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

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2000

Earth Remote Sensing Center of Excellence at Scripps Institution of Oceanography

We developed advanced communications and networking capability and satellite reception systems for Earth science to improve the ability of scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) to conduct interdisciplinary research. With matching funds from the SIO Director's office we implemented a "virtual center" utilizing modern networking hardware and software to enhance access for researchers and students to unique satellite and in situ data sets. The center provides facilities and data access to graduate students as well as research scientists at SIO, and outside SIO. Our private sector partners installed and testes and advanced X-band data acquisition system for satellite data capture relevant for Earth science research and applications. Some of the commercial applications of these partners have been developed (or are under development) with NASA SBIR resources. The X-band system collected RADARSAT, ERS-2 and MODIS imagery. Perhaps most importantly, this COE brought together - for the first time - an interdisciplinary team of SIO scientists with interests in Earth remote sensing. The collaboration extended beyond our infrastructure and research accomplishments leading to a dialog that resulted in a report with strong recommendations to the SIO community for enhancing satellite remote sensing at SIO.

Mitchell, B. Greg↗
NASA NTRS1987

Remote Sensing Information Sciences Research Group: Santa Barbara Information Sciences Research Group, year 4

Information Sciences Research Group (ISRG) research continues to focus on improving the type, quantity, and quality of information which can be derived from remotely sensed data. Particular focus in on the needs of the remote sensing research and application science community which will be served by the Earth Observing System (EOS) and Space Station, including associated polar and co-orbiting platforms. The areas of georeferenced information systems, machine assisted information extraction from image data, artificial intelligence and both natural and cultural vegetation analysis and modeling research will be expanded.

Estes, John E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Remote sensing: Earth's surface and atmosphere; Proceedings of Workshop X and the Topical Meeting of the 26th COSPAR Plenary Meeting, Toulouse, France, June 30-July 11, 1986

The present conference on space-based remote sensing of the earth's surface and atmosphere addresses the two broad issues of remote sensing activities of interest to developing countries and the results obtained to date by the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project, the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment, and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE). Attention is given to the remote sensing of environmental factors affecting health, applications of satellite microwave radiometry, earth science missions for the NASA Space Station, and digitally produced Landsat map images. Also discussed are time-accumulated visible and IR histograms used as cloud cover descriptors, the estimation of the radiation budget's sensitivity to cloud variations, monitoring global surface temperature variations using cloud data sets, and an analysis of preliminary SAGE II data on ozone and NO2.

Carter, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Synthesis of Multispectral Bands from Hyperspectral Data: Validation Based on Images Acquired by AVIRIS, Hyperion, ALI, and ETM+

Multispectral data requirements for Earth science applications are not always studied rigorously studied before a new remote sensing system is designed. A study of the spatial resolution, spectral bandpasses, and radiometric sensitivity requirements of real-world applications would focus the design onto providing maximum benefits to the end-user community. To support systematic studies of multispectral data requirements, the Applications Research Toolbox (ART) has been developed at NASA's Stennis Space Center. The ART software allows users to create and assess simulated datasets while varying a wide range of system parameters. The simulations are based on data acquired by existing multispectral and hyperspectral instruments. The produced datasets can be further evaluated for specific end-user applications. Spectral synthesis of multispectral images from hyperspectral data is a key part of the ART software. In this process, hyperspectral image cubes are transformed into multispectral imagery without changes in spatial sampling and resolution. The transformation algorithm takes into account spectral responses of both the synthesized, broad, multispectral bands and the utilized, narrow, hyperspectral bands. To validate the spectral synthesis algorithm, simulated multispectral images are compared with images collected near-coincidentally by the Landsat 7 ETM+ and the EO-1 ALI instruments. Hyperspectral images acquired with the airborne AVIRIS instrument and with the Hyperion instrument onboard the EO-1 satellite were used as input data to the presented simulations.

