Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Geological Modeling”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,045 records · Page 58
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

SMART Task 6: Evaluation of the Costs of Geologic CO2 Storage for the Illinois Basin Decatur Project Site Using the NRAP/SMART Technoeconomic and Liability Evaluation for Storage (TALES) Model

This is a presentation featuring an analysis related to SMART Task 6 in which CO2 storage costs are presented. The National Energy Technology Laboratory has developed the NRAP/SMART Technoeconomic and Liability Evaluation for Storage (TALES) model to provide quantitative cost-based insights to support developers planning CO2 injection and storage projects. TALES calculates the revenues, costs, and financial performance of candidate CO2 saline storage project based on site-specific activity costs and financial parameters. TALES is being integrated as a module pertaining to storage cost as part of the broader SMART Visualization and Decision Support Platform (SVDSP). In this study, the TALES model was applied using real activity cost data associated with the development and operations at the Illinois Basin Decatur Project (IBDP) CO2 storage project site. Scenario analysis was implemented in which crucial operational and cost attributes were varied and the associated cost implications observed. Key results data and project cost summary metrics like first-year breakeven price of CO2 ($/tonne) and net present value (NPV) are presented in similar fashion to how they will appear in the SVDSP.

Vikara, Derek↗
NASA NTRS1979

On geoid heights derived from GEOS 3 altimeter data along the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain

The geoid heights derived from preliminary GEOS 3 satellite radar altimeter data over the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain are examined. Two objectives are pursued: (1) to evaluate the contribution of the topography of the seamount chain and its compensation to the marine geoid; and (2) to determine whether geoid heights derived from GEOS 3 altimeter data can be used to provide information on isostasy at geological features such as the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain which formed as relatively young loads on the oceanic lithosphere. Short-wavelength geoid highs of 5-12 m over the crest of the seamount chain and geoid lows over flanking regions are observed. The geological undulations can be explained by a simple model in which the seamount-chain load is supported by a strong rigid lithospheric plate. The elastic thickness estimates agree with values based on surface ship gravity and bathymetry observations, and provide further support to the hypothesis that the elastic thickness acquired at a surface load depends on the temperature gradient of the lithosphere at the time of loading.

Watts, A. B.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The reduction, verification and interpretation of MAGSAT magnetic data over Canada

Research into an approach for altitude adjustments for MAGSAT or similar data acquired over a range of altitudes is progressing. The technique shows promise not only in the production of refined anomaly maps but also in the derivation of regional charts of the magnetic elements from satellite and ground data. Correlations between MAGSAT anomalies and other geophysical and geological data are being explored further and quantitative modelling of some features has begun. The form of some anomalies may change as the maps are refined by the technique being developed. Emphasis is being given to the Canadian regions, although analogous features elsewhere are being considered.

Coles, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Orogeny and large-scale strike-slip faulting on Venus - Tectonic evolution of Maxwell Montes

Complementary data sets from the Arecibo and Venera 15/16 imaging radar systems are used here to produce geologic and structural maps of the Maxwell Montes, a region of large-scale strike-slip faulting on Venus. The maps are compared with the characteristics of other linear mountain belts. The tectonic deformation occurring in Maxwell Montes is assessed, identifying the structural elements, their tectonic origin, and their sequence. A geologic and tectonic chronology is developed and a model for the origin and evolution of Maxwell Montes is proposed.

Vorder Bruegge, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Venus' center of figure-center of mass offset

Magellan altimetry data reveal that the center of figure (CF) of Venus is displaced approximately 280 m from its center of mass (CM) toward 4.4 deg S, 135.8 deg E, a location in Aphrodite Terra. This offset is smaller than those of other terrestrial planets but larger than the estimated error, which is no more than a few tens of meters. We examine the possibility that the CF-CM offset is related to specific geologic provinces on Venus by deriving three simple models for the offset: a thick-crust model, a hotspot model, and a thick-lithosphere model. The offset caused by a region of thick crust depends upon the region's extent, the crust-mantle density contrast, and the thickness of excess crust. A hotspot-related offset depends on the extent of the thermally anomalous region and the magnitude of the thermal anomaly. Offset due to a region of thick lithosphere depends upon the extent of the region, the average temperature contrast across the lithosphere, and the amount of excess lithosphere. We apply the three models to Venus plateau-shaped highlands, volcanic rises, and lowlands, respectively, in an attempt to match the observed CF-CM offset location and magnitude. The influence of most volcanic rises and of Ishtar Terra on the CF-CM offset must be quite small if we are to explain the direction of the observed offset. The lack of influence of volcanic rises can be explained if the related thermal anomalies are limited to a few hundred degrees or less and are plume-shaped (i.e., characterized by a flattened sublithospheric `head' with a narrow cylindrical feeder `tail'). The unimportance of Ishtar Terra is most easily explained if it lies atop a significant mantle downwelling.

