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

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At least 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

The computer treatment of remotely sensed data: An introduction to techniques which have geologic applications

Several aspects of computer-assisted analysis techniques for image enhancement and thematic classification by which LANDSAT MSS imagery may be treated quantitatively are explained. On geological applications, computer processing of digital data allows, possibly, the fullest use of LANDSAT data, by displaying enhanced and corrected data for visual analysis and by evaluating and assigning each spectral pixel information to a given class.

Parada, N. D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1975

The utility of Skylab photo-interpreted earth resources data in studies of marine geology and coastal processes in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

The author has identified the following significant results. Three Skylab earth resources passes over Puerto Rico and St. Croix on 6 June and 30 November 1973 and 18 January 1974 resulted in color photography and multispectral photography and scanner imagery. Bathymetric and turbid water features are differentiable by use of the multispectral data. Photography allows mapping of coral reefs, offshore sand deposits, areas of coastal erosion, and patterns of sediment transport. Bottom sediment types could not be differentiated. Patterns of bottom dwelling biologic communities are well portrayed but are difficult to differentiate from bathymetric detail. Effluent discharges and oil slicks are readily detected and are differentiated from other phenomena by the persistence of their images into the longer wavelength multispectral bands.

Trumbull, J. V. A.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Data From: "Warming and snow loss increase reliance on old groundwater in a Colorado River headwater"

This repository contains the data and code associated with the paper titled "Warming and snow loss increase reliance on old groundwater in a Colorado River headwater," published in Nature Geoscience, 2026. This study seeks to answer how various ages of groundwater interact with mountainous streamflow in mountainous headwaters such as the East River. It includes various model-data processing scripts, primarily for ParFlow-CLM analysis of simulated water years 2015-2021, and two numerical warming experiments (+2.5 and +4.0 degrees C), including run scripts, forcing scripts, and post-processing, as well as comparison to observation datasets, detailed below. This data requires the use of R (.r, .rmd), Python (.py), Jupyter Notebook or Jupyter Lab (.ipynb), ParFLOW-CLM, EcoSLIM. Further information on the use of all file formats mentioned below (e.g. .tff. .nc) are provided within the associated scripts and directory where the files are located. Contents & Usage ASO/: ​​Contains the bash and python scripts used to convert airborne snow observatory (ASO) data (ASO, 2023) in various data formats (georeferenced tiff file, NetCDF, UTM, and to latitude/longitude) then regrided to the ParFlow equivalent grid. Output data are in regrid_regll_data.zip and subsequently visualized and analyzed in plot_and_compare.py for Supplementary Figures A14 and A15. The wksht_ASO_comparison.xlsx spreadsheet is used to calculate the data for Supplementary Figure A16. EcoSLIM/: Contains the scripts and input files to run the EcoSLIM particle tracking simulations (/run_scripts) and the post-processing python script (/plot_scripts/eco_agedist_plots.ipynb). Jasechko et al./: Contains the jupyter notebook (Extract_Elevation.ipynb) to determine the outlet elevations of the 260 watersheds used in Jasechko et al. (2016), and the corresponding table, Table_S1_Watersheds_alt.csv. Used to create Supplementary Information Figure A2. PLM_Wells/: Contains the QA/QC-ed groundwater level time series of the PLM-1 and PLM-6 Monitoring Wells from Faybishenko et al. (2023), reformatted to water years used for Supplementary Figures A19 and and A20. ParFlow/: Contains the input files and run scripts to run ParFlow-CLM (/run_scripts), the python and tool command language (Tcl) scripts to create and distribute the ParFlow forcing simulation files (/forcing), and various scripts and intermediary files to analyze the model outputs (/post_process). SQUIRE/: Contains the processing scripts and intermediary files for the Surface QUantitatIve pRecipitation Estimation (SQUIRE) data (Grover, 2023) used to generate Supplementary Figure A18. USGS_Streamflow/: Contains the raw and gap-filled United States Geological Survey streamflow data (U.S. Geological Survey, 2026) used at the Almont station (site number 09112500). Gap-filling is performed in the R script with data from the Taylor station (site number 09110000). (/USGS_09112500_EAST_RIVER_AT_ALMONT_GAP_FILLED/code_almont_streamflow_gap_fill.Rmd). discharge/: Contains the gap-filled discharge data at the Watershed Function SFA East River pumphouse site (Newcomer et al., 2022) used to generate Supplementary Figure A13 and to compute hourly Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficients (NSE) in Table A4. snotel_and_flux_tower/: Contains the snow telemetry data (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2024) from the Butte (site ID 380) and Schofield (site ID 737) stations, reformatted by water year, accessed with the snotelr R package. Used to create Supplementary Figure A17. Also contains the flux tower observational data (FluxTower_Pumphouse_ESS-DIVE.ET_only.h.txt) from Ryken et al. (2022) and sap flux transpiration data (MaxB_Transpiration_5Sites.daily_sums.h.txt) from Ryken (2021), used to create Supplementary Figures A22 and A23, respectively. Raw EcoSLIM model outputs are in excess of 24TB, and are stored on National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) and publicly available via the external link provided in the paper.

