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At least 91 records · Page 5

Developing Satellite-Assisted Particulate Matter (SAPM) Estimates over India for the MIRA Working Group

The Models, In Situ, and Remote Sensing of Aerosols (MIRA) Working Group is an international collective that encourages collaboration among researchers from these three atmospheric aerosol communities. MIRA currently comprises five interdisciplinary and independently funded Topic Groups, each with specific goals, and involves requests for additional scientific datasets. The Satellite-Assisted Particulate Matter (SAPM) Topic Group, as part of MIRA, focuses on studying particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) due to its significant contribution to air pollution and its harmful effects on human health. While the annual mean PM2.5 levels are typically low (~5-15 μg/m³) across most of the contiguous United States (CONUS), other countries experience much higher concentrations (e.g., India). SAPM aims to compare different methods and techniques for obtaining surface PM2.5 proxies using spaceborne passive and active remote sensors, aerosol models, and in situ measurements. Ultimately, SAPM aims to provide more extensive coverage of PM2.5 concentrations than what is currently available from in situ ground stations, which are limited in some parts of the CONUS and large regions worldwide. Current SAPM members are exploring PM2.5 estimation techniques using active sensors. This presentation offers an overview of these techniques and highlights the strengths and limitations of each approach. These techniques include 1) spaceborne lidar (CALIOP: Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization) alone, and 2) a combination of spaceborne lidar (CATS: Cloud Aerosol Transport System) and a global aerosol transport model (GEOS: Goddard Earth Observing System). Additionally, we present a case study featuring our SAPM research in India, a country with high levels of PM2.5 concentrations (i.e., state-level annual means of ~100-200 μg/m³). Consistent spatial patterns in PM2.5 over India are found from the in situ data, CALIOP-based, and CATS/model-based methods, with the highest concentrations found in northern India near New Delhi. The gridded PM2.5 analysis yields high R values between in situ and CATS/model (~0.7) and between in situ and CALIOP nighttime (~0.9), as well as good agreement between CATS/model and CALIOP nighttime PM2.5 estimates (R = ~0.8 and slope = ~0.9). For current and future efforts, the SAPM Topic Group is actively seeking new collaborators, especially those working with in situ aerosol measurements, and is interested in acquiring additional aerosol datasets to improve and validate the PM2.5 proxies.

Travis D Toth↗

Multidisciplinary Optimization Methods for Aircraft Preliminary Design

This paper describes a research program aimed at improved methods for multidisciplinary design and optimization of large-scale aeronautical systems. The research involves new approaches to system decomposition, interdisciplinary communication, and methods of exploiting coarse-grained parallelism for analysis and optimization. A new architecture, that involves a tight coupling between optimization and analysis, is intended to improve efficiency while simplifying the structure of multidisciplinary, computation-intensive design problems involving many analysis disciplines and perhaps hundreds of design variables. Work in two areas is described here: system decomposition using compatibility constraints to simplify the analysis structure and take advantage of coarse-grained parallelism; and collaborative optimization, a decomposition of the optimization process to permit parallel design and to simplify interdisciplinary communication requirements.

Kroo, Ilan↗

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Cybervulnerability Impact Assessment for Energy Critical Infrastructure

As energy infrastructure becomes more interconnected, understanding cybersecurity risks to production systems requires integrating operational and computer security knowledge. We interviewed 18 experts working in the field of energy critical infrastructure to compare what information they find necessary to assess the impact of computer vulnerabilities on energy operational technology. These experts came from two groups: 1) computer security experts and 2) energy sector operations experts. We find that both groups responded similarly for general categories of information and displayed knowledge about both domains, perhaps due to their interdisciplinary work at the same organization. Yet, their discussion of each group’s domain-specific training, motivations, and limitations, as well as their suggestions for collaboration across domains, highlighted how these two groups can work together to help each other secure the energy grid. Our findings inform the development of interdisciplinary security approaches in critical-infrastructure contexts.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Enhancing Interdisciplinary Human System Risk Research Through Modeling and Network Approaches

NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) supports research to reduce human health and performance risks inherent in future human space exploration missions. Understanding risk outcomes and contributing factors in an integrated manner allows HRP research to support development of efficient and effective mitigations from cross‐disciplinary perspectives, and to enable resilient human and engineered systems for spaceflight. The purpose of this work is to support scientific collaborations and research portfolio management by utilizing modeling for analysis and visualization of current and potential future interdisciplinary efforts.

