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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

CHESS 2025: Location data for field observations and sampling

This dataset represents geolocation data associated with field observations and sampling from the Colorado Headwaters Ecological Spectroscopy Study (CHESS) during June and July of 2025. Location data were collected using Trimble DA2 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers with Trimble Catalyst 2 centimeter (cm) positioning service and the Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) Field Maps mobile app. Files in this data package include meadow site polygons, shrub site polygons, tree site polygons and stem point locations, and Leaf Area Index (LAI) plot polygons (.geojson). The geojson files can be opened with open-source GIS software (e.g, QGIS). A csv file is also provided with point coordinates for all locations. CHESS Project Description: The Colorado Headwaters Ecological Spectroscopy Study (CHESS) comprised a multi-week airborne remote sensing and field observation campaign in the Upper Gunnison Basin, Colorado, conducted in June and July of 2025. Airborne remote sensing was conducted by the National Ecological Observatory Network Airborne Observation Platform (NEON AOP), concurrent with a field campaign run by the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL), the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Watershed Function Science Focus Area (SFA), and NASA-JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) program. Between June 10 and July 18, 2025, the NEON AOP flight team collected high-resolution aerial imaging spectroscopy and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data over three domains: the Upper East River (CRBU), Almont Triangle (ALMO), and the Upper Taylor Basin (UPTA). In coordination with the flights, a field campaign acquired ground-truth observations, including observations of vegetation composition, foliar traits, forest demography, and subsurface properties in 18 core sampling areas within the domains. Additional surface water observations were taken at over 380 point locations. All CHESS campaign datasets can be found within the CHESS ESS-DIVE data portal: https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/portals/chess. Funding Acknowledgment: Field and remote-sensing data acquisition was performed under a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NSSC24K1005). This work was also supported by the Watershed Function Science Focus Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

2018 NEON and 2025 CHESS Campaigns↗
DOE OSTI2026

Water Observations of Flow/No-Flow for the East-Taylor Watershed, Colorado (June-July 2025 and 2026)

