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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

Study of the characteristics of seismic signals generated by natural and cultural phenomena

Seismic data recorded at the Tonto Forest Seismological Observatory in Arizona and the Uinta Basin Seismological Observatory in Utah were used to compare the frequency of occurrence, severity, and spectral content of ground motions resulting from earthquakes, and other natural and man-made sources with the motions generated by sonic booms. A search of data recorded at the two observatories yielded a classification of over 180,000 earthquake phase arrivals on the basis of frequency of occurrence versus maximum ground velocity. The majority of the large ground velocities were produced by seismic surface waves from moderate to large earthquakes in the western United States, and particularly along the Pacific Coast of the United States and northern Mexico. A visual analysis of raw film seismogram data over a 3-year period indicates that local and regional seismic events, including quarry blasts, are frequent in occurrence, but do not produce ground motions at the observatories comparable to either the large western United States earthquakes or to sonic booms. Seismic data from the Nevada Test Site nuclear blasts were used to derive magnitude-distance-sonic boom overpressure relations.

Goforth, T. T.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Air-ground interface: Surface waves, surface impedance and acoustic-to-seismic coupling coefficient

In atmospheric acoustics, the subject of surface waves has been an area of discussion for many years. The existence of an acoustic surface wave is now well established theoretically. The mathematical solution for spherical wave propagation above an impedance boundary includes the possibility of a contribution that possesses all the standard properties for a surface wave. Surface waves exist when the surface is sufficiently porous, relative to its acoustical resistance, that it can influence the airborne particle velocity near the surface and reduce the phase velocity of sound waves in air at the surface. This traps some of the sound energy in the air to remain near the surface as it propagates. Above porous grounds, the existence of surface waves has eluded direct experimental confirmation (pulse experiments have failed to show a separate arrival expected from the reduced phase speed) and indirect evidence for its existence has appeared contradictory. The experimental evidence for the existence of an acoustical surface wave above porous boundaries is reviewed. Recent measurements including pulse experiments are also described. A few years ago the acoustic impedance of a grass-covered surface was measured in the frequency range 30 to 300 Hz. Here, further measurements on the same site are discussed. These measurements include core samples, a shallow refractive survey to determine the seismic velocities, and measurements of the acoustic-to-seismic coupling coefficient.

Daigle, Gilles↗
NASA NTRS1971

The reduction of a ""safety catastrophic'' potential hazard: A case history

A worst case analysis is reported on the safety of time watch movements for triggering explosive packages on the lunar surface in an experiment to investigate physical lunar structural characteristics through induced seismic energy waves. Considered are the combined effects of low pressure, low temperature, lunar gravity, gear train error, and position. Control measures constitute a seal control cavity and design requirements to prevent overbanking in the mainspring torque curve. Thus, the potential hazard is reduced to safety negligible.

Joseph P. Jones↗
NASA NTRS1972

Backus-Gilbert inversion of travel time data

Application of the Backus-Gilbert theory for geophysical inverse problems to the seismic body wave travel-time problem is described. In particular, it is shown how to generate earth models that fit travel-time data to within one standard error and having generated such models how to describe their degree of uniqueness. An example is given to illustrate the process.

Johnson, L. E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Lunar temperature and global heat flux from laboratory electrical conductivity and lunar magnetometer data

Three-layer monotonic electrical conductivity models for the lunar interior to a depth of 600 km are used in conjunction with laboratory measurements of the electrical conductivity of olivine and pyroxene to estimate a temperature-depth profile. The temperatures calculated for depths of 400-600 km are consistent with attenuation of the seismic shear wave. The temperature calculated at a depth of 100-250 km yields a heat flow that is in good agreement with the directly measured lunar heat flow. The temperature, however, is sufficiently close to melting that mascon anisostasy would not be maintained. Thus a better conductor is required at this depth.

Sonett, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Crustal structure, geophysical models and contemporary tectonism of the Colorado Plateau

A regional analysis of the crust and upper mantle of the Colorado Plateau is presented, using existing geophysical and geological data combined with new surface wave dispersion and groundwater geothermometry data; the tectonic implications of these models are also investigated. Surface wave and seismic refraction data indicate that the crust of the interior of the Colorado Plateau is 44 + or - 3 km thick, and its crustal structure is typical of stable continental areas. Pn velocities, however, appear to be lower (7.8 km/s) than would be expected in a stable region, while silica geothermometry indicates that the average heat flow for the plateau is 55 mW per sq m (1.3 HFU).

