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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 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) Data, 2024, Trail Creek, Colorado

This dataset contains Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) data collected at Trail Creek, Colorado, in 2024. EMI surveys were conducted to investigate the spatial distribution of electrical conductivity in the subsurface, providing insights into soil moisture and subsurface geological features. The surveys were performed along multiple transects to capture variations in conductivity influenced by changes in soil composition, moisture content, and underlying geological structures. This dataset complements other geophysical data collected in the region, including Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Terrestrial LiDAR Scanning (TLS), providing a detailed understanding of the subsurface and its impact on surface vegetation and hydrological processes. The data are valuable for environmental geophysics, ecological research, and hydrological modeling in mountainous ecosystems. The files include: - data.zip: the raw EMI data (.csv) - inversion.zip: the inverted resistivity model (.csv and .kml) - kriging.zip: the kriging resistivity model (.csv, .tif, .kmz) - flmd.csv: file level metadata file describing all files within this dataset - dd.csv: data dictionary file describing the column headers within CSV files This work was supported by the Watershed Function Science Focus Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

CMD Mini-Explorer↗
DOE OSTI2019

FATES Parameters and Output for Parameter Sensitivity at the Panama Barro Colorado Island Testbed

This data package contains a set of Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator (FATES) history files and parameter values for the set of model simulations used in Koven et al. Manuscript "Benchmarking and Parameter Sensitivity of Physiological and Vegetation Dynamics using the Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator (FATES) at Barro Colorado Island, Panama." It includes several ensembles of FATES runs, where each ensemble is comprised of a set of 576 runs that have different values of PFT traits. The ensembles include 1 PFT, 2 PFT, 3 PFT, and 10 PFT simulations. Different ensembles also have different values of disturbance and height sorting parameters, and structural differences including running FATES within different LSMs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Interseismic Strain Accumulation between the Colorado Plateau and the Eastern California Shear Zone: Implications for the Seismic Hazard near Las Vegas, Nevada

ABSTRACT Crustal deformation in the central Basin and Range between the Colorado plateau and the Eastern California Shear Zone is active but slow, making it a challenge to assess how strain is distributed and crustal motion transferred. However, knowledge of strain rates is very important, particularly for addressing the seismic hazard for both the Las Vegas urban area and the site of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, in southern Nevada. Global Positioning System (GPS) data provide important constraints, particularly now that the GPS network in the area has substantially expanded in recent years. However, because deformation is slow, it is important to mitigate any transient tectonic and nontectonic signals to obtain the most accurate long-term interseismic motion and robust estimation of strain rates. We use data from all GPS stations in the region including both long-running continuous and semicontinuous stations. We model and remove postseismic displacements at these stations using source parameters for 41 events, dating back to the 1700 Cascadia megathrust earthquake, which contribute significantly to the deformation field within the central Basin and Range. We also remove correlated noise from the time series with the common-mode component imaging technique. We find that removal of both the postseismic transients and common-mode noise substantially reduces the uncertainties and spatial variation in the velocities. We find east–west extension across the Las Vegas Valley of 0.5–0.6 mm/yr. The interseismic strain rate field, calculated with the final velocities, reveals higher strain rates through southern Nevada than in previous studies, with rates within Las Vegas Valley of 8.5±2.4×10−9 yr−1. Our results also confirm shear along the Pahranagat shear zone, but the estimated amplitude is strongly affected by postseismic relaxation.

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗
DOE OSTI2018

The East River, Colorado, Watershed: A Mountainous Community Testbed for Improving Predictive Understanding of Multiscale Hydrological–Biogeochemical Dynamics

