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At least 127 records · Page 7

Earth and Space Science Electronic Theater: State-of-the-Art Visualization from the Latest Remote Sensing Observations. High Definition Television on the SMM IMAX Screen with Ultra High Performance Projector

Fritz Hasler (NASA/Goddard) will demonstrate the latest Blue Marble Digital Earth technology. We will fly in from space through Terra, Landsat 7, to 1 m Ikonos "Spy Satellite" data to Washington, NYC, Chicago, and LA. You will see animations using the new 1 km global datasets from the EOS Terra satellite. Spectacular new animations from Terra, Landsat 7, and SeaWiFS will be presented. See the latest animations of the super hurricanes like, Floyd, Luis, and Mitch, from GOES & TRMM. See movies assembled using new low cost HDTV nonlinear editing equipment that is revolutionizing the way we communicate scientific results. See climate change in action with Global Land & Ocean productivity changes over the last 20 years. Remote sensing observations of ocean SST, height, winds, color, and El Nino from GOES, AVHRR, SSMI & SeaWiFS are put in context with atmospheric and ocean simulations. Compare symmetrical equatorial eddies observed by GOES with the simulations.

Hasler, A. F.↗

Monolithic Integrated Radiation Sensor Using Stimulated Luminescence From Alumina

The project goal was to design and test a monolithic integrated device for radiation sensing, using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) from Al2O3:C. The device would consist of GaN/InGaN-based components epitaxially grown on each side of a A12O3:C substrate. Radiation energy stored in the substrate would be stimulated by visible emission from a GaN light-emitting diode (LED) grown on one side of the device, and the OSL emission from the substrate (in the blue region of the spectrum) would be detected by the InGaN pi-n diode grown on the other side of the substrate. The primary application of the device would be in space radiation environments. Thus, two major research thrusts were launched during this project. Firstly, research at Oklahoma State University (Dr. Stephen W.S. McKeever and Dr. E.G. Yukihara) concentrated on characterization of the OSL properties of Al2O3:C in radiation fields typical of those experienced in low-Earth orbit. Secondly, research at the University of Washington (Co-Is, Dr. T.G. Stoebe and Dr. T. Chen) focused of device development and GaN/InGaN epitaxial growth. While progress in each line of research has been substantial, the ultimate goal (that of producing a working prototype device) has not yet been reached. We detail the research progress and identify outstanding issues in this paper.

McKeever, S. W. S.↗

NASA Ames DEVELOP Interns: Helping the Western United States Manage Natural Resources One Project at a Time

The western half of the United States is made up of a number of diverse ecosystems ranging from arid desert to coastal wetlands and rugged forests. Every summer for the past 7 years students ranging from high school to graduate level gather at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) as part of the DEVELOP Internship Program. Under the guidance of Jay Skiles [Ames Research Center (ARC) - Ames DEVELOP Manager] and Cindy Schmidt [ARC/San Jose State University Ames DEVELOP Coordinator] they work as a team on projects exploring topics including: invasive species, carbon flux, wetland restoration, air quality monitoring, storm visualizations, and forest fires. The study areas for these projects have been in Washington, Utah, Oregon, Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska and California. Interns combine data from NASA and partner satellites with models and in situ measurements to complete prototype projects demonstrating how NASA data and resources can help communities tackle their Earth Science related problems.

Justice, Erin↗

The seasonality of AVHRR data of temperate coniferous forests - Relationship with leaf area index

The relationship between the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and coniferous forest leaf area index (LAI) over the western United States is examined. AVHRR data from the NOAA-9 satellite were acquired of the western U.S. from March 1986 to November 1987 and monthly maximum value composites of AVHRR NDVI were calculated for 19 coniferous forest stands in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and California. It is concluded that the relationships under investigation vary according to seasonal changes in surface reflectance based on key biotic and abiotic controls including phenological changes in LAI caused by seasonal temperature and precipitation variations, the proportions of surface cover types contributing to the overall reflectance, and effects resulting from large variations in the solar zenith angle.