atmospheric warming↗
DOE OSTI2025

Data and code from: Multivariate bayesian regression model for predicting disposed ash composition at U.S. coal fired power stations

This dataset contains the code and data files needed for implementation of a Multivariate Bayesian Regression model, described in Jin et al. (2025), for the historical prediction of the chemical composition of disposed coal ash at U.S. coal fired power plants as a function of annualized coal purchase data. The integrated coal supply data file (CoalSupplyDataset.csv) represents a compilation of monthly fuel purchase records for the period 1973-2022 at major U.S. power stations. These records were obtained from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The CSV file also contains, for each coal purchase record, the coal region of the mine as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey. Data entry errors and data gaps in the EIA records were corrected as described in Jin et al. This CSV file represents the integrated coal supply data after corrections were made. The model structure and fitting parameters are encoded in pickle file format (Bayesian.pkl). The model was developed with the coal supply data and coal ash composition data, apportioned according to the Stratified Shuffle Split for training and testing subsets. The model was built using Python and the PyMC library. Reference Publication: Jin, Z.; Huang, J.; Hower, J.C.; Hsu-Kim, H.(2025). Predictive Assessment of the Chemical Composition of Coal Ash in Reserve at U.S. Disposal Sites. Environmental Science & Technology.

Coal ash composition↗
NASA NTRS1993

Characterization of the Marquez Dome buried impact crater using gravity and magnetic data

The buried impact crater, Marquez Dome, located in Leon County in east central Texas, is an approximately 15 km diameter structure whose central uplift is now partially exposed due to headward erosion of the post-impact cover. The central uplift is approximately 3 km in diameter and the rocks within it have been uplifted more than 1200 m above their regional level. The crater rim remains buried and previous attempts to determine its location have had to rely on seismic reflection data and geologic well logs. These attempts have been somewhat successful in mapping the extent of the disturbed zone around Marquez Dome, but more limited in their ability to image the shallow buried rim. In an attempt to define accurately the whole Marquez Dome structure and assist in the selection of drilling sites, a geophysical investigation involving gravity and magnetic data over the central uplift and the surrounding area has been undertaken.

Wong, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

On the interpretation of satellite-derived gravity and magnetic data for studies of crustal geology and metallogenesis

Satellite-derived global gravity and magnetic maps have been shown to be useful in large-scale studies of the Earth's crust, despite the relative infancy of such studies. Numerous authors have made spatial associations of gravity or magnetic anomalies with geological provinces. Gravimetric interpretations are often made in terms of isostasy, regional variations of density, or of geodesy in general. Interpretations of satellite magnetic anomalies often base assumptions of overall crustal magnetism on concepts of the vertical and horizontal distribution of magnetic susceptibility, then make models of these assumed distributions. The opportunity of improving our satellite gravity and magnetic data through the proposed Geopotential Research Mission should considerably improve the scientific community's ability to analyze and interpret global magnetic and gravity data.

