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At least 271 records · Page 15

Polarization performance simulation for the GeoXO atmospheric composition instrument: NO2 retrieval impacts

NOAA’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) constellation will continue and expand on the capabilities of the current generation of geostationary satellite systems to support US weather, ocean, atmosphere, and climate operations. It is planned to consist of a dedicated atmospheric composition instrument (ACX) to support air quality forecasting and monitoring by providing similar capabilities to missions such as TEMPO (Tropospheric Emission: Monitoring Pollution), currently planned to launch in 2023, and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), TROPOMI (TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument), and GEMS (Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer) currently in operation. As the early phases of ACX development are progressing, design trade-offs are being considered to understand the relationship between instrument design choices and trace gas retrieval impacts. Some of these choices will affect the instrument polarization sensitivity (PS), which can have radiometric impacts on environmental satellite observations. We conducted a study to investigate how such radiometric impacts can affect NO2 retrievals by exploring their sensitivities to time of day, location, and scene type with an ACX instrument model that incorporates PS. The study addresses the basic steps of operational NO2 retrievals: the spectral fitting step and the conversion of slant column to vertical column via the air mass factor (AMF). The spectral fitting step was performed by generating at-sensor radiance from a clear sky scene with a known NO2 amount, the application of an instrument model including both instrument PS and noise, and a physical retrieval. The spectral fitting step was found to mitigate the impacts of instrument PS. The AMF-related step was considered for clear sky and partially cloudy scenes, where instrument PS can lead to errors in interpreting the cloud content, propagating to AMF errors and finally to NO2 retrieval errors. For this step, the NO2 retrieval impacts were small but non-negligible for high NO2 amounts; we estimated that a typical high NO2 amount can cause maximum of 0.25 x 10^15 molecules/cm^2 for a PS of 5%. These simulation capabilities were designed to aid in the development of a GeoXO atmospheric composition instrument that will improve our ability to monitor and understand the Earth’s atmosphere.

trace gases↗

Multi-Frequency Radiometer-Based Soil Moisture Retrieval and Algorithm Parameterization Using In Situ Sites

L-band brightness temperature (TB) has been shown to provide the best sensitivity to soil moisture (SM) although C- and X-band based products offer a longer time-series from satellite-based measurements. Currently, global coverage SM is routinely produced from spaceborne measurements using all three frequency bands, but despite continued validation efforts of the products, the relative characteristics and performance of these observations have not been fully established. Therefore, this study focused on the parametrization of SM retrieval algorithms at L-, C- and X-bands using TB observations from the L-band radiometer on NASA's SM Active Passive (SMAP) mission and the C- and X-band channels of JAXA's Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) onboard the GCOM-W satellite. These can be applied in global SM retrieval algorithms using either one of the frequencies or a combination of them. The reference in situ SM data was obtained from 12 core validation sites across various land cover types around the world. The investigation highlighted the known challenges of retrieving SM from C- and X-band data compared to the higher sensitivity of the L-band data. Even with a site-specific retrieval algorithm parameterization, the mean correlation of the C- and X-band retrievals for the core validation site SM measurement were much lower than that for L-band, being 0.52 (0.54) and 0.45 (0.47) for vertical (horizontal) polarization, respectively, while for the L-band retrieval the corresponding values were 0.81 (0.77). The parameterization exercise showed that matching the C- and X-band TB measurements with an emission model was not difficult; the problem was relating the observations to SM under the influence of large roughness and vegetation effects. As a result, parameter optimization produced values for some sites that were not realistic or did not allow any practical sensitivity to SM at C- and X-band. Considering the L-band observations, the parameter optimization resulted in superior bias performance as compared to the operational SMAP product parameterization, but the sensitivity to SM changes (R and unbiased root mean square difference) did not improve markedly, or in some cases degraded at the expense of a smaller bias.

passive microwave↗

A Modeling and Simulation Study for the GeoXO Atmospheric Composition Instrument (ACX): System Level SO2 and O3 Retrieval Performance as a Function of SNR