Mindock, Jennifer↗

Satellite-Assisted Particulate Matter (SAPM) for the Models, In situ, and Remote sensing of Aerosols (MIRA) Working Group

Models, In situ, and Remote sensing of Aerosols (MIRA) is an international working group that aims to foster collaborations amongst these three major aerosol specialties. It consists of a collection of interdisciplinary and independently funded projects/topics with clearly-defined goals. Currently there are four MIRA topic areas, including Satellite-Assisted Particulate Matter (SAPM), which is focused specifically on fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The study of PM2.5 is important due to its significant contribution to air pollution and resultant, adverse human health effects. The goal of the SAPM topic group is to conduct and provide intercomparisons of various methods and techniques to obtain surface PM2.5 estimates assisted by satellite remote sensors, global aerosol models, and in situ aerosol measurements. Some benefits of space-based/model-assisted PM2.5 retrievals include providing PM2.5 approximations in regions with poor in situ ground station coverage and a means for assessing spatial/temporal PM2.5 variations on regional and/or global scales. Furthermore, benefits of spaceborne lidar/model-assisted PM2.5 retrievals include providing nighttime PM2.5 estimates and characterization of near-surface aerosol vertical structure. SAPM is seeking international datasets of mass scattering/absorption coefficient and aerosol hygroscopic properties for different aerosol species, as well as ground-based in situ PM2.5 measurements. In this poster presentation, we give an overview of SAPM, and show results from three recent/ongoing PM2.5 studies. These efforts involve deriving surface PM2.5 concentrations from two spaceborne lidars, the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) and Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS), and investigating key variables that impact the estimation of PM2.5 from model simulated aerosol optical depth (AOD) using the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model.

Travis D. Toth↗

Satellite-Assisted Particulate Matter (SAPM) for the Models, In situ, and Remote Sensing of Aerosols (MIRA) Working Group

Models, In situ, and Remote sensing of Aerosols (MIRA) is an international working group that provides a forum for collaborations amongst these three atmospheric aerosol communities. MIRA consists of a collection of interdisciplinary and independently funded Topic/Project groups with clear goals and generally characterized by requests for additional scientific data. The Satellite-Assisted Particulate Matter (SAPM) Topic group focuses on the study of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), as it is a major contributor to air pollution and negatively impacts human health. Our group aims to provide intercomparisons of various methods and techniques for estimating surface PM2.5 assisted by satellite remote sensors (passive and active), global aerosol models, and in situ aerosol measurements. The overall motivation of our work is to enhance PM2.5 coverage beyond in situ ground stations, which can be limited. In this presentation, we provide an overview of various PM2.5 estimation approaches by current SAPM team members, as each approach has its own strengths and limitations. One approach uses near-surface aerosol extinction retrievals from the spaceborne Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) and an assumed value of mass extinction efficiency to derive PM2.5 concentrations (Toth et al 2019). A study using this method found a promising agreement (R=0.60; slope=0.89) with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in situ PM2.5 measurements over the contiguous United States (CONUS) for a 12-year (2007-2018) period (Toth et al 2022). In a different approach combining spaceborne lidar and a model, the Cloud Aerosol Transport System (CATS) lidar and Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model are blended in an ensemble variational assimilation scheme to retrieve aerosol extinction and convert speciated mass concentrations to total PM2.5. A recent study (Matus et al in prep.) found agreement within 2 μg/m3 over the CONUS on the 2016 annual mean when compared to EPA ground-based measurements. Another study explored trends in city aerosol optical depth (AOD) from a spaceborne passive remote sensor, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and found that these trends agree well with trends in city surface PM2.5, which provides confidence in the use of city AOD for city PM2.5 trend studies (Vohra et al 2021). In a follow-on study, steep and significant trends (~2.5 to 7.8% a-1) in AOD are found for several South Asian cities (e.g., Bangalore and Hyderabad), suggesting rapid growth in PM2.5 (Vohra et al 2022). Also in this presentation, we report results on our current collective SAPM study of India, a country that exhibits high levels of PM2.5 pollution. We show the temporal (i.e., seasonal) and spatial variability of PM2.5 over India using the CALIOP and CATS+model approaches, comparisons between the estimated PM2.5 from the retrieval schemes, and validation with in situ PM2.5 ground-based observations from the Central Pollution Control Board in India. This region provides us with an excellent case study to test our PM2.5 retrievals in heavily polluted scenes and over a complex and varying topography. The SAPM Topic group actively seeks international participants/collaborators in our group, including those working with in situ aerosol measurements (e.g., ACTRIS). We are interested in aerosol datasets in order to either improve our PM2.5 estimates from various approaches (e.g., using in situ mass scattering/absorption coefficient and aerosol hygroscopic properties for various aerosol species) and/or validate the PM2.5 estimates (e.g., using in situ ground-based PM2.5 concentrations).

