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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 613 records · Page 34
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NASA NTRS1990

Intercomparison and interpretation of climate feedback processes in 19 atmospheric general circulation models

The present study provides an intercomparison and interpretation of climate feedback processes in 19 atmospheric general circulation models. This intercomparison uses sea surface temperature change as a surrogate for climate change. The interpretation of cloud-climate interactions is given special attention. A roughly threefold variation in one measure of global climate sensitivity is found among the 19 models. The important conclusion is that most of this variation is attributable to differences in the models' depiction of cloud feedback, a result that emphasizes the need for improvements in the treatment of clouds in these models if they are ultimately to be used as reliable climate predictors. It is further emphazied that cloud feedback is the consequence of all interacting physical and dynamical processes in a general circulation model. The result of these processes is to produce changes in temperature, moisture distribution, and clouds which are integrated into the radiative response termed cloud feedback.

Cess, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

South Pacific convergence zone and global-scale circulations

Current research is focused on four topics. First, the GLA Global Circulation Model (GCM) is used for a series of experiments to examine the relationship between tropical heating and subtropical westerly wind maxima. Second, barotropic and baroclinic energy mechanisms associated with summertime subtropical wind maxima in the Southern Hemisphere is studied. Third, tropical/extratropical interactions in the Southern Hemisphere summer circulation is studied; the focus is on the importance of the 30 to 60 day tropical oscillation as a cause of enhancing the subtropical westerly winds. Finally, a study of precipitation efficiency in the tropics, comparing mean monthly distributions of precipitation over a three-year period to precipitable water and moisture convergency is being conducted.

Vincent, Dayton G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Planetary circulations in the presence of transient and self-induced heating

The linearized global primitive equation model of Salby and Garcia (1987) was modified to study tropospheric circulations and their interaction with tropical convection. The vertical resolution was increased to approximately 1.5 km, with the effective vertical domain extending the approximately 40 km (higher altitudes in the calculation are used to ensure the radiation upper boundary condition is satisfied). A formal wave conditional instability of the second kind (CISK) parameterization was introduced. That parameterization allows low-frequency disturbances to interact with convection by organizing surface moisture. Boundary layer friction has two important effects in these calculations: it exaggerates surface convergence near the equator by driving the flow out of geostrophic balance; and it introduces a phase shift between the convergence pattern and the circulation, which drives the heating out of quadrature with the temperature field and allows a positive feedback to take place. The observational complement of this theoretical work involves Global Cloud Imagery (GCI) composited from six satellites in the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) which were simultaneously observing the Earth's cloud field. Having global coverage, horizontal resolution of half a degree, and produced synoptically every 3 hours, the GCI affords an unprecendented view of global convection. A full year (1983 to 1984) of GCI has now been successfully created. Among other phenomena, that imagery reveals a regular progression of easterly waves in the convective pattern of the Western Pacific. Those disturbances have odd symmetry about the equator and organize convection into a pattern with similar symmetry. In time-mean maps of cloud cover, these propagating disturbances produce a split Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in the western Pacific.

Salby, Murry L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

An experimental investigation of circulation control flow fields using holographic interferometry

Experiments are presented which were conducted on flow fields produced by a circulation control airfoil utilizing the Coanda effect at the trailing edge. The application of holographic interferometry to obtain both visualization and quantitative data on the flow field about a circulation control airfoil at transonic flow speed is covered. A brief description of the flow model and measurement techniques is given. The data reduction procedure, results, and interpretation are presented. The results have provided a good deal of information on the character of the flow field, particularly in the neighborhood of the trailing edge. As to the airfoil design, it is apparent that improved performance can be achieved if jet detachment is delayed. Another design improvement would involve the development of an optimum trailing-edge shape for the expected operating Mach and Reynolds number ranges.

Bachalo, William D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The effects of large-scale topography on the circulation in low-order models

This paper investigates the effect of topography on circulation produced by low-order quasi-geostrophic models that are capable of reproducing many basic features of midlatitude general circulation in the absence of topography. Using a simple two-level spectral model, time-mean stationary waves and low-frequency phenomena were examined for three different topographic configurations, of which two consisted of a sinusoidal mountain-valley structure, and the third was the Fourier representation of an isolated mountain peak. In the experiment with an isolated mountain, it was found that the time-mean wave in the model was highly dependent on the operation of wave-wave interactions, which had a significant impact on stationary waves through modifications in the mean zonal flow.

O'Brien, Enda↗
NASA NTRS1991

A numerical modeling study of the interaction between the tides and the circulation forced by high-latitude plasma convection

A spectral, time-varying thermospheric general circulation model has been used to study the nonlinear interaction at high latitudes between the tides propagating into the thermosphere from below and the circulation induced by magnetospheric forcing and in situ solar heating. The model is discrete in the vertical with 27 layers spaced by half a scale height. In the horizontal, the fields are expanded in a series of spherical harmonics using a triangular truncation at wave number 31, equivalent to a homogeneous global resolution with a minimum wavelength of 1270 km. A hypothetical uniform grid point model would require a horizontal spacing of 417 km to describe the same minimum wavelength. In the high-latitude F region the tides affect the dusk vortex of the neutral flow very little, but the dawn vortex is either suppressed or amplified dependent upon the universal time and tidal phase. In the E region neutral flow, both the dusk and dawn vortices are shifted in local time by the tides, again as a function of universal time and tidal phase. At dusk a nonlinear amplification of the sunward winds occurs for certain combinations of parameters, and at dawn the winds may be completely suppressed. Below 120 km altitude the magnetospheric forcing creates a single cyclonic vortex which is also sensitive to the high-latitude tidal structure.

