Landscape metrics regularly outperform other traditionally-used ancillary datasets in dasymetric mapping of population
Not Available
SEARCH · Search NASA
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Not Available
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Abstract. Atmospheric observations in remote locations offer a possibility of exploring trace gas and particle concentrations in pristine environments. However, data from remote areas are often contaminated by pollution from local sources. Detecting this contamination is thus a central and frequently encountered issue. Consequently, many different methods exist today to identify local contamination in atmospheric composition measurement time series, but no single method has been widely accepted. In this study, we present a new method to identify primary pollution in remote atmospheric datasets, e.g., from ship campaigns or stations with a low background signal compared to the contaminated signal. The pollution detection algorithm (PDA) identifies and flags periods of polluted data in five steps. The first and most important step identifies polluted periods based on the derivative (time derivative) of a concentration over time. If this derivative exceeds a given threshold, data are flagged as polluted. Further pollution identification steps are a simple concentration threshold filter, a neighboring points filter (optional), a median, and a sparse data filter (optional). The PDA only relies on the target dataset itself and is independent of ancillary datasets such as meteorological variables. All parameters of each step are adjustable so that the PDA can be “tuned” to be more or less stringent (e.g., flag more or fewer data points as contaminated). The PDA was developed and tested with a particle number concentration dataset collected during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition in the central Arctic. Using strict settings, we identified 62 % of the data as influenced by local contamination. Using a second independent particle number concentration dataset also collected during MOSAiC, we evaluated the performance of the PDA against the same dataset cleaned by visual inspection. The two methods agreed in 94 % of the cases. Additionally, the PDA was successfully applied to a trace gas dataset (CO2), also collected during MOSAiC, and to another particle number concentration dataset, collected at the high-altitude background station Jungfraujoch, Switzerland. Thus, the PDA proves to be a useful and flexible tool to identify periods affected by local contamination in atmospheric composition datasets without the need for ancillary measurements. It is best applied to data representing primary pollution. The user-friendly and open-access code enables reproducible application to a wide suite of different datasets. It is available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5761101 (Beck et al., 2021).
The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data Information Services Center (GES DISC) is home of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data archive. The global merged IR product also known as the NCEP/CPC 4-km Global (60 degrees N - 60 degrees S) IR Dataset, is one of TRMM ancillary datasets. They are globally merged (60 degrees N - 60 degrees S) pixel-resolution (4 km) IR brightness temperature data (equivalent blackbody temperatures), merged from all available geostationary satellites (GOES-8/10, METEOSAT-7/5 and GMS). The availability of data from METEOSAT-5, which is located at 63E at the present time, yields a unique opportunity for total global (60 degrees N- 60 degrees S) coverage. The GES DISC has collected over 8 years of the data beginning from February of 2000. This high temporal resolution dataset can not only provide additional background information to TRMM and other satellite missions, but also allow observing a wide range of meteorological phenomena from space, such as, mesoscale convection systems, tropical cyclones, hurricanes, etc. The dataset can also be used to verify model simulations. Despite that the data can be downloaded via ftp, however, its large volume poses a challenge for many users. A single file occupies about 70 MB disk space and there is a total of approximately 73,000 files (approximately 4.5 TB) for the past 8 years. In order to facilitate data access, we have developed a web prototype to allow users to conduct online visualization and analysis of this dataset. With a web browser and few mouse clicks, users can have a full access to over 8 year and over 4.5 TB data and generate black and white IR imagery and animation without downloading any software and data. In short, you can make your own images! Basic functions include selection of area of interest, single imagery or animation, a time skip capability for different temporal resolution and image size. Users can save an animation as a file (animated gif) and import it in other presentation software, such as, Microsoft PowerPoint. The prototype will be integrated into GIOVANNI and existing GIOVANNI capabilities, such as, data download, Google Earth KMZ, etc will be available. Users will also be able to access other data products in the GIOVANNI family.
