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Results for “TEMPORAL RESOLUTION”

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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

The Impact of Horizontal and Temporal Resolution on Convection and Precipitation with High-Resolution GEOS-5

Using a high-resolution non-hydrostatic version of GEOS-5 with the cubed-sphere finite-volume dynamical core, the impact of spatial and temporal resolution on cloud properties will be evaluated. There are indications from examining convective cluster development in high resolution GEOS-5 forecasts that the temporal resolution within the model may playas significant a role as horizontal resolution. Comparing modeled convective cloud clusters versus satellite observations of brightness temperature, we have found that improved. temporal resolution in GEOS-S accounts for a significant portion of the improvements in the statistical distribution of convective cloud clusters. Using satellite simulators in GEOS-S we will compare the cloud optical properties of GEOS-S at various spatial and temporal resolutions with those observed from MODIS. The potential impact of these results on tropical cyclone formation and intensity will be examined as well.

Putman, William P.↗
NASA NTRS2023

How do tradeoffs in satellite spatial and temporal resolution impact snow water equivalent reconstruction?

Given the tradeoffs between spatial and temporal resolution, questions about resolution optimality are fundamental to the study of global snow. Answers to these questions will inform future scientific priorities and mission specifications. Heterogeneity of mountain snowpacks drives a need for daily snow cover mapping at the slope scale (≤30 m) that is unmet for a variety of scientific users, ranging from hydrologists to the military to wildlife biologists. But finer spatial resolution usually requires coarser temporal or spectral resolution. Thus, no single sensor can meet all these needs. Recently, constellations of satellites and fusion techniques have made noteworthy progress. The efficacy of two such recent advances is examined: (1) a fused MODIS–Landsat product with daily 30 m spatial resolution and (2) a harmonized Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2A and B (HLS) product with 3–4 d temporal and 30 m spatial resolution. State-of-the-art spectral unmixing techniques are applied to surface reflectance products from 1 and 2 to create snow cover and albedo maps. Then an energy balance model was run to reconstruct snow water equivalent (SWE). For validation, lidar-based Airborne Snow Observatory SWE estimates were used. Results show that reconstructed SWE forced with 30 m resolution snow cover has lower bias, a measure of basin-wide accuracy, than the baseline case using MODIS (463 m cell size) but greater mean absolute error, a measure of per-pixel accuracy. However, the differences in errors may be within uncertainties from scaling artifacts, e.g., basin boundary delineation. Other explanations are (1) the importance of daily acquisitions and (2) the limitations of downscaled forcings for reconstruction. Conclusions are as follows: (1) spectrally unmixed snow cover and snow albedo from MODIS continue to provide accurate forcings for snow models and (2) finer spatial and temporal resolution through sensor design, fusion techniques, and satellite constellations are the future for Earth observations, but existing moderate-resolution sensors still offer value.

Edward H. Bair↗
NASA NTRS1995

A simulation to study the feasibility of improving the temporal resolution of LAGEOS geodynamic solutions by using a sequential process noise filter

A key drawback to estimating geodetic and geodynamic parameters over time based on satellite laser ranging (SLR) observations is the inability to accurately model all the forces acting on the satellite. Errors associated with the observations and the measurement model can detract from the estimates as well. These 'model errors' corrupt the solutions obtained from the satellite orbit determination process. Dynamical models for satellite motion utilize known geophysical parameters to mathematically detail the forces acting on the satellite. However, these parameters, while estimated as constants, vary over time. These temporal variations must be accounted for in some fashion to maintain meaningful solutions. The primary goal of this study is to analyze the feasibility of using a sequential process noise filter for estimating geodynamic parameters over time from the Laser Geodynamics Satellite (LAGEOS) SLR data. This evaluation is achieved by first simulating a sequence of realistic LAGEOS laser ranging observations. These observations are generated using models with known temporal variations in several geodynamic parameters (along track drag and the J(sub 2), J(sub 3), J(sub 4), and J(sub 5) geopotential coefficients). A standard (non-stochastic) filter and a stochastic process noise filter are then utilized to estimate the model parameters from the simulated observations. The standard non-stochastic filter estimates these parameters as constants over consecutive fixed time intervals. Thus, the resulting solutions contain constant estimates of parameters that vary in time which limits the temporal resolution and accuracy of the solution. The stochastic process noise filter estimates these parameters as correlated process noise variables. As a result, the stochastic process noise filter has the potential to estimate the temporal variations more accurately since the constraint of estimating the parameters as constants is eliminated. A comparison of the temporal resolution of solutions obtained from standard sequential filtering methods and process noise sequential filtering methods shows that the accuracy is significantly improved using process noise. The results show that the positional accuracy of the orbit is improved as well. The temporal resolution of the resulting solutions are detailed, and conclusions drawn about the results. Benefits and drawbacks of using process noise filtering in this type of scenario are also identified.

