Provider of Services to UAM: An Overview and Initial use Case Discussion
Overview of PSU presented to NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Ecosystem Working Groups (AEWG).
Advanced Air Mobility↗
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NASA’s Digital Information Platform to Accelerate the Transformation of the National Airspace System
In order to accelerate the digital transformation of airspace operations, a foundational framework and infrastructure for providing sustainable, data-driven, and cohesive decision-making digital services for both traditional and emergent air vehicles is being developed. The reference implementation of Digital Information Platform builds an ecosystem for the aviation community by providing access to a secure and trusted source of aviation data and services. Several key features and services have been implemented to enable secure data sharing, communication, and service registration on the Platform. The technical approach used to implement these features is presented here. NASA-developed integrated aviation data and machine learning based prediction services to optimize airspace operations are available on the Platform. These services are being evaluated in an operational environment by flight operators and the real-world benefits are being captured. The Platform fosters collaboration among industry and researchers to develop complex aviation services and the aim is to make it publicly accessible for consumption by the aviation community.
Digital Transformation↗
NASA’s Digital Information Platform to Accelerate the Transformation of the National Airspace System
In order to accelerate the digital transformation of airspace operations, a foundational framework and infrastructure for providing sustainable, data-driven, and cohesive decision-making digital services for both traditional and emergent air vehicles is being developed. The reference implementation of Digital Information Platform builds an ecosystem for the aviation community by providing access to a secure and trusted source of aviation data and services. Several key features and services have been implemented to enable secure data sharing, communication, and service registration on the Platform. The technical approach used to implement these features is presented here. NASA-developed integrated aviation data and machine learning based prediction services to optimize airspace operations are available on the Platform. These services are being evaluated in an operational environment by flight operators and the real-world benefits are being captured. The Platform fosters collaboration among industry and researchers to develop complex aviation services and the aim is to make it publicly accessible for consumption by the aviation community.
Digital Transformation↗
Delaware Ecological Forecasting: Assessing Land Cover and Soil to Identify Suitable Sites for Tidal Marsh Migration in Delaware
Tidal wetlands provide vital resources for the state of Delaware, crucial not only for maintaining important ecosystem functions, but also for providing human populations with substantial services. Healthy wetland networks offer protection from severe weather, reduce flooding, improve water quality, and provide opportunities for education and recreation. However, human activities in combination with natural events, continue to cause substantial loss of wetland cover and damage wetland health. Over the last thirty years, the state of Delaware has experienced a net loss of roughly 5,000 acres of wetland. In collaboration with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the team used NASA Earth observations including Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Global Precipitation Measurement Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals (GPM IMERG) to develop a methodology to monitor recent changes in wetland cover and forecast landward marsh migration due to sea-level rise, changes to climate, and human development. Trend analysis of current and past climate conditions in precipitation and temperature revealed an overall increase in both metrics. Using Land Change Modeler in TerrSet and Suitability Modeler in ArcGIS Pro, the team visualized landcover shifts over the last 20 years, indicating a general pattern of net wetland loss and identified locations where marsh migration could potentially occur in the future. These observations will enable better planning for restoration activities and in form decision-making to preserve wetland health and ecosystem functions.
McKenna Brahler↗
Hawai'i Water Resources: Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Assess Ocean Conditions Leading to the Spread of the Nuisance Red Algae (Chondria tumulosa) in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawai’i
Chondria tumulosa, a newly discovered red alga, was observed in low abundance in 2016 but has since proliferated and is now smothering and decimating vast expanse of coral reefs in Manawai, located in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM). If the spread persists, the outbreak of this cryptogenic species could potentially cause region-wide ecosystem degradation. In coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine National Monuments of the Pacific and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, this project created a tool to analyze oceanographic conditions (sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll-a, water velocity, salinity, turbidity) across the Monument that could potentially be driving the algal spread. The Google Earth Engine tool enabled the partners to visualize oceanographic conditions and gather time-series graphs utilizing Aqua and Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), Sentinel-3 Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI), Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and NOAA's Climate Data Record in a user-friendly interface. The team used in situ SST data from subsurface temperature recorders provided by the partners to validate the tool's accuracy. Preliminary statistical analysis of MODIS data found warming trends in SST in Manawai as well as increased chlorophyll-a levels during the summer months in contrast to the control (non-infected) Lalo atoll. The tool did not aim to classify algal presence due to limited availability of higher resolution satellite imagery but instead enabled PMNM managers to monitor conditions that may be conducive to algal growth around the monument to make informed decisions and mitigation practices.
