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At least 595 records · Page 33

Geologic mapping of Northern Atla Regio on Venus: Preliminary data

The Northern part of Atla Regio within the frame of C1-formate Magellan photo map 15N197 was mapped geologically at scale 1:8,000,000. This is a part of Russia's contribution into C1 geologic mapping efforts. The map is reproduced here being reduced about twice. The map shows that the Northern Atla area is predominantly a volcanic plain with numerous volcanic features: shield volcanoes, domes and hills with various morphology, corona-like constructions, radar bright and dark spots often with flow-like outlines. Relatively small areas of tessera occurred in the area are mainly semi-flooded with the plain material. Tesserae are considered to be the oldest terrains within the map sheet. There are many lineated terrains in the region. They are interpreted as the old, almost-buried tesserae (those with crossed lineaments) or partly buried ridge belts (those with parallel lineaments). These lineated terrains have an intermediate age between the young volcanic plains and the old tessera areas. Two prominent high volcanic shields are located within the region - Ozza Mons and Sapas Mona. The most prominent structure in Northern Atla is Ganis Chasma rift. The rift cuts volcanic plain and is considered to be under formation during approximately the same time with Ozza Mons shield. Ganis Chasma rift valley is highly fractured and bounded with fault scarps. Rift shoulder uplifts are typical for Ganis Chasma. There are few relatively young volcanic features inside the rift valley. The analysis of fracturing and rift valley geometry shows the rift originated due to 5-10 percent crustal extention followed by the crustal subsidence. The age sequence summary for the main terrain types in the region is (from older to younger ones): tesserae; lineated terrains with crossed lineaments; lineated terrains with parallel lineaments; volcanic plains; and prominent volcanic shields and Ganis Chasma rift valley. The geologic structure of Atla Regio as it appeared now with the Magellan high resolution images is very close to that of Beta Regio. Such conclusion coincide with the earlier ones based on the coarser data.

Nikishin, A. M.↗

Gravity survey of the Mount Toondina impact structure, South Australia

Gravity and seismic reflection data, together with geologic mapping, indicate that the Mount Toondina feature in South Australia is best interpreted as an eroded 4-km-diameter impact structure consisting of a ring structural depression surrounding a pronounced central uplift. Beds at the center of the structure within the central uplift have been raised as much as 200 m from depth and deformed by convergent flow. Seismic reflection data indicate that deformation extends to depths of only approximately = 800 m; at greater depths the reflectors are nearly flat lying, indicating little or no deformation. Gravity data show residual anomalies of +1.0 mGal coincident with the central uplift and a -0.5 Mgal low associated with the ring structural depression. Modeling of the gravity data indicates that relatively high-density material occurs within the central uplift, whereas the ring depression is filled with low-density material. The deformation at Mount Toondina is typical of a complex impact crater; the 4-km diameter is consistent with the expected threshold size for complex craters formed in weak to moderate strength sedimentary rocks.

Plescia, J. B.↗

Polygonal Landforms at the South Pole and Implications for Exposed Water Ice

Polygonal terrain is a reliable indication of subsurface water ice. Following the discovery of exposed water ice on the south polar layered deposits we searched for and mapped occurrences of polygonal terrain. Occurrences of polygons were found in regions interpreted to have exposed water ice at the surface.

S Piqueux↗

Lava Lakes on Io: New Perspectives from Modeling

Ionian paterae are a class of volcanic feature that are characterized by irregular craters with steep walls, flat floors, and arcuate margins that may or may not exhibit nesting. Loki (310 W, 12 N) is Io's largest patera at approx.200 km in diameter (Figure 1), and may account for 15% of Io's total heat flow. Earth-based infrared data, as well as information collected using the Galileo Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) and the Photopolarimeter Radiometer (PPR) have been used to interpret Loki s eruption style. Debate continues over whether Loki s occasional (periodic or not) temperature increases are due to an overturning lava lake within the patera, or to an eruption of surface flows on the patera floor. Interpretation of model results and comparisons with active terrestrial lava lakes suggest that Loki behaves quite differently from active lava lakes on Earth, and that surface flows (rather than an overturning lava lake) are a more likely explanation of Loki's thermal brightening.