This dataset provides multi-year, ground-truth visual observations of surface water flow/no-flow conditions within the East-Taylor Watershed, Colorado, collected during June and July of 2025 and 2026. In June and July 2025, on-the-ground visual observations of flow/no-flow were collected as part of the Watershed Function Scientific Focus Area (SFA) and Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) Colorado Headwaters Ecological Spectroscopy Study (CHESS) campaign (further details are provided within the CHESS Project Description). We obtained 377 water observations of flow/no-flow within the East-Taylor Watershed, Colorado. These ground-truth observations were collected to validate classification maps from remote sensing data and model results within the East-Taylor Watershed. In 2025, flow/no-flow measurements were collected using a field-based app for the CHESS Campaign (Zerion iForm). Within the field app, a water observation form was created to collect coordinates and metadata about the observation. Information collected for the water observation points included information about visually-assessed streamflow presence/absence (standard question obtained from Colorado State University’s StreamTracker project), flow estimate, stream or ponded area width, canopy cover, manganese films, iron seeps, and beaver activity. For 2025 water observations, this dataset contains: (1) a data file with the water observations and coordinates (2025_Water_Observations.csv); (2) a Keyhole Markup Language Zipped (KMZ) with the water observation locations and metadata (2025_Water_Observations_Locations.kmz); (3) photos (.jpg and .jpeg) of the water observation points, organized by location, contained within 2025_Water_Observations_FieldPhotographs.zip file; and (4) water observation protocols and figures (2025_Water_Observation_Protocols.pdf). In June and July 2026, on-the-ground visual observations of flow/no-flow were collected as part of the Watershed Function SFA project. We obtained 365 water observations of flow/no-flow within the East-Taylor Watershed, Colorado. The 2026 observations focused on collecting repeat measurements at the 2025 flow/no-flow observation locations conducted as part of the CHESS campaign. These ground-truth observations were collected to understand differences in flow/no-flow in 2026, given the unprecedented 2026 drought in Colorado. In 2026, flow/no-flow measurements were collected using ArcGIS (Geographic Information System) Survey123. Within the field app, a water observation form was created to collect coordinates and metadata about the observation. Information collected for the water observation points included repeat information from the 2025 water observation effort, including visually-assessed streamflow presence/absence (standard question obtained from Colorado State University’s StreamTracker project), flow estimate, stream or ponded area width, canopy cover, manganese films, iron seeps, beaver activity, and a new metadata component of estimated stream depth (for select locations). For 2026 water observations, this dataset contains: (1) a data file with the water observations and coordinates (2026_Water_Observations.csv); (2) a Keyhole Markup Language Zipped (KMZ) with the water observation locations and metadata (2026_Water_Observations_Locations.kmz); (3) photos (.jpg) of the water observation points, organized by location, contained within 2026_Water_Observations_FieldPhotographs.zip file; and (4) water observation protocols and figures (2026_Water_Observation_Protocols.pdf). For 2025 and 2026 water observations, this dataset contains: (1) a location metadata file (locations.csv); (6) a file-level metadata (flmd.csv) file that lists each file contained in the dataset with associated metadata; and (7) a data dictionary (dd.csv) file that contains column/row headers used throughout the files along with a definition, units, and data type. CHESS Project Description: The Colorado Headwaters Ecological Spectroscopy Study (CHESS) comprised a multi-week airborne remote sensing and field observation campaign in the Upper Gunnison Basin, Colorado, conducted in June and July of 2025. Airborne remote sensing was conducted by the National Ecological Observatory Network Airborne Observation Platform (NEON AOP), concurrent with a field campaign run by the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL), the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Watershed Function Science Focus Area (SFA), and NASA-JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) program. Between June 10 and July 18, 2025, the NEON AOP flight team collected high-resolution aerial imaging spectroscopy and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data over three domains: the Upper East River (CRBU), Almont Triangle (ALMO), and the Upper Taylor Basin (UPTA). In coordination with the flights, a field campaign acquired ground-truth observations, including observations of vegetation composition, foliar traits, forest demography, and subsurface properties in 18 core sampling areas within the domains. Additional surface water observations were taken at over 380 point locations. All CHESS campaign datasets can be found within the CHESS ESS-DIVE data portal: https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/portals/chess. This work was supported by the Watershed Function Science Focus Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. 2026-09-02: This dataset was updated to include 2026 water observation measurements. The 2025 observation files were also updated to ensure a consistent file naming convention across water observation years.

2018 NEON and 2025 CHESS Campaigns↗
DOE OSTI2026

CHESS 2025: Post-survey report for 2025 NEON AOP Assignable Asset collection of East River and Washington Gulch, Almont and Upper Taylor watersheds at Crested Butte, CO

This report contains details of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Airborne Observation Platform (AOP) Research Support Services (RSS) Assignable Asset (AA) flights of the East River, Almont and Upper Taylor watersheds near Crested Butte, CO, June–July 2025. The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) contracted the NEON AOP AA flights to observe watersheds of interest near Crested Butte with remotely sensed data including high resolution LiDAR, imaging spectroscopy, and high-resolution camera imagery. The report includes a summary of the acquired flight lines over the planned survey areas, results of calibration flights, and results of the acquired data. The report details how the AOP has met the contracted delivery requirements in terms of the data delivered, quality of the data, and describes issues that resulted in data degradation or data loss. CHESS Project Description: The Colorado Headwaters Ecological Spectroscopy Study (CHESS) comprised a multi-week airborne remote sensing and field observation campaign in the Upper Gunnison Basin, Colorado, conducted in June and July of 2025. Airborne remote sensing was conducted by the National Ecological Observatory Network Airborne Observation Platform (NEON AOP), concurrent with a field campaign run by the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL), the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Watershed Function Science Focus Area (SFA), and NASA-JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) program. Between June 10 and July 18, 2025, the NEON AOP flight team collected high-resolution aerial imaging spectroscopy and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data over three domains: the Upper East River (CRBU), Almont Triangle (ALMO), and the Upper Taylor Basin (UPTA). In coordination with the flights, a field campaign acquired ground-truth observations, including observations of vegetation composition, foliar traits, forest demography, and subsurface properties in 18 core sampling areas within the domains. Additional surface water observations were taken at over 380 point locations. All CHESS campaign datasets can be found within the CHESS ESS-DIVE data portal: https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/portals/chess. Funding Acknowledgement: Field and remote-sensing data acquisition was performed under a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NSSC24K1005). This work was also supported by the Watershed Function Science Focus Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