Blonksi, Slawomir↗
NASA NTRS2010

The Slope Imaging Multi-Polarization Photon-Counting Lidar: Development and Performance Results

The Slope Imaging Multi-polarization Photon-counting Lidar is an airborne instrument developed to demonstrate laser altimetry measurement methods that will enable more efficient observations of topography and surface properties from space. The instrument was developed through the NASA Earth Science Technology Office Instrument Incubator Program with a focus on cryosphere remote sensing. The SIMPL transmitter is an 11 KHz, 1064 nm, plane-polarized micropulse laser transmitter that is frequency doubled to 532 nm and split into four push-broom beams. The receiver employs single-photon, polarimetric ranging at 532 and 1064 nm using Single Photon Counting Modules in order to achieve simultaneous sampling of surface elevation, slope, roughness and depolarizing scattering properties, the latter used to differentiate surface types. Data acquired over ice-covered Lake Erie in February, 2009 are documenting SIMPL s measurement performance and capabilities, demonstrating differentiation of open water and several ice cover types. ICESat-2 will employ several of the technologies advanced by SIMPL, including micropulse, single photon ranging in a multi-beam, push-broom configuration operating at 532 nm.

Dabney, Phillip↗
NASA NTRS2012

NASA Ames DEVELOP Interns Collaborate with the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project to Monitor and Study Restoration Efforts using NASA's Satellites

In the past, natural tidal marshes in the south bay were segmented by levees and converted into ponds for use in salt production. In an effort to provide habitat for migratory birds and other native plants and animals, as well as to rebuild natural capital, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (SBSPRP) is focused on restoring a portion of the over 15,000 acres of wetlands in California's South San Francisco Bay. The process of restoration begins when a levee is breached; the bay water and sediment flow into the ponds and eventually restore natural tidal marshes. Since the spring of 2010 the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) DEVELOP student internship program has collaborated with the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (SBSPRP) to study the effects of these restoration efforts and to provide valuable information to assist in habitat management and ecological forecasting. All of the studies were based on remote sensing techniques -- NASA's area of expertise in the field of Earth Science, and used various analytical techniques such as predictive modeling, flora and fauna classification, and spectral detection, to name a few. Each study was conducted by a team of aspiring scientists as a part of the DEVELOP program at Ames.

Newcomer, Michelle E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Fundamental remote sensing science research program. Part 1: Status report of the mathematical pattern recognition and image analysis project

The Mathematical Pattern Recognition and Image Analysis (MPRIA) Project is concerned with basic research problems related to the study of the Earth from remotely sensed measurement of its surface characteristics. The program goal is to better understand how to analyze the digital image that represents the spatial, spectral, and temporal arrangement of these measurements for purposing of making selected inference about the Earth.

Heydorn, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1998

NASA/NOAA/AMS Earth Science Electronic Theater

New method are demonstrated for visualizing, interpreting, comparing, organizing and analyzing immense HyperImage remote sensing datasets and three dimensional numerical model result. The traditional numerical spreadsheet paradigm has been extended to develop a scientific visualization approach for processing HyperImage datasets and three dimensional model results interactively.

Hasler, F.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Support for global science - Remote sensing's challenge

Advances in remote sensing techniques are discussed. The benefits possible to remote sensing with the new Earth Observing System, which is composed of the Space Station and coorbiting and polar satellite platforms, are examined. Current changes in the remote sensing field, which involve a change from an industrial society to an informational society, force technology to high technology with high touch, short term to long term, centralized to decentralized, hierarchies to networks, and either/or to multiple option systems are studied. The explanatory and objective types of analyses for investigating biophysical, geochemical, and socioeconomic processes are described; the procedures include: morphometric, cause and effect, temporal and functional and ecological system analyses, inventory, mapping, monitoring, and modeling.