Gregg, Tracy K. P.↗

Gravity Survey of the Mt. Toondina Impact Structure South Australia

Gravity and seismic reflection data, together with geologic mapping, indicate that the Mt. Toondina feature in South Australia is best interpreted as an eroded 4-km-diameter impact structure consisting of a ring structural depression surrounding a pronounced central uplift. Beds at the center of the structure within the central uplift have been raised as much as 200 m from depth and deformed by convergent flow. Seismic reflection data indicate that deformation extends to depths of only about 800 m; at greater depths the reflectors are nearly flat lying indicating little or no deformation. Gravity data show residual anomalies of +1.0 mGal coincident with the central uplift and a -0.5 mGal low associated with the ring structural depression. Modeling of the gravity data indicates that relatively high-density material occurs within the central uplift, whereas the ring depression is filled with low-density material. The deformation at Mt. Toondina is typical of a complex impact crater; the 4-km diameter is consistent with the expected threshold size for complex craters formed in weak to moderate strength sedimentary rocks.

Mt. Toondina Australia↗

Anomalous snow accumulation over the southeast region of the Greenland ice sheet during 2002-2003 snow season

Our objective is to determine seasonal snow accumulation in the percolation zone of the Greenland ice sheet on the daily-weekly basis over the large scale. Our approach utilizes data from the Greenland Climate Network (GC-Net) and from the SeaWinds Scatterometer on the QuikSCAT satellite (QSCAT) to measure snow accumulation (SA) in the percolation zone of the Greenland ice sheet. GC-Net measurements provide crucial in-situ data to facilitate the interpretation of QSCAT backscatter signature for the development of an algorithm to map SA.

Greenland↗

Geologic Map of the Snegurochka Planitia Quadrangle (V-1): Implications for Tectonic and Volcanic History of the North Polar Region of Venus

Geologic mapping of Snegurochka Planitia (V-1) reveals a complex stratigraphy of tectonic and volcanic features that can provide insight into the geologic history of Venus and Archean Earth [1,2], including 1) episodes of both localized crustal uplift and mantle downwelling, 2) shifts from local to regional volcanic activity, and 3) a shift back to local volcanic activity. We present our progress in mapping the spatial and stratigraphic relationships of material units and our initial interpretations of the tectonic and volcanic history of the region surrounding the north pole of Venus

Hurwitz, D. M.↗

Land use mapping and modelling for the Phoenix Quadrangle

The author has identified the following significant results. In comparing the land use changes from the overlay as detected from ERTS-1 and the high altitude change overlay, total areas of change were of the same magnitude. The greatest variations were a result of differences in dates and areas of coverage between ERTS-1 images and aerial photographs. Separation of citrus from other agricultural land has been moderately successful in the ERTS-1 1:100,000 scale Level 2 land use mapping around Phoenix, although accuracy estimates are not yet available. No feeding operations have been detected from ERTS-1 so far. Preliminary indications are that commercial and services, industrial, and institutional land are not separable from each other using present image interpretation techniques. Urban open areas such as parks and golf courses are readily detectable, particularly when local maps are consulted even though out-of-date. Strip and clustered settlements may be detected depending upon their size and contrast with the surrounding area on the ERTS-1 image.

