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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 649 records · Page 36
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2002

Implementation of the NCAR Community Land Model (CLM) in the NASA/NCAR finite-volume Global Climate Model (fvGCM)

In this study, the NCAR CLM version 2.0 land-surface model was integrated into the NASA/NCAR fvGCM. The CLM was developed collaboratively by an open interagency/university group of scientists and based on well-proven physical parameterizations and numerical schemes that combine the best features of BATS, NCAR-LSM, and IAP94. The CLM design is a one-dimensional point model with 1 vegetation layer, along with sub-grid scale tiles. The features of the CLM include 10-uneven soil layers with water, ice, and temperature states in each soil layer, and five snow layers, with water flow, refreezing, compaction, and aging allowed. In addition, the CLM utilizes two-stream canopy radiative transfer, the Bonan lake model and topographic enhanced streamflow based on TOPMODEL. The DAO fvGCM uses a genuinely conservative Flux-Form Semi-Lagrangian transport algorithm along with terrain- following Lagrangian control-volume vertical coordinates. The physical parameterizations are based on the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model (CAM-2). For our purposes, the fvGCM was run at 2 deg x 2.5 deg horizontal resolution with 55 vertical levels. The 10-year climate from the fvGCM with CLM2 was intercompared with the climate from fvGCM with LSM, ECMWF and NCEP. We concluded that the incorporation of CLM2 did not significantly impact the fvGCM climate from that of LSM. The most striking difference was the warm bias in the CLM2 surface skin temperature over desert regions. We determined that the warm bias can be partially attributed to the value of the drag coefficient for the soil under the canopy, which was too small resulting in a decoupling between the ground surface and the canopy. We also discovered that the canopy interception was high compared to observations in the Amazon region. A number of experiments were then performed focused on implementing model improvements. In order to correct the warm bias, the drag coefficient for the soil under the canopy was considered a function of LAI (Leaf Area Index). Analysis of the results revealed that there was a substantial impact, and the warm and dry bias in the CLM2 was significantly reduced. For the interception scheme, the canopy throughfall was increased to allow for more infiltration of precipitation into the soil, resulting in increased low-level moisture and a decrease in the interception loss ratio (canopy evaporation to precipitation).

Radakovich, Jon D.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Aircraft and satellite remote sensing of desert soils and landscapes

Remote sensing data on desert soils and landscapes, obtained by the Landsat TM, Heat Capacity Mapping Mission (HCMM), Simulated SPOT, and Thermal IR Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) aboard an aircraft, are discussed together with the analytical techniques used in the studies. The TM data for southwestern Nevada were used to discriminate among the alluvial fan deposits with different degrees of desert pavement and varnish, and different vegetation cover. Thermal-IR data acquired from the HCMM satellite were used to map the spatial distribution of diurnal surface temperatures and to estimate mean annual soil temperatures in central Utah. Simulated SPOT data for northwestern New Mexico identified geomorphic features, such as differences in eolian sand cover and fluvial incision, while the TIMS data depicted surface geologic features of the Saline Valley in California.

Petersen, G. W.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Vegetation Warming Experiment: 15N Uptake Experiment Inorganic Nitrogen and Phosphorus on Resins, Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska, 2018

This dataset consists of inorganic ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate bound to anion and cation binding resins deployed from July through September 2018 in the surface soils of vegetation warming experiment enclosures and paired control plots. Vegetation warming chambers (Zero Power) were deployed on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO), Utqiagvik, Alaska. These chambers (Figure 1) consistently elevated air temperatures by approximately 4°C using a self-venting system described by Lewin et al (2017). Five chambers were deployed from June 17, 2018 to September 24, 2018 on the BEO within a 1 km2 area centered on 71.275N, -156.641W. Each chamber was co-located with an ambient plot where temperatures were not manipulated on patches of tundra containing the target species Arctagrostis latifolia. An intensive field campaign in late July investigated the impact of warming had on A. latifolia biomass, chemistry, and uptake of 15N labeled ammonia that was injected into the surface soils for one week. Initial measurements were taken on July 21, 2018. Harvest occurred on July 27, 2018. Water-extractable nutrients in soils were measured in July following harvests of A. latifolia plants and underlying soils. Availability of ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate throughout the growing season was measured by extracting nutrients bound to anion and cation binding resins deployed from July through September. Environmental variables (thaw depth, surface soil temperatures, surface soil moisture) were measured. Leaf traits and root traits of A. latifolia were also measured. Included is one *.csv data file and one *.pdf user guide. The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Reduced soil diazotroph diversity decreases nitrogen fixation rates, but depends on land management