Hartman, Brian Davis↗
NASA NTRS2011

Analysing the Advantages of High Temporal Resolution Geostationary MSG SEVIRI Data Compared to Polar Operational Environmental Satellite Data for Land Surface Monitoring in Africa

Since 1972, satellite remote sensing of the environment has been dominated by polar-orbiting sensors providing useful data for monitoring the earth s natural resources. However their observation and monitoring capacity are inhibited by daily to monthly looks for any given ground surface which often is obscured by frequent and persistent cloud cover creating large gaps in time series measurements. The launch of the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite into geostationary orbit has opened new opportunities for land surface monitoring. The Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) instrument on-board MSG with an imaging capability every 15 minutes which is substantially greater than any temporal resolution that can be obtained from existing polar operational environmental satellites (POES) systems currently in use for environmental monitoring. Different areas of the African continent were affected by droughts and floods in 2008 caused by periods of abnormally low and high rainfall, respectively. Based on the effectiveness of monitoring these events from Earth Observation (EO) data the current analyses show that the new generation of geostationary remote sensing data can provide higher temporal resolution cloud-free (less than 5 days) measurements of the environment as compared to existing POES systems. SEVIRI MSG 5-day continental scale composites will enable rapid assessment of environmental conditions and improved early warning of disasters for the African continent such as flooding or droughts. The high temporal resolution geostationary data will complement existing higher spatial resolution polar-orbiting satellite data for various dynamic environmental and natural resource applications of terrestrial ecosystems.

Fensholt, R.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Replacing the Polarizer Wheel with a Polarization Camera to Increase the Temporal Resolution and Reduce the Overall Complexity of a Solar Coronagraph

Experiments that require linearly polarized brightness measurements, traditionally have obtained three successive images through a linear polarizer that is rotated through three well-defined angles and the images are combined to get the linearly polarized brightness. This technique requires a mechanism to hold the linear polarizer in place and to precisely turn it through the three angles. Obviously, the temporal resolution is lost in such a scenario, since the three images that are used to derive the linearly polarized brightness are taken at three different times. Specifically, in a dynamic corona that is in constant reshaping of its structures, the linearly polarized brightness image produced in this manner may not yield true values all around the corona. In this regard, with the advent of the polarization camera, the linearly polarized brightness can be measured from a single image. This also eliminates the need for a linear polarizer and the associated rotator mechanisms and can contribute toward lower weight, size, power requirements, overall risk of the instrument, and most importantly, increase the temporal resolution. We evaluate the capabilities of a selected polarization camera and how these capabilities could be tested in a ground experiment conducted in conjunction with a total solar eclipse. The ground experiment requires the measurement of the linearly polarized brightness, also known as K-corona, in a corona that also contains unpolarized brightness, known as F-corona, in order to measure three important physical properties pertaining to coronal electrons, namely, the electron density, electron temperature, and the electron speed.

Reginald, Nelson L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Techniques for studying gravity waves and turbulence: Horizontal, vertical and temporal resolution needed

One of the most important atmospheric measurements that is needed is a measure of the gravity-wave spectrum. The MST radar has been investigated as means to measure the temporal resolution required to determine gravity-wave oscillations. The required vertical and horizontal resolution is dependent on the particular part of the gravity wave spectrum that is analyzed. Horizontal spacing is also discussed.

Avery, S. K.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Temporal resolution for crop discrimination estimated using J-M distance

A study is presented which examines techniques utilizing spectral/phenological data to classify and mensurate target crops at predetermined accuracies in order to estimate the temporal resolution requirements for a remote sensing system. An analysis is made of the physical target (crop) characteristics as they vary in time. A model is developed relating the frequency required to attain a particular probability of correct discrimination with N accumulated observations to that required with single observations. Finally, results for a multicrop spectral data set are shown to substantiate the theoretically-modeled results.

Baran, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS2018

High Temporal Resolution Tropospheric Wind Profile Observations at NASA Kennedy Space Center During Hurricane Irma

The NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) operates a 48-MHz Tropospheric/Stratospheric Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (TDRWP) on a continual basis generating wind profiles between 2-19 km in the support of space launch vehicle operations. A benefit of the continual operability of the system is the ability to provide unique observations of severe weather events such as hurricanes. Over the past two Atlantic Hurricane seasons the TDRWP has made high temporal resolution wind profile observations of Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Hurricane Irma was responsible for power outages to approximately 2/3 of Florida's population during its movement over the state(Stein,2017). An overview of the TDRWP system configuration, brief summary of Hurricanes Irma and Matthew storm track in proximity to KSC, characteristics of the tropospheric wind observations from the TDRWP during both events, and discussion of the dissemination of TDRWP data during the event will be presented.

