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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 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Machine processing of remotely sensed data; Proceedings of the Conference, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., October 16-18, 1973

Topics discussed include the management and processing of earth resources information, special-purpose processors for the machine processing of remotely sensed data, digital image registration by a mathematical programming technique, the use of remote-sensor data in land classification (in particular, the use of ERTS-1 multispectral scanning data), the use of remote-sensor data in geometrical transformations and mapping, earth resource measurement with the aid of ERTS-1 multispectral scanning data, the use of remote-sensor data in the classification of turbidity levels in coastal zones and in the identification of ecological anomalies, the problem of feature selection and the classification of objects in multispectral images, the estimation of proportions of certain categories of objects, and a number of special systems and techniques. Individual items are announced in this issue.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2020

Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship

Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship (CLUES) Report serves as a summary document of the land use and environmental stewardship activities occurring on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site (Desert) and the Research and Education Campus (REC) within Idaho Falls. Land and facility use planning and decisions at the INL Site are guided by a comprehensive planning process in accordance with the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) Order 430.1C, “Real Property Asset Management,” which states "Establish a data-driven, risk-informed, performance-based approach to the life-cycle management of real property assets that aligns the real property portfolio with DOE mission needs; acquire, manage, positively account for, and dispose of real property assets in a safe, secure, cost-effective, and sustainable manner; and ensure the real property portfolio is appropriately sized, aligned, and in the proper condition to support efficient mission execution." Land use planning, like Campus Master Planning and 5-Year Facility Planning, provides a means for better, more sustainable use of the INL Site in a coordinated effort to ensure current and future mission needs are met, including acquisition, recapitalization, maintenance, disposition, real property utilization and long-term stewardship. This document and all functions of INL are guided by the DOE Vision for INL and the INL Mission and builds on the baseline established in the FY 2015 CLUES Report. However, it delivers a revised structure with focus on new resource management zones, which provide organization of key management considerations and access restrictions to optimize land use and environmental stewardship. A new set of thematic Guiding Principles presented in this report provide the intent and sustainable management direction to protect the INL Site natural environment. They demonstrate that the mission and vision of DOE and INL can be realized with inclusion of first of a kind technology, private sector development, and globally recognized testing and demonstration. This CLUES Report encourages comprehensive management decision-making with additional resource discussions for sustainability, the built environment, and the ecological landscape at the INL Site. Enhanced resource considerations and trends emphasize the importance of air, land use, environmental, subsurface, and cultural resources. The INL Site supports exceptional and interdependent resources. A diversity of bat species are accommodated by culturally significant caves distributed around the Site. Big game species like elk, deer, and moose seek vegetation communities which are protected by long-term stewardship and monitoring programs.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Demographic data of Sedum lanceolatum from 2013 to 2014 under a climate manipulation experiment

Demographic data of Sedum lanceolatum under a climate manipulation experiment (heating and watering). Dataset includes one .csv with demographic data for 232 individuals monitored over 2013-2014 which was used, in part, to draw conclusions in "Elevation effects on vital rate sensitivities generate variation in neighbor effects on population growth rate in Sedum lanceolatum" by Herzog et al. (in review). All data was collected under a watering and warming experiment as part of the Alpine Treeline Warming Experiment at Niwot Ridge, Colorado, USA. There are two main data file formats in this archive: comma-separated values (.csv) which can be read using any simple text editor program, such as TextEdit (Mac) and Notepad (Windows). The .pdf data user’s guide can be read using Adobe Acrobat Reader, or any other compatible software.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2021

Carolina Coastal Plain Ecological Forecasting: Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Map Suitable Venus Flytrap Habitat in an Effort to Inform Conservation, Seed Banking, and Reintroduction in the Carolina Coastal Plain and Sandhills Regions

Although the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is recognized globally, its native range is restricted to a small portion of the North and South Carolina Coastal Plain and Sandhills. Within this limited range, Venus flytrap populations are threatened by habitat loss, fire suppression, and poaching. NASA DEVELOP partnered with the North Carolina Botanical Garden (NCBG), the University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP) to support Venus flytrap conservation. The team developed models based on species presence data and environmental variables using the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM) to create a 2021 habitat suitability map for Venus flytrap. These models incorporated Earth observations collected by Landsat 8 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS), Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS) Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR), and Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument (MSI). To predict areas at high risk of development, the team produced a 2050 land-use change map using TerrSet Land Change Modeler. The team found potential areas of conflict between predicted habitat and forecasted future development. Many areas of suitable habitat were concentrated along the coast where development was likely to occur, placing populations there at risk of extirpation. Overlaying suitable habitat with forecasted land change also identified suitable habitats with minimal risk of development, which may serve as lasting Venus flytrap habitat. These results can inform the NCBG and NCNHP’s conservation decision-making, including targeted seed banking, reintroduction, and prioritization of enduring habitats for protection and management.