DEVELOP Project Summary↗
Coastal Marsh Monitoring for Persistent Saltwater Intrusion
This viewgraph presentation reviews NASA's work on the project that supports the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) Governors Action Plan to monitor the coastal wetlands for saltwater intrusion. The action items that relate to the task are: (1) Obtain information on projected relative sea level rise, subsidence, and storm vulnerability to help prioritize conservation projects, including restoration, enhancement, and acquisition, and (2) Develop and apply ecosystem models to forecast the habitat structure and succession following hurricane disturbance and changes in ecological functions and services that impact vital socio-economic aspects of coastal systems. The objectives of the program are to provide resource managers with remote sensing products that support ecosystem forecasting models requiring salinity and inundation data. Specifically, the proposed work supports the habitat-switching modules in the Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration (CLEAR) model, which provides scientific evaluation for restoration management.
Hall, Callie M.↗
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM)
UTM is an 'air traffic management' ecosystem for uncontrolled operations. UTM utilizes industry's ability to supply services under FAA's regulatory authority where these services do not exist. UTM development will ultimately enable the management of large scale, low-altitude UAS operations. Operational concept will address beyond visual line of sight UAS operations under 400 ft. AGL. Information architecture, data exchange protocols, software functions. Roles/responsibilities of FAA and operators. Performance requirements.
UTM↗
Delaware Basin Ecological Forecasting: Identifying Vegetation Trends and Atmospheric Stressors in the Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns National Parks
The Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns National Parks, located in the Delaware Basin in the southwestern United States, observed both a decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperature over the last decade. Furthermore, activity from local oil fields generated nitrogen dioxide (NO2) plumes that spread over the parks and augmented the effects of the drought. NO2 is a precursor for tropospheric ozone (O3) which is known to have adverse effects on vegetation and ecosystems at large. These new climate dynamics prompted the National Park Service (NPS) to collaborate with NASA DEVELOP to assess the impact on vegetation within the parks. We used NASA Earth observations including Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+), Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), and Global Precipitation Measurement Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals (GPM IMERG) to assess vegetation health, water stress, and precipitation in the affected parks. After creating a homogenous reference area in the Sierra Diablo Mountains (SDM), the team visualized vegetation health through a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series map from 2010-2021. This did not show strong evidence that the NO2 plume is causing vegetation decline. Following this, we created a water stress map with a Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) time series map from 2010-2021, which revealed a pattern of increasing water stress. We also confirmed that precipitation in the region decreased over the span of 2010-2021. These observations and findings will allow the NPS Intermountain Region to more effectively plan for the preservation and maintenance of vegetation health within the parks.
Jack Mezger↗
Delaware Basin Ecological Forecasting: Identifying Vegetation Trends and Atmospheric Stressors in the Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns National Parks
The Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns National Parks, located in the Delaware Basin in the southwestern United States, observed both a decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperature over the last decade. Furthermore, activity from local oil fields generated nitrogen dioxide (NO2) plumes that spread over the parks and augmented the effects of the drought. NO2 is a precursor for tropospheric ozone (O3) which is known to have adverse effects on vegetation and ecosystems at large. These new climate dynamics prompted the National Park Service (NPS) to collaborate with NASA DEVELOP to assess the impact on vegetation within the parks. We used NASA Earth observations including Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+), Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), and Global Precipitation Measurement Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals (GPM IMERG) to assess vegetation health, water stress, and precipitation in the affected parks. After creating a homogeneous reference area in the Sierra Diablo Mountains, the team visualized vegetation health through a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series map from 2010-2021. This did not show strong evidence that the NO2 plume is causing vegetation decline. Following this, we created a water stress map with a Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) time series map from 2010-2021, which revealed a pattern of increasing water stress. We also confirmed that precipitation in the region decreased over the span of 2010-2021. These observations and findings will allow the NPS Intermountain Region to more effectively plan for the preservation and maintenance of vegetation health within the parks.
