Engineering topics

Staelin, David H.

Publications and source records attributed to Staelin, David H..

17 records

NASA NTRS2004

Microwave Observations of Precipitation and the Atmosphere

This research effort had three elements devoted to improving satellite-derived passive microwave retrievals of precipitation rate: morphological rain-rate retrievals, warm rain retrievals, and extension of a study of geostationary satellite options. The morphological precipitation-rate retrieval method uses for the first time the morphological character of the observed storm microwave spectra. The basic concept involves: 1) retrieval of point rainfall rates using current algorithms, 2) using spatial feature vectors of the observations over segmented multi-pixel storms to estimate the integrated rainfall rate for that storm (cu m/s), and 3) normalization of the point rain-rate retrievals to ensure consistency with the storm-wide retrieval. This work is ongoing, but two key steps have been completed: development of a segmentation algorithm for defining spatial regions corresponding to single storms for purposes of estimation, and reduction of some of the data from NAST-M that will be used to support this research going forward. The warm rain retrieval method involved extension of Aquai/AIRS/AMSU/HSB algorithmic work on cloud water retrievals. The central concept involves the fact that passive microwave cloud water retrievals over approx. 0.4 mm are very likely associated with precipitation. Since glaciated precipitation is generally detected quite successfully using scattering signatures evident in the surface-blind 54- and 183-GHz bands, this new method complements the first by permitting precipitation retrievals of non-glaciated events. The method is most successful over ocean, but has detected non-glaciated convective cells over land, perhaps in their early formative stages. This work will require additional exploration and validation prior to publication. Passive microwave instrument configurations for use in geostationary orbit were studied. They employ parabolic reflectors between 2 and 4 meters in diameter, and frequencies up to approx.430 GHz; this corresponds to nadir spot diameters as small as 10 km.

Staelin, David H.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Passive Microwave Studies of Atmospheric Precipitation and State

The principal contributions of this research on novel passive microwave spectral techniques are in the areas of: (1) global precipitation mapping using the opaque spectral bands on research and operational weather satellites, (2) development and analysis of extensive aircraft observational imaging data sets obtained using the MIT instrument NAST-M near 54 and 118 GHz over hurricanes and weather ranging from tropical to polar; simultaneous data from the 8500-channel infrared spectrometer NAST-I was obtained and analyzed separately, (3) estimation of hydrometeor diameters in cell tops using data from aircraft and spacecraft, (4) continued improvement of expressions for atmospheric transmittance at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths, (5) development and airborne use of spectrometers operating near 183- and 425-GHz bands, appropriate to practical systems in geosynchronous orbit, and (6) preliminary studies of the design and performance of future geosynchronous microwave sounders for temperature and humidity profiles and for continuous monitoring of regional precipitation through most clouds. This work was a natural extension of work under NASA Grant NAG5-2545 and its predecessors. This earlier work had developed improved airborne imaging microwave spectrometers and had shown their sensitivity to precipitation altitude and character. They also had prepared the foundations for precipitation estimation using the opaque microwave bands. The field demonstration and improvement of these capabilities was then a central part of the present research reported here, during which period the first AMSU data became available and several hurricanes were overflown by NAST-M, yielding unique data about their microwave signatures. This present work has in turn helped lay the foundation for future progress in incorporating the opaque microwave channels in systems for climatologically precise global precipitation mapping from current and future operational satellites. Extension of these techniques to global snowfall mapping, even over ice and snow, is one such opportunity signaled by this research.

Staelin, David H.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Passive Microwave Spectral Imaging of Amospheric Structure

