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At least 487 records · Page 27

Auger electron intensity variations in oxygen-charged silver

Auger intensity variations over an oxygen-charged polycrystalline silver surface have been observed by studies of Auger images and line scans of selected adjacent grains which were determined to be the (421) and (221) orientations. The observed contrast (M4.5VV transition) between the grains is produced by the variation in the detected Auger electrons caused by the different directions (interatomic direction) of forward focusing in each grain. The contrast produced by the Ag Auger electrons was found to be strongly dependent on the surface order of the grains, but that of the O Auger electrons was not, presumably because the atoms were randomly distributed throughout the Ag surface or subsurface. The contrast observed between the grains at the lower Auger energies (N1VV and N1N2.3V transitions) appeared to be produced by constructive interference from multiple scattering. The N1N2.3V electrons at 29 eV, for example, gave higher contrast than that of the N1VV transition at 78 eV.

Lee, W. S.↗

AIRSAR Data for Geological and Geomorphological Mapping in the Great Sandy Desert and Pilbara Regions of Western Australia

Enhancements of AIRSAR data have demonstrated the benefits of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for revealing an additional and mich higher level of information about the composition of the terrain than enhancements f either SPOT-PAN or Landsat TM data. With appropriate image processing techniques, surface and near surface geological structures, hydrological systems (both current and ancient) and landform features, have been evidenced in a diverse range of landscapes. In the Great Sandy Desert region where spectral variability is minimal, radar's sensitivity to the micromorphology of sparse exposures of subcrop and lag gravels has provided a new insight into the region's geological framework, its landforms, and their evolution. In the Pilbara region, advanced processing of AIRSAR data to unmix the backscatter between and within the three frequencies of data has highlighted subsurface extensions of greenstone lithologies below sand cover and morphological evidence of past flow conditions under former climate regimes. On the basis of these observations, it is recommend that radar remote sensing technology involving the use of high resolution, polarimetric data be seriously considered as a viable tool for exploration in erosional and depositional environments located within Australia's mineral and oil-prospective provinces.

Tapley, Ian J.↗

Mitigating keyhole pore formation by nanoparticles during laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing

Keyhole pore formation is one of the most detrimental subsurface defects in the laser metal additive manufacturing process. However, effective ways to mitigate keyhole pore formation beyond tuning laser processing conditions during keyhole mode laser melting are still lacking. Here we report a novel approach to mitigate keyhole pore formation during laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process by using stable nanoparticles. The critical keyhole depth for keyhole pore generation (i.e., the largest keyhole depth without keyhole pore formation) during LPBF of Al6061 increases from 246 µm to 454 µm (85% increase) after adding TiC nanoparticles. In-depth x-ray imaging studies and thermo-fluid dynamics simulation enable us to identify that two mechanisms work together to mitigate keyhole pore generation: (1) adding nanoparticles prevents the keyhole from collapsing by increasing the liquid viscosity to impede the protrusion development; (2) adding nanoparticles slows down the keyhole pore movement by increasing the liquid viscosity, resulting in the recapturing of the pore by the keyhole. We further demonstrate that adding TiC nanoparticles can also eliminate the keyhole fluctuation induced keyhole pore during LPBF of Al6061. Our research provides a potential way to mitigate keyhole pore formation for defect lean metal additive manufacturing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Prospecting for Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements from Marcellus Shale in the Western Portion of the Appalachian Basin with Non-Destructive Core Characterization

Identification of sources for domestic critical minerals and rare earth elements (CM/REE) has been deemed essential for the energy transition by the United States Department of Energy (DOE). The U.S. DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL) Geomaterials Characterization Laboratory has performed non-destructive core characterizations on energy-relevant rock cores for the past decade. During this time, NETL has published over 36 technical reports and made the associated data publicly available. Much of this work focuses on unconventional shale gas, subsurface carbon storage systems, and carbon-ore. These efforts provide cm-scale petrophysical and elemental data, photographic documentation, detailed core descriptions, and computed tomography (CT) data for each well. This provides a first phase prospecting resource for CM/REE resources and can provide a map for pin-pointing intervals and lithologies for further development. Using historical core characterization data from 12 Marcellus wells from the western portion of the Appalachian Basin, this study builds an improved understanding of the chemostratigraphy of the basin. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and CT images were used to determine lithologic intervals and potential ore bodies for further analysis, including benchtop digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to better understand the CM/REE enrichments.

