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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

The microwave limb sounder (MLS) experiments for UARS and EOS

Microwave limb sounding can provide important measurements for understanding global change and processes in earth's stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere. An experiment for this purpose operating at millimeter wavelengths is now ready for launch on the NASA Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). An enhanced experiment at submillimeter wavelengths is also being studied for the future NASA Earth Observing System (EOS).

Waters, Joe W.↗
NASA NTRS1998

The Impact of Upper Tropospheric Humidity from Microwave Limb Sounder on the Midlatitude Greenhouse Effect

This paper presents an analysis of upper tropospheric humidity, as measured by the Microwave Limb Sounder, and the impact of the humidity on the greenhouse effect in the midlatitudes. Enhanced upper tropospheric humidity and an enhanced greenhouse effect occur over the storm tracks in the North Pacific and North Atlantic. In these areas, strong baroclinic activity and the large number of deep convective clouds transport more water vapor to the upper troposphere, and hence increase greenhouse trapping. The greenhouse effect increases with upper tropospheric humidity in areas with a moist upper troposphere (such as areas over storm tracks), but it is not sensitive to changes in upper tropospheric humidity in regions with a dry upper troposphere, clearly demonstrating that there are different mechanisms controlling the geographical distribution of the greenhouse effect in the midlatitudes.

Hu, Hua↗
NASA NTRS2002

Dynamical and chemical contributions to variability in microwave limb sounder Arctic stratoshperic column ozone

Analyses of column ozone above 100 hPa (Col100) derived from Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) data in February/March 1992-1998 show that about half of the interannual variability in Col100 in the Arctic polar vortex in late winter results from interannual variability in chemical loss. A majority of the remainder results from interannual variability in day-to-day dynamical motions including adiabatic warming/cooling and poleward advection of underlying upper tropospheric subtropical air on short timescales, rather than from variations in descent rates and large-scale transport over the winters. The morphology of Col100 from MLS remains very similar to that in the dynamical models even in the years with most chemical ozone loss. The amount and character of day-to-day variability in dynamical models closely follows that in MLS Col100. Although the morphology of and day-to-day variability in Arctic column ozone are controlled by dynamical processes, chemical ozone loss was a major factor in producing both the low values of and the large interannual variability in Arctic column ozone observed during the 1990s.

Arctic ozone loss↗
NASA NTRS2010

Thermal Stability of a 4 Meter Primary Reflector for the Scanning Microwave Limb Sounder

We describe the fabrication and thermal-stability analysis and test of a composite demonstration model of the Scanning Microwave Limb Sounder (SMLS) primary reflector, having full 4m height and 1/3 the width planned for flight. SMLS is a space-borne heterodyne radiometer which will measure pressure, temperature and atmospheric constituents from thermal emission between 180 and 660 GHz. Current MLS instruments in low Earth orbit scan pencil-beam antennas (sized to resolve about one scale height) vertically over the atmospheric limb. SMLS, planned for the Global Atmospheric Composition Mission of the NRC Decadal Survey, adds azimuthal scanning for better horizontal and temporal resolution and coverage than typical orbit spacing provides. SMLS combines the wide scan range of the parabolic torus with unblocked offset Cassegrain optics. The resulting system is diffraction-limited in the vertical plane but highly astigmatic in the horizontal, having a beam aspect ratio [tilde operator]1:20. Symmetry about the nadir axis ensures that beam shape is nearly invariant over +/-65(white bullet) azimuth. The a feeds a low-noise SIS receiver whose FOV is swept over the reflector system by a small scanning mirror. Using finiteelement models of antenna reflectors and structure, we evaluate thermal deformations and the resulting optical performance for 4 orbital environments and isothermal soak. We compare deformations with photogrammetric measurements made during wide-range (ambient+[-97,+75](white bullet) C) thermal soak tests of the primary in a chamber. This range exceeds predicted orbital soak ranges by large factors, implying in-orbit thermal stability of 0.21(mu)m rms/(white bullet)C, which meets SMLS requirements.

