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At least 199 records · Page 11
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Computational Modeling of Atmospheric Processes at Texas Southern University

Texas Southern University (TSU) is strengthening its research program in atmospheric chemistry and physics with a climate science emphasis by leveraging partnerships with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Facility, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), and the Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER). This RDPP-supported program focuses on secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) and reactive atmospheric species that influence cloud formation, precipitation processes, and radiative forcing. SOAs play a critical role in cloud microphysics and Earth’s energy balance, yet the chemical and physical mechanisms governing SOA–cloud interactions remain a significant source of uncertainty in predictive climate models. Through computational modeling, observational data analysis, and national laboratory collaboration, this program develops a skilled cohort of students trained in atmospheric science, environmental data analysis, and climate-relevant modeling. These research experiences build technical competencies that are transferable to careers in government laboratories, academia, and industry. By engaging students from historically underrepresented communities in high-impact climate research, TSU expands participation in the atmospheric sciences workforce while contributing meaningful scientific insights to DOE-supported ARM research activities. This partnership strengthens national capacity in climate science and supports the development of the next generation of atmospheric researchers.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1997

Finite Difference Radiative Transfer Model Calculations Compared to Measurements at the Top and Bottom of the Atmosphere

A finite difference radiative transfer program was developed to handle most anisotropic scattering and reflectance problems encountered in the Earth's atmospheric system. The model has been used to reproduce the radiance received by both satellite and ground based radiation measuring instruments. It accurately replicates the radiance measured by both narrow and wide field-of-view instruments with either narrow or broadband wavelength ranges located on the surface and at satellite altitudes. The output of the finite difference code is compared to the measurements by surface pyranometers and a spectroradiometer aboard a high flying aircraft. The program output is also compared to ERBE measurements aboard the ERBS and NOAA-9 satellites as well as the visible bands aboard the GOES-6 and GOES-7 satellites and AVHRR bands 1 and 2 of the NOAA-9 and NOAA-1 1 satellites. The model is within 0.2 % of the radiance received by pyranometers, within 0.6 % of the ERBE radiances, and within 3 % of the radiances measured by the visible bands of the GOES and NOAA AVHRR radiometers.

LeCroy, Stuart R.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Autonomous, Full-Time Cloud Profiling at Arm Sites with Micro Pulse Lidar

Since the early 1990's technology advances permit ground based lidar to operate full time and profile all significant aerosol and cloud structure of the atmosphere up to the limit of signal attenuation. These systems are known as Micro Pulse Lidars (MPL), as referenced by Spinhirne (1993), and were first in operation at DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) sites. The objective of the ARM program is to improve the predictability of climate change, particularly as it relates to cloud-climate feedback. The fundamental application of the MPL systems is towards the detection of all significant hydrometeor layers, to the limit of signal attenuation. The heating and cooling of the atmosphere are effected by the distribution and characteristics of clouds and aerosol concentration. Aerosol and cloud retrievals in several important areas can only be adequately obtained with active remote sensing by lidar. For cloud cover, the height and related emissivity of thin clouds and the distribution of base height for all clouds are basic parameters for the surface radiation budget, and lidar is essetial for accurate measurements. The ARM MPL observing network represents the first long-term, global lidar study known within the community. MPL systems are now operational at four ARM sites. A six year data set has been obtained at the original Oklahoma site, and there are several years of observations at tropical and artic sites. Observational results include cloud base height distributions and aerosol profiles. These expanding data sets offer a significant new resource for cloud, aerosol and atmospheric radiation analysis. The nature of the data sets, data processing algorithms, derived parameters and application results are presented.

Spinhirne, James D.↗
DOE OSTI2021

In-situ measurements of chemically and radiatively important atmospheric gases from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gas Experiment (AGAGE) and affiliated stations.

