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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Monitoring Trends in Air Quality During a Drought: Case Study to Improve Public Health Response to Drought Threats

Drought has been an area of distinct concern in the Pacific Northwest since the mid-2010s. Recent studies have documented a correlation between air quality and drought in the United States, which is often observed in increased aerosols including airborne particulate matter (PM). This study partnered with the Oregon Health Authority and Washington State Department of Health to evaluate trends in air quality in the Pacific Northwest during the evolution of drought conditions using aerosol optical depth (AOD) observations collected by NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. These satellite data were analyzed in conjunction with ground-based PM2.5 and PM10 data sourced from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Quality System’s network of ground-based monitors and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index drought index. Based on recommendations by local health departments, this study examined air quality trends between 2015 and 2022 in 12 counties within Oregon and Washington that reflected diversity in population density, drought exposure, rural and urban status, and data availability from EPA AQS monitors. The findings from this study provided supplemental information to the ongoing efforts by community health stakeholders to study the public health impacts of drought and support public health responses to future drought events.

Taylor West↗

NASA NTRS2012

Application of Multihop Relay for Performance Enhancement of AeroMACS Networks

A new transmission technology, based on IEEE 802.16-2009 (WiMAX), is currently being developed for airport surface communications. A C-band spectrum allocation at 5091 to 5150 MHz has been created by International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to carry this application. The proposed technology, known as AeroMACS, will be used to support fixed and mobile ground to ground applications and services. This article proposes and demonstrates that IEEE 802.16j-amendment-based WiMAX is most feasible for AeroMACS applications. This amendment introduces multihop relay as an optional deployment that may be used to provide additional coverage and/or enhance the capacity of the network. Particular airport surface radio coverage situations for which IEEE 802.16-2009-WiMAX provides resolutions that are inefficient, costly, or excessively power consuming are discussed. In all these cases, it is argued that 16j technology offers a much better alternative. A major concern about deployment of AeroMACS is interference to co-allocated applications such as the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) feeder link. Our initial simulation results suggest that no additional interference to MSS feeder link is caused by deployment of IEEE 802.16j-based AeroMACS.

Kamali, Behnam↗

NASA NTRS2012

Application of Multihop Relay for Performance Enhancement of AeroMACS Networks

A new transmission technology, based on IEEE 802.16-2009 (WiMAX), is currently being developed for airport surface communications. A C-band spectrum allocation at 5091-5150 MHz has been created by ITU to carry this application. The proposed technology, known as AeroMACS, will be used to support fixed and mobile ground to ground applications and services. This article proposes and demonstrates that IEEE 802.16j-amendment-based WiMAX is most feasible for AeroMACS applications. This amendment introduces multihop relay as an optional deployment that may be used to provide additional coverage and/or enhance the capacity of the network. Particular airport surface radio coverage situations for which IEEE 802.16-2009-WiMAX provides resolutions that are inefficient, costly, or excessively power consuming are discussed. In all these cases, it is argued that 16j technology offers a much better alternative. A major concern about deployment of AeroMACS is interference to co-allocated applications such as the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) feeder link. Our initial simulation results suggest that no additional interference to MSS feeder link is caused by deployment of IEEE 802.16j-based AeroMACS.

Kamali, Behnam↗

NASA NTRS1999

NASA's Contribution to Global Space Geodesy Networks

The NASA Space Geodesy program continues to be a major provider of space geodetic data for the international earth science community. NASA operates high performance Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and Global Positioning System (GPS) ground receivers at well over 30 locations around the world and works in close cooperation with space geodetic observatories around the world. NASA has also always been at the forefront in the quest for technical improvement and innovation in the space geodesy technologies to make them even more productive, accurate and economical. This presentation will highlight the current status of NASA's networks; the plans for partnerships with international groups in the southern hemisphere to improve the geographic distribution of space geodesy sites and the status of the technological improvements in SLR and VLBI that will support the new scientific thrusts proposed by interdisciplinary earth scientists. In addition, the expanding role of the NASA Space geodesy data archive, the CDDIS will be described.