Thermal stability tests↗
NASA NTRS2003

Mountain Waves in the Middle Atmosphere: Microwave Limb Sounder Observations and Analyses

Observations and analyses of mesoscale gravity waves in the stratosphere from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) are summarized, with focus on global distribution of topography related wave activities. We found most of the orographical wave activities occur during the winter seasons over high latitude mountain ridges. In the northern hemisphere, the strongest waves are those over Scandinavia, Central Eurasia, and southern Greenland, whereas in the southern hemisphere, wave activities are outstanding over the Andes, New Zealand, and Antarctic rim;, MLS observations suggest that these orographic waves are located mostly on the down stream side of the mountain ridge with downward phase progression and have horizontal phase velocities opposite to the stratospheric jet-stream. Future studies using MLS data and numerical modeling will lead to better understanding of gravity wave effects on dynamics and chemistry in the middle atmosphere.

UPPER ATMOSPHERE↗
NASA NTRS1979

Feasibility Study of Graphite Epoxy Antenna for a Microwave Limb Sounder Radiometer (MLSR)

Results are presented of a feasibility study to design graphite epoxy antenna reflectors for a jet propulsion laboratory microwave limb sounder instrument (MLSR). Two general configurations of the offset elliptic parabolic reflectors are presented that will meet the requirements on geometry and reflector accuracy. The designs consist of sandwich construction for the primary reflectors, secondary reflector support structure and cross-tie members between reflector pairs. Graphite epoxy materials of 3 and 6 plies are used in the facesheets of the sandwich. An aluminum honeycomb is used for the core. A built-in adjustment system is proposed to reduce surface distortions during assembly. The manufacturing and environmental effects are expected to result in surface distortions less than .0015 inch and pointing errors less than .002 degree.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1995

Evolution of microwave limb sounder ozone and the polar vortex during winter

The evolution of polar ozone observed by the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) is described for the northern hemisphere (NH) winters of 1991/1992, 1992/1993, and 1993/1994 and the southern hemisphere (SH) winters of 1992 and 1993. Imterannual and interhemispheric variability in polar ozone evolution are closely related to differences in the polar vortex and to the frequency, duration and strength of stratospheric sudden warmings. Ozone in the midstratospheric vortices increases during the winter, with largest increases associated with stratospheric warmings and a much larger increase in the NH than in the SH. A smaller NH increase was observed in 1993/1994, when the middle stratospheric vortex was stronger. During strong stratospheric warmings in the NH, the upper stratospheric vortex may be so much eroded that it presents little barrier to poleward transport; in contrast, the SH vortex remains strong throughout the stratosphere during wintertime warmings, and ozone increases only below the mixing ratio peak, due to enhanced diabatic descent. Ozone mixing ratios decrease rapidly in the lower stratosphere in both SH late winters, as expected from chemical destruction due to enhanced reactive chlorine. The interplay between dynamics and chemistry is more complex in the NH lower stratosphere and interannual variability is greater. Evidence has previously been shown for chemical ozone destruction in the 1991/1992 and 1992/1993 winters. We show here evidence suggesting some chemical destruction in late February and early March 1994. In the NH late winter lower stratosphere the pattern of high-ozone values (typical of the vortex) seen in mid-latitudes is related to the strength of the lower-stratospheric vortex, with the largest areal extent of high ozone outside the vortex in 1994, when the lower stratospheric vortex is relatively weak, and the least extent in 1993 when the lower stratospheric vortex is strongest.

Manney, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Validation of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder O3 and CO Observations in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere

Global satellite observations of ozone and carbon monoxide from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the EOS Aura spacecraft are discussed with emphasis on those observations in the 2 15 - 100 hPa region (the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere). The precision, resolution and accuracy of the data produced by the MLS "version 2.2" processing algorithms are discussed and quantified. O3 accuracy is estimated at approx.40 ppbv +5% (approx.20 ppbv +20% at 215 hPa) while the CO accuracy is estimated at approx.30 ppbv +30% for pressures of 147 hPa and less. Comparisons with expectations and other observations show good agreements for the O3 product, generally consistent with the systematic errors quoted above. In the case of COY a persistent factor of approx.2 high bias is seen at 215 hPa. However, the morphology is shown to be realistic, consistent with raw MLS radiance data, and useful for scientific study. The MLS CO data at higher altitudes are shown to be consistent with other observations.

