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What's New in the NSRDB

The National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) provides solar resource data across the globe at a high temporal and spatial resolution. This data is primarily used in solar energy modeling. The NSRDB is updated annually for the United States and North, Central and South America and the data is currently available from 1998-2021. In 2022 the NSRDB was updated using the latest version of the underlying Physical Solar Model (PSM). This update includes improved surface albedo and gap-filling of cloud properties. The inclusion of these updates reduced the uncertainty in the data compared to previous versions of the NSRDB. The Himawari and Meteosat Indian Ocean Data Coverage (IODC) satellites were added to the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and made our coverage global. While standard data from the GOES continues to be served at an hourly 4km x 4km resolution, full resolution data has also been made available to the user. The NSRDB now contains over 200Tb of data with nearly 40Tb being added annually. We provide significant flexibility for data download depending on the amount of data required by the users. In this paper we provide an update on the current status on the NSRDB.

photovoltaic systems↗

Hanford Site-wide Natural Recharge Boundary Condition for Groundwater Models

The purpose of this environmental calculation file (ECF) is to document the development of a tool that generates temporally and spatially variable representations of natural recharge for the Hanford Site. A key feature of the recharge evolution tool (RET) is that it applies sanctioned natural recharge rates varying as a function of the condition/cover of the ground surface and soil type at different points in time. No hydrologic calculations are performed by the RET, this script works as a lookup database between spatial and temporal datasets to assign research-based recharge rates to corresponding regions throughout the Hanford Site. This work will support vadose zone and groundwater models for the Hanford Site. Although efforts will focus on generating recharge estimates for the entirety of the Hanford Site, the focus scope of this work will be the Central Plateau Area to support the Composite Analysis Vadose Zone facet. In other words, the reliability of this calculation will be greatest within the Central Plateau Area and decrease with departures from that geographic region.

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Hanford Site-wide Natural Recharge Boundary Condition for Groundwater Models

The purpose of this environmental calculation file (ECF) is to document the development of a tool that generates temporally and spatially variable representations of natural recharge for the Hanford Site. A key feature of the recharge evolution tool (RET) is that it applies sanctioned natural recharge rates varying as a function of the condition/cover of the ground surface and soil type at different points in time. No hydrologic calculations are performed by the RET, this script works as a lookup database between spatial and temporal datasets to assign research-based recharge rates to corresponding regions throughout the Hanford Site. This work will support vadose zone and groundwater models for the Hanford Site. Although efforts will focus on generating recharge estimates for the entirety of the Hanford Site, the focus scope of this work will be the Central Plateau Area to support the Composite Analysis Vadose Zone facet. In other words, the reliability of this calculation will be greatest within the Central Plateau Area and decrease with departures from that geographic region.

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Basin-Scale Structural Features Database

The Basin-Scale Structural Features database provides spatial datasets of faults, fractures, folds, and earthquakes compiled from public, authoritative sources (e.g., U.S. Geological Survey and State Geological Surveys) and aggregated into derivative forms to support subsurface assessments. Recognizing that characterizing basin-scale structural features requires interpreting data that are often ambiguous or lack key information, the source data were evaluated using a knowledge-data framework and geospatial fuzzy logic method (Justman et al., 2020) to represent both measured (observed) and predicted (inferred or potential) structural features as derivative datasets. This workflow employs conceptual models for known structural features and predicted structural features, incorporating geospatial data to estimate potential, even with limited data. The aim is to aid and support an understanding of basin-scale features and identify potential gaps in data and knowledge. As of 4/30/2025, the database includes resources for nine sedimentary basins: Appalachian, Denver, U.S. Gulf Coast, Illinois, Michigan, Permian, Sacramento, San Joquin and Williston. The database is organized by basin and then data category: 1) Faults, fractures, folds, 2) Earthquakes, 3) Topographic, 4) Structural contours and isopachs, 5) Geophysical, and 6) Structural feature density assessment maps.

basin scale↗

Fast Gaussian Process Estimation for Large-Scale In Situ Inference using Convolutional Neural Networks

