk↗
DOE OSTI2023

Machine Learning Prediction of Fracture Toughness in Hydrogen-charged Stainless Steels

Austenitic stainless steels are structural materials utilized in tritium gas pressure boundaries since they are resistant to hydrogen isotope embrittlement [1-3]. However, exposure to tritium over long periods of time leads to tritium uptake which decays to result in helium ingrowth. This helium ingrowth results in further embrittlement effects which are synergistic with that from the hydrogen isotope [4]. Therefore, it is important for tritium facilities to understand the material limitations of stainless steel in this environment. The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has available a large experimental data set of austenitic stainless steels which have been exposed to tritium environments for various lengths of time. With the availability of this data set, machine learning (ML) algorithms provide an opportunity to model the embrittlement of stainless steel due to the algorithm’s ability to identify patterns in data sets that are difficult and costly to identify in other manners [5]. Ultimately, the amount and quality of the available data is one defining force in the ability of a ML model to accurately predict the desired outputs. The models developed herein will illustrate the ability for the various algorithms to predict the change in fracture toughness in stainless steels due to hydrogen-isotope embrittlement.

Hoar, Eric T.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Evaluation of remote sensing and automatic data techniques for characterization of wetlands

This investigation has been conducted in the Atchafalaya River Basin of South Central Louisiana. This is a humid area of heavily forested swamps with a large volume of flow mostly from a diversion of the lower Mississippi River. Techniques to obtain enlarged imagery from computer compatible tapes of ERTS data without photographic enlargement is explained and illustrated. Techniques of extraction of environmental information from single bands and multiband pattern recognition procedures are explained and evaluated. A comparison of pattern recognition classifications of the Atchafalaya Basin by aircraft multispectral scanner and ERTS MSS data is made. Data for this comparison were gathered within three weeks of each other in the winter of 1973. Scorecards of the accuracy of the classifications are presented. Recommendations are made concerning the utilization of each sensor platform to perform specific tasks of wetlands characterization.

Cartmill, R. H.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Sulfonamide and Sulfonamido-phenol Ligands for Extraction of f-Elements from Alkaline High-Level Waste

Alkaline High Level Waste (HLW) has been accumulated at Hanford and Savannah River Sites as a result of reprocessing for nuclear weapons production during the cold war. A large volume (∼100 MGal) has been accumulated in carbon steel tanks at Savannah River (SRS) and Hanford. The tank waste contains three separate phases generated when NaOH was added to previously acidic Purex raffinates: 1-2 Supernatant liquid, salt-cake, and sludge. The sludge consists mainly of insoluble hydroxides of transition metals while the supernate and salt-cake contain caustic-soluble materials, including salts of highly radioactive fission products Cs(I) and Sr(II). Current treatment of alkaline HLW in SRS includes: i) The Actinide Removal Process (ARP), which is based on sorption of {sup 90}Sr and Actinides (An) on monosodium titanate (MST), also known as 'alpha-strike' process, followed by ii) Caustic Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX),4 which is used for the extraction of {sup 137}Cs by modified calixarenes in a hydrocarbon diluent. Residual actinides in some tanks are removed after CSSX by an additional ARP process commonly referred to as 'alpha-finishing'. Despite the success of ARP for Sr and An removal, as it is a sorption process, it represents the kinetic bottleneck of integrated salt waste processing. Hence potential introduction of additional organic ligands for actinide extraction (in a modified CSSX process) could simplify the overall integrated process, making it more efficient and economical, with less titanate needed and shorter sorption time, as some of the actinide component would be removed during CSSX. In this study tri-sulfonamide and o-sulfonamido-phenol (mono-sulfonamide) ligands have been studied as extractants for Sm(III), which is being used as an Am(III) surrogate. Our prior studies in the group using a tri-sulfonamide (iPr-tsa-B) showed favorable extraction for Sm(III) nitrate salts from alkaline solutions. Mono-sulfonamides possess similar orientation of binding sites to pyrocatechols, which have been found to be good ligands for Am(III) binding and extraction from alkaline media. Tri-sulfonamide of the type iPr-tsa-B6 (1 mM in CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} solution) was studied for Ln{sup 3+} extraction using Sm(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}.6H{sub 2}0 (10 and 25 μM) in alkaline solution of NaOH (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 mM) / 0.1 M NaNO{sub 3}. Stripping of the organic phase was done using 0.1 M HNO{sub 3} and quantification of Sm{sup 3+} was done using ICP-OES at 359.3 nm. The need to improve stability of the complex led to synthesis of compounds with N-donor site closer to the central benzene ring to facilitate cation-π interactions. Synthesis of tri-sulfonamide type A: a) Chloromethyl methyl ether, SnCl{sub 4}, CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2}, 0 deg. C, N{sub 2}, 4 h, 57%; b) NaN{sub 3}, reflux in H{sub 2}O/acetone for 22 h, 80%; c) PPh{sub 3}, THF/H{sub 2}O, 22 h, 79%; d) p-toluene sulfonyl chloride, Et{sub 3}N, 1,2-DCE, 22 h. Extraction: Sm(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}.6H{sub 2}O (2 mM) in 5 ml of aqueous NaOH (pH 10.5 - 14) + 6 ml of CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} solution of msa (20 mole equiv.) were rotated on a wheel (60 rpm; 20 h). Stripping: 5 ml of 0.1 M HNO{sub 3} + CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} solution of msa (after extraction, centrifugation and filtration) was rotated on the wheel (60 rpm; 20 h). Sm{sup 3+} was quantified using UV-Visible spectrophotometry.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