Travis D Toth↗

Satellites as Sentinels for Health

Remotely-sensed data and observations are providing powerful new tools for addressing the human health aspects of sustainability by enabling improved understanding of the relationships and linkages between health-related environmental parameters and society as well as techniques for early warning of potential health problems. Remote sensing, geographic information systems, improved computational capabilities, and interdisciplinary research between the Earth and health science communities are being combined in rich collaborative efforts resulting in more rapid problem-solving, early warning, and prevention in global health issues. This paper provides a number of recent examples of applications of these technologies to health issues related to the following: infectious and vector-borne diseases; urban, regional and global air pollution; heat stress; UV radiation; water-borne disease; extreme weather; contaminant pathways (ocean, atmosphere, ice).

Maynard, Nancy G.↗

Satellites as Sentinels for Environment & Health

Satellites as Sentinels for Environment & Health Remotely-sensed data and observations are providing powerful new tools for addressing human and ecosystem health by enabling improved understanding of the relationships and linkages between health-related environmental parameters and society as well as techniques for early warning of potential health problems. NASA Office of Earth Science Applications Program has established a new initiative to utilize its data, expertise, and observations of the Earth for public health applications. In this initiative, lead by Goddard Space Flight Center, remote sensing, geographic information systems, improved computational capabilities, and interdisciplinary research between the Earth and health science communities are being combined in rich collaborative efforts resulting in more rapid problem-solving, early warning, and prevention in global health issues. This presentation provides a number of recent examples of applications of advanced remote sensing and other technologies to health.and security issues related to the following: infectious and vector-borne diseases; urban, regional and global air pollution; African and Asian airborne dust; heat stress; UV radiation; water-borne disease; extreme weather; contaminant pathways (ocean, atmosphere, ice)

Maynard, Nancy G.↗

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Cyber-vulnerability Impact Assessment for Energy Critical Infrastructure

As energy infrastructure becomes more interconnected, understanding cybersecurity risks to production systems requires integrating operational and computer security knowledge. We interviewed 18 experts working in the field of energy critical infrastructure to compare what information they find necessary to assess the impact of computer vulnerabilities on energy operational technology. These experts came from two groups: 1) computer security experts and 2) energy sector operations experts. We find that both groups responded similarly for general categories of information and displayed knowledge about both domains, perhaps due to their interdisciplinary work at the same organization. Yet, we found notable differences in the details of their responses and in their stated perceptions of each group’s approaches to impact assessment. Their suggestions for collaboration across domains highlighted how these two groups can work together to help each other secure the energy grid. Our findings inform the development of interdisciplinary security approaches in critical-infrastructure contexts.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Models, In situ, and Remote sensing of Aerosols (MIRA)