The primary objective of this research was to improve the scientific foundation necessary to full realization of the meteorological potential of the NOAA Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) recently first launched on the NOAA-15 satellite in May, 1998. These advances were made in four main areas: (1) improvements, based on aircraft observations, in the atmospheric transmittance expressions used for interpreting AMSU and similar data; (2) development of neural network retrieval methods for cloud top altitude estimates of approximately 1-km accuracy under cirrus shields--the altitude is that of the larger ice particles aloft, which is related to precipitation rate; (3) analysis of early AMSU flight data with respect to its precipitation sensitivity and fine-scale thermal structure; and (4) improvements to the 54-GHz and 118-GHz MTS aircraft imaging spectrometer now operating on the NASA ER-2 aircraft. More specifically, the oxygen transmittance expressions near 118 GHz were in better agreement with aircraft data when the temperature dependence exponent of the 118.75-GHz linewidth was increased from the MPM92 value (Liebe et al., 1992) of 0.8 to 0.97+/-0.03. In contrast, the observations 52.5-55.8 GHz were consistent with the MPM92 model. Neural networks trained on comparisons of 118-GHz spectral data and coincident stereoscopic video images of convective cells observed from 20-km altitude yielded agreement in their peak altitudes within as little as 1.36 km rms, much of which is stereoscopic error. Imagery using these methods produced useful characterizations for Cyclone Oliver in 1993 and other storms (Schwartz et al., 1996; Spina et al., 1998). Similar neural network techniques yielded simulated rms errors in relative humidity retrievals of 6-14 percent over ocean and 6-15 percent over land at pressure levels from 1013 to 131 mbar (Cabrera-Mercader and Staelin, 1995).

Staelin, David H.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

This report summarizes the activities of AIRS Team Members P.W. Rosenkranz and D.H. Staelin during the second half of 1997.

Rosenkranz, Philip W.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Application of Multilayer Feedforward Neural Networks to Precipitation Cell-Top Altitude Estimation

The use of passive 118-GHz O2 observations of rain cells for precipitation cell-top altitude estimation is demonstrated by using a multilayer feed forward neural network retrieval system. Rain cell observations at 118 GHz were compared with estimates of the cell-top altitude obtained by optical stereoscopy. The observations were made with 2 4 km horizontal spatial resolution by using the Millimeter-wave Temperature Sounder (MTS) scanning spectrometer aboard the NASA ER-2 research aircraft during the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment (GALE) and the COoperative Huntsville Meteorological EXperiment (COHMEX) in 1986. The neural network estimator applied to MTS spectral differences between clouds, and nearby clear air yielded an rms discrepancy of 1.76 km for a combined cumulus, mature, and dissipating cell set and 1.44 km for the cumulus-only set. An improvement in rms discrepancy to 1.36 km was achieved by including additional MTS information on the absolute atmospheric temperature profile. An incremental method for training neural networks was developed that yielded robust results, despite the use of as few as 56 training spectra. Comparison of these results with a nonlinear statistical estimator shows that superior results can be obtained with a neural network retrieval system. Imagery of estimated cell-top altitudes was created from 118-GHz spectral imagery gathered from CAMEX, September through October 1993, and from cyclone Oliver, February 7, 1993.

Spina, Michelle S.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Comparative analysis of alternate MHS configurations

Given the possibility that the passive Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) for NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) may have to be replaced, two alternate configurations are analyzed in this document. One option mirrors AMSU-B, the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) moisture sounder; which consists of five channels at 89, 150, 183 +/- 1, 183 +/- 3, and 183 +/- 7 GHz. The second option contains an additional channel at 183 +/- 14 GHz and replaces the channels at 89 and 150 GHz with three channels at 118 +/- 0.5, 118 +/- 1.4, and 118 +/- 3 GHz. The latter configuration is considered to be superior due to its greater scientific benefits and reduced cost and complexity -- it would require only two local oscillators and a smaller antenna size for a given resolution on the ground. As shown by means of simulations, humidity profile retrieval accuracy for the second option is superior in most cases and only slightly degraded relative to the first option in the worst-case scenario. The results are summarized. Including the 118-GHz channels also offers the possibility of cell-top altitude retrievals and improved temperature profile retrievals when used in conjunction with a temperature sounder such as the 15-channel AMSU-A.

Cabrera-Mercader, Carlos R.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

The microwave 'first-guess' algorithm was run on the cloudy test simulations. Eight datasets were considered in the cloudy test, comprising approximately 360 retrievals, of which one failed to converge. Retrievals were done on the AMSU-A grid. Examination of the true profiles (provided for the A, C and D tracks) showed numerous cases of very pronounced temperature inversion layers in the troposphere which the retrieval does not have enough vertical resolution to reproduce. A typical example with an inversion layer near 700 mbar is shown in Figure 1. The inversion layers also exhibit strong vertical gradients of water vapor which are not resolved in the retrieval. (Water vapor volume density is given in g/sq cm per layer. Layer thickness is 20 mb from 200 to 400 mb, and 25 mb from 400 to 1,000 mb.) The retrievals do reproduce the overall smoothed shape of the profiles, and therefore as a first guess should be within the range of linear methods for IR retrievals using AIRS.