In order to facilitate Earth science data access, the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data Information Services Center (GES DISC) has developed a web prototype, the Hurricane Data Analysis Tool (HDAT; URL: http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/HDAT), to allow users to conduct online visualization and analysis of several remote sensing and model datasets for educational activities and studies of tropical cyclones and other weather phenomena. With a web browser and few mouse clicks, users can have a full access to terabytes of data and generate 2-D or time-series plots and animation without downloading any software and data. HDAT includes data from the NASA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), the NASA Quick Scatterometer(QuikSCAT) and NECP Reanalysis, and the NCEP/CPC half-hourly, 4-km Global (60 N - 60 S) IR Dataset. The GES DISC archives TRMM data. The daily global rainfall product derived from the 3-hourly multi-satellite precipitation product (3B42 V6) is available in HDAT. The TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) sea surface temperature from the Remote Sensing Systems is in HDAT as well. The NASA QuikSCAT ocean surface wind and the NCEP Reanalysis provide ocean surface and atmospheric conditions, respectively. The global merged IR product, also known as, the NCEP/CPC half-hourly, 4-km Global (60 N -60 S) IR Dataset, is one of TRMM ancillary datasets. They are globally-merged pixel-resolution IR brightness temperature data (equivalent blackbody temperatures), merged from all available geostationary satellites (GOES-8/10, METEOSAT-7/5 & GMS). The GES DISC has collected over 10 years of the data beginning from February of 2000. This high temporal resolution (every 30 minutes) dataset not only provides additional background information to TRMM and other satellite missions, but also allows observing a wide range of meteorological phenomena from space, such as, hurricanes, typhoons, tropical cyclones, mesoscale convection system, etc. Basic functions include selection of area of interest and time, single imagery, overlay of two different products, animation,a time skip capability and different image size outputs. Users can save an animation as a file (animated gif) and import it in other presentation software, such as, Microsoft PowerPoint. Since the tool can directly access the real data, more features and functionality can be added in the future.
Landslides and flooding are reoccurring environmental hazards that lead to health risks and economic burdens in the urban areas of Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky. These communities share underlying natural and artificial conditions that make them vulnerable to these hazards, including excessive precipitation, weak lithology, high impervious surface levels, and steep slopes. Despite the human and economic risks associated with these environmental hazards, the areas of highest vulnerability within the region remain unknown. NASA DEVELOP partnered with Groundwork USA and Groundwork Ohio River Valley (ORV) to assess the region’s susceptibility to landslides and flooding. The team utilized NASA Earth observations, including the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), Landsat 8 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS), and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrieval for GPM (IMERG), alongside ancillary datasets to map landslide susceptibility and exposure throughout the study area. The team also used ancillary data to map surface runoff and runoff retention using the Natural Capital Project’s Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) Urban Flood Risk Mitigation Model. The resulting landslide susceptibility and exposure maps highlight the neighborhoods around Avondale and Fairmount as areas of particularly high landslide exposure. Meanwhile, the InVEST outputs demonstrate that Downtown Cincinnati and the Queensgate neighborhood retain the least amount of rainfall. This research provides partners with a more complete hazard analysis of the greater Cincinnati area while also producing refined methodologies to enhance future flood and landslide vulnerability mapping throughout Groundwork USA’s nationwide network of communities.
Algorithms being developed for the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission require a variety of both static and ancillary data. The selection of the most appropriate source for each ancillary data parameter is driven by a number of considerations, including accuracy, latency, availability, and consistency across all SMAP products and with SMOS (Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity). It is anticipated that initial selection of all ancillary datasets, which are needed for ongoing algorithm development activities on the SMAP algorithm testbed at JPL, will be completed within the year. These datasets will be updated as new or improved sources become available, and all selections and changes will be documented for the benefit of the user community. Wise choices in ancillary data will help to enable SMAP to provide new global measurements of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state at the targeted accuracy necessary to tackle hydrologically-relevant societal issues.