Estes, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS2005

NASA's Earth Observations of the Global Environment: Our Changing Planet and the View from Space

A birds eye view of the Earth from afar and up close reveals the power and magnificence of the Earth and juxtaposes the simultaneous impacts and powerlessness of humankind. The NASA Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in an historical perspective. See the latest spectacular images from NASA remote sensing missions like TRMM, SeaWiFS, Landsat 7, Terra, and Aqua, which will be visualized and explained in the context of global change and man s impact on our world s environment. See visualizations of global data sets currently available from Earth orbiting satellites, including the Earth at night with its city lights. Shown in high resolution are visualizations of tropical cyclone Eline and the resulting flooding of Mozambique. See flybys of Cape Town, South Africa with its dramatic mountains and landscape, as well as satellite imagery of fires that occurred globally, with a special emphasis on fires in the western US during summer 2001, and how new satellite tools can be used to help fight these disasters from spreading further. See where and when lightning occurs globally, and how dramatic urbanization has been in the desert southwest since 1910. Spectacular visualizations of the global atmosphere and oceans are shown. Learn when and where carbon is absorbed by vegetation on the land and ocean as the product of photosynthesis. See demonstrations of the 3-dimensional structure of hurricanes and cloud structures derived from recently launched Earth-orbiting satellites, and how hurricanes can modify the sea surface temperature in their wake. See massive dust storms in the Middle East as well as dust transport sweeping from north Africa across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and Amazon basin. Learn where and how much the temperature of the Earth s surface has changed during the 20th century, as well as how sea ice has decreased over the Arctic region, how sea level has and is likely to continue to change, and how glaciers have retreated worldwide in a response to global change. We will illustrate these and other topics with a dynamic theater-style presentation, along with animations of satellite launch deployments and orbital mapping to highlight aspects of Earth observations from space.

King, michael D.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Earth Remote Sensing: A Column Closure Approach

Entering the new millennium, there is no doubt that scientists expand greatly their scientific knowledge of the Earth system by utilizing unique capabilities from the vantage points of space. These global satellite observations include the NASA/NOAA Pathfinder and other ongoing data analysis projects, the Earth Observing System (EOS) program, the Earth System Science Pathfinders (ESSP) small research satellite missions, multi-agency planning for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (NPOESS), and other international satellite missions. However, using satellite remotely sensed data alone cannot explore fully the physical processes and energetic balance involved in our changing climate. To close the loop, the ground-based remote sensing and airborne in situ measurements are required. This talk provides an overview of the general strategy of Earth remote sensing for a column closure approach and discusses necessary instrumentation.

Tsay, Si-Chee↗
NASA NTRS1985

Atmospheric and Science Complexity Effects on Surface Bidirectional Reflectance

Among the tools used in passive remote sensing of Earth resources in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions are measurements of spectral signature and bidirectional reflectance functions (BDRFs). Determination of surface properties using these observables is complicated by a number of factors, including: (1) mixing of surface components, such as soil and vegetation, (2) multiple reflections of radiation due to complex geometry, such as in crop canopies, and (3) atmospheric effects. In order to bridge the diversity in these different approaches, there is a need for a fundamental physical understanding of the influence of the various effects and a quantiative measure of their relative importance. In particular, we consider scene complexity effects using the example of reflection by vegetative surfaces. The interaction of sunlight with a crop canopy and interpretation of the spectral and angular dependence of the emergent radiation is basically a multidimensional radiative transfer problem. The complex canopy geometry, underlying soil cover, and presence of diffuse as well as collimated illumination will modify the reflectance characteristics of the canopy relative to those of the individual elements.

Diner, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Shaping NASA's Earth Science Enterprise Workforce Development Initiative to Address Industry Needs

It has been well recognized that the commercial remote sensing industry will expand in new directions, resulting in new applications, thus requiring a larger, more skilled workforce to fill the new positions. In preparation for this change, NASA has initiated a Remote Sensing Professional Development Program to address the workforce needs of this emerging industry by partnering with the private sector, academia, relevant professional societies, and other R&D organizations. Workforce needs will in part include understanding current industry concerns, personnel competencies, current and future skills, growth rates, geographical distributions, certifications, and sources of pre-service and in-service personnel. Dave Rosage of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and a panel of MAPPS members will lead a discussion to help NASA specifically address private firms' near and long-term personnel needs to be included in NASA's Remote Sensing Professional Development Program. In addition, Dave Rosage will present perspectives on how remote sensing technologies are evolving, new NASA instruments being developed, and what future workforce skills are expected to support these new developments.