In the ALE/GAGE/AGAGE global network program, continuous high frequency gas chromatographic measurements of four biogenic/anthropogenic gases (methane, CH4; nitrous oxide, N2O; hydrogen, H2; and carbon monoxide, CO) and several anthropogenic gases that contribute to stratospheric ozone destruction and/or to the greenhouse effect have been carried out at five globally distributed sites for several years. The program, which began in 1978, is divided into three parts associated with three changes in instrumentation: the Atmospheric Lifetime Experiment (ALE), which used Hewlett Packard HP5840 gas chromatographs; the Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (GAGE), which used HP5880 gas chromatographs; and the present Advanced GAGE (AGAGE). AGAGE uses two types of instruments: a gas chromatograph with multiple detectors (GC-MD), and a gas chromatograph with mass spectrometric analysis (GC-MS). Beginning in January 2004, an improved cryogenic preconcentration system (Medusa) replaced the absorption-desorption module in the GC-MS systems at Mace Head and Cape Grim; this provided improved capability to measure a broader range of volatile perfluorocarbons with high global warming potentials. The Medusa GC-MS systems were subsequently used at other AGAGE stations (Trinidad Head, Barbados, American Samoa, Zeppelin, Jungfraujoch, and Goan) after the initial setup at Mace Head and Cape Grim. More information may be found at the AGAGE home page: https://agage.mit.edu/instruments.Compared to the previous version (https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/view/doi:10.3334/CDIAC/ATG.DB1001), the latest update (Agage_gcmd_gcms_data_2021_04_07_tar.gz) includes 6 months of new data through the end of March 2020. Two new compounds, HCFC-132b, and HCFC-133a, are also included in this version. For a complete list of released compounds and used standard scales, please see “AGAGE_scale_2021_v1.pdf” file. Additional information can also be found on the AGAGE website (https://agage.mit.edu).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1983

In-progress absolute radiometric inflight calibration of the LANDSAT-4 sensors

An approach is described for providing periodic inflight absolute radiometric calibrations of the LANDSAT-4 sensors by reference to selected, instrumented ground areas. Results of some early ground measurements and computer simulations are presented. Selection of a suitable ground reference site, accurate measurement of the spectral reflectance of the selected area, determination of atmospheric characteristics during the morning of the sensor overpass, reduction of the measured data and their use in an appropriate atmospheric radiative transfer program, and comparison of the radiance level data with the digital counts of for the images of the selected areas are discussed. Preliminary measurements of gypsum are being made as an aid in defining the characteristics of field equipment to be constructed and calibrated for use over the White Sands Missile Range.

Castle, K.↗
DOE OSTI2023

The dataset of in-situ measurements of chemically and radiatively important atmospheric gases from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gas Experiment (AGAGE) and affiliated stations (2023R1)

In the ALE/GAGE/AGAGE global network program, continuous high frequency gas chromatographic measurements of four biogenic/anthropogenic gases (methane, CH4; nitrous oxide, N2O; hydrogen, H2; and carbon monoxide, CO) and several anthropogenic gases that contribute to stratospheric ozone destruction and/or to the greenhouse effect have been carried out at five globally distributed sites for several years. The program, which began in 1978, is divided into three parts associated with three changes in instrumentation: the Atmospheric Lifetime Experiment (ALE), which used Hewlett Packard HP5840 gas chromatographs; the Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (GAGE), which used HP5880 gas chromatographs; and the present Advanced GAGE (AGAGE). AGAGE uses two types of instruments: a gas chromatograph with multiple detectors (GC-MD), and a gas chromatograph with mass spectrometric analysis (GC-MS). Beginning in January 2004, an improved cryogenic preconcentration system (Medusa) replaced the absorption-desorption module in the GC-MS systems at Mace Head and Cape Grim; this provided improved capability to measure a broader range of volatile perfluorocarbons with high global warming potentials. The Medusa GC-MS systems were subsequently used at other AGAGE stations (Trinidad Head, Barbados, American Samoa, Zeppelin, Jungfraujoch, and Goan) after the initial setup at Mace Head and Cape Grim. More information may be found on the AGAGE home page: https://agage.mit.edu/instruments.Data from the AGAGE and affiliated stations (total of 10 sites) between August 1993 and June 2022 are provided in “Agage_gcmd_gcms_data_2023_07_24.tar.gz” (compressed tar file). The metadata file has information on each station and currently released species. The standard scales used in archived species are listed in "AGAGE_scale_2023_v1.pdf". Additional information can be found on the AGAGE website (https://agage.mit.edu).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

The dataset of in-situ measurements of chemically and radiatively important atmospheric gases from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gas Experiment (AGAGE) and affiliated stations (2023R2)