Spanner, Michael A.↗

Utilization of Extraterrestrial Resources

Eight state-of-the-art briefings intended to bring members of the Working Group up to date in technical areas relating to future manned expeditions to the Moon and planets were presented at the Meeting of the Working Group on Extraterrestrial Resources held in Washington, D. C., September 25-26, 1962 by recognized authorities in their respective fields. Since it was felt that the material presented at the meeting would be useful for reference purposes, most of the speakers submitted summaries of their remarks for publication. This document is a collection of the material submitted. Contents: Status of Designs of Lunar Surface Vehicles; Hydroponics or Soilless Culture; Processing of Water on the Moon; Lunar Base Construction; Lunar Rocks as a Source of Oxygen; Water in Lunar Materials; Summary of Apollo and Lunar Logistics System Plans.

Source record↗

Parametric study of STOL short-haul transport engine cycles and operational techniques to minimize community noise impact

The effect of aircraft operational techniques in the terminal area on community noise impact of future short haul aircraft was investigated. Aircraft equipped with mechanical flap (MF) and aircraft with externally blown flap (EBF) were used to study the noise impact at four U.S. airports. The four airports were: (1) Hanscom Field (Boston), (2) Washington National (D.C.), (3) Midway (Chicago) and (4) Orange County (California). With the exception of Washington National (D.C.), the study showed that a reduction of approximately 40 percent in the number of people highly annoyed can be obtained by using the recommended operational techniques. The evaluation procedures and methodology developed in the study represent an advance in acoustical state-of-the-art and provide an effective and useful tool for determining aircraft noise impact on the airport community.

Source record↗

The Washington experience (evaluation and selection of hardware for automated geo-based information systems)

A Washington geographic information system is described. The system has thrust from two different angles: the proprietary need for information to support the management of five million acres of thrust lands by the Department of Natural Resources, and the need for data over the entire state because of statewide governmental responsibilities. The data base includes information relevant to agricultural, forest, industrial, business, and community growth with emphasis on assembling information useful in setting intermediate and long-range goals. System selection procedures and system feasibility studies are discussed.

Harding, R. A.↗

Microwave Soil Moisture Retrieval Under Trees

Soil moisture is recognized as an important component of the water, energy, and carbon cycles at the interface between the Earth's surface and atmosphere. Current baseline soil moisture retrieval algorithms for microwave space missions have been developed and validated only over grasslands, agricultural crops, and generally light to moderate vegetation. Tree areas have commonly been excluded from operational soil moisture retrieval plans due to the large expected impact of trees on masking the microwave response to the underlying soil moisture. Our understanding of the microwave properties of trees of various sizes and their effect on soil moisture retrieval algorithms at L band is presently limited, although research efforts are ongoing in Europe, the United States, and elsewhere to remedy this situation. As part of this research, a coordinated sequence of field measurements involving the ComRAD (for Combined Radar/Radiometer) active/passive microwave truck instrument system has been undertaken. Jointly developed and operated by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and George Washington University, ComRAD consists of dual-polarized 1.4 GHz total-power radiometers (LH, LV) and a quad-polarized 1.25 GHz L band radar sharing a single parabolic dish antenna with a novel broadband stacked patch dual-polarized feed, a quad-polarized 4.75 GHz C band radar, and a single channel 10 GHz XHH radar. The instruments are deployed on a mobile truck with an 19-m hydraulic boom and share common control software; real-time calibrated signals, and the capability for automated data collection for unattended operation. Most microwave soil moisture retrieval algorithms developed for use at L band frequencies are based on the tau-omega model, a simplified zero-order radiative transfer approach where scattering is largely ignored and vegetation canopies are generally treated as a bulk attenuating layer. In this approach, vegetation effects are parameterized by tau and omega, the microwave vegetation opacity and single scattering albedo. One goal of our current research is to determine whether the tau-omega model can work for tree canopies given the increased scatter from trees compared to grasses and crops, and. if so, what are effective values for tau and omega for trees.