2018 NEON and 2025 CHESS Campaigns↗
DOE OSTI2025

Plant Characteristics, Porewater, Gas Flux, and Soil Biogeochemistry at Council Road Site Mile Marker 71, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2023

Data collected at Council, AK (64°51’35.0”N 163°41’59.1”W) during a summer campaign in 2023. Water data consists of soil porewater collected by centrifuging soil cores and also by field collection with porewater samplers (rhizons). Gas data consists of CO2, CH4 and N2O surface soil fluxes measured with a portable FTIR analyzer. Plant and root data consists of biomass, root length, diameter and mass. Soil data consists of total C and N. Air, water and soil samples span two main locations: a thermokarst wetland and an upland tussock. The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research.The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).This dataset was generated to broadly address the following research question: how will climate change (i.e., thawing permafrost, landscape change) alter the ecosystem flux (sink versus source) of important greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4 and N2O?Description of the contents of this data package: This dataset contains 5 different individual .csv files containing plant, soil, water and gas data. No software is needed to utilize them. PFTCover: Plant functional type ground cover in 1x1 meter plots. SoilCores: Solidphase and porewater phase soil biogeochemical variablesPlantData: Above and belowground plant traits. GasFlux: Surface plant-soil gas measurementsFieldPorewater: Field collected porewater biogeochemical variables

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Aerosol Model Benchmarking Repository: A toolkit for model intercomparison

The Aerosol Model Benchmarking Repository and Standards (AMBRS) project was initiated to provide tools and to establish community standards for benchmarking aerosol models. This report describes a set of open-source tools for building, running, and analyzing aerosol box model simulations in a standardized framework. The framework consists of three core components: AMBuilder, a CMake-based build system that compiles supported models consistently; AMBRS, a Python module that defines unified numerical experiments and executes them with aligned inputs; and PyParticle, an aerosol analysis package that standardizes output, computes diagnostics, and visualizes simulation results. Together, these tools enable reproducible intercomparison of aerosol schemes and support process-level evaluation of how model simplifications affect predictions of size distributions, cloud condensation nuclei activity, and other relevant properties relevant for the Earth-Energy system. Beyond its role in benchmarking, AMBRS provides a platform for studying aerosol processes across scales and can be used to generate training data for AI/ML applications in support of a broader hierarchical aerosol modeling strategy.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Leaching Kinetics of Rare Earth Elements from Fire Clay Seam Coal

Recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from coal samples collected from the Fire Clay coal seam using diluted mineral acid solutions was investigated. The initial processing step was coal recovery using conventional froth flotation which concentrated the REEs in tailing material resulting in an upgrade to values around 700 ppm on a dry whole mass basis. Leaching experiments were performed on the flotation tailings material using a 1.2 M sulfuric acid solution adjusted to a temperature of 75 °C to study the extractability of REEs from coal material. The effect of particle size, leaching time, leaching temperature, and solid concentration on REE leaching recovery were evaluated. The kinetic data obtained from leaching over a range of temperatures suggested that the leaching process follows the shrinking core model with possibly a mixed control mechanism that may be a result of several heterogenous materials leaching simultaneously. Leaching recovery increased rapidly at the beginning of the reaction then slowed as the system reached equilibrium. The apparent activation energy determined from test data obtained over a range of temperatures using 1 M sulfuric acid was 36 kJ/mol for the first 20 min of reaction time and 27 kJ/mol for the leaching period between 20 and 120 min. The leaching of light REEs during the initial stage was determined to be driven by a chemical reaction, followed by the formation of a product layer, which required lower activation energy in the later stage of leaching. In regards to the heavy REEs, the major mechanism for leaching is desorption and the product layer formation does not affect the heavy REEs significantly.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Development and performance of high-temperature superconducting CORC ® cables with CFD REBCO tapes