Jack Mezger↗
Northern Rockies Ecological Conservation: Leveraging Earth Observations to Monitor and Predict Populations of Federally Threatened Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) across the Intermountain West
Whitebark pine (WBP; Pinus albicaulis) is an ecologically important species in North America. As a federally listed threatened species, an understanding of WBP habitat, distribution, and health is important for the natural resource managers of the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and non-profit organizations such as the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation. Previous attempts to develop models of WBP habitat suitability and distribution lack confidence in their validity and integrity for these organizations. The updated models of habitat suitability and distribution developed by this study would provide managers with a capability to be employed in the conservation and future research direction for WBP. Thus, we developed a habitat suitability model of WBP at a high spatial resolution (Landsat 9 Operational Land Image-2, National Land Cover Database, NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission; 30m pixels) using a generalized logistic regression with an area under the curve value of 0.754. We extracted spectral reflectance signatures from overlapped ground sample points and Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument. The spectral signature analysis indicates WBP is separable from other tree species. We also utilized a visual validation approach and random forest (RF) modeling to separate WBP from limber pine. Through visual validation the RF classifier successfully identified 8out of 10 WBP trees gathered through ground truth points. Additionally, we achieved an overall accuracy of 91%in our confusion matrix for the distribution model using a dependent validation approach. The derived products from this study allow project partners to assess current suitable habitat and apparent health status in areas of identified WBP occurrence, providing data to aid future research regarding WBP health.
Sentinel-2↗
Corridor Design and Analysis for UAM Operations
The Urban Air Mobility (UAM) concept is a part of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), a joint initiative between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NASA, and industry to develop an air transportation system that uses new electric (i.e., green) air vehicles in geographical areas previously underserved by traditional aviation. Market forecast studies predict that there will be demand for alternate modes of air transportation using electric Vertical Take-off and Landing aircraft. UAM expands transportation networks by introducing short flights to move people and goods around metropolitan areas. UAM is expected to improve mobility for the public, decongest road traffic, reduce trip time, and decrease strain on existing public transportation networks. Various challenges exist to make the introduction of UAM operations successful in the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). These include but are not limited to integration with existing airports and airspace, provision of air traffic services (e.g., separation), vehicle design and certification, and community acceptance. The focus of this paper is on integration of UAM operations into the NAS via introduction of new airspace structures. UAM will operate within a regulatory, operational, and technical environment that is incorporated into the NAS. As per the UAM Concept of Operations (ConOps), the FAA retains regulatory authority and is responsible for establishing operational parameters and maintaining oversight. The FAA’s UAM ConOps describes flights at low altitudes (below 5,000 ft) with minimal disruption to established conventional aircraft traffic and limited voice interactions with the Air Traffic Control (ATC). Early stages of UAM may use existing procedures to safely integrate UAM with conventional flights. This would involve flying under Part 91 Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and using voice for communications. The initial UAM ecosystem will utilize the current infrastructure such as routes, helipads, and ATC services, where practicable. A NASA study explored the use of existing helicopter routes in Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) airspace for initial UAM operations with a Letter of Agreement (LOA) that included procedures to request a Class B (controlled airspace) clearance. The research showed that the chosen approach was feasible for near-term, low-demand UAM traffic, but was not scalable. The growth of operations in today’s aviation system has resulted in airspace reorganization and procedures to ensure safety and efficiency as traffic rates increase. One proposed operating innovation that can help with the scalability of UAM is establishing routes and corridors. This may look similar to the Area Navigation (RNAV) procedures used today to streamline operations into busy airports. However, instead of FAA automation systems and ATC managing the flow of traffic, some UAM concepts envision a third-party service provider performing this role as part of the Provider of Services for UAM (PSU) network. The FAA’s UAM ConOps posits that new airspace structures such as UAM corridors include the following design criteria: 1) Minimal impact on existing NAS operations, 2) no or minimal additional ATC services, 3) public interest considerations such as noise, safety, and security, and 4) customer needs. The airspace available in urban environments is limited by the height of buildings, the effect of weather including wind gusts, privacy needs, and a clearance envelope. The new airspace structure would need to be designed around large airports and urban areas where the initial market demand is likely to exist. NASA has started evaluating airspace in the Dallas Fort Worth area to design new airspace structures, keeping the first two design criteria in mind. It is assumed that there will be an on-board pilot-in-command, and the flights will operate under VFR in Visual Meteorological Conditions. Corridors will be required in controlled airspace, whereas UAM operations can fly in uncontrolled Class G and E airspace using current day rules. Keeler et. al identified factors and heuristics for development of routes for UAM operations for integration with airspace close to large airports such as Dallas Fort Worth and Dallas Love Field. This paper describes the heuristics applied to define the corridors, analyzes them with respect to legacy traffic and presents key results.