O'Neill, P.↗

NASA HUNCH Hardware

What is NASA HUNCH? High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware-HUNCH is an instructional partnership between NASA and educational institutions. This partnership benefits both NASA and students. NASA receives cost-effective hardware and soft goods, while students receive real-world hands-on experiences. The 2014-2015 was the 12th year of the HUNCH Program. NASA Glenn Research Center joined the program that already included the NASA Johnson Space Flight Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Langley Research Center and Goddard Space Flight Center. The program included 76 schools in 24 states and NASA Glenn worked with the following five schools in the HUNCH Build to Print Hardware Program: Medina Career Center, Medina, OH; Cattaraugus Allegheny-BOCES, Olean, NY; Orleans Niagara-BOCES, Medina, NY; Apollo Career Center, Lima, OH; Romeo Engineering and Tech Center, Washington, MI. The schools built various parts of an International Space Station (ISS) middeck stowage locker and learned about manufacturing process and how best to build these components to NASA specifications. For the 2015-2016 school year the schools will be part of a larger group of schools building flight hardware consisting of 20 ISS middeck stowage lockers for the ISS Program. The HUNCH Program consists of: Build to Print Hardware; Build to Print Soft Goods; Design and Prototyping; Culinary Challenge; Implementation: Web Page and Video Production.

manufacturing↗

Building Capacity for Policy-makers in a Virtual Setting: Providing Tools to Analyze Wildfire Smoke Plumes and Their Impacts

The NASA DEVELOP Program conducted 10-week long feasibility projects in a remote work setting, including partnering with The Nature Conservancy’s Washington Chapter and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency to investigate wildfire smoke from 2000 - 2020 in the Pacific Northwest using satellite-derived data. The team engaged with platforms for collaboration both internally with NASA affiliates and externally with community organizations. Working from multiple states, the team members used a variety of software including Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Google Earth Engine to foster communication and work with data in a shared virtual environment. Throughout the project, the team learned that executing the project in a distanced work setting made it easier to reach out to scientists across the country for expertise and guidance. To study changes in air quality resulting from wildfire smoke, the team utilized data from NASA’s Fire Information from Resource Management System (FIRMS) and the ESA’s Sentinel-5 TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI). The team created a Google Earth Engine web-based tool, “Plume Hazards and Observations of Emissions by Navigating an Interactive eXplorer” (PHOENIX), to visualize changes in pollutants and aerosol optical depth after fire events. The potential relationship between plume height and fire radiative power was evaluated by using NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard Aqua and Terra satellites and NASA’s Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aboard Terra with the MISR INteractive eXplorer (MINX). The PHOENIX smoke assessment tool and science communication infographics will be shared electronically with the partner organizations. Furthermore, the team introduced the partners to MINX and will provide a tailored tutorial that included a recorded video and a written component with a live virtual workshop. These resources build capacity for further research and education on wildfire smoke and air quality within communities.

NASA DEVELOP↗

Relation between West Coastal rainfall and Nimbus 6 SCAMS liquid water data over the northeastern Pacific Ocean

A research study is described in which the application to rainfall prediction of cloud liquid water data obtained from the SCAMS experiment of Nimbus 6 is explored. The study area is the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States, where rainfall is produced by extratropical storms that approach from across the Pacific Ocean. SCAMS data related to cloud liquid water over the ocean, and coastal rainfall data, are analyzed for 20 different storm systems in the northeastern Pacific Ocean; these produced significant rainfall from Washington to central California during the period October 1975-March 1976. Results show that the distribution of storm-cloud water analyzed from the SCAMS data over the ocean foreshadows the distribution of coastal rainfall accumulated from the storm at a later time. It is concluded that passive microwave sensor measurements of cloud water over the ocean, when used in conjunction with numerical and other objective guidance, can be used to enhance the accuracy of predictions of coastal rainfall distribution. Limitations in the SCAMS measurements and in the data analysis and interpretation are noted.

