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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
DOE OSTI2026

Subpolar North Atlantic Water Mass Transformation and Overturning in Eddying and Non‐Eddying Simulations

Buoyancy forcing in the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean (SPNA) is an important driver of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). To advance understanding of the mechanisms connecting the two processes and their relative importance in sub-basins within the SPNA, we apply the Water Mass Transformation Framework to a matched-pair of forced, ocean-sea ice simulations configured at eddying and non-eddying resolution. Within the first decade of simulation, the non-eddying simulation produces a weak AMOC, ~11 Sv at 26.5 ° N, while the AMOC in the eddying simulation is more realistic and is thus analyzed for comparison. Surface water mass transformation and boundary transport are calculated in both density and temperature–salinity coordinates in three separate deep water formation regions, the Iceland Basin, the Irminger Sea and Labrador Sea, during the first decade of both simulations. We identify strong surface freshening in the Irminger and Labrador seas in the non-eddying simulation during the AMOC decline. This freshening significantly reduces the density of the surface outcrops where surface water mass formation occurs, essentially removing this contribution to deep water formation. Concurrently, boundary transports in these two regions are warmer and saltier in the non-eddying simulation compared to the eddying simulation where the density of surface water mass formation is stable. The warming and salinification of boundary transports in the non-eddying simulation is interpreted as an obstacle to deep water formation. Labrador Sea surface water mass transformation is important, despite its small contribution to buoyancy overturning.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2022

Earth System Model Parameter Adjustment Using a Green's Functions Approach

We demonstrate the practicality and effectiveness of using a Green's functions estimation approach for adjusting uncertain parameters in an Earth system model (ESM). This estimation approach has previously been applied to an intermediate-complexity climate model and to individual ESM components, e.g., ocean, sea ice, or carbon cycle components. Here, the Green's functions approach is applied to a state-of-the-art ESM that comprises a global atmosphere/land configuration of the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) coupled to an ocean and sea ice configuration of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model (MITgcm). Horizontal grid spacing is approximately 110 km for GEOS and 37–110 km for MITgcm. In addition to the reference GEOS-MITgcm simulation, we carried out a series of model sensitivity experiments, in which 20 uncertain parameters are perturbed. These “control” parameters can be used to adjust sea ice, microphysics, turbulence, radiation, and surface schemes in the coupled simulation. We defined eight observational targets: sea ice fraction, net surface shortwave radiation, downward longwave radiation, near-surface temperature, sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity, and ocean temperature and salinity at 300 m. We applied the Green's functions approach to optimize the values of the 20 control parameters so as to minimize a weighted least-squares distance between the model and the eight observational targets. The new experiment with the optimized parameters resulted in a total cost reduction of 9 % relative to a simulation that had already been adjusted using other methods. The optimized experiment attained a balanced cost reduction over most of the observational targets. We also report on results from a set of sensitivity experiments that are not used in the final optimized simulation but helped explore options and guided the optimization process. These experiments include an assessment of sensitivity to the number of control parameters and to the selection of observational targets and weights in the cost function. Based on these sensitivity experiments, we selected a specific definition for the cost function. The sensitivity experiments also revealed a decreasing overall cost as the number of control variables was increased. In summary, we recommend using the Green's functions estimation approach as an additional fine-tuning step in the model development process. The method is not a replacement for modelers' experience in choosing and adjusting sensitive model parameters. Instead, it is an additional practical and effective tool for carrying out final adjustments of uncertain ESM parameters.

Green's Function↗
NASA NTRS2000

Slow and Steady: Ocean Circulation. The Influence of Sea Surface Height on Ocean Currents

The study of ocean circulation is vital to understanding how our climate works. The movement of the ocean is closely linked to the progression of atmospheric motion. Winds close to sea level add momentum to ocean surface currents. At the same time, heat that is stored and transported by the ocean warms the atmosphere above and alters air pressure distribution. Therefore, any attempt to model climate variation accurately must include reliable calculations of ocean circulation. Unlike movement of the atmosphere, movement of the ocean's waters takes place mostly near the surface. The major patterns of surface circulation form gigantic circular cells known as gyres. They are categorized according to their general location-equatorial, subtropical, subpolar, and polar-and may run across an entire ocean. The smaller-scale cell of ocean circulation is known' as an eddy. Eddies are much more common than gyres and much more difficult to track in computer simulations of ocean currents.