Bindschadler, Duane L.↗
NASA NTRS2003

The Formation of Asteroid Satellites in Catastrophic Impacts: Results from Numerical Simulations

We have performed new simulations of the formation of asteroid satellites by collisions, using a combination of hydrodynamical and gravitational dynamical codes. This initial work shows that both small satellites and ejected, co-orbiting pairs are produced most favorably by moderate-energy collisions at more direct, rather than oblique, impact angles. Simulations so far seem to be able to produce systems qualitatively similar to known binaries. Asteroid satellites provide vital clues that can help us understand the physics of hypervelocity impacts, the dominant geologic process affecting large main belt asteroids. Moreover, models of satellite formation may provide constraints on the internal structures of asteroids beyond those possible from observations of satellite orbital properties alone. It is probable that most observed main-belt asteroid satellites are by-products of cratering and/or catastrophic disruption events. Several possible formation mechanisms related to collisions have been identified: (i) mutual capture following catastrophic disruption, (ii) rotational fission due to glancing impact and spin-up, and (iii) re-accretion in orbit of ejecta from large, non-catastrophic impacts. Here we present results from a systematic investigation directed toward mapping out the parameter space of the first and third of these three collisional mechanisms.

Durda, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Mars Geophysics

The titles in this section include: 1) An Extraordinary Magnetic Field Map of Mars; 2) Mapping Weak Crustal Magnetic Fields on Mars with Electron Reflectometry; 3) Analytic Signal in the Interpretation of Mars Southern Highlands Magnetic Field; 4) Modeling of Major Martian Magnetic Anomalies: Further Evidence for Polar Reorientations During the Noachian; 5) An Improved Model of the Crustal Structure of Mars; 6) Geologic Evolution of the Martian Dichotomy and Plains Magnetization in the Ismenius Area of Mars; 7) Relaxation of the Martian Crustal Dichotomy Boundary in the Ismenius Region; 8) Localized Tharsis Loading on Mars: Testing the Membrane Surface Hypothesis; 9) Thermal Stresses and Tharsis Loading: Implications for Wrinkle Ridge Formation on Mars; 10) What Can be Learned about the Martian Lithosphere from Gravity and Topography Data? 11) A Gravity Analysis of the Subsurface Structure of the Utopia Impact Basin; 12) Mechanics of Utopia Basin on Mars; 13) Burying the 'Buried Channels' on Mars: An Alternative Explanation.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2002

A geostatistical analysis of small-scale spatial variability in bacterial abundance and community structure in salt marsh creek bank sediments

Small-scale variations in bacterial abundance and community structure were examined in salt marsh sediments from Virginia's eastern shore. Samples were collected at 5 cm intervals (horizontally) along a 50 cm elevation gradient, over a 215 cm horizontal transect. For each sample, bacterial abundance was determined using acridine orange direct counts and community structure was analyzed using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting of whole-community DNA extracts. A geostatistical analysis was used to determine the degree of spatial autocorrelation among the samples, for each variable and each direction (horizontal and vertical). The proportion of variance in bacterial abundance that could be accounted for by the spatial model was quite high (vertical: 60%, horizontal: 73%); significant autocorrelation was found among samples separated by 25 cm in the vertical direction and up to 115 cm horizontally. In contrast, most of the variability in community structure was not accounted for by simply considering the spatial separation of samples (vertical: 11%, horizontal: 22%), and must reflect variability from other parameters (e.g., variation at other spatial scales, experimental error, or environmental heterogeneity). Microbial community patch size based upon overall similarity in community structure varied between 17 cm (vertical) and 35 cm (horizontal). Overall, variability due to horizontal position (distance from the creek bank) was much smaller than that due to vertical position (elevation) for both community properties assayed. This suggests that processes more correlated with elevation (e.g., drainage and redox potential) vary at a smaller scale (therefore producing smaller patch sizes) than processes controlled by distance from the creek bank. c2002 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1991

Surface activation of air oxidation of hydrazine on kaolinite. 2. Consideration of oxidizing/reducing entities in relationship to other compositional, structural, and energetic factors

The rates (previously reported) for the air oxidation of hydrazine on kaolinite and substituent oxides of kaolinite showed a complex dependence on the relative amounts of several structural oxidizing/reducing entities within the reaction-promoting solids. The rates indicated an important role of the clay but no dominant role of any one of the oxidizing/reducing entities. In this paper we review (a) the reaction-promoting activity of these centers as studied in other systems, (b) various spectroscopic results showing interaction between these entities in clays, and (c) reported spectroscopic studies of the complexation between hydrazine and aluminosilicate surfaces as a whole, in an effort to propose a mechanism for the reaction. Whereas some uncertainties remain, the present synthesis concludes that a mechanism operating through single electron/hole transfers and hydrogen atom transfers by discrete centers is adequate to explain the observed rate behaviors including the observed second order dependence of the oxidation rate on catalyst amount. The effects of these operations on the catalyst can result in no alteration of, or complete or partial electronic relaxation of its contingent of trapped separated charge pairs. The degree to which surface complexation as a whole, intercalation, or luminescent processes may also be associated with the reaction cannot be adequately assessed with the information in hand.