Rosenkranz, Philip W.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Atmospheric infrared sounder

Work continued on analysis of data from the TOGA-COARE experiment. The MIT Microwave Temperature Sounder was flown on NASA's ER-2 at Wallops Island in the CAMEX experiment during September and October. The preliminary version of the 'microwave first-guess' algorithm for temperature and moisture was delivered to JPL. In the iterative minimum-variance algorithm moisture retrievals from MHS make use of the retrieved temperature profile in calculation of weighting functions and in determining the saturation moisture capacity at each level. Simulations have been run to address the question of how important the temperature profile accuracy is to the moisture retrieval.

Rosenkranz, Philip W.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Voyager planetary radio astronomy studies

Analysis of nonthermal radio emission data obtained by the Planetary Radio Astronomy (PRA) spectrometers on the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft was performed. This PRA data provided unique insights into the radio emission characteristics of the outer planets because of PRA's unique spectral response below the terrestrial ionospheric plasma frequency and its unprecedented proximity to the source. Of those results which were documented or published, this final report surveys only the highlights and cites references for more complete discussions. Unpublished results for Uranus, Neptune, and theoretical Ionian current distributions are presented at greater length. The most important conclusion to be drawn from these observations is that banded spectral emission is common to the radio emission below 1-2 MHz observed from all four Jovian planets. In every case multiple spectral features evolve on time scales of seconds to minutes. To the extent these features drift in frequency, they appear never to cross one another. The Neptunian spectral features appear to drift little or not at all, their evolution consisting principally of waxing and waning. Since other evidence strongly suggests that most or all of this radio emission is occurring near the local magnetospheric electron cyclotron frequency, this implies that this emission preferentially occurs at certain continually changing planetary radii. It remains unknown why certain radii might be favored, unless radial electric field components or other means serve to differentiate radially the magnetospheric plasma density, particle energy vectors, or particle coherence. Calculation of the spatial distribution and intensity of the Io-generated magnetospheric currents are also presented; these currents may be limited principally by wave impedance and local field strengths.

Staelin, David H.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Advanced microwave sounding unit study for atmospheric infrared sounder

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU-A), and the Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS, formerly AMSU-B) together constitute the advanced sounding system facility for the Earth Observing System (EOS). A summary of the EOS phase B activities are presented.

Rosenkranz, Philip W.↗

NASA NTRS1991

High-spatial-resolution passive microwave sounding systems

During this period the emphasis was on the following: (1) further design, construction, and testing of the improved 54-GHz portion of the 54-118 GHz microwave temperature sounder (MTS) aircraft radiometer system in preparation for ER-2 observations in July 1991; and (2) final analysis and documentation of procedures for detecting and analyzing thermal waves in our 118-GHz MTS imagery. In addition, we have new unpublished measurements of dry-air attenuation at frequencies of 54 to 66 GHz and over a temperature range of 280K to 326K; these measurements should enable us to improve further our atmospheric transmittance models. It was further noted that the proposed SSMIS conical-scanning microwave spectrometer on the military DMSP Block 5D-3 spacecraft designed to measure stratospheric and mesospheric temperature profiles will be observing the Zeeman-split oxygen lines with sufficient spectral resolution that the changing Doppler shifts with view angle will substantially degrade the potential system performance unless remedied; this was briefly studied and documented.

Staelin, David H.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Passive microwave sensing of the atmosphere

The development of microwave instrumetns to sound the atmosphere is reveiwed, focusing on the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU). The AMSU is planned for operation in a geosynchronous orbit or in LEO near 118 GHz. The three main AMSU subsystems are described: a 15-channel temperature sounder with a 50-km resolution, a 5-channel atmospheric moisture sounder with a 15-km resolution, and a 7-channel stratospheric and mesospheric temperature sounder with 150-km resolution. In addition, the potential for limb-sounding instruments is considered.