Mikkelsen, I. S.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Analysis of a general circulation model simulation of the atmospheric response to the observed sea surface temperature anomalies of January and February 1983

A new version of the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres GCM is utilized to simulate the influence of an observed sea surface temperature anomaly on rainfall and atmospheric circulation. The model can reproduce many essential features of the observed tropical rainfall and circulation anomalies during January-February 1983. Particularly, the model simulates realistic patterns of tropical anomalies of sea level pressure, 200 mb geopotential heights, and horizontal winds at the 200 and 850 mb levels. The model-simulated tropical precipitation anomaly patterns appear realistic, although the precipitation is rather excessive and the atmosphere is too energetic.

Sud, Y. C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A Pacific Ocean general circulation model for satellite data assimilation

A tropical Pacific Ocean General Circulation Model (OGCM) to be used in satellite data assimilation studies is described. The transfer of the OGCM from a CYBER-205 at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory to a CRAY-2 at NASA's Ames Research Center is documented. Two 3-year model integrations from identical initial conditions but performed on those two computers are compared. The model simulations are very similar to each other, as expected, but the simulations performed with the higher-precision CRAY-2 is smoother than that with the lower-precision CYBER-205. The CYBER-205 and CRAY-2 use 32 and 64-bit mantissa arithmetic, respectively. The major features of the oceanic circulation in the tropical Pacific, namely the North Equatorial Current, the North Equatorial Countercurrent, the South Equatorial Current, and the Equatorial Undercurrent, are realistically produced and their seasonal cycles are described. The OGCM provides a powerful tool for study of tropical oceans and for the assimilation of satellite altimetry data.

Chao, Y.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Circulating parathyroid hormone and calcitonin in rats after spaceflight

Parathyroid hormone and calcithonin, two major calcium-regulating hormones, were measured in the plasma of five experimental groups of rats to evaluate postflight calcium homeostasis after the 14-day Cosmos 2044 flight. Parathyroid hormone values were slightly higher in the flight animals (F) than in the appropriate cage and diet controls (S) (44 +/- 21 vs 21 +/- 4 pg/ml, P less than 0.05), but they were the same as in the vivarium controls (V), which had different housing and feeding schedules. The difference in F and V (22 +/- 11 vs 49 +/- 16 pg/ml, P less than 0.05) was most likely due to failure of circulating calcitonin in F to show the normal age-dependent increase which was demonstrated in age-matched controls in a separate experiment. Basal values for parathyroid hormone and calcitonin were unchanged after 2 wk of hindlimb suspension, a flight simulation model, in age-matched and younger rats. From a time course experiment serum calcium was higher and parathyroid hormone lower after 4 wk than in ambulatory controls. Postflight circulating levels of parathyroid hormone appear to reflect disturbances in calcium homeostasis from impaired renal function of undetermined cause, whereas levels of calcitonin reflect depression of a normal growth process.

Arnaud, Sara B.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The influence of concentrated heating on the Hadley circulation

The studies of Lindzen and Hou (1988) of Hadley circulation forced by global heating distributions are extended to situations where heating is latitudinally concentrated. The qualitative effect of narrow heating is examined by means of simple 'equal area' arguments of the type developed by Held and Hou (1980). Numerical calculations for a continuous fluid are carried out, showing that the intensity of the resulting Hadley circulation depends on how the heating is concentrated. It is shown that only a mild concentration is needed to achieve agreement with observations.

Hou, Arthur Y.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Miniature Gas-Circulating Machine

Proposed gas-circulating machine consists essentially of centrifugal pump driven by induction motor. Noncontact bearings suppress wear and contamination. Used to circulate helium (or possibly hydrogen or another gas) in regeneration sorption-compressor refrigeration system aboard spacecraft. Also proves useful in terrestrial applications in which long life, reliability, and low contamination essential.

Swift, Walter L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

An experimental study of a turbulent boundary layer in the trailing edge region of a circulation-control airfoil

This report discusses progress made on NASA Cooperative Agreement NCC2-545, 'An Experimental Study of a Turbulent Boundary Layer in the Trailing-Edge Region of a Circulation-Control Airfoil' during the period 9/1/91 through 9/30/92. The study features 2-component laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) measurements in the trailing edge and wake regions of a generic 2-dimensional circulation-control model. The final experimental phase of the study will be carried out in the Ames High Reynolds Number Channel 2 (HRC2) transonic blow-down-facility. During the 13-month period covered by this report, work continued on the development of the near-wall laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) described in previous reports.