Rosage, David↗
NASA NTRS2023

Remotely Sensed Soil Moisture Can Capture Dynamics Relevant to Plant Water Uptake

A frequently expressed viewpoint across the Earth science community is that global soil moisture estimates from satellite L-band (1.4 GHz) measurements represent moisture only in a shallow surface layer (0–5 cm) and consequently are of limited value for studying global terrestrial ecosystems because plants use water from deeper rootzones. Using this argumentation, many observation-based land surface studies avoid satellite-observed soil moisture. Here, based on peer-reviewed literature across several fields, we argue that such a viewpoint is overly limiting for two reasons. First, microwave soil emission depth considerations and statistical considerations of vertically correlated soil moisture information together indicate that L-band measurements carry information about soil moisture extending below the commonly referenced 5 cm in many conditions. However, spatial variations of effective depths of representation remain uncertain. Second, in reviewing isotopic tracer field studies of plant water uptake, we find a prevalence of vegetation that primarily draws moisture from these upper soil layers. This is especially true for grasslands and croplands covering more than a third of global vegetated surfaces. Even some deeper-rooted species (i.e., shrubs and trees) preferentially or seasonally draw water from the upper soil layers. Therefore, L-band satellite soil moisture estimates are more relevant to global vegetation water uptake than commonly appreciated (i.e., relevant beyond only shallow soil processes like soil evaporation). Our commentary encourages the application of satellite soil moisture across a broader range of terrestrial hydrosphere and biosphere studies while urging more rigorous estimates of its effective depth of representation.

Andrew F. Feldman↗
NASA NTRS1994

A low-cost transportable ground station for capture and processing of direct broadcast EOS satellite data

The Earth Observing System (EOS), part of a cohesive national effort to study global change, will deploy a constellation of remote sensing spacecraft over a 15 year period. Science data from the EOS spacecraft will be processed and made available to a large community of earth scientists via NASA institutional facilities. A number of these spacecraft are also providing an additional interface to broadcast data directly to users. Direct broadcast of real-time science data from overhead spacecraft has valuable applications including validation of field measurements, planning science campaigns, and science and engineering education. The success and usefulness of EOS direct broadcast depends largely on the end-user cost of receiving the data. To extend this capability to the largest possible user base, the cost of receiving ground stations must be as low as possible. To achieve this goal, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is developing a prototype low-cost transportable ground station for EOS direct broadcast data based on Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) components and pipelined, multiprocessing architectures. The targeted reproduction cost of this system is less than $200K. This paper describes a prototype ground station and its constituent components.

Davis, Don↗
NASA NTRS2011

Modeling the Height of Young Forests Regenerating from Recent Disturbances in Mississippi using Landsat and ICESat data

Many forestry and earth science applications require spatially detailed forest height data sets. Among the various remote sensing technologies, lidar offers the most potential for obtaining reliable height measurement. However, existing and planned spaceborne lidar systems do not have the capability to produce spatially contiguous, fine resolution forest height maps over large areas. This paper describes a Landsat-lidar fusion approach for modeling the height of young forests by integrating historical Landsat observations with lidar data acquired by the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) instrument onboard the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation (ICESat) satellite. In this approach, "young" forests refer to forests reestablished following recent disturbances mapped using Landsat time-series stacks (LTSS) and a vegetation change tracker (VCT) algorithm. The GLAS lidar data is used to retrieve forest height at sample locations represented by the footprints of the lidar data. These samples are used to establish relationships between lidar-based forest height measurements and LTSS-VCT disturbance products. The height of "young" forest is then mapped based on the derived relationships and the LTSS-VCT disturbance products. This approach was developed and tested over the state of Mississippi. Of the various models evaluated, a regression tree model predicting forest height from age since disturbance and three cumulative indices produced by the LTSS-VCT method yielded the lowest cross validation error. The R(exp 2) and root mean square difference (RMSD) between predicted and GLAS-based height measurements were 0.91 and 1.97 m, respectively. Predictions of this model had much higher errors than indicated by cross validation analysis when evaluated using field plot data collected through the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program of USDA Forest Service. Much of these errors were due to a lack of separation between stand clearing and non-stand clearing disturbances in current LTSS-VCT products and difficulty in deriving reliable forest height measurements using GLAS samples when terrain relief was present within their footprints. In addition, a systematic underestimation of about 5 m by the developed model was also observed, half of which could be explained by forest growth that occurred between field measurement year and model target year. The remaining difference suggests that tree height measurements derived using waveform lidar data could be significantly underestimated, especially for young pine forests. Options for improving the height modeling approach developed in this study were discussed.