Hastings, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Documenting of Geologic Field Activities in Real-Time in Four Dimensions: Apollo 17 as a Case Study for Terrestrial Analogues and Future Exploration

During the Apollo exploration of the lunar surface, thousands of still images, 16 mm videos, TV footage, samples, and surface experiments were captured and collected. In addition, observations and descriptions of what was observed was radioed to Mission Control as part of standard communications and subsequently transcribed. The archive of this material represents perhaps the best recorded set of geologic field campaigns and will serve as the example of how to conduct field work on other planetary bodies for decades to come. However, that archive of material exists in disparate locations and formats with varying levels of completeness, making it not easily cross-referenceable. While video and audio exist for the missions, it is not time synchronized, and images taken during the missions are not time or location tagged. Sample data, while robust, is not easily available in a context of where the samples were collected, their descriptions by the astronauts are not connected to them, or the video footage of their collection (if available). A more than five year undertaking to reconstruct and reconcile the Apollo 17 mission archive, from launch through splashdown, has generated an integrated record of the entire mission, resulting in searchable, synchronized image, voice, and video data, with geologic context provided at the time each sample was collected. Through www.apollo17.org the documentation of the field investigation conducted by the Apollo 17 crew is presented in chronologic sequence, with additional context provided by high-resolution Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) images and a corresponding digital terrain model (DTM) of the Taurus-Littrow Valley.

APOLLO 17↗
NASA NTRS2014

Asteroid 4 Vesta: A Fully Differentiated Dwarf Planet

One conclusion derived from the study of meteorites is that some of them - most irons, stony irons, some achondrites - hail from asteroids that were heated to the point where metallic cores and basaltic crusts were formed. Telescopic observations show that there remains only one large asteroid with a basaltic crust, 4 Vesta; present day mean radius 263 km. The largest clan of achondrites, the howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) meteorites, represent the crust of their parent asteroid. Diogenites are cumulate harzburgites and orthopyroxenites from the lower crust whilst eucrites are cumulate gabbros, diabases and basalts from the upper crust. Howardites are impact-engendered breccias of diogenites and eucrites. A strong case can be made that HEDs are derived from Vesta. The NASA Dawn spacecraft orbited Vesta for 14 months returning data allowing geological, mineralogical, compositional and geophysical interpretations of Vesta's surface and structure. Combined with geochemical and petrological observations of HED meteorites, differentiation models for Vesta can be developed. Proto-Vesta probably consisted of primitive chondritic materials. Compositional evidence, primarily from basaltic eucrites, indicates that Vesta was melted to high degree (>=50%) which facilitated homogenization of the silicate phase and separation of immiscible Fe,Ni metal plus Fe sulphide into a core. Geophysical models based on Dawn data support a core of ~110 km radius. The silicate melt vigorously convected and initially followed a path of equilibrium crystallization forming a harzburgitic mantle, possibly overlying a dunitic restite. Once the fraction of crystals was sufficient to cause convective lockup, the remaining melt collected between the mantle and the cool thermal boundary layer. This melt undergoes fractional crystallization to form a dominantly orthopyroxenite (diogenite) lower crust. The initial thermal boundary layer of primitive chondritic material is gradually replaced by a mafic crust through impact disruption and foundering. The quenched mafic crust thickens over time through magma extrusion/intrusion. Melt from the residual magma ocean intrudes and penetrates the mafic crust forming cumulate eucrite plutons, and dikes, sills and flows of basaltic eucrite composition. The post-differentiation vestan structure is thus not too dissimilar from that of terrestrial planets: (i) a metallic core; (ii) an ultramafic mantle comprised of a lower dunitic layer (if melting was substantially <100%) and an upper cumulate harzburgitic layer; (iii) a lower crust of harzburgitic and orthopyroxenitic cumulates; and (iv) an upper mafic crust of basalts and diabases (melt compositions) with cumulate gabbro intrusions. Impacts have excavated to the lower crust and delivered howardites, eucrites and diogenites to Earth, but there is yet no evidence demonstrating excavation of the vestan mantlle.

Mittlefehldt, David↗
NASA NTRS1982

Geological-structural interpretation using products of remote sensing in the region of Carrancas, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The efficiency of some criteria developed for the utilization of small scale and low resolution remote sensing products to map geological and structural features was demonstrated. Those criteria were adapted from the Logical Method of Photointerpretation which consists of textural qualitative analysis of landforms and drainage net patterns. LANDSAT images of channel 5 and 7, 4 LANDSAT-RBV scenes, and 1 radar mosiac were utilized. The region of study is characterized by supracrustal metassediments (quartzites and micaschist) folded according to a "zig-zag" pattern and gnaissic basement. Lithological-structural definition was considered outstanding when compared to data acquired during field work, bibliographic data and geologic maps acquired in larger scales.