Bosworth, John M.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Results from Three Years of Ka-band Propagation Characterization at Svalbard, Norway

Over the next several years, NASA plans to launch several earth science missions which are expected to achieve data throughputs of 5-40 terabits per day transmitted from low earth orbiting spacecraft to ground stations. The current S-band and X-band frequency allocations in use by NASA, however, are incapable of supporting the data rates required to meet this demand. As such, NASA is in the planning stages to upgrade its existing Near Earth Network (NEN) polar ground stations to support Ka-band (25.5-27 GHz) operations. Consequently, it installed and operated a Ka-band radiometer at the Svalbard site. Svalbard was chosen as the appropriate site for two primary reasons: (1) Svalbard will be the first site to be upgraded to Ka-band operations within the NEN Polar Network enhancement plan, and (2) there exists a complete lack of Ka-band propagation data at this site (as opposed to the Fairbanks, AK NEN site, which has 5 years of characterization collected during the Advanced Communications Technology becomes imperative that characterization of propagation effects at these NEN sites is conducted to determine expected system Satellite (ACTS) campaign). processing and provide the Herein, we discuss the data three-year measurement results performance, particularly at low elevation angles ((is) less than 10 deg) from the ongoing Ka-band propagation characterization where spacecraft signal acquisition typically occurs. Since May 2011, NASA Glenn Research Center has installed and operated a Ka-band radiometer at the NEN site located in Svalbard, Norway. The Ka-band radiometer monitors the water vapor line, as well as 4 frequencies around 26.5 GHz at a fixed 10 deg elevation angle. Three-year data collection results indicate good campaign at Svalbard, Norway. Comparison of these results with the ITU models and existing ERA profile data indicates very good agreement when the 2010 rain maps and cloud statistics are used. Finally, the Svalbard data is used to derive the expected atmospheric margin requirements for this site agreement with models and comparable performance to necessary to maintain total system availability levels for the previously characterized northern latitude sites in the United States, i.e., Fairbanks, Alaska. The Svalbard data is used to upcoming Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) launch in the derive availability results for an upcoming earth-observation 2017/2022 timeframes. mission, JPSS-1, and indicate a requirement of 4 dB of atmospheric attenuation margin necessary to close the link with 99% overall system availability for the expected LEO orbital cycle, as observed from the Svalbard location.

Ka-band↗

NASA NTRS2015

Results from Three Years of Ka-Band Propagation Characterization at Svalbard, Norway

near earth network↗

NASA NTRS1993

AVIRIS and TIMS data processing and distribution at the land processes distributed active archive center

The U.S. Government has initiated the Global Change Research program, a systematic study of the Earth as a complete system. NASA's contribution of the Global Change Research Program is the Earth Observing System (EOS), a series of orbital sensor platforms and an associated data processing and distribution system. The EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is the archiving, production, and distribution system for data collected by the EOS space segment and uses a multilayer architecture for processing, archiving, and distributing EOS data. The first layer consists of the spacecraft ground stations and processing facilities that receive the raw data from the orbiting platforms and then separate the data by individual sensors. The second layer consists of Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAAC) that process, distribute, and archive the sensor data. The third layer consists of a user science processing network. The EOSDIS is being developed in a phased implementation. The initial phase, Version 0, is a prototype of the operational system. Version 0 activities are based upon existing systems and are designed to provide an EOSDIS-like capability for information management and distribution. An important science support task is the creation of simulated data sets for EOS instruments from precursor aircraft or satellite data. The Land Processes DAAC, at the EROS Data Center (EDC), is responsible for archiving and processing EOS precursor data from airborne instruments such as the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS), the Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS), and Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS). AVIRIS, TIMS, and TMS are flown by the NASA-Ames Research Center ARC) on an ER-2. The ER-2 flies at 65000 feet and can carry up to three sensors simultaneously. Most jointly collected data sets are somewhat boresighted and roughly registered. The instrument data are being used to construct data sets that simulate the spectral and spatial characteristics of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument scheduled to be flown on the first EOS-AM spacecraft. The ASTER is designed to acquire 14 channels of land science data in the visible and near-IR (VNIR), shortwave-IR (SWIR), and thermal-IR (TIR) regions from 0.52 micron to 11.65 micron at high spatial resolutions of 15 m to 90 m. Stereo data will also be acquired in the VNIR region in a single band. The AVIRIS and TMS cover the ASTER VNIR and SWIR bands, and the TIMS covers the TIR bands. Simulated ASTER data sets have been generated over Death Valley, California, Cuprite, Nevada, and the Drum Mountains, Utah using a combination of AVIRIS, TIMS, amd TMS data, and existing digital elevation models (DEM) for the topographic information.

