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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1984

The variability of the surface wind field in the equatorial Pacific Ocean: Criteria for satellite measurements

The natural variability of the equatorial Pacific surface wind field is described from long period surface wind measurements made at three sites along the equator (95 deg W, 109 deg 30 W, 152 deg 30 W). The data were obtained from surface buoys moored in the deep ocean far from islands or land, and provide criteria to adequately sample the tropical Pacific winds from satellites.

Halpern, D.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Relationship Between Intraseasonal Oscillation and Subtropical Wind Maxima Over the South Pacific Ocean

The significance of tropical heat sources on higher latitude jet streams has been examined by numerous investigators. Hurrell and Vincent (1990) provide a summary of many of these investigations in their observational case study of the relationship between tropical heating and subtropical wind maxima in the Southern Hemisphere during SOP-1, FGGE. They showed that the divergent outflow from tropical heating associated with the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ), acted on by the coriolis force, was an important factor in maintaining the subtropical jet on the poleward side of the SPCZ during the period, 6-20 January 1979. They found a similar, but weaker relationship, over the southern Indian Ocean from 3-17 February 1979, a period when the SPCZ heating was greatly reduced and the jet was essentially non-existent. Since their findings were based on a case study and involved the use of the highly-specialized FGGE data set, the natural questions which arose were: (1) Is this relationship a regular feature of the circulation over the South Pacific? and, (2) If so, can it be detected with a routine data set? Another question posed by Hurrell and Vincent in their papers was:(3) How important was the intraseasonal oscillation in causing the enhanced heating and divergent outflow in the Pacific Ocean in January and southern Indian Ocean in February? The purpose of the present paper is to address the answer to these three questions. To accomplish this, some circulation features for an entire warm season in the Southern Hemisphere were examined. The year selected was 1984-85, and the warm season consisted of the 6-month period, 1 November 1984 - 30 April 1985. This period was chosen because there were numerous cases of the westerly wind maxima over the South Pacific and the intraseasonal oscillation was well documented.

Vincent, Dayton G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Geoid anomalies and fracture zones in the Pacific Ocean

The high degree and order geoid field in the Pacific is a superposition of fracture zone anomalies and hot-spot swell anomalies. A two-dimensional spectral analysis of this field reveals a very strong north-south wavenumber contribution with a dominant wavelength of about 2000 km, a much smaller contribution from east-west wavenumbers, and negligible contributions from other directions. One dimensional profiles were taken in order to appreciate the magnitudes of the north-south and east-west components. A calculated geoid anomaly using an idealized fracture zone model contains just about the same amount of power in the 2350 km band wavelength as does the north-south profile of the SEASAT geoid field. In an attempt to correlate plate age with geoid anomalies, a digitized age map of the Pacific was used to generate a synthetic geoid, which was subtracted from SEASAT. This procedure produces a residual geoid in which the fracture zone anomalies appear to be diminished, if not removed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1993

The dynamics of large-scale cyclogenesis over the North Pacific Ocean

Wintertime cases of persistent cyclonic flow abnormalities over the North Pacific were studied with the aim of identifying the primary mechanisms for persistent anomaly development. Processes influencing the time evolution of eddy potential enstrophy and potential vorticity anomalies were examined using intensive diagnostic analyses. Analysis indicates that the primary source region for large-scale development is located over the mid-Pacific jet exit region. Potential enstrophy analysis shows that eddy enstrophy increases result from local conversions between the large-scale eddy and the climatological-mean flow. The occurrence of a form of baroclinic 'self development' during large-scale intensification is suggested by potential vorticity inversions. Baroclinic and barotropic processes contribute positively to the large-scale developments. Results indicate that the primary mechanism for the developments is a large-scale instability of the three-dimensional time-mean flow, and suggest that nonmodel transient growth plays a significant role during development.