NASA Program Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS2004

Considerations for a Radar System to Detect an Ocean Underneath the Icy Shell of Europa

The detection of an ocean underneath Europa is one of the primary objectives of the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) mission. An orbiting surface penetrating radar has the potential of providing that measurement thus yielding information regarding the possibility of life support on Europa. Radars in the MHz range have successfully monitored the kilometer-deep ice shelves of Greenland and Antarctica, including the detection of Lake Vostok (and others) below an ice sheet thickness of about 4 km. The performance of a radar system orbiting Europa will be subject to several potential complications and unknowns. Besides ionospheric dispersion and the actual depth of the ocean, which is estimated between 2 and 30 km, major unknowns affecting radar performance are the temperature profile, the amount of salt and other impurities within the ice crust as well as the surface roughness. These impurities can in part be produced at the highly irradiated surface by magnetospheric interactions and transported downward into the ice crust by geologic processes. The ionospheric interference must also be modeled from effects of these interactions on production of the thin neutral atmosphere and subsequent ionization of the neutrals. We investigated these uncertainties through radar simulations using different surface and ice characteristics over a frequency range from 10 to 50 MHz. The talk will present results from these simulations discussing potential limitations.

Markus, Thorsten↗
NASA NTRS2007

Geomorphic and Aqueous Chemistry of a Portion of the Upper Rio Tinto System, Spain

Observations from the two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, combined with discoveries of extensive hydrated sulfate deposits from OMEGA and CRISM show that aqueous deposition and alteration involving acidic systems and sulfate deposition has been a key contributor to the martian geologic record. Rio Tinto, Spain, provides a process model for formation of sulfates on Mars by evaporation of acidic waters within shallow fluvial pools, particularly during dry seasons. We present results from a detailed investigation of an upper portion of the Rio Tinto, focusing on geomorphology, clastic sediment transport, and acidic aqueous processes. We also lay out lessons-learned for under-standing sulfate formation and alteration on Mars.

Osburn, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Adaptive Sensing of Time Series with Application to Remote Exploration

We address the problem of adaptive informationoptimal data collection in time series. Here a remote sensor or explorer agent throttles its sampling rate in order to track anomalous events while obeying constraints on time and power. This problem is challenging because the agent has limited visibility -- all collected datapoints lie in the past, but its resource allocation decisions require predicting far into the future. Our solution is to continually fit a Gaussian process model to the latest data and optimize the sampling plan on line to maximize information gain. We compare the performance characteristics of stationary and nonstationary Gaussian process models. We also describe an application based on geologic analysis during planetary rover exploration. Here adaptive sampling can improve coverage of localized anomalies and potentially benefit mission science yield of long autonomous traverses.

artificial intelligence↗
DOE OSTI2022

Update of CO2_T_COM and CO2_S_COM Models (CO2 Transport and Storage Costs)

PowerPoint file for presentation made on August 18, 2022 at NETL's Carbon Management Project Review Meeting. The presentation provides an overview of updates and improvements to two techno-economic models. The FECM/NETL CO2 Transport Cost Model (CO2_T_COM) is a model for transport of liquid CO2 by pipeline. CO2_T_COM is a point to point pipeline model. FECM/NETL CO2 Saline Storage Cost Model (CO2_S_COM) is a model for storage of CO2 in deep saline geologic formations.

Morgan, David↗
DOE OSTI2018

THM-Coupled Modeling of Barrier Integrity for HLW Disposal in Bedded Salt - 18289

Within the framework of the R and D project KOSINA in Germany, numerical studies analyzing the long-term integrity of a bedded salt barrier under the thermal loading of heat generating radioactive waste have been performed using different modeling approaches for various repository concepts and two geological structures. The THM-coupled calculations show an initially steep increase of temperatures in the vicinity of the HLW canisters which reduces an uplift above the repository. This in turn leads to a temporally and spatially limited reduction of horizontal stresses at the top of the salt, allowing for pressure-driven percolation of groundwater into the upper part of the hydraulic barrier. However, at any given time an undisturbed salt barrier of over 300 m remains, shielding the repository from groundwater inflow. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