The Models, In situ, and Remote sensing of Aerosols (MIRA) working group connects members of the different aerosol communities through collaborative projects. This abstract, additional details, and a list of current projects can be found at https://science.larc.nasa.gov/mira-wg/. Join our email distribution list of 200+ members at https://espo.nasa.gov/lists/listinfo/mira.In this talk, we will describe some current MIRA projects that are relevant to AeroCom (e.g., the Table of Aerosol Optics, or TAO) and the benefits of presenting your multi-disciplinary work at MIRA sessions and meetings. What is MIRA? MIRA is forum that fosters international collaborations amongst the aerosol Modeling, In situ, and Remote sensing specialties. MIRA advances scientific knowledge about aerosol properties and improves our understanding of air quality, weather, and climate through the pursuit of specific goals. MIRA emphasizes areas of study where the aerosol specialties overlap, and MIRA projects seek additional data and insight from others (observational and modeled). Why? The purpose of MIRA is to contextualize both observations and model results through the encouragement of holistic projects and collaborations. Linking aerosol disciplines removes gaps in understanding that hinder our interpretation of observations and model results. Such linkages improve our understanding of air quality, weather, and climate. How does MIRA differ from other working groups? MIRA focuses on interdisciplinarity to improve measurements and their utility, so MIRA complements the activities of other groups. Other interdisciplinary aerosol groups have different primary foci. For instance, AeroCom mainly focuses on improving global aerosol models, AeroSat focuses on strengthening collaboration amongst satellite aerosol retrieval groups, and ICAP focuses on aerosol forecasting. We hope that many MIRA projects engage these groups.

Gregory Schuster↗

Providing Satellite-Assisted Particulate Matter (SAPM) Estimates for the Models, In situ, and Remote sensing of Aerosols (MIRA) Working Group

The Models, In situ, and Remote sensing of Aerosols (MIRA) Working Group is an international forum that promotes collaboration amongst researchers of these three atmospheric aerosol communities. MIRA currently consists of a collection of five interdisciplinary and independently funded Topic groups with focused goals and generally involve requests for additional scientific datasets. Participants of the MIRA Satellite-Assisted Particulate Matter (SAPM) Topic group study particulate matter with diameters smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), because of its substantial role in air pollution and the resulting negative impacts on human health. SAPM seeks to provide intercomparisons of different methods and techniques for obtaining surface PM2.5 proxies using spaceborne passive and active remote sensors, aerosol models, and in situ observations. The ultimate motivation of SAPM is to provide greater PM2.5 coverage than in situ ground stations, which are limited in some areas of the contiguous United States and large regions throughout the globe. In this poster presentation, we provide an overview of the PM2.5 estimation techniques applied by current SAPM team members, as well as the strengths and limitations of each technique. These approaches include spaceborne lidar (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization) only, combined spaceborne lidar (Cloud Aerosol Transport System) and a model (Goddard Earth Observing System), and using aerosol optical depth (AOD) from a spaceborne passive remote sensor (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) to explore city trends in AOD and relate those to city trends in PM2.5. Also in this poster presentation, we highlight results of our SAPM study of India, a country characterized by high levels of PM2.5 concentrations. We show the temporal and spatial variability of PM2.5 over India derived using various approaches and validation with ground-based in situ PM2.5 observations. The SAPM Topic group actively seeks additional collaborators, including those working with in situ aerosol measurements, and is interested in aerosol datasets to improve and/or validate the PM2.5 estimates.