The planned Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission is one of the first Earth observation satellites being developed by NASA in response to the National Research Council's Decadal Survey, Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond [1]. Scheduled to launch late in 2014, the proposed SMAP mission would provide high resolution and frequent revisit global mapping of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state, utilizing enhanced Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) mitigation approaches to collect new measurements of the hydrological condition of the Earth's surface. The SMAP instrument design incorporates an L-band radar (3 km) and an L band radiometer (40 km) sharing a single 6-meter rotating mesh antenna to provide measurements of soil moisture and landscape freeze/thaw state [2]. These observations would (1) improve our understanding of linkages between the Earth's water, energy, and carbon cycles, (2) benefit many application areas including numerical weather and climate prediction, flood and drought monitoring, agricultural productivity, human health, and national security, (3) help to address priority questions on climate change, and (4) potentially provide continuity with brightness temperature and soil moisture measurements from ESA's SMOS (Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity) and NASA's Aquarius missions. In the planned SMAP mission prelaunch time frame, baseline algorithms are being developed for generating (1) soil moisture products both from radiometer measurements on a 36 km grid and from combined radar/radiometer measurements on a 9 km grid, and (2) freeze/thaw products from radar measurements on a 3 km grid. These retrieval algorithms need a variety of global ancillary data, both static and dynamic, to run the retrieval models, constrain the retrievals, and provide flags for indicating retrieval quality. The choice of which ancillary dataset to use for a particular SMAP product would be based on a number of factors, including its availability and ease of use, its inherent error and resulting impact on the overall soil moisture or freeze/thaw retrieval accuracy, and its compatibility with similar choices made by the SMOS mission. All decisions regarding SMAP ancillary data sources would be fully documented by the SMAP Project and made available to the user community.
The detection and characterization of primordial gravitational waves through their impact on the polarization anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is a primary science goal of current and future observations of the CMB. An ancillary dataset that will become accessible with the great leaps in sensitivity of CMB experiments is the polarized Sunyaev Zel’dovich (pSZ) effect, small-scale CMB polarization anisotropies induced by scattering from free electrons in the post-reionization Universe. The cross correlation of the pSZ effect with galaxy surveys, a technique known as pSZ tomography, can be used to reconstruct the remote quadrupole field: the CMB quadrupole observed from different locations in the Universe. Primordial gravitational waves leave a distinct imprint on the remote quadrupole field, making pSZ tomography a potential new method to characterize their properties. Building on previous work, we explore the utility of the full set of correlations between the primary CMB and the reconstructed remote quadrupole field to both provide exclusion limits on the amplitude of primordial gravitational waves, as well as to provide constraints on several phenomenological models of the tensor sector: axion gauge field inflation, general models with chiral tensors, and models with modified late-time decay of tensors. In this work, we find that relatively futuristic experimental requirements are necessary to provide competitive exclusion limits compared with the primary CMB. However, pSZ tomography can be a powerful probe of the late-time evolution of tensors and, through cross-correlations with the primary CMB, can provide mild improvements on parameter constraints in various models with chiral primordial gravitational waves.
Processes mediating the coupling of terrestrial, aquatic, biospheric, and atmospheric systems influence weather, climate, and ecosystem dynamics via transfer of energy, momentum, water, and carbon (or other species). These exchange processes are quantified by measurements of near-surface turbulent fluxes. Understanding processes at these interfaces provides insight toward understanding and predicting current and future states within the Earth system. The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility has been conducting measurements of near-surface turbulent fluxes since the early 1990s at long-term fixed locations and shorter-term mobile deployments across the Earth. ARM has utilized two established methods for conducting these measurements: energy balance Bowen ratio (EBBR) and eddy covariance (EC). Primary measurements from the former include sensible and latent heat flux, while the latter also measures fluxes of momentum and carbon (primarily carbon dioxide, with methane fluxes measured at two locations to date). The EBBR systems have been deployed at 22 locations, and, to date, the EC systems have been deployed at over 50 sites, with plans for additional novel site locations in the future. Herein, the history, evolution, and key aspects of these instrument systems are documented, along with information on data quality assurance and post-processing, as well as best use practices. Additionally, three data validation experiments were recently conducted, and their key findings are summarized. Finally, ancillary datasets acquired by ARM, which can contextualize and aid interpretation of the near-surface turbulent flux measurements, are discussed. The datasets described herein include the eddy correlation flux measurement system: 30ECOR (https://doi.org/10.5439/1879993, Sullivan et al., 1997), 30QCECOR (https://doi.org/10.5439/1097546, Gaustad, 2003), ECORSF (https://doi.org/10.5439/1494128, Sullivan et al., 2019a), and associated AmeriFlux and Methane Value-Added Product, AMCMETHANE (https://doi.org/10.5439/1508268, Billesbach, 2011); the energy balance Bowen ratio system: 30EBBR (https://doi.org/10.5439/1023895, Sullivan et al., 1993) and 30BAEBBR (https://doi.org/10.5439/1027268, Gaustad and Xie, 1993); and the carbon dioxide flux measurement system: CO2FLX (https://doi.org/10.5439/1287574, https://doi.org/10.5439/1287575, https://doi.org/10.5439/1287576, Koontz et al., 2015a, b, c; https://doi.org/10.5439/1989774, https://doi.org/10.5439/1989776, https://doi.org/10.5439/1992202, Biraud and Chan, 2002a, b, c). These data can be found by searching the above data stream names at https://adc.arm.gov/discovery/#/results/ (last access: 8 September 2025).
