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NASA NTRS2014

Impact-Induced Chondrule Deformation and Aqueous Alteration of CM2 Murchison

Deformed chondrules in CM2 Murchison have been found to define a prominent foliation [1,2] and lineation [3] in 3D using X-ray computed tomography (XCT). It has been hypothesized that chondrules in foliated chondrites deform by "squeezing" into surrounding pore space [4,5], a process that also likely removes primary porosity [6]. However, shock stage classification based on olivine extinction in Murchison is consistently low (S1-S2) [4-5,7] implying that significant intracrystalline plastic deformation of olivine has not occurred. One objective of our study is therefore to determine the microstructural mechanisms and phases that are accommodating the impact stress and resulting in relative displacements within the chondrules. Another question regarding impact deformation in Murchison is whether it facilitated aqueous alteration as has been proposed for the CMs which generally show a positive correlation between degree of alteration and petrofabric strength [7,2]. As pointed out by [2], CM Murchison represents a unique counterpoint to this correlation: it has a strong petrofabric but a relatively low degree of aqueous alteration. However, Murchison may not represent an inconsistency to the proposed causal relationship between impact and alteration, if it can be established that the incipient aqueous alteration post-dated chondrule deformation. Methods: Two thin sections from Murchison sample USNM 5487 were cut approximately perpendicular to the foliation and parallel to lineation determined by XCT [1,3] and one section was additionally polished for EBSD. Using a combination of optical petrography, SEM, EDS, and EBSD several chondrules were characterized in detail to: determine phases, find microstructures indicative of strain, document the geometric relationships between grain-scale microstructures and the foliation and lineation direction, and look for textural relationships of alteration minerals (tochilinite and Mg-Fe serpentine) that indicate timing of their formation relative to deformation event(s). Preliminary Results: Deformed chondrules are dominated by forsterite and clinoenstatite with lesser amounts of Fe-Mg serpentine, sulfides, and low calcium pyroxene. Olivine grains are commonly fractured but generally show sharp optical extinction. The pyroxene, in contrast, is not only fractured but also often displays undulose extinction. In addition, the clinoenstatite is frequently twinned but it is unclear whether the twins are the result of mechanical deformation or inversion from protoenstatite [8]. EBSD work is currently ongoing to determine if areas of higher crystallographic strain can be imaged and mapped, and to determine the pyroxene twin orientations. In regards to alteration, we have found evidence for post-deformation formation of tochilinite and Mg-Fe serpentine indicating that aqueous alteration has indeed post-dated the deformation of the chondrules.

Hanna, R. D.↗

DOE OSTI2018

Weldability and Impact Energy Properties of High-Hardness Armor Steel

In this study, the weldability of high-hardness armor steel by the gas metal arc welding method has been investigated. The study was aimed at determining the weakness points of manual welding compared to automated welding through microhardness testing, the cooling rate, tensile characteristics and nondestructive analysis. Detailed studies were performed for automated welding on the impact energy and microhardness in the fusion line, as the most sensitive zone of the armor steel weld joint. It was demonstrated that the selection of the preheating and interpass temperature is important in terms of the cooling rate and quantity of diffusible and retained hydrogen in the weld joint. The tensile strength was higher than 800 MPa. The width of the heat-affected zone did not exceed 15.9 mm, measured from the weld centerline, while the impact energy results were 74 and 39 J at 20 and – 40 °C, respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Friction Stir Welding of Low-Carbon AISI 1006 Steel: Room and High-Temperature Mechanical Properties

Friction stir welding (FSW) is an ecologically benign solid-state joining process. In this work, FSW of low-carbon AISI 1006 steel was carried out to study the microstructure and mechanical properties of the resulting joints at both room temperature (RT) and 200 °C. In the parameter space investigated here, a rotational tool speed and translation feed combination of 1200 rpm and 60 mm/min produced a defect-free weld with balanced mechanical properties and a superior Vickers microhardness profile compared to all other conditions and to base metal (BM). At faster translation feeds (100 and 150 mm/min), wormhole defects were observed in the weld microstructure and were attributed to higher strain rate experienced by the weld zone. Under tensile loading, welded material exhibited yield strength that was up to 86 and 91% of the BM at RT and 200 °C, respectively. On the other hand, tensile strength of welded material was nearly similar to that of the base metal at both RT and 200 °C. However, at both temperatures the tensile ductility of the welded joints was observed to be significantly lower than the BM. Annealing of the 1200 rpm and 60 mm/min FSW specimen resulted in tensile strength of 102% compared to base material and 47% increase in the strain at failure compared to the as-welded specimen. The Charpy impact values revealed up to 62 and 53% increase in the specific impact energy for the 1200 rpm and 60 mm/min welded joints as compared with the BM.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Can a shock-induced phonon up-pumping model relate to impact sensitivity of molecular crystals, polymorphs and cocrystals?