Mah, G. R.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Filter Tuning Using the Chi-Squared Statistic

The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) performs orbit determination (OD) for the Aqua and Aura satellites. Both satellites are located in low Earth orbit (LEO), and are part of what is considered the A-Train satellite constellation. Both spacecraft are currently in the science phase of their respective missions. The FDF has recently been tasked with delivering definitive covariance for each satellite.The main source of orbit determination used for these missions is the Orbit Determination Toolkit developed by Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI). This software uses an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to estimate the states of both spacecraft. The filter incorporates force modelling, ground station and space network measurements to determine spacecraft states. It also generates a covariance at each measurement. This covariance can be useful for evaluating the overall performance of the tracking data measurements and the filter itself. An accurate covariance is also useful for covariance propagation which is utilized in collision avoidance operations. It is also valuable when attempting to determine if the current orbital solution will meet mission requirements in the future.This paper examines the use of the Chi-square statistic as a means of evaluating filter performance. The Chi-square statistic is calculated to determine the realism of a covariance based on the prediction accuracy and the covariance values at a given point in time. Once calculated, it is the distribution of this statistic that provides insight on the accuracy of the covariance.For the EKF to correctly calculate the covariance, error models associated with tracking data measurements must be accurately tuned. Over estimating or under estimating these error values can have detrimental effects on the overall filter performance. The filter incorporates ground station measurements, which can be tuned based on the accuracy of the individual ground stations. It also includes measurements from the NASA space network (SN), which can be affected by the assumed accuracy of the TDRS satellite state at the time of the measurement.The force modelling in the EKF is also an important factor that affects the propagation accuracy and covariance sizing. The dominant force in the LEO orbit regime is the drag force caused by atmospheric drag. Accurate accounting of the drag force is especially important for the accuracy of the propagated state. The implementation of a box and wing model to improve drag estimation accuracy, and its overall effect on the covariance state is explored.The process of tuning the EKF for Aqua and Aura support is described, including examination of the measurement errors of available observation types (Doppler and range), and methods of dealing with potentially volatile atmospheric drag modeling. Predictive accuracy and the distribution of the Chi-square statistic, calculated based of the ODTK EKF solutions, are assessed versus accepted norms for the orbit regime.

Covariance Analysis↗

NASA NTRS2016

In-Space Networking on NASA's SCAN Testbed

The NASA Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed, an external payload onboard the International Space Station, is equipped with three software defined radios and a flight computer for supporting in-space communication research. New technologies being studied using the SCaN Testbed include advanced networking, coding, and modulation protocols designed to support the transition of NASAs mission systems from primarily point to point data links and preplanned routes towards adaptive, autonomous internetworked operations needed to meet future mission objectives. Networking protocols implemented on the SCaN Testbed include the Advanced Orbiting Systems (AOS) link-layer protocol, Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Encapsulation Packets, Internet Protocol (IP), Space Link Extension (SLE), CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP), and Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocols including the Bundle Protocol (BP) and Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP). The SCaN Testbed end-to-end system provides three S-band data links and one Ka-band data link to exchange space and ground data through NASAs Tracking Data Relay Satellite System or a direct-to-ground link to ground stations. The multiple data links and nodes provide several upgradable elements on both the space and ground systems. This paper will provide a general description of the testbeds system design and capabilities, discuss in detail the design and lessons learned in the implementation of the network protocols, and describe future plans for continuing research to meet the communication needs for evolving global space systems.