Haekkinen, Sirpa↗
NASA NTRS2018

Arctic Sea Ice and Its Role in Global Change

Sea ice is an important component of the global climate system. Sea ice forms, grows, and melts in the ocean. Sea ice grows during the fall and winter and melts during the spring and summer. Sea ice can melt completely in summer or survive multiple years. Sea ice can be classified by stages of development (thickness and age), that is, first-year sea ice (ice thickness typically <1.8 m) and multiyear sea ice (ice thickness typically >1.8 m). Sea ice occurs in both hemispheres. In the Northern Hemisphere, sea ice develops in the Arctic Ocean and surrounding bodies including Hudson and Baffin Bay, Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Greenland Sea, the Bering Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk (sea ice can be observed as far south as Bohai Bay, China, ~38°N). In the Southern Hemisphere, sea ice only develops around Antarctica, reaching a maximum equatorward extension at around ~55°S).

Liu, Jiping↗
NASA NTRS1990

Continuous assimilation of simulated Geosat altimetric sea level into an eddy-resolving numerical ocean model. I - Sea level differences. II - Referenced sea level differences

The optimal interpolation method of Lorenc (1981) was used to conduct continuous assimilation of altimetric sea level differences from the simulated Geosat exact repeat mission (ERM) into a three-layer quasi-geostrophic eddy-resolving numerical ocean box model that simulates the statistics of mesoscale eddy activity in the western North Pacific. Assimilation was conducted continuously as the Geosat tracks appeared in simulated real time/space, with each track repeating every 17 days, but occurring at different times and locations within the 17-day period, as would have occurred in a realistic nowcast situation. This interpolation method was also used to conduct the assimilation of referenced altimetric sea level differences into the same model, performing the referencing of altimetric sea sevel differences by using the simulated sea level. The results of this dynamical interpolation procedure are compared with those of a statistical (i.e., optimum) interpolation procedure.

White, Warren B.↗
NASA NTRS2015

An Assessment of Antarctic Circumpolar Current and Southern Ocean Meridional Overturning Circulation During 1958-2007 in a Suite of Interannual CORE-2 Simulations

In the framework of the second phase of the Coordinated Ocean-ice Reference Experiments (CORE-II), we present an analysis of the representation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and Southern Ocean Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) in a suite of seventeen global ocean-sea ice models. We focus on the mean, variability and trends of both the ACC and MOC over the 19582007 period, and discuss their relationship with the surface forcing. We aim to quantify the degree of eddy saturation and eddy compensation in the models participating in CORE-II, and compare our results with available observations, previous fine-resolution numerical studies and theoretical constraints. Most models show weak ACC transport sensitivity to changes in forcing during the past five decades, and they can be considered to be in an eddy saturated regime. Larger contrasts arise when considering MOC trends, with a majority of models exhibiting significant strengthening of the MOC during the late 20th and early 21st century. Only a few models show a relatively small sensitivity to forcing changes, responding with an intensified eddy-induced circulation that provides some degree of eddy compensation, while still showing considerable decadal trends. Both ACC and MOC interannual variability are largely controlled by the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Based on these results, models are clustered into two groups. Models with constant or two-dimensional (horizontal) specification of the eddy-induced advection coefficient show larger ocean interior decadal trends, larger ACC transport decadal trends and no eddy compensation in the MOC. Eddy-permitting models or models with a three-dimensional time varying show smaller changes in isopycnal slopes and associated ACC trends, and partial eddy compensation. As previously argued, a constant in time or space is responsible for a poor representation of mesoscale eddy effects and cannot properly simulate the sensitivity of the ACC and MOC to changing surface forcing. Evidence is given for a larger sensitivity of the MOC as compared to the ACC transport, even when approaching eddy saturation. Future process studies designed for disentangling the role of momentum and buoyancy forcing in driving the ACC and MOC are proposed.

Southern Ocean dynamics↗
NASA NTRS1991

Marine research using data from TOPEX/Poseidon

The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL), the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Deacon Laboratory (IOSDL), and the British National Space Centre (BNSC) plan to use radar altimeter data from the TOPEX/POSEIDON mission in five main areas of research. These are: (1) investigation of variations in Southern Ocean sea levels and circulation; (2) related numerical modeling and data assimilation; (3) global and regional ocean tides; (4) North Sea and northeast Atlantic studies; and (5) winds and waves. Each one of these topics is described briefly below while more information can be extracted from the United Kingdom response to the TOPEX/POSEIDON Announcement of Opportunity.