NOAA’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) program is planning to include a hyperspectral UV/visible atmospheric composition instrument in geostationary orbit slated for operations by the early 2030s. Trace gas retrievals provide critical information about our Earth’s system as it relates to both natural and anthropogenic activity. This work focused on the impacts of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on the retrieval uncertainty of SO2 and O3. An end-to-end physics-based imaging system and scene modeling and simulation framework was developed to assess instrument performance considerations in support of the planned GeoXO atmospheric composition instrument (ACX). The framework is composed of three primary components: 1) simulated at-sensor radiance via radiative transfer models of a known atmospheric composition, 2) a noise model driven by previous and planned sensor specifications, and 3) a physical retrieval algorithm. In this analysis, the tropospheric concentrations of SO2 and O3 in the atmospheric column were varied in the boundary layer (0-3 km) and at an elevation of 5 km with a thickness of 1-2 km; the uncertainty in retrieval was studied for various SNR levels for multiple viewing geometries and solar zenith angles. This effort supports the development of the GeoXO ACX instrument by providing a simulated ACX performance assessment of the system-level retrieval performance as a function of SNR, particularly with respect to the wavelength range of interest (approximately 305 – 340 nm) for SO2 and O3 trace gas retrievals.

Monica Cook↗

Remote Sensing of Hail from Space: Retrievals, Climatologies, and Challenges Going Forward

In addition to the myriad threats that severe hailstorms pose to society, infrastructure and agriculture, severe hail is difficult to measure in situ, and surface-based hail reporting and detection methods are inconsistent and subject to geographical or societal biases. This motivates the use of spaceborne remote-sensing platforms to retrieve hail and construct climatologies in the most globally consistent way. Passive-microwave algorithms leverage the sensitivity of spaceborne passive-microwave radiometers to scattering by hail, particularly in the channels from 10 to 89 GHz. These retrievals are used to construct global climatologies of severe hail. The Bang and Cecil (2019) retrievals has been applied to several different spaceborne sensors: the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI), Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) Microwave Imager, Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) sensors and used to construct [near] global climatologies of severe hail. This retrieval, and others, have been tested using Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Ku-band precipitation radar, to assess their effectiveness and regional variability. A successful retrieval and climatology are those that correspond tightly to radar reflectivity and give minimal appearance of regional biases, especially with latitude. Satellite platforms offer consistent observations, even in remote, data-sparse, and oceanic regions that ground-based networks exclude. There are, however, potential disconnects between the processes identified aloft by the satellite and the resultant weather at the ground, leading to uncertainties in the retrievals that may propagate into satellite-based climatologies, particularly in the Tropics, where there are abundant strong - but not necessarily hailing - storms that are strongly represented in the current satellite climatologies. There are ongoing efforts to assess and mitigate the contributing factors to these uncertainties, chiefly among them the effects of non-uniform beam filling in the passive-microwave footprint, and the relationships between the size distributions of hailstones aloft and the dynamic processes and environments with which they interact throughout their trajectories.

Sarah D Bang↗

Airborne HSRL Assessment of CALIOP Aerosol Extinction Retrievals Constrained by Column AOD