Place, J. L.↗

Appendix for the Final Technical Report - DE FE0009284

Carbon capture utilization storage (CCUS) is a potential technology to store anthropogenic emissions for CO 2 . Utilization often refers to CO 2 -enhanced oil recovery (CO 2 -EOR). An important factor in the success of CO 2 storage in saline formations or CO 2 -EOR reservoirs is ensuring that the storage occurs safely and is long-term. Assessment of well integrity has become more important for CCS and CO 2 -EOR as it has become apparent that wells represent the most likely migration pathway for CO 2 to leave a CCS storage unit or a CO 2 -EOR reservoir. Although wells represent a migration pathway they are also the best vehicle for employing technology monitoring CO 2 injection and storage. This contradiction of being a potential migration path and key monitoring technology leads to a need to understand how monitoring wells may be similar or different in comparison to other types of wells with respect to migration risk. The maturation and completion US Department of Energy sponsored research projects presents an opportunity to assess the integrity of monitoring wells that have been exposed to injected CO 2 . This paper discusses an integrity assessment of two monitoring wells in an operating CO 2 -EOR flood in Mississippi, USA. The CFU31F-2 and CFU31F-3 monitoring wells were constructed to test monitoring technologies in and above a commercial CO 2 -EOR project. The materials selected and the design of the well were optimized for monitoring. Carbonation in CFU31-F2 was seen as high as 7900 ft, above what was considered top of cement based on the logs. Time-lapse comparison of cement bond amplitude data and acoustic impedance maps show a deterioration of signal that implies a deterioration of cement bond or cement along much of the cemented annulus in the long-string section. Analysis of sidewall cores using XRD and LA-ICP-MS validated the log interpretation by confirming the degradation of cement (carbonation) along the casing-cement interface. The ultrasonic image maps also clearly identify the control lines and monitoring technology attached to the outside of the of the long-string casing on each well studied. The control lines appear as microdebonded or fluid filled vertical features implying that they could act as leakage pathways. The sidewall core through the control line at 10380 ft confirms that CO 2 is migrating along the control line with heavily carbonated cement at the control line interface. LA-ICP-MS and XRD on formation interface of the sidewall cores collected in both wells indicates that CO 2 is also moving of the cement-formation interface. LA-ICP-MS and XRD indicate that the amount carbonation in the center of the cores was less than the carbonation at the interfaces. Indicating that CO 2 is reaching the center of the cores by diffusing in from the interfaces and not migrating up from the reservoir though the porous matrix of the cement. This agrees with Duguid et al. [5] and Carey et al. [1] who have found that the interfaces in the well are more conductive than the porous network of the cement. Both the materials used to construct the well and the decision to attach monitoring technology to the outside of the well may have contributed to the migration of CO 2 along the interfaces. Careful consideration should be given to material selection to ensure that it does not degrade when in contact with the fluids in the reservoir and overlying strata. The addition of the control line on the outside of the casing complicated the cement placement and likely caused no cement to bond to the casing adjacent to the control line leading out of the reservoir. Further study of other wells with external lines should be conducted to see of the results of the construction of CFU31-F2 and -F3 is normal or an exception.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Interpretation of surface features of Europa obtained from occultations by Io

Light curves of occultations of Europa by Io have been used to generate a crude map of albedo features on Europa. The best values currently available for the impact parameters and magnitude ratios for each event have been imposed on our model. Residuals between the observed and computed light curves are interpreted as albedo features on Europa. In order to improve the fit between the observations and the model, it became necessary to impose a general polar brightening. The effects of additional albedo features and alternate models are discussed.

Herzog, A. D.↗

Geologic mapping of the Bauru Group in Sao Paulo state by LANDSAT images

The occurrence of the Bauru Group in Sao Paulo State was studied, with emphasis on the western plateau. Regional geological mapping was carried out on a 1:250.000 scale with the help of MSS/LANDSAT images. The visual interpretation of images consisted basically of identifying different spectral characteristics of the geological units using channels 5 and 7. Complementary studies were made for treatment of data with an Interative Image (I-100) analyser in order to facilitate the extraction of information, particularly for areas where visual interpretation proved to be difficult. Regional characteristics provided by MSS/LANDSAT images, coupled with lithostratigraphic studies carried out in the areas of occurrence of Bauru Group sediments, enabled the homogenization of criteria for the subdivision of this group. A spatial distribution of the mapped units was obtained for the entire State of Sao Paulo and results were correlated with proposed stratigraphic divisions.