Paronish, Thomas J.↗

Foliar element determination from field survey in association with the National Ecological Observatory Network Airborne Observation Platform survey, East River, Colorado 2018

The purpose of this dataset is to support research aimed at understanding the coupling between hydrologic and biogeochemical processes at watershed scale, particularly the relationship between aboveground vegetation characteristics and subsurface soil properties. These data are intended to inform and calibrate models of catchment-scale biogeochemical fluxes, including rock-derived nutrient cycling, and they were procured to address the following questions: (1) What is the distribution of vegetation characteristics across the study catchments? (2) Are foliar concentrations of rock-derived nutrients related to underlying lithology and soil availability, or are these signals masked by biotic nutrient cycling and retention processes?This data package contains foliar elemental data collected during the 2018 National Ecological Observatory Networks (NEON) Airborne Observation Platform (AOP) imaging spectroscopy and lidar surveys in Gunnison County, Colorado. Folair samples were collected across the East River, Washington Gulch, Slate River, and Coal Creek watersheds and contain a mixture of vegetation including meadow, shrub, and tree foliar samples. The samples were processed using aqua regia digestion and analyzed for elemental determination on inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).The data package includes: (1) raw foliar elemental data files in CSV and PDF formats, (2) quality control certificates in PDF format, and (3) an aggregated CSV file containing all elemental measurements compiled across samples. No specialized software is required to access or use these files.

2018 National Ecological Observatory Network Campa↗

Martian Plains Volcanism in Syria Planum and Tempe Mareotis as Analogs to the Eastern Snake River Plains, Idaho: Similarities and Possible Petrologic Contributions to Topography

Prior to the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) and Mars Odyssey (MO) missions, The Syria Planum region of Mars was noted for several clusters of small (5-100 km) shield volcanoes and collapse craters, long tube and fissure-fed lava flows, and possible volcanic vents that were thought to be nearly contemporaneous with the volcanism in the Tempe- Mareotis province, which has long been known for volcanic shields and vents analogous to those of the Eastern Snake River Plains (ESRP) in Idaho. Recent MGS-based work on regional and global populations of martian small shields has revealed significant global trends in edifice attributes that are well-explained by eruption models with latitudinal variations in subsurface water/ice abundance, consistent with recent MO evidence for significant amounts of subsurface water that varies in latitude abundance s, and topographic and morphologic evidence for more geologically recent lava-ice relationships. However, while the global trends in small volcano data can be at least partially explained by volatile interactions with volcanism, some global and regional characteristics appear to be perhaps better explained by possible compositional, crystallinity or eruption style variations. This study expands the sampling of shields done in martian initial global studies for the Syria Planum and Tempe-Mareotis regions, which display a newly visible breadth and number of features in image and topography data. We compare these features to a similar range of features visible in the ESRP where both compositional and eruption style variations can quantitatively be shown to contribute to morphologic and topographic differences.

Sakimoto, S. E. H.↗

Environmental cell for in situ X-ray synchrotron micro-CT imaging with simultaneous acoustic measurements

Synchrotron radiation provides the necessary spatial and temporal resolution for non-invasive operando studies of dynamic processes under complex environmental conditions. Here a new environmental cell for simultaneous in situ dynamic X-ray imaging and measuring acoustic properties of geological samples is presented. The primary purpose of this cell is to study gas-hydrate formation in porous geo-materials and its influence on their acoustic properties. The cell is designed for cylindrical samples of 9 mm in diameter, confining and pore pressures up to 12 MPa, and temperatures from –20°C to room temperature. The cell is portable and can be easily assembled and operated at different X-ray sources. This cell enables a wide range of experiments studying physical/chemical processes in the Earth subsurface that change the mechanical properties of rocks (geochemical reactions, phase transitions, etc.).