nfrared (IR) images (approximately 11-micron channel) recorded by satellite sensors have been widely used in weather forecasting, research, and classroom education since the Nimbus program. Unlike visible images, IR imagery can reveal cloud features without sunlight illumination; therefore, they can be used to monitor weather phenomena day and night. With geostationary satellites deployed around the globe, it is possible to monitor weather events 24/7 at a temporal resolution that polar-orbiting satellites cannot achieve at the present time. When IR data from multiple geostationary satellites are merged to form a single product--also known as a merged product--it allows for observing weather on a global scale. Its high temporal resolution (e.g., every half hour) also makes it an ideal ancillary dataset for supporting other satellite missions, such as the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), etc., by providing additional background information about weather system evolution.
Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission and the ESA Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) missions provide brightness temperature and soil moisture estimates every 2-3 days. SMAP brightness temperature observations were compared with SMOS observations at 40 Degrees incidence angle. The brightness temperatures from the two missions are not consistent and have a bias of about 2.7K over land with respect to each other. SMAP and SMOS missions use different retrieval algorithms and ancillary datasets which result in further inconsistencies between the soil moisture products. The reprocessed constant-angle SMOS brightness temperatures were used in the SMAP soil moisture retrieval algorithm to develop a consistent multi-satellite product. The integrated product will have an increased global revisit frequency (1 day) and period of record that would be unattainable by either one of the satellites alone. Results from the development and validation of the integrated product will be presented.
Integrated processing and analysis are presented for oceanic retrievals of precipitation, sea ice concentration, columnar water vapor and cloud water, sea surface temperature, and near surface wind from the advanced microwave scanning radiometer-2 (AMSR2) sensor. By developing a common algorithmic framework and permitting iterative interaction between historically separate science algorithms, ambiguous and contradictory retrieval results are minimized. The integration also serves to improve each algorithm individually, decreasing reliance on ancillary datasets. Case studies are presented that exemplify both ongoing challenges for these retrievals and potential research uses of such an integrated satellite product. Two cases are presented each for precipitation at high latitudes and marginal sea ice detection, with analysis supplemented by satellite data from CloudSat profiles and Himawari-8 imagery. Detection and retrieval of snowfall remains a challenge, while light rainfall detection can be aided by a variational algorithm. Sea ice concentrations below 20% cause disagreements, but the algorithms otherwise agree well on the sea ice edge. Potential mitigation strategies for ambiguous areas of light rainfall and marginal sea ice are discussed. The analysis demonstrates potential avenues for future algorithm development, but also some physical limitations of remote sensing with the AMSR2 frequencies.
Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission and the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) missions provide brightness temperature and soil moisture estimates every 2-3 days. SMAP brightness temperature observations were compared with SMOS observations at 40o incidence angle. The brightness temperatures from the two missions are not consistent. SMAP observations show a warmer TB bias (about 1.27 K: V pol and 0.62 K: H pol) as compared to SMOS. SMAP and SMOS missions use different retrieval algorithms and ancillary datasets which result in further inconsistencies between their soil moisture products. The reprocessed constant-angle SMOS brightness temperatures were used in the SMAP soil moisture retrieval algorithm to develop a consistent multi-satellite product. The integrated product has an increased global revisit frequency (1 day) and period of record that is unattainable by either one of the satellites alone. Results from the development and validation of the integrated soil moisture product will be presented.
Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission and the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) missions provide brightness temperature and soil moisture estimates every 2-3 days. SMAP brightness temperature observations were compared with SMOS observations at 40o incidence angle. The brightness temperatures from the two missions are close to each other but SMAP observations show a warmer TB bias (about 0.64 K: V pol and 1.14 K: H pol) as compared to SMOS. SMAP and SMOS missions use different retrieval algorithms and ancillary datasets which result in further inconsistencies between their soil moisture products. The reprocessed constant-angle SMOS brightness temperatures (SMOS-SMAP) were used in the SMAP soil moisture retrieval algorithm to develop a consistent multi-satellite product. The integrated product has an increased global revisit frequency (1 day) and period of record that is unattainable by either one of the satellites alone. The SMOS-SMAP soil moisture retrievals compared with in situ observations show a retrieval accuracy of less than 0.04 m3/m3. Results from the development and validation of the integrated soil moisture product will be presented.