Parada, N. D. J.↗

Incremental Parallelization of Non-Data-Parallel Programs Using the Charon Message-Passing Library

Message passing is among the most popular techniques for parallelizing scientific programs on distributed-memory architectures. The reasons for its success are wide availability (MPI), efficiency, and full tuning control provided to the programmer. A major drawback, however, is that incremental parallelization, as offered by compiler directives, is not generally possible, because all data structures have to be changed throughout the program simultaneously. Charon remedies this situation through mappings between distributed and non-distributed data. It allows breaking up the parallelization into small steps, guaranteeing correctness at every stage. Several tools are available to help convert legacy codes into high-performance message-passing programs. They usually target data-parallel applications, whose loops carrying most of the work can be distributed among all processors without much dependency analysis. Others do a full dependency analysis and then convert the code virtually automatically. Even more toolkits are available that aid construction from scratch of message passing programs. None, however, allows piecemeal translation of codes with complex data dependencies (i.e. non-data-parallel programs) into message passing codes. The Charon library (available in both C and Fortran) provides incremental parallelization capabilities by linking legacy code arrays with distributed arrays. During the conversion process, non-distributed and distributed arrays exist side by side, and simple mapping functions allow the programmer to switch between the two in any location in the program. Charon also provides wrapper functions that leave the structure of the legacy code intact, but that allow execution on truly distributed data. Finally, the library provides a rich set of communication functions that support virtually all patterns of remote data demands in realistic structured grid scientific programs, including transposition, nearest-neighbor communication, pipelining, gather/scatter, and redistribution. At the end of the conversion process most intermediate Charon function calls will have been removed, the non-distributed arrays will have been deleted, and virtually the only remaining Charon functions calls are the high-level, highly optimized communications. Distribution of the data is under complete control of the programmer, although a wide range of useful distributions is easily available through predefined functions. A crucial aspect of the library is that it does not allocate space for distributed arrays, but accepts programmer-specified memory. This has two major consequences. First, codes parallelized using Charon do not suffer from encapsulation; user data is always directly accessible. This provides high efficiency, and also retains the possibility of using message passing directly for highly irregular communications. Second, non-distributed arrays can be interpreted as (trivial) distributions in the Charon sense, which allows them to be mapped to truly distributed arrays, and vice versa. This is the mechanism that enables incremental parallelization. In this paper we provide a brief introduction of the library and then focus on the actual steps in the parallelization process, using some representative examples from, among others, the NAS Parallel Benchmarks. We show how a complicated two-dimensional pipeline-the prototypical non-data-parallel algorithm- can be constructed with ease. To demonstrate the flexibility of the library, we give examples of the stepwise, efficient parallel implementation of nonlocal boundary conditions common in aircraft simulations, as well as the construction of the sequence of grids required for multigrid.

VanderWijngaart, Rob F.↗

Remote sensing of soils, land forms, and land use in the northern Great Plains in preparation for ERTS applications

Research to determine the optimum time or season for obtaining imagery to identify and map soil limitations was conducted in the proposed Oahe irrigation project area in South Dakota. The optimum time for securing photographs or imagery is when the soil surface patterns are most apparent. For cultivated areas similar to the study area, May is the optimum time. The density slicing analysis of the May image provided additional and more accurate information than did the existing soil map. The soil boundaries were more accurately located. The use of a density analysis system for an operational soil survey has not been tested, but is obviously dependent upon securing excellent photographs for interpretation. The colors or densities of photographs will have to be corrected for sun angle effects, vignetting effects, and processing to have maximum effectiveness for mapping soil limitations. Rangeland sites were established in Bennett County, South Dakota to determine the usefulness of ERTS imagery. Imagery from these areas was interpreted for land use and drainage patterns.

Frazee, C. J.↗

Design, execution, and interpretation of plant RNA-seq analyses

Genomics has transformed our understanding of the genetic architecture of traits and the genetic variation present in plants. Here, we present a review of how RNA-seq can be performed to tackle research challenges addressed by plant sciences. We discuss the importance of experimental design in RNA-seq, including considerations for sampling and replication, to avoid pitfalls and wasted resources. Approaches for processing RNA-seq data include quality control and counting features, and we describe common approaches and variations. Though differential gene expression analysis is the most common analysis of RNA-seq data, we review multiple methods for assessing gene expression, including detecting allele-specific gene expression and building co-expression networks. With the production of more RNA-seq data, strategies for integrating these data into genetic mapping pipelines is of increased interest. Finally, special considerations for RNA-seq analysis and interpretation in plants are needed, due to the high genome complexity common across plants. By incorporating informed decisions throughout an RNA-seq experiment, we can increase the knowledge gained.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Landsat-based Irrigation Dataset (LANID): 30 m resolution maps of irrigation distribution, frequency, and change for the US, 1997–2017

