Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Subsidence”

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.

At least 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Thermal structure and dust loading of the Martian atmosphere during late southern summer - Mariner 9 revisited

Thermal emission spectra recorded by the Mariner 9 IR interferometer spectrometer (IRIS) are used to investigate the temperature structure and dust loading of the Martian atmosphere. The analysis is restricted to a subset of the IRIS data consisting of approximately 2400 spectra in a 12-day period extending from LS of 343 to 348 deg, corresponding to late southern summer on Mars. The largest column-integrated 9-micron dust optical depths (about 0.4) occur over the equatorial regions. The highest atmospheric temperatures (greater than 260 K) are found at low altitudes near the subsolar latitude (about 6 deg S), while the coldest temperatures (less than 150 K) are found at levels near 1.0 mbar over the winter pole. The existence of a net zonally averaged meridional circulation with rising motion at low latitudes, poleward flow at altitudes above 40 km, and subsidence over the poles is suggested.

Santee, Michelle↗
NASA NTRS1993

The meteorological environment of the tropospheric ozone maximum over the tropical South Atlantic Ocean

Atmospheric flow patterns are examined over the South Atlantic Ocean where a maximum of tropospheric ozone has been observed just west of southern Africa. We investigate the flow climatology during October and perform a case study for six days during October 1989. Horizontal and vertical motions are examined and used to prepare 3D backward trajectories from the region of greatest ozone. An initially zonally symmetric distribution of ozone is treated as a passive tracer and advected by 3D flows forecast by the global model. Results from the passive tracer simulation indicate that 3D advection alone can produce a maximum of tropospheric ozone in the observed location. In addition, the trajectories suggest that by-products of biomass burning could be transported to the area of maximum ozone. Low-level flow from commonly observed regions of burning in Africa streams westward to the area of interest. Over Brazil, if the burning by-products are carried into the upper troposphere by convective process, they then could be transported eastward to the ozone feature in approximately five days. There is considerable subsidence over the tropical southern Atlantic, such that stratospheric influences also are a factor in producing the ozone maximum. Both planetary-scale and transient synoptic-scale circulation features play major roles in the various transport processes that influence the region. In summary, the observed tropospheric ozone maximum appears to be caused by a complex set of horizontal and vertical advections, transport from regions of biomass burning, and stratospheric influences.

Krishnamurti, T. N.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Analysis of Antarctic stratospheric aerosol properties using SAGE II extinction measurements

Multispectra aerosol extinction data for the fall and spring of 1987 measured by the SAGE II sensor are employed to determine the physical characteristics of aerosols within the springtime Antarctic polar vortex. Attention is given to the physical processes that give rise to the apparent springtime 'cleansing' of the Antarctic stratosphere. The inferred vertical and radial structure compare favorably with in situ measurements but yield a previously unavailable 2D structure to the distribution of aerosols within the polar vortex. The springtime 'cleansing' of the Antarctic stratosphere is found to be a result of both large-scale subsidence and the preferential removal of large particles by the nucleation and subsequent sedimentation of polar stratospheric clouds.

Thomason, Larry W.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Hotfire testing of a SSME HPOTP with an annular hydrostatic bearing

A new fluid film bearing package has been tested in the SSME High Pressure Oxygen Turbopump (HPOTP). This fluid film element functions as both the pump end bearing and the preburner pump rear wear ring seal. Most important, it replaces a duplex ball bearing package which has been the primary life limiting component in the turbopump. The design and predicted performance of the turbopump are reviewed. Results are presented for measured pump and bearing performance. The most significant results were obtained from proximity probes located in the bearing bore which revealed large subsynchronous precession at 10 percent of shaft speed during engine start which subsided prior to mainstage power levels and reappeared during engine shutdown at equivalent power levels below 65 percent of nominal. This phenomenon has been attributed to rotating stall in the diffuser. The proximity probes also revealed the location of the bearing in the bore for different operating speeds. Pump vibration characteristics were improved as compared to pumps tested with ball bearings. After seven starts and more than 700 seconds of testing, the pump showed no signs of performance degradation.

Nolan, Steven A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Airborne observations of the 1992 Arctic winter stratosphere by FTIR solar absorption spectroscopy

The JPL MkIV interferometer, a Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectrometer designed specifically for atmospheric remote sensing, made measurements of the composition of the Arctic stratosphere in January, February and March 1992. These measurements were made from the NASA DC-8 aircraft as part of the AASE2 campaign. The data reveal that despite 5 to 6 km of subsidence inside the vortex, which more than doubled the vertically integrated column amounts (burdens) of HF and HNO3 with respect to outside the vortex, considerable losses of NO2, HCl and ClNO3 were evident by mid-January. Temporary freeze-out of HNO3 was observed only on one occasion, Jan. 19, and was accompanied by substantial reductions in HCl and ClNO3. During February and March, ClNO3 and NO2 amounts increased dramatically. HCl also recovered but at a much slower rate, so that by March ClNO3 was the major reservoir of inorganic chlorine, at times exceeding HCl by a factor 2.

Toon, G. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A comparison of observed (HALOE) and modeled (CCM2) methane and stratospheric water vapor

Recent measurements (21 September-15 October 1992) of methane and water vapor by the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) are compared with model results for the same season from a troposphