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NASA NTRS1987

Mid infrared LHS system packaging using flexible waveguides

As mid IR fiber optic systems are rapidly approaching a reality, so is the feasibility of fiber optic laser heterodyne systems. Laser heterodyne spectroscopy for high resolution monitoring of atmospheric gaseous pollutants is necessarily in the mid IR, the region in which the absorption signature of gaseous species is most prominent. It so happens that the lowest theoretical loss due to Rayleigh-Brillouin scattering also lies in the mid IR. Prospects of highly efficient laser heterodyne systems are thus very good. Such fibers are now beginning to be commercially available, and a test program is being conducted for such fibers with ambient temperature ranging from cryogenic to above room, and stringest mechanical flexibility requirements. Preliminary results are encouraging. A program is being started to explore the possibility of mid IR fiber optic device applications, by taking advantage of this phonon rich region. The potential long interaction length in fibers coupled with predicted extremely low losses point to stimulated Brillouin scattering based devices in the mW range. The generation of backscattered sBs at low laser powers is significant not only as an ultimate power limiting factor for laser transmission in fibers in the mid IR, but also the presence of frequency-shifted multiple order sBs Stokes and antiStokes lines will certainly have severe effect on the laser beats crucial in high resolution heterodyne spectroscopy.

Yu, Chung↗

NASA NTRS2017

CATS Version 2 Aerosol Feature Detection and Applications for Data Assimilation

The Cloud Aerosol Transport System (CATS) lidar has been operating onboard the International Space Station (ISS) since February 2015 and provides vertical observations of clouds and aerosols using total attenuated backscatter and depolarization measurements. From February March 2015, CATS operated in Mode 1, providing backscatter and depolarization measurements at 532 and 1064 nm. CATS began operation in Mode 2 in March 2015, providing backscatter and depolarization measurements at 1064 nm and has continued to operate to the present in this mode. CATS level 2 products are derived from these measurements, including feature detection, cloud aerosol discrimination, cloud and aerosol typing, and optical properties of cloud and aerosol layers. Here, we present changes to our level 2 algorithms, which were aimed at reducing several biases in our version 1 level 2 data products. These changes will be incorporated into our upcoming version 2 level 2 data release in summer 2017. Additionally, owing to the near real time (NRT) data downlinking capabilities of the ISS, CATS provides expedited NRT data products within 6 hours of observation time. This capability provides a unique opportunity for supporting field campaigns and for developing data assimilation techniques to improve simulated cloud and aerosol vertical distributions in models. We additionally present preliminary work toward assimilating CATS observations into the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System version 5 (GEOS-5) global atmospheric model and data assimilation system.

data assimilation↗

NASA NTRS1995

A theoretical derivation of the dependence of the remotely sensed reflectance of the ocean on the inherent optical properties

An expression for the ratio of the upwelling nadir radiance L(pi, z) and the downwelling scalar irradiance E(sub od)(Z) is derived from the following equation of radiative transfer. This expression is given by RSR(z) = (L(pi, z))/E(sub od) = (f(sub b)(z)b(sub b)(z))/2 pi(k(pi, z) + c(z) - F(sub L)(z)b(sub f)(z)), where b(sub b)(z) is the backscattering coefficient, k(pi, z) is the vertical attenuation coefficient of the nadir radiance, c(z) is the beam attenuation coefficient, and f(sub b)(z) and f(sub L)(z) are shape parameters that depend on the shape of the volume scattering function and the radiance distribution. Successive approximations are subsequently applied to the above exact equation. These are f(sub b)(z) = (2 pi beta(pi - theta(sub m), z)/(b(sub b)(z))), where beta(pi - theta(sub m), z) is the volume scattering function at 180 deg minus the zenith angle of the maximum radiance, and k(pi, z) = am = c(1 - 0.52 b/c - 0.44 (b/c)(exp 2)), where m is a parameter that is numerically equal to the inverse of the average cosine of the asymptotic light field for a medium with the same inherent optical properties, a is the absorption coefficient, and b/c is the single scattering albedo. Together with f(sub L)(z) = 1.05 and application of Gershun's equation, it is shown that for nearly all oceanic cases RSR(z) identical to L(pi, z)/E(sub od)(z) = (Beta(pi - theta(sub m), z))/(a(z)(1 + m(z))).

Zaneveld, J. Ronald V.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Utah FORGE: Well 16A(78)-32 Core Analysis Results

This dataset features petrographic, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy Analyses of core samples from well 16A(78)-32, which serves as the injection well for the Utah FORGE Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) project. In addition to an overview of the analysis, the following items have been included here: images of 21 entire thin sections in plane-polarized and cross-polarized light from 16 depths, scanning electron microscope back scatter electron photomosaic maps of 21 thin sections from 16 depths, bulk XRD data from 16 depths, clay-sized XRD patterns from 16 depths, an optical petrography report, and scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy analyses of eight selected samples.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1983

Airborne remote sensing measurements with a pulsed CO2 DIAL system

The present investigation is concerned with an optical radar instrument which has been developed for airborne remote sensing of atmospheric trace species at infrared wavelengths. The instrument makes use of compact, pulsed carbon dioxide lasers. It was designed for conducting differential absorption lidar (DIAL) measurements. The backscatter of laser pulse energy from the ocean and terrain surface is utilized to determine trace species column content. The instrument, which is carried by the NASA P3 aircraft, is used in a flight test program started in July 1981. The results obtained with the instrument in this program are discussed, taking into account ocean surface backscatter statistics, the ratio of ocean to terrain backscatter, the dual-wavelength correlation coefficient, the dual-wavelength cross-covariance, and the dependence of un-correlated noise variance on the mean backscatter signal.

Bufton, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Pinatubo Aerosol Global-to-Micro-Scale Evolution: A Unified Picture From Space, Air, and Ground Measurements

We combine a variety of measurements to develop a composite picture of the post-Pinatubo aerosol and assess the consistency and uncertainties of the measurement and retrieval techniques Satellite infrared spectroscopy, particle morphology, and evaporation temperature measurements are in accord with theoretical calculations In showing a dominant particle composition of H2SO4-H2O mature with H2SO4 weight traction of 65-80% for most stratospheric temperatures and humidities. Important exceptions are: (1) the presence of volcanic ash at all attitudes initially and in a layer just above the tropopause until at least March 1992, and (2) much smaller H2SO4 weight fractions at the low temperatures attained In high latitude winters and at the tropical tropopause. Laboratory spectroscopy and theoretical calculations yield wavelength- and temperature-dependent refractive indices for the dominant H2SO4-H2O droplets. These in turn permit derivation of particle size spectra from measured optical depth spectra for comparison to direct measurements by impactors and optical counters, All three techniques paint a generally consistent picture of the evolution of R(sub eff) the effective, or area-weighted, particle radius. In the first month after the eruption, although particle numbers increased by orders of magnitude, R(sub eff) was similar to the pre-eruption value of 0.1 to 0.2 microns because both small (r less than 0.2 microns) and large (r greater than 0.6 microns) particles increased in number. Over the next 3-6 months, R(sub eff) increased to about 0.5 microns, reflecting particle growth through condensation and coagulation. In general, R(sub eff) continued to increase for about a year after the eruption. Extinction spectra computed from in situ size distribution measurements are consistent with optical depth measurements, which show spectra with maxima initially at wavelengths of 0.42 microns or less, and thereafter progressively increasing to between 0.78 and 1 micron. Not until 1993 does optical depth spectra begin to show a clear return to the preeruption signature of maximizing at the shortest visible wavelengths or in the near UV. This coupled evolution in particle size distribution and optical depth spectra helps explain the relationship between the global maps of 0.5- and 1.0-kilometer optical depth derived from the AVHRR and SAGE satellite measurements. It also sets a context for evaluating remaining uncertainties in each of these satellite data products. We also show how the effects of wavelength-dependent refractive index on backscatter spectra can influence particle sizes retrieved from multiwavelength lidar measurements.

Russell, Philip B.↗

NASA NTRS2003

GOME Total Ozone and Calibration Error Derived Usign Version 8 TOMS Algorithm

The Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) is a hyper-spectral satellite instrument measuring the ultraviolet backscatter at relatively high spectral resolution. GOME radiances have been slit averaged to emulate measurements of the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) made at discrete wavelengths and processed using the new TOMS Version 8 Ozone Algorithm. Compared to Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) techniques based on local structure in the Huggins Bands, the TOMS uses differential absorption between a pair of wavelengths including the local stiucture as well as the background continuum. This makes the TOMS Algorithm more sensitive to ozone, but it also makes the algorithm more sensitive to instrument calibration errors. While calibration adjustments are not needed for the fitting techniques like the DOAS employed in GOME algorithms, some adjustment is necessary when applying the TOMS Algorithm to GOME. Using spectral discrimination at near ultraviolet wavelength channels unabsorbed by ozone, the GOME wavelength dependent calibration drift is estimated and then checked using pair justification. In addition, the day one calibration offset is estimated based on the residuals of the Version 8 TOMS Algorithm. The estimated drift in the 2b detector of GOME is small through the first four years and then increases rapidly to +5% in normalized radiance at 331 nm relative to 385 nm by mid 2000. The lb detector appears to be quite well behaved throughout this time period.

