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At least 145 records · Page 8

Low-Altitude AVIRIS Data for Mapping Land Cover in Yellowstone National Park: Use of Isodata Clustering Techniques

Northeast Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has a diversity of forest, range, and wetland cover types. Several remote sensing studies have recently been done in this area, including the NASA Earth Observations Commercial Applications Program (EOCAP) hyperspectral project conducted by Yellowstone Ecosystems Studies (YES) on the use of hyperspectral imaging for assessing riparian and in-stream habitats. In 1999, YES and NASA's Commercial Remote Sensing Program Office began collaborative study of this area, assessing the potential of synergistic use of hyperspectral, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and multiband thermal data for mapping forest, range, and wetland land cover. Since the beginning, a quality 'reference' land cover map has been desired as a tool for developing and validating other land cover maps produced during the project. This paper recounts an effort to produce such a reference land cover map using low-altitude Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data and unsupervised classification techniques. The main objective of this study is to assess ISODATA classification for mapping land cover in Northeast YNP using select bands of low-altitude AVIRIS data. A secondary, more long-term objective is to assess the potential for improving ISODATA-based classification of land cover through use of principal components analysis and minimum noise fraction (MNF) techniques. This paper will primarily report on work regarding the primary research objective. This study focuses on an AVIRIS cube acquired on July 23, 1999, by the confluence of Soda Butte Creek with the Lamar River. Range and wetland habitats dominate the image with forested habitats being a comparatively minor component of the scene. The scene generally tracks from southwest to northeast. Most of the scene is valley bottom with some lower side slopes occurring on the western portion. Elevations within the AVIRIS scene range from approximately 1998 to 2165 m above sea level, based on US Geological Survey (USGS) 30-m digital elevation model (DEM) data. Despain and the National Park Service (NPS) provide additional description of the study area.

Spruce, Joseph P.↗

NASA New England Outreach Center

The NASA New England Outreach Center in Nashua, New Hampshire was established to serve as a catalyst for heightening regional business awareness of NASA procurement, technology and commercialization opportunities. Emphasis is placed on small business participation, with the highest priority given to small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned businesses, HUBZone businesses, service disabled veteran owned businesses, and historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions. The Center assists firms and organizations to understand NASA requirements and to develop strategies to capture NASA related procurement and technology opportunities. The establishment of the NASA Outreach Center serves to stimulate business in a historically underserved area. NASA direct business awards have traditionally been highly present in the West, Midwest, South, and Southeast areas of the United States. The Center guides and assists businesses and organizations in the northeast to target opportunities within NASA and its prime contractors and capture business and technology opportunities. The Center employs an array of technology access, one-on-one meetings, seminars, site visits, and targeted conferences to acquaint Northeast firms and organizations with representatives from NASA and its prime contractors to learn about and discuss opportunities to do business and access the inventory of NASA technology. This stimulus of interaction also provides firms and organizations the opportunity to propose the use of their developed technology and ideas for current and future requirements at NASA. The Center provides a complement to the NASA Northeast Regional Technology Transfer Center in developing prospects for commercialization of NASA technology. In addition, the Center responds to local requests for assistance and NASA material and documents, and is available to address immediate concerns and needs in assessing opportunities, timely support to interact with NASA Centers on a local level, and develop easy access to information. The Center acts in the manner of a "NASA Center or Field Office" with direction from NASA Headquarters, Code K.