Impact sensitivity engineering of high-energy molecular crystals requires accurate predictive models. For this purpose, the promising multi-phonon based approach is selected, assessing a bit more its strengths and weaknesses. Presently used with high-quality phonon calculations of 22 molecular crystals, using a physics-based criterion to determine the phonon bath extent, the resulting intrinsic shock sensitivity index (SSI) is compared to the most common marker of impact sensitivity, h 50 , as determined from drop-weight impact tests. Selecting a data subset from experiments performed under very similar conditions (2.5 kg hammer with grit and 30–40 mg samples), the model can predict h 50 values for mono-molecular crystals with very good accuracy, including the ability to discriminate the polymorphs of HMX and CL20. This very good agreement validates an initial indirect up-pumping mechanism occurring under these conditions, where the doorway modes also interact with the phonon bath. However, the phonon bath criterion for mono-molecular crystals does not transfer well to cocrystals. Owing to the vibrational coupling of the co-molecules, it seems a broader phonon bath should be considered. Additionally recalling experimental uncertainty and various experimental factors affecting h 50 values for a given compounds, we recommend that the density of the sample, granularity and morphology be systematically considered and reported along with measurements, which will in turn allow for more systematic data and predictive capabilities for sensitivity models.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

NASA NTRS1994

Atomic data from the iron project. 3: Rate coefficients for electron impact excitation of boron-like ions: Ne VI, Mg VIII, Al IX, Si X, S XII, Ar XIV, Ca XVI and Fe XXII

Collison strengths and maxwellian averaged rate coefficients have been calculated for the 105 transitions among all 15 fine structure levels of the 8 LS terms 2s(sup 2) 2 P(P-2(sup 0 sub 1/, 3/2)), 2s2p(sup 2)(P-4(sub 1/2,3/2,5/2), D-2(sub 3/2, 5/2), S-2(sub 1/2), P-2(sub 1/2, 3/2)), 2p(sup 3)(S-4(sup 0)(sub 3/2), D-2(sup 0 sub 3/2, 5/2), P-2(sup 0 sub 1/2, 3/2)) in highly- charged B-like Ne, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ar, Ca and Fe. Rate coefficients have been tabulated at a wide range of temperatures, depending on the ion charge and abundance in plasma sources. Earlier work for O IV has also been extended to include the high temperature range. A brief discussion of the calculations, sample results, and comparison with earlier works is also given. While much of the new data should be applicable to UV spectral diagnostics, the new rates for the important ground state fine structure transition P-2(sup 0 sub 1/2)-P-2(sup 0 sub 3/2) should result in significant revision of the IR cooling rates in plasmas where B-like ions are prominent constituents, since the new rate coefficients are generally higher by several factors compared with the older data.

Zhang, Hong Lin↗

NASA NTRS2003

A Model Study of the Impact of Magnetic Field Reversal on Atmospheric Composition during Solar Proton Events

During a polarity transition of the Earth's magnetic field, the structure and strength of the field change significantly from their present values. This will alter the global pattern of charged particle precipitation into the atmosphere. Thus, particle precipitation is possible into regions that are at the moment effectively shielded by the Earth's magnetic field. A two-dimensional global fbHy coupled chemistry, radiation, and transport model of the atmosphere has been used to investigate how the increased particle precipitation affects the chemical composition of the middle and lower atmosphere. Ozone losses resulting from large energetic particle events are found to increase significantly, with resultant losses similar to those observed m the Antarctic ozone hole of the 1990s. This results in significant increases in surface UV-B radiation as well as changes in stratospheric temperature and circulation over a period of several months after large particle events.