Gleason, J.↗

NASA NTRS2017

System and Method for Scan Range Gating

A system for scanning light to define a range gated signal includes a pulsed coherent light source that directs light into the atmosphere, a light gathering instrument that receives the light modified by atmospheric backscatter and transfers the light onto an image plane, a scanner that scans collimated light from the image plane to form a range gated signal from the light modified by atmospheric backscatter, a control circuit that coordinates timing of a scan rate of the scanner and a pulse rate of the pulsed coherent light source so that the range gated signal is formed according to a desired range gate, an optical device onto which an image of the range gated signal is scanned, and an interferometer to which the image of the range gated signal is directed by the optical device. The interferometer is configured to modify the image according to a desired analysis.

Zuk, David M.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Quantitatively Monitoring Bubble-Flow at a Seep Site Offshore Oregon: Field Trials and Methodological Advances for Parallel Optical and Hydroacoustical Measurements

Two lander-based devices, the Bubble-Box and GasQuant-II, were used to investigate the spatial and temporal variability and total gas flow rates of a seep area offshore Oregon, United States. The Bubble-Box is a stereo camera–equipped lander that records bubbles inside a rising corridor with 80 Hz, allowing for automated image analyses of bubble size distributions and rising speeds. GasQuant is a hydroacoustic lander using a horizontally oriented multibeam swath to record the backscatter intensity of bubble streams passing the swath plain. The experimental set up at the Astoria Canyon site at a water depth of about 500 m aimed at calibrating the hydroacoustic GasQuant data with the visual Bubble-Box data for a spatial and temporal flow rate quantification of the site. For about 90 h in total, both systems were deployed simultaneously and pressure and temperature data were recorded using a CTD as well. Detailed image analyses show a Gaussian-like bubble size distribution of bubbles with a radius of 0.6–6 mm (mean 2.5 mm, std. dev. 0.25 mm); this is very similar to other measurements reported in the literature. Rising speeds ranged from 15 to 37 cm/s between 1- and 5-mm bubble sizes and are thus, in parts, slightly faster than reported elsewhere. Bubble sizes and calculated flow rates are rather constant over time at the two monitored bubble streams. Flow rates of these individual bubble streams are in the range of 544–1,278 mm 3 /s. One Bubble-Box data set was used to calibrate the acoustic backscatter response of the GasQuant data, enabling us to calculate a flow rate of the ensonified seep area (~1,700 m 2 ) that ranged from 4.98 to 8.33 L/min (5.38 × 10 6 to 9.01 × 10 6 CH 4 mol/year). Such flow rates are common for seep areas of similar size, and as such, this location is classified as a normally active seep area. For deriving these acoustically based flow rates, the detailed data pre-processing considered echogram gridding methods of the swath data and bubble responses at the respective water depth. The described method uses the inverse gas flow quantification approach and gives an in-depth example of the benefits of using acoustic and optical methods in tandem.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1993

Synergy between optical and microwave remote sensing to derive soil and vegetation parameters from MAC Europe 1991 Experiment

The ability of remote sensing for monitoring vegetation density and soil moisture for agricultural applications is extensively studied. In optical bands, vegetation indices (NDVI, WDVI) in visible and near infrared reflectances are related to biophysical quantities as the leaf area index, the biomass. In active microwave bands, the quantitative assessment of crop parameters and soil moisture over agricultural areas by radar multiconfiguration algorithms remains prospective. Furthermore the main results are mostly validated on small test sites, but have still to be demonstrated in an operational way at a regional scale. In this study, a large data set of radar backscattering has been achieved at a regional scale on a French pilot watershed, the Orgeval, along two growing seasons in 1988 and 1989 (mainly wheat and corn). The radar backscattering was provided by the airborne scatterometer ERASME, designed at CRPE, (C and X bands and HH and VV polarizations). Empirical relationships to estimate water crop and soil moisture over wheat in CHH band under actual field conditions and at a watershed scale are investigated. Therefore, the algorithms developed in CHH band are applied for mapping the surface conditions over wheat fields using the AIRSAR and TMS images collected during the MAC EUROPE 1991 experiment. The synergy between optical and microwave bands is analyzed.