Source record↗

HST NICMOS Observations of the Polarization of NGC 1068

We have observed the polarized light at 2 microns in the center of NGC 1068 with HST (Hubble Space Telescope) NICMOS (Near Infrared Camera Multi Object Spectrometer) Camera 2. The nucleus is dominated by a bright, unresolved source, polarized at a level of 6.0 +/- 1.2% with a position angle of 122 degrees +/- 1.5 degrees. There are two polarized lobes extending tip to 8" northeast and southwest of the nucleus. The polarized flux in both lobes is quite clumpy, with the maximum polarization occurring in the southwest lobe at a level of 17% when smoothed to 0.23" resolution. The perpendiculars to the polarization vectors in these two lobes point back to the intense unresolved nuclear source to within one 0.076" Camera 2 pixel, thereby confirming that this source is the origin of the scattered light and therefore the probable AGN (Active Galactic Nuclei) central engine. Whereas the polarization of the nucleus is probably caused by dichroic absorption, the polarization in the lobes is almost certainly caused by scattering, with very little contribution from dichroic absorption. Features in the polarized lobes include a gap at a distance of about 1" from the nucleus toward the southwest lobe and a "knot" of emission about 5" northwest of the nucleus. Both features had been discussed by groundbased observers, but they are much better defined with the high spatial resolution of NICMOS. The northeast knot may be the side of a molecular cloud that is facing the nucleus, which cloud may be preventing the expansion of the northeast radio lobe at the head of the radio synchrotron-radiation-emitting jet. We also report the presence of two ghosts in the Camera 2 polarizers.

Simpson, Janet P.↗

Observed Recent Trends in Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Over Major Ocean Basins

In this study, we use Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) rainfall data together with historical storm track records to examine the trend of tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall in major ocean basins during recent decades (1980-2007). We find that accumulated total rainfall along storm tracks for all tropical cyclones shows a weak positive trend over the whole tropics. However, total rainfall associated with weak storms, and intense storms (Category 4-5) both show significant positive trends, while total rainfall associated with intermediate storms (Category1-3) show a significant negative trend. Storm intensity defined as total rain produced per unit storm also shows increasing trend for all storm types. Basin-wide, from the first half (1980-1993) to the second half (1994-2007) of the data period, the North Atlantic shows the pronounced increase in TC number and TC rainfall while the Northeast Pacific shows a significant decrease in all storm types. Except for the Northeast Pacific, all other major basins (North Atlantic, Northwest Pacific, Southern Oceans, and Northern Indian Ocean) show a significant increase in total number and rainfall amount in Category 4-5 storms. Overall, trends in TC rainfall in different ocean basins are consistent with long-term changes in the ambient large-scale environment, including SST, vertical wind shear, sea level pressure, mid-tropospheric humidity, and Maximum Potential Intensity (MPI). Notably the pronounced positive (negative) trend of TC rainfall in the North Atlantic (Northeast Pacific) appears to be related to the most (least) rapid increase in SST and MPI, and the largest decrease (increase) in vertical wind shear in the region, relative to other ocean basins.

Lau, K. M.↗

The Boreal Winter El Niño Precipitation Response over North America: Insights into Why January is More Difficult to Predict than February

This study examines the within−season monthly variation of the El Niño response over North America during December−March using the NASA/GEOS model. In agreement with previous studies, the skill of 1−month lead GEOS coupled model forecasts of precipitation over North America is largest (smallest) for February (January), with similar results in uncoupled mode. A key finding is that the relatively poor January skillis the result ofthe model placing the main circulation anomaly over the northeast Pacific slightly to the west of the observed, resulting inprecipitation anomalies that lie off the coast instead of over land as observed. In contrast, during February the observed circulation anomaly over the northeast Pacific shifts westward, lining up with the predicted anomaly which is essentially unchanged from January, resulting in both the observed and predicted precipitation anomalies remaining off the coast. Furthermore, the largest precipitation anomalies occur along the southern tier of states associated with an eastward extended jet–something that the models capture reasonably well. Simulations with a stationary wave model indicate that the placement of January El Niño response to the west of the observed over the northeast Pacificis the result of biases in the January climatological stationary waves, rather than errors in the tropical Pacific El Niño heating anomalies in January. Furthermore, evidence is provided that the relatively poor simulation of the observed January climatology, characterized by a strengthened North Pacific jet and enhanced ridge over western North America, can be traced back to biases in the January climatology heating over the Tibet region and the tropical western Pacific.