Exascale computing will bring with it significant I/O limitations. One foreseeable consequence of such restrictions is that the user can save only a small fraction of complex simulation data to disk for subsequent analysis. An alternative is to fit statistical models to data in situ, that is, inside the simulation as it runs. This option requires extremely fast statistical estimation to avoid slowing down the simulation. Gaussian processes (GPs) have state-of-the-art predictive performance for modeling spatial data. However, standard estimation methods for GPs scale quite poorly to large data sets as parameter estimation requires inverting a covariance matrix to the size of the data set. In the presented work, we use a convolutional neural network (CNN) to predict the GP parameters for a spatial data set, from a simulation or otherwise, rather than optimize the parameters directly. Here, our presented case study models spatial data from E3SM, the Department of Energy’s Exascale climate model. The CNN is trained on synthetic data simulated from GP models with known parameters and then applied to data from the climate simulation. In the presented examples, the neural network scheme produces parameter estimates that compare well with standard methods such as maximum likelihood estimation in predictive performance but is obtained four orders of magnitude faster.

big data↗

Practical Considerations for the Implementation of a World Information Library (WIL) - 17112

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a deep geologic repository for the permanent disposal of defense-generated transuranic waste. Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 194.43, Passive institutional controls, requires that measures be employed, '...to preserve knowledge about the location, design, and contents of the [WIPP] disposal system'. These measures include the, 'Placement of records in the archives and land record systems of local, State, and Federal governments, as well as international archives, that would likely be consulted by individuals in search of unexploited resources'. One possibility for allowing individuals to quickly and easily access information on the location, design, and contents of a disposal system and its relation to unexploited resources is the development of an electronic geographic information system (GIS) that would be used to interpret spatial data. In 2016, R. Patterson proposed such a system, known as the 'World Information Library (WIL)'. Information in this database system would be designed to be publicly accessible through a simple web-based user interface that would focus on spatial databases with categories such as; waste repositories, resources, historical sites, wildlife, infrastructure, medicine, agriculture, and technology. The conceptual WIL would be a compilation of searchable libraries and databases. A category in the WIL would consist of spatial databases created for the purpose of preserving knowledge and providing a means of communicating location information in a GIS-based Land Use Information System (LUIS) user interface. The successful implementation of the WIL would require the robust use of project controls, an effective Quality Assurance program, and the development of international standards in collaboration with industry experts. The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss known practices and industry standards that could be utilized for the implementation of a WIL as was introduced by Patterson et al. in 'A Conceptual World Information Library (WIL) and Land Use Information System (LUIS)'. (authors)

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SU-E-P-26: Oncospace: A Shared Radiation Oncology Database System Designed for Personalized Medicine, Decision Support, and Research

Purpose: Advancement in Radiation Oncology (RO) practice develops through evidence based medicine and clinical trial. Knowledge usable for treatment planning, decision support and research is contained in our clinical data, stored in an Oncospace database. This data store and the tools for populating and analyzing it are compatible with standard RO practice and are shared with collaborating institutions. The question is - what protocol for system development and data sharing within an Oncospace Consortium? We focus our example on the technology and data meaning necessary to share across the Consortium. Methods: Oncospace consists of a database schema, planning and outcome data import and web based analysis tools.1) Database: The Consortium implements a federated data store; each member collects and maintains its own data within an Oncospace schema. For privacy, PHI is contained within a single table, accessible to the database owner.2) Import: Spatial dose data from treatment plans (Pinnacle or DICOM) is imported via Oncolink. Treatment outcomes are imported from an OIS (MOSAIQ).3) Analysis: JHU has built a number of webpages to answer analysis questions. Oncospace data can also be analyzed via MATLAB or SAS queries.These materials are available to Consortium members, who contribute enhancements and improvements. Results: 1) The Oncospace Consortium now consists of RO centers at JHU, UVA, UW and the University of Toronto. These members have successfully installed and populated Oncospace databases with over 1000 patients collectively.2) Members contributing code and getting updates via SVN repository. Errors are reported and tracked via Redmine. Teleconferences include strategizing design and code reviews.3) Successfully remotely queried federated databases to combine multiple institutions’ DVH data for dose-toxicity analysis (see below – data combined from JHU and UW Oncospace). Conclusion: RO data sharing can and has been effected according to the Oncospace Consortium model: http://oncospace.radonc.jhmi.edu/ . John Wong - SRA from Elekta; Todd McNutt - SRA from Elekta; Michael Bowers - funded by Elekta.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Estimating Biofuel Feedstock Water Footprints Using System Dynamics