In the ALE/GAGE/AGAGE global network program, continuous high frequency gas chromatographic measurements of four biogenic/anthropogenic gases (methane, CH4; nitrous oxide, N2O; hydrogen, H2; and carbon monoxide, CO) and several anthropogenic gases that contribute to stratospheric ozone destruction and/or to the greenhouse effect have been carried out at five globally distributed sites for several years. The program, which began in 1978, is divided into three parts associated with three changes in instrumentation: the Atmospheric Lifetime Experiment (ALE), which used Hewlett Packard HP5840 gas chromatographs; the Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (GAGE), which used HP5880 gas chromatographs; and the present Advanced GAGE (AGAGE). AGAGE uses two types of instruments: a gas chromatograph with multiple detectors (GC-MD), and a gas chromatograph with mass spectrometric analysis (GC-MS). Beginning in January 2004, an improved cryogenic preconcentration system (Medusa) replaced the absorption-desorption module in the GC-MS systems at Mace Head and Cape Grim; this provided improved capability to measure a broader range of volatile perfluorocarbons with high global warming potentials. The Medusa GC-MS systems were subsequently used at other AGAGE stations (Trinidad Head, Barbados, American Samoa, Zeppelin, Jungfraujoch, and Goan) after the initial setup at Mace Head and Cape Grim. More information may be found on the AGAGE home page: https://agage.mit.edu/instruments.Data from the AGAGE and affiliated stations (total of 10 sites) between August 1993 and December 2022 are provided in “Agage_gcmd_gcms_data_2023_11_15.tar.gz” (compressed tar file). The metadata file has information on each station and currently released species. The standard scales used in archived species are listed in "AGAGE_scale_2023_v2.pdf". Additional information can be found on the AGAGE website (https://agage.mit.edu).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

The dataset of in-situ measurements of chemically and radiatively important atmospheric gases from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gas Experiment (AGAGE) and affiliated stations (2024R1)

In the ALE/GAGE/AGAGE global network program, continuous high frequency gas chromatographic measurements of four biogenic/anthropogenic gases (methane, CH4; nitrous oxide, N2O; hydrogen, H2; and carbon monoxide, CO) and several anthropogenic gases that contribute to stratospheric ozone destruction and/or to the greenhouse effect have been carried out at five globally distributed sites for several years. The program, which began in 1978, is divided into three parts associated with three changes in instrumentation: the Atmospheric Lifetime Experiment (ALE), which used Hewlett Packard HP5840 gas chromatographs; the Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (GAGE), which used HP5880 gas chromatographs; and the present Advanced GAGE (AGAGE). AGAGE uses two types of instruments: a gas chromatograph with multiple detectors (GC-MD), and a gas chromatograph with mass spectrometric analysis (GC-MS). Beginning in January 2004, an improved cryogenic preconcentration system (Medusa) replaced the absorption-desorption module in the GC-MS systems at Mace Head and Cape Grim; this provided improved capability to measure a broader range of volatile perfluorocarbons with high global warming potentials. The Medusa GC-MS systems were subsequently used at other AGAGE stations (Trinidad Head, Barbados, American Samoa, Zeppelin, Jungfraujoch, and Goan) after the initial setup at Mace Head and Cape Grim. More information may be found on the AGAGE home page: https://agage.mit.edu/instruments.Data from the AGAGE and affiliated stations (total of 10 sites) between August 1993 and June 2023 are provided in “Agage_gcmd_gcms_data_2024_07_11.tar.gz” (compressed tar file). The metadata file has information on each station and currently released species. The standard scales used in archived species are listed in "AGAGE_scale_2024_v1.pdf". Additional information can be found on the AGAGE website (https://agage.mit.edu).Update: Dec. 4, 20241. The Cape Grim H2_PDD data are updated in this release ((H2_PDD values in previous release are wrong due to coding error). All other data in this release are the same as previous version ("Agage_gcmd_gcms.data.2024_07_11.tar.gz")2. The latest data are saved in "Agage_gcmd_gcms.data.2024_12_04.tar.gz"

