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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 343 records · Page 19
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NASA NTRS1994

Aerosol Abundances and Optical Characteristics in the Pacific Basin Free Troposphere

During NASA's Global Backscatter Experiment (GLOBE) mission flights in November 1989 and May 1990, a DC-8 research aircraft probed the Pacific Basin free troposphere for about 90 flight hours in each month between +72 and -62 degrees latitude, +130 and -120 degrees longitude, and up to 39,000 feet pressure altitudes. Aerosols were sampled continuously in situ by optical particle counters to measure concentration and particle size, and during 48 10-min intervals during each mission by wire impactors for concentration, size, composition, phase and shape analyses. The optical particle counters cover a particle diameter range between 0.3 and 20 microns; wire impactors extend the range down to 0.03 microns. Results of particle number, size, shape, together with the assumption of a refractive index corresponding to (NH4)2SO4 to account for the prevalence of aerosol sulfur, were utilized in a Mie algorithm to calculate aerosol extinction and backscatter for a range of wavelengths (0.385 less than lambda less than 10.64 microns). Computations for 22 randomly selected size distributions yield coefficients of extinction E(0.525) = (2.03 +/- 1.20) x 10(exp -4) km(exp -1) and backscatter beta(0.525) = (6.45 +/- 3.49) x 10(exp -6) km(exp -1) sr(exp -1) in the visible, and E(10.64) = (8.13 +/- 6.47) x 10(exp -6) km(exp -1) and beta(10.64) = (9.98 +/- 10.69) x 10(exp -8) km(exp -1) sr(exp -1) in the infrared, respectively. Large particles (D greater than 0.3 microns) contribute two-thirds to the total extinction in the visible (lambda = 0.525 microns), and almost 100% in the infrared (lambda = 10.64 microns). These results have been used to define an IR optical aerosol climatology of the Pacific Basin free troposphere, from which it follows that the infrared backscatter coefficient at lambda = 9.25 microns wavelength fluctuates between 5.0 x 10(exp -10) and 2.0 x 10(exp -7) km(exp -1) sr(exp -1) with a modal value 2.0 x 10(exp -8) km(exp -1) sr(exp -1).

Pueschel, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1996

The Onset of the 1997-1998 El Nino and its Impact on the Phytoplankton Community of the Central Equatorial Pacific

Using physical and bio-optical data from moorings in the central equatorial Pacific, the perturbations to phytoplankton biomass and productivity associated with the onset of the 1997-98 El Nino event were investigated. The data presented depict the physical progression of El Nino onset, from reversal of the trade winds in the western equatorial Pacific, through eastward propagation of equatorially trapped Kelvin waves and advection of waters from the nutrient-poor western equatorial warm pool. The physical perturbations led to fluctuations in phytoplankton biomass, quantum yield of fluorescence and a 50% reduction in primary productivity.

Chavez, F. P.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Implications of Large Scale Shifts in Tropospheric NO(x) Levels in the Remote Tropical Pacific

A major observation recorded during NASA's western Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM-West B) was the large shift in tropical NO levels as a function of geographical location. High-altitude NO levels exceeding 100 pptv were observed during portions of tropical flights 5-8, while values almost never exceeded 20 pptv during tropical flights 9 and 10. The geographical regions encompassing these two flight groupings are here labeled "high" and "low" NOx regimes. A comparison of these two regimes, based on back trajectories and chemical tracers, suggests that air parcels in both were strongly influenced by deep convection. The low NO(x) regime appears to have been predominantly impacted by marine convection, whereas the high NO(x) regime shows evidence of having been more influenced by deep convection over a continental land mass. DMSP satellite observations point strongly toward lightning as the major source of NOx in the latter regime. Photochemical ozone formation in the high NOx regime exceeded that for low NO(x) by factors of 2 to 6, whereas O3 destruction in the low NO(x)regime exceeded that for high NOx by factors of up to 3. Taking the tropopause height to be 17 km, estimates of the net photochemical effect on the O3 column revealed that the high NO(x) regime led to a small net production. By contrast, the low NOx regime was shown to destroy O3 at the rate of 3.4 % per day. One proposed mechanism for off-setting this projected large deficit would involve the transport of 03 rich midlatitude air into the tropics. Alternatively, it is suggested that O3 within the tropics may be overall near self-sustaining with respect to photochemical activity. This scenario would require that some tropical regions, unsampled at the time of PEM-B, display significant net column O3 production, leading to an overall balanced budget for the "greater" tropical Pacific basin. Details concerning the chemical nature of such regimes are discussed.