Parada, N. D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Geologic mapping using integrated AIRSAR, AVIRIS, and TIMS data

The multi-sensor aircraft campaign called the 'Geologic Remote Sensing Field Experiment' (GRSFE), conducted during 1989 in the southwestern United States, collected multiple airborne remote sensing data sets and associated field and laboratory measurements. The GRSFE airborne data sets used in this study include the airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR), the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), and the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS). Each sensor's unique characteristics were used for this study in a combined analysis scheme for geologic mapping. AIRSAR was used to map structures and landforms, AVIRIS was used to map mineralogy, and TIMS was used to map lithology. Visual data integration using IHS transforms and combined numerical analysis using derived geophysical and geologic parameters with 'multispectral' techniques resulted in improved geologic mapping over that possible using each data set individually.

Kruse, Fred A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Evaluation of ERTS-1 imagery for mapping Quaternary deposits and landforms in the Great Plains and Midwest

The author has identified the following significant results. Maps of 1:1 million scale exemplifying the first phase of investigation were prepared for ten study areas (mostly 1 deg x 2 deg in area): 2 in Kansas, 1 in Missouri-Kansas, 2 in Nebraska, 1 in South Dakota, 3 in Illinois, and 1 in Iowa-Illinois (a total of 13 such maps, covering about 97,000 sq. mi., since the start of the project). Collection of all pertinent published geologic-terrain data also has been completed for all the study areas for which these first-phase maps have been made. The ground truth data are being used in combination with additional interpretation of the repetitive ERTS-1 images of most of these study areas to prepare enhanced information maps at 1:500,000. For areas that have not been mapped at 1:500,000 or larger scales, the maps will provide the first moderately detailed information on landform features and surficial materials. Much of the information mapped is significant for exploration and development of ground water (and locally petroleum) and for applications in engineering and environmental geology, and land use patterns as indicated by tone and texture on the images. Numerous moraines have been identified; also, the trends of parts of ancient filled valleys have been identified. Valley alinement appears controlled by faults or other structural lineaments.

Morrison, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS2015

FINESSE: Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science and Exploration

The FINESSE (Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science and Exploration) team is focused on a science and exploration field-based research program aimed at generating strategic knowledge in preparation for the human and robotic exploration of the Moon, near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) and Phobos and Deimos. We follow the philosophy that "science enables exploration and exploration enables science." 1) FINESSE Science: Understand the effects of volcanism and impacts as dominant planetary processes on the Moon, NEAs, and Phobos & Deimos. 2) FINESSE Exploration: Understand which exploration concepts of operations (ConOps) and capabilities enable and enhance scientific return. To accomplish these objectives, we are conducting an integrated research program focused on scientifically-driven field exploration at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho and at the West Clearwater Lake Impact Structure in northern Canada. Field deployments aimed at reconnaissance geology and data acquisition were conducted in 2014 at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. Targets for data acquisition included selected sites at Kings Bowl eruptive fissure, lava field and blowout crater, Inferno Chasm vent and outflow channel, North Crater lava flow and Highway lava flow. Field investigation included (1) differential GPS (dGPS) measurements of lava flows, channels (and ejecta block at Kings Bowl); (2) LiDAR imaging of lava flow margins, surfaces and other selected features; (3) digital photographic documentation; (4) sampling for geochemical and petrographic analysis; (5) UAV aerial imagery of Kings Bowl and Inferno Chasm features; and (6) geologic assessment of targets and potential new targets. Over the course of the 5-week field FINESSE campaign to the West Clearwater Impact Structure (WCIS) in 2014, the team focused on several WCIS research topics, including impactites, central uplift formation, the impact-generated hydrothermal system, multichronometer dating of impact products, and using WCIS as an analog test site for crew studies of sampling protocols. The FINESSE team visited and mapped all of the major islands within West Clearwater Lake. Excellent cliff exposures around the coasts of many of the islands allowed a general stratigraphy of impactites to be defined. Notable differences to previous work includes the discovery of a monomict lithic breccia and a medium to coarse grained impact melt rock. In addition, ample rock samples were returned from West Clearwater for geochronology study. Geochronology work centers around laboratory analyses of these samples (and samples collected in the future or obtained from archives housed at the Canadian Geological Survey). Samples returned from the FINESSE field season have been evaluated for suitability for geochronologic analysis, and selected samples have been crushed for mineral separation and/or sawed for the preparation of polished petrologic thin sections. Heavy minerals (e.g., zircon, titanite, and apatite) will be separated from the crushed material for (U-Th)/He geochronology. The sections will be used for laser ablation 40Ar/39Ar research after neutron irradiation. This presentation will highlight the exciting science and exploration work conducted by FINESSE, as well as future plans for continued research.

