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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 127 records · Page 7

Moisture and Temperature Influences on Nonlinear Vegetation Trends in Serengeti National Park

While long-term vegetation greening trends have appeared across large land areas over the late 20th century, uncertainty remains in identifying and attributing finer-scale vegetation changes and trends, particularly across protected areas. Serengeti National Park (SNP) is a critical East African protected area, where seasonal vegetation cycles support vast populations of grazing herbivores and a host of ecosystem dynamics. Previous work has shown how non-climate drivers (e.g. land use) shape the SNP ecosystem, but it is still unclear to what extent changing climate conditions influence SNP vegetation, particularly at finer spatial and temporal scales. We fill this research gap by evaluating long-term (1982–2016) changes in SNP leaf area index (LAI) in relation to both temperature and moisture availability using Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and Principal Component Analysis with regression techniques. We find that SNP LAI trends are nonlinear, display high sub-seasonal variation, and are influenced by lagged changes in both moisture and temperature variables and their interactions. LAI during the long rains (e.g. March) exhibits a greening-to-browning trend reversal starting in the early 2000s, partly due to antecedent precipitation declines. In contrast, LAI during the short rains (e.g. November, December) displays browning-to-greening alongside increasing moisture availability. Rising temperature trends also have important, secondary interactions with moisture variables to shape these SNP vegetation trends. Our findings show complex vegetation-climate interactions occurring at important temporal and spatial scales of the SNP, and our rigorous statistical approaches detect these complex climate-vegetation trends and interactions, while guarding against spurious vegetation signals.

Moisture↗

Interim Measure Report, U.S. Fish and Wildlife/National Park Support Buildings and Areas, Potential Release Location (PRL) #228

This report documents the Interim Measure completed at U.S. Fish and Wildlife/National Park Support Buildings and Areas, Potential Release Location (PRL) #228, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This document has been prepared for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in accordance with HydroGeoLogic, Inc.’s (HGL) Contract 80KSC019D0012, Task Order 80KSC019F0224.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife/National Park Support Build↗

Summary: Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar Photovoltaics and Battery Energy Storage at a Vietnam Industrial Park

The Clean Energy Investment Accelerator conducted a case study analysis of battery energy storage system (BESS) feasibility for an industrial park in Vietnam using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) REopt platform (a distributed energy modeling and optimization tool) to evaluate how BESS may reduce electricity costs, increase utilization of onsite renewable energy generation, and improve resilience to utility grid outages. This presentation summarizes the analysis and key takeaways.

batteries↗

Lessons Learned From Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar Photovoltaics and Battery Energy Storage at a Vietnam Industrial Park

Through the Clean Energy Investment Accelerator (CEIA), engineers from the United States (U.S.) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a case study analysis evaluating the techno-economic feasibility of battery energy storage systems (BESS) at an industrial park in Vietnam. The analysis uses NREL's REopt platform, a distributed energy modeling and optimization tool, to identify the cost-optimal system sizing for BESS, in conjunction with onsite renewables such as solar photovoltaics (PV), to reduce electricity costs, increase onsite renewable energy generation utilization, and improve resilience to grid outages.

batteries↗

Advancing Clean Energy and Economic Development Goals in Pembroke Hopkins Park Township

Pembroke Hopkins Park Township (PHP) is participating in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Communities Local Energy Action Program (LEAP) pilot, which is supporting 24 communities across the United States in their efforts to transition to clean energy to improve energy reliability, lower energy costs, and strengthen local economies. Communities LEAP is specifically open to low-income, energy-burdened communities that are also experiencing either direct environmental justice impacts or direct economic impacts by moving towards clean energy solutions.

Communities LEAP↗

National Park Service: Spotlight on Partnerships

This presentation covers the National Park Service net zero vision and related technical analysis. The NPS/NREL/FEMP partnership include: (1) Partnership spanning more than a decade; (2) Technical support encompasses renewable energy analysis, audit support, fleet technical analysis, resilience assessments, and more.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗

Fast Charging Infrastructure for Electrifying Road Trips to and from National Parks in the Western United States

This study investigated the fast-charging infrastructure needed by 2030 to enable seamless electrified road trips to and from national parks and monuments in seven western states: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. It also estimated impacts to the electric grid. The research team investigated how on-route charging infrastructure projections change with different parameters or assumptions, as do related charging loads and grid impacts. NREL conducted the study in partnership with utility service provider PacifiCorp and Utah State University as part of the Western Smart Regional EV Adoption and Infrastructure at Scale project.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗

MUTCD 11th Edition - What's New in Signage for Electric Vehicle Charging and Parking

This handout summarizes key changes to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) with respect to signage for electric vehicle (EV) charging and parking. The final rule for the 11th edition of the MUTCD was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 19, 2023, and became effective Jan. 18, 2024. The previous edition was issued in 2009. Going forward, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires updates every four years. Visit the MUTCD 11th Edition for full details.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗

Hot springs viruses at Yellowstone National Park have ancient origins and are adapted to thermophilic hosts