Soil diazotrophs convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant-available ammonium through free-living nitrogen fixation (FLNF). This sustainable nitrogen source can reduce our dependence on synthetic fertilizer inputs in conventional agricultural systems. However, we know little about the effect of diazotroph diversity on FLNF, especially given that FLNF is intermediate within the broad-narrow functional spectrum. Here, we determined how management-mediated shifts in diazotroph diversity would impact their ecosystem function (FLNF) by quantifying diazotroph diversity across a long-term management gradient during and after the growing season. In addition to field observations, we leveraged the same management gradient to manipulate diversity in soil microcosms via chloroform fumigation exposure. In the field, diazotroph diversity was significantly higher after the growing season, and the biologically-based annual cropping system harbored the highest diazotroph diversity. However, perennial cropping systems maintained the highest FLNF despite lower diazotroph diversity, and both soil moisture and temperature were stronger predictors of FLNF. Based on these results, integrating diverse perennial crops into agricultural landscape could result in greater N from FLNF, particularly at the end of the growing season. When we reduced biodiversity in a manipulation experiment, the diversity-FLNF association was stronger than in the field experiment, suggesting that FLNF communities are not as functionally redundant as taxonomically ‘broad’ ecosystem functions. Here, the strength of diversity-FLNF correlation varied by previous land management. Diazotroph diversity better predicted FLNF in annual and forest soil microcosms, and microbial biomass carbon better predicted FLNF in perennial soil microcosms. Taken together, our results show that while diazotroph diversity influences FLNF, especially under extreme environmental disturbances, abiotic factors like soil moisture and temperature are stronger constraints on FLNF in the field.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2023

Towards Soil Moisture Profile Estimation in the Root Zone Using L- and P-Band Radiometer Observations: A Coherent Modelling Approach

Precision irrigation management and crop water stress assessment rely on accurate estimation of root zone soil moisture. However, only the top 5cm soil moisture can be estimated using the two current passive microwave satellite missions, Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), which operate at L-band (wavelength of ~21cm). Since the contributing depth of the soil to brightness temperature increases with observation wavelength, it is expected that a P-band (wavelength of ~40cm) radiometer could potentially provide soil moisture information from deeper layers of the soil profile. Moreover, by combining both L- and P- bands, it is hypothesized that the soil moisture profile can be estimated even beyond their individual observation depths. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the potential of combined L-band and P-band radiometer observations to estimate the soil moisture profile under flat bare soil using a stratified coherent forward model. Brightness temperature observations at L-band and P-band from a tower based experimental site across a dry (April 2019) and a wet (March 2020) period, covering different soil moisture profile shapes, were used in this study. Results from an initial synthetic study showed that the performance of a combined L-band and P-band approach was better than the performance of using either band individually, with an average depth over which reliable soil moisture profile information could be estimated (i.e. with a target root mean square error (RMSE) of less than 0.04 m3/m3) being 20cm for linear and 15cm for second-order polynomial functions. Other functions were also tested but found to have a poorer performance. Applying the method to the tower-based brightness temperature achieved an average estimation depth of 28cm (20cm) and 5cm (5cm) during the dry and wet periods respectively when using a second-order polynomial (linear) function. These findings highlight the opportunity of a satellite mission with L-band and P-band observations to accurately estimate the soil moisture profile to as deep as 30cm globally.

Foad Brakhasi↗
NASA NTRS1981

Dryland pasture and crop conditions as seen by HCMM

Techniques developed from aircraft flights over the Washita watershed in central Oklahoma were applied to HCMM data analysis. Results show that (1) canopy temperatures were accurately measured remotely; (2) pasture surface temperature differences detected relative soil moisture differences; (3) pasture surface temperature differences were related to stress in nearby wheat fields; and (4) no relationship was developed between final yield differences, thermal infrared data, and soil moisture stress at critical growth stages due to a lack of satellite thermal data at critical growth stages. The HCMM thermal data proved to be quite adequate in detecting relative moisture differences; however, with a 16 day day/night overpass frequency, more frequent overpasses are required to analyze more cases within a 7 day period after the storm. Better normalization techniques are also required.

Harlan, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

AgRISTARS: Supporting research. Spring small grains planting date distribution model

A model was developed using 996 planting dates at 51 LANDSAT segments for spring wheat and spring barley in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota in 1979. Daily maximum and minimum temperatures and precipitation were obtained from the cooperative weather stations nearest to each segment. The model uses a growing degree day summation modified for daily temperature range to estimate the beginning of planting and uses a soil surface wetness variable to estimate how a fixed number of planting days are distributed after planting begins. For 1979, the model predicts first, median, and last planting dates with root mean square errors of 7.91, 6.61, and 7.09 days, respectively. The model also provides three or four dates to represent periods of planting activity within the planting season. Although the full model was not tested on an independent data set, it may be suitable in areas other than the U.S. Great Plains where spring small grains are planted as soon as soil and air temperatures become warm enough in the spring for plant growth.