Urban Air Mobility↗
The Cumulus Ecosystem: Open Source and Beyond to Foster Collaboration
NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) open source Cumulus software is designed as a common set of code and services that can be used to create a pipeline to deliver and manage earth science data in the cloud. Cumulus strives to create an ecosystem on the foundation of open source that unites those with shared problems and goals by encouraging users to contribute solutions back to the platform. Large parts of ingesting and managing data are common and much of what is created can be used by others. Our goal is to maximize collaboration and code reuse while allowing users to design a custom solution that meets their needs without having to take on extraneous functionality. In this talk we will describe how the Cumulus ecosystem works beyond just open source software. We will review the technology, the successes and challenges, and the evolution and future of Cumulus as an ecosystem.
Cumulus↗
The Virtual Climate Data Server (vCDS): An iRODS-Based Data Management Software Appliance Supporting Climate Data Services and Virtualization-as-a-Service in the NASA Center for Climate Simulation
Scientific data services are becoming an important part of the NASA Center for Climate Simulation's mission. Our technological response to this expanding role is built around the concept of a Virtual Climate Data Server (vCDS), repetitive provisioning, image-based deployment and distribution, and virtualization-as-a-service. The vCDS is an iRODS-based data server specialized to the needs of a particular data-centric application. We use RPM scripts to build vCDS images in our local computing environment, our local Virtual Machine Environment, NASA s Nebula Cloud Services, and Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud. Once provisioned into one or more of these virtualized resource classes, vCDSs can use iRODS s federation capabilities to create an integrated ecosystem of managed collections that is scalable and adaptable to changing resource requirements. This approach enables platform- or software-asa- service deployment of vCDS and allows the NCCS to offer virtualization-as-a-service: a capacity to respond in an agile way to new customer requests for data services.
Schnase, John L.↗
NASA's Implementation of Cloud Services for Human Space Flight
Cloud is a tried-and-true technology used throughout United States government agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). With reliable results and infrequent downtimes, cloud allows for secure remote access, customizability, and streamlined monitoring options, creating an environment for better data integrity and availability. As NASA increasingly migrates functions to the cloud, the Space Communications and Navigation Program (SCaN) program has been investigating how this capability can be leveraged to provide communication services to its users and customers. Currently, missions such as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE), and Roman Space Telescope (RST) are planned to incorporate cloud into their data delivery architecture. However, SCaN is looking to expand further. This conversion to using cloud services allows for greater availability of mission data for both robotic and human space flight (HSF)missions. The SCaN program and the Near Space Network (NSN) are working to consolidate resources and create a cloud environment suitable for the entirety of the SCaN program network architecture. SCaN is in the process of finalizing its cloud architecture and soon will be implementing cloud services. The new services used will adhere to federal regulations including Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), which is built upon National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)documentation. While keeping in mind these security requirements, an auxiliary objective of the cloud integration is to ensure the most cost-efficient solution; providing a scalable, robust and resilient system. Using cloud services, NASA will gain access to better centralized monitoring and management features, along with customizable services on a pay-per-use plan. With the ever-growing NASA mission data volume needs, maintaining ample storage space is another major constraint. Processing and storing such large amounts of data, on the order of terabytes a day, requires dynamic processing capability which is inherently a strength of cloud computing. By routing this data from ground stations through the cloud, there will be greater ease of access for both SCaN and the user community. Artificial intelligence and other built-in cloud functions can also enhance efficiency, improving data processing time. Thereby also allowing for better data availability. As we look to the future of cloud services, NASA will continue to leverage capabilities that will benefit NASA’s ability to provide cost-effective communication services. This paper further outlines the evolution of cloud use by SCaN in the context of Human Space Flight.