Woodworth, Philip L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Surface Albedo of Sea Ice in CMIP6 and the Implications for the Surface Albedo Feedback

The Arctic has experienced rapid sea ice loss and a substantial decline in surface albedo, significantly impacting its radiation budget. Climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) reproduce these changes. However, inconsistencies remain among models regarding the magnitude, spatial distribution, and seasonal patterns of Arctic surface albedo evolution. This study investigates these discrepancies by comparing model outputs with observation from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES). We develop a decomposition method to assess the contributions of sea ice albedo, sea ice concentration, and sea ice extent to Arctic surface albedo. Over land, differences in snow cover account for the substantial inter-model spread in surface albedo, while over the ocean, sea ice albedo, concentration, and extent all contribute. Comparisons between CMIP6 and the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) simulations, which use identically prescribed sea ice concentrations, reveals considerable inter-model spread in Arctic Ocean surface albedo due to differences in sea ice albedo. Applying the decomposition method to projections shows that models predicting larger decreases in sea ice concentration and extent, especially in the Central Arctic, exhibit lower surface albedo and stronger sea ice albedo feedback. Beyond 2050, Arctic Ocean surface albedo decline is mainly influenced by sea ice extent indicating that the retreat of the ice edge is the most important process to constrain the surface albedo feedback. This study provides insights into factors contributing to the spread and changes in Arctic surface albedo and the associated sea ice albedo feedback.

Patrick C Taylor↗
NASA NTRS2006

Interferometric System for Measuring Thickness of Sea Ice

The cryospheric advanced sensor (CAS) is a developmental airborne (and, potentially, spaceborne) radar-based instrumentation system for measuring and mapping the thickness of sea ice. A planned future version of the system would also provide data on the thickness of snow covering sea ice. Frequent measurements of the thickness of polar ocean sea ice and its snow cover on a synoptic scale are critical to understanding global climate change and ocean circulation.

Hussein, Ziad↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Springtime SEA Air Is Consistently Both Smoky and Humid, but This Relationship (and Its Radiative Effects) Varies Spatially and Seasonally

The atmosphere over the southeast Atlantic Ocean (SEA) sees a consistent springtime biomass burning (BB) smoke from widespread agricultural fires on the African continent. This smoke layer is initially lofted high in a continental mixed layer (~5-6km) and is then transported westward in the free troposphere, where it overlies and ultimately mixes into the SEA stratocumulus-topped oceanic boundary layer. Coincident with this smoke is an elevated humidity signal which is present from the time a given airmass is over the continental source region. ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS) was a NASA Earth Venture Suborbital mission with the goal of measuring aerosol, cloud, and atmospheric properties over this region during three deployments in September 2016, August 2017, and October 2018. A previous study discussed the spatial characteristics of the water vapor-BB plume observations in the September 2016 flight data and their degree of agreement with several atmospheric reanalyses and models. In the present work, we first discuss atmospheric chemistry, structure, and aerosol results from all three ORACLES deployments to place these results in a broader seasonal context. Despite the differing locations and season of each deployment, we show that there continues to be good agreement between the airborne ORACLES dataset and large-scale reanalyses, specifically the ECMWF ERA5 and CAMS reanalyses. Other reanalyses (specifically NASA's MERRA-2) preserved the observed correlation between meteorology and biomass burning conditions, but, as was seen for 2016, was frequently displaced spatially relative to the observations. The CAMS reanalysis performs better with water vapor than with CO. Results comparing CAMS column AOD to the field measurements show slight overestimates, consistent with previous analysis, but the good relationship observed between AOD and inlet-based aerosol extinction demonstrates this metric's utility to broader studies. The good ERA5/CAMS/ORACLES agreement allows us to next examine the multi-year seasonal patterns and trends beyond the three ORACLES deployment periods. Looking at seven years of reanalysis data for the BB season, we find distinct variations between each month/deployment in terms of vertical smoke distribution and correlation to atmospheric specific humidity, due to changing conditions through the BB season. Using k-means clustering of these climatological reanalysis, we identify six canonical atmospheric profile types of varying total atmospheric humidity and vertical structure and describe their changing incidence spatially and throughout the season, and six analogous profile types for carbon monoxide, allowing us to characterize the atmospheric structure of both vapor and BB over time throughout the SEA region. This classification will allow for a more complete analysis of the broader radiative and dynamical effects of humid aerosols overlying stratocumulus clouds.