Livesey, N. J.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Validation of the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder Temperature and Geopotential Height Measurements

This paper describes the retrievals algorithm used to determine temperature and height from radiance measurements by the Microwave Limb Sounder on EOS Aura. MLS is a "limbscanning" instrument, meaning that it views the atmosphere along paths that do not intersect the surface - it actually looks forwards from the Aura satellite. This means that the temperature retrievals are for a "profile" of the atmosphere somewhat ahead of the satellite. Because of the need to view a finite sample of the atmosphere, the sample spans a box about 1.5km deep and several tens of kilometers in width; the optical characteristics of the atmosphere mean that the sample is representative of a tube about 200-300km long in the direction of view. The retrievals use temperature analyses from NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System, Version 5 (GEOS-5) data assimilation system as a priori states. The temperature retrievals are somewhat deperrde~zt on these a priori states, especially in the lower stratosphere. An important part of the validation of any new dataset involves comparison with other, independent datasets. A large part of this study is concerned with such comparisons, using a number of independent space-based measurements obtained using different techniques, and with meteorological analyses. The MLS temperature data are shown to have biases that vary with height, but also depend on the validation dataset. MLS data are apparently biased slightly cold relative to correlative data in the upper troposphere and slightly warm in the middle stratosphere. A warm MLS bias in the upper stratosphere may be due to a cold bias in GEOS-5 temperatures.

Schwartz, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Validation of the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder middle atmosphere water vapor and nitrous oxide measurements

The quality of the version 2.2 (v2.2) middle atmosphere water vapor and nitrous oxide measurements from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura satellite is assessed. The impacts of the various sources of systematic error are estimated by a comprehensive set of retrieval simulations. Comparisons with correlative data sets from ground-based, balloon and satellite platforms operating in the UV/visible, infrared and microwave regions of the spectrum are performed. Precision estimates are also validated, and recommendations are given on the data usage. The v2.2 H2O data have been improved over v1.5 by providing higher vertical resolution in the lower stratosphere and better precision above the stratopause. The single-profile precision is ~0.2–0.3 ppmv (4–9%), and the vertical resolution is ~3–4 km in the stratosphere. The precision and vertical resolution become worse with increasing height above the stratopause. Over the pressure range 0.1–0.01 hPa the precision degrades from 0.4 to 1.1 ppmv (6–34%), and the vertical resolution degrades to ~12–16 km. The accuracy is estimated to be 0.2–0.5 ppmv (4–11%) for the pressure range 68–0.01 hPa. The scientifically useful range of the H2O data is from 316 to 0.002 hPa, although only the 82–0.002 hPa pressure range is validated here. Substantial improvement has been achieved in the v2.2 N2O data over v1.5 by reducing a significant low bias in the stratosphere and eliminating unrealistically high biased mixing ratios in the polar regions. The single-profile precision is ~13–25 ppbv (7–38%), the vertical resolution is ~4–6 km and the accuracy is estimated to be 3–70 ppbv (9–25%) for the pressure range 100–4.6 hPa. The scientifically useful range of the N2O data is from 100 to 1 hPa.

Atlas, E.↗
NASA NTRS1997

The 4-Day Wave as Observed from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite Microwave Limb Sounder

The "4-day wave" is an eastward moving quasi-nondispersive feature with period near 4 days occurring near the winter polar stratopause. This paper presents evidence of the 4-day feature in Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) temperature, geopotential height, and ozone data from the late southern winters of 1992 and 1993. Space-time spectral analyses reveal a double-peaked temperature structure consisting of one peak near the stratopause and another in the lower mesosphere, with an out-of-phase relationship between the two peaks. This double- peaked structure is reminiscent of recent three-dimensional barotropic/baroclinic instability model predictions and is observed here for the first time. The height variation of the 4-day ozone signal is shown to compare well with a linear advective-photochemical tracer model. Negative regions of quasigeostrophic potential vorticity (PV) gradient and positive Eliassen-Palm flux divergence are shown to occur, consistent with instability dynamics playing a role in wave forcing. Spectral analyses of PV derived from MLS geopotential height fields reveal a 4-day signal peaking near the polar stratopause. The three-dimensional structure of the 4-day wave resembles the potential vorticity "charge" concept, wherein a PV anomaly in the atmosphere (analogous to an electrical charge in a dielectric material) induces a geopotential field, a vertically oriented temperature dipole, and circulation about the vertical axis.