Current operational CALIOP aerosol extinction profile retrievals usually rely on accurately specifying the relationship between aerosol extinction and backscattering (i.e. lidar ratio). Uncertainties in the assigned lidar ratios are typically the largest source of systematic error (~30-50%) in the CALIOP retrievals of aerosol extinction, backscatter, and aerosol optical depth. Alternatively, column aerosol optical depth (AOD) can be used to solve the lidar equation and obtain column-equivalent lidar ratios and retrieve aerosol extinction profiles from the CALIOP attenuated backscatter profiles. These derived lidar ratios correspond to the aerosols in the altitude range from 0-7 km. We derive column-equivalent aerosol lidar ratios and aerosol extinction profiles from CALIOP attenuated backscatter profiles constrained using co-located column AODs provided by several instruments/techniques: Synergized Optical Depth of Aerosols (SODA), Ocean-Derived Column Optical Depths (ODCOD), MODIS (dark target), MODIS (Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction-MAIAC), and PARASOL (Generalized Retrieval of Aerosol and Surface Properties-GRASP). These various retrievals of AOD and the column-average aerosol lidar ratios and aerosol extinction profiles derived from CALIOP using these AOD constraints are evaluated using the extensive record of coincident and co-located airborne HSRL measurements of AOD, aerosol lidar ratio, and aerosol extinction profiles acquired during more than 140 HSRL underflights of CALIPSO since 2006. The HSRL technique allows for the independent measurement of extinction and backscatter without the need for external constraints or assumptions regarding the lidar ratios. Initial comparisons with these coincident HSRL aerosol extinction profiles show that the CALIOP aerosol extinction profiles retrieved using these various AOD constraints are generally in better agreement with the HSRL measurements than aerosol extinction profiles from the operational techniques. The quality of agreement depends on the accuracy and magnitude of the AOD constraint. We present these comparisons of AOD, column aerosol lidar ratio, and aerosol extinction profiles for each of the AOD constraints described above.

lidar↗

Principal Component and Machine Learning Approach to Gap Fill Hyperspectral Ocean Color Satellite Retrievals

Retrievals of ocean color properties from space are important for monitoring the health of the ocean ecosystem but such retrievals can be limited spatially due to conditions such as clouds, aerosols, and sun glint. Gap filling of ocean color retrievals is typically performed by combining retrievals from multiple satellites or temporally averaging multiple days of retrievals. Despite these techniques large gaps still exist posing challenges for near real time monitoring of events like harmful algae blooms. To address these limitations, we developed a spatial gap filling approach applying machine learning approach to hyperspectral instruments to learn how to perform an atmospheric correction under challenging retrieval conditions. In this approach a principal component analysis is used to decompose the hyperspectral measurements into spectral components that describe the scattering and absorption of the atmosphere mixed with the surface spectral signatures. The coefficients of the principal components are used to train a neural network to predict ocean color properties derived from a standard MODIS ocean color algorithm. We apply the approach to two hyperspectral UV/VIS sensors, the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) to show that it can be used to estimate ocean color properties such as chlorophyll, remote sensing reflectance, and fluorescence line height. This method could be used as a gap-filling technique for the future Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) onboard upcoming NASA's Plankton, Aerosol Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite to provide additional information for monitoring the health of our global oceans. Additionally, it could be applied to the first NASA and Smithsonian geostationary Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) spectrometer to better understand diurnal variability in inland and coastal ocean ecology.

Zachary Fasnacht↗

Spaceborne Remote Sensing of Hail: Retrievals, Climatologies, and Challenges Going Forward

In addition to the myriad threats that severe hailstorms pose to society, infrastructure and agriculture, severe hail is difficult to measure in situ, and surface-based hail reporting and detection methods are inconsistent and subject to geographical or societal biases. This motivates the use of spaceborne remote-sensing platforms to retrieve hail and construct climatologies in the most globally consistent way. Passive-microwave algorithms leverage the sensitivity of spaceborne passive-microwave radiometers to scattering by hail, particularly in the channels from 10 to 89 GHz. These retrievals are used to construct global climatologies of severe hail. The Bang and Cecil (2019) retrievals has been applied to several different spaceborne sensors: the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI), Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) Microwave Imager, Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) sensors and used to construct [near] global climatologies of severe hail. This retrieval, and others, have been tested using Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Ku-band precipitation radar, to assess their effectiveness and regional variability. A successful retrieval and climatology are those that correspond tightly to radar reflectivity and give minimal appearance of regional biases, especially with latitude. Satellite platforms offer consistent observations, even in remote, data-sparse, and oceanic regions that ground-based networks exclude. There are, however, potential disconnects between the processes identified aloft by the satellite and the resultant weather at the ground, leading to uncertainties in the retrievals that may propagate into satellite-based climatologies, particularly in the Tropics, where there are abundant strong - but not necessarily hailing - storms that are strongly represented in the current satellite climatologies. There are ongoing efforts to assess and mitigate the contributing factors to these uncertainties, chiefly among them the effects of non-uniform beam filling in the passive-microwave footprint, and the relationships between the size distributions of hailstones aloft and the dynamic processes and environments with which they interact throughout their trajectories.