space networks↗

NASA NTRS1998

Semi-Annual Status Report

This 6 month period continued the effort on absolute spectrally continuous stellar calibration begun in January 1991. The Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) DCATT team has continued its analysis and intercomparisons of the Spatial Infrared Imaging Telescope (SPIRIT-III) ground calibration, the on-orbit stellar calibration (using our stellar spectra), and the on-orbit observations of the MIT Lincoln Labs. "emissive spheres". All three approaches are in very good agreement, at about the +/-3% level (absolute). This demonstrates the consistency of our overall calibration scheme and validates the context in which Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) and MSX data also reside. Final "globalization" of the overall MSX calibration is in progress, combining calibrations by stars, by the "emissive spheres" experiments, and by the NIST-traceable ground calibration. The work in support of the Infrared Telescope Satellite (IRTS) continues. I am currently calculating the contribution of diffuse starlight to the background in "dark" regions of the sky observed by the IRTS Near-IR Spectrometer. To accomplish this I am using the SKY model with a new extended wavelength capability, covering the 1.00-2.00 micron region for the first time. These calculations, together with models of the zodiacal light, will be used to seek the presence of a cosmic near-IR background. Papers VIII and IX in the calibration series appeared in this 6 month period. These describe our results on asteroid thermal nodes and anticipate the eventual production of a new network of stellar calibrators, numbering over 400 and extending over the whole sky. These will be constructed as stellar "templates", building on the legacy of our series of calibration papers. The first analyses of star counts from MSX are under way using SKY.

Cohen, Martin↗

NASA NTRS2014

Enabling a Science Support Structure for NASAs Global Hawk UASs

In this paper we describe the information technologies developed by NASA for the Winter/Spring 2013/2014, and Fall 2014, NASA Earth Venture Campaigns, Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) and Airborne Tropical TRopopause EXperiment (ATTREX). These campaigns utilized Global Hawk UAS vehicles equipped at the NASA Armstrong (previously Dryden) Flight Research Facility (AFRC), Edwards Air Force Base, California, and operated from there, the NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), Virginia, and Anderson Air Force Base (AAFB), Guam. Part of this enabling infrastructure utilized a layer 2 encrypted terrestrial Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) that, at times, spanned greater than ten thousand miles (AAFB <-> AFRC <-> WFF) and was routed over geosynchronous Ku band communication Satellites directly to the aircraft sensor network. This infrastructure enabled seamless hand off between Satellites, and Satellite ground stations in Guam, California and Virginia, so allowing simultaneous Aircraft Command and Control and Science operations from remote locations. Additionally, we will describe the other elements of this infrastructure, from on-board geo-enabled databases, to real time communications directly from the instruments (in some cases, more than twelve were carried, and simultaneously operated, on one aircraft) to the researchers and other interested parties, world wide.

Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN)↗

NASA NTRS2020

Washington Health & Air Quality: Quantifying Air Quality Parameters and Validating Air Pollution Sources Impacting the Health of Puget Sound Residents Through the Use of NASA and ESA Remote Sensing Data

In the Puget Sound region of Washington, high levels of air pollutants put residents’ health at risk by increasing their likelihood of developing critical respiratory conditions. This project used remotely-sensed data to investigate aerosol optical depth (AOD) from NASA satellite sensors including the Terra and Aqua MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and European Space Agency Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI). The team visualized the most recent data in Google Earth Engine (GEE) API to display air pollution trends in Washington State, which will support the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s (PSCAA) decision-making processes. The team performed linear regressions using the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm to form a relationship between ground-level microscopic particles (PM2.5) and AOD in the Puget Sound region, validating the relationship using concentration readings taken from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality monitors. The team utilized estimated PM2.5 and other satellite data to produce a web-based tool and to evaluate the effectiveness of using such a tool for near real-time air quality monitoring within a particular region. The team found that the tool provides useful supplementary data that fills in the gaps of the PSCAA’s air monitoring network.