Abstract Increasing the normal zone propagation velocity (NZPV) in superconducting cables based on rare earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) tapes is expected to cause a paradigm shift by enabling the development of faster and more reliable quench detection systems to mitigate the development of destructive hot spots. Furthermore, a higher NZPV is beneficial in terms of fault current limitation capabilities by accelerating the homogenization of the quench in superconducting power devices. One way envisioned to increase the NZPV of cables based on REBCO tapes is the current flow diverter (CFD) concept. A Conductor on Round Core (CORC ® ) cable made with CFD REBCO tapes, called CFD CORC ® cable, and a CORC ® cable made with regular REBCO tapes, were fabricated and tested. The critical current of the CFD and regular CORC ® cables were obtained at temperatures ranging from 67 to 77 K in self-field. Measurements showed that the NZPV was increased by a factor of 4–4.5 in the case of the CFD CORC ® cable. Furthermore, the results suggest that the NZPV depends only on the applied current, similar to what has been observed previously on single REBCO tapes. These results demonstrate the successful integration of CFD REBCO tapes in CORC ® cables, without compromising their superconducting properties or their enhanced NZPV. The possibility of enhancing the NZPV of REBCO-based cables could facilitate quench detection, which remains an important issue in HTS magnet applications. This advancement also holds promise for the fault current limitation functionality of CORC ® cables.

Ben Saâd, Haïfa (ORCID:0000000216205364)↗
DOE OSTI2023

Solute effects upon dislocation motion and recovery in Mg alloys (Final Report)