Decker, Ryan K.↗
NASA NTRS2016

The Sentinel-2 MSI Can Increase the Temporal Resolution of 30m Satellite-Derived LAI Estimates

The successful launch of the European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-2A (S2-A) on 23 June 2015 with its MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) provides an important means to augment Earth-observation capabilities following the legacy of Landsat. After the three-month satellite commissioning campaign, the MSI onboard S-2A is performing very well (ESA, 2015). By 3 December 2015, the sensor data records have achieved provisional maturity status and have been accessed in level-1C Top-Of-Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance by the remote sensing community worldwide. Near-nadir observations by the MSI onboard S-2A and the Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard Landsat 8 were collected during Simultaneous Nadir Overpasses as well as nearly coincident overpasses. This paper presents a processing chain using harmonized S-2A MSI and Landsat 8 OLI sensors to obtain increased temporal resolution in Leaf Area Index (LAI) estimates using the red-edge band B8A of MSI to replace the NIR band B08. Results demonstrate that LAI estimates from the MSI and OLI are comparable, and, given sufficient preprocessing for atmospheric correction and geometric rectification, can be used interchangeably to improve the frequency with which low LAI canopies can be monitored.

Dungan, Jennifer L.↗
NASA NTRS2014

A Spatially Coherent Global Soil Moisture Product with Improved Temporal Resolution

Global soil moisture products that are completely independent of any type of ancillary data and solely rely on satellite observations are presented. Additionally, we further develop an existing downscaling technique that enhances the spatial resolution of such products to approximately 11 km. These products are based on internal modules of the Land Parameter Retrieval Model (LPRM), an algorithm that uses the radiative transfer equation to link soil moisture, vegetation optical depth and land surface temperature to observed brightness temperatures. The soil moisture product that is independent of any type of ancillary data uses the internally calculated dielectric constant as a soil moisture proxy. This data product is not influenced by errors associated with coarse-scale global soil property maps or by any other type of forcing (e.g. re-analysis) data and is therefore solely based on satellite microwave observations. The second step builds upon recent developments to increase the spatial resolution of the LPRM retrievals using a smoothing filter downscaling method. With this method we can attain a spatial resolution that can be more useful at the scale of local and regional hydrological studies as well. The steps presented in this paper were applied to observations from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSR-E). The newly derived data sets were validated using ground-based observations from the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN). The internally calculated dielectric constant product results in significantly more days with valid retrievals than the original soil moisture data products, in particular over arid regions. The dielectric constant product resulted in similar correlations with in situ data as the original soil moisture data product. Together, these findings demonstrate the usefulness of this new dielectric constant product for the hydrological modeling community and climate studies. A case study on the Australian Fitzroy catchment demonstrated that the downscaled data product has a more detailed spatial description of soil moisture, especially during wet and dry conditions with more pronounced dry and wet regions within the catchment. The increased resolution data products could therefore improve runoff predictions and this study demonstrated the potential added value of a transitioning from a spatial resolution of 56 km toward a higher resolution of 11 km. The hydrological implications of these newly developed data records are not only linked to AMSR-E satellite data, but also to the next generation Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) mission where a 9 km spatial resolution is the target resolution for satellite soil moisture products. The new data products will not replace the current LPRM products, but will be added to the existing array of data products and will become publicly available through our data portals.

spatial↗
NASA NTRS2017

Monitoring Land Surface Albedo and Vegetation Dynamics Using High Spatial and Temporal Resolution Synthetic Time Series from Landsat and the MODIS BRDF/NBAR/Albedo Product

Seasonal vegetation phenology can significantly alter surface albedo which in turn affects the global energy balance and the albedo warmingcooling feedbacks that impact climate change. To monitor and quantify the surface dynamics of heterogeneous landscapes, high temporal and spatial resolution synthetic time series of albedo and the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) were generated from the 500-meter Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) operational Collection V006 daily BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) / NBAR (Nadir BRDF-Adjusted Reflectance) / albedo products and 30-meter Landsat 5 albedo and near-nadir reflectance data through the use of the Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (STARFM). The traditional Landsat Albedo (Shuai et al., 2011) makes use of the MODIS BRDFAlbedo products (MCD43) by assigning appropriate BRDFs from coincident MODIS products to each Landsat image to generate a 30-meter Landsat albedo product for that acquisition date. The available cloud free Landsat 5 albedos (due to clouds, generated every 16 days at best) were used in conjunction with the daily MODIS albedos to determine the appropriate 30-meter albedos for the intervening daily time steps in this study. These enhanced daily 30-meter spatial resolution synthetic time series were then used to track albedo and vegetation phenology dynamics over three Ameriflux tower sites (Harvard Forest in 2007, Santa Rita in 2011 and Walker Branch in 2005). These Ameriflux sites were chosen as they are all quite nearby new towers coming on line for the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), and thus represent locations which will be served by spatially paired albedo measures in the near future. The availability of data from the NEON towers will greatly expand the sources of tower albedometer data available for evaluation of satellite products. At these three Ameriflux tower sites the synthetic time series of broadband shortwave albedos were evaluated using the tower albedo measurements with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) less than 0.013 and a bias within the range of 0.006. These synthetic time series provide much greater spatial detail than the 500 meter gridded MODIS data, especially over more heterogeneous surfaces, which improves the efforts to characterize and monitor the spatial variation across species and communities. The mean of the difference between maximum and minimum synthetic time series of albedo within the MODIS pixels over a subset of satellite data of Harvard Forest (16 kilometers by 14 kilometers) was as high as 0.2 during the snow-covered period and reduced to around 0.1 during the snow-free period. Similarly, we have used STARFM to also couple MODIS Nadir BRDF-Adjusted Reflectances (NBAR) values with Landsat 5 reflectances to generate daily synthetic times series of NBAR and thus Enhanced Vegetation Index (NBAR-EVI) at a 30-meter resolution. While normally STARFM is used with directional reflectances, the use of the view angle corrected daily MODIS NBAR values will provide more consistent time series. These synthetic times series of EVI are shown to capture seasonal vegetation dynamics with finer spatial and temporal details, especially over heterogeneous land surfaces.

