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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 37 records · Page 2

AmeriFlux US-PFt SE6 Pine-4 CHEESEHEAD 2019

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFt SE6 Pine-4 CHEESEHEAD 2019. Site Description - This tower (32m, trailer-based, telescoping) is located in the southeastern quadrant of the 10 x 10km study domain. It is located in a red pine forest (canopy height: 15 - 21.6 m).

Desai, Ankur↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-PFb NW1 Pine-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFb NW1 Pine-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFb NW1 Pine-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This tower (32m, trailer-based, telescoping) is the northwestern most tower in the 10 x 10km study domain. It is located in a red pine forest (canopy height ~25m). There is a regrowing/trap layer consisting of broadleaf aspen and other deciduous vegetation.

Desai, Ankur↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-PFk SW1 Aspen-2 CHEESEHEAD 2019

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFk SW1 Aspen-2 CHEESEHEAD 2019. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFk SW1 Aspen-2 CHEESEHEAD 2019 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This tower (32m, trailer-based, telescoping) is located in the southwestern quadrant of the 10 x 10km study domain. It is located in an aspen forest (canopy height: immediate vicinity - 10m; greater area - 24.4 m).

Desai, Ankur↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-PFL SW2 Aspen-3 CHEESEHEAD 2019

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFL SW2 Aspen-3 CHEESEHEAD 2019. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFL SW2 Aspen-3 CHEESEHEAD 2019 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This tower (25m Rohn) is located in the southwestern quadrant of the 10 x 10km study domain. It is located in an aspen forest (canopy height: 15 - 19.2 m).

Desai, Ankur↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-PFm SW3 Hardwood-2 CHEESEHEAD 2019

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFm SW3 Hardwood-2 CHEESEHEAD 2019. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFm SW3 Hardwood-2 CHEESEHEAD 2019 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This tower (32m, trailer-based, telescoping) is located in the southwestern quadrant of the 10 x 10km study domain. It is located in an aspen and maple forest (canopy height: 15 m).

Desai, Ankur↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-PFq SE3 Aspen-4 CHEESEHEAD 2019

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFq SE3 Aspen-4 CHEESEHEAD 2019. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFq SE3 Aspen-4 CHEESEHEAD 2019 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This tower (32m, trailer-based, telescoping) is located in the southeastern quadrant of the 10 x 10km study domain. It is located in an aspen forest (canopy height: 10 - 14.3 m).

Desai, Ankur↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-PFt SE6 Pine-4 CHEESEHEAD 2019

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFt SE6 Pine-4 CHEESEHEAD 2019. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFt SE6 Pine-4 CHEESEHEAD 2019 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This tower (32m, trailer-based, telescoping) is located in the southeastern quadrant of the 10 x 10km study domain. It is located in a red pine forest (canopy height: 15 - 21.6 m).

Desai, Ankur↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-PFi NE3 Hardwood-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFi NE3 Hardwood-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFi NE3 Hardwood-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This tower (32m, trailer-based, telescoping) is located in the northeastern quadrant of the 10 x 10km study domain. It is located in a mixed hardwood forest (canopy height: 18 - 20m).

Desai, Ankur [University of Wisconsin-Madison]↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-PFj NE4 Maple-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFj NE4 Maple-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFj NE4 Maple-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This tower (32m, trailer-based, telescoping) is located in the northeastern quadrant of the 10 x 10km study domain. It is located in a maple forest (canopy height: 18 - 20m). Some conifers mixed in, more conifers to the NNW.

Desai, Ankur [University of Wisconsin-Madison]↗

Thermal stress in degraded forests in the Brazilian Amazon Arc of Deforestation

Understanding thermal stress in tropical forests has taken on new urgency in light of accelerating climate change and expansion of deforestation and forest degradation. Degraded tropical forests in particular may be approaching critical temperature thresholds even more rapidly than intact forests, with implications for tree survival and ecosystem recovery. We investigate thermal stress in degraded tropical forests within the Brazilian Amazon Arc of Deforestation. Using land surface temperature data from the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on the international Space Station (ECOSTRESS), we compared canopy temperatures of intact, selectively logged, and burned forests in Feliz Natal, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Upper canopy temperatures in previously burned forests were 4.1% higher (mean = 36.5 °C) and 50.9% more variable compared to intact and logged forests, which showed remarkably similar temperature distributions (means of 34.9 °C and 35.1 °C, respectively). Modeled leaf temperature distributions based on canopy temperature measurements from one of the warmest days in a 2 year dry season record indicated that 87% of leaves in the warmest burned forest patches exceeded the temperature threshold where respiration surpasses photosynthesis, compared to approximately 72%–74% in intact and logged forests, respectively, in the same time period. After controlling for environmental factors, burned forests were predicted to be 2.6 °C warmer on average [1.39 °C–3.96 °C, 95% credible interval] than intact forests across a 5–40 m canopy height range. Burned forests showed modest thermal recovery over time, with temperatures decreasing by approximately 1.2 °C over a 30 year recovery period. In contrast, logged forests showed minimal thermal differences from intact forests (−0.353 on average, [−1.125–0.274, 95% credible interval]) and negligible change (0.15 °C) over the same timeframe. While the absolute probabilities of exceeding damaging thermal thresholds remain low across all forest types under current climate conditions, the probability of leaves exceeding temperatures that cause permanent leaf damage was ten times higher in burned forests, with implications for the future of burned forest regeneration in water-limited regions of the Amazon basin. In particular, the combination of higher mean temperatures, greater temperature variability, and more frequent exposure to damaging thermal thresholds implies that burned tropical forests will experience substantially higher mortality rates and slower biomass recovery compared to intact and selectively logged forests, especially in water-limited regions where trees cannot rely on evaporative cooling to moderate canopy temperatures.