Sarah D Bang↗

A Principal Component and Machine Learning Approach to Spatially Gap Fill Hyperspectral Ocean Color Satellite Retrievals

Retrievals of ocean color properties from space are important for monitoring the health of the ocean ecosystem but such retrievals tend to be limited in spatial coverage due to conditions such as clouds, aerosols, and sun glint. Gap filling of ocean color retrievals is typically performed by combining retrievals from multiple satellites or temporally averaging multiple days of retrievals but despite these techniques large gaps still exist posing challenges for near real time monitoring of events like harmful algae blooms. To address these limitations, we propose a spatial gap filling approach using machine learning to learn how to perform an atmospheric correction under challenging retrieval conditions. In this approach a principal component analysis is used to decompose the hyperspectral measurements into spectral features that describe the scattering and absorption of the atmosphere as well as the underlying surface. The coefficients of the principal components are then used to train a neural network to predict ocean color properties derived from a standard ocean color algorithm such as the MODIS atmospheric correction algorithm. This machine learning approach is independent of a priori information and does not rely on any radiative transfer modeling. We apply the approach to two hyperspectral UV/VIS instruments, the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) to show that it can be used to estimate ocean color properties such as chlorophyll, remote sensing reflectance, and fluorescence line height. This method could be used as a gap-filling technique for the future Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) which will be onboard NASA's Plankton, Aerosol Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) ocean color satellite to provide additional information for monitoring the health of our global oceans. Additionally, it could be applied to the geostationary satellite Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) to better understand diurnal variability in ocean ecology.

MODIS atmospheric correction algorithm↗

High-Resolution Snowstorm Measurements and Retrievals Using Cross-Platform Multi-Frequency and Polarimetric Radars

Many studies have provided microphysical retrievals using radars of different frequencies, platforms, and methodologies. However, little is known about the consistency of retrievals derived from different radar platforms (i.e., airborne or spaceborne vs. groundbased) and their methodologies. This study is the first to directly compare snow mean volume diameter (Dm) retrievals from both nadir-pointing airborne multi-frequency radars and ground-based polarimetric range-height indicator (RHI) radar scans along a coincident airborne flight track. Compared to typical airborne/spaceborne/ground validation studies which at best provide O(1 km) resolution, these two platforms together provide directly collocated, high-resolution O(10m) retrievals. Dm retrieval values were over all both largest and smallest when using two separate dual-wavelength methods from aircraft measurements. A Triple-frequency analysis suggests the possibility that snow aggregates were generally composed of needles. The results shown here can be used as a benchmark for comparing retrieval methodologies.

Edwin L. Dunnavan↗

Quantitative phase retrieval and characterization of magnetic nanostructures via Lorentz (scanning) transmission electron microscopy

Magnetic materials phase reconstruction using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (LTEM) measurements have traditionally been achieved using longstanding methods such as off-axis holography (OAH) fast-Fourier transform technique and the transport-of-intensity equation (TIE). The increase in access to processing power alongside the development of advanced algorithms have allowed for phase retrieval of nanoscale magnetic materials with greater efficacy and resolution. Specifically, reverse-mode automatic differentiation (RMAD) and the extended electron ptychography iterative engine (ePIE) are two recent developments of phase retrieval that can be applied to analyzing micro-to-nano- scale magnetic materials. This work evaluates phase retrieval using TIE, RMAD, and ePIE in simulations of Permalloy (Ni 80 Fe 20 ) nanoscale islands, or nanomagnets. Extending beyond simulations, we demonstrate total phase retrieval and image reconstructions of a NiFe nanowire using OAH and RMAD in LTEM and ePIE in Lorentz-mode-4D scanning transmission electron microscopy experiments and determine the saturation magnetization through corroborations with micromagnetic modeling. Finally, we demonstrate the efficacy of these methods in retrieving the total phase and highlight its use in characterizing and analyzing the proximity effect of the magnetic nanostructures.