Hodges, T.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Teaching Soil Science in Primary and Secondary Schools

Earth's thin layer of soil is a fragile resource, made up of minerals, organic materials, air, water, and billions of living organisms. Soils plays a variety of critical roles that sustain life on Earth. If we think about soil, we tend to see it first as the source of most of the food we eat and the fibers we use, such as wood and cotton. Few students realize that soils also provide the key ingredients to many of the medicines (including antibiotics), cosmetics, and dyes that we use. Fewer still understand the importance of soils in integrating, controlling, and regulating the movement of air, water, materials, and energy between the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Because soil sustains life, it offers both a context and a natural laboratory for investigating these interactions. The enclosed poster, which integrates soil profiles with typical landscapes in which soils form, can also help students explore the interrelationships of Earth systems and gain an understanding of our soil resources. The poster, produced jointly by the American Geological Institute and the Soil Science Society of America, aims to increase awareness of the importance of soil, as does the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations To Benefit the Environment) Program. Vice President Al Gore instituted the GLOBE Program on Earth Day of 1993 to increase environmental awareness of individuals throughout the world, contribute to a better scientific understanding of the Earth, and help all students reach higher levels of achievement in science and mathematics. GLOBE functions as a partnership between scientists, students, and teachers in which scientists design protocols for specific measurements they need for their research that can be performed by K-12 students. Teachers are trained in the GLOBE protocols and teach them to their students. Students make the measurements, enter data via the Internet to a central data archive, and the data becomes available to scientists and the general community. Students benefit by having a "hands-on"experience in science, math, and technology, using their local environment as a learning laboratory, as well as contact with scientists and other students around the world. Soil investigations have become an essential component of GLOBE. The protocols that have been developed so far within the GLOBE program include GPS Location, Atmosphere/Climate, Soil Characterization, Soil Moisture and Temperature, Land Cover/Biometry, Hydrology, and Satellite Image Classification. For the GLOBE Soil Characterization Protocol, students explore the physical. chemical, and morphological properties of the soil at their study site. They are asked to dig a pit or use an auger to about 1 meter at at least 2 sites.

Levine, Elissa R.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Warming amplifies the variability of methane emissions from a coastal wetland, 2025, Maryland.

These data accompany the published paper Lewis et al., 202X and are from a brackish coastal wetland in situ soil warming experiment (GENX) equipped with automated flux chambers. Methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes were measured in 12 automated chambers using custom-built automated chambers connected to an LI-7810 CH4/CO2 analyzer. The chambers are 1.5 m tall and contain the dominant vegetation species of the site (Schoenoplectus americanus, Spartina patens, and Distichlis spicata). The chambers are also distributed across a soil warming gradient, ranging from ambient to 6°C above ambient, that was started in February 2022. This dataset contains the following files: (1) CH4 and CO2 fluxes from each chamber for March to November 2025, statistics for each flux, and environmental data (water depth, salinity, air temperature) at the time of the flux measurement; (2) 15-minute soil temperature data for each chamber; (3) Aboveground vegetation biomass (total and by species) and stem counts and dimensions for S. americanus; (4) Elevation for each chamber. All data processing code is available on Github.

Coastal wetland↗
DOE OSTI2022

Carbon flux estimates are sensitive to data source: a comparison of field and lab temperature sensitivity data

Abstract A large literature exists on mechanisms driving soil production of the greenhouse gases CO 2 and CH 4 . Although it is common knowledge that measurements obtained through field studies vs. laboratory incubations can diverge because of the vastly different conditions of these environments, few studies have systematically examined these patterns. These data are used to parameterize and benchmark ecosystem- to global-scale models, which are then susceptible to the biases of the source data. Here, we examine how greenhouse gas measurements may be influenced by whether the measurement/incubation was conducted in the field vs. laboratory, focusing on CO 2 and CH 4 measurements. We use Q 10 of greenhouse gas flux (temperature sensitivity) for our analyses because this metric is commonly used in biological and Earth system sciences and is an important parameter in many modeling frameworks. We predicted that laboratory measurements would be less variable, but also less representative of true field conditions. However, there was greater variability in the Q 10 values calculated from lab-based measurements of CO 2 fluxes, because lab experiments explore extremes rarely seen in situ , and reflect the physical and chemical disturbances occurring during sampling, transport, and incubation. Overall, respiration Q 10 values were significantly greater in laboratory incubations (mean = 4.19) than field measurements (mean = 3.05), with strong influences of incubation temperature and climate region/biome. However, this was in part because field measurements typically represent total respiration (Rs), whereas lab incubations typically represent heterotrophic respiration (Rh), making direct comparisons difficult to interpret. Focusing only on Rh-derived Q 10 , these values showed almost identical distributions across laboratory ( n = 1110) and field ( n = 581) experiments, providing strong support for using the former as an experimental proxy for the latter, although we caution that geographic biases in the extant data make this conclusion tentative. Due to a smaller sample size of CH 4 Q 10 data, we were unable to perform a comparable robust analysis, but we expect similar interactions with soil temperature, moisture, and environmental/climatic variables. Our results here suggest the need for more concerted efforts to document and standardize these data, including sample and site metadata.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1972