Decomposing a Compound Flood Event in an Urban Pacific Northwest Estuary: Primary Drivers and Projections for the Future

The Duwamish River Estuary (DRE) of Washington is prone to compound flooding during atmospheric river (AR) events. The processes contributing to such flooding (coastal and fluvial) have remained opaque to municipalities that are increasingly impacted. Here, we conduct a suite of coupled atmosphere-hydrology-ocean model simulations with varying forcing combinations (tide, surge, and/or river discharge) to identify the primary drivers of compound flooding during a recent AR event. We also test year 2,100 climate forcing to project how flooding and drivers may change in the future for the same event. We identify a clear distinction between dynamics in the downstream, engineered portion of the DRE compared to the upstream, “natural” river. Downstream, tides dominate water levels but contributions from storm surge and nonlinear tide-surge interaction elevate tide-only high waters from no flooding to major flooding. Upstream, total water levels during the event are ∼6 cm higher than downstream due to an increasing influence of river discharge over surge and tides. Notably, nonlinear surge-river and tide-river interactions act to reduce upstream water levels up to 50% compared to estimates which linearly sum tides, surge, and river, likely reducing flood vulnerability. Under two future climate scenarios: one with only sea level rise (SLR) and another with SLR plus atmospheric warming, we find little change in mechanism contributions to water levels. Expanded flooding in both cases is largely due to SLR, as a ∼50% increase to river discharge under the warming scenario has no impact downstream and marginally increases (∼3 cm) water level upstream.

atmospheric river↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Landslide Susceptibility and Runout Assessment for the Arun Hydropower Cascade in Nepal Based on Multitemporal Landslide Inventory Developed Using Planet Imagery

The transboundary Pumqu/Arun River basin spreads across Nepal and Tibet. Nearly 95% of the basin lies in Tibet through which the Pumqu River flows forming the Arun River once it enters Nepal. The Arun River valley has about 3,163 MW in five large hydropower projects undergoing construction or planned for the future. Rainfall and earthquake-induced landslides, landslide dammed lakes and landslide-induced glacial lake outburst floods pose major risks to smooth operation of these projects. To safeguard upcoming hydropower projects, areas susceptible to landslides in the Arun River valley must be identified. We generated a multitemporal landslide inventory (2010-2020), modeled landslide susceptibility and runouts around the hydropower sites using Earth Observation (EO) techniques. We used high-resolution satellite imagery from Planet and open-source tool to establish a detailed and comprehensive multitemporal landslide inventory for the basin. The rigorous quality-controlled inventory represents yearly record of landslides from 2010 to 2020. To our knowledge this is one of the most comprehensive landslide inventories for the basin with yearly records of landslides.A data-driven approach was used to map areas susceptible to landslides within the Pumqu/Arun River basin. The multitemporal landslide inventory combined with other readily available EO-based variables were used to create a landslide susceptibility map. The highly susceptible areas delineated from the map was further used to characterize runouts near the hydropower sites. The susceptibility and runout analysis provide a valuable initial estimate of where landslides are likely to trigger and where the mobilized material is likely to end up.

Pukar Amatya↗