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Subsurface Ice Probe

The subsurface ice probe (SIPR) is a proposed apparatus that would bore into ice to depths as great as hundreds of meters by melting the ice and pumping the samples of meltwater to the surface. Originally intended for use in exploration of subsurface ice on Mars and other remote planets, the SIPR could also be used on Earth as an alternative to coring, drilling, and melting apparatuses heretofore used to sample Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets. The SIPR would include an assembly of instrumentation and electronic control equipment at the surface, connected via a tether to a compact assembly of boring, sampling, and sensor equipment in the borehole (see figure). Placing as much equipment as possible at the surface would help to attain primary objectives of minimizing power consumption, sampling with high depth resolution, and unobstructed imaging of the borehole wall. To the degree to which these requirements would be satisfied, the SIPR would offer advantages over the aforementioned ice-probing systems.

Hecht, Michael↗

Physical and Hydraulic Properties of RCRA Borehole Samples from the Hanford Site : Final Report, Fiscal Years 2023-2024

Sediment from 44 core samples collected from Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) boreholes drilled in the 200 East and 200 West areas of the Hanford Site were characterized for physical and hydraulic properties (Table S.1). Characterization data included gravimetric water contents and matric potentials, grain-size distributions, saturated hydraulic conductivity, water retention characteristics, and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. These properties provide site-specific data and parameters that can be used in subsurface flow and contaminant transport models to assess the transport and fate of contaminants in the vadose zone and underlying aquifer systems. The analyzed core samples come from specific areas and depth intervals at the Hanford Site that were targeted for sampling to address data gaps identified by site contractors (Khaleel 2020). X-ray computed tomography (XCT) was used to evaluate the general textural characteristics of the samples and to determine which samples to use for further physical and hydraulic property characterization. Subsequent sample selection was determined by consensus after review of the XCT images by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Central Plateau Cleanup Company, and INTERA staff.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Pore-scale visualization of natural hydrate-bearing sediments

Accurate modeling of gas hydrate reservoir productivity and geomechanical risks associated with subsurface dissociation of natural gas hydrates (NGH) requires the determination of model parameters through physical testing on natural hydrate-bearing sediments (HBS). This involves investigating the hydro-mechanical behavior of undisturbed hydrate samples from nature under in situ conditions using pressure core characterization and analysis, which provides a unique opportunity for research. By employing state-of-the-art micro computed tomography imagery on cryogenically preserved, hydrate-bearing sediment samples, we can determine hydrate saturation as well as permeability with and without the presence of hydrates in the sediment. Furthermore, utilizing a machine learning based image segmentation technique, it is possible to extract pore space and grain information. Subsections of the entire image volume were used to determine anisotropic permeabilities using a finite-difference method Stokes solver (FDMSS). Additionally, permeability measurements on whole pressure and temperature preserved hydrate-bearing core were analyzed by utilizing the National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL) Pressure Core Characterization and X-ray CT Visualization Tool (PCXT) to manipulate, cut, and analyze pressure preserved sediment. Permeabilities were measured under a broad range of vertical stress states to simulate expected pressure changes during production scenarios, and the results show that permeabilities derived from images are in agreement with those from traditional core derived experiments. The collected stress-dependent permeability, permeability anisotropy, and corresponding gas hydrate saturations provide valuable input into numerical simulations of reservoir productivity. These properties have been proven to be key parameters determining a long-term reservoir response under depressurization.