Viezee, W.↗

Ground-Based Icing Condition Remote Sensing System Definition

This report documents the NASA Glenn Research Center activities to assess and down select remote sensing technologies for the purpose of developing a system capable of measuring icing condition hazards aloft. The information generated by such a remote sensing system is intended for use by the entire aviation community, including flight crews. air traffic controllers. airline dispatchers, and aviation weather forecasters. The remote sensing system must be capable of remotely measuring temperature and liquid water content (LWC), and indicating the presence of super-cooled large droplets (SLD). Technologies examined include Profiling Microwave Radiometer, Dual-Band Radar, Multi-Band Radar, Ka-Band Radar. Polarized Ka-Band Radar, and Multiple Field of View (MFOV) Lidar. The assessment of these systems took place primarily during the Mt. Washington Icing Sensors Project (MWISP) in April 1999 and the Alliance Icing Research Study (AIRS) from November 1999 to February 2000. A discussion of the various sensing technologies is included. The result of the assessment is that no one sensing technology can satisfy all of the stated project goals. Therefore a proposed system includes radiometry and Ka-band radar. A multilevel approach is proposed to allow the future selection of the fielded system based upon required capability and available funding. The most basic level system would be the least capable and least expensive. The next level would increase capability and cost, and the highest level would be the most capable and most expensive to field. The Level 1 system would consist of a Profiling Microwave Radiometer. The Level 2 system would add a Ka-Band Radar. The Level 3 system would add polarization to the Ka-Band Radar. All levels of the system would utilize hardware that is already under development by the U.S. Government. However, to meet the needs of the aviation community, all levels of the system will require further development. In addition to the proposed system, it is also recommended that NASA continue to foster the development of Multi-Band Radar and airborne microwave radiometer technologies.

Reehorst, Andrew L.↗

Relation between west coastal rainfall and Nimbus-6 SCAMS liquid water data over the northeastern Pacific Ocean

The application to rainfall prediction of cloud liquid water data obtained from the SCAMS experiment of Nimbus-6 is explored. The study area is the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States, where rainfall is produced by extratropical storms that approach from across the Pacific Ocean. The SCAMS data related to cloud liquid water over the ocean, and coastal rainfall data, are analyzed for 20 different storm systems in the northeastern Pacific Ocean; these produced significant rainfall from Washington to central California during the period October 1975 through March 1976. Results show that the distribution of storm cloud water analyzed from the SCAMS data over the ocean foreshadows the distribution of coastal rainfall accumulated from the storm at a later time. It is concluded that passive microwave sensor measurements of cloud water over the ocean, when used in conjunction with numerical and other objective guidance, can be used to enhance the accuracy of predictions of coastal rainfall distribution. Limitations in the SCAMS measurements and in the data analysis and interpretation are noted.

Viezee, W.↗

Introduction: Back to The Moon and on to Mars

On July 20, 1989, President George Bush proposed that the United States undertake as the long range objective of its civil space program an initiative that would lead to the establishment of a permanent base on the moon and a human expedition to Mars. His speech, delivered from the steps of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., on the 20th anniversary of the first landing on the moon, gave official blessing to what had long been the unapproved purpose of the American civilian space.

McCurdy, Howard E.↗

Process and Radiation Induced Defects in Electronic Materials and Devices

Process and radiation induced defects are characterized by a variety of electrical techniques, including capacitance-voltage measurements and charge pumping. Separation of defect type into stacking faults, displacement damage, oxide traps, interface states, etc. and their related causes are discussed. The defects are then related to effects on device parameters. Silicon MOS technology is emphasized. Several reviews of radiation effects and silicon processing exist.

Washington, Kenneth↗

Pacific Northwest Health & Air Quality - Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Analyze Air Quality Impacts from Wildfires in the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada has become more vulnerable to intense wildfire regimes due to years of fire suppression and climatic changes. Smoke from fires exposes communities to hazardous aerosols and pollutants known to trigger asthma symptoms and exacerbate other respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. In partnership with The Nature Conservancy’s Washington Chapter and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, NASA DEVELOP investigated the impacts of wildfire smoke on air quality from 2008 to 2020 using NASA Earth observations. To explore the various dimensions of smoke and its relation to air quality, the team looked at the vertical extent of smoke plumes and the resulting changes in air quality. The team evaluated the potential relationship between plume height of wildfire smoke and fire radiative power using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua and Terra satellites and Terra’s Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) using the MISR INteractive eXplorer (MINX). The team determined that there was no regional relationship between fire radiative power and smoke plume height. To investigate changes in air quality resulting from wildfire smoke, the team utilized data from NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System, from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-5P Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), and true color imagery from Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI). The team created a Google Earth Engine-based (GEE) web tool to visualize changes in atmospheric pollutants and aerosol optical depth. Results of case study fires showed varying increases in pollutant concentrations when compared to a baseline map. The end products provided the partners with tools to quantify plume height using MINX and to visualize recent air quality patterns relating to variations in wildfire extent and severity in the Pacific Northwest