Allen, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Aura Microwave Limb Sounder Observations of Dynamics and Transport During the Record-Breaking 2009 Arctic Stratospheric Major Warming

A major stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) in January 2009 was the strongest and most prolonged on record. Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) observations are used to provide an overview of dynamics and transport during the 2009 SSW, and to compare with the intense, long-lasting SSW in January 2006. The Arctic polar vortex split during the 2009 SSW, whereas the 2006 SSW was a vortex displacement event. Winds reversed to easterly more rapidly and reverted to westerly more slowly in 2009 than in 2006. More mixing of trace gases out of the vortex during the decay of the vortex fragments, and less before the fulfillment of major SSW criteria, was seen in 2009 than in 2006; persistent well-defined fragments of vortex and anticyclone air were more prevalent in 2009. The 2009 SSW had a more profound impact on the lower stratosphere than any previously observed SSW, with no significant recovery of the vortex in that region. The stratopause breakdown and subsequent reformation at very high altitude, accompanied by enhanced descent into a rapidly strengthening upper stratospheric vortex, were similar in 2009 and 2006. Many differences between 2006 and 2009 appear to be related to the different character of the SSWs in the two years.

Manney, Gloria L.↗
NASA NTRS2006

EOS Microwave Limb Sounder Observations of 'Frozen-in' Anticyclonic Air in Arctic Summer

A previously unreported phenomenon, a 'frozen-in' anticyclone (FrIAC) after the 2005 Arctic spring vortex breakup, was discovered in Earth Observing System (EOS) Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) long-lived trace gas data. A tongue of low-latitude (high-N2O, low-H2O) air was drawn into high latitudes and confined in a tight anticyclone, then advected intact in the summer easterlies through late August. A similar feature in O3 disappeared by early April as a result of chemical processes. The FrIAC was initially advected upright at nearly the same speed at all levels from approx.660 to 1300 K (approx.25-45 km); increasing vertical wind shear after early June tilted the FrIAC and weakened it at higher levels. The associated feature in PV disappeared by early June; transport calculations fail to reproduce the remarkable persistence of the FrIAC, suggesting deficiencies in summer high-latitude winds. The historical PV record suggests that this phenomenon may have occurred several times before. The lack of a persistent signature in O3 or PV, along with its small size and rapid motion, make it unlikely that a FrIAC could have been reliably identified without hemispheric daily longlived trace gas profiles such as those from EOS MLS.

Arctic vortex↗
NASA NTRS2018

Decline in Antarctic Ozone Depletion and Lower Stratospheric Chlorine Determined From Aura Microwave Limb Sounder Observations

Attribution of Antarctic ozone recovery to the Montreal protocol requires evidence that (1)Antarctic chlorine levels are declining and (2) there is a reduction in ozone depletion in response to achlorine decline. We use Aura Microwave Limb Sounder measurements of O3, HCl, and N2O to demonstratethat inorganic chlorine (Cly) from 2013 to 2016 was 223 ± 93 parts per trillion lower in the Antarctic lowerstratosphere than from 2004 to 2007 and that column ozone depletion declined in response. The mean Clydecline rate, ~0.8%/yr, agrees with the expected rate based on chlorofluorocarbon lifetimes. N2Omeasurements are crucial for identifying changes in stratospheric Cly loading independent of dynamicalvariability. From 2005 to 2016, the ozone depletion and Cly time series show matching periods of decline,stability, and increase. The observed sensitivity of O3 depletion to changing Cly agrees with the sensitivitysimulated by the Global Modeling Initiative chemistry transport model integrated

Ozone recovery↗