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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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Interpretation of land use and stream order, Pawnee River Basin, Kansas

The author has identified the following significant results. Land use and stream orders were mapped from ERTS-1 imagery covering the Pawnee River Basin. Total area of the basin, irrigated dry land crop area, and rangeland area were determined. The stream order of the basin was calculated by the Strahler method and provided more detail than is available on the comparable 1:250,000 sheets. This study has demonstrated the feasibility of using ERTS-1 imagery to map stream networks in greater detail than is required for 1:250,000 scale. The utility of ERTS-1 has also been demonstrated for mapping and mensuration of data relating to performance of ground cover types and the extent of irrigation.

Morain, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The origin and evolution of sulfur in an Archean volcano-sedimentary basin, Deer Lake area, Minnesota

Rocks of the Deer Lake area, northcentral Minnesota, consist of Archean (age greater than 2.6 billion years) metasediments and metavolcanics intruded by mafic layered sills. Geologic and sulfur isotopic data suggest that sulfides in the sediments are bacteriogenic, having formed in response to the activity of sulfate reducing bacteria during diagenesis. Deposition of the sediments appears to have occurred in a deep marine basin with restricted circulation of sea water. The bulk of the sulfur in the igneous rocks is of deep seated origin, but basal contacts of the sills show evidence of assimilation of biogenic sulfur from the intruded sediments. This assimilation of biogenic sulfur is the primary geochemical control of local Cu-Ni sulfide mineralization.

Nicol, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Search for Evaporite Minerals in Flaugergues Basin, Mars

Studies of Martian surface geomorphology and detection of near-surface water ice by the Mars Odyssey gamma ray spectrometer suggest that Mars may have had a water-rich past. While 2 to 5 wt.% of carbonate has been detected in the Martian dust [1,2], no spectral evidence for significant deposits of carbonates or sulfates has been found to date. Most investigations into Mars aqueous mineralogy have been global in scope with only a few regional studies (e.g., [3]). We are searching for localized deposits in putative lacustrine basins utilizing a basin flow model to identify basins with large drainage areas. Such basins are more likely to accumulate high concentrations of aqueous minerals than deep basins which drain only small regions.

Dalton, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Geometric and chronologic evolution of the Verde and Payson Basins of Central Arizona and possible relationships to detachment faulting

The Transition Zone of Arizona and the structural basins therein have been poorly understood features from a structural standpoint. This is true both of their overall geometry as well as their formation. Yet these basins have developed within the last 13 million years and thus represent perhaps the most recent phase of development related to the extensional tectonics of the Basin and Range province. Recent work (Smith, 1984; Vance, 1983) as well as some older studies (Anderson and Creasy, 1985; Pedersen and Royce, 1970) provide data on the geometry of the Verde and Payson basins which can be used to constrain some hypotheses related to the development of these basins. The work of Cloos (1868), Anderson et. al. (1983), Wernicke and Burchfiel (1982) and Davis et. al. (l980) suggest a spatial and chronologic relation exists between planar high angle normal faults and low angle detachment faults. Perhaps one of the clearest examples from the Basin and Range area appears to be from seismic reflection profiles of the Sevier Desert Basin area of Utah (Fig. 1). These profiles suggest the existence fault-controlled extension basin development above it. Faults that appear either listric or planar intersect it from above.

Brumbaugh, D. S.↗
DOE OSTI2020

SECARB-USA: A Sub-Basin Framework for Future CO 2 Infrastructure Development

Task 4 of the SECARB-USA Project is designed to evaluate the regional needs and challenges for the development of a safe and environmentally sound CO 2 transport infrastructure. This infrastructure would transport CO 2 capture from power generating plants and/or industrial sources and distribute it to oil fields for associated storage in EOR operations, saline storage, and/or other suitable storage sites. The objective of this report on Sub-Basin Prospective Areas (Deliverable 4.1.a), is to provide the framework for understanding how regional infrastructure development could occur. The sub-basin prospective areas, in conjunction with the locations of CO 2 sources and pipeline infrastructure (for source-sink matching networks), form the basis for the analysis that will be performed in the Techno-Economic Analysis of Infrastructure Buildout Scenarios (Deliverable 4.1.b).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1976

Multiple ring structures and the problem of correlation between lunar basins

Comparison of multi-ringed, mare-filled basins on the nearside of the moon indicates that a simple one-to-one correspondence of all rings between lunar basins does not exist. The only rings which can be correlated reasonably well between such basins are concentric systems of mare ridges and basin rims, and the frequently cited square-root-of-2 spacing relationship does not correctly describe their spacing. It is concluded that the Cordillera is the rim of the Orientale Basin and is equivalent to the 1340 km diameter ring of the Imbrium Basin and the rims of the other mare-filled basins. The area between the Rook and Cordillera rings is believed equivalent to the marginal shelf areas of the more completely mare-filled basins. A circular arc approximately 520 km diameter located just inside the outer Rook Ring would have been the most likely site for formation of a concentric system of mare ridges, had filling of the Orientale Basin been complete.