Taconet, O.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Probing elemental diffusion and radiation tolerance of perovskite solar cells via non-destructive Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

Mixed organic–inorganic halide perovskite-based solar cells have attracted interest in recent years due to their potential for both terrestrial and space applications. Analysis of interfaces is critical to predicting device behavior and optimizing device architectures. Most advanced tools to study buried interfaces are destructive in nature and can induce further degradation. Ion beam techniques, such as Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), is a useful non-destructive method to probe an elemental depth profile of multilayered perovskite solar cells (PSCs) as well as to study the inter-diffusion of various elemental species across interfaces. Additionally, PSCs are becoming viable candidates for space photovoltaic applications, and it is critical to investigate their radiation-induced degradation. RBS can be simultaneously utilized to analyze the radiation effects induced by He+ beam on the device, given their presence in space orbits. In the present work, a 2 MeV He+ beam was used to probe the evidence of elemental diffusion across PSC interfaces with architecture glass/ITO/SnO2/Cs0.05(MA0.17FA0.83)0.95Pb(I0.83Br0.17)3/spiro-OMeTAD/MoO3/Au. During the analysis, the device active area was exposed to an irradiation equivalent of up to 1.62 × 1015 He+/cm2, and yet, no measurable evidence (with a depth resolution ∼1 nm) of beam-induced ion migration was observed, implying high radiation tolerance of PSCs. On the other hand, aged PSCs exhibited indications of the movement of diverse elemental species, such as Au, Pb, In, Sn, Br, and I, in the active area of the device, which was quantified with the help of RBS.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1978

Analysis of differential absorption lidar from the Space Shuttle

A parametric analysis of the Shuttle-borne differential absorption lidar concept for the measurement of atmospheric trace constituent profiles in the nadir viewing mode is presented. The criterion of an optimum constituent optical depth is developed and applied to generate estimates of range resolved measurement errors. These errors emphasize the fundamental limitations for establishing the feasibility of range-resolved differential absorption lidar measurements from Shuttle. With current lidar system technology, atmospheric backscatter density profiles may be adequately determined up to about 60-km altitude at the doubled-ruby wavelength, 3472 A, for a 1-J/pulse laser and a 1-sq m receiver. Potential range-resolved measurements of stratospheric and mesospheric trace constituents by differential absorption from Shuttle altitudes are limited to H2O, CH4, N2O, O3, and CO, species which can be more easily measured by passive limb viewing techniques. Range-resolved water vapor data for the lower troposphere may be obtained with accuracies which would be competitive with those from passive sensors.

Remsberg, E. E.↗

NASA NTRS1989

The 27-28 October 1986 FIRE IFO cirrus case study: Cirrus parameter relationships derived from satellite and lidar data

Cirrus cloud radiative and physical characteristics are determined using a combination of ground-based, aircraft, and satellite measurements taken as part of the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Cirrus Intensive Field Observations (IFO) during October and November 1986. Lidar backscatter data are used to define cloud base, center, and top heights and the corresponding temperatures. Coincident GOES 4 km visible (0.65 microns) and 8 km infrared window (11.5 microns) radiances are analyzed to determine cloud emittances and reflectances. Infrared optical depth is computed from the emittance results. Visible optical depth is derived from reflectance using a theoretical ice crystal scattering model and an empirical bidirectional reflectance mode. No clouds with visible optical depths greater than 5 or infrared optical depths less than 0.1 were used in the analysis. Average cloud thickness ranged from 0.5 km to 8 km for the 71 scenes. An average visible scattering efficiency of 2.1 was found for this data set. The results reveal a significant dependence of scattering efficiency on cloud temperature.

Minnis, Patrick↗

NASA NTRS1990

The 27-28 October 1986 FIRE IFO cirrus case study - Cirrus parameter relationships derived from satellite and lidar data

Minnis, Patrick↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Monitoring the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Aerosol Cloud Using Space-Based Observations

- We will analyze the volcanic plume progression, spread and properties using space-based observations - OMPS LP, SAGE III/ISS, CALIPSO, TROPOMI - OMPS LP and SAGE III/ISS are limb instruments that measure the aerosol vertical profiles globally, while CALIPSO is a LIDAR that measures the backscatter and depolarization ratio of the aerosol profiles. -TROPOMI is a UV instrument that measures SO2 and absorbing aerosol total column - Volcanic plume in the upper stratosphere - The main plume in middle stratosphere - Volcanic aerosol transport to SH/NH - Volcanic aerosol optical properties

Atmospheric Science↗

NASA NTRS2024

Alaska Ecological Conservation: Using NASA Earth Observations to Identify Recent Changes in River Ice Phenology and Its Impacts on Caribou Migration