Monika Rock↗
NASA NTRS2022

Grand Canyon Ecological Forecasting: Using NASA Earth Observations to Monitor and Model Juniper Woodland Mortality in Grand Canyon National Park

Significant die-offs of the drought tolerant species Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) and one-seeded juniper (Juniperus monosperma) have been observed throughout central and northern Arizona, including Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). As climate models project rising temperatures and continuous drought, land managers are concerned for the future of juniper in and around GCNP. This project incorporated data from Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), and ocular samples of the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) in a random forest model to identify patterns between characteristics of the landscape and locations of juniper woodland mortality and to model areas subject to vulnerability. This study found no significant correlation between ocularly sampled juniper tree mortality and remotely sensed environmental variables used thus, accurately modeling mortality vulnerability in the future was not feasible. The ocular sampling, however, allows the partners at the GCNP’s Science & Resource Management Division to better understand areas of juniper tree woodland mortality and the relative amount of mortality in the park. Additionally, the areas of juniper tree mortality found in this project provide the partners with guidance for future field sampling.

Scarlet Jackson↗
NASA NTRS1972

Program operational summary: Operational 90 day manned test of a regenerative life support system

An operational 90-day manned test of a regenerative life support system was successfully completed. This test was performed with a crew of four carefully selected and trained men in a space station simulator (SSS) which had a two gas atmosphere maintained at a total pressure of 68.9, 10 psia, and composed of oxygen at a partial pressure of 3.05 psia with nitrogen as the diluent. The test was planned to provide data on regenerative life support subsystems and on integrated system operations in a closed ecology, similar to that of a space station. All crew equipment and expendables were stored onboard at the start of the mission to eliminate the need for pass-in operations. The significant accomplishments of the test, some of the pertinent test results, some of the problem areas, and conclusions are presented.

Jackson, J. K.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The evolution of ecological tolerance in prokaryotes

The ecological ranges of Archaeobacteria and Eubacteria are constrained by a requirement for liquid water and the physico-chemical stability limits of biomolecules, but within this broad envelope, prokaryotes have evolved adaptations that permit them to tolerate a remarkable spectrum of habitats. Laboratory experiments indicate that prokaryotes can adapt rapidly to novel environmental conditions, yet geological studies suggest early diversification and long-term stasis within the prokaryotic kingdoms. These apparently contradictory perspectives can be reconciled by understanding that, in general, rates and patterns of prokaryotic evolution reflect the developmental history of the Earth's surface environments. Our understanding of modern microbial ecology provides a lens through which our accumulating knowledge of physiology, molecular phylogeny and the Earth's history can be integrated and focussed on the phenomenon of prokaryotic evolution.

NASA Discipline Number 52-30↗
DOE OSTI2024

Transboundary determinants of avian zoonotic infectious diseases: challenges for strengthening research capacity and connecting surveillance networks

As the climate changes, global systems have become increasingly unstable and unpredictable. This is particularly true for many disease systems, including subtypes of highly pathogenic avian influenzas (HPAIs) that are circulating the world. Ecological patterns once thought stable are changing, bringing new populations and organisms into contact with one another. Wild birds continue to be hosts and reservoirs for numerous zoonotic pathogens, and strains of HPAI and other pathogens have been introduced into new regions via migrating birds and transboundary trade of wild birds. With these expanding environmental changes, it is even more crucial that regions or counties that previously did not have surveillance programs develop the appropriate skills to sample wild birds and add to the understanding of pathogens in migratory and breeding birds through research. For example, little is known about wild bird infectious diseases and migration along the Mediterranean and Black Sea Flyway (MBSF), which connects Europe, Asia, and Africa. Focusing on avian influenza and the microbiome in migratory wild birds along the MBSF, this project seeks to understand the determinants of transboundary disease propagation and coinfection in regions that are connected by this flyway. Through the creation of a threat reduction network for avian diseases (Avian Zoonotic Disease Network, AZDN) in three countries along the MBSF (Georgia, Ukraine, and Jordan), this project is strengthening capacities for disease diagnostics; microbiomes; ecoimmunology; field biosafety; proper wildlife capture and handling; experimental design; statistical analysis; and vector sampling and biology. Here, we cover what is required to build a wild bird infectious disease research and surveillance program, which includes learning skills in proper bird capture and handling; biosafety and biosecurity; permits; next generation sequencing; leading-edge bioinformatics and statistical analyses; and vector and environmental sampling. Creating connected networks for avian influenzas and other pathogen surveillance will increase coordination and strengthen biosurveillance globally in wild birds.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1991