Lorentz transmission electron microscopy↗

Extending "Deep Blue" Aerosol Retrieval Coverage to Cases of Absorbing Aerosols Above Clouds: Sensitivity Analysis and First Case Studies

Cases of absorbing aerosols above clouds (AACs), such as smoke or mineral dust, are omitted from most routinely processed space-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) data products, including those from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This study presents a sensitivity analysis and preliminary algorithm to retrieve above-cloud AOD and liquid cloud optical depth (COD) for AAC cases from MODIS or similar sensors, for incorporation into a future version of the "Deep Blue" AOD data product. Detailed retrieval simulations suggest that these sensors should be able to determine AAC AOD with a typical level of uncertainty approximately 25-50 percent (with lower uncertainties for more strongly absorbing aerosol types) and COD with an uncertainty approximately10-20 percent, if an appropriate aerosol optical model is known beforehand. Errors are larger, particularly if the aerosols are only weakly absorbing, if the aerosol optical properties are not known, and the appropriate model to use must also be retrieved. Actual retrieval errors are also compared to uncertainty envelopes obtained through the optimal estimation (OE) technique; OE-based uncertainties are found to be generally reasonable for COD but larger than actual retrieval errors for AOD, due in part to difficulties in quantifying the degree of spectral correlation of forward model error. The algorithm is also applied to two MODIS scenes (one smoke and one dust) for which near-coincident NASA Ames Airborne Tracking Sun photometer (AATS) data were available to use as a ground truth AOD data source, and found to be in good agreement, demonstrating the validity of the technique with real observations.

aerosols above clouds↗

Retrieval of Aerosol Optical Properties Using MERIS Observations: Algorithm and Some First Results

The MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument on board ESA Envisat made measurements from 2002 to 2012. Although MERIS was limited in spectral coverage, accurate Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) from MERIS data are retrieved by using appropriate additional information. We introduce a new AOT retrieval algorithm for MERIS over land surfaces, referred to as eXtensible Bremen AErosol Retrieval (XBAER). XBAER is similar to the dark-target (DT) retrieval algorithm used for Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), in that it uses a lookup table (LUT) to match to satellite-observed reflectance and derive the AOT. Instead of a global parameterization of surface spectral reflectance, XBAER uses a set of spectral coefficients to prescribe surface properties. In this manner, XBAER is not limited to dark surfaces (vegetation) and retrieves AOT over bright surface (desert, semiarid, and urban areas). Preliminary validation of the MERIS-derived AOT and the ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) measurements yield good agreement, the resulting regression equation is y (0.92 x +/- 0.07) + (0.05 +/- 0.01) and Pearson correlation coefficient of R 0.78. Global monthly means of AOT have been compared from XBAER, MODIS and other satellite-derived datasets.

satellite retrievals↗

Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) Wind Speed Retrievals and Assessment Using Dropsondes

The Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) is an experimental C-band passive microwave radiometer designed to map the horizontal structure of surface wind speed fields in hurricanes. New data processing and customized retrieval approaches were developed after the 2015 Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI) experiment, which featured flights over Hurricanes Patricia, Joaquin, Marty, and the remnants of Tropical Storm Erika. These new approaches produced maps of surface wind speed that looked more realistic than those from previous campaigns. Dropsondes from the High Definition Sounding System (HDSS) that was flown with HIRAD on a WB-57 high altitude aircraft in TCI were used to assess the quality of the HIRAD wind speed retrievals. The root mean square difference between HIRAD-retrieved surface wind speeds and dropsonde-estimated surface wind speeds was 6.0 meters per second. The largest differences between HIRAD and dropsonde winds were from data points where storm motion during dropsonde descent compromised the validity of the comparisons. Accounting for this and for uncertainty in the dropsonde measurements themselves, we estimate the root mean square error for the HIRAD retrievals as around 4.7 meters per second. Prior to the 2015 TCI experiment, HIRAD had previously flown on the WB-57 for missions across Hurricanes Gonzalo (2014), Earl (2010), and Karl (2010). Configuration of the instrument was not identical to the 2015 flights, but the methods devised after the 2015 flights may be applied to that previous data in an attempt to improve retrievals from those cases.