Crawford, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1998

A Multi-Instrument Approach for Characterizing the Vertical Structure of Aerosol Properties: Case Studies in the Pacific Basin Troposphere

During February/March 1994, a series of aircraft-based aerosol measurements were carried out in the Pacific Basin troposphere using a differential absorption lidar system deployed by NASA Langley, and optical spectrometer probes and a wire-impactor system operated by NASA Ames. A modified Klett inversion algorithm was applied to extract altitude profiles of aerosol backscattering from the IR lidar signal. The algorithm that we have designed for this purpose utilizes the in situ aerosol measurements to normalize the lidar profile at the aircraft altitude and to supply the lidar ratio as a function of height. The lidar-derived aerosol backscattering coefficients were then compared to the backscattering coefficients calculated from the in situ measurements. During several local aircraft descents, we found good agreement between the remote lidar and in situ results for the absolute value of the aerosol backscattering coefficient and its altitude variation only when we allowed for several layers with different aerosol refractive indices. The agreement validates our lidar calibration method and provides an indication of the variation in aerosol refractive index as a function of altitude. Two of the three case studies performed in this paper reveal layers of anthropogenic aerosols transported long distances into the Pacific Basin troposphere. A third case implies the existence of a layer of dustlike aerosol particles in the lower troposphere, most likely of Asian origin.

Redemann, J.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Meteorology of the Southern Global Plume: African and South American Fires Pollute the South Pacific

An immense global plume of CO meanders widely around the world in the Southern Hemisphere. It arises over Southern America and Africa and flows eastward. The first emissions are in tropical Brazil, and the plume circulates around the world to South America again. The plume was largely unexpected until there were aircraft studies made in NASA's Pacific Exploratory Mission - Tropics (Part A). This paper describes the meteorology of the Global Plume, as our simulation, with a synoptic model adapted to global transport, reveals it with a tracer-CO simulation. The observations and their simulation require a particular set of conditions of pollutant accumulation, cumulonimbus venting with required strengths at a narrow range of altitude. Additionally, a particular subtropical conduction region, over the Indian Ocean, Australia, and the westeRNmost South Pacific, relatively free of storms, appears to be a key part of the mechanism. These conclusions are the results of a synoptic reconstruction of the PEMT-A period, September- October, 1996.

Guo, Z.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Responses of the Tropical Pacific to Wind Forcing as Observed by Spaceborne Sensors and Simulated by an Ocean General Circulation Model

In this study, satellite observations, in situ measurements, and model simulations are combined to assess the oceanic response to surface wind forcing in the equatorial Pacific. The surface wind fields derived from observations by the spaceborne special sensor microwave imager (SSM/I) and from the operational products of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) are compared. When SSM/I winds are used to force a primitive-equation ocean general circulation model (OGCM), they produce 3 C more surface cooling than ECMWF winds for the eastern equatorial Pacific during the cool phase of an El Nino-Southern Oscillation event. The stronger cooling by SSM/I winds is in good agreement with measurements at the moored buoys and observations by the advanced very high resolution radiometer, indicating that SSM/I winds are superior to ECMWF winds in forcing the tropical ocean. In comparison with measurements from buoys, tide gauges, and the Geosat altimeter, the OGCM simulates the temporal variations of temperature, steric, and sea level changes with reasonable realism when forced with the satellite winds. There are discrepancies between model simulations and observations that are common to both wind forcing fields, one of which is the simulation of zonal currents; they could be attributed to model deficiencies. By examining model simulations under two winds, vertical heat advection and uplifting of the thermocline are found to be the dominant factors in the anomalous cooling of the ocean mixed layer.