The objective the research was to develop a firmer understanding of the interactions between substitutional solute atoms and dislocations within Mg alloys. These interactions govern the absolute and relative mobilities of various types of dislocations in Mg (e.g., basal < a>, non-basal < a>, and pyramidal < c+a>). Furthermore, they have an impact on dislocation recovery processes (e.g., cross-glide, climb, rearrangement, and annihilation). Ultimately, solute-dislocation interactions strongly impact a) strain hardening, b) strain rate sensitivity, c) plastic anisotropy of textured polycrystals, d) texture evolution, e) dislocation substructures evolution, and even f) recrystallization behavior. It is broadly known that Mg alloys exhibit poor low temperature formability. Since formability is largely governed by properties (a) – (c) in this list, it is critical to develop a better understanding of solute-dislocation interactions, if one hopes to improve the situation. While the theory of static solute strengthening is well developed, especially for alloys with face centered cubic (FCC) crystal structures, there are outstanding questions related to applications to hexagonal close packed (HCP) crystal structures and dynamic strain aging (DSA) in materials of various structures. DSA has far-reaching implications for metal formability and, in the case of Mg alloys, appears to correlate with the so-called rare-earth (RE) texture which has been shown to benefit formability. The Portevin-Le Chatelier (PLC) effect, and associated negative strain rate sensitivity, occur at higher temperatures (>100℃) in Mg alloys as compared with similar Al alloys, even though they have similar melting points and solute diffusivities. Our preliminary research has shown that modern, physics-based models of DSA can be tuned to describe the behavior of Mg alloys if a rather higher activation enthalpy is assumed for cross-core diffusivity. While this partially explains the delay in DSA to higher temperatures, it is also hypothesized that this delay is due in part to the intrinsically more thermally activated (rate sensitive) nature of non-basal < a> dislocation motion which is required for macroscopic flow of Mg alloys, whereas octahedral slip in many FCC metals like aluminum is essentially athermal at room temperature. It was originally proposed to employ a combination of in-situ diffraction-based experimental characterization to validate existing theory. It was envisioned to perform in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to assess individual dislocation behavior and in-situ high-energy X-ray diffraction (HEXRD) techniques which were showing great promise for elucidating collective dislocation behavior, 2 including recovery, especially if the contributions to various forms of diffraction peak broadening (𝜂𝜂,𝜔𝜔,and 2𝜃𝜃) can be effectively integrated. Finally, it was envisioned to perform discrete dislocation dynamics (DDD) modeling approaches to aide in the interpretation of both TEM and HEXRD experiments. In the end, mechanical tests were performed on more complex Mg alloys which exhibited evidence of dynamic strain aging, and this led to the establishment of another project. Mechanical test data obtained at McMaster University served as the basis of an assessment of the applicability of Bazinski’s “stress equivalence” theory of solute strengthening to polycrystalline alloys of Mg. Although we did not succeed in applying the approach to Mg alloys, we did develop expertise with the HEXRD approach using a BCC, β-Ti alloy and demonstrated numerous new capabilities that may be applied to any polycrystalline material in collaboration with researchers at CHESS and around the world: (1) assessment of details of the elastoplastic transition (yielding) using a combination of HEXRD and full-field polycrystal plasticity modeling, (2) the first-ever experimental observation of strong stress rotation within the individual grains of a polycrystalline material, and (3) a comprehensive analysis of the grain-level dislocation density evolution based upon diffraction peak broadening along 𝜂𝜂,𝜔𝜔,and 2𝜃𝜃 directions. This final aspect allowed us to confirm that dislocations were gliding on multiple plane types and not restricted to {110} type planes, and it also provided clues as to why some grains were unloading during straining, with surprising implications for our understanding of the effects of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs). Finally, graduate student, Mohammed Shabana, developed a MATLAB code which confirmed the conclusions of Prof. Catalin Picu (Rensallear Polytechnic Institute, RPI) regarding the effect of solute-trapped, forest dislocations on the breaking stress of Lomer lock junctions in FCC metal alloys. He applied the same anisotropic line-tension model to a variety of dislocation junction configurations and found an inconsistency in the widely cited results of Dupuy and Fivel regarding the Hirth Lock, and he outlined an approach to extend these finding to HCP Mg alloys that we are still pursuing with discretionary fundings at UVA.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

HSW-V v1.0: localized injections of interactive volcanic aerosols and their climate impacts in a simple general circulation model

Abstract. A new set of standalone parameterizations is presented for simulating the injection, evolution, and radiative forcing by stratospheric volcanic aerosols against an idealized Held–Suarez–Williamson (HSW) atmospheric background in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model version 2 (E3SMv2). In this model configuration (HSW with enabled volcanism, HSW-V), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ash are injected into the atmosphere with a specified profile in the vertical, and they proceed to follow a simple exponential decay. The SO2 decay is modeled as a perfect conversion to a long-living sulfate aerosol which persists in the stratosphere. All three species are implemented as tracers in the model framework and are transported by the dynamical core's advection algorithm. The aerosols contribute simultaneously to local heating of the stratosphere and cooling of the surface by a simple plane-parallel Beer–Lambert law applied on two zonally symmetric radiation broadbands in the longwave and shortwave ranges. It is shown that the implementation parameters can be tuned to produce realistic temperature anomaly signatures of large volcanic events. In particular, results are shown for an ensemble of runs that mimic the volcanic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. The design requires no coupling to microphysical subgrid-scale parameterizations and thus approaches the computational affordability of prescribed aerosol forcing strategies. The idealized simulations contain a single isolated volcanic event against a statistically uniform climate, where no background aerosols or other sources of externally forced variability are present. HSW-V represents a simpler-to-understand tool for the development of climate source-to-impact attribution methods.