Phobos & Deimos↗
NASA NTRS1981

Geologic application of thermal inertia imaging using HCMM data

Three test sites in the western US were selected to discriminate among surface geologic materials on the basis of their thermal properties as determined from HCMM data. Attempts to determine quantitatively accurate thermal inertia values from HCMM digital data met with only partial success due to the effects of sensor miscalibrations, radiative transfer in the atmosphere, and varying meteorology and elevation across a scene. In most instances, apparent thermal inertia was found to be an excellent qualitative representation of true thermal inertia. Computer processing of digital day and night HCMM data allowed construction of geologically useful images. At some test sites, more information was provided by data than LANDSAT data. Soil moisture effects and differences in spectrally dark materials were more effectively displayed using the thermal data.

Kahle, A. B.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Curating Carbon Storage Data for Reuse: Enabling Research and Modeling from Earth’s Surface to Subsurface

The volume of public geologic carbon storage (GCS) data resources has continued to increase in recent years as the result of an increase in funding from government, industry, and academia towards national, basin, regional and field scale studies to ensure carbon capture and storage becomes a commercially viable operation. Despite the increasing volume of data, GCS data applied towards analyses such as geologic, cost, and risk modeling continues to be multi-sourced and often disparate in nature, published across government agencies, websites, data repositories and buried in derivative reports and documents. Much of the time preparing for an analysis and derivative product development is spent collecting, aggregating, transforming and preparing input data. There have been significant efforts within the DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory’s Carbon Storage Program to optimize multi-source, multi-scale subsurface geologic data curation and aggregation to support data discovery, interoperability, and reuse. Methods include the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science techniques. This talk will discuss the workflows, best practices, and processes developed to support the aggregation and curation of data through the whole system – surface to subsurface data - that support multi-scale, multi-purpose analysis for carbon storage research.

Morkner, Paige↗
NASA NTRS2024

Geologic Provinces Beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet Constrained by Geophysical Data Synthesis

Present understanding of Greenland's subglacial geology is derived mostly from interpolation of geologic mapping of its ice-free margins and unconstrained by geophysical data. Here we refine the extent of its geologic provinces by synthesizing geophysical constraints on subglacial geology from seismic, gravity, magnetic and topographic data. North of 72°N, no province clearly extends across the whole island, leaving three distinct subglacial regions yet to be reconciled with margin geology. Geophysically coherent anomalies and apparent province boundaries are adjacent to the onset of faster ice flow at both Petermann Glacier and the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream. Separately, based on their subaerial expression, dozens of unusually long, straight and sub-parallel subglacial valleys cross Greenland's interior and are not yet resolved by current syntheses of its subglacial topography.

Joseph A. MacGregor↗
NASA NTRS1993

Lithologic discrimination and alteration mapping from AVIRIS Data, Socorro, New Mexico

Geologic maps are, by their very nature, interpretive documents. In contrasts, images prepared from AVIRIS data can be used as uninterpreted, and thus unbiased, geologic maps. We are having significant success applying AVIRIS data in this non-quantitative manner to geologic problems. Much of our success has come from the power of the Linked Windows Interactive Data System. LinkWinds is a visual data analysis and exploration system under development at JPL which is designed to rapidly and interactively investigate large multivariate data sets. In this paper, we present information on the analysis technique, and preliminary results from research on potassium metasomatism, a distinctive and structurally significant type of alteration associated with crustal extension.

Beratan, K. K.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Lithologic Discrimination and Alteration Mapping from AVIRIS Data, Socorro, New Mexico

Geologic maps are, by their very nature, interpretive documents. In contrast, images prepared from AVIRIS data can be used as uninterpreted, and thus unbiased, geologic maps. We are having significant success applying AVIRIS data in this non-quantitative manner to geologic problems. Much of our success has come from the power of the Linked Windows Interactive Data System. LinkWinds is a visual data analysis and exploration system under development at JPL which is designed to rapidly and interactively investigate large multivariate data sets. In this paper, we present information on the analysis technique, and preliminary results from research on potassium metasomatism, a distinctive and structurally significant type of alteration associated with crustal extension.

Chapin, C. E.↗