cloud storage↗
ASDC Distribution and Services of TEMPO Data
The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of POllution (TEMPO) instrument represents a groundbreaking advancement in remote sensing technology, providing real-time and high-resolution measurements of atmospheric pollutants and air quality monitoring. This presentation will highlight the significance of TEMPO and its data distribution by NASA’s Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) to facilitate the analyses by the research and end user communities. TEMPO's geostationary orbit allows for continuous and high-resolution measurements of key atmospheric pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), ozone (O 3 ), and formaldehyde (HCHO). As a result, researchers can investigate the distribution patterns of these pollutants on an hourly basis, providing valuable information for understanding regional and temporal variations in air quality. Furthermore, this presentation will highlight the usability of TEMPO data in complementing ground-based air quality monitoring networks. ASDC distribution services and tools facilitate efficient data handling and analysis to support research and application uses of TEMPO data. As part of NASA’s Earthdata ecosystem, TEMPO will be available through Earthdata Search and Worldview, as well as have variable and spatial subsetting capabilities. This presentation will provide an overview of data access and services available for TEMPO data.
Hazem Mahmoud↗
A Concept of Operations (ConOps) of an In-time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS) for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)
The growth of new emerging operations involving Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) necessitates developing a perspective for an In-time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS). This perspective advances from the National Academies report on IASMS and its recommendation for developing a Concept of Operations (ConOps) for IASMS. A ConOps has been developed for In-time System-Wide Safety Assurance (ISSA) from which the IASMS ConOps pivots to provide a robust scope commensurate with the broad vision defined by the National Academies. The IASMS ConOps focuses on emerging operations and spans innovations in Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and an increasingly complex ecosystem comprised of a widening mix of vehicles and technologies, Urban Air Mobility (UAM) with industry-federated services, traditional operations, as well as new supersonic aircraft and space launch systems.The challenge for the IASMS ConOps is to be broad to encompass innovations in the coming years and decades while agile to ensure levels of safety compatible with operational and certification requirements of the National Airspace System (NAS). The IASMS ConOps interweaves increasing complexity of operational safety capabilities and unlocking UAS Maturity Levels (UMLs). The relationships between increased complexity of automation and automated systems, fewer operators who are not as traditionally higher skilled, more complex operational environments, and aviation operations management with mixed aircraft and equipage pose a multi-dimensional space for IASMS capabilities essential for safety assurance and risk management. Instantiating IASMS capabilities and how they would be integral to AAM operations and increasing maturity of UAM could be accomplished through a series of Safety Demonstrators. These Safety Demonstrators could provide increased understanding and insight into use of controls for risk mitigation, means of compliance for certification, and operational experience with safety services such as in relation to contingency management. The IASMS capabilities can be viewed as initially residing with the vehicle, airspace, and Supplemental Data Service Provider (SDSP). For example, vehicle capabilities include communications including the command and control link, Remote Identification (ID), conflict advisory/alerting, and UAS system monitoring. These capabilities monitor and assess data such as battery health, aircraft state, and human performance. Complexity of ISAMS capabilities depends on a number of factors. These factors are intendedonly as a notional categorization with the purpose being to reflect the complexity of the AAM ecosystem that would drive up the complexity of ISSA capabilities including systems, sensors, models, standards, and controls. Factors could include the Vehicle Flight Management, Environment, Airspace, and Contingency Management. Each of these factors can be comprised of multiple sub-factors that contribute to increasing complexity. For example, Airspace at a lower level of complexity could be dedicated to UTM operations that are unmonitored, and at a higher level of complexity could involve mixed UTM and ATM operations. The IASMS concept includes safety services that provide data and information to different participants in AAM. The roles and responsibilities of participants can be defined using the Responsible-Accountable-Consulted-Informed (RACI) analysis. For example, for the safety service involving the Remote ID, the Operator would be accountable for providing the data, the Vehicle would be responsible for transmitting it, and the USS, SDSP, Vertiports, FIMS (FAA), and Public Entities such as safety services would be informed by receiving the data. The IASMS ConOps identifies the capabilities needed for risk mitigation and safety assurance in the increasingly complex national airspace. The ConOps serves as a pathway for engaging with industry to gain operational experience including through the Safety Demonstrator series, the RACI analysis, and operational complexity factors. The ConOps serves to integrate these different perspectives to build a cohesive and cogent approach to an AAM safety management system.