Health & Air Quality↗

NASA NTRS2020

Washington Health & Air Quality: Quantifying Air Quality Parameters and Validating Air Pollution Sources Impacting the Health of Puget Sound Residents Through the Use of NASA and ESA Remote Sensing Data

In the Puget Sound region of Washington, high levels of air pollutants put residents’ health at risk by increasing their likelihood of developing critical respiratory conditions. This project used remotely-sensed data to investigate aerosol optical depth (AOD) from NASA satellite sensors including the Terra and Aqua MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and European Space Agency Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI). The team visualized the most recent data in Google Earth Engine (GEE) API to display air pollution trends from Northern California to British Columbia, which will support the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s (PSCAA) decision-making processes. The team performed linear regressions using the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm to form a relationship between ground-level microscopic particles (PM2.5) and AOD in the Puget Sound region, validating the relationship using concentration readings taken from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality monitors. The team utilized estimated PM2.5 and other satellite data to produce a web-based tool and to evaluate the effectiveness of using such a tool for near real-time air quality monitoring within a particular region. The team found that the tool provides useful supplementary data that fills in the gaps of the PSCAA’s air monitoring network.

Health & Air Quality↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The CubeSat Communication Platform (CCP) – Mission Overview and ConOps

This paper presents the CubeSat Communications Platform (CCP) mission concept, architecture, and development. The CCP is a CubeSat demonstration mission, being developed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to improve satellite communication capabilities. The CCP payloads include a Software Defined Radio (SDR) with Variable Coded Modulation (VCM) protocols, and an S-band phased array antenna. The mission will test the performance of the VCM protocols versus conventional fixed modulation and coding schemes, relative to the percentage of the Shannon Channel Capacity that each scheme achieves over entire satellite passes. The mission will also test the performance of the phased array antenna, with regard to beamforming and interrogator scanning accuracy. The CCP Mission is collaborating with NASA's Near Space Network (NSN) to demonstrate DVB-S2 VCM and achievable maximum data rate in NASA S-band 5 MHz channel. NSN currently supports missions that communicate with fixed channel codes, modulations, and symbol rates, resulting in a constant data rate that does not adapt to the dynamic link margin. VCM adapts to the dynamics of the link to increase information throughput by changing modulation and coding when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is high. The CCP will be the first mission to demonstrate VCM with NSN ground stations.

phased antenna array↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Recent Progress at the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS)

The International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) is experiencing significant growth. New stations are being built and brought into operation, expanding the spatial and temporal coverage of the Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) observations. Some of these stations are multi-technique Core Sites that allow us to exploit the combined strengths of different geodetic space techniques. New satellites are strengthening the ILRS contribution to the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF), and expanding the spectrum of satellite applications supported by the ILRS. New analysis, modeling, and data processing techniques continue to improve the science products. New campaigns are continuing to expand SLR applications into relativity and the study of non-gravitational forces. The ILRS is currently participating in the Galileo for Science campaign (G4S_2.0 project), funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), which aims to perform a set of measurements in the field of gravitation with the Galileo satellites, taking advantage of the accuracy of the on-board atomic clocks and, in particular, of GSAT0201and GSAT0202 by exploiting their relatively high eccentricity (~0.16). New activities underway in Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR), with the imminent launch and deployment of the upcoming Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector - 1 (NGLR-1) to the lunar surface. Some new satellites supported by the ILRS are now exploring means of capturing Space Debris, while some ILRS stations run local laser ranging projects to track space debris, contributing to the maintenance of various data catalogs. Time transfer experiments are also expanding the application of laser ranging, linking two fully characterized optical clocks at different locations with SLR (Einstein Synchronization) providing measurements of height differences, demonstrating the feasibility of a physical height system. Two-way and one-way transponders activity has been underway since the LASSO experiment in the 1990’s. More experiments are underway or planned. Applications include time and frequency transfer and clock synchronization between ground and space, interplanetary laser ranging, and fundamental physics. This presentation will give an update on ILRS activities and the impact that these activities have had and will have on ILRS data products.