Hollowed, Joseph P. (ORCID:0000000286581672)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Extending Magnetic Core Shell Nanoparticle Extraction Technology to Cesium and Antimony Removal from Geothermal Brines in New Zealand - CRADA 440

Geo40 Limited has developed and deployed a process to remove silica from geothermal fluids and produce a high-margin specialty colloidal silica product comparable to market leaders. Geo40 now wishes to explore opportunities to extend their mineral extraction operations to other elements that are present in these brines. Geo40 has identified Cs present in Ohaaki brines at ppm level amounts that could be sold to known customers if it could be produced at an attractive price. With support from DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office, a simple and highly cost-effective magnetic nanofluid method for extraction of rare earth elements (REEs) from geothermal brine solutions has been developed and demonstrated at the laboratory bench scale at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Moselle Technologies has acquired a license to the background IP associated with this technology and wishes to foster commercial deployment by supporting applications of the technology beyond REEs, including Cs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Deep Convection‐Driven Downward Transport of Trace Gases and Aerosols From the Free Troposphere to the Boundary Layer

Deep convective clouds regulate Earth's energy and moisture budgets, yet their impact on the atmospheric boundary layer (BL) composition remains underexplored. Using long-term observations from three mid-latitude sites, we show that deep convection (DC) consistently enhances nighttime surface ozone and is often accompanied by modest increases in ultrafine particle concentrations. Within the BL, the condensational growth of these transported ultrafine particles may contribute up to 60% of total cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Mass flux calculations suggest that short-lived convective cores (∼30 min) account for ∼2% of total vertical air mass transport relative to steady entrainment, increasing to ∼13% when the trailing stratiform regions are included. These results show that DC provides an episodic but efficient pathway linking the free troposphere and BL, influencing oxidant budgets, CCN variability, and climate forcing. Accurately representing this process in climate models may help reduce uncertainties in climate projections, under both preindustrial and present-day conditions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-density CRISPRi screens reveal diverse routes to improved acclimation in cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria are the oldest form of photosynthetic life on Earth and contribute to primary production in nearly every habitat, from permafrost to hot springs. Despite longstanding interest in the acclimation of these microbes, it remains poorly understood and challenging to rewire. Here, this study uses a high-density, genome-wide CRISPR interference screen to examine the influence of gene-specific transcriptional variation on the growth of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 under environmental extremes. Surprisingly, many partial knockdowns enhanced fitness under cold monochromatic conditions. Transcriptional repression of genes for core subunits of the NDH-1 complex, which are important for photosynthesis and carbon uptake, improved growth rates under both red and blue light but at distinct, color-specific optima. Most genes with fitness-improving knockdowns were distinct to each light color, and dual-target transcriptional repression produced nonadditive effects. Findings reveal diverse routes to improved acclimation in cyanobacteria (e.g., attenuation of genes involved in CO 2 uptake, light harvesting, translation, and purine metabolism) and provide an approach for using gradients in sgRNA activity to pinpoint biochemically influential transcriptional changes in cells.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Planet Formation by Gas-assisted Accretion of Small Solids