Travis D Toth↗

Practice Oriented Master's in Optics

This award provides support for the development and initial implementation of an interdisciplinary Master's Program with a concentration in Optics and Photonics Technology. This program is a collaboration between the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama A and M University, Northwest Shoals Community College, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army Missile Command, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the National Institute for Standards and Technology, Advanced Optical Systems Inc., Dynetics, Inc., Hughes Danbury Optical Systems, Inc., Nichols Research Corp., SCI Inc., and Speedring Inc. These organizations have been participating fully in the design, development and implementation of the program. This program is directed at both traditional students as well as government and defense workers who desire specialty education in practical optics and optical systems design and manufacturing. It is intended to produce highly trained graduates who can solve practical problems, and includes an on-site practicum at a manufacturing location. The broad curriculum of this program emphasizes the fundamentals of optics, optical systems manufacturing and testing, and the principles of design and manufacturing-to-cost for commercial optical products. The degrees offered are the MS in Physics and the MSE in Electrical Engineering with concentration in Optics and Photonics Technology through the Physics and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments of UAH with support from and in consultation with the Steering Committee composed of representatives from each of the participating organizations plus a student representative.

Dimmock, John O.↗

Practice Oriented Master's in Optics

This award provides support for the development and initial implementation of an interdisciplinary Master's Program with a concentration in Optics and Photonics Technology. This program is a collaboration between the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama A&M University, Northwest Shoals Community College, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the U. S. Army Missile Command, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the National Institute for Standards and Technology, Advanced Optical Systems Inc., Dynetics, Inc., Hughes Danbury Optical Systems, Inc., Nichols Research Corp., SCI Inc., and Speedring Inc. These organizations have been participating fully in the design, development and implementation of the program. This program is directed at both traditional students as well as government and defense workers who desire specialty education in practical optics and optical systems design and manufacturing. It is intended to produce highly trained graduates who can solve practical problems, and includes an on-site practicum at a manufacturing location. The broad curriculum of this program emphasizes the fundamentals of optics, optical systems manufacturing and testing, and the principles of design and manufacturing-to-cost for commercial optical products. The degrees offered are the MS in Physics and the MSE in Electrical Engineering with concentration in Optics and Photonics Technology through the Physics and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments of UAH with support from and in consultation with the Steering Committee composed of representatives from each of the participating organizations plus a student representative.

Dimmock, John O.↗

Fostering Open Science Inclusiveness for Interdisciplinary Users of Earth Observations

The term Open Science is subject to a variety of interpretations because of a key (and useful) ambiguity in the meaning of “Open”. Open in the sense of Transparency enables more trust in science research by making the details of the scientific process visible and accessible to anyone. “Open” in the sense of Inclusiveness enables more scientists from other disciplines to participate in research in a given discipline, thus producing more interdisciplinary research. Data Systems can play a major role in enabling Open (Inclusive) Science by making it easier for users from other disciplines to work with data within a given discipline. This is challenging for Earth Observation datasets, most of which are the product of advanced instrumentation and sophisticated, specialized variable retrieval algorithms and code. Serving the “extra-disciplinary”communities begins with simple things, like accessible, readable data documentation with adequate scaffolding. But just as important is provisioning Analysis-Ready data that does not require expert pre-processing. Disciplines also often have dominant toolsets, such as R in the biomass community or GIS in many applications communities. Ensuring that EO data are easy to use in the tools favored in other communities will enable more interdisciplinary research. Ideally, interdisciplinary research also benefits from scientists with different domain expertise. Platforms and frameworks that facilitate frictionless collaboration with discipline experts, together with capacity building efforts in those external disciplines also improve the inclusiveness aspect of Open Science. In short, Open Science is at root a way of thinking about how users from diverse discipline can best access and use data and services from a particular discipline.

Christopher Lynnes↗

Preparing Students to Work in Diverse Settings and Across Distance: Inter-University, Interdisciplinary Capstone Teams

NASA's Psyche Mission is engaged with a growing number of capstone teams pursuing topics relevant to the mission, including partnering with four universities to trial cross-university teaming. Creating interdisciplinary capstone teams with students from different universities provides an opportunity to prepare students to engage with a diversity of disciplines and collaborate in remote teams in the workplace. Additionally, through such capstones, universities may gain access to non-local, specialized technical mentors and to disciplines not offered at their institutions. An added benefit is providing greater fidelity to NASA space missions, which involve teams working together at a distance. We discuss early lessons learned from the first three inter-university, interdisciplinary capstone teams participating with the Psyche mission and discuss plans for improvement and future expansion.