Core Ideas Development of a 300‐km 2 mountainous headwater testbed began in 2016 in the East River. The testbed can be used to explore how watershed changes impact downgradient water availability and quality. System‐of‐system, scale‐adaptive approaches can potentially improve watershed dynamics simulation. We have new approaches to monitor and simulate water partitioning and system responses. The East River watershed has been developed as a “community” testbed. Extreme weather, fires, and land use and climate change are significantly reshaping interactions within watersheds throughout the world. Although hydrological–biogeochemical interactions within watersheds can impact many services valued by society, uncertainty associated with predicting hydrology‐driven biogeochemical watershed dynamics remains high. With an aim to reduce this uncertainty, an approximately 300‐km 2 mountainous headwater observatory has been developed at the East River, CO, watershed of the Upper Colorado River Basin. The site is being used as a testbed for the Department of Energy supported Watershed Function Project and collaborative efforts. Building on insights gained from research at the “sister” Rifle, CO, site, coordinated studies are underway at the East River site to gain a predictive understanding of how the mountainous watershed retains and releases water, nutrients, carbon, and metals. In particular, the project is exploring how early snowmelt, drought, and other disturbances influence hydrological–biogeochemical watershed dynamics at seasonal to decadal timescales. A system‐of‐systems perspective and a scale‐adaptive simulation approach, involving the combined use of archetypal watershed subsystem “intensive sites” are being tested at the site to inform aggregated watershed predictions of downgradient exports. Complementing intensive site hydrological, geochemical, geophysical, microbiological, geological, and vegetation datasets are long‐term, distributed measurement stations and specialized experimental and observational campaigns. Several recent research advances provide insights about the intensive sites as well as aggregated watershed behavior. The East River “community testbed” is currently hosting scientists from more than 30 institutions to advance mountainous watershed methods and understanding.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Evaluation of a Multifamily Retrofit in Climate Zone 5, Boulder, Colorado (Fact Sheet)

In 2009, a 37-unit apartment complex located in Boulder, Colorado, underwent an energy retrofit to comply with Boulder SmartRegs Ordinance, a mandate that requires all rental properties to meet certain energy efficiency standards by 2018. The Consortium of Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), a U.S. Department of Energy Building America team, worked with city planners and building owners to evaluate this program and recently completed a case study evaluating the effectiveness of a collection of retrofit measures.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2016

Exploring the Application of Optical Remote Sensing as a Method to Estimate the Depth of Backwater Nursery Habitats of the Colorado Pikeminnow

Low-velocity channel-margin habitats serve as important nursery habitats for the endangered Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) in the middle Green River between Jensen and Ouray, Utah. These habitats, known as backwaters, are associated with emergent sand bars, and are shaped and reformed annually by peak flows. A recent synthesis of information on backwater characteristics and the factors that influence inter-annual variability in those backwaters (Grippo et al. 2015) evaluated detailed survey information collected annually since 2003 on a relatively small sample of backwaters, as well as reach-wide evaluations of backwater surface area from aerial and satellite imagery. An approach is needed to bridge the gap between these detailed surveys, which estimate surface area, volume, and depth, and the reach-wide assessment of surface area to enable an assessment of the amount of habitat that meets the minimum depth requirements for suitable habitat.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2016

Renewable Energy Deployment in Colorado and the West: A Modeling Sensitivity and GIS Analysis

The Resource Planning Model is a capacity expansion model designed for a regional power system, such as a utility service territory, state, or balancing authority. We apply a geospatial analysis to Resource Planning Model renewable energy capacity expansion results to understand the likelihood of renewable development on various lands within Colorado.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2015

2015 Long-Term Hydrologic Monitoring Program Sampling and Analysis Results at Rio Blanco, Colorado

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management conducted annual sampling at the Rio Blanco, Colorado, Site for the Long-Term Hydrologic Monitoring Program (LTHMP) on May 20–21, 2015. This report documents the analytical results of the Rio Blanco annual monitoring event, the trip report, and the data validation package. The groundwater and surface water monitoring samples were shipped to the GEL Group Inc. laboratories for conventional analysis of tritium and analysis of gamma-emitting radionuclides by high-resolution gamma spectrometry. A subset of water samples collected from wells near the Rio Blanco site was also sent to GEL Group Inc. for enriched tritium analysis. All requested analyses were successfully completed. Samples were collected from a total of four onsite wells, including two that are privately owned. Samples were also collected from two additional private wells at nearby locations and from nine surface water locations. Samples were analyzed for gamma-emitting radionuclides by high-resolution gamma spectrometry, and they were analyzed for tritium using the conventional method with a detection limit on the order of 400 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Four locations (one well and three surface locations) were analyzed using the enriched tritium method, which has a detection limit on the order of 3 pCi/L. The enriched locations included the well at the Brennan Windmill and surface locations at CER-1, CER-4, and Fawn Creek 500 feet upstream.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cost Effectiveness of ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2013 for the State of Colorado