In-Time Aviation Safety Management System↗
NASA System-Wide Safety Wildland Firefighting Operations Workshop Report
On March 9-11, 2022, NASA’s System-Wide Safety Wildland Firefighting Operations Workshop engaged the broader wildland firefighting management ecosystem in a safety-oriented discussion via a virtual platform. This enabled a better understanding of how NASA and community expertise can be leveraged in the safe development of current and future firefighting systems and operations. The goals of the workshop were to: (1) identify and prioritize the top safety-oriented risks, gaps in capabilities, and emerging technologies to enhance wildland firefighting for both near-term and far-term concepts, with a specific focus on aviation operations and (2) engage the stakeholder community in defining emergent safety-oriented scope, roles, responsibilities, and procedures for agents undergoing increasingly complex wildland firefighting operations in information-rich, but uncertain environments. Workshop participants were solicited from wildland firefighting stakeholders across government, industry, and academia. All levels of government were engaged, as NASA sought attendees from federal, state, local, and tribal government agencies. Industry participants from traditional wildland firefighting domains such as data visualization and equipment manufacturers were invited, and corporate attendees from novel application domains such as aerial robotics and autonomous systems were present as well. The top three findings were as follows: (1) Enhancing situation awareness is a safety priority, especially in the use of aerial assets; (2) Timely access to information along with data fusion and integrated displays will enhance safety-critical decision-making both inside and outside aviation contexts; and (3) Tailorable standards and common operating pictures in the field will enhance inter-agency cooperation in the wildland firefighting lifecycle and enable the optimal use of limited resources such as aerial assets. The workshop helped inform NASA of the relevant safety-related wildland firefighting concerns and aided the broader ecosystem in understanding the potential safety-oriented role NASA might play in this community. Increased engagement with crucial governmental stakeholders (e.g., U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE, etc.) along with industry partners in cutting- edge information -centric domains is a fundamental next step. Additionally, the workshop findings will help define the first of a series of operationally challenging demonstrations, held in concert with strategic ecosystem partners, known as the Safety Demonstrator Series for NASA’s System-Wide Safety project. The first demonstration is set in the wildland firefighting application domain and will: (1) examine high risk operational scenarios to reduce their overall risk via services, functions or capabilities that act as risk mitigators (or transfer that risk to automated systems better able to tolerate it) and (2) explore novel tools and technologies that will enhance safety margins by enabling non-traditional or neoteric operational paradigms.
wildland firefighting↗
Evaluating Rock Pool Hydroperiod Fluctuation using Climate Variables to Inform Habitat Monitoring and Protection in the Western Sonoran Desert
As warming and drying trends continue to impact the greater American Southwest, effective ecosystem management increasingly relies upon understanding the relationships between climate and water resources. Ephemeral freshwater rock pools, known as tinajas, have great ecological and cultural importance as some of the only sources of surface water in the western Sonoran Desert (WSD). Tinaja flooding and drying cycles, known as hydroperiods, vary based on meteorologic and climatologic conditions; however, a lack of extensive research relating climatic impacts to tinajas puts these critical ecosystems further at risk. Tinajas throughout the WSD are monitored by the National Park Service (NPS) using resource intensive strategies including in situ trail camera observation and direct measurement. To aid NPS monitoring efforts, this research used remotely sensed climate data to analyze spatiotemporal climate trends and relationships between climate variables and tinaja hydroperiods in the WSD between 1979–2022. Using Aqua and Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS), University of Idaho Gridded Surface Meteorological Dataset (gridMET), and OpenET data, the project analyzed land surface temperature, evapotranspiration, precipitation, wind velocity, and solar radiation. The team generated climate anomaly time series and climate normal maps for the WSD, identifying statistically significant spatial and temporal trends. These data were then compared to daily, qualitative in situ hydroperiod observations taken between 2019–2022. This work will be used by the NPS to inform the monitoring and protection of tinajas in the WSD. Findings contribute to a limited body of research concerning climate and tinajas, which are often overlooked despite their disproportionate ecological importance.
Annie Britton↗