Vegetation Index↗
NASA NTRS2004

High Resolution Temporal and Spectral Monitoring of Eta Carinae's X-Ray Emission the June Eclipse

The supermassive and luminous star Eta Carinae undergoes strong X-ray variations every 5.5 years when its 2-10 keV X-ray emission brightens rapidly with wild fluctuations before dropping by a factor of 100 to a minimum lasting 3 months. The most recent X-ray "eclipse" began in June 2003 and during this time Eta Carinae was intensely observed throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. Here we report the first results of frequent monitoring of the 2-10 keV band X-ray emission by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer along wit high resolution X-ray spectra obtained with the transmission gratings on the Chandra X-ray Observatory. We compare these observations to those results obtained during the previous X-ray eclipse in 1998, and interpret the variations in the X-ray brightness, in the amount of absorption, in the X-ray emission measure and in the K-shell emission lines in terms of a colliding wind binary model.

Corcoran, M. F.↗
NASA NTRS1979

High temporal resolution observations of electron heating at the bow shock

Results deduced from highly time-resolved electron plasma profiles of earth's bow shock obtained with fast-plasma-experiment instrumentation on ISEE 1 and 2 are presented. Emphasis is placed on those bow-shock crossings that occurred during periods of high-data-rate transmission, so that the detailed structure of the bow-shock transition for electrons is discerned. The measurements indicate that electron thermalization and density compression are generally synchronized, although exceptions to this rule occur. In a few examples where direct comparison with magnetic-field measurements is possible, the electron-temperature and density profiles at the bow shock are found to be nearly identical to that of the field intensity. The measurements also reveal an interesting feature of the bow-shock profile, viz., an electron-pressure overshoot lasting several tens of seconds and generally followed by an undershoot, which gives the shock profile the appearance of a damped wave.

Bame, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

On the use of off-nadir pointing for increased temporal resolution of Earth observing satellite systems

The change in radiance expected at a satellite in a LANDSAT type orbit by pointing the sensor across track was examined with simulated data. The simulation incorporated the bidirectional reflectance distribution function of a spherical geometry grass canopy and scattering under clear, light haze and heavy haze atmospheric conditions. The results indicate that if the sensor pointed up to + or - 37 deg off nadir (up to three tracks east and west) through a clear atmosphere, between 50% and 75% of the orbital path between 60 deg N and 60 deg S would have two or more off-nadir views within + or - 5% of nadir. Although increased atmospheric scattering causes large variations in across track radiance, it appears possible, using various combinations of views depending on atmospheric conditions, that at least two views could be obtained with radiances within + or - 5% of each other over atmospheric visibilities from 23 km to 4 km.

Schnetzler, C. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

High temporal resolution energetic particle soundings at the magnetopause on November 8, 1977, using ISEE 2

An inbound crossing of the magnetopause on November 8, 1977, was analyzed using the greater spatial resolution obtained by the ISEE 2 instrument at high bit rate. A technique is described, which was used to obtain trapping boundary parameters for five energy channels in the energy range from 24-70 keV, and the location of the trapping boundary with respect to the boundary layer plasma is identified in addition to the waves on the trapping boundary consistent with the soundings in all energy channels. It is found that the trapping boundary for energetic ions is sharp and well defined for about 35 keV ions, corresponding most of the time to the earthward edge of the plasma boundary layer. Magnetosheath-like plasma is sometimes observed up to 800 km inside the trapping boundary, and it is argued that the wave nature of the trapping boundary is the cause of the slight difference between the higher and lower energy ion trapping boundary locations.

Fritz, T. A.↗