Increased biofuel production has prompted concerns about the environmental tradeoffs of biofuels compared to petroleum-based fuels. Biofuel production in general, and feedstock production in particular, is under increased scrutiny. Water footprinting (measuring direct and indirect water use) has been proposed as one measure to evaluate water use in the context of concerns about depleting rural water supplies through activities such as irrigation for large-scale agriculture. Water footprinting literature has often been limited in one or more key aspects: complete assessment across multiple water stocks (e.g., vadose zone, surface, and ground water stocks), geographical resolution of data, consistent representation of many feedstocks, and flexibility to perform scenario analysis. We developed a model called BioSpatial H2O using a system dynamics modeling and database framework. BioSpatial H2O could be used to consistently evaluate the complete water footprints of multiple biomass feedstocks at high geospatial resolutions. BioSpatial H2O has the flexibility to perform simultaneous scenario analysis of current and potential future crops under alternative yield and climate conditions. In this proof-of-concept paper, we modeled corn grain (Zea mays L.) and soybeans (Glycine max) under current conditions as illustrative results. BioSpatial H2O links to a unique database that houses annual spatially explicit climate, soil, and plant physiological data. Parameters from the database are used as inputs to our system dynamics model for estimating annual crop water requirements using daily time steps. Based on our review of the literature, estimated green water footprints are comparable to other modeled results, suggesting that BioSpatial H2O is computationally sound for future scenario analysis. Our modeling framework builds on previous water use analyses to provide a platform for scenario-based assessment. BioSpatial H2O's system dynamics is a flexible and user-friendly interface for on-demand, spatially explicit, water use scenario analysis for many US agricultural crops. Built-in controls permit users to quickly make modifications to the model assumptions, such as those affecting yield, and to see the implications of those results in real time. BioSpatial H2O's dynamic capabilities and adjustable climate data allow for analyses of water use and management scenarios to inform current and potential future bioenergy policies. The model could also be adapted for scenario analysis of alternative climatic conditions and comparison of multiple crops. The results of such an analysis would help identify risks associated with water use competition among feedstocks in certain regions. Results could also inform research and development efforts that seek to reduce water-related risks of biofuel pathways.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Estimating irrigation water use from remotely sensed evapotranspiration data: Accuracy and uncertainties at field, water right, and regional scales

Irrigated agriculture is the dominant user of water globally, but most water withdrawals are not monitored or reported. As a result, it is largely unknown when, where, and how much water is used for irrigation. Here, we evaluated the ability of remotely sensed evapotranspiration (ET) data, integrated with other datasets, to calculate irrigation water withdrawals and applications in an intensively irrigated portion of the United States. We compared irrigation calculations based on an ensemble of satellite-driven ET models from OpenET with reported groundwater withdrawals from hundreds of farmer irrigation application records and a statewide flowmeter database at three spatial scales (field, water right group, and management area). At the field scale, we found that ET-based calculations of irrigation agreed best with reported irrigation when the OpenET ensemble mean was aggregated to the growing season timescale (bias = 1.6–4.9%, R 2 = 0.53–0.74), and agreement between calculated and reported irrigation was better for multi-year averages than for individual years. At the water right group scale, linking pumping wells to specific irrigated fields was the primary source of uncertainty. At the management area scale, calculated irrigation exhibited similar temporal patterns as flowmeter data but tended to be positively biased with more interannual variability. Disagreement between calculated and reported irrigation was strongly correlated with annual precipitation, and calculated and reported irrigation agreed more closely after statistically adjusting for annual precipitation. The selection of an ET model was also an important consideration, as variability across ET models was larger than the potential impacts of conservation measures employed in the region. From these results, we suggest key practices for working with ET-based irrigation data that include accurately accounting for changes in soil moisture, deep percolation, and runoff; careful verification of irrigated area and well-field linkages; and conducting application-specific evaluations of uncertainty.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Compilation of Site Names and Spatial Extents for Sites in the Hanford Site Disposition Database

Several analyses that will be completed as part of the Hanford Composite Analysis (CA) and Cumulative Impact Evaluation (CIE) require the extents of facilities, waste sites, and other locations on the Hanford Site. The purpose of this calculation is to provide spatial extents and consistent naming convention for those locations used as part of the analyses in a single dataset. This calculation documents the process used to develop the dataset.

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Carbon Storage Open Database

