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At least 685 records · Page 38

Local governments LANDSAT applications program

The approach used to develop the internal capabilities of local governments to handle and evaluate LANDSAT data included remote sensing training, development of a low-cost digital image processing system, and technical assistance. Cost sharing, program management and coordination, and networking were also employed to address problems related to land use, water resources, environmental assessment, and air quality as experienced by urban planners. Local experiences gained in Atlanta, Georgia; Henrico County, Virginia; Oklahoma City; Oklahoma; and San Jose, California are described. Policy recommendations formulated for transferring remote sensing technologies to local governments are included.

Source record↗

An experimental study of pressures on 60 deg Delta wings with leading edge vortex flaps

An experimental study was conducted in the Virginia Tech Stability Wind Tunnel to determine surface pressures over a 60 deg sweep delta wing with three vortex flap designs. Extensive pressure data was collected to provide a base data set for comparison with computational design codes and to allow a better understanding of the flow over vortex flaps. The results indicated that vortex flaps can be designed which will contain the leading edge vortex with no spillage onto the wing upper surface. However, the tests also showed that flaps designed without accounting for flap thickness will not be optimum and the result can be oversized flaps, early flap vortex reattachment and a second separation and vortex at the wing/flap hinge line.

Marchman, J. F., III↗

Monitoring tropical cyclone evolution with NOAA satellite microwave observations

NOAA satellite microwave soundings, which penetrate high clouds, delineate the development and dissipation of the upper tropospheric warm core associated with a tropical cyclone. The storm's 'core" may be detected from microwave imagery. Vertical cross sections reveal the intensification of the upper tropospheric warm core as the storm develops, and the downward propagation of the warm core as the storm dissipates. Excellent correlation is found between the horizontal Laplacian of an upper tropospheric temperature field and the intensity of the storm, as categorized by its surface central pressure and maximum sustained wind speed at the eye wall. The microwave monitoring of tropical cyclones is achieved in real time at the University of Wisconsin's Space Science and Engineering Center through high-speed teleconnections to direct readout receiving systems at Wallops Island, Virginia and Redwood City, California.

Velden, C.↗

Finding the lost river gas field - Lineament density analysis in hydrocarbon exploration

A comparative trial analysis of lineament density in 1:500,000 Landsat and 1:48,000 aerial Landsat-simulator images of a gas-field region in West Virginia is presented. The high-contrast, band 4, 5, 7 color composite Landsat image was interpreted independently by two analysts. The slightly different lineament maps were evaluated in terms of lineament-density variation in 10 x 10-km areas, and the resulting areal-variation maps are found to be statistically equivalent. High lineament density is shown to be associated with productive gas wells. Comparison of ground-based substructural contour maps and lineament-density analyses of the Landsat-simulator images reveals good correlation between density maxima or isopleths and substructural features associated with hydrocarbon formations. A hydrocarbon-exploration strategy using both Landsat and aerial images is proposed.

Lang, H. R.↗

Lightning swept-stroke attachment patterns and flight conditions for storm hazards 1981

As part of the NASA Langley Research Center Storm Hazards Program, 111 thunderstorm penetrations were made in 1981 with an F-106B airplane in order to record direct-strike lightning data and the associated flight conditions. Ground-based weather radar measurements in conjunction with these penetrations were made by NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory in Oklahoma and by NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. In 1981, the airplane received 10 direct lightning strikes; in addition, lightning transient data were recorded from 22 nearby flashes. Following each flight, the airplane was thoroughly inspected for evidence of lightning attachment, and the individual lightning attachment points were plotted on isometric projections of the airplane to identify swept-flash patterns. This report shows the strike attachment patterns that were found, and tabulates the flight conditions at the time of each lightning event. Finally, this paper contains a table in which the data in this report are cross-referenced with the previously published electromagnetic waveform data recorded onboard the airplane.

Fisher, B. D.↗

Research in computer science

The research efforts of University of Virginia students under a NASA sponsored program are summarized and the status of the program is reported. The research includes: testing method evaluations for N version programming; a representation scheme for modeling three dimensional objects; fault tolerant protocols for real time local area networks; performance investigation of Cyber network; XFEM implementation; and vectorizing incomplete Cholesky conjugate gradients.