Kristina Marie Myers Pistone↗
DOE OSTI2023

Mechanisms of heat flux across the Southern Greenland continental shelf in 1/10° and 1/12° ocean/sea ice simulations

The increased presence of warm Atlantic water on the Greenland continental shelf has been connected to the accelerated melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet, particularly in the southwest and southeast shelf regions. Results from two high-resolution coupled ocean-sea ice simulations that utilized either the 1/10-degree Parallel Ocean Program (POP) or the 1/12-degree HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) are used to understand the flux of heat on and off the southern Greenland shelf. The analysis reveals that the region of greatest heat flux onto the shelf is southeast Greenland. On the southwestern shelf, heat is mainly exported from the shelf to the interior basins. We identify differences in the shelf break current structure and on-shelf heat content between the two simulations. Just south of the Denmark strait, there is a seasonally persistent pattern of multi-day variability in the cross-shelf heat flux in both simulations. In the POP simulation, this high-frequency signal results in net on-shore heat flux. In the HYCOM simulation, the signal is weaker and results in net off-shelf heat flux. This variability is consistent with Denmark Strait Overflow eddies traveling along the shelf break.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Stratospheric ozone depletion in the Antarctic region triggers intense changes in sea salt aerosol geochemistry

Abstract Since the early 1980s, the Antarctic environment has served as a natural field laboratory for researchers to investigate the effects of stratospheric ozone depletion, which has resulted in increased surface ultraviolet radiation levels. However, its effective threats still present gaps. We report new pieces of evidence of increased ultraviolet radiation impacting West Antarctica sea salt aerosols. Salt aerosols, particularly in the Southern Ocean Sea, play an important role in the radiative earth balance. To disclose the molecular details of sea salt aerosols, we used a synchrotron-based multi-element microscopic speciation of individual microparticles (Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy with Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy combined with Computer-Controlled Scanning Electron Microscopy). Here we identified substantial abundances of chlorine-enriched aerosols in sea salt generated by photolytic products, whereas ice core records revealed increased chlorine depletion from the onset of ozone depletion. Our findings reveal that modern sea salt modification has no Holocene precedent.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1992

Late quaternary time series of Arabian Sea productivity: Global and regional signals

Modern annual floral and faunal production in the northwest Arabian Sea derives primarily from upwelling induced by strong southwest winds during June, July, and August. Indian Ocean summer monsoon winds are, in turn, driven by differential heating between the Asian continent and the Indian ocean to the south. This differential heating produces a strong pressure gradient resulting in southwest monsoon winds and both coastal and divergent upwelling off the Arabian Peninsula. Over geologic time scales (10(exp 4) to 10(exp 6) years), monsoon wind strength is sensitive to changes in boundary conditions which influence this pressure gradient. Important boundary conditions include the seasonal distribution of solar radiation, global ice volume, Indian Ocean sea surface temperature, and the elevation and albedo of the Asian continent. To the extent that these factors influence monsoon wind strength, they also influence upwelling and productivity. In addition, however, productivity associated with upwelling can be decoupled from the strength of the summer monsoon winds via ocean mechanisms which serve to inhibit or enhance the nutrient supply in the intermediate waters of the Indian Ocean, the source for upwelled waters in the Arabian Sea. To differentiate productivity associated with wind-induced upwelling from that associated with other components of the system such as nutrient sequestering in glacial-age deep waters, we employ a strategy which monitors independent components of the oceanic and atmospheric subsystems. Using sediment records from the Owen Ridge, northwest Arabian Sea, we monitor the strength of upwelling and productivity using two independent indicators, percent G. bulloides and opal accumulation. We monitor the strength of southwest monsoon winds by measuring the grain-size of lithogenic dust particles blown into the Arabian Sea from the surrounding deserts of the Somali and Arabian Peninsulas. Our current hypothesis is that the variability associated with the 41 kyr power in the G. bulloides and opal accumulation records derive from nutrient availability in the intermediate waters which are upwelled via monsoon winds. This hypothesis is testable by comparison with Cd records of intermediate and deep waters of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean.

Clemens, Steven C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Modeling of topographic effects on Antarctic sea ice using multivariate adaptive regression splines