Sinnhuber, Miaiam↗

NASA NTRS2019

Progressive Damage and Failure Analysis of Bonded Composite Joints at High Energy Dynamic Impacts

Both wing and fuselage structures utilize bonded composite joints for structural efficiency in modern commercial and military aircraft. To ensure compliance with certification requirements mechanical fasteners are typically used as a failsafe mechanism for appropriate strength in the event of complete stiffener disbond. However, the use of fasteners decreases the structural efficiency of the structure by adding weight. This establishes the requirement to better exploit the efficiency of bonded structures and fully understand the failure behavior of adhesively bonded composite structures, particularly when subjected to elevated loading rates due to high energy dynamic impacts (HEDI). For this reason, the NASA Advanced Composite Consortium (ACC) HEDI team developed an experimentation and numerical modeling program for high rate loading of composite joints. In the present work, the response of adhesively bonded composite joints subjected to elevated loading rates is studied numerically and validated against experimental results. Due to dynamic considerations of experiments, the idea of wedge insert was extended to use with Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) testing techniques. Mode-I and Mode-II test configurations were simulated to evaluate the capability of two continuum damage material (CDM) models in LS-DYNA, namely MAT162 and MAT261. Three different levels of fidelity were considered to investigate the level of detail required to numerically predict the failure behavior and the results from high fidelity analysis are presented.

MAT261↗

NASA NTRS2017

Near Earth Asteroid Characterization for Threat Assessment

Physical characteristics of NEAs are an essential input to modeling behavior during atmospheric entry and to assess the risk of impact but determining these properties requires a non-trivial investment of time and resources. The characteristics relevant to these models include size, density, strength and ablation coefficient. Some of these characteristics cannot be directly measured, but rather must be inferred from related measurements of asteroids and/or meteorites. Furthermore, for the majority of NEAs, only the basic measurements exist so often properties must be inferred from statistics of the population of more completely characterized objects. The Asteroid Threat Assessment Project at NASA Ames Research Center has developed a probabilistic asteroid impact risk (PAIR) model in order to assess the risk of asteroid impact. Our PAIR model and its use to develop probability distributions of impact risk are discussed in other contributions to PDC 2017 (e.g., Mathias et al.). Here we utilize PAIR to investigate which NEA characteristics are important for assessing the impact threat by investigating how changes in these characteristics alter the damage predicted by PAIR. We will also provide an assessment of the current state of knowledge of the NEA characteristics of importance for asteroid threat assessment. The relative importance of different properties as identified using PAIR will be combined with our assessment of the current state of knowledge to identify potential high impact investigations. In addition, we will discuss an ongoing effort to collate the existing measurements of NEA properties of interest to the planetary defense community into a readily accessible database.

Asteroid characterization↗

DOE OSTI2022

Pre-main-sequence Brackett Emitters in the APOGEE DR17 Catalog: Line Strengths and Physical Properties of Accretion Columns

Very young (t ≲ 10 Myr) stars possess strong magnetic fields that channel ionized gas from the interiors of their circumstellar disks to the surface of the star. Upon impacting the stellar surface, the shocked gas recombines and emits hydrogen spectral lines. To characterize the density and temperature of the gas within these accretion streams, we measure equivalent widths of Brackett (Br) 11–20 emission lines detected in 1101 APOGEE spectra of 326 likely pre-main-sequence accretors. For sources with multiple observations, we measure median epoch-to-epoch line strength variations of 10% in Br11 and 20% in Br20. We also fit the measured line ratios to predictions of radiative transfer models by Kwan & Fischer. We find characteristic best-fit electron densities of n e = 10 11 –10 12 cm -3 , and excitation temperatures that are inversely correlated with electron density (from T ~ 5000 K for n e ~ 10 12 cm -3 to T ~ 12,500 K at n e ~ 10 11 cm -3 ). These physical parameters are in good agreement with predictions from modeling of accretion streams that account for the hydrodynamics and radiative transfer within the accretion stream. We also present a supplementary catalog of line measurements from 9733 spectra of 4255 Brackett emission-line sources in the APOGEE Data Release 17 data set.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Additive manufacturing of cobalt-based alloy on tool steel by directed energy deposition