Ani Matevosian↗

Physics in NASA Exploration

The primary focus of the workshop was NASA's new concentration on sending crewed missions to the Moon by 2020, and then on to Mars and beyond. Several speakers, including JPL s Fred O Callaghan and NASA's Mark Lee, broached the problem that there is now a serious reduction of capability to perform experiments in the ISS, or to fly significant mass in microgravity by other means. By 2010, the shuttle fleet will be discontinued and Russian craft will provide the only access to the ISS. O Callaghan stated that the Fundamental Physics budget is being reduced by 70%. LTMPF and LCAP are slated for termination. However, ground-based experiments are continuing to be funded at present, and it will be possible to compete for $80-90 million in new money from the Human Research Initiative (HRI). The new program thrust is for exploration, not fundamental physics. Fundamental, we were told by Lee, does not ring well in Washington these days. Investigators were advised to consider how their work can benefit missions to the Moon and Mars. Work such as that regarding atomic clocks is looked upon with favor, for example, because it is considered important to navigation and planetary GPS. Mark Lee stressed that physicists must convey to NASA senior management that they are able and willing to contribute to the new exploration research programs. The new mentality must be we deliver products, not do research. This program needs to be able to say that it is doing at least 50% exploration-related research. JPL s Ulf Israelsson discussed the implications to OBPR, which will deliver methods and technology to assure human health and performance in extraterrestrial settings. The enterprise will provide advanced life-support systems and technology that are reliable, capable, simpler, less massive, smaller, and energy-efficient, and it may offer other necessary expertise in areas such as low-gravity behavior. Like Dr. Lee, he stated that the focus must be on products, not research. While there is not yet a formal direction, he said, LTMPF and PARCS ISS flight projects are slated to terminate in October 2004. All flight investigations are being returned to ground programs and phased out by the end of FY07. Physics ground programs are intact for now, but to survive we must shift about 50% of research to supporting exploration. Basic research programs in other disciplines are being cancelled. Product lines will support human health, safety and life-support, including countermeasures against radiation and other hazards, as well as advances in time-keeping, navigation and communications technologies. Israelsson said that the new Fundamental Physics for Exploration Roadmap points to how fundamental physics research can and does support exploration. JPL will use the roadmap to argue for support for fundamental physics research under several codes. Nicholas Bigelow of the University of Rochester encouraged attendees not to become discouraged, but rather to embrace the opportunities presented by NASA's new direction.

O'Callaghan, Fred↗

Climate Change Impacts and Responses: Societal Indicators for the National Climate Assessment

The Climate Change Impacts and Responses: Societal Indicators for the National Climate Assessment workshop, sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the National Climate Assessment (NCA), was held on April 28-29, 2011 at The Madison Hotel in Washington, DC. A group of 56 experts (see list in Appendix B) convened to share their experiences. Participants brought to bear a wide range of disciplinary expertise in the social and natural sciences, sector experience, and knowledge about developing and implementing indicators for a range of purposes. Participants included representatives from federal and state government, non-governmental organizations, tribes, universities, and communities. The purpose of the workshop was to assist the NCA in developing a strategic framework for climate-related physical, ecological, and socioeconomic indicators that can be easily communicated with the U.S. population and that will support monitoring, assessment, prediction, evaluation, and decision-making. The NCA indicators are envisioned as a relatively small number of policy-relevant integrated indicators designed to provide a consistent, objective, and transparent overview of major variations in climate impacts, vulnerabilities, adaptation, and mitigation activities across sectors, regions, and timeframes. The workshop participants were asked to provide input on a number of topics, including: (1) categories of societal indicators for the NCA; (2) alternative approaches to constructing indicators and the better approaches for NCA to consider; (3) specific requirements and criteria for implementing the indicators; and (4) sources of data for and creators of such indicators. Socioeconomic indicators could include demographic, cultural, behavioral, economic, public health, and policy components relevant to impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptation to climate change as well as both proactive and reactive responses to climate change. Participants provided inputs through in-depth discussion in breakout sessions, plenary sessions on break-out results, and several panels that provided key insights about indicators, lessons learned through experience with developing and implementing indicators, and thoughts on how the NCA could proceed to develop indicators for the NCA.

Kenney, Melissa A.↗