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1999

Cloud Spatial Structure and 3D Radiative Transfer

Cloud radiative properties are sensitive to drop size and other parameters of cloud micro-structure, but also to cloud shape,spacing, and other parameters of cloud macro-structure, including internal fractal structure. New information on cloud structure is being derived from a variety of cloud radars. Ongoing field programs such as Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (DoE/ARM) are improving the measurement and modelling of physical and radiative properties of clouds. A parallel effort is underway to improve cloud remote sensing, especially from the new suite of EOS-AM1 instruments which will provide higher spectral, spatial resolution, and/or angular resolution. Key parameters for improving pixel-scale retrievals are cloud thickness and photon mean-free-path, which together determine the scale of "radiative smoothing" of cloud fluxes and radiances. This scale has been observed as a change in the spatial spectrum of Landsat cloud radiances, and was also recently found with the Goddard micropulse lidar, by searching for returns from directions nonparallel to the incident beam. "Offbeam" Lidar returns are now being used to estimate the cloud "radiative Green's function", G,which depends on cloud thickness and may be used to retrieve that important quantity. G is also being applied to improving simple IPA estimates of cloud radiative properties. This and other measurements of 3D transfer in clouds, coupled with Monte Carlo and other 3D transfer methods, are beginning to provide a better understanding of the dependence of adiation on cloud inhomogeneity, and to suggest new retrieval and parameterization algorithms which take account of cloud inhomogeneity. An international "Intercomparison of 3D Radiation Codes" or I3RC, program is beginning to coordinate and evaluate the variety of 3D radiative transfer methods now available, and to make them more widely available. Information is on the Web at: http://climate.qsfc.nasa.crov/I3RC. Input consists of selected cloud fields derived from data sources such as radar, microwave and satellite, and from models involved in the GEWEX Cloud Systems Studies. Output is selected radiative quantities that characterize the large- scale properties of the fields of radiative fluxes and heating. Several example cloud fields will be used to illustrate.

Cahalan, Robert F.↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Succession of Cloud, Precipitation, Aerosol and Air Quality Field Experiments in the Coastal Urban Environment

The interactions and feedbacks among clouds, aerosols, pollutants, and the thermodynamic and kinematic environment remains an area of active research with important implications for our understanding of climate, weather and air quality. These linkages are further complicated in coastal and urban environments where local circulations and anthropogenic influences impact each of these components and their interactions. Within this context, fundamental questions regarding the lifecycle of convective clouds, aerosols and pollutants have brought together a diverse, integrated, and interagency collaboration of scientists to collect and analyze measurements, in the Houston, Texas, area, from the summer of 2021 through the summer of 2022, with subsequent modeling studies to address these important research objectives. Herein, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Facility and Atmospheric System Research (ASR) Program, the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Physical and Dynamic Meteorology Program, the National Aeronautic and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Tropospheric Composition Research and Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Programs and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) are collaborating on a joint set of field campaigns to study the interactions of cloud, aerosol, and pollutants within the coastal, urban environment. In the Houston area, onshore flow from the Gulf of Mexico and the associated sea breeze circulation generates numerous isolated convective cells, particularly in the summer months, that interact with a variety of urban and industrial emissions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1982

Absolute radiometric calibration of advanced remote sensing systems

The distinction between the uses of relative and absolute spectroradiometric calibration of remote sensing systems is discussed. The advantages of detector-based absolute calibration are described, and the categories of relative and absolute system calibrations are listed. The limitations and problems associated with three common methods used for the absolute calibration of remote sensing systems are addressed. Two methods are proposed for the in-flight absolute calibration of advanced multispectral linear array systems. One makes use of a sun-illuminated panel in front of the sensor, the radiance of which is monitored by a spectrally flat pyroelectric radiometer. The other uses a large, uniform, high-radiance reference ground surface. The ground and atmospheric measurements required as input to a radiative transfer program to predict the radiance level at the entrance pupil of the orbital sensor are discussed, and the ground instrumentation is described.

Slater, P. N.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Absolute radiometric calibration of advanced remote sensing systems

The distinction between the uses of relative and absolute spectroradiometric calibration of remote sensing systems is discussed. The advantages of detector-based absolute calibration are described, and the categories of relative and absolute system calibrations are listed. The limitations and problems associated with three common methods used for the absolute calibration of remote sensing systems are addressed. Two methods are proposed for the in-flight absolute calibration of advanced multispectral linear array systems. One makes use of a sun-illuminated panel in front of the sensor, the radiance of which is monitored by a spectrally flat pyroelectric radiometer. The other uses a large, uniform, high-radiance reference ground surface. The ground and atmospheric measurements required as input to a radiative transfer program to predict the radiance level at the entrance pupil of the orbital sensor are discussed, and the ground instrumentation is described. Previously announced in STAR as N83-28544

Slater, P. N.↗
NASA NTRS1984

In-flight Absolute Radiometric Calibration of the Thematic Mapper

Ground spectral reflectance and atmospheric spectral optical depth measurements made at White Sands, New Mexico were used with an atmospheric radiative transfer program to determine the spectral radiance at the entrance pupil of the LANDSAT-4 TM. Comparison with the output digital counts of the TM, when imaging the measured ground area, provided an absolute calibration for five detectors in TM bands 2, 3, and 4. By reference to an adjacent, larger uniform area, the calibration was extended to all 16 detectors in each of three bands. Preflight calibration results agreed with these inflight measurements to 6.6%, 2.4%, and 12.9% in bands 2,3, and 4, respectively.