Cladding hard-surfacing alloys on tool steel is an effective approach to enhance the surface properties of tool steel. In this study, a Co-based alloy was deposited on tool steel by Directed Energy Deposition (DED) following a three-factor three-level design of experiment matrix with varied laser power, scan speed, and powder flow rate. The microstructure of the deposits was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The residual stress on the surface of the samples was measured by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) sin2? technique. The parameters that produced promising deposits were used to fabricate samples for tensile test, four-point bending test, Charpy impact test, and hardness measurement. Our result reveals that the processing parameters have a significant role in the residual stress of the coatings. Residual stress reduces with the increase of laser energy density. Cracks were found at samples with energy density below a threshold. Tensile testing of the coating/substrate combined structure reveals fracture at the coatings with an ultimate tensile strength of 633.9 ± 54.7 MPa. The bi-material interface survived the tensile test, indicating a strong interfacial bond. The four-point bending test of coating/substrate laminates shows an ultimate flexure strength of 860.6 ± 36.9 MPa. Cracks initiated from the coatings ignored the interface and penetrated the substrate, suggesting a solid bi-material bond. Charpy impact test shows the absorbed energy of coating/substrate laminates is more than doubled that of the substrate.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Structure-performance relationships in lignin-based transesterification vitrimers: The role of lignin structural features

Lignin has been hailed as an ideal renewable alternative for petrochemical-based prepolymers in material synthesis for a sustainable and circular economy, due to its abundant aromatic network and high carbon content. However, the properties and performance of lignin-derived macromolecules are strongly influenced by the lignin itself. While numerous studies have explored the impact of lignin content on the thermomechanical performance of lignin-based vitrimers, literature on how the inherent structural features of lignin affect these properties is scanty. In this study, hardwood organosolv lignin was fractionated in ethyl acetate, ethanol, and acetone to obtain lignin fractions with varying structural characteristics. These fractions were then modified through carboxylation and crosslinked with epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) at a hydroxyl to epoxy group ratio of 1:1 to produce lignin-based transesterification vitrimers (LVs). The thermal properties (i.e. glass transition temperature and thermal stability), tensile strength, storage modulus, and stress relaxation behavior of the LVs were studied and carefully related to the structural features of lignin. The results revealed a positive relationship between strong hydroxyl content in modified lignin and the tensile strength (5.10–9.71 MPa), storage modulus (1099.4 – 1372.8 MPa), crosslinking density, and stress relaxation of the LVs. Additionally, both the storage modulus and tensile strength exhibited a positive relationship with the ratio of rigid linkages in modified lignin, while lignin molecular weight was found to significantly impact the thermal properties of LVs (i.e Tg and thermal stability). This study not only highlights the valorization of lignin in vitrimer synthesis but also provide insights for designing lignin-based materials with tailored properties for specific applications.

Bio-based polymer↗

DOE OSTI2013

THE {sup 12}C + {sup 12}C REACTION AND THE IMPACT ON NUCLEOSYNTHESIS IN MASSIVE STARS

Despite much effort in the past decades, the C-burning reaction rate is uncertain by several orders of magnitude, and the relative strength between the different channels {sup 12}C({sup 12}C, {alpha}){sup 20}Ne, {sup 12}C({sup 12}C, p){sup 23}Na, and {sup 12}C({sup 12}C, n){sup 23}Mg is poorly determined. Additionally, in C-burning conditions a high {sup 12}C+{sup 12}C rate may lead to lower central C-burning temperatures and to {sup 13}C({alpha}, n){sup 16}O emerging as a more dominant neutron source than {sup 22}Ne({alpha}, n){sup 25}Mg, increasing significantly the s-process production. This is due to the chain {sup 12}C(p, {gamma}){sup 13}N followed by {sup 13}N({beta} +){sup 13}C, where the photodisintegration reverse channel {sup 13}N({gamma}, p){sup 12}C is strongly decreasing with increasing temperature. Presented here is the impact of the {sup 12}C+{sup 12}C reaction uncertainties on the s-process and on explosive p-process nucleosynthesis in massive stars, including also fast rotating massive stars at low metallicity. Using various {sup 12}C+{sup 12}C rates, in particular an upper and lower rate limit of {approx}50,000 higher and {approx}20 lower than the standard rate at 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 8} K, five 25 M {sub Sun} stellar models are calculated. The enhanced s-process signature due to {sup 13}C({alpha}, n){sup 16}O activation is considered, taking into account the impact of the uncertainty of all three C-burning reaction branches. Consequently, we show that the p-process abundances have an average production factor increased up to about a factor of eight compared with the standard case, efficiently producing the elusive Mo and Ru proton-rich isotopes. We also show that an s-process being driven by {sup 13}C({alpha}, n){sup 16}O is a secondary process, even though the abundance of {sup 13}C does not depend on the initial metal content. Finally, implications for the Sr-peak elements inventory in the solar system and at low metallicity are discussed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2019