Brazilian Amazon Arc of Deforestation↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-MtB Mt Bigelow

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-MtB Mt Bigelow. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-MtB Mt Bigelow produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - Western slope of Mt. Bigelow; 29 km NE of Tucson, AZ, USA; Mixed evergreen conifer forest; Average canopy height = 10 m; Summer monsoon; 30-m tower installed in 2002; Secondary forest re-established in the 1930s

Barron-Gafford, Greg [University of Arizona]↗

Canopy damage and recovery following Hurricane Maria using multitemporal lidar data, Mar/2017 - Mar/2020, Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria (Category 4) snapped and uprooted canopy trees, removed large branches, and defoliated vegetation across Puerto Rico. The magnitude of forest damages and the rates and mechanisms of forest recovery following Maria provide important benchmarks for understanding the ecology of extreme events. We used airborne lidar data acquired before (2017) and after Maria (2018, 2020) to quantify landscape-scale changes in forest structure along a 439-ha elevational gradient (100 to 800 m) in the Luquillo Experimental Forest. Damages from Maria were widespread, with 73% of the study area losing ≥1 m in canopy height (mean = -7.1 m). Taller forests at lower elevations suffered more damage than shorter forests above 600 m. Yet only 13% of the study area had canopy heights ≤2 m in 2018, a typical threshold for forest gaps, highlighting the importance of damaged trees and advanced regeneration on post-storm forest structure. Heterogeneous patterns of regrowth and recruitment yielded shorter and more open forests by 2020. Nearly 45% of forests experienced initial height loss (<-1 m, 2017-2018) followed by rapid height gain (>1 m, 2018-2020), whereas 21.6% of forests with initial height losses showed little or no height gain, and 17.8% of forests exhibited no structural changes >|1| m in either period. Canopy layers <10 m accounted for most increases in canopy height and fractional cover between 2018-2020, with gains split evenly between height growth and lateral crown expansion by surviving individuals. These findings benchmark rates of gap formation, crown expansion, and canopy closure following hurricane damage. Included in the attached zip file are four TIF and four KML files.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Topography-Induced TKE Budget Behavior Over an Amazon Forest

Data from three different heights (35, 50 and 81 m) of one of the ATTO Project towers in the Amazon forest were used to calculate the TKE (turbulence kinetic energy) budget and some other statistics within the RSL (roughness sublayer). The statistical analyses were carried out for unstable and stable cases. The vertical transport and the vertical advection terms do not explain the imbalances found in the TKE budget, highlighting the impor- tance of horizontal terms in complex terrain. Indeed, patterns independent of the time of day were found for vertical transport, horizontal and vertical velocity skewness, the mean vertical component velocity, and momentum and vertical TKE flux. Here, the highest values of mean vertical velocity were observed from the direction where there is a valley near the tower, which may indicate a topographical effect. Monin-Obukhov Similarity Theory (MOST) predictions for the mean velocity gradient, strictly applicable only in the inertial sublayer (ISL), gave reasonable predictions at 35 and 50 m, but dimensionless dissipation rates displayed large scatter. At 81 m, there were clear deviations from MOST for the two functions, disclosing the effect of topography. In addition, a neutral LES (large-eddy simu- lation) study showed good agreement with tower data for the same general wind direction.