Liu, Mengwei [Oak Ridge Institute for Science and ↗

NASA Tech Briefs, January 2013

Topics include: Single-Photon-Sensitive HgCdTe Avalanche Photodiode Detector; Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Using Silica Whispering-Gallery Mode Resonators; 3D Hail Size Distribution Interpolation/Extrapolation Algorithm; Color-Changing Sensors for Detecting the Presence of Hypergolic Fuels; Artificial Intelligence Software for Assessing Postural Stability; Transformers: Shape-Changing Space Systems Built with Robotic Textiles; Fibrillar Adhesive for Climbing Robots; Using Pre-Melted Phase Change Material to Keep Payloads in Space Warm for Hours without Power; Development of a Centrifugal Technique for the Microbial Bioburden Analysis of Freon (CFC-11); Microwave Sinterator Freeform Additive Construction System (MS-FACS); DSP/FPGA Design for a High-Speed Programmable S-Band Space Transceiver; On-Chip Power-Combining for High-Power Schottky Diode-Based Frequency Multipliers; FPGA Vision Data Architecture; Memory Circuit Fault Simulator; Ultra-Compact Transputer-Based Controller for High-Level, Multi-Axis Coordination; Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot Excavator; Magnetically Actuated Seal; Hybrid Electrostatic/Flextensional Mirror for Lightweight, Large-Aperture, and Cryogenic Space Telescopes; System for Contributing and Discovering Derived Mission and Science Data; Remote Viewer for Maritime Robotics Software; Stackfile Database; Reachability Maps for In Situ Operations; JPL Space Telecommunications Radio System Operating Environment; RFI-SIM: RFI Simulation Package; ION Configuration Editor; Dtest Testing Software; IMPaCT - Integration of Missions, Programs, and Core Technologies; Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) Toolkit; Wind-Driven Wireless Networked System of Mobile Sensors for Mars Exploration; In Situ Solid Particle Generator; Analysis of the Effects of Streamwise Lift Distribution on Sonic Boom Signature; Rad-Tolerant, Thermally Stable, High-Speed Fiber-Optic Network for Harsh Environments; Towed Subsurface Optical Communications Buoy; High-Collection-Efficiency Fluorescence Detection Cell; Ultra-Compact, Superconducting Spectrometer-on-a-Chip at Submillimeter Wavelengths; UV Resonant Raman Spectrometer with Multi-Line Laser Excitation; Medicine Delivery Device with Integrated Sterilization and Detection; Ionospheric Simulation System for Satellite Observations and Global Assimilative Model Experiments - ISOGAME; Airborne Tomographic Swath Ice Sounding Processing System; flexplan: Mission Planning System for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter; Estimating Torque Imparted on Spacecraft Using Telemetry; PowderSim: Lagrangian Discrete and Mesh-Free Continuum Simulation Code for Cohesive Soils; Multiple-Frame Detection of Subpixel Targets in Thermal Image Sequences; Metric Learning to Enhance Hyperspectral Image Segmentation; Basic Operational Robotics Instructional System; Sheet Membrane Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator; Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Low-Cost, High-Performance Liquid Rocket Combustion Chambers; Motor Qualification for Long-Duration Mars Missions.

Source record↗

Optical design of the Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE)

e Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE) is a high-throughput pushbroom imaging spectrometer designed for NASA’s planned flyby mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa. The MISE design utilizes heritage from previously demonstrated instruments on airborne platforms, while advancing the state of the art to operate within Europa’s challenging environment. The instrument operates at F/1.4 and covers a spectral range from 0.8 to 5 microns with 10 nm spectral sampling. Through high resolution mapping, MISE is designed to identify distributions of organics, salts, acid hydrates, water ice phases, altered silicates, radiolytic compounds, and warm thermal anomalies at global, regional, and local scales. Such distribution maps will help study surface and subsurface geologic processes, and assess the habitability of Europa’s ocean. We discuss the optical specifications and baseline performance of the MISE optical design.