Heinemann, K.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Time to detection of circulating microbubbles as a risk factor for symptoms of altitude decompression sickness

This study investigated the association between time at onset of circulating microbubbles (CMB) and symptoms of altitude decompression sickness (DCS), using Cox proportional hazard regression models. The study population consisted of 125 individuals who participated in direct ascent, simulated extravehicular activities profiles. Using individual CMB status as a time-dependent variable, we found that the hazard for symptoms increased significantly (at the end of 180 min at altitude) in the presence of CMB (Hazard Ratio = 29.59; 95 percent confidence interval (95 percent CI) = 7.66-114.27), compared to no CMB. Further examination was conducted on the subgroup of individuals who developed microbubbles during the test (n = 49), by using Cox regression. Individuals with late onset of CMB (greater than 60 min at altitude) showed a significantly reduced risk of symptoms (hazard ratio = 0.92; 95 percent CI = 0.89-0.95), compared to those with early onset (equal to or less than 60 min), while controlling for other risk factors. We conclude that time to detection of circulating microbubbles is an independent determinant of symptoms of DCS.

Kumar, K. V.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The influence of the Alaskan Gyre on the coastal circulation in the Gulf of Alaska

The circulation of the northeast Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Alaska is simulated by means of a reduced-gravity wind-driven model to study seasonal and interannual flow variability. The circulation in the NE Pacific is discussed emphasizing its ramifications for the physical domain, equations, and boundary conditions of the numerical model. The pseudostress fields used to drive the model are based on 20 years of data from the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set and are analyzed with empirical orthogonal function analysis. The monthly stresses from 1986-89 are used to drive the model, and regional oceanographic features are reproduced including the Alaskan Gyre, Coastal Current, the Sitka eddy, and a severe cyclonic eddy. Comparisons with experimental data show that the high-resolution baroclinic model is valid and demonstrates the applicability of reduced-gravity models.

Heim, Paul K., II↗
NASA NTRS1992

Jovian large-scale stratospheric circulation

An attempt is made to diagnose the annual-average mean meridional residual Jovian large-scale stratospheric circulation from observations of the temperature and reflected sunlight that reveal the morphology of the aerosol heating. The annual mean solar heating, total radiative flux divergence, mass stream function, and Eliassen-Palm flux divergence are shown. The stratospheric radiative flux divergence is dominated the high latitudes by aerosol absorption. Between the 270 and 100 mbar pressure levels, where there is no aerosol heating in the model, the structure of the circulation at low- to midlatitudes is governed by the meridional variation of infrared cooling in association with the variation of zonal mean temperatures observed by IRIS. The principal features of the vertical velocity profile found by Gierasch et al. (1986) are recovered in the present calculation.

West, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

An analysis of the relationship between cloud anomalies and sea surface temperature anomalies in a global circulation model

The relationship between the sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) and the anomalies of the monthly mean cloud cover (including the high-level, low-level, and total cloud cover), the outgoing longwave radiation, and the reflected solar radiation was analyzed using a least absolute deviations regression at each grid point over the open ocean for a 6-yr period. The results indicate that cloud change in association with a local 1-C increase in SSTAs cannot be used to predict clouds in a potential future world where all the oceans are 1-C warmer than at present, because much of the observed cloud changes are due to circulation changes, which in turn are related not only to changes in SSTAs but to changes in SSTA gradients. However, because SSTAs are associated with changes in the local ocean-atmosphere moisture and heat fluxes as well as significant changes in circulation (such as ENSO), SSTAs can serve as a surrogate for many aspects of global climate change.

Peterson, Thomas C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Estimates of the stratospheric residual circulation using the downward control principle

The transformed Eulerian-mean momentum and continuity equations are used to calculate the residual mean meridional circulations for the lower stratosphere and troposphere. Momentum and temperature fluxes required for the computation are estimated from U.K. Meteorological Office (UKMO) analyzed geopotential heights. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) CCM2 model output is used to assess the errors associated with the calculation. The model comparisons showed that the method works reasonably well for solstice seasons, but is inadequate for equinox seasons. In addition, it is found that some parameterization of gravity wave drag needs to be included with the planetary wave forcing to accurately estimate the residual mean circulation using this method.

Rosenlof, Karen H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The relationship between mixed Rossby-gravity waves and convection in a general circulation model

We investigate the relationship between mixed Rossby-gravity waves (MRGWs) and convection in a general circulation model. The experiments described are performed in a general circulation model with the lower boundary set to that of an ocean surface everywhere. Several experiments are run varying the convective parameterization scheme (using either a modified Kuo scheme or a moist convective adjustment scheme) and varying the tropical sea surface temperatures (specified to be zonally symmetric in all cases), thereby changing the location of the modeled intertropical convergence zones (ITCZs). The appearance of a robust MRGW occurs when the sea surface temperature is such that two ITCZs straddle the equator. The particular sea surface temperature distribution used and the parameterization scheme for convection also affect the structure and strength of the modeled MRGW. The vertical structure of MRGWs is analyzed in the experiment in which this wave mode is the most energetic. We show that MRGWs of several different zonal length scales exist in the troposphere in association with convection; however, it is only the longer length scales which can be discerned in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere.

Hess, Peter G.↗