Young-kwon Lim↗

Lineaments in basement terrane of the Peninsular Ranges, Southern California

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS and Skylab images reveal a number of prominent lineaments in the basement terrane of the Peninsular Ranges, Southern California. The major, well-known, active, northwest trending, right-slip faults are well displayed; northeast and west to west-northwest trending lineaments are also present. Study of large-scale airphotos followed by field investigations have shown that several of these lineaments represent previously unmapped faults. Pitches of striations on shear surfaces of the northeast and west trending faults indicate oblique slip movement; data are insufficient to determine the net-slip. These faults are restricted to the pre-tertiary basement terrane and are truncated by the major northwest trending faults. They may have been formed in response to an earlier stress system. All lineaments observed in the space photography are not due to faulting, and additional detailed geologic investigations are required to determine the nature of the unstudied lineaments, and the history and net-slip of fault-controlled lineaments.

Merifield, P. M.↗

Studies of Current Circulation at Ocean Waste Disposal Sites

The author has identified the following significant results. Circulation processes at the acid waste disposal site are highly event-dominated, with the majority of the water transport occurring during strong northeasters. There is a mean flow to the south alongshore. This appears to be due to the fact that northeasterly winds produce stronger currents than those driven by southeasterly winds and by the thermohaline circulation. During the warm months, the ocean stratifies with warm water over cold water. A distinct thermocline was observed with expendable bathythermographs during all summer cruises at depths ranging from 10 to 21 meters. During stratified conditions, the near-bottom drogues showed very little movements. The duPont waste plume was observed in LANDSAT satellite imagery during dump up to 54 hours after dump.

Klemas, V.↗

Studies of Current Circulation at Ocean Waste Disposal Sites

The author has identified the following significant results. Acid waste plume was observed in LANDSAT imagery fourteen times ranging from during dump up to 54 hours after dump. Circulation processes at the waste disposal site are highly storm-dominated, with the majority of the water transport occurring during strong northeasterlies. There is a mean flow to the south along shore. This appears to be due to the fact that northeasterly winds produce stronger currents than those driven by southeasterly winds and by the thermohaline circulation. During the warm months (May through October), the ocean at the dump site stratifies with a distinct thermocline observed during all summer cruising at depths ranging from 10 to 21 m. During stratified conditions, the near-bottom currents were small. Surface currents responded to wind conditions resulting in rapid movement of surface drogues on windy days. Mid-depth drogues showed an intermediate behavior, moving more rapidly as wind velocities increased.

Klemas, V.↗

Path attenuation statistics influenced by orientation of rain cells

The influence of path azimuth on fade and space diversity statistics associated with propagation along earth-satellite paths at a frequency of 18 GHz is examined. A radar rain reflectivity data base obtained during the summer of 1973 is injected into a modeling program and the attenuation along parallel earth-satellite paths are obtained for a conglomeration of azimuths. Statistics are separated into two groupings: one pertaining to earth-satellite paths oriented in the northwest-southeast and the other in the northeast-southwest quadrants using a fixed elevation angle of 45 deg. The latter case shows fading to be greater with a degraded space diversity suggesting rain cells to be elongated along this direction. Cell dimensions are analyzed for both sets of quadrants and are found to have average values larger by 2 km in the northeast-southwest quadrants; a result consistent with the fade and space diversity results. Examination of the wind direction for the 14 rain days of data analyzed shows good correlation of the average or median wind directions with the directions of maximum fading and degraded space diversity.

Goldhirsh, J.↗

Active and inactive faults in southern California viewed from Skylab

A number of prominent linears in basement terrane of the Peninsular Ranges appeared on Skylab images. In most cases, they were represented by straight or gently curved valleys; however, detailed field investigations have shown that several of these linears mark previously unmapped faults which form two distinct fault sets; one set trends northeast, the other west-northwest. No indications of recent movement were present on these faults which were truncated by seismically active, northwest trending fault zones such as the Elsinore and San Jacinto. Right-lateral separation is demonstrable on the northeast trending set.

Merifield, P. M.↗

The upper mantle beneath the Cascade Range: A comparison with the Gulf of California

Seismograms from 22 earthquakes along the northeast Pacific rim recorded in southern California form the data set for investigation of the upper mantle beneath the Cascade Range-Juan de Fuca region, a transitional area encompassing both very young ocean floor and a continental margin. These data consist of 853 seismograms (6 deg delta 42 deg) which produce 1068 travel times and 40 ray parameter estimates. These data are compared directly to another large suite of records representative of structure beneath the Gulf of California, an active spreading center. The spreading center model, GCA, was used as a starting point in WKBJ synthetic seismogram modeling and perturb GCA until the northeast Pacific data are matched. Application of wave field continuation to these two groups of data provides checks on model's consistency with the data as well as an estimate of the resolvability of differences between the two areas. Differences between the models derived from these two data sets are interpretable in terms of lateral structural variation beneath the two regimes.