wind retrieval↗

Item Retrieval as Utility Estimation

Retrieval systems have greatly improved over the last half century, estimating relevance to a latent user need in a wide variety of areas. One area that has not enjoyed such advancements is searching for items by attribute values, a common activity in e-commerce and science, particularly given numeric values. Existing item retrieval systems assume the user has a firm grasp of their own desires and can formulate a good Boolean or SQL-style query to retrieve items, as one would do with a database. A contrasting approach would be to estimate how well items match the user?s latent desires and return items ranked by this estimation. Towards this end, we present a retrieval model inspired by multi-criteria decision making theory, concentrating on numeric attributes. We evaluate our novel approach, the de-facto standard of Boolean retrieval, and several models proposed in the literature, in two user studies using Amazon Mechanical Turk. We use a competitive game to motivate test subjects and compare methods based on the results of the subjects? initial query and their success in the game. In our experiments, our new method signi cantly outperformed the others, whereas the Boolean approaches had the worst performance.

operations research↗

Explicit Aerosol Correction of OMI Formaldehyde Retrievals

Atmospheric aerosols are significant sources of uncertainty in air mass factor (AMF) calculations for trace gas retrievals using ultraviolet measurements from space. Current trace gas retrievals typically do not consider aerosols explicitly as cloud products partially account for aerosol effects. Here, we propose a new measurement-based approach to correct for aerosols explicitly in the AMF calculation, apply it to Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) formaldehyde (HCHO) retrievals and quantify the aerosol-induced HCHO vertical column density difference for three aerosol types (smoke, dust, and sulfate) during 2006–2007. We use OMI aerosol retrievals for aerosol optical properties and vertical profiles to construct lookup tables of scattering weights as functions of geometry, surface pressure, surface albedo, and aerosol information. The average difference between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration operational OMI HCHO product (not considering aerosols) and the results obtained in this study on a global scale are 27%, 6%, and −0.3% for smoke, dust, and sulfate aerosols, respectively. The region with the largest aerosol effects is East China, where the explicit smoke aerosol correction enhances mean HCHO vertical column densities by 35%, with corrections to individual observations sometimes larger than 100%. The quantified aerosol effects are applicable under clear-sky conditions. This study highlights the need to implement aerosol corrections in the AMF calculation for HCHO retrievals. This is particularly relevant in regions with high levels of pollution where aerosols interfere the most with formaldehyde satellite observations.

Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) formaldehyde (HC↗

Seawater Debye Model Function at L-Band and Its Impact on Salinity Retrieval From Aquarius Satellite Data

A model function of seawater, which specifies the dielectric constant of seawater as a function of salinity, temperature, and frequency, is important for the retrieval of sea surface salinity using satellite data. In 2017, a model function has been developed based on measurement data at 1.4134 GHz using a third-order polynomial expression in salinity ( S ) and temperature ( T ). Although the model showed improvements in salinity retrieval, it had an inconsistent behavior between partitioned salinities. To improve the stability of the model, new dielectric measurements of seawater have been made recently over a broad range of salinities and temperatures to expand the data set used for developing the model function. The structure of the model function has been changed from a polynomial expansion in S and T to a physics-based model consisting of a Debye molecular resonance term plus a conductivity term. Each unknown parameter is expressed in S and T based on the expanded measurement data set. Physical arguments have been used to limit the number of unknown coefficients in these expressions to improve the stability of the model function. The new model function has been employed in the retrieval algorithm of the Aquarius satellite mission to obtain a global salinity map. The retrieved salinity using a different model function is compared with in situ data collected by Argo floats to evaluate the impact and the performance of model functions. The results indicate that the new model function has significant improvements in salinity retrieval compared with other existing models.