Colonization by Cladosporium spp. of painted metal surfaces associated with heating and air conditioning systems

Cladosporium cladosporioides and C. hebarum colonized painted metal surfaces of covering panels and register vents of heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems. Hyphae penetrated the paint film and developed characteristic conidiophores and conidia. The colonies were tightly appressed to the metal surface and conidia were not readily detectable via standard air sampling procedures.

NASA Program Environmental Health↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Global Water Monitor: Lake, Wetland, and River Reach Monitoring for Resource Management and Hazard Observation

The Global Water Monitor is a monitoring program offering surface water-related products for lakes, reservoirs, river reaches, and wetlands, https://blueice.gsfc.nasa.gov/gwm. These products are derived from multiple satellite-based altimetry and multispectral imaging platforms. The primary measurements are water level, slope, and extent, derived from a series of NASA and other agency instruments (Sentinel-3,-6, ICESat-2, SWOT, MODIS). The system serves stakeholders, the US Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service and the US Geological Survey, as well as various international, national, state, and intelligence agencies, engineers, ecologists, and hydrological researchers. Considering the sensitivity of ground-based data and the remote accessibility of many basins, the satellites offer global coverage, accuracy, and continuity of measurements. Observation of storage fluctuations in lakes and reservoirs provides users with knowledge of short and long-term drought conditions that can affect both water and energy resources. Emphasis is on changing climatic conditions, water sharing between nations, and regional stability. Measurements across a wetland complex can assist with efforts to assess hydrological dynamics with a focus on conservation efforts that aid both natural ecology and the sharing of precious water resources – the latter potentially being required in a basin across the municipal, crop irrigation, aquaculture, livestock, and power station spectrum. Observations of river reaches assists in the collection of basic hydraulic information, particularly in gauge-poor regions, for modelling efforts and the estimation of discharge, and at high-latitudes satellite-based river observations serve projects that warn of spring melts and flood hazards. We look at how recent improvements in instrument technology and mission operations are assisting with acquiring true global coverage and cross-validation efforts, and how stakeholders interact with the project in terms of setting requirements, product format, and accessibility methods. Examples show the application of the products across a range of programs, and in addition to meeting operational requirements, how the multi-decadal surface water levels are creating a high-quality timeline of Earth Data Records.

Lakes↗
DOE OSTI2023

The geographies, typologies, and trends of community-based organizations for solar energy in the United States

Community-based organizations (CBOs)1 play an important role in developing solar energy in low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities. This article shares the perspectives of CBO leaders in LMI communities, identifies and addresses solar information gaps, and provides recommendations State Energy Agencies and other government leaders can use to better involve CBOs in solar program initiatives. Using semi-structured interviews and focus groups with CBOs from across the United States (US) we develop typologies of CBO structure and function, and determine the primary motivations, challenges, opportunities, and communication barriers CBOs face. We explore the correlation between key typologies such as tenure, staff capacity, population served, organizational structure, and region with the organizational activities performed by solar-related CBOs. CBOs operate in disparate regional political and economic ecologies. Our findings suggest strategies for states to support their engagement in solar-related endeavors, particularly with respect to the dissemination of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: Solar for All. Developing policies that encourage CBOs to enter the solar training and installation domains, alongside targeted grants and capacity-building initiatives can help maximize community benefits. Furthermore, states can additionally contribute to the positive trajectory and collaboration between state agencies and CBOs in advancing solar energy adoption by fostering a supportive environment.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Mission Overview and Status IGARSS Conference