Reactive transport modelling of a cement backfill for radioactive waste disposal

Cementitious materials are included in many geological disposal facilities for radioactive wastes, including the UK candidate backfill material Nirex Reference Vault Backfill (NRVB). As part of an ongoing programme of work to assess NRVB performance, 1-D reactive-transport models have been constructed to simulate reaction with different illustrative groundwater compositions. Variant cases were also produced to explore the effect of model assumptions on the predicted behaviour of the backfill. Depending on groundwater composition, cement alteration pathways included: carbonation; external sulphate attack; chloride attack; the formation of magnesium-rich solids; and the precipitation of secondary aluminosilicate minerals. In general, the models suggest that the pore space in backfill associated with radioactive waste disposal systems is likely to become clogged (to some degree) over time close to backfill-rock interfaces resulting in a reduction in capacity for solute transport. However, the models do not include all relevant process couplings which is potentially, an area for further work.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2026

Carbon dioxide pipeline network transportation cost model: evaluating economic and geographic factors for efficient carbon capture, storage, and utilization

This study presents a comprehensive pipeline network modeling framework to estimate the CO 2 delivery cost for CO 2 utilization and geologic CO 2 storage across the United States. We developed a Python-based CO 2 pipeline transportation cost model leveraging Argonne National Laboratory’s pipeline engineering expertise and detailed natural gas transmission pipeline cost data across U.S. regions. Using existing road corridors as practical routing guides, the model designs pipeline networks that aggregate CO 2 from one or multiple sources and deliver it to selected destinations. It then minimizes the total transportation cost by optimizing pipeline diameters and incorporating booster pumps. A key contribution is the incorporation of up-to-date, region-specific cost factors with itemized components for materials, labor, miscellaneous construction expenses, and right-of-way acquisition. Results emphasize that regional variation and economies of scale associated with CO 2 pipeline costs are significant and should be explicitly accounted for in screening and planning studies. By combining realistic routing constraints with regionalized cost inputs, the model provides transparent design methodology and location-specific insights into source–destination delivery costs, including the effects of routing complexity along existing road networks. We demonstrate the model with two illustrative case studies – one for CO 2 storage and one for CO 2 utilization – in which the model designs pipeline networks spanning hundreds of miles across the states, collecting CO 2 from multiple sources and delivering it to designated endpoints while minimizing levelized cost of delivery via diameter and compression optimization. The model offers a practical, scalable approach for alternative design option screening and early-stage CO 2 transportation planning.

CCS↗
NASA NTRS1992

Derivation of surface properties from Magellan altimetry data

The fit of the Hagfors model to the Magellan altimetry data provides a means to characterize the surface properties of Venus. However, the derived surface properties are only meaningful if the model provides a good representation of the data. The Hagfors model provides a good representation of the data. The Hagfors model is generally a realistic fit to surface scattering properties of a nadir-directed antenna such as the Magellan altimeter; however, some regions of the surface of Venus are poorly described by the existing model, according to the goodness of fit parameter provided on the ARCDR CD-ROMs. Poorly characterized regions need to be identified and fit to new models in order to derive more accurate surface properties for use in inferring the geological processes that affect the surface in those regions. We have compared the goodness of fit of the Hagfors model to the distribution of features across the planet, and preliminary results show a correlation between steep topographic slopes and poor fits to the standard model, as has been noticed by others. In this paper, we investigate possible relations between many classes of features and the ability of the Hagfors model to fit the observed echo profiles. In the regions that are not well characterized by existing models, we calculate new models that compensate for topographic relief in order to derive improved estimates of surface properties. Areas investigated to date span from longitude 315 through 45, at all latitudes covered by Magellan. A survey of those areas yields preliminary results that suggest that topographically high regions are well suited to the current implementation of the Hagfors model. Striking examples of such large-scale good fits are Alpha Regio, the northern edges of Lada Terra, and the southern edge of Ishtar Terra. Other features that are typically well fit are the rims of coronae such as Heng-O and the peaks of volcanos such as Gula Mons. Surprisingly, topographically low regions, such as the ubiquitous plains areas, are modeled poorly in comparison. However, this generalization has has exceptions: Lakshmi Planum is an elevated region that is not well fit compared to the rest of neighboring Ishtar, while the southern parts of topographically low Guinevere Planitia are characterized quite well by the Hagfors model. Features that are candidates for improved models are impact craters, coronae, ridges of significant scale, complex ridged terrains, moderate-sized mountains, and sharp terrain boundaries. These features are chosen because the goodness of fit is likely to be most affected either by departures from normal incidence angles or by sharp changes in terrain type within a single footprint. Most large features that are elevated with respect to their surroundings will suffer from steep slope effects, and smaller coronae and impact craters will probably suffer due to rapid changes in their appearance within a single footprint (10-20 km).

Lovell, Amy J.↗