Van Gorp, Byron E.↗

Helioseismology of a Realistic Magnetoconvective Sunspot Simulation

We compare helioseismic travel-time shifts measured from a realistic magnetoconvective sunspot simulation using both helioseismic holography and time-distance helioseismology, and measured from real sunspots observed with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager instrument on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Michelson Doppler Imager instrument on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. We find remarkable similarities in the travel-time shifts measured between the methodologies applied and between the simulated and real sunspots. Forward modeling of the travel-time shifts using either Born or ray approximation kernels and the sound-speed perturbations present in the simulation indicates major disagreements with the measured travel-time shifts. These findings do not substantially change with the application of a correction for the reduction of wave amplitudes in the simulated and real sunspots. Overall, our findings demonstrate the need for new methods for inferring the subsurface structure of sunspots through helioseismic inversions.

Sun-interior↗

Key Perseverance Sampling Locations for the Ancient Martian Crust and Implications for Mars Science

Since Feb 2021, the Perseverance rover has collected samples in the Jezero crater. The plan baselined at the 2018 landing site selection, subsequently further developed by the Mars-2020 team, and presented to the Decadal Survey included the exploration and sampling of the Jezero crater rim and the Nili Planum area, a rock record that is important to preserving the science return of the endeavor. Specifically, the science team identified the following prioritized science objectives aligned with community objectives that are not covered by the current sample cache: 1) Investigate the habitable environments with potential biosignatures from a more ancient time interval and from a diverse set of geological environments (incl. exposed subsurface) than the Jezero crater sedimentary deposits (Fig. 2). (2) Determine radioisotopic ages for well-defined craterretaining surfaces and/or the Isidis basin impact event. (3) Characterize ancient aqueous environments to study climate, environmental transitions, and habitability on ancient Mars. (4) Investigate planetary accretion, crustal evolution, and dynamo activity through analysis and sampling of igneous lithologies. (5) Study the geology of basin-forming impacts. In addition, for the Jezero rim and any Jezero ejecta: (6) Analyze Jezero impactites for potentially habitable hydrothermal environments and radioisotopic dating of the Jezero crater formation. From 2018 to now, we used a combination of High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRISE) and Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) data to further characterize Jezero rim and Nili Planum, culminating in our prioritized sample location recommendations: (1) Monument Valley and (2) Northwest Jezero rim.

Mars sample return↗

Time-lapse seismic data inversion for estimating reservoir parameters using deep learning

Geologic carbon sequestration involves the injection of captured carbon dioxide ([Formula: see text]) into subsurface formations for long-term storage. The movement and fate of the injected [Formula: see text] plume is of great concern to regulators because monitoring helps to identify potential leakage zones and determines the possibility of safe long-term storage. To address this concern, we design a deep-learning framework for [Formula: see text] saturation monitoring to determine the geologic controls on the storage of the injected [Formula: see text]. We use different combinations of porosities and permeabilities for a given reservoir to generate saturation and velocity models. We train the deep-learning model with a few time-lapse seismic images and their corresponding changes in saturation values for a particular [Formula: see text] injection site. The deep-learning model learns the mapping from the change in the time-lapse seismic response to the change in [Formula: see text] saturation during the training phase. We then apply the trained model to data sets comprising different time-lapse seismic image slices (corresponding to different time instances) generated using different porosity and permeability distributions that are not part of the training to estimate the [Formula: see text] saturation values along with the plume extent. Our algorithm provides a deep-learning assisted framework for the direct estimation of [Formula: see text] saturation values and plume migration in heterogeneous formations using the time-lapse seismic data. Our method improves the efficiency of time-lapse inversion by streamlining the large number of intermediate steps in the conventional time-lapse inversion workflow. This method also helps to incorporate the geologic uncertainty for a given reservoir by accounting for the statistical distribution of porosity and permeability during the training phase. Tests on different examples verify the effectiveness of our approach.