We compute the accretion efficiency of small solids, with radii 1 cm ≤ R s ≤ 10 m, on planets embedded in gaseous disks. Planets have masses 3 ≤ M p ≤ 20 Earth masses (M ⊕ ) and orbit within 10 au of a solar mass star. Disk thermodynamics is modeled via 3D radiation-hydrodynamics calculations that typically resolve the planetary envelopes. Both icy and rocky solids are considered, explicitly modeling their thermodynamic evolution. The maximum efficiencies of 1 ≤ R s ≤ 100 cm particles are generally ≲10%, whereas 10 m solids tend to accrete efficiently or be segregated beyond the planet’s orbit. A simplified approach is applied to compute the accretion efficiency of small cores, with masses M p ≤ 1 M ⊕ and without envelopes, for which efficiencies are approximately proportional to $M^{2/3}_{p}$. The mass flux of solids, estimated from unperturbed drag-induced drift velocities, provides typical accretion rates dM p /dt ≲ 10 -5 M ⊕ yr -1 . In representative disk models with an initial gas-to-dust mass ratio of 70–100 and total mass of 0.05–0.06 M ⊙ , the solids’ accretion falls below 10 -6 M ⊕ yr -1 after 1–1.5 Myr. The derived accretion rates, as functions of time and planet mass, are applied to formation calculations that compute dust opacity self-consistently with the delivery of solids to the envelope. Assuming dust-to-solid coagulation times of ≈0.3 Myr and disk lifetimes of ≈3.5 Myr, heavy-element inventories in the range 3–7 M ⊕ require that ≈90–150 M ⊕ of solids cross the planet’s orbit. The formation calculations encompass a variety of outcomes, from planets a few times M ⊕ , predominantly composed of heavy elements, to giant planets. The peak luminosities during the epoch of the solids’ accretion range from ≈10 -7 to ≈10 -6 L ⊙ .

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Surface Hydroxyls of Imogolite Nanotubes Drive Distinct Structures and Mobility Differentiation of Nanoconfined Water

Abstract Nanoconfined fluids, particularly water, govern subsurface geochemistry, yet the molecular-level mechanisms by which mineral surfaces dictate confined water structure and mobility remain poorly resolved. Here, we combine solution- and solid-state proton (1H) NMR spectroscopy, NMR relaxometry, modulated-gradient spin–echo (MGSE) NMR diffusometry, infrared spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations to demonstrate that surface hydroxyls drive the structural and dynamic differentiation of water in imogolite nanotubes. In saturated suspensions, we observe the coexistence of distinct water 1H environments, each exhibiting significantly reduced mobility, which we attribute to strong interactions with the imogolite surfaces. As more mobile water is removed, long-range water diffusivity in the fibrous solid samples slows to 1.6 × 10–10 m2·s–1 while local fluctuations increase to 3.4 × 10–8 m2·s–1, indicating a significant increase in molecular restriction through surface interactions. Together, our experiments reveal three coexisting populations with varied structures and mobilities, all distinct from liquid bulk water. We resolve a persistent solid-like interfacial layer strongly bound to surface hydroxyls, characterized by an unusually short T2 (<1 ms), and a very close effective 1H–1H distance of ∼1.55 Å between water and the inner-surface silanol group. An inner-core population occupying the inner cavity exhibits an intermediate dynamic regime with restricted axial diffusion, while outer-surface water associated with aluminum hydroxyls retains relatively higher mobility. These results experimentally substantiate a hierarchy of water populations in imogolite and show how surface chemistry dictates the structures and dynamics of confined water.

Fleming, Xander B. [Earth and Environmental Scienc↗
DOE OSTI2021

NGEE Arctic Plant Traits: Fine Roots, Kougarok Road Mile Marker 64, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2016

Soil cores were collected from twelve vegetation biomass plots at the Kougarok hillslope in late July of 2016. The sampled plots were located across six ecotypes present at this site (n=2 replicates per ecotype). Soil cores were separated into depth intervals in the field and frozen for transport to Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Data package contains one *.csv and one *.pdf.Laboratory sample processing of these soils generated depth-specific data on soil properties as well as fine root biomass, length, %C, %N, delta13C, and delta15N. Only live fine roots were analyzed. Fine roots were not separated by species or plant functional type.The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research.The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska.Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy’s Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Environmental Conditions Affecting Global Mesoscale Convective System Occurrence