The Carbon Storage Open Database is a collection of spatial data obtained from publicly available sources published by several NATCARB Partnerships and other organizations. The carbon storage open database was collected from open-source data on ArcREST servers and websites in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. The original database was published on the former GeoCube, which is now EDX Spatial, in July 2020, and has since been updated with additional data resources from the Energy Data eXchange (EDX) and external public data resources. The shapefile geodatabase is available in total, and has also been split up into multiple databases based on the maps produced for EDX spatial. These are topical map categories that describe the type of data, and sometimes the region for which the data relates. The data is separated in case there is only a specific area or data type that is of interest for download. In addition to the geodatabases, this submission contains: 1. A ReadMe file describing the processing steps completed to collect and curate the data. 2. A data catalog of all feature layers within the database. Additional published resources are available that describe the work done to produce the geodatabase: Morkner, P., Bauer, J., Creason, C., Sabbatino, M., Wingo, P., Greenburg, R., Walker, S., Yeates, D., Rose, K. 2022. Distilling Data to Drive Carbon Storage Insights. Computers & Geosciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2021.104945 Morkner, P., Bauer, J., Shay, J., Sabbatino, M., and Rose, K. An Updated Carbon Storage Open Database - Geospatial Data Aggregation to Support Scaling -Up Carbon Capture and Storage. United States: N. p., 2022. Web. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1890730 Morkner, P., Rose, K., Bauer, J., Rowan, C., Barkhurst, A., Baker, D.V., Sabbatino, M., Bean, A., Creason, C.G., Wingo, P., and Greenburg, R. Tools for Data Collection, Curation, and Discovery to Support Carbon Sequestration Insights. United States: N. p., 2020. Web. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1777195 Disclaimer: This project was funded by the United States Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, in part, through a site support contract. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, nor the support contractor, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

carbon storage↗

Advanced Infrastructure Integrity Modeling (AIIM) Onshore Pipeline Database

The Advanced Infrastructure Integrity Modeling (AIIM) Onshore Pipeline Database is an interoperable spatial resource containing critical environmental, operational, and reported stressors tied to publicly available oil and gas pipeline locations across the contiguous U.S. and Alaska. This database contains two layers: 1. Pipeline point locations (‘pipeline_points’) – More than 500,000 points (at every kilometer along pipelines, and end points) to which more than 350 stress-related variables have been appended. 2. Merged pipelines (‘merged_pipelines’) – The original, publicly available pipeline data (see table below) merged together into one feature class.

Carbon Transport↗

Crowd-based spatial risk assessment of urban flooding: Results from a municipal flood hotline in Detroit, MI

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events, raising the risk of urban flood disasters. This study uses a crowd-sourced municipal call database to characterize the spatial distribution of flood risk in Detroit, MI. Call data including dates and addresses were obtained from the City of Detroit Department of Public Works for 2021. Calls were mapped and aggregated to census tract counts and merged with neighborhood-level data. Associations of predictors with flood calls were tested using spatial regression models. Flooding calls were located throughout the city but were concentrated in specific areas. Multivariate models of census tract level call counts indicated that increased poverty and Black, immigrant, and older residents were positively associated with flood calls, while increased elevation was associated with protective effects. Longer distances from waste water interceptors were associated with higher risk for calls. Crowd-sourced flood hotline call data can be used for effective spatial flood risk assessment. Though flooding occurs throughout the city of Detroit, infrastructural, neighborhood, and household factors influence flooding extent. Limitations included the self-reported nature of calls. Future modeling efforts might include input from local stakeholders to improve spatial risk assessment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Modeling spatial patterns in soil arsenic to estimate natural baseline concentrations

ABSTRACT Arsenic in soil is an important public health concern. Toxicity guidelines and models based on laboratory studies (i.e., U.S. EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System) should consider natural soil As concentrations to avoid unnecessary remediation burdens on society. We used soil and stream sediment samples from the USGS National Geochemical Survey database to assess the spatial distribution of natural As in a 1.16E+5 km2 area. Samples were collected at 348 soil and 144 stream locations, providing approximately one sample for every 290 km2. Sample sites were selected to minimize the potential influence of anthropogenic inputs. Samples were processed using acid digestion of whole samples (concentrated HCl and ascorbic acid) and concentrations were measured using hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry. Soil As ranged from 2.0 to 45.6 mg kg-1. Geostatistical techniques were used to model and map the spatial variability of As. The mean and variance at unsampled locations were estimated using sequential Gaussian simulation. Five areas of elevated concentration (> the median of 10 mg kg-1) were identified and the relationships to geologic parent materials, glacial sedimentation patterns, and soil conditions interpreted. Our results showed As concentrations >10 mg kg-1 were common, and >20 mg kg-1 were not unusual for the central and west central portions of Ohio (USA). In contrast, concentrations <4 mg kg-1 were rare. Measured concentrations typically exceeded the soil As human generic screening levels of 0.39 mg/kg (1); the calculated value that corresponds to a cancer risk level of 1 in 1,000,000 for soil ingestion. Because the As content of Ohio soils is similar to many world soils, the USEPA generic soil screening level of 0.39 mg/kg is of little utility. A more useful and practical approach would be the uses of natural background levels. Regional soil As patterns based on geology and biogeochemistry and not political boundaries should be used for soil screening and other risk assessment determinations.