A coactive interdisciplinary research program with NASA

The applications area of the Texas A&M University remote sensing program consists of a series of coactive projects with NASA/MSC personnel. In each case, the Remote Sensing Center has served to complement and enhance the research capability within the Manned Spacecraft Center. In addition to the applications study area, the Texas A&M University program includes coordinated projects in sensors and data analysis. Under the sensors area, an extensive experimental study of microwave radiometry for soil moisture determination established the effect of soil moisture on the measured brightness temperature for several different soil types. The data analysis area included a project which ERTS-A and Skylab data were simulated using aircraft multispectral scanner measurements at two altitudes. This effort resulted in development of a library of computer programs which provides an operational capability in classification analysis of multispectral data.

Rouse, J. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1981

One-dimensional simulation of temperature and moisture in atmospheric and soil boundary layers

Meteorologists are interested in modeling the vertical flow of heat and moisture through the soil in order to better simulate the vertical and temporal variations of the atmospheric boundary layer. The one dimensional planetary boundary layer model of is modified by the addition of transport equations to be solved by a finite difference technique to predict soil moisture.

Bornstein, R. D.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Temperature effects on adsorption and capillarity water retention mechanisms in constrained unsaturated soils

Abstract This paper focuses on the impact of elevated temperatures on the adsorptive and capillarity water retention mechanisms of unsaturated soils under constrained (constant volume) conditions. This topic is critical for simulating the thermo-hydraulic behavior of soils in hydrogeological or geotechnical applications, including climate change effects on near surface soils, energy piles or soil borehole thermal energy storage systems in unsaturated soil layers, and buffers for geological nuclear waste repositories. A nonisothermal soil water retention curve (SWRC) that separately considers the temperature-dependency of the key parameters governing adsorptive and capillarity water retention mechanisms and soil physical parameters (e.g., surface tension, contact angle, adsorption capacity, cation exchange capacity, mean cavitation suction, air entry value and equilibrium film thickness) was developed to provide insights into the impact of temperature on water retention over the full suction range. The nonisothermal SWRC was validated using experimental data on high plasticity clays, with a good prediction of temperature effects on adsorption and capillarity water retention mechanisms in constrained unsaturated soils.

Lu, Yu↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Impact of Freeze‐Thaw History on Soil Carbon Response to Experimental Freeze‐Thaw Cycles

Abstract Freeze‐thaw is a disturbance process in cold regions where permafrost soils are becoming vulnerable to temperature fluctuations above 0°C. Freeze‐thaw alters soil physical and biogeochemical properties with implications for carbon persistence and emissions in Arctic landscapes. We examined whether different freeze‐thaw histories in two soil systems led to contrasting biogeochemical responses under a laboratory‐controlled freeze‐thaw incubation. We investigated controls on carbon composition through Fourier‐transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT‐ICR‐MS) to identify nominal carbon oxidation states and relative abundances of aliphatic‐type carbon molecules in both surface and subsurface soils. Soil cores (∼60 cm‐depth) were sampled from two sites in Alaskan permafrost landscapes with different in situ freeze‐thaw characteristics: Healy (>40 freeze‐thaw cycles annually) and Toolik (<15 freeze‐thaw cycles annually). FT‐ICR‐MS was coupled with in situ temperature data and soil properties (i.e., soil texture, mineralogy) to assess (a) differences in soil organic matter composition associated with previous freeze‐thaw history and (b) sensitivity to experimental freeze‐thaw in the extracted cores. Control (freeze‐only) samples showed greater carbon oxidation in Healy soils compared with Toolik, even in lower mineral horizons where freeze‐thaw history was comparable across both sites. Healy showed the most loss of carbon compounds following experimental freeze‐thaw in the lower mineral depths, including a decrease in aliphatics. Toolik soils responded more slowly to freeze‐thaw as shown by intermediary carbon oxidation distributed across multiple carbon compound classes. Variations in the response of permafrost carbon chemistry to freeze‐thaw is an important factor for predicting changes in soil function as permafrost thaws in high northern latitudes.