ATTO project↗

Dependence of Deep Convective Cell Properties on Meteorological and Aerosol Conditions during TRACER

Deep convective cells significantly influence Earth’s energy balance and water cycle. However, their accurate representation in numerical models remains challenging due to their small spatiotemporal scales and limited observational constraints. This study examines over ∼400 deep convective cells near Houston, observed by a dual-polarization C-band radar during the Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions Experiment (TRACER) intensive observation period (June–September 2022). Cells are categorized by lifetime into short-lived (<40 min), intermediate-lived (40–80 min), and long-lived (80+ min) groups. Long-lived cells were broader (∼13.2 km at 2–4-km height) and deeper (∼11.4 km) than short-lived cells (∼6.4-km width, ∼7.31-km height). Using random forest (RF) modeling and correlation analyses, precipitable water vapor (PWV), 2–6-km lapse rate, 0–8-km bulk shear, and fine aerosol mass concentration (Mass_f) are identified as key predictors of cell lifetime. Higher PWV is associated with significantly longer convective cell lifetimes compared to the low-PWV group, particularly within low 2–6-km temperature lapse rate (LR_26km), moderate-to-higher 0–8-km bulk shear (BS_08km), and low-to-moderate Mass_f environments. RF analysis also identifies low-level (0–2 km) equivalent potential temperature, PWV, Mass_f, and surface latent heat flux as key predictors for cell width and height. Short-lived cells have higher aerosol number concentrations (500–1000-nm size range), linked to onshore wind conditions and marine aerosols; however, their low concentration suggests the sensitivity may reflect associated meteorological regimes rather than a direct aerosol effect. Long-lived cells have higher concentrations of organic and sulfate aerosols, while short-lived cells exhibit higher black carbon concentrations. These results highlight the intricate dependence of convective cell lifetimes and structure on environmental moisture, thermodynamics, wind shear, and aerosol characteristics.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Enhanced Boundary Layer Height Detection Using Ceilometer, Surface Meteorology, and Radiation Products With a Random Forest Ensemble Method

This study develops and evaluates a Random Forest (RF) model for estimating planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) using 9 years of data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains (ARM SGP) user facility, with potential application in the NOAA Surface Radiation (SURFRAD) Network. The model integrates ceilometer, surface meteorology, and radiation measurements, and is trained using thermodynamic PBLH estimates derived from radiosondes. This approach aims to bridge gaps between aerosol-based and thermodynamic-based PBLH estimates. The RF model outperformed traditional methods during daytime and better captured transition periods, demonstrating improved accuracy and robustness. At ARM SGP, it showed a substantial reduction in both bias and RMSE, with a bias near zero (−4.9 m) compared with traditional Haar Wavelet (HW) (70.9 m) and Vaisala BL-View software (124.1 m), and an RMSE of 303.2 m, lower than both BL-View (566.9 m) and HW (404.6 m). During daytime hours, RF consistently outperformed both alternatives, maintaining lower bias and RMSE across all periods. At a second evaluation site, RF achieved the lowest overall RMSE (323.7 m), similar to HW (326.4 m) and significantly better than BL-View (738.3 m). However, all models showed reduced accuracy under stable nighttime conditions, limiting the reliability of PBLH estimates. Key predictors for the model included the lifting condensation level height (LCLH), aerosol gradients, and month for seasonal variability. The study underscores the potential of integrating machine learning with multiple data sets such as surface energy and thermodynamic data to advance PBLH estimation.

boundary layer height↗

AmeriFlux US-PFe NW4 Lake-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFe NW4 Lake-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019. Site Description - This tower (32m, trailer-based, telescoping) is located in the northwestern quadrant of the 10 x 10km study domain. It is located in a red pine and aspen forest (20.1 m height) on the bank of a lake (500m across).

Desai, Ankur↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-PFe NW4 Lake-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFe NW4 Lake-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-PFe NW4 Lake-1 CHEESEHEAD 2019 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This tower (32m, trailer-based, telescoping) is located in the northwestern quadrant of the 10 x 10km study domain. It is located in a red pine and aspen forest (20.1 m height) on the bank of a lake (500m across).

Desai, Ankur [University of Wisconsin-Madison]↗

Forest structure and solar-induced fluorescence across intact and degraded forests in the Amazon

Tropical forest degradation (e.g., anthropogenic disturbances such as selective logging and fires) alters forest structure and function and influences the forest's carbon sink. In this study, we explored structure-function relationships across a variety of degradation levels in the southern Brazilian Amazon by 1) investigating how forest structural properties vary as a function of degradation history using airborne lidar data; 2) assessing the effects of degradation on solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) seasonality using TROPOMI data; and 3) quantifying the contribution of structural variables to SIF using multiple regression models with stepwise selection of lidar metrics. Forest degradation history was obtained through Landsat time-series classification. We found that fire, logging, and time since disturbance were major determinants of forest structure, and that forests affected by fires experienced larger variability in leaf area index (LAI), canopy height and vertical structure relative to logged and intact forests. Moreover, only recently burned forests showed significantly depressed SIF during the dry season compared to intact forests. Canopy height and the vertical distribution of foliage were the best predictors of SIF. Unexpectedly, we found that wet-season SIF was higher in active regenerating forests (~ 4 years after fires or logging) compared with intact forests, despite lower LAI. Furthermore, our findings help to elucidate the mechanisms of carbon accumulation in anthropogenically disturbed tropical forests and indicate that they can capture large amounts of carbon while recovering.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