Liu, W. Timothy↗
NASA NTRS1999

Correlations Between Topex Altimeter and Temperature Profile Data in the Equatorial Pacific

Observations of sea-surface heights from satellite altimeters have been a major contributor to monitoring the evolution of the recent major El Nino event. Assimilating altimeter data directly into numerical models only takes advantage of the surface signature provided by the data. However, that surface signature is usually indicative of processes occurring at depth, especially in the equatorial Pacific. In order for assimilation schemes to make maximum use of surface data, it is helpful to have knowledge of how to best extend that data in the vertical to account for that variability. Toward that end, the vertical correlation structure between satellite-observed sea-surface heights and in situ temperature measurements is examined using TOPEX altimeter and TOGA TAO profile data for the period 1993-1998. This time period includes several states of the tropical Pacific, including a perturbed state from 1993-1994, a quiescent state encompassing 1995-1996, and the major ENSO event of 1997-1998. Analyses for each of these periods, as well as the total period will be presented. In addition to analyses at specific depth levels, analyses for particular density surfaces will also be presented.

Adamec, David↗
NASA NTRS1998

Surface-Wind Anomalies in North-Atlantic and North Pacific from SSM/I Observations: Influence on Temperature of Adjoining Land Regions

Surface winds over the oceans are derived from Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) measurements, assigning direction by Variational Analysis Method (VAM). Validations by comparison with other measurements indicate highly-satisfactory data quality. Providing global coverage from 1988, the dataset is a convenient source for surface-wind climatology. In this study, the interannual variability of zonal winds is analyzed concentrating on the westerlies in North Atlantic and North Pacific, above 30 N. Interannual differences in the westerlies exceeding 10 m sec (exp -1) are observed over large regions, often accompanied by changes of the same magnitude in the easterlies below 30 N. We concentrate on February/March, since elevated temperatures, by advancing snow-melt, can produce early spring. The extremely strong westerlies in 1997 observed in these months over North Atlantic (and also North Pacific) apparently contributed to large surface-temperature anomalies in western Europe, on the order of +3 C above the climatic monthly average for England and France. At these latitudes strong positive anomalies extended in a ring around the globe. We formulated an Index of South westerlies for the North Atlantic, which can serve as an indicator for day-by-day advection effects into Europe. In comparing 1997 and 1998 with the previous years, we establish significant correlations with the temperature anomalies (one to five days later, depending on the region, and on the season). This variability of the ocean-surface winds and of the temperature anomalies on land may be related to the El Nino/La Nina oscillations. Such large temperature fluctuations over large areas, whatever the cause, can be regarded as noise in attempts to assess long-term trends in global temperature.

Otterman, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS1999

A Southern California Perspective of the April, 1998 Trans-Pacific Asian Dust Event

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) coherent CO2 backscatter lidar has been in almost continuous operation since 1984 and has now accumulated a significant time-series database tracking the long-term and seasonal variability of backscatter from the atmospheric column above the Pasadena, Calif. locale. A particularly noteworthy episode observed by the lidar in 1998 was a particularly extreme instance of incursion by Asian-sourced dust during the closing days of April. Such events are not uncommon during the northern spring, when strong cold fronts and convection over the Asian interior deserts loft crustal material into the mid-troposphere whence it can be transported across the Pacific Ocean, occasionally reaching the continental US. However, the abnormal strength of the initiating storm in this case generated an atypically dense cloud of material which resulted in dramatically reduced visibility along the length of the Western Seaboard. These dust events are now recognized as a potentially significant, non-negligible radiative forcing influence. The progress of the April 1998 dust cloud eastward across the Pacific Ocean was initially observed in satellite imagery and transmitted to the broader atmospheric research community via electronic communications. The use of Internet technology in this way was effective in facilitating a rapid response correlative measurement exercise by numerous atmospheric observation stations throughout the western US and its success has resulted in the subsequent establishment of an ad hoc communications environment, data exchange medium, and mechanism for providing early-warning alert of other significant atmospheric phenomena in the future.

Tratt, David M.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Wind Forcing of the Pacific Ocean Using Scatterometer Wind Data

The long-term objective of this research was an understanding of the wind-forced ocean circulation, particularly for the Pacific Ocean. To determine the ocean's response to the winds, we first needed to generate accurate maps of wind stress. For the ocean's response to wind stress we examined the sea surface height (SSH) both from altimeters and from numerical models for the Pacific Ocean.