Rooney, Erin C.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Effect of elevation, season and accelerated snowmelt on biogeochemical processes during isolated conifer needle litter decomposition

Increased drought and temperatures associated with climate change have implications for ecosystem stress with risk for enhanced carbon release in sensitive biomes. Litter decomposition is a key component of biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, but questions remain regarding the local response of decomposition processes to climate change. This is particularly complex in mountain ecosystems where the variable nature of the slope, aspect, soil type, and snowmelt dynamics play a role. Hence, the goal of this study was to determine the role of elevation, soil type, seasonal shifts in soil moisture, and snowmelt timing on litter decomposition processes. Experimental plots containing replicate deployments of harvested lodgepole and spruce needle litter alongside needle-free controls were established in open meadows at three elevations ranging from 2,800–3,500 m in Crested Butte, Colorado. Soil biogeochemistry variables including gas flux, porewater chemistry, and microbial ecology were monitored over three climatically variable years that shifted from high monsoon rains to drought. Results indicated that elevation and soil type influenced baseline soil biogeochemical indicators; however, needle mass loss and chemical composition were consistent across the 700 m elevation gradient. Rates of gas flux were analogously consistent across a 300 m elevation gradient. The additional variable of early snowmelt by 2–3 weeks had little impact on needle chemistry, microbial composition and gas flux; however, it did result in increased dissolved organic carbon in lodgepole porewater collections suggesting a potential for aqueous export. In contrast to elevation, needle presence and seasonal variability of soil moisture and temperature both played significant roles in soil carbon fluxes. Furthermore, during a pronounced period of lower moisture and higher temperatures, bacterial community diversity increased across elevation with new members supplanting more dominant taxa. Microbial ecological resilience was demonstrated with a return to pre-drought structure and abundance after snowmelt rewetting the following year. These results show similar decomposition processes across a 700 m elevation gradient and reveal the sensitivity but resilience of soil microbial ecology to low moisture conditions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Preview of AMSR: Airborne C-band Microwave Radiometer (ACMR) Observations from SGP99

Although L-band is generally considered ideal for passive microwave sensing of soil moisture, near-future satellite observing systems such as Advanced Mechanically Scanned Radiometer (AMSR) will provide C-band data for several years before any L-band data might become available. The Southern Great Plains'99 (SGP99) Experiment was designed to generate C-band observations suitable for testing and refinement of AMSR-era soil moisture retrieval algorithms. C-band data collected using the Airborne C-band Microwave Radiometer (ACMR), a new high-accuracy NASA/GSFC instrument, clearly demonstrated a strong response to a 9-day drydown event as well as to differences between the northern (cooler & wetter) and southern (warmer & dryer) areas covered by the P-3 flights. For example, the H-polarized brightness temperatures observed during the first three days of the drydown increased up to 50 K in the northern areas. These observations represent a preview of what we can expect from AMSR, albeit at 3-km spatial resolution vs. approximately 60 km for AMSR. Initial results of soil-vegetation microwave modeling will also be presented to estimate the relative contributions of soil physical temperature, canopy physical temperature, soil moisture, and canopy moisture. Significant radio-frequency interference (RFI) was evident during the experiment, and amelioration strategies will be discussed. The net effect of RFI (an upward bias in brightnesses) when averaged over an AMSR footprint is expected to be more subtle.

Kim, Edward↗
NASA NTRS2012

SMOS L1C and L2 Validation in Australia

Extensive airborne field campaigns (Australian Airborne Cal/val Experiments for SMOS - AACES) were undertaken during the 2010 summer and winter seasons of the southern hemisphere. The purpose of those campaigns was the validation of the Level 1c (brightness temperature) and Level 2 (soil moisture) products of the ESA-led Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. As SMOS is the first satellite to globally map L-band (1.4GHz) emissions from the Earth?s surface, and the first 2-dimensional interferometric microwave radiometer used for Earth observation, large scale and long-term validation campaigns have been conducted world-wide, of which AACES is the most extensive. AACES combined large scale medium-resolution airborne L-band and spectral observations, along with high-resolution in-situ measurements of soil moisture across a 50,000km2 area of the Murrumbidgee River catchment, located in south-eastern Australia. This paper presents a qualitative assessment of the SMOS brightness temperature and soil moisture products.

Rudiger, Christoph↗