Ortega, J. M.↗

Natural hydrocarbon emission estimates based on Landsat data as an input to a regional ozone photochemical model

Landsat-derived forest cover data were employed with non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) emission rates in a model to quantify summer forest ozone production for the Tidewater Region of Virginia. The areal extent of the three major forest types - coniferous, deciduous, and mixed - were determined from Landsat data on two adjacent scenes, using an unsupervised approach to spectral signature development. The forest type results from both data sets were verified in an extensive accuracy assessment and merged to provide regional statistics for total acreages, percent forest, and error rates. The Landsat statistics were incorporated into forest type emission factor equations to produce an estimated emission rate for natural hydrocarbons from forests. This estimate, along with measured rates for nitrogen oxides and NMHC from anthropogenic sources, was provided as input to computer simulations of atmospheric ozone generation for the Tidewater Region using a photochemical oxident model.

Middleton, E. M.↗

Lightning attachment patterns and flight conditions experienced by the NASA F-106B airplane from 1980 to 1983

The direct lightning strike data and associated flight conditions recorded from 1980 to 1983 during 742 thunderstorm penetrations with a NASA F-106B in Oklahoma and Virginia are studied with an emphasis on aircraft protection design. The individual lightning attachment spots were plotted on isometric projections of the aircraft to identify lightning entry and exit points and swept flash patterns. The altitudes, ambient temperatures, turbulence, and precipitation at which the strikes occurred are summarized and discussed. It was noted that peak strike rates (0.81 strikes/min and 3 strikes/penetration) occurred at altitudes between 11 km and 11.6 km corresponding to ambient temperatures between -40 C and -45 C. The data confirmed that initial entry and exit points most frequently occur at aircraft extremities, in this case the nose boom, the wing tips, the vertical fin cap, and the afterburner. The swept-flash attachment paths and burn marks found in this program indicate that the mid-span areas of swept aircraft may be more susceptible to lightning than previously thought. It was also found that lightning strikes may attach to spots within the engine tail pipe.

Fisher, B. D.↗

Lightning flash density versus altitude and storm structure from observations with UHF- and S-band radars

The UHF-(70.5 cm wavelength) and S-band (10 cm wavelength) radar at NASA/Wallops Island Research Facility in Virginia, U.S.A. have been used to relate lightning activity with altitude and with the reflectivity structure of thunderstorms. Two centers of lightning flash density were found; one between 6 and 8 km altitude and another between 11 and 15 km. Previously announced in STAR as N83-31206

Mazur, V.↗

Worst-month rain attenuation and XPD statistics for satellite paths at 12 GHz

The SIRIO 11.6-GHz beacon has been used to obtain worst-month attenuation and cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) data during a three-year measurement program at Blacksburg, Virginia. The ratio of worst month to annual percentage occurrence levels for the attenuation and XPD data are noted to be in close agreement with each other and with the CCIR model.

Yon, K. M.↗

Structure and Growth of the Marine Boundary Layer

LANDSAT visible imagery and a one-dimensional Lagrangian boundary layer model were used to hypothesize the nature and the development of the marine boundary layer during a winter episode of strong seaward cold air advection. Over-water heating and moistening of the cold, dry continental air is estimable from linear relations involving horizontal gradients of the near-surface air temperature and humidity. A line of enhanced convection paralleling the Atlantic U.S. coast from south of New York Bay to the vicinity of Virginia Beach, VA was attributed to stronger convergence at low levels. This feature was characterized as a mesoscale front. With the assistance of a three-dimensional mesoscale boundary layer model, initialized with data obtained from the MASEX, the marine boundary layer can be mapped over the entire Atlantic coastal domain and the evolution of the boundary layer can be studied as a function of different characteristics of important surface level forcings. The effects on boundary layer growth due to the magnitude and pattern of sea surface temperature, to the shape of the coastline, and to atmospheric conditions, such as the orientation of the prevailing wind are examined.

Mccumber, M.↗

Direct-strike lightning photographs, swept-flash attachment patterns, and flight conditions for storm hazards 1982

As part of the NASA Langley Research Center Storm Hazards Program, 241 thunderstorm penetrations were made in 1982 with an F-106B airplane in order to record direct-strike lightning data and the associated flight conditions. During these penetrations, the airplane received 156 direct lightning strikes; in addition, lightning transient data were recorded from 26 nearby lightning flashes. The tests were conducted within 150 nautical miles of Hampton, Virginia, assisted by ground-based weather-radar guidance from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility. The photographs of the lightning attachments taken from two onboard 16-mm color movie cameras and the associated strike attachment patterns are presented. A table of the flight conditions recorded at the time of each lightning event, and a table in which the data are cross-referenced with the previously published lightning electromagnetic waveform data are included.