Seawater↗

PCRTM-RA Enhancements for Improving CO Retrievals Using NAST-I Measurements From the FIREX-AQ Field Campaign

The Principal Component-based Radiative Transfer Model Retrieval Algorithm (PCRTM-RA) for carbon monoxide (CO) retrieval has been improved for better use of National Airborne Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I) measurements obtained during the Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) field campaign. One of the explicit purposes of the campaign was to characterize wildfire-induced atmospheric changes. Coincidental measurements from various airborne instruments including NAST-I infrared hyperspectral measurements from the NASA ER-2 aircraft provided us an opportunity to test and improve the PCRTM-RA CO retrieval. By relaxing the vertical correlation of CO profiles in the a-priori covariance constraint, a significant improvement in the vertical structure of the CO retrieval has been confirmed. The methodology is validated using a synthetic testing dataset that covers observations associated with various CO vertical profiles including that of an extremely polluted atmosphere. The methodology is also applied to real NAST-I measurements, and the results have successfully demonstrated the capability of using PCRTM-RA retrieval results for CO plume evolution and transport monitoring.

Carbon monoxide (CO)↗

LSKnowledge: Nexus for Transformative Scientific Discoveries and Enhanced Information Retrieval in NASA Life Sciences Portal

We stand at the brink of an extraordinary transformation in the field of AI, driven by the convergence of generative AI and semantic technologies (e.g., knowledge graphs). This fusion holds immense potential and could redefine the future of scientific exploration, particularly in the realm of life sciences research. In this context, we shed light on the pivotal roles that Large Language Models (LLMs) and semantic technologies will play in advancing research, unearthing and comprehending life sciences information through innovative approaches, and empowering researchers to extract insights from NASA's extensive Life Sciences Data Archive. Within the NASA Life Sciences Portal (NLSP), the integration of LLMs and semantic technologies unlocks several advanced capabilities. First and foremost, it equips scientists with sophisticated tools to manage the ever-expanding wealth of scientific literature and data. Furthermore, it facilitates the creation of knowledge graphs that visually represent intricate relationships among biological entities, enabling comprehensive systems-level analysis. Additionally, the fusion of generative AI (including LLMs) and semantic technology can significantly benefit NASA's life sciences research by enhancing information retrieval and hypothesis generation. These tools enhance natural language understanding, facilitating knowledge discovery within NLSP. The overarching vision is to establish a cohesive knowledge ecosystem within NLSP, harnessing the power of LLMs and semantic technologies to synthesize and cross-reference data from diverse missions, disciplines, and research domains. This holistic approach ultimately deepens our understanding of how space environments impact life sciences data. To advance this initiative, we have launched LSKnowledge, aimed at enhancing the information retrieval capabilities of NLSP. In the short term, our primary goal is to develop a robust semantic search system. This system will empower HRP (Human Research Program) researchers to navigate NLSP data repositories more efficiently and precisely, catalyzing the process of hypothesis formation and scientific breakthroughs. To achieve this, we have employed pre-trained LLMs as part of a semantic search tool that can rank and highlight the most relevant records for user queries. To assess the tool's performance, we have curated a set of approximately 200 queries from subject matter experts (SMEs) and manually ranked the top records retrieved by both the current search system and the new semantic search, using SME judgments as the gold standard for relevancy. Herein, we present the results of our comparative analysis and illustrate how these findings have informed the fine-tuning of the system for enhanced performance. In the long term, our objectives include 1) retrieving publicly available information and integrating it with NLSP data to provide more precise answers to user queries, and 2) incorporating non-textual information from the NLSP database into our approach. In conclusion, the fusion of LLMs and semantic technologies within NLSP represents a pioneering stride towards reshaping the landscape of scientific discovery. This synergy not only equips researchers with powerful tools to navigate the burgeoning sea of information but also facilitates a deeper understanding of complex biological relationships, all while accelerating hypothesis generation and knowledge discovery. Through our initiative, LSKnowledge, we are committed to continually refining and expanding these capabilities, with the aim of not only enhancing information retrieval but also integrating diverse data sources to provide more precise insights. In the grand vision, NLSP strives to become the cornerstone of a comprehensive knowledge ecosystem, unraveling the enigmatic intricacies of life sciences phenomena in the context of space environments.

Life Sciences↗