Moving to the ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2013 (ASHRAE 2013) edition from Standard 90.1-2010 (ASHRAE 2010) is cost-effective for the State of Colorado. The table below shows the state-wide economic impact of upgrading to Standard 90.1-2013 in terms of the annual energy cost savings in dollars per square foot, additional construction cost per square foot required by the upgrade, and life-cycle cost (LCC) per square foot. These results are weighted averages for all building types in all climate zones in the state, based on weightings shown in Table 4. The methodology used for this analysis is consistent with the methodology used in the national cost-effectiveness analysis. Additional results and details on the methodology are presented in the following sections. The report provides analysis of two LCC scenarios: Scenario 1, representing publicly-owned buildings, considers initial costs, energy costs, maintenance costs, and replacement costs—without borrowing or taxes. Scenario 2, representing privately-owned buildings, adds borrowing costs and tax impacts.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Data Validation Package August 2015 Groundwater Sampling at the Grand Junction, Colorado, Disposal Site October 2015

The 1998 Interim Long-Term Surveillance Plan for the Cheney Disposal Site Near Grand Junction, Colorado, requires annual monitoring to assess the performance of the disposal cell. Monitoring wells 0731, 0732 and 0733 were sampled as specified in the plan. Sampling and analyses were conducted in accordance with Sampling and Analysis Plan for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Data Validation Package August 2015 Groundwater Sampling at the Grand Junction, Colorado, Disposal Site October 2015

Sampling Period: August 4, 2015. The 1998 Interim Long-Term Surveillance Plan for the Cheney Disposal Site Near Grand Junction, Colorado, requires annual monitoring to assess the performance of the disposal cell. Monitoring wells 0731, 0732, and 0733 were sampled as specified in the plan. Sampling and analyses were conducted in accordance with Sampling and Analysis Plan for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated). The water level was measured at each sampled well. The water level in well 0733, located in the disposal cell, is lower than water levels in adjacent wells 0731 and 0732, indicating a hydraulic gradient toward the disposal cell. Results from this sampling event were generally consistent with results from the past as shown in the attached concentration-versus-time graphs. There have been no large changes in contaminant concentration observed over the last several years with the following exception. The uranium concentration in well 0733 has been trending upward since 2003. High uranium concentrations are expected in this well because it is located in the disposal cell. The selenium concentrations observed in wells 0731 and 0732 are elevated when compared to the disposal cell 0733. Wells 0731 and 0732 are completed at the alluvium/Mancos contact; here, elevated selenium concentrations are expected due to contributions from the Mancos shale.

2015 Sampling Grand Junction, CO↗
DOE OSTI2017

Renewable Energy Deployment in Colorado and the West: Extended Policy Sensitivities

The Resource Planning Model is a capacity expansion model designed for a regional power system, such as a utility service territory, state, or balancing authority. We apply a geospatial analysis to Resource Planning Model renewable energy capacity expansion results to understand the likelihood of renewable development on various lands within Colorado.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, and Renewable Energy Site Assessment: San Juan National Forest - Dolores Ranger District, Colorado

This report summarizes the results from an energy efficiency, water efficiency, and renewable energy site assessment of the Dolores Ranger District in the San Juan National Forest in Colorado. A team led by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted the assessment with United States Forest Service (USFS) personnel on August 16-17, 2016, as part of ongoing efforts by USFS to reduce energy and water use and implement renewable energy technologies. The assessment is approximately an American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers Level 2 audit and meets Energy Independence and Security Act requirements.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Assessment of the Economic Potential of Distributed Wind in Colorado, Minnesota, and New York