Staelin, David H.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Striated spectral activity in Jovian and Saturnian radio emission

Examination of high time resolution frequency-time spectrograms of radio emission measured near the Voyager 1 and 2 encounters with Jupiter reveals occasional striation patterns within the normally diffuse hectometric radiation. The patterns are characterized by distinctive banded structures of enhanced intensity meandering in frequency over time scales of minutes to tens of minutes. This banded form of striated spectral activity (SSA) has an occurrence probability of the order of 5 percent during the three weeks before and after Jupiter encounters. Plots of single 6-s frequency sweeps often exhibit a slow rise in intensity followed by a sharp drop-off in each band as frequency decreases. Banded SSA is often preceded or followed by chaotic SSA in which banding of the emission becomes discontinuous or unrecognizable, although the intensity modulation is still evident. Although SSA normally occurs in the frequency range of roughly 0.2-1.0 MHz, similar but longer-lasting patterns have been found occasionally in decametric emission above 10 MHz. Analogous modulation has also been observed in the Saturnian radio emission, suggesting that SSA may be a common feature intrinsic to the radio emission at both planets.

Thieman, James R.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Jovian decametric arcs and Alfven currents

The Voyager Planetary Radio Astronomy (PRAD) experiment revealed prominent 'arcs' when the radio intensity at 1-40 MHz was displayed in time-frequency coordinates. These data are consistent with multiple currents flowing along longitudinally separated Jovian magnetic flux tubes, each current radiating conically at angles up to about 90 deg. The spacings between adjacent PRA arcs, and also between adjacent S burst arc segments observed at the Nancay Observatory, were analyzed and found to be so brief, less than 1-3 min, that either these currents and any associated Alfven waves survive for at least a few circulations of Jupiter by Io (a hypothesis independently supported by the observations of arcs at all Io phase angles), or each such Alfven current can radiate at several different cone-angles simultaneously (a hypothesis independently supported by the observation of such behavior in the S burst arcs).

Staelin, David H.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Modulated spectral activity (MSA) - Implications for planetary radio sources

The properties of the Jovian and Saturnian MSA, modulation patterns within the normally diffuse nonthermal radio emission that are characterized by distinctive banded structures of enhanced intensity fluctuations in frequency over time scales of minutes to tens of minutes, are discussed. Although Jovian and Saturnian MSA are both normally observed in the 0.2-1.3-MHz frequency range, similar pattern have been noted in Jovian decametric emission above 30 MHz. The MSA properties are used to constrain the possible source mechanism.

Thieman, James R.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Atmospheric phase measurements with the Mark III stellar interferometer

The effect of atmospheric turbulence on the measurements of stellar positions performed by the Mt. Wilson phase-coherent stellar Mark III interferometer was investigated, both for the case of a simple Kolmogorov spatial spectrum and for the case of a model incorporating a finite outer scale. Measurements of phase difference at a 12-m base line obtained with the Mark III interferometer agreed well with the predictions of a Kolmogorov spatial spectrum over the frequency range 0.001-100 Hz. From these measurements, the outer scale of turbulence for propagation through the entire atmosphere was estimated to be greater than 2 km.

Colavita, M. Mark↗

NASA NTRS1987

Two-color method for optical astrometry - Theory and preliminary measurements with the Mark III stellar interferometer

The two-color method for interferometric astrometry provides a means of reducing the error in a stellar position measurement attributable to atmospheric turbulence. The primary limitation of the method is shown to be turbulent water vapor fluctuations. Secondary atmospheric effects caused by diffraction from small refractive-index inhomogeneities and differential refraction for the observation of stars away from zenith are shown to introduce errors that behave as white noise and which should not be significant. Other potential error sources due to photon noise, systematic instrumental effects, and imperfect data reduction are also considered. The improvement in accuracy possible with the two-color method is estimated as a factor of 5-10 over the corresponding one-color measurement. Some preliminary two-color measurements with the Mark III stellar interferometer at Mt. Wilson are presented, which demonstrate a factor of about 5 reduction in the amplitude of the atmospheric fluctuations in a stellar position measurement.

Colavita, M. Mark↗