Geothermal springs house unicellular red algae in the class Cyanidiophyceae that dominate the microbial biomass at these sites. Little is known about host-virus interactions in these environments. We analyzed the virus community associated with red algal mats in three neighboring habitats (creek, endolithic, soil) at Lemonade Creek, Yellowstone National Park (YNP), USA. We find that despite proximity, each habitat houses a unique collection of viruses, with the giant viruses, Megaviricetes, dominant in all three. The early branching phylogenetic position of genes encoded on metagenome assembled virus genomes (vMAGs) suggests that the YNP lineages are of ancient origin and not due to multiple invasions from mesophilic habitats. The existence of genomic footprints of adaptation to thermophily in the vMAGs is consistent with this idea. The Cyanidiophyceae at geothermal sites originated ca. 1.5 Bya and are therefore relevant to understanding biotic interactions on the early Earth.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Observations of ozone, acyl peroxy nitrates, and their precursors during summer 2019 at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CAVE) is located in southeastern New Mexico and is adjacent to the Permian Basin, one of the most productive oil and natural gas (O&G) production regions in the United States. Since 2018, ozone (O 3 ) at CAVE has frequently exceeded the 70 ppbv 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard. We examine the influence of regional emissions on O 3 formation using observations of O 3 , nitrogen oxides (NO x = NO + NO 2 ), a suite of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), and peroxypropionyl nitrate (PPN). Elevated O 3 and its precursors are observed when the wind is from the southeast, the direction of the Permian Basin. We identify 13 days during the July 25 to September 5, 2019 study period when the maximum daily 8-hour average (MDA8) O 3 exceeded 65 ppbv; MDA8 O 3 exceeded 70 ppbv on 5 of these days. The results of a positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis are used to identify and attribute source contributions of VOCs and NO x . On days when the winds are from the southeast, there are larger contributions from factors associated with primary O&G emissions; and, on high O 3 days, there is more contribution from factors associated with secondary photochemical processing of O&G emissions. The observed ratio of VOCs to NOx is consistently high throughout the study period, consistent with NO x -limited O 3 production. Finally, all high O 3 days coincide with elevated acyl peroxy nitrate abundances with PPN to PAN ratios > 0.15 ppbv ppbv -1 indicating that anthropogenic VOC precursors, and often alkanes specifically, dominate the photochemistry.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

ExoMars Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry (LDI-MS) Analysis of Phototrophic Communities from a Silica-Depositing Hot Spring in Yellowstone National Park, USA

The Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) is a key scientific instrument on the ExoMars Rover mission. MOMA is designed to detect and characterize organic compounds, over a wide range of volatility and molecular weight, in samples obtained from up to two meters below the martian surface. Thorough analog sample studies are required to best prepare to interpret MOMA data collected on Mars. We present here the MOMA characterization of Mars analog samples collected from an alkaline silica depositing hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA. These samples contain microbial streamer communities composed primarily of oxygenic and anoxygenic phototrophs. Additionally, in a study focused on detection of key classes of nonvolatile organics, samples of microbial streamers and their total lipid extract (TLE) have been measured on a MOMA Engineering Test Unit (ETU) instrument using its laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) mode. MOMA LDI-MS detected a variety of lipids and pigments in the TLE sample. Species such as chlorophyll a were also detected from the streamer sample with the help of mass isolation. The results add to the LDI-MS sample characterization database, as well as demonstrate the benefit of using mass isolation on the MOMA instrument to reveal the presence of complex organics, and potential biomarkers, preserved in a natural sample, providing guidance to the in situ analysis of surface samples during Mars operations.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

A Novel Machine Learning Workflow to Classify Mobile Home Parks at Scale

Understanding the built environment is essential to the overall study of population dynamics, grid infrastructure, emergency response, among others. In the United States there are multiple classifications for buildings within the built environment such as residential, signifying family homes while commercial buildings consist of apartments or larger structures which are multi-purpose. While there is a high level of understanding of where these aforementioned structures are located, there is a third class of structures, mobile home parks (MHP) which have been under-represented in the literature despite there being an estimated 2.7 million of them within the United States. Research has shown that individuals who reside in MHP are at higher risk to extreme events due to their location and structural integrity of residence. Attention must now turn to identifying MHP at scale to help first responders and policy makers understand where these at risk populations reside. To address for this gap, we develop a novel methodology to infer MHP at scale based off morphologies derived at a building level. Here, we show that across 3 million buildings in 6 states within the United States it is possible to identify MHP with 83% accuracy. This novel approach to identify MHP from other structures within the built environment using a machine learning approach provides a new tool to leverage in relation to helping at-risk populations.