Abstract The ERA5 environments of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), tracked from satellite observations, are assessed over a 20-yr period. The use of a large set of MCS tracks allows us to robustly test the sensitivity of the results to factors such as region, latitude, and diurnal cycle. We aim to provide novel information on environments of observed MCSs for assessments of global atmospheric models and to improve their ability to simulate MCSs. Statistical analysis of all tracked MCSs is performed in two complementary ways. First, we investigate the environments when an MCS has occurred at different spatial scales before and after MCS formation. Several environmental variables are found to show marked changes before MCS initiation, particularly over land. The vertically integrated moisture flux convergence shows a robust signal across different regions and when considering MCS initiation diurnal cycle. We also found spatial scale dependence of the environments between 200 and 500 km, providing new evidence of a natural length scale for use with MCS parameterization. In the second analysis, the likelihood of MCS occurrence for given environmental conditions is evaluated, by considering all environments and determining the probability of being in an MCS core or shield region. These are compared to analogous non-MCS environments, allowing discrimination between conditions suitable for MCS and non-MCS occurrence. Three environmental variables are found to be useful predictors of MCS occurrence: total column water vapor, midlevel relative humidity, and total column moisture flux convergence. Such relations could be used as trigger conditions for the parameterization of MCSs, thereby strengthening the dependence of the MCS scheme on the environment. Significance Statement Large storm systems called mesoscale convective systems form across Earth. These are collections of thunderstorms, with associated high-level clouds that produce substantial, lighter rainfall and modulate Earth’s energy balance. They produce hazardous weather conditions, such as floods and high winds, and are responsible for a high percentage of rainfall in many regions globally. We investigate the environmental conditions under which they form, so that we can understand the spatial extent of the environment which is important for their formation, and also where and when the effects of these storms might be felt. The novel information generated here should help improve the representation of these storms in weather and climate models, improving the prediction of rainfall, thunderclouds, and high-level clouds.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

TempestExtremes v2.1: a community framework for feature detection, tracking, and analysis in large datasets

TempestExtremes (TE) is a multifaceted framework for feature detection, tracking, and scientific analysis of regional or global Earth system datasets on either rectilinear or unstructured/native grids. Version 2.1 of the TE framework now provides extensive support for examining both nodal (i.e., pointwise) and areal features, including tropical and extratropical cyclones, monsoonal lows and depressions, atmospheric rivers, atmospheric blocking, precipitation clusters, and heat waves. Available operations include nodal and areal thresholding, calculations of quantities related to nodal features such as accumulated cyclone energy and azimuthal wind profiles, filtering data based on the characteristics of nodal features, and stereographic compositing. This paper describes the core algorithms (kernels) that have been added to the TE framework since version 1.0, including algorithms for editing pointwise trajectory files, composition of fields around nodal features, generation of areal masks via thresholding and nodal features, and tracking of areal features in time. Several examples are provided of how these kernels can be combined to produce composite algorithms for evaluating and understanding common atmospheric features and their underlying processes. These examples include analyzing the fraction of precipitation from tropical cyclones, compositing meteorological fields around extratropical cyclones, calculating fractional contribution to poleward vapor transport from atmospheric rivers, and building a climatology of atmospheric blocks.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Field-scale estimation of soil properties from spectral induced polarization tomography

Estimates of soil properties such as Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), water content, grain size characteristics, and permeability are important in geotechnical engineering, water resources, and agriculture. We develop a non-intrusive approach to estimate these properties in the field using spectral induced polarization (SIP) tomography. This geophysical method provides information about the frequency dependence of the complex electrical conductivity of porous media. Using 18 soil samples collected from a Bordeaux vineyard, we first conducted a laboratory study using SIP over the frequency range 10 mHz-45 kHz. The laboratory data were used to confirm the accuracy of a recently developed dynamic Stern layer petrophysical model. The results are consistent with published values from previous works using soils. A comparison was made by comparing the field complex conductivity spectra and the experimental data at two locations where core samples were obtained. The model was then used in concert with field data to image the spatial distribution of CEC, water content, permeability, and mean grain size along a vineyard transect. For clay and sandy textures found in the field, measured and estimated CEC agree rather well (from 6 to 40% discrepancy). Furthermore, our approach provides an efficient way to estimate important soil properties in a non-invasive manner, in high resolution, and over field-relevant scales of the critical zone of the Earth.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