The role of seafloor topography in the spatial variations of the southern ocean sea ice cover as observed (every other day) by the Nimbus 7 scanning multichannel microwave radiometer satellite in the years 1980, 1983, and 1984 is studied. Bottom bathymetry can affect sea ice surface characteristics because of the basically barotropic circulation of the ocean south of the Antarctic Circumpolar current. The main statistical tool used to quantify this effect is a local nonparametric regression model of sea ice concentration as a function of the depth and its first two derivatives in both meridional and zonal directions. First, we model the relationship of bathymetry to sea ice concentration in two sudy areas, one over the Maud Rise and the other over the Ross Sea shelf region. The multiple correlation coefficient is found to average 44% in the Maud Rise study area and 62% in the Ross Sea study area over the years 1980, 1983, and 1984. Second, a strategy of dividing the entire Antarctic region into an overlapping mosaic of small areas, or windows is considered. Keeping the windows small reduces the correlation of bathymetry with other factors such as wind, sea temperature, and distance to the continent. We find that although the form of the model varies from window to window due to the changing role of other relevant environmental variables, we are left with a spatially consistent ordering of the relative importance of the topographic predictors. For a set of three representative days in the Austral winter of 1980, the analysis shows that an average of 54% of the spatial variation in sea ice concentration over the entire ice cover can be attributed to topographic variables. The results thus support the hypothesis that there is a sea ice to bottom bathymetry link. However this should not undermine the considerable influence of wind, current, and temperature which affect the ice distribution directly and are partly responsible for the observed bathymetric effects.

De Veaux, Richard D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

User's guide for the Nimbus 7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) CELL-ALL tape

The SMMR instrument onboard the Nimbus-7 satellite has been in operation since October 1978. It provided global coverage of passive microwave observations at 6.6, 10.7, 18, 21, and 37 GHz. The oberved brightness temperature can be used to retrieve geophysical parameters, principally sea surface temperature, atmospheric water vapor and liquid water content over oceans, sea ice concentration, and snow cover over land. The SMME CELL-ALL Tape contains earth-located calibrated brightness temperature data which have been appropriately binned into cells of various grid sizes, allowing intercomparisons of observations made at different frequencies (with corresponding different footprint sizes). This user's guide describes the operation of the instrument, the flow of the data processing the calibration procedure, and the characteristics of the calibrated brightness temperatures and how they are binned. Detailed tape specifications and lists of available data are also provided.

Cu, C. C.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Description of historical and future projection simulations by the global coupled E3SMv1.0 model as used in CMIP6

Abstract. This paper documents the experimental setup and general features of the coupled historical and future climate simulations with the first version of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SMv1.0). The future projected climate characteristics of E3SMv1.0 at the highest emission scenario (SSP5-8.5) designed in the Scenario Model Intercomparison Project (ScenarioMIP) and the SSP5-8.5 greenhouse gas (GHG) only forcing experiment are analyzed with a focus on regional responses of atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, and land. Due to its high equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS of 5.3 K), E3SMv1.0 is one of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) models with the largest surface warming by the end of the 21st century under the high-emission SSP5-8.5 scenario. The global mean precipitation change is highly correlated with the global temperature change, while the spatial pattern of the change in runoff is consistent with the precipitation changes. The oceanic mixed layer generally shoals throughout the global ocean. The annual mean Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is overly weak with a slower change from ∼ 11 to ∼ 6 Sv (Sverdrup) relative to other CMIP6 models. The sea ice, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, decreases rapidly with large seasonal variability. We detect a significant polar amplification in E3SMv1.0 from the atmosphere, ocean, and sea ice. Comparing the SSP5-8.5 all-forcing experiment with the GHG-only experiment, we find that the unmasking of the aerosol effects due to the decline of the aerosol loading in the future projection period causes transient accelerated warming in the all-forcing experiment in the first half of the 21st century. While the oceanic climate response is mainly controlled by the GHG forcing, the land runoff response is impacted primarily by forcings other than GHG over certain regions, e.g., southern North America, southern Africa, central Africa, and eastern Asia. However, the importance of the GHG forcing on the land runoff changes grows in the future climate projection period compared to the historical period.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2006

Interannual and Regional Variability of Southern Ocean Snow on Sea Ice and its Correspondence with Sea Ice Cover and Atmospheric Circulation Patterns

Snow depth on sea ice plays a critical role in the heat exchange between ocean and atmosphere because of its thermal insulation property. Furthermore, a heavy snow load on the relatively thin Southern Ocean sea-ice cover submerges the ice floes below sea level, causing snow-to-ice conversion. Snowfall is also an important freshwater source into the weakly stratified ocean. Snow depth on sea-ice information can be used as an indirect measure of solid precipitation. Satellite passive microwave data are used to investigate the interannual and regional variability of the snow cover on sea ice. In this study we make use of 12 years (1992-2003) of Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) radiances to calculate average monthly snow depth on the Antarctic sea-ice cover. The results show a slight increase in snow depth and a partial eastward propagation of maximum snow depths, which may be related to the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave.

Markus, T.↗