Each fall, caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in the Western Arctic Herd migrate hundreds of kilometers across northwestern Alaska to acquire seasonal resources and reach wintering grounds. Various rivers intersect migration paths, and caribou can only cross over open water or high-ice extents but are unable to cross rivers in stages of partial freezing. Recent temperature increases in Alaska can alter the timing and duration of ice formation periods, impeding migratory patterns. The Massachusetts NASA DEVELOP team partnered with the National Park Service in Alaska to detect river ice onset dates and formation periods using Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager and Landsat 9 Operational Land Imager-2, Sentinel-1 C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar and Sentinel-2A/B MultiSpectral Instrument imagery in Google Earth Engine. This feasibility analysis measured ice coverage using the Normalized Difference Infrared Index, Relative Difference River Ice, and Vertical-Vertical/Vertical-Horizontal backscatter values based on the spectral and surface characteristics of rivers. The team produced annual freezing timelines, time series plots, and maps at three river stretches to analyze river ice phenology changes. Radar imagery assessed ice coverage more accurately, while optical imagery better identified ice onset dates. Meanwhile indices were unable to robustly establish ice formation thresholds across the study period. These study results can help the National Park Service to better evaluate spatiotemporal migratory shifts and contextualize recent regional caribou declines.

river phenology↗

NASA NTRS1999

Bidirectional Reflectance of a Macroscopically Flat, High-Albedo Particulate Surface: An Efficient Radiative Transfer Solution and Applications to Regoliths

Many remote sensing applications rely on accurate knowledge of the bidirectional reflection function (BRF) of surfaces composed of discrete, randomly positioned scattering particles. Theoretical computations of BRFs for plane-parallel particulate layers are usually reduced to solving the radiative transfer equation (RTE) using one of existing exact or approximate techniques. Since semi-empirical approximate approaches are notorious for their low accuracy, violation of the energy conservation law, and ability to produce unphysical results, the use of numerically exact solutions of RTE has gained justified popularity. For example, the computation of BRFs for macroscopically flat particulate surfaces in many geophysical publications is based on the adding-doubling (AD) and discrete ordinate (DO) methods. A further saving of computer resources can be achieved by using a more efficient technique to solve the plane-parallel RTE than the AD and DO methods. Since many natural particulate surfaces can be well represented by the model of an optically semi-infinite, homogeneous scattering layer, one can find the BRF directly by solving the Ambartsumian's nonlinear integral equation using a simple iterative technique. In this way, the computation of the internal radiation field is avoided and the computer code becomes highly efficient and very accurate and compact. Furthermore, the BRF thus obtained fully obeys the fundamental physical laws of energy conservation and reciprocity. In this paper, we discuss numerical aspects and the computer implementation of this technique, examine the applicability of the Henyey-Greenstein phase function and the sigma-Eddington approximation in BRF and flux calculations, and describe sample applications demonstrating the potential effect of particle shape on the bidirectional reflectance of flat regolith surfaces. Although the effects of packing density and coherent backscattering are currently neglected, they can also be incorporated. The FORTRAN implementation of the technique is available on the World Wide Web, and can be applied to a wide range of remote sensing problems. BRF computations for undulated (macroscopically rough) surfaces are more complicated and often rely on time consuming Monte Carlo procedures. This approach is especially inefficient for optically thick, weakly absorbing media (e.g., snow and desert surfaces at visible wavelengths since a photon may undergo many internal scattering events before it exists the medium or is absorbed. However, undulated surfaces can often be represented as collections of locally flat tilted facets characterized by the BRF found from the traditional plane parallel RTE. In this way the MOnte Carlo procedure could be used only to evaluate the effects of surface shadowing and multiple surface reflections, thereby bypassing the time-consuming ray tracing inside the medium and providing a great savings of CPU time.

Mishchenko, Michael I.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Optical air data systems and methods

Systems and methods for sensing air outside a moving aircraft are presented. In one embodiment, a system includes a laser for generating laser energy. The system also includes one or more transceivers for projecting the laser energy as laser radiation to the air. Subsequently, each transceiver receives laser energy as it is backscattered from the air. A computer processes signals from the transceivers to distinguish molecular scattered laser radiation from aerosol scattered laser radiation and determines one or more air parameters based on the scattered laser radiation. Such air parameters may include air speed, air pressure, air temperature and aircraft orientation angle, such as yaw, angle of attack and sideslip.

Caldwell, Loren M.↗