Black, Robert X.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Identifying Stratospheric Air Intrusions and Associated Hurricane-Force Wind Events over the North Pacific Ocean

Motivation: Ocean data is sparse: reliance on satellite imagery for marine forecasting; Ocean Prediction Center (OPC) –“mariner’s weather lifeline”. Responsible for: Pacific, Atlantic, Pacific Alaska surface analyses –24, 48, 96 hrs.; Wind & wave analyses –24, 48, 96 hrs.; Issue warnings, make decisions, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite –R Series (now GOES-16), Compared to the old GOES: 3 times spectral resolution, 4 times spatial resolution, 5 times faster coverage; Comparable to Japanese Meteorological Agency’s Himawari-8, used a lot throughout this research. Research Question: How can integrating satellite data imagery and derived products help forecasters improve prognosis of rapid cyclogenesis and hurricane-force wind events? Phase I –Identifying stratospheric air intrusions: Water Vapor –6.2, 6.9, 7.3 micron channels; Airmass RGB Product; AIRS, IASI, NUCAPS total column ozone and ozone anomaly; ASCAT (A/B) and AMSR-2 wind data.

Ozone↗
NASA NTRS2000

A 3-D Model Analysis of The Impact of Asian Anthropogenic Emissions on the Sulfur Cycle Over the Pacific Ocean

The impact of anthropogenic activities on the SO2 and sulfate aerosol levels over the Pacific region is examined in the Georgia Tech/Goddard Global Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) model. We focus on the analysis of the data from the NASA Pacific Exploratory Missions (PEM) over the western North Pacific and the tropical Pacific. These missions include PEM-West A in September-October 1991, when the Asian outflow was at the minimum but the upper atmosphere was heavily influenced by the Pinatubo volcanic eruption, and PEM-West B in March-April 1994 when the Asian outflow was at the maximum, and PEM-Tropics A in August-September at a region relatively free of direct anthropogenic influences. Specifically, we will examine the relative importance of anthropogenic, volcanic and biogenic sources to the SO2 and sulfate concentrations over the Pacific, and quantify the processes controlling the distributions of SO2 and sulfate in both the boundary layer and the free troposphere. We will also assess the global impact of SO2 emission in Asia on the sulfate aerosol loading.

Chin, Mian↗
NASA NTRS1990

Measurements of tropospheric nitric acid over the western United States and northeastern Pacific Ocean

HNO3 measurements obtained in the free troposphere (FT) and boundary layer (BL) over the western U.S. and the NE Pacific during the NASA Global Tropospheric Experiment Chemical Instrumentation Test and Evaluation 2 (CITE 2) program in summer 1986 are reported. The CITE 2 HNO3 instruments and flight protocols are described, and the results are presented in tables and graphs. Over the ocean, the average HNO3 mixing ratios were found to be 108 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) in the FT and 62 pptv in the BL, suggesting removal of HNO3 from the BL by dry deposition. The corresponding values over land were 61 pptv for the FT and 767 pptv for the BL, and the horizontal distribution of BL HNO3 indicated an anthropogenic origin.

Lebel, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Estimating new production in the equatorial Pacific Ocean at 150 deg W

A major goal of the WEC88 cruise of the R/V Wecoma to the equatorial Pacific (made in February-March 1988) was to establish rates of new production along a meridional section at 150 deg W and to compare these measured rates with the relatively high values for the equatorial Pacific that had been reported previously using indirect methods and models. Production values were obtained from the traditional approach using N-15 labeled nitrate uptake, and by using C-14 fixation values multiplied by f (proportion of new production) from various sources: from N-15 data, from a C-14 fixation-versus-f relationship, or from a nitrate-versus-f relationship. The ratios of directly measured nitrate and carbon uptake and the ratios of nitrate to nitrate plus ammonium uptake, i.e., values of f, agree well; values of f calculated from carbon uptake or from nitrate concentration are overestimates for the equatorial upwelling region. Carbon-to-nitrogen uptake ratios measured with C-14 and N-15, respectively, approximate the Redfield molar ratio, 6.6 C:N. The overall mean value of f (0.17) helps confirm the view that the low primary production in the enriched eastern equatorial Pacific is due to failure of the nitrate-uptake system.

Dugdale, Richard C.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Enhanced Pacific Ocean Sea Surface Temperature and Its Relation to Typhoon Haiyan

Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated the Visayan Islands in the Philippines on November 8, 2013 was recorded as the strongest typhoon ever-observed using satellite data. Typhoons in the region usually originate from the mid-Pacific region that includes the Warm Pool, which is regarded as the warmest ocean surface region globally. Two study areas were considered: one in the Warm Pool Region and the other in the West Pacific Region near the Philippines. Among the most important factors that affect the strength of a typhoon are sea surface temperature (SST) and water vapor. It is remarkable that in November 2013 the average SST in the Warm Pool Region was the highest observed during the 1981 to 2014 period while that of the West Pacific Region was among the highest as well. Moreover, the increasing trend in SST was around 0.20C per decade in the warm pool region and even higher at 0.23C per decade in the West Pacific region. The yearly minimum SST has also been increasing suggesting that the temperature of the ocean mixed layer is also increasing. Further analysis indicated that water vapor, clouds, winds and sea level pressure for the same period did not reveal strong signals associated with the 2013 event. The SST is shown to be well-correlated with wind strength of historically strong typhoons in the country and the observed trends in SST suggest that extremely destructive typhoons like Haiyan are likely to occur in the future.

warm pool↗
NASA NTRS1990

Helium and neon isotopes in deep Pacific Ocean sediments

Helium and neon concentration measurements, along with isotope ratio determinations, have been made for particles collected in the deep Pacific with a magnetic sled, and they are believed to be of extraterrestrial origin. Analyses were made for samples consisting of composites of many extremely fine particles and for several individual particles large enough to contain sufficient gas for analysis but small enough to escape melting in their passage through the atmosphere. Step-heating was employed to extract the gas. Cosmic-ray spallation products or solar-wind helium and neon, if present, were not abundant enough to account for the isotopic compositions measured. In the case of the samples of magnetic fines, the low temperature extractions provided elemental and isotopic ratios in the general range found for the primordial gas in carbonaceous chondrites and gas-rich meteorites. The isotopic ratios found in the high temperature extractions suggest the presence of solar-flare helium and neon.

Nier, A. O.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Multi-wavelength Airborne Lidar Intercomparisons of Aerosol and Cirrus Backscatter over the Pacific Ocean

Airborne CO2 and Nd:YAG lidar instruments were flown on the NASA DC-8 research aircraft during two extended missions over the Pacific. The objectives during these flights were to characterize aerosol backscatter levels at infrared wavelengths in relatively pristine regions of the troposphere, and to observe cloud effects on lidar signals. In addition, the three wavelength Nd:YAG data were processed using independent temperature profile information, in order to deduce the Rayleigh scattering component of the total backscatter at each wavelength. The data can be used to better understand the capabilities of various airborne or Earth-orbiting lidar designs to provide backscatter information from aerosols and clouds, or to provide Doppler or DIAL information from aerosol and cloud backscatter.

Menzies, Robert T.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Life cycles of persistent anomalies. II - The development of persistent negative height anomalies over the North Pacific Ocean

Consideration is given to the potential sources for the development of cases defined by strong and persistent negative height anomalies over the central North Pacific. The analyses of Dole (1986) are extended by providing a more complete synoptic description of the developments and additional diagnostic analysis to identify dynamical mechanisms responsible for the developments. The synoptic characteristics of the developments are reviewed and the barotropic and baroclinic processes of the developments are analyzed. The reproducibility and representativeness of the results are examined. The observed characteristics suggest that the large-scale flow anomalies develop as a result of an instability of three-dimensional wintertime mean flow.

Dole, Randall M.↗
NASA NTRS2012

The Effects of Climate Variability on Phytoplankton Composition in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean using a Model and a Satellite-Derived Approach

Compared the interannual variation in diatoms, cyanobacteria, coccolithophores and chlorophytes from the NASA Ocean Biogeochemical Model with those derived from satellite data (Hirata et al. 2011) between 1998 and 2006 in the Equatorial Pacific. Using NOBM, La Ni a events were characterized by an increase in diatoms (correlation with MEI, r=-0.81, P<0.05), while cyanobacteria concentrations decreased significantly (r=0.61; P<0.05). El Nino produced the reverse pattern, with cyanobacteria populations increasing while diatoms plummeted. This represented a radical shift in the phytoplankton community in response to climate variability. However, satellite-derived phytoplankton groups were all negatively correlated with climate variability (r ranged from -0.39 for diatoms to -0.64 for coccolithophores, P<0.05). Spatially, the satellite-derived approach was closer to an independent in situ dataset for all phytoplankton groups except diatoms than NOBM. However, the different responses of phytoplankton to intense interannual events in the Equatorial Pacific raises questions about the representation of phytoplankton dynamics in models and algorithms: is a phytoplankton community shift as in the model or an across-the-board change in abundances of all phytoplankton as in the satellite-derived approach.

Rousseaux, C. S.↗