Li, Ainong↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Game-Changing Science with SmallSats and Hosted Payloads

This talk outlines the opportunities using space-based remote sensing to collect the basic climate research data that will serve as the foundation of our science, our models, and our predictive capabilities. With SmallSats and hosted payloads to supplement data from our traditional large spacecraft, and with constellations of SmallSats and with hosted payloads, the Science Mission Directorate is able to make new types of observations, such as synchronic temporal and spatial measurements of the same events. Our data enables science-based decision making. Our models and predictions inform and educate our decision makers at every level.

remote sensing↗
NASA NTRS2018

NASA’s Mid-Atlantic Communities and Areas at Intensive Risk Demonstration: Translating Compounding Hazards to Societal Risk

Remote sensing provides a unique perspective on our dynamic planet, tracking changes and revealing the course of complex interactions. Long term monitoring and targeted observation combine with modeling and mapping to provide increased awareness of hydro-meteorological and geological hazards. Disasters often follow hazards and the goal of NASA’s Disasters Program is to look at the earth as a highly coupled system to reduce risk and enable resilience. Remote sensing and geospatial science are used as tools to help answer critical questions that inform decisions. Data is not the same as information, nor does understanding of processes necessarily translate into decision support for disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Accordingly, NASA is engaging the scientific and decision-support communities to apply remote sensing, modeling, and related applications in Communities and Areas at Intensive Risk (CAIR). In 2017, NASA’s Applied Sciences Disasters Program hosted a regional workshop to explore these issues with particular focus on coastal Virginia and North Carolina. The workshop brought together partners in academia, emergency management, and scientists from NASA and partnering federal agencies to explore capabilities among the team that could improve understanding of the physical processes related to these hazards, their potential impact to changing communities, and to identify methodologies for supporting emergency response and risk mitigation. The resulting initiative, the mid-Atlantic CAIR project, demonstrates the ability to integrate satellite derived earth observations and physical models into actionable, trusted knowledge. Severe storms and associated storm surge, sea level rise, and land subsidence coupled with increasing populations and densely populated, aging critical infrastructure often leave coastal regions and their communities extremely vulnerable. The integration of observations and models allow for a comprehensive understanding of the compounding risk experienced in coastal regions and enables individuals in all positions make risk-informed decisions. This initiative uses a representative storm surge case as a baseline to produce flood inundation maps. These maps predict building level impacts at current day and for sea level rise (SLR) and subsidence scenarios of the future in order to inform critical decisions at both the tactical and strategic levels. To accomplish this analysis, the mid-Atlantic CAIR project brings together Federal research activities with academia to examine coastal hazards in multiple ways: 1) reanalysis of impacts from 2011 Hurricane Irene, using numerical weather modeling in combination with coastal surge and hydrodynamic, urban inundation modeling to evaluate combined impact scenarios considering SLR and subsidence, 2) remote sensing of flood extent from available optical imagery, 3) adding value to remotely sensed flood maps through depth predictions, and 4) examining coastal subsidence as measured through time-series analysis of synthetic aperture radar observations. Efforts and results are published via ArcGIS story maps to communicate neighborhoods and infrastructure most vulnerable to changing conditions. Story map features enable time-aware flood mapping using hydrodynamic models, photographic comparison of flooding following Hurricane Irene, as well as visualization of heightened risk in the future due to SLR and land subsidence.

Rogers, Laura↗