arsenic, background, mapping, geostatistics, toxic↗

PV Degradation Modeling: Applying Geospatial Workflows with "PVDeg"

Accurate degradation modeling is essential for predicting photovoltaic (PV) module performance, estimating longevity and informing design decisions. With degradation rates varying significantly by location, geospatial analysis is critical for PV and broader applications, such as agrivoltaics, weathering and environmental data analysis. This work presents PVDeg, an open-source tool designed for geospatial degradation analysis. PVDeg integrates meteorological data from global sources, including the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) and Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS), with degradation models. The toolkit enables users to customize geospatial workflows by integrating weather data, material parameters, and user-defined Python functions. It facilitates accelerated downloads of NSRDB and PVGIS datasets and optimizes geospatial point selection to preserve data density in regions of interest. Additionally, PVDeg provides a local database for storage and spatial queries, supporting large-scale analyses without the need for high-performance computing (HPC) resources. PVDeg provides a foundational workflow that extends its utility beyond PV applications, enabling researchers to analyze geospatial processes across discipline.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Enhancing the representation of water management in global hydrological models

Abstract. This study enhances an existing global hydrological model (GHM), Xanthos, by adding a new water management module that distinguishes between the operational characteristics of irrigation, hydropower, and flood control reservoirs. We remapped reservoirs in the Global Reservoir and Dam (GRanD) database to the 0.5∘ spatial resolution in Xanthos so that a single lumped reservoir exists per grid cell, which yielded 3790 large reservoirs. We implemented unique operation rules for each reservoir type, based on their primary purposes. In particular, hydropower reservoirs have been treated as flood control reservoirs in previous GHM studies, while here, we determined the operation rules for hydropower reservoirs via optimization that maximizes long-term hydropower production. We conducted global simulations using the enhanced Xanthos and validated monthly streamflow for 91 large river basins, where high-quality observed streamflow data were available. A total of 1878 (296 hydropower, 486 irrigation, and 1096 flood control and others) out of the 3790 reservoirs are located in the 91 basins and are part of our reported results. The Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE) value (after adding the new water management) is ≥ 0.5 and ≥ 0.0 in 39 and 81 basins, respectively. After adding the new water management module, model performance improved for 75 out of 91 basins and worsened for only 7. To measure the relative difference between explicitly representing hydropower reservoirs and representing hydropower reservoirs as flood control reservoirs (as is commonly done in other GHMs), we use the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) and the coefficient of determination (R2). Out of the 296 hydropower reservoirs, the NRMSE is > 0.25 (i.e., considering 0.25 to represent a moderate difference) for over 44 % of the 296 reservoirs when comparing both the simulated reservoir releases and storage time series between the two simulations. We suggest that correctly representing hydropower reservoirs in GHMs could have important implications for our understanding and management of freshwater resource challenges at regional-to-global scales. This enhanced global water management modeling framework will allow the analysis of future global reservoir development and management from a coupled human–earth system perspective.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

New approaches to an old problem: addressing spatial gaps in the World Stress Map

Abstract A well-recognized characteristic of the World Stress Map (WSM) database is the continued presence of large spatial gaps in the distribution of the data records despite the more than 40-year development history of the database. The current release has more than 30 000 high-quality (A–C) data records (often referred to as ‘stress indicators’), but while some continental areas (such as Australia) have seen a significant increase in spatial converge with the latest release, other continental regions (Africa, central Asia, most of South America) remain markedly sparse. In this contribution we (1) review the current state of the spatial distribution of stress indicators in the continental regions (above sea-level); (2) quantify the clustering of the stress indicators in the latest WSM release using the Hopkins statistic as a way to explore the current spatial distribution of the indicators and assess future WSM releases; and (3) present three approaches (joint inversion, seismic anisotropy and InSAR) that provide a way to fill in the gaps (both in the S Hmax orientation and principal stress magnitudes) in regions that lack active seismicity and where borehole drilling is cost prohibitive. These three approaches have the potential to guide procedures for improving a priori estimates of the ambient stress field in the Earth's crust and reduce the uncertainty in predicting both the magnitude and orientation of the principal tectonic stresses.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Carbon Storage Technical Viability Approach (CS TVA) Data Availability Results Database

The Carbon Storage Technical Viability Approach (CS TVA) Data Availability Results Database v1.0 is the output of a data availability assessment workflow that was developed by NETL to create a tool for spatial data availability assessment. This results database is the output of the first version of the workflow performed on the data with the CS TVA Database v2.0.

carbon storage↗