This work seeks to identify current and future spatial distributions of economic potential for behind-the-meter distributed wind, serving primarily rural or suburban homes, farms, and manufacturing facilities in Colorado, Minnesota, and New York. These states were identified by technical experts based on their current favorability for distributed wind deployment. We use NREL's Distributed Wind Market Demand Model (dWind) (Lantz et al. 2017; Sigrin et al. 2016) to identify and rank counties in each of the states by their overall and per capita potential. From this baseline assessment, we also explore how and where improvements in cost, performance, and other market sensitivities affect distributed wind potential.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Final Technical Report: SC0010625, "Multi-scale Carbon Cycle Observations and Ecosystem Process Modeling at Niwot Ridge, Colorado"

final technical report for DE-SC0010625. This project was focused on land-atmosphere CO 2 and CO 2 isotope exchange at Niwot Ridge, Colorado, including the Niwot Ridge AmeriFlux Core site (subalpine forest site) and an adjacent long-term alpine tundra study location (tundra site). The project had three primary objectives, including 1) testing several hypotheses about land-atmosphere carbon exchange, 2) using our ongoing datasets to constrain, test, and further develop carbon cycle processes within CESM-CLM, and 3) continuation of measurements of CO 2 and CO 2 isotope composition. The project is now complete and all funds have been expended. There was a no-cost extension period (2 years) in which we wrapped up analyses and published the results. This grant was the last in a series of grants that funded measurement of the carbon isotope composition of atmospheric CO 2 at the Niwot Ridge AmeriFlux Core site (period of record 11 years, and measurements have ended). Those data have been publicly available since May 2017 via the AmeriFlux archive at: DOI: 10.17190/AMF/1246088 ftp://ftp.fluxdata.org/.ameriflux_downloads/.amf/US-NR1.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Identification of Backwater Nursery Habitats of Colorado Pikeminnow in the Middle Green River, Utah, Using High-Resolution Remotely Sensed Imagery

Low-velocity channel-margin habitats serve as important nursery habitats for the endangered Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) in the middle Green River between Jensen and Ouray, Utah. These habitats, known as backwaters, are associated with emergent sand bars, and are shaped and reformed annually by peak flows. A recent synthesis of information on backwater characteristics and the factors that influence inter-annual variability in those backwaters evaluated detailed survey information collected annually since 2003 on a relatively small sample of backwaters, as well as reach-wide evaluations of backwater surface area from aerial and satellite imagery. The material presented in this report is intended to provide documentation of the specific approach we used to collect, process, and analyze data from remotely sensed imagery of the middle Green River between the U.S. Geological Survey Jensen and Ouray gages, as well as images of the river reach, delineated backwater areas, and the calculated surface area of each.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Long-Term Surveillance Plan for the Naturita, Colorado, Disposal Site

This Long-Term Surveillance Plan (LTSP) explains how the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will fulfill general license requirements of Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 40.27 (10 CFR 40.27) as the licensee at the Naturita, CO, Disposal Site (site) and revises the original LTSP (DOE 1999). This revision incorporates changes that reflect the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) concurrence on April 15, 2014, with a request from the DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) to terminate groundwater monitoring at the site (Appendix D). In addition, the title of the LTSP has been changed from Long-Term Surveillance Plan for the Upper Burbank Disposal Cell, Uravan, Colorado , because the town of Uravan no longer exists and the Upper Burbank disposal cell is now referred to as the Naturita disposal cell. Appendix B has been revised to include documentation of a 2003 agreement in which the Bureau of Land Management provides a right-of-way to DOE for the east and west toe drains (identified in the agreement as two storm water drainage structures) and a 2011 agreement in which Umetco Minerals Corporation (Umetco) allows DOE access to the west toe drain outlet (identified in the agreement as a diversion channel). These agreements were put in place after acceptance of the original LTSP, and they are included in this revised LTSP as a best management practice to maintain protectiveness and to inform all stewards of site conditions and controls.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