North American beavers (Castor canadensis) are returning to Massachusetts after overhunting decimated their populations in the 1700s. Current regulations have allowed this species to recolonize, resulting in increasingly prevalent human-beaver conflicts. These ecosystem engineers can quickly change their environment through the creation of dams, leading to floods that can adversely affect human infrastructures, such as basements, roads, or septic systems. Conversely, beaver dams can positively influence their environment, modifying the physical and chemical properties of streams and providing crucial habitats to a variety of wildlife. The 2020 Spring Boston NASA DEVELOP team collaborated with the Massachusetts Audubon Society to support their efforts in monitoring beaver impacts and managing human-beaver conflicts. The project-utilized data from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper, Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus, and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager to map the spectral signature created from beaver-induced flooding. The team created a tool called Beaver-Flood Event Detector (B-FED) in Google Earth Engine using imagery from 1985 to 2019. Ancillary datasets were incorporated into B-FED that allow the tool to highlight flood events in wetland areas and in situ observations of beaver presence. Beaver observations in or near flooded areas indicated likelihood that the flood was beaver induced. Time series and animations were also produced to display key regions of landscape change across Massachusetts. B-FED will allow the partner to identify and assess potential ecosystem changes and infrastructural impacts from beavers across Massachusetts and inform future management practices.
North American beavers (Castor canadensis) are returning to Massachusetts after overhunting decimated their populations in the 1700s. Current regulations have allowed this species to recolonize, resulting in increasingly prevalent human-beaver conflicts. These ecosystem engineers can quickly change their environment through the creation of dams, leading to floods that can adversely affect human infrastructures, such as basements, roads, or septic systems. Conversely, beaver dams can positively influence their environment, modifying the physical and chemical properties of streams and providing crucial habitats to a variety of wildlife. The 2020 Spring Boston NASA DEVELOP team collaborated with the Massachusetts Audubon Society to support their efforts in monitoring beaver impacts and managing human-beaver conflicts. The project-utilized data from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper, Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus, and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager to map the spectral signature created from beaver-induced flooding. The team created a tool called Beaver-Flood Event Detector (B-FED) in Google Earth Engine using imagery from 1985 to 2019. Ancillary datasets were incorporated into B-FED that allow the tool to highlight flood events in wetland areas and in situ observations of beaver presence. Beaver observations in or near flooded areas indicated likelihood that the flood was beaver induced. Time series and animations were also produced to display key regions of landscape change across Massachusetts. B-FED will allow the partner to identify and assess potential ecosystem changes and infrastructural impacts from beavers across Massachusetts and inform future management practices
The urban heat island (UHI) effect occurs when urban areas have temperatures that are warmer on average than the surrounding suburban and rural regions. Low albedo surfaces traditionally found in urban landscapes, such as dark asphalt and rooftops, absorb solar irradiance and reemit heat, which contributes to the UHI effect. Cambridge,Massachusetts,part of the Boston metropolitan area,expects severe impacts on human health,infrastructure, and local environmental features due to increasing urban heat. The Massachusetts – Boston NASA DEVELOP team partnered with the City of Cambridge Community Development Department and the American Geophysical Union’s Thriving Earth Exchange to inform ongoing planning and heat mitigation efforts. High Resolution Orthoimagery (HRO) and National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) scenes were analyzed in conjunction with ancillary datasets to assess changes in rooftop albedo between 2008 and 2018. Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were used to determine nighttime land surface temperature (LST) between 2003 and 2019. Lastly, temperature anomalies were calculated using seasonally averaged nighttime LST values obtained from Aqua MODIS to display ‘hot spots’ for summers between 2004 and 2019. On average, albedo increased by 0.12 across the city, with the majority of positive change in commercial areas. Analysis of mean summer nighttime LST between 2003 and 2019 revealed a non-significant increase in temperature, although temperature anomaly maps demonstrated that Cambridge was warmer on average than rural areas. These results were incorporated in the interactive Cambridge Urban Heat Dashboard, which allows users to explore temporal trends in albedo.