Optimization of Energy Absorbing Materials for Radioactive Packaging

Most applications of honeycomb materials are for lightweight structural members. This area of honeycomb material behavior has been extensively researched. In packaging design, honeycomb materials are used for impact energy absorption. Data concerning the deformation of stainless steel honeycomb structures is not widely available. It is being proposed to use honeycomb stainless steel as an impact energy absorber in a new radioactive material shipping package. Honeycomb materials can be useful for energy absorption applications because the geometry causes the structure to have a constant compressive force during buckling. This Finite Element Analysis is used to predict the compressive buckling strength of various honeycomb structures in order to design an energy absorber for a specific package weight and geometry. The model simulates a drop test where a 50 pound plate lands flat on a honeycomb stainless steel structure from a height of 30 feet. Some actual drop tests have already been performed on real specimens. Most of the resulting deformations of these tests include the bottom of the honeycomb structure buckling while the rest of the structure was either slightly deformed or straight. The deformation of the simulated honeycomb specimen matched the deformation from the actual drop tests. This is one verification that the model is working properly. It is evident that after about 2.5% strain the strength is a relatively linear value, and eventually flattens out to about 875 psi. The crush strength measured from the actual drop tests for the same density honeycomb was just over 800 psi. This is further verification that the model is working correctly. The results gathered from the FEA model successfully mirror the results from a real drop test. The deformation looks realistic, and the compressive strength found is consistent with the empirically measured value. Future work for this model includes modeling different density honeycomb structures which have not been tested before. This will allow for optimization of honeycomb stainless steel use for impact absorption in radioactive material shipping packages.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

NASA NTRS1976

Effective mie-scattering and CO2 absorption in the dust-laden Martian atmosphere and its impact on radiative-convective temperature changes in the lower scale heights

A time dependent computer model of radiative-convective-conductive heat transfer in the Martian ground-atmosphere system was refined by incorporating an intermediate line strength CO2 band absorption which together with the strong-and weak-line approximation closely simulated the radiative transmission through a vertically inhomogeneous stratification. About 33,000 CO2 lines were processed to cover the spectral range of solar and planetary radiation. Absorption by silicate dust particulates, was taken into consideration to study its impact on the ground-atmosphere temperature field as a function of time. This model was subsequently attuned to IRIS, IR-radiometric and S-band occultation data. Satisfactory simulations of the measured IRIS spectra were accomplished for the dust-free condition. In the case of variable dust loads, the simulations were sufficiently fair so that some inferences into the effect of dust on temperature were justified.

Pallmann, A. J.↗

DOE OSTI2019

Separating Dynamic and Thermodynamic Impacts of Climate Change on Daytime Convective Development over Land

Climate change affects the dynamics and thermodynamics of moist convection. Changes in the dynamics concern, for instance, an increase of convection strength due to increases of convective available potential energy (CAPE). Thermodynamics involve increases in water vapor that the warmer atmosphere can hold and convection can work with. Small-scale simulations are conducted to separate these two components for daytime development of unorganized convection over land. The simulations apply a novel modeling technique referred to as the piggybacking (or master–slave) approach and consider the global climate model (GCM)-predicted change of atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles in the Amazon region at the end of the century under a business-as-usual scenario. The simulations show that the dynamic impact dominates because changes in cloudiness and rainfall come from cloud dynamics considerations, such as the change in CAPE and convective inhibition (CIN) combined with the impact of environmental relative humidity (RH) on deep convection. The small RH reduction between the current and future climate significantly affects the mean surface rain accumulation as it changes from a small reduction to a small increase when the RH decrease is eliminated. The thermodynamic impact on cloudiness and precipitation is generally small, with the extreme rainfall intensifying much less than expected from an atmospheric moisture increase. These results are discussed in the context of previous studies concerning climate change–induced modifications of moist convection. Future research directions applying the piggybacking method are discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2017

Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Accident Tolerant Fuels High Impact Problem: FeCrAl Modeling Capabilities

Iron-chromium-aluminum alloys are a potential candidate replacement for zirconium-based claddings in light water reactor fuel rods due to their increased strength (lower creep rates and higher yield stress) and slower oxidation kinetics with steam. Their larger neutron absorption cross-section necessitates thinner claddings and larger fuel pellets to maintain the same as-fabricated fuel-to-clad gap. The aggressive development schedule of the United States Department of Energy's (DOE) Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) to have potential accident tolerant fuels (ATF) concepts in lead test rods or assemblies by 2022 has necessitated the need for advanced modeling and simulation techniques to investigate the behavior of these materials under normal operating and accident conditions. This report presents the modeling capabilities for FeCrAl claddings at the engineering (continuum) scale developed as part of the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) high impact problem (HIP). Sensitivity studies of select material parameters have been completed to determine their significance in predictions of important fuel performance parameters such as fuel centerline and surface temperatures, cladding stresses and strains, fission gas released, and rod internal pressure. Comparative analyses of FeCrAl and Zircaloy-4 claddings for separate effects conditions are presented.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2019

Modeling the impact of liana infestation on the demography and carbon cycle of tropical forests

There is mounting empirical evidence that lianas affect the carbon cycle of tropical forests. However, no single vegetation model takes into account this growth form, although such efforts could greatly improve the predictions of carbon dynamics in tropical forests. In this study, we incorporated a novel mechanistic representation of lianas in a dynamic global vegetation model (the Ecosystem Demography Model). We developed a liana-specific plant functional type and mechanisms representing liana-tree interactions (such as light competition, liana-specific allometries, and attachment to host trees) and parameterized them according to a comprehensive literature meta-analysis. We tested the model for an old-growth forest (Paracou, French Guiana) and a secondary forest (Gigante Peninsula, Panama). The resulting model simulations captured many features of the two forests characterized by different levels of liana infestation as revealed by a systematic comparison of the model outputs with empirical data, including local census data from forest inventories, eddy flux tower data, and terrestrial laser scanner-derived forest vertical structure. The inclusion of lianas in the simulations reduced the secondary forest net productivity by up to 0.46 t C ha -1 year -1 , which corresponds to a limited relative reduction of 2.6% in comparison with a reference simulation without lianas. However, this resulted in significantly reduced accumulated above-ground biomass after 70 years of regrowth by up to 20 t C /ha (19% of the reference simulation). Ultimately, the simulated negative impact of lianas on the total biomass was almost completely cancelled out when the forest reached an old-growth successional stage. Our findings suggest that lianas negatively influence the forest potential carbon sink strength, especially for young, disturbed, liana-rich sites. In light of the critical role that lianas play in the profound changes currently experienced by tropical forests, this new model provides a robust numerical tool to forecast the impact of lianas on tropical forest carbon sinks.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS2012

Impact of Land Model Calibration on Coupled Land-Atmosphere Prediction

Land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of both planetary boundary layer (PBL) and land surface heat and moisture budgets, as well as controlling feedbacks with clouds and precipitation that lead to the persistence of dry and wet regimes. Recent efforts to quantify the strength of L-A coupling in prediction models have produced diagnostics that integrate across both the land and PBL components of the system. In this study, we examine the impact of improved specification of land surface states, anomalies, and fluxes on coupled WRF forecasts during the summers of extreme dry and wet land surface conditions in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. The improved land initialization and surface flux parameterizations are obtained through calibration of the Noah land surface model using the new optimization and uncertainty estimation subsystem in NASA's Land Information System (LIS-OPT/UE). The impact of the calibration on the a) spinup of the land surface used as initial conditions, and b) the simulated heat and moisture states and fluxes of the coupled WRF simulations is then assessed. Changes in ambient weather and land-atmosphere coupling are evaluated along with measures of uncertainty propagation into the forecasts. In addition, the sensitivity of this approach to the period of calibration (dry, wet, average) is investigated. Results indicate that the offline calibration leads to systematic improvements in land-PBL fluxes and near-surface temperature and humidity, and in the process provide guidance on the questions of what, how, and when to calibrate land surface models for coupled model prediction.

Santanello, Joseph A., Jr.↗