Stipek, Clinton [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (OR↗

Draft Genome Sequence of Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus WHS, a Thermophilic Hydrogenotrophic Methanogen from Washburn Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, USA

A thermophilic methanogen was enriched in coculture from Washburn Hot Springs (Yellowstone National Park, USA), grown on carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and subsequently sequenced. The reconstructed 1.65-Mb genome sequence for Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus WHS contributes to our understanding of hydrogenotrophic, CO 2 -reducing methanogenesis in geothermal ecosystems.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal response to fire and urbanization in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity as drier and warmer climates increase plant detrital fuel loads. At the same time, increases in urbanization position 9% of fire-prone land within the United States at the wildland–urban interface. While rarely studied, the compounded effects of urbanization and wildfires may have unknown synergistically negative effects on ecosystems. Previous studies at the wildland–urban interface often focus on aboveground plant communities, but belowground ecosystems may also be affected by this double disturbance. In particular, it is unclear how much fire and urbanization independently or interactively affect nutritional symbioses such as those between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and the majority of terrestrial plants. In November 2016, extreme drought conditions and long-term fire suppression combined to create a wildfire within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the neighboring exurban city of Gatlinburg, TN. To understand how the double disturbance of urbanization and fire affected AM fungal communities, we collected fine roots from the 5 dominant understory species in September 2018 at each of 18 sites spanning 3 burn severities in both exurban and natural sites. Despite large variation in burn severity, plant species identity had the largest influence on AM fungi. AM fungal colonization, richness, and composition all varied most among plant species. Fire and urbanization did influence some AM fungal metrics; colonization was lower in burned sites and composition was more variable among exurban locations. There were no interactions among burn severity and urbanization on AM fungi. Our results point to the large influence of plant species identity structuring this obligate nutritional symbiosis regardless of disturbance regime. Therefore, the majority of AM fungal taxa may be buffered from fire-induced ecosystem changes if plant community composition largely remains intact, plant species life history traits allow for AM fungal persistence after fire disturbance, and/or nearby undisturbed habitat can act as an inoculum source for recolonization following fires. Thus, it is critical to maintain natural, undisturbed habitats interspersed within the wildland–urban interface.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Impact of burning on soil properties and respiration; Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada; June 2019

In this study, we used burn simulations on boreal forest soil under high and low moisture conditions to investigate the effect of burning on soil temperature, soil properties such as pH, total C and total C, and soil respiration. Location and site characteristic data of 19 sampling locations within Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada are included in "sampling-site-characteristics.csv". File "Temp-all-burns.csv" contains temperature data collected 2 to 9 cm below the soil surface during 2 min. heat treatment (i.e. burn simulation) and the following 5-24 hrs. Following the burn simulations, total respiration from burned and unburned soil was collected via KOH base traps for up to 6 months ("raw-conductivity-readings.csv"). The metadata file ("all-sample-metadata.csv") contains measurements of soil pH, total C, and total N of O horizon and underlying mineral soil as well as model fits for respiration data.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Streamflow measurements from four sites on the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park from Water Years 2002 to 2021

Regions with remote and complex terrain experience spatially varying streamflow patterns, but are often poorly sampled due to difficult access. This data package includes streamflow measurements collected using low-visibility and low-impact installations at four sites on the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park, for water years 2002 to 2021. The resulting data set offers a unique opportunity to explore hydrologic processes in complex terrain.This data package contains half-hourly recordings of unvented pressure, vented pressure, and water temperature are measured and used to estimate discharge and stage height. Discharge flags provide insight into data anomalies. This dataset is formatted in accordance with ESS-Dive's Hydrologic Monitoring and File Level Metadata Formats. It contains the following files:1) Folder containing four csv files of time series streamflow measurements (unvented pressure, vented pressure, estimated discharge, water temperature, stage height, and discharge flag) from four locations on the Tuolumne River2) Data dictionary (dd.csv) containing units, definitions, human readable column names, and data type for all column headers throughout the dataset3) File-level metadata (FLMD.csv) containing metadata for files contained in the dataset4) Installation methods (InstallationMethods.csv) containing metadata on sensor installation

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Temperature, Humidity, and Time-Lapse Video Data from Yosemite National Park, Water Year 2024

This dataset contains time-lapse imagery and distributed measurements of air temperature, relative humidity, dew point, and soil temperature across Yosemite National Park from October 2023 to September 2024. Instruments were deployed at 10 sites in two cross-valley transects as part of the DOE Grant: Seasonal Cycles Unravel Mysteries of Missing Mountain Water organized by Jessica Lundquist (University of Washington), Rosemary Carroll (Desert Research Institute), and Ethan Gutmann (National Center for Atmospheric Research). The data are intended to support hydrologic modeling efforts to better resolve the fate of mountain water, and are published to support studies of surface climate or hydrologic processes in complex terrain. Measurements were collected with low-cost data loggers installed 2 m high on evergreen trees or buried just below the soil surface. A time-lapse camera at one site captures valley-scale seasonal snow cover variability.Dataset files are organized by site and variable (air measurements, ground measurements, or time-lapse video). Air and ground measurements are packaged in LoggerData.zip, and time-lapse imagery is compiled into a short video stored in TimelapseVideos.zip. File-level metadata contains details for each file included in the dataset. A data dictionary provides units and descriptions for column or row names in all files. The locations metadata file describes site characteristics, locations, and associated GPS methods.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