Walck, M. C.↗

Fluvial drainage systems: Margaritifer Sinus and Agyre (NC, NE) quadrangles, Mars

Fluvial drainage systems, delineated by mapping on stereo pairs of Viking Orbiter images, have developed in various-sized basins in the Margaritifer Sinus (MC-19) and Agyre (MC-26) Quadrangles, Mars. The Ladon Valles system is the largest, draining into and through two multi-ringed impact basins. Smaller fluvial basins to the southeast of the Ladon structural basin appear to have internal drainage. An intermediate-scale fluvial basin containing Himera Vallis extends along a north-south axis at 22 W and opens northward toward outflow channels south of Margaritifer Chaos. Stereo-pair mapping was extended furhter to the east, in MC-19 Ne, Se, and MC-26 NE, to investigate sources of outflow to the Ares Vallis system. The direction of flow in the channel at the northeast quadrant of the Ladon Basin is unresolved at present because of the poor quality of images available to form stereo pairs. However, an easterly drainage basin boundary running north-south along longitude 9 W, and extending westward at latitude 32-35 S, encloses a series of longitudinal drainage systems. Both the Parana Valles-Loire Vallis system and the Samara Valles system appear to drain in a northwesterly direction. The Samara flows to the Himera drainage basin, and the Parana-Loire to the northeast Ladon channel area.

Boothroyd, J. C.↗

Ancient Volcano-Tectonic Structures of the Olympus Mons Region, Mars

Two old volcano-tectonic collapse structures are exposed north and northeast of the huge shield volcano, Olympus Mons. They are semicircular and were probably low shield volcanoes similar to Alba Patera, but whose central portions have subsided or collapsed. They form the basement upon which younger volcanic materials of Alba Patera Olympus Mons have been emplaced. The oldest structure, Acheron Fossae is over 700 km across and is north of Olympus Mons. It has a surface of considerable relief broken by graben and extensive en echelon and parallel fractures and faults with varied displacements. Acheron Fossae is the most densely cratered in the Olympus Mons region. The structure must have formed very early in martian time. The second is Halex Fossae, northeast of Olympus Mons. Where exposed, it is cut by a series of arcuate grabens that become closer spaced toward its center. The radii of the fractures indicate that the structure may be at least 250 km across and centered beneath the Olympus Plains. Lava flows appear to have issued from some of the arcuate fractures and to have flowed radially away from the center of Halex Fossae. North of Halex Fossae, material of the same age as Halex Fossae overlaps Acheron Fossae. The density of craters on the Halex Fossae material (3,200-4,400 >1km/10 6 km 2 indicates an old age for its formation but one younger than that of Acheron Fossae. These two ancient volcanic-tectonic structures are evidence that the Olympus Mons region has been the locus of major volcanism over much of martian history.

Elliot C Morris↗

Global map of eolian features on Mars

A variety of common eolian features on Mars have been identified from a survey of Mariner 9 and Viking orbiter images, and their regional and global distributions and orientations are discussed. Ten features have been mapped including: light and dark streaks, splotches, barchan and transverse dunes, crescentric and anomalous dunes, yardangs, wind grooves, and deflation pits. The north polar region shows a complex wind regime. Dunes and other ephemeral features reveal winds from the northwest and northeast. In the middle and low northern latitudes, northeasterly winds are the most effective winds. Southeast winds are the effective winds in most southern latitudes. Erosional features in bedrock indicate long-term and perhaps ancient wind trends, whereas depositional features may record relatively more recent winds. Deflation pits in the mantled terrain may contain the best record of both ancient and present-day winds.