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗

Feasibility of source-free DAS logging for next-generation borehole imaging

Characterizing and monitoring geologic formations around a borehole are crucial for energy and environmental applications. However, conventional wireline sonic logging usually cannot be used in high-temperature environments nor is the tool feasible for long-term monitoring. We introduce and evaluate the feasibility of a source-free distributed-acoustic-sensing (DAS) logging method based on borehole DAS ambient noise. Our new logging method provides a next-generation borehole imaging tool. The tool is source free because it uses ever-present ambient noises as sources and does not need a borehole sonic source that cannot be easily re-inserted into a borehole after well completion for time-lapse monitoring. The receivers of our source-free DAS logging tool are fiber optic cables cemented behind casing, enabling logging in harsh, high-temperature environments, and eliminating the receiver repeatability issue of conventional wireline sonic logging for time-lapse monitoring. We analyze a borehole DAS ambient noise dataset to obtain root-mean-squares (RMS) amplitudes and use these amplitudes to infer subsurface elastic properties. We find that the ambient noise RMS amplitudes correlate well with anomalies in conventional logging data. The source-free DAS logging tool can advance our ability to characterize and monitor subsurface geologic formations in an efficient and cost-effective manner, particularly in high-temperature environments such as geothermal reservoirs. Further validation of the source-free DAS logging method using other borehole DAS ambient noise data would enable the new logging tool for wider applications.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Principal Components Analysis of Reflectance Spectra Returned by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity

The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has spent over six years exploring the Martian surface near its landing site at Meridiani Planum. Meridiani bedrock observed by the rover is largely characterized by sulfate-rich sandstones and hematite spherules, recording evidence of ancient aqueous environments [1]. The region is a deflationary surface, allowing hematite spherules, fragments of bedrock, and "cobbles" of foreign origin to collect loosely on the surface. These cobbles may be meteorites (e.g., Barberton, Heat Shield Rock, Santa Catarina) [2], or rock fragments of exotic composition derived from adjacent terranes or from the subsurface and delivered to Meridiani Planum as impact ejecta [3]. The cobbles provide a way to better understand Martian meteorites and the lithologic diversity of Meridiani Planum by examining the various rock types located there. In the summer of 2007, a global dust storm on Mars effectively disabled Opportunity's Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES), which served as the Athena Science Team s primary tool for remotely identifying rocks of interest on a tactical timescale for efficient rover planning. While efforts are ongoing to recover use of the Mini-TES, the team is currently limited to identifying rocks of interest by visual inspection of images returned from Opportunity's Panoramic Camera (Pancam). This study builds off of previous efforts to characterize cobbles at Meridiani Planum using a database of reflectance spectra extracted from Pancam 13-Filter (13F) images [3]. We analyzed the variability of rock spectra in this database and identified physical characteristics of Martian rocks that could potentially account for the observed variance. By understanding such trends, we may be able to distinguish between rock types at Meridiani Planum and regain the capability to remotely identify locally unique rocks.

Mercer, C. M.↗

Geology of Lofn Crater, Callisto

Lofn crater is a 180-km-diameter impact structure in the southern cratered plains of Callisto and is among the youngest features seen on the surface. The Lofn area was imaged by the Galileo spacecraft at regional-scale resolutions (875 m/pixel), which enable the general geology to be investigated. The morphology of Lofn crater suggests that (1) it is a class of impact structure intermediate between complex craters and palimpsests or (2) it formed by the impact of a projectile which fragmented before reaching the surface, resulting in a shallow crater (even for Callisto). The asymmetric pattern of the rim and ejecta deposits suggests that the impactor entered at a low angle from the northwest. The albedo and other characteristics of the ejecta deposits from Lofn also provide insight into the properties of the icy lithosphere and subsurface configuration at the time of impact. The "target" for the Lofn impact is inferred to have included layered materials associated with the Adlinda multiring structure northwest of Loh and ejecta deposits from the Heimdall crater area to the southeast. The Lofn impact might have penetrated through these materials into a viscous substrate of ductile ice or possibly liquid water. This interpretation is consistent with models of the current interior of Callisto based on geophysical information obtained from the Galileo spacecraft.

Greeley, Ronald↗