Kelly, Kathryn A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Comparison of TOPEX/Poseidon Sea Level and Linear Model Results forced by Various Wind Products for the Tropical Pacific

The goal of this paper is to compare TOPEX/Posaidon (T/P) sea level with sea level results from linear ocean model experiments forced by several different wind products for the tropical Pacific. During the period of this study (October 1992 - October 1995), available wind products include satellite winds from the ERS-1 scatterometer product of [HALP 97] and the passive microwave analysis of SSMI winds produced using the variational analysis method (VAM) of [ATLA 91]. In addition, atmospheric GCM winds from the NCEP reanalysis [KALN 96], ECMWF analysis [ECMW94], and the Goddard EOS-1 (GEOS-1) reanalysis experiment [SCHU 93] are available for comparison. The observed ship wind analysis of FSU [STRI 92] is also included in this study. The linear model of [CANE 84] is used as a transfer function to test the quality of each of these wind products for the tropical Pacific. The various wind products are judged by comparing the wind-forced model sea level results against the T/P sea level anomalies. Correlation and RMS difference maps show how well each wind product does in reproducing the T/P sea level signal. These results are summarized in a table showing area average correlations and RMS differences. The large-scale low-frequency temporal signal is reproduced by all of the wind products, However, significant differences exist in both amplitude and phase on regional scales. In general, the model results forced by satellite winds do a better job reproducing the T/P signal (i.e. have a higher average correlation and lower RMS difference) than the results forced by atmospheric model winds.

Hackert, Eric C.↗
NASA NTRS2000

The East Asian Jet Stream and Asian-Pacific-American Climate

The upper-tropospheric westerly jet stream over subtropical East Asia and western Pacific, often referred to as East Asian Jet (EAJ), is an important atmospheric circulation system in the Asian-Pacific-American (APA) region during winter. It is characterized by variabilities on a wide range of time scales and exerts a strong impact on the weather and climate of the region. On the synoptic scale, the jet stream is closely linked to many phenomena such as cyclogenesis, frontogenesis, blocking, storm track activity, and the development of other atmospheric disturbances. On the seasonal time scale, the variation of the EAJ determines many characteristics of the seasonal transition of the atmospheric circulation especially over East Asia. The variabilities of the EAJ on these time scales have been relatively well documented. It has also been understood since decades ago that the interannual. variability of the EAJ is associated with many climate signals in the APA region. These signals include the persistent anomalies of the East Asian winter monsoon and the changes in diabatic heating and in the Hadley circulation. However, many questions remain for the year-to-year variabilities of the EAJ and their relation to the APA climate. For example, what is the relationship between the EAJ and El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)? Will the EAJ and ENSO play different roles in modulating the APA climate? How is the jet stream linked to the non-ENSO-related sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and to the Pacific/North American (PNA) teleconnection pattern?

Yang, Song↗
NASA NTRS2000

Trans-Pacific HDR Satellite Communications Experiment Phase-2 Project Plan and Experimental Network

The trans-Pacific high data rate (TP-HDR) satellite communications experiment was proposed at the Japan-U.S. Cooperation in Space (JUCS) Program Workshop held in Hawaii in 1993 and remote high definition video post-production was demonstrated as the first phase trial. ATM-based 45 Mbps trans-Pacific link was established in the first phase, and the following experiments with 155 Mbps was planned as the phase 2. This paper describes the experimental network configuration and project plan of TP-HDR experiment phase 2. Additional information is provided in the original.

Hsu, Eddie↗
NASA NTRS2000

Observations and Modeling of the Transient General Circulation of the North Pacific Basin

Because of recent progress in satellite altimetry and numerical modeling and the accumulation and archiving of long records of hydrographic and meteorological variables, it is becoming feasible to describe and understand the transient general circulation of the ocean (i.e., variations with spatial scales larger than a few hundred kilometers and time scales of seasonal and longer-beyond the mesoscale). We have carried out various studies in investigation of the transient general circulation of the Pacific Ocean from a coordinated analysis of satellite altimeter data, historical hydrographic gauge data, scatterometer wind observations, reanalyzed operational wind fields, and a variety of ocean circulation models. Broadly stated, our goal was to achieve a phenomenological catalogue of different possible types of large-scale, low-frequency variability, as a context for understanding the observational record. The approach is to identify the simplest possible model from which particular observed phenomena can be isolated and understood dynamically and then to determine how well these dynamical processes are represented in more complex Oceanic General Circulation Models (OGCMs). Research results have been obtained on Rossby wave propagation and transformation, oceanic intrinsic low-frequency variability, effects of surface gravity waves, pacific data analyses, OGCM formulation and developments, and OGCM simulations of forced variability.