Bowman, C. D. D.↗

The NASA DEVELOP Model: Multidisciplinary Teams Conduct Interdisciplinary Projects to Produce Transdisciplinary Outcomes

The DEVELOP Program, part of NASA’s Earth Applied Sciences’ Capacity Building Program, conducts 50-70 feasibility studies each year that utilize Earth observations to address local decision-making challenges and help inform action. DEVELOP uses these projects as the mechanism to build skills in its participants and partner organizations to assess and apply satellite data insights to environmental decision-making processes. While organized by thematic focus (ex. water resource management, ecological forecasting, disaster management), projects use a multidisciplinary team approach with teams of students, recent graduates, early career professionals, and transitioning career professionals, bringing different disciplines, life experience, and perspectives to execute projects that have been collaboratively designed with end-user partner organizations (federal agencies, state and local governments, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and international organizations). Projects are interdisciplinary in nature as they integrate methods from multiple disciplines, with a focus on the incorporation of satellite data with other data sources such as socioeconomic and demographic data, in situ measurements, model outputs, and partners’ knowledge, and take place under the guidance of science advisors from NASA, academia, and other partner organizations. The culmination of these multidisciplinary teams working on projects that draw from interdisciplinary methods and approaches, is a transdisciplinary solution for the partner organizations to explore further for potential adoption. This presentation will highlight the DEVELOP model of co-production and collaboration, lessons learned integrating people and project methodologies, and impact assessment activities surrounding the program’s efforts.

Capacity Building↗

Satellites as Sentinels for Climate and Health

Remotely-sensed data and observations are providing powerful new tools for addressing climate and environment-related human health problems through increased capabilities for monitoring, risk mapping, and surveillance of parameters useful to such problems as vector- borne and infectious diseases, air and water quality,. harmful algal blooms, W radiation, contaminant and pathogen transport in air and water, and thermal stress. Remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIs), global positioning systems (GPS), improved computation capabilities, and interdisciplinary research between the Earth and health science communities, together with local knowledge, are being combined in rich collaborative efforts resulting in more rapid problem-solving, early warning, and prevention in global climate and health issues. These collaborative efforts are enabling increased understanding of the relationships among changes in temperature, rainfall, wind, soil moisture, solar radiation, vegetation, and the patterns of extreme weather events and health issues. This increased understanding and improved information and data sharing, in turn, empowers local health and environmental decision-makers to better predict climate-related health problems, decrease vulnerability, take preventive measures, and improve response actions. This paper provides a number of recent examples of how satellites - from their unique vantage point in space - can serve as sentinels for climate and health.

Maynard, Nancy G.↗

NASA-UVA Light Aerospace Alloy and Structures Technology Program (LA2ST)

The NASA-UVA Light Aerospace Alloy and Structures Technology (LA2ST) Program was initiated in 1986 and continues with a high level of activity. Projects are being conducted by graduate students and faculty advisors in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, as well as in the Department of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics, at the University of Virginia. This work is funded by the NASA-Langley Research Center under Grant NAG-1-745. Here, we report on progress achieved between January 1 and June 30, 1994. These results were presented at the Fifth Annual NASA LA2ST Grant Review Meeting held at the Langley Research Center in July of 1994. The objective of the LA2ST Program is to conduct interdisciplinary graduate student research on the performance of next generation, lightweight aerospace alloys, composites, and thermal gradient structures in collaboration with NASA-Langley researchers. Specific technical objectives are presented for each research project. We generally aim to produce relevant data and basic understanding of material mechanical response, environmental/corrosion behavior, and microstructure; new monolithic and composite alloys; advanced processing methods; new solid and fluid mechanics analyses; measurement and modeling advances; and a pool of educated graduate students for aerospace technologies.

Gangloff, Richard P.↗