Keller, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Microseisms at Palisades. III - Microseisms and microbaroms

Microseisms (seismic surface waves) in the frequency range of 0.1-1 Hz recorded at Palisades, N.Y., are compared with microbaroms (infrasound) in the same frequency range recorded simultaneously. Both are thought to be generated by interfering ocean waves, and the question addressed is how often does their comparison imply that they have the same source. Compared were their approximate regions of formation, the formation conditions (both meteorological and oceanographic), amplitude variations, and frequency spectra. It is concluded that for the signals recorded at this location the two phenomena appear to have the same ocean wave sources two-thirds of the times and at least some of the remaining times one of the signals is prevented from arriving owing to propagation difficulties.

Rind, D.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Antipodal Magnetic Anomalies on the Moon, Contributions from Impact Induced Currents Due to Positive Holes and Flexoelectric Phenomina and Dynamo

Large impacts on the Moon generate large pressure pulses that penetrate the whole body. Several of these large impacts may have generated antipodal structure with anomalous magnetic intensity.These regions can be more than a thousand km across, with fields of the order of tens to hundreds of nT. This is the case of Orientale, Imbrium, Serenitatis, Crisium, and Nectaris impact basins. The production of large-scale magnetic fields and associated crustal magnetization due to lunar basin-forming impacts was hypothesized to have an origin in fields external to the impact plasma cloud that are produced by the magnetohydrodynamic interaction of the cloud with ambient magnetic fields and plasmas. During the period of compressed antipodal field amplification, seismic compressional waves from the impact converge at the antipode resulting in transient shock pressures that reach 2 GPa (20 kbar). This can produce conditions for shock magnetic acquisition of the crust antipodal to impact basins.

Kletetschka, G.↗
NASA NTRS1974

High-frequency lunar teleseismic events

A small number of seismic signals, including some of the strongest observed to date, have been identified as representing a fourth principal category of natural lunar seismic events with characteristics distinct from those produced by normal meteoroid impacts, deep moonquakes, and thermal moonquakes. These signals are much richer in high frequencies than other events observed at comparable distances, and display relatively impulsive P- and S-wave beginnings, indicating negligible seismic-wave scattering near the source. Source depths of these events may range between 0 and perhaps 300 km. These and other characteristics could represent either (1) meteoroids impacting upon outcrops of competent lunar crystal rock, (2) rare impacting objects that penetrate to competent rock below a scattering zone, or (3) shallow tectonic moonquakes.

Nakamura, Y.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Lunar Seismology: the Internal Structure of the Moon

The direct P and S wave arrival times are the primary data set that can be measured on the seismograms of natural lunar seismic events. Polarization filtering techniques allow the enhancement of secondary body wave arrivals and record curves to identify the secondary phases and deduce structural information. Finally, shear wave amplitude vs. distance curves yield information on the location and magnitude of seismic velocity gradients in the interior. The results of these analyses show that the moon appears to have a two-layer crust at all four seismic stations: a 20 km upper crust that seems to be constant at all sites and a lower crust that is 40 km thick at stations 12 and 14 (mare), 55 + or - 10 km at station 16 (highland), and tentatively either 40 km or 70 km at station 15. The lower mantle extends from 480 km to at least 1100 km depth which is the maximum depth of penetration of all but a few seismic waves used as data. No definitive evidence for or against a lunar core exists.

Goins, N. R.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Participation in the Apollo passive seismic experiment

Computer programs which were written to read digital tapes containing lunar seismic data were studied. Interpreting very early parts of the lunar seismogram as seismic body-wave phases enabled the determination of the structure of the outer part of the moon in the Fra Mauro region. The crust in the Fra Mauro region is 60 to 65 km-thick, overlaying a high velocity mantle. The crust is further divided into an upper part, 25 km thick, apparently made of material similar to the surficial basalts, and a lower part of seemingly different composition, possibly an anorthositic gabbro. The generation of the exceedingly long reverberating wave-train observed in lunar seismogram was also studied. This is believed to be due to an intense scattering layer with very high quality coefficient overlying a more homogeneous elastic medium. Titles and abstracts of related published papers are included.

Press, F.↗