The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission is a strategic climate continuity mission that was defined in the 2010 document Responding to the Challenge of Climate and Environmental Change: NASA’s Plan for Climate-Centric Architecture for Earth Observations and Applications from Space (referred to as the “Climate Initiative”). Scheduled for launch in January 2024, the PACE mission represents NASA’s next investment in ocean biology, clouds, and aerosol data records [1]. PACE will extend the high quality ocean ecological, ocean biogeochemical, cloud, and aerosol particle data records begun by NASA in the 1990s, building on the exceptional heritages of the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). The PACE project office at NASA’s GSFC is responsible for the satellite development, launch and operations. The NASA Headquarters PACE Program Science office is responsible for supporting the science data processing system and assembling competed community science teams, which will include field-based vicarious calibration and data product validation efforts to support the PACE Project Science team. The mission is planned for launch into a Sun synchronous polar orbit at 676.5 km with an inclination of 98 degrees and a 1 pm local ascending node crossing time. The PACE observatory is comprised of three instruments, an Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) and two polarimeters, the Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter 2 (HARP2) and the Spectro-Polarimeter for Exploration (SPEXone). The OCI is the primary instrument on the observatory and is being developed at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The OCI is a hyperspectral scanning radiometer designed to measure spectral radiances from the ultraviolet to shortwave infrared (SWIR) to enable advanced ocean color and heritage cloud and atmospheric aerosol science [2]. The HARP2 and SPEXone are complimentary instruments on the PACE observatory, acquired outside of GSFC. The HARP2 is multi-spectral, wide swath (supporting atmospheric correction of OCI), and hyper-angular, with capabilities for cloud science that exceed what is capable from OCI alone. The SPEXone is narrow swath, multi-angular, and hyperspectral, with capabilities for atmospheric aerosol science that exceed what can be accomplished with OCI. NASA Headquarters directed the mission development to be guided by a Design-to-Cost (DTC) process. All elements of the mission, other than the cost, are in the DTC trade space. At the heart of the DTC process are the mission studies, performed across all the mission elements. The mission studies were used to define appropriate approaches within and across elements while maximizing science capabilities at a high cost confidence. Mission baseline requirements development is also embedded within the DTC process, as these requirements were not established at the onset of the mission concept development. Baseline mission requirements are a product of the mission studies and are defined by the project office as part of the DTC process. At the time of this writing, OCI, HARP2 and SPEXone are integrated onto the PACE spacecraft, creating the PACE observatory. The instruments and spacecraft subsystems are undergoing combined functional performance testing in preparation for observatory-level environmental testing prior to shipment to the launch site. Here, we will provide an update on science capabilities and observatory readiness for its early 2024 launch.

remote sensing↗
NASA NTRS1986

Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) physiochemical waste management systems evaluation

Parametric data for six waste management subsystems considered for use on the Space Station are compared, i.e.: (1) dry incineration; (2) wet oxidation; (3) supercritical water oxidation; (4) vapor compression distillation; (5) thermoelectric integrated membrane evaporation system; and (6) vapor phase catalytic ammonia removal. The parameters selected for comparison are on-orbit weight and volume, resupply and return to Earth logistics, power consumption, and heat rejection. Trades studies are performed on subsystem parameters derived from the most recent literature. The Boeing Engineering Trade Study (BETS), an environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) trade study computer program developed by Boeing Aerospace Company, is used to properly size the subsystems under study. The six waste treatment subsystems modeled in this program are sized to process the wastes for a 90-day Space Station mission with an 8-person crew, and an emergency supply period of 28 days. The resulting subsystem parameters are compared not only on an individual subsystem level but also as part of an integrated ECLSS.

Oleson, M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

A global change data base using Thematic Mapper data - Earth Monitoring Educational System (EMES)

Some of the main directions in creating an education program in earth system science aimed at combining top science and technology with high academic performance are presented. The creation of an Earth Monitoring Educational System (EMES) integrated with the research interests of the NASA Ames Research Center and one or more universities is proposed. Based on the integration of a global network of cooperators to build a global data base for assessments of global change, EMES would promote degrees at all levels in global ecology at associated universities and colleges, and extracurricular courses for multilevel audiences. EMES objectives are to: train specialists; establish a tradition of solving regional problems concerning global change in a systemic manner, using remote sensing technology as the monitoring tool; and transfer knowledge on global change to the national and world communities. South America is proposed as the pilot continent for the project.

D'Antoni, Hector L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Medical considerations for extending human presence in space

The prospects for extending the length of time that humans can safely remain in space depend partly on resolution of a number of medical issues. Physiologic effects of weightlessness that may affect health during flight include loss of body fluid, functional alterations in the cardiovascular system, loss of red blood cells and bone mineral, compromised immune system function, and neurosensory disturbances. Some of the physiologic adaptations to weightlessness contribute to difficulties with readaptation to Earth's gravity. These include cardiovascular deconditioning and loss of body fluids and electrolytes; red blood cell mass; muscle mass, strength, and endurance; and bone mineral. Potentially harmful factors in space flight that are not related to weightlessness include radiation, altered circadian rhythms and rest/work cycles, and the closed, isolated environment of the spacecraft. There is no evidence that space flight has long-term effects on humans, except that bone mass lost during flight may not be replaced, and radiation damage is cumulative. However, the number of people who have spent several months or longer in space is still small. Only carefully-planned experiments in space preceded by thorough ground-based studies can provide the information needed to increase the amount of time humans can safely spend in space.