Palmer, J.↗
NASA NTRS1996

NASA DC-8 Airborne Scanning Lidar Sensor Development

The NASA DC-8 aircraft is used to support a variety of in-situ and remote sensors for conducting environmental measurements over global regions. As part of the atmospheric effects of aviation program (AEAP) the DC-8 is scheduled to conduct atmospheric aerosol and gas chemistry and radiation measurements of subsonic aircraft contrails and cirrus clouds. A scanning lidar system is being developed for installation on the DC-8 to support and extend the domain of the AEAP measurements. Design and objectives of the DC-8 scanning lidar are presented.

Nielsen, Norman B.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Trends in Downwelling Longwave Radiance Over the Southern Great Plains

Downwelling longwave radiation is an important part of the surface energy budget. Spectral trends in the downwelling longwave radiance (DLR) provide insight into the radiative drivers of climate change. In this research, we process and analyze a 23-year DLR record measured by the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) at the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Program Southern Great Plains (SGP) site. Two AERIs were deployed at SGP with an overlapping observation period of about 10 years, which allows us to examine the consistency and accuracy of the measurements and to account for discrepancies between them due to errors associated with the instruments themselves. We then analyzed the all-sky radiance trends in DLR, which are associated with the surface warming trend at SGP during this same period and also the complex changes in meteorological conditions. For instance, the observed radiance in the CO2 absorption band follows closely the near-surface air temperature variations. The significant positive radiance trends in weak absorption channels, such as in the wings of the CO 2 band and in the weak absorption channels in the H 2 O vibration-rotational band, show earlier detectability of climate change. The magnitude of the radiance trend uncertainty in the DLR record mainly results from internal climate variability rather than from measurement error, which highlights the importance of continuing the DLR spectral measurements to unambiguously detect and attribute climate change.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Convective Boundary-Layer Spatial Heterogeneity Experiment Field Campaign Report

Earth system models (ESMs) require accurate heat, mass, and momentum exchanges between components, which requires accurate observations and modeling of the atmospheric boundary layer. Over the land, the daytime convective atmospheric boundary layer (CBL, also called the convective mixing layer) develops and evolves daily, driven by solar surface heating. Doppler lidar (DL) measurements of vertical velocities provide an effective way to document the diurnal cycle of CBL (Chu et al. 2023). With the support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Research (ASR) program, we studied convective mixing-layer heights (MLH) across multiple DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) observatory sites based on DL measurements.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1995

Spectral Optical Properties of the Polluted Atmosphere of Mexico City (Spring-Summer 1992)

A joint Mexican, Russian, and American research effort has been initiated to develop new methods to remotely sense atmospheric parameters using ground-based, aircraft, and satellite observations. As a first step in this program, ground-based spectrophotometric measurements of the direct solar radiation have been obtained for the extremely polluted Mexico City atmosphere for the period of April-June 1992. These observations were made at more than 1300 channels in the spectral range of 0.35-0.95 microns. In the UltraViolet (UV) portions of the spectrum (e.g., 0.35 microns), aerosol optical thicknesses were found to range between 0.6 and 1.2; in the visible portion of the spectrum (e. g., 0.5 microns) they ranged from 0.5 to 0.8; and in the Near-Infrared (NIR) spectra (e.g., 0.85 micron), values of 0.3 - 0.5 were found. Applying a Spectral Optical Depth (SOD) model of tau(lambda) = C + A(lambda(sup -varies as), values of 1.55 less than varies as less than 1.85 were obtained for polluted, cloudless days, with values of 1.25 less than varies as less than 1.60 on days with haze. The aerosol particles in the polluted Mexico City atmosphere were found to be strongly absorbing, with a single-scattering albedo of 0.7 - 0.9 in the UV, 0.6 - 0.8 in the visible portion of the spectrum, and 0.4 - 0.7 in the NIR. These values are possibly consistent with a high soot concentration, contributed both by vehicular traffic and heavy industry. Analysis of the measured aerosol SOD using the optical parameters of an urban aerosol model pemiits the concentration of aerosol particles to be estimated in the vertical column; a maximum value of 3 x 10(exp 9) 1/sq cm was found. This concentration of aerosol particles exceeds that found in most other regions of the globe by at least an order of magnitude. Near the ground the aerosol size distributions measured using an optical particle counter were found to be strongly multimodal.

Vasilyev, O. B.↗