Brennan, W. J.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Identifying snowfall elevation patterns by assimilating satellite-based snow depth retrievals

Precipitation in mountain regions is highly variable and poorly measured, posing important challenges to water resource management. Traditional methods to estimate precipitation include in-situ gauges, Doppler weather radars, satellite radars and radiometers, numerical modeling and reanalysis products. Each of these methods is unable to adequately capture complex orographic precipitation. Here, we propose a novel approach to characterize orographic snowfall over mountain regions. We use a particle batch smoother to leverage satellite information from Sentinel-1 derived snow depth retrievals and to correct various gridded precipitation products. This novel approach is tested using a simple snow model for an alpine basin located in Trentino Alto Adige, Italy. Here, we quantify the precipitation biases across the basin and found that the assimilation method (i) corrects for snowfall biases and uncertainties, (ii) leads to cumulative snowfall elevation patterns that are consistent across precipitation products, and (iii) results in overall improved basin-wide snow variables (snow depth and snow cover area) and basin streamflow estimates.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1969

Analysis of urban residential environments using color infrared aerial photography: An examination of socioeconomic variables and physical characteristics of selected areas in the Los Angeles basin, with addendum: An application of the concepts of the Los Angeles residential environment study to the Ontario-Upland region of California

Aerial photographs taken with color infrared film were used to differentiate various types of residential areas in the Los Angeles basin, using characteristics of the physical environment which vary from one type of residential area to another. Residential areas of varying quality were classified based on these characteristics. Features of the physical environment, identifiable on CIR aerial photography were examined to determine which of these are the best indicators of quality of residential areas or social areas, as determined by the socioeconomic characteristics of the inhabitants of the selected areas. Association between several physical features and the socioeconomic variables was found to exist.

Mullens, R. H., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Estimating Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Two California Cities Using Bayesian Inversion and Satellite Measurements

NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatories (OCO-2 and OCO-3) provide measurements of column-averaged carbon dioxide concentrations (XCO 2 ) with sufficient spatial resolution and precision to constrain bottom-up estimates of CO 2 fluxes at regional scales. We use Bayesian inversion methods assimilating satellite retrievals to improve estimates of CO 2 fluxes in the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) which surrounds Los Angeles, and in the San Francisco Bay Area Air Basin (SFBA). We study 2020 to understand the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns and an active wildfire season. Our results indicated that a 50% (30%) reduction in CO 2 emissions relative to 2015 during the COVID-19 lockdown period was consistent with OCO measurements for SFBA (SoCAB). We find that posterior wildfire emissions differed significantly from the prior at the scale of individual wildfires, though with large uncertainties, and that wildfire emissions in SFBA are significant, attributing 72% of the region's CO 2 emissions during August 2020 to wildfires.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1982

Combining remotely sensed and other measurements for hydrologic areal averages

A method is described for combining measurements of hydrologic variables of various sampling geometries and measurement accuracies to produce an estimated mean areal value over a watershed and a measure of the accuracy of the mean areal value. The method provides a means to integrate measurements from conventional hydrological networks and remote sensing. The resulting areal averages can be used to enhance a wide variety of hydrological applications including basin modeling. The correlation area method assigns weights to each available measurement (point, line, or areal) based on the area of the basin most accurately represented by the measurement. The statistical characteristics of the accuracy of the various measurement technologies and of the random fields of the hydrologic variables used in the study (water equivalent of the snow cover and soil moisture) required to implement the method are discussed.

Johnson, E. R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

N(50) Crater Retention Ages for an Expanded Inventory of Lunar Basins: Evidence for an Early Heavy Bombardment and a Late Heavy Bombardment?

LOLA topography and LOLA-derived crustal thickness data provide evidence for a population of impact basins on the Moon that is likely a factor 2 larger than the classical lists based on photogeology. Frey (2012) determined N(50) crater retention ages (CRAs) for 83 candidate basins > 300 km in diameter by counting LOLA-identified craters superimposed over the whole area of the basins. For some basins identified in topography or model crustal thickness it is not possible to unambiguously identify the crater rim as is traditionally done. Also, Quasi-Circular Depressions (QCDs) > 50 km in diameter are recognizable in the mare-filled centers of many basins. Even though these are not apparent in image data, they likely represent buried impact craters superimposed on the basin floor prior to mare infilling and so should be counted in determining the age of the basin. Including these as well as the entire area of the basins improves the statistics, though the error bars are still large when using only craters > 50 km in diameter. The distribution of N(50) CRAs had two distinct peaks which did not depend on whether the basins were named (based on photogeology) or recognized first in topography or crustal thickness data. It also did not depend on basin diameters (both larger and smaller basins made up both peaks) and both peaks persisted even when weaker candidates were excluded. Burgess (2012, unpublished data) redid the counts for 85 basins but improved on the earlier effort by adjusting the counting area where basins overlap. The two peak distribution of N(50) ages was confirmed, with a younger peak at N(50) ~ 40-50 and an older peak at N(50) ~ 80-90 (craters > 50 km diameter per million square km). We suggest this could represent two distinct populations of impactors on the Moon: one producing an Early Heavy Bombardment (EHB) that predates Nectaris and the second responsible for the more widely recognized Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB).