Review, Tutorial↗
DOE OSTI2022

Using remote sensing to quantify the additional climate benefits of California forest carbon offset projects

Abstract Nature‐based climate solutions are a vital component of many climate mitigation strategies, including California's, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. Most carbon offsets in California's cap‐and‐trade program come from improved forest management (IFM) projects. Since 2012, various landowners have set up IFM projects following the California Air Resources Board's IFM protocol. As many of these projects approach their 10th year, we now have the opportunity to assess their effectiveness, identify best practices, and suggest improvements toward future protocol revisions. In this study, we used remote sensing‐based datasets to evaluate the carbon trends and harvest histories of 37 IFM projects in California. Despite some current limitations and biases, these datasets can be used to quantify carbon accumulation and harvest rates in offset project lands relative to nearby similar “control” lands before and after the projects began. Five lines of evidence suggest that the carbon accumulated in offset projects to date has generally not been additional to what might have otherwise occurred: (1) most forests in northwestern California have been accumulating carbon since at least the mid‐1980s and continue to accumulate carbon, whether enrolled in offset projects or not; (2) harvest rates were high in large timber company project lands before IFM initiation, suggesting they are earning carbon credits for forests in recovery; (3) projects are often located on lands with higher densities of low‐timber‐value species; (4) carbon accumulation rates have not yet increased on lands that enroll as offset projects, relative to their pre‐enrollment levels; and (5) harvest rates have not decreased on most project lands since offset project initiation. These patterns suggest that the current protocol should be improved to robustly measure and reward additionality. In general, our framework of geospatial analyses offers an important and independent means to evaluate the effectiveness of the carbon offsets program, especially as these data products continue improving and as offsets receive attention as a climate mitigation strategy.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1990

Biospheres and solar system exploration

The implications of biosphere technology is briefly examined. The exploration status and prospects of each world in the solar system is briefly reviewed, including the asteroid belt, the moon, and comets. Five program elements are listed as particularly critical for future interplanetary operations during the coming extraterrestrial century. They include the following: (1) a highway to Space (earth orbits); (2) Orbital Spaceports to support spacecraft assembly, storage, repair, maintenance, refueling, launch, and recovery; (3) a Bridge Between Worlds to transport cargo and crews to the moon and beyond to Mars; (4) Prospecting and Resource Utilization Systems to map and characterize the resources of planets, moons, and asteroids; and (5) Closed Ecology Biospheres. The progress in these five field is reviewed.

Paine, Thomas O.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Forest investigations by polarimetric AIRSAR data in the Harz mountains

The Harz Mountains in the North of Germany have been a study site for several remote sensing investigations since 1985, as the mountainous area is one of the forest regions in Germany heavily affected by forest decline, especially in the high altitudes above 800 m. In a research program at the University of Berlin, methods are developed for improving remote sensing assessment of forest structure and forest state by additional GIS information, using several datasets for establishing a forest information system. The Harz has been defined as a test site for the SIR-C/X-SAR mission which is going to deliver multifrequency and multipolarizational SAR data from orbit. In a pilot project let by DLR-DFD, these data are to be investigated for forestry and ecology purposes. In preparing a flight campaign to the SIR-C / X-SAR mission, 'MAC EUROPE 1991', performed by NASA/JPL, an area of about 12 km in the Northern Harz was covered with multipolarizational AIRSAR data in the C-, L- and P-band, including the Brocken, the highest mountain of the Harz, with an altitude of 1142 m. The multiparameter AIRSAR data are investigated for their information content on the forest state, regarding the following questions: (1) information on forest stand parameters like forest types, age classes and crown density, especially for the separation of deciduous and coniferous forest; (2) information on the storm damages (since 1972) and the status of regeneration; (3) information on the status of forest destruction because of forest decline; and (4) influence of topography, local incidence angle and soil moisture on the SAR data. Within the project various methods and tools have been developed for the investigation of multipolarimetric radar backscatter responses and for discrimination purposes, in order to use the multipolarization information of the compressed Stokes matrix delivered by JPL.

Keil, M.↗