Lunar Laser Ranging↗

NASA NTRS1996

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

This quarterly publication provides archival reports on developments in programs managed by JPL's Telecommunications and Mission Operations Directorate (TMOD), which now includes the former Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA) Office. In space communications, radio navigation, radio science, and ground-based radio and radar astronomy, it reports on activities of the Deep Space Network (DSN) in planning, supporting research and technology, implementation, and operations. Also included are standards activity at JPL for space data and information systems and reimbursable DSN work performed for other space agencies through NASA. The preceding work is all performed for NASA's Office of Space Communications (OSC). TMOD also performs work funded by other NASA program offices through and with the cooperation of OSC. The first of these is the Orbital Debris Radar Program funded by the Office of Space Systems Development. It exists at Goldstone only and makes use of the planetary radar capability when the antennas are configured as science instruments making direct observations of the planets, their satellites, and asteroids of our solar system. The Office of Space Sciences funds the data reduction and science analyses of data obtained by the Goldstone Solar System Radar. The antennas at all three complexes are also configured for radio astronomy research and, as such, conduct experiments funded by the National Science Foundation in the U.S. and other agencies at the overseas complexes. These experiments are either in microwave spectroscopy or very long baseline interferometry. Finally, tasks funded under the JPL Director's Discretionary Fund and the Caltech President's Fund that involve TMOD are included. This and each succeeding issue of 'The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Progress Report' will present material in some, but not necessarily all, of the aforementioned programs.

Yuen, Joseph H.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Satellite Proving Ground for the GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM)

The key mission of the Satellite Proving Ground is to demonstrate new satellite observing data, products and capabilities in the operational environment to be ready on Day 1 to use the GOES-R suite of measurements. Algorithms, tools, and techniques must be tested, validated, and assessed by end users for their utility before they are finalized and incorporated into forecast operations. The GOES-R Proving Ground for the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) focuses on evaluating how the infusion of the new technology, algorithms, decision aids, or tailored products integrate with other available tools (weather radar and ground strike networks; nowcasting systems, mesoscale analysis, and numerical weather prediction models) in the hands of the forecaster responsible for issuing forecasts and warning products. Additionally, the testing concept fosters operation and development staff interactions which will improve training materials and support documentation development. Real-time proxy total lightning data from regional VHF lightning mapping arrays (LMA) in Northern Alabama, Central Oklahoma, Cape Canaveral Florida, and the Washington, DC Greater Metropolitan Area are the cornerstone for the GLM Proving Ground. The proxy data will simulate the 8 km Event, Group and Flash data that will be generated by GLM. Tailored products such as total flash density at 1-2 minute intervals will be provided for display in AWIPS-2 to select NWS forecast offices and national centers such as the Storm Prediction Center. Additional temporal / spatial combinations are being investigated in coordination with operational needs and case-study proxy data and prototype visualizations may also be generated from the NASA heritage Lightning Imaging Sensor and Optical Transient Detector data. End users will provide feedback on the utility of products in their operational environment, identify use cases and spatial/temporal scales of interest, and provide feedback to the developers for adjusted or new products.

Goodman, Steven J.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Three Years of Airborne Observations During NASA Activate: A Statistical Summary of Chemical, Optical, and Microphysical Aerosol Properties Over the Western North Atlantic Ocean

Airborne observations are critical to understanding Earth’s climate system and surface-level air quality by providing both spatial and vertical information that is not possible through ground measurement networks or satellite observations. Airborne platforms allow assessments of long-range transport, vertical redistribution, boundary-layer dynamics, and cloud-aerosol-interactions that are critical to model evaluation and satellite validation. Still, the high cost and effort of aircraft operations can limit measurement campaigns to short, focused time periods. Multiple deployments are often necessary for seasonal comparisons, and results can be limited if target phenomenon are infrequent. Subsequent analyses typically focus on case studies, especially if deployment conditions are climatologically anomalous. The NASA ACTIVATE (Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment) mission was designed to overcome these limitations by operating semi-continuously over multiple months during multiple seasons. Flight plans were intentionally simple, repetitive, and systematic to provide a statistically robust dataset that could be utilized similarly to a ground-network. Here, we present an overview of three years (2020-2022) of aerosol measurements from the NASA HU-25 Falcon aircraft supporting the ACTIVATE mission. Data from 179 flights were considered, the majority of which were based at NASA Langley Research Center and flown locally over the Wester North Atlantic Ocean just east of Hampton, VA, USA. Airmass characteristics tended to transition from continental outflow near the coast to mostly marine over the open ocean. Seasonal, diurnal, spatial, and vertical trends in aerosol microphysical, optical, and chemical properties are discussed in the context of synoptic scale meteorology. Statistical benefits of the ACTIVATE sampling strategy are discussed with regard to future model evaluation.

Luke D Ziemba↗