Frey, Herbert↗
NASA NTRS2012

Distributed Assimilation of Satellite-based Snow Extent for Improving Simulated Streamflow in Mountainous, Dense Forests: An Example Over the DMIP2 Western Basins

Snow cover area affects snowmelt, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and ultimately streamflow. For the Distributed Model Intercomparison Project - Phase 2 Western basins, we assimilate satellite-based fractional snow cover area (fSCA) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS, into the National Weather Service (NWS) SNOW-17 model. This model is coupled with the NWS Sacramento Heat Transfer (SAC-HT) model inside the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Land Information System. SNOW-17 computes fSCA from snow water equivalent (SWE) values using an areal depletion curve. Using a direct insertion, we assimilate fSCAs in two fully distributed ways: 1) we update the curve by attempting SWE preservation, and 2) we reconstruct SWEs using the curve. The preceding are refinements of an existing simple, conceptually-guided NWS algorithm. Satellite fSCA over dense forests inadequately accounts for below-canopy snow, degrading simulated streamflow upon assimilation during snowmelt. Accordingly, we implement a below-canopy allowance during assimilation. This simplistic allowance and direct insertion are found to be inadequate for improving calibrated results, still degrading them as mentioned above. However, for streamflow volume for the uncalibrated runs, we obtain: (1) substantial to major improvements (64-81 %) as a percentage of the control run residuals (or distance from observations), and (2) minor improvements (16-22 %) as a percentage of observed values. We highlight the need for detailed representations of canopy-snow optical radiative transfer processes in mountainous, dense forest regions if assimilation-based improvements are to be seen in calibrated runs over these areas.

Yatheendradas, Soni↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cation Exchange Capacity, Anion Exchange Capacity, and Mineralogy of F-Area Aquifer Sediments

Strontium-90 (Sr-90) is a contaminant of concern in groundwater and surface water at both F-Area and H-Area Seepage Basins. This contaminant was disposed of, along with other heavy metals and radionuclides, into a series of unlined seepage basins from 1955 until 1988. The acidity of the wastewater increased Sr-90 mobility from the basin soil through the vadose zone and into the Upper Aquifer Zone (UAZ), creating a groundwater plume that discharges into wetlands areas and a local stream called Fourmile Branch.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Iodine Air Sampling: Installation and Preliminary Results

The F-Area wetlands are a known sink for radioiodine generated at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Wastewater containing iodine-129 ( 129 I) was discharged into the F-Area Seepage Basins for disposal, but the acidity of the wastewater mobilized some of the contaminants from the basin soil through the vadose zone and into the groundwater; ultimately creating a groundwater plume that extends towards Fourmile Branch and its associated wetland areas. Dissolved radioiodine specifically has migrated to the nearby F-Area wetlands, where it persists as a contaminant of concern. Accumulation and resurfacing of 129 I in the wetlands and nearby areas creates a potential secondary source zone where changes in biogeochemical conditions could result in the release of this sequestered 129 I to the air. Monitoring data has indicated that 129 I has a seasonal behavior at several surface water stations, with high concentrations during summertime and low concentrations during wintertime. Still, it is not known which factors control the seasonal behavior of 129 I. Further, it has been reported that 129 I contributed approximately 23% to the 2019 SRS offsite air pathway dose to the representative person for that year (SRNS, 2020), but air measurements of 129 I have never been taken in the F-Area wetlands. Because air emissions of 129 I from the wetlands have never been investigated, it is not known if this could be a potential release pathway that needs to be included in the site conceptual model. To address these unknowns, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has an applied research task to investigate whether 129 I in the wetlands is emitted to the air and, if so, whether air concentrations exhibit seasonal variation. This report presents information about the system recently installed in the F-Area wetlands for measuring 129 I, as well as analysis results for samples collected June through August 2023. Quantification of this constituent will provide a better understanding of the contribution of airborne 129 I from the F-Area wetlands to the offsite dose and better inform ongoing and future remedial actions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