McWilliams, James C.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A 3-D Model Study of Aerosol Composition and Radiative Forcing in the Asian-Pacific Region

The Georgia Tech/Goddard Global Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) model will be used in analyzing the aerosol data in the ACE-Asia program. Our objectives are (1) to understand the physical, chemical, and optical properties of aerosol and the processes that control these properties over the Asian-Pacific region, (2) to determine the aerosol radiative forcing over the Asian-Pacific region, and (3) to investigate the interaction between aerosol and tropospheric chemistry. We will present the GOCART aerosol simulations of sulfate, dust, carbonaceous, and sea salt concentrations, their optical thicknesses, and their radiative effects. We will also show the comparisons of model results with data taken from previous field campaigns, ground-based sun photometer measurements, and satellite observations. Finally, we will present our plan for the ACE-Asia study.

Chin, Mian↗
NASA NTRS2001

Impact of Ship Emissions on Marine Boundary Layer NO(x) and SO2 Distributions over the Pacific Basin

The impact of ship emissions on marine boundary layer (MBL) NO(x) and SO2 levels over the Pacific Ocean has been explored by comparing predictions (with and without ships) from a global chemical transport model (GCTM) against compiled airborne observations of MBL NO(x) and SO2. For latitudes above 15 N, which define that part of the Pacific having the heaviest shipping, this analysis revealed significant model over prediction for NOx and a modest under prediction for SO2 when ship emissions were considered. Possible reasons for the difference in NO(x) and SO2 were explored using a full-chemistry box model. These results revealed that for an actual plume setting the NO(x) lifetime could be greatly shortened by chemical processes promoted by ship plume emissions themselves. Similar chemical behavior was not found for SO2.

Davis, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Effect of Clouds on the Atmospheric Solar Heating in the Tropical Western Pacific

The sea surface solar radiative fluxes have been retrieved from the radiances measured by Japan's Geostationary Meteorological Satellite 5. The surface radiation data set covers the domain 40S-40N and 90E-170W and a period starting from January 1998. The retrieved surface radiation has been validated with the radiometric measurements at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site on Manus Island in the equatorial western Pacific. Together with the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) solar fluxes at the top of the atmosphere and the radiative transfer calculations of clear-sky fluxes, this surface radiation data set was used to study the impact of clouds on the solar heating of the atmosphere. It was found that clouds enhanced the atmospheric solar heating by approx. 21 watts per meter squared in the tropical western Pacific and the South China Sea, and the ratio of the cloud radiative forcing at the surface to that at the TOA was approximately 1.6.

Chou, Ming-Dah↗
NASA NTRS2001

Whole Air Sampling During NASA's March-April 1999 Pacific Exploratory Expedition (PEM-Tropics B)

University of California, Irvine (UCI) collected more than 4500 samples whole air samples collected over the remote Pacific Ocean during NASA's Global Tropospheric Experiment (GTE) Pacific Exploratory Mission-Tropics B (PEM-Tropics B) in March and early April 1999. Approximately 140 samples during a typical 8-hour DC-8 flight, and 120 canisters for each 8-hour flight aboard the P-3B. These samples were obtained roughly every 3-7 min during horizontal flight legs and 1-3 min during vertical legs. The filled canisters were analyzed in the laboratory at UCI within ten days of collection. The mixing ratios of 58 trace gases comprising hydrocarbons, halocarbons, alkyl nitrates and DMS were reported (and archived) for each sample. Two identical analytical systems sharing the same standards were operated simultaneously around the clock to improve canister turn-around time and to keep our measurement precision optimal. This report presents a summary of the results for sample collected.

Blake, Donald R.↗