Abstract. Data on irrigation patterns and trends at field-level detail across broad extents are vital for assessing and managing limited water resources. Until recently, there has been a scarcity of comprehensive, consistent, and frequent irrigation maps for the US. Here we present the new Landsat-based Irrigation Dataset (LANID), which is comprised of 30 m resolution annual irrigation maps covering the conterminous US (CONUS) for the period of 1997–2017. The main dataset identifies the annual extent of irrigated croplands, pastureland, and hay for each year in the study period. Derivative maps include layers on maximum irrigated extent, irrigation frequency and trends, and identification of formerly irrigated areas and intermittently irrigated lands. Temporal analysis reveals that 38.5×106 ha of croplands and pasture–hay has been irrigated, among which the yearly active area ranged from ∼22.6 to 24.7×106 ha. The LANID products provide several improvements over other irrigation data including field-level details on irrigation change and frequency, an annual time step, and a collection of ∼10 000 visually interpreted ground reference locations for the eastern US where such data have been lacking. Our maps demonstrated overall accuracy above 90 % across all years and regions, including in the more humid and challenging-to-map eastern US, marking a significant advancement over other products, whose accuracies ranged from 50 % to 80 %. In terms of change detection, our maps yield per-pixel transition accuracy of 81 % and show good agreement with US Department of Agriculture reports at both county and state levels. The described annual maps, derivative layers, and ground reference data provide users with unique opportunities to study local to nationwide trends, driving forces, and consequences of irrigation and encourage the further development and assessment of new approaches for improved mapping of irrigation, especially in challenging areas like the eastern US. The annual LANID maps, derivative products, and ground reference data are available through https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5548555 (Xie and Lark, 2021a).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Improved diagnosis of the number of stenosed coronary artery vessels by segmentation with scatter and photo-peak window data for attenuation correction in myocardial perfusion SPECT

Background: Attenuation correction using segmentation of scatter and photo-peak window data (SSPAC) enables an evaluation of the attenuation map in a patient-specific manner without additional radiation exposure. We compared the accuracy of SSPAC and non-corrected myocardial perfusion scintigraphy methods for diagnosing the number of stenosed coronary artery vessels. Methods and Results: We retrospectively reviewed the data from 183 consecutive patients who underwent {sup 99m}Tc-tetrofosmin stress/rest SPECT examination and a coronary angiography within 3 months. The MPS images were reconstructed with and without SSPAC attenuation correction. We examined the accuracy of the quantitative interpretation using summed differential score in the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD). The attenuation maps were successfully determined in 179 of 183 patients (98%). In terms of the vessel-based diagnostic ability, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values of the SSPAC and non-correction methods for diagnosing CAD in individual coronary territories were 77%*, 89%, 74%*, and 90%* vs 51%, 87%, 62%, and 82%, respectively (*P < .05). In 35 patients with multi-vessel CAD, those values were 78%*, 81%, 93%, and 55%* vs 49%, 81%, 89%, and 34%, respectively (*P < .05; AUC: 0.82 vs 0.62, P < .05). Conclusion: SSPAC-corrected SPECT myocardial perfusion images exhibit improved accuracy in the detection of the number of stenosed coronary artery vessels, even in patients with multi-vessel CAD.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Geological and environmental applications of the ERTS data

The significant results from geological investigations made with the aid of the ERTS spacecraft can be grouped into four broad categories: mapping, land form analysis, structural studies, and the search for mineral deposits. Illustrations of how ERTS has been used in such studies are given, including photomosaics of Nevada and of southern Morocco, and a photogeological interpretation of the Rhodesian craton. Environmental applications of ERTS are illustrated by an ERTS update of an Indiana strip mine map, an ERTS image of Lake Michigan showing particulate plumes and their effect on the weather, and an image of the New York Bight area showing the location and extent of an acid-iron wastes dump and a sewage sludge dump.

Schnetzler, C. C.↗