Ward, A. W.↗

Radio and optical observations of the jets from L1555 IRS 5

New high-sensitivity radio continuum and optical observations of jets associated with the recently formed star IRS 5 are presented. The observations suggest that IRS 5 is the source of a collimated high-velocity outflow of partially ionized gas that produces the observed bipolar molecular outflow in L1551. The emission from the jets can be traced for over 10 arcsec from IRS 5; the jets are aligned with the axis of the molecular bipolar outflow observed by Snell, Loren, and Plambeck (1981). The integrated radio spectrum of the jets is flat, indicating emission by an optically thin plasma. The total mass of ionized gas is estimated to be 0.4-8 x 10 to the -6th solar mass. The absence of optical emission from the northeast jet is best explained by the presence of a dense disk of gas that lies perpendicular to the outflow axis which obscures the northeast jet and may also be responsible for collimating the outflow into two initially opposed jets.

Snell, R. L.↗

Estimation of neutral wind velocity in the ionospheric heights by HF-Doppler technique

Three net stations located about 100 kilometers apart were set up around the station of the standard frequency and time signals (JJY) in central Japan and measurements of atmospheric gravity waves in the ionospheric heights (F-region, 200 to 400 km) were made by means of the HF-Doppler technique during the period of February 1983 to December 1983. The frequencies of the signals received are 5.0, 8.0 and 10.0 MHz, but only the 8.0 MHz signals are used for the present study, because no ambiguities due to the interference among other stations such as BPM, BSF, etc. exist by the use of 8.0 MHz. Two main results concerning the horizontal phase velocity of the atmospheric gravity waves with periods of 40 to 70 min may be summarized as follows: (1) the value of the phase velocity ranges from 50 m/s to 300 m/s; (2) the direction of the gravity wave propagation shows a definite seasonal variation. The prevailing direction of the gravity waves in winter is from north to south, which is consistent with the results obtained from other investigations. On the other hand, the two directions, from northeast to southwest and from southeast to northeast, dominate in summer.

Kitamura, T.↗

Geometry of miocene extensional deformation, lower Colorado River Region, Southeastern California and Southwestern Arizona: Evidence for the presence of a regional low-angle normal fault

The geometry of Miocene extensional deformation, which changes along a 120 km-long, northeast-trending transect from the southestern Chocolate Mountains, southeastern California, to the Trigo and southern Dome Rock Mountains, southwestern Arizona is discussed. Based upon regional differences in the structural response to extension and estimated extensional strain, the transet can be divided into three northwesterly-trending structural domains. From southwest to northeast, these domains are: (1) southestern Chocolate-southernmost Trigo Mountains; (2) central to northern Trigo Mountains; and (3) Trigo Peaks-southern Dome Rock Mountains. All structures formed during the deformation are brittle in style; fault rocks are composed of gouge, cohesive gouge, and local microbreccia. In each structural domain, exposed lithologic units are composed of Mesozoic crystalline rocks unconformably overlain by Oligocene to Early Miocene volcanic and minor interbedded sedimentary rocks. Breccia, conglomerate, and sandstone deposited synchronously with regional extension locally overlie the volcanic rocks. Extensional deformation largely postdated the main phase of volcanic activity, but rare rhyolitic tuff and flows interbedded with the syndeformational clastic rocks suggest that deformation began during the waning stages of valcanism. K-Ar isotopic ages indicate that deformation occurred in Miocene time, between about 22 and m.y. ago.

Tosdal, R. M.↗

A multiwavelength investigation of the supernova remnant IC 443

Multiwavelength observations of the supernova remnant IC 443 at radio, infrared, optical, ultraviolet, and X-ray wavelengths are presented. This morphological study of IC 443 presents a detailed picture of an adolescent supernova remnant in a multiphase interstellar medium. Radio observations show that better than 80 percent of the continuum emission at 18 cm is in a large-scale (greater than 18 arcmin) component. Decomposition of the infrared data shows that radiatively heated dust, shocked blackbody dust emission, and infrared line emission are all important components of the observed IRAS fluxes. The morphology of the IC 443 region is consistent with a supernova blast in an interstellar medium with a nonuniform distribution of clouds. The bright northeast rim and the great extent of the remnant to the southwest are most easily explained by a cloud filling factor which is greatest in the northeast and falls off toward the southwest.

Mufson, S. L.↗