Zaepfel, K. P.↗

Research in computer science

Synopses are given for NASA supported work in computer science at the University of Virginia. Some areas of research include: error seeding as a testing method; knowledge representation for engineering design; analysis of faults in a multi-version software experiment; implementation of a parallel programming environment; two computer graphics systems for visualization of pressure distribution and convective density particles; task decomposition for multiple robot arms; vectorized incomplete conjugate gradient; and iterative methods for solving linear equations on the Flex/32.

Ortega, J. M.↗

Muon spin rotation studies

The bulk of the muon spin rotation research work centered around the development of the muon spin rotation facility at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The collimation system was both designed and fabricated at Virginia State University. This improved collimation system, plus improvements in detectors and electronics enabled the acquisition of spectra free of background out to 15 microseconds. There were two runs at Brookhaven in 1984, one run was devoted primarily to beam development and the other run allowed several successful experiments to be performed. The effect of uniaxial strain on an Fe(Si) crystal at elevated temperature (360K) was measured and the results are incorporated herein. A complete analysis of Fe pulling data taken earlier is included.

Source record↗

Ariel 6 measurements of ultra-heavy cosmic ray fluxes in the region 34 or = Z or = 48

The Ariel VI satellite was launched by NASA on a Scout rocket on 3rd June 1979 from Wallops Island, Virginia, USA, into a near circular 625 km orbit inclined at 55 deg. It carried a spherical cosmic ray detector designed by a group from Bristol University. A spherical aluminum vessel of diameter 75 cm contains a gas scintillation mixture and a thin spherical shell of Pilot 425 plastic, and forms a single optical cavity viewed by 16 photomultipliers. Particle tracks through the detector may be characterized by their impact parameter p and by whether or not they pass through the cup of plastic scintillator placed between the sphere and the spacecraft body (referred to below as the Anti-Coincidence Detector or ACD). Individual particle charges are determined by separately measuring the gas scintillation and the Cerenkov emission from the plastic shell. This is possible because of the quite different distribution in time of these emissions.

Fowler, P. H.↗

User's operating procedures. Volume 2: Scout project financial analysis program

A review is presented of the user's operating procedures for the Scout Project Automatic Data system, called SPADS. SPADS is the result of the past seven years of software development on a Prime mini-computer located at the Scout Project Office, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia. SPADS was developed as a single entry, multiple cross-reference data management and information retrieval system for the automation of Project office tasks, including engineering, financial, managerial, and clerical support. This volume, two (2) of three (3), provides the instructions to operate the Scout Project Financial Analysis program in data retrieval and file maintenance via the user friendly menu drivers.

Harris, C. G.↗

Evidence for atmospheric carbon dioxide variability over the Gulf Stream

Two airborne surveys of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration have been conducted over the Gulf Stream off the east coast of Virginia and North Carolina on September 7-8, 1983. In situ CO2 data were acquired at an aircraft altitude of 300 m on trajectories that transcected the Gulf Stream near 36 deg N 73 deg W. Data show evidence of a CO2 concentration increase by 4 ppm to 15 ppm above the nominal atmospheric background value of 345 ppm. These enhanced values were associated with the physical location of the Gulf Stream prior to the passage of a weak cold front.

Bufton, J. L.↗

An intercomparison of carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and hydroxyl measurement techniques - Overview of results

Results from an intercomparison of methods to measure carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), and the hydroxyl radical (OH) are discussed. The intercomparison was conducted at Wallops Island, Virginia, in July 1983 and included a laser differential absorption and three grab sample/gas chromatograph methods for CO, a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and two chemiluminescence methods for NO, and two LIF methods and a radiocarbon tracer method for OH. The intercomparison was conducted as a field measurement program involving ambient measurements of CO (150-300 ppbv) and NO (10-180 pptv) from a common manifold with controlled injection of CO in incremental steps from 20 to 500 ppbv and NO in steps from 10 to 220 pptv. Only ambient measurements of OH were made. The agreement between the techniques was on the order of 14 percent for CO and 17 percent for NO. Hardware difficulties during the OH tests resulted in a data base with insufficient data and uncertanties too large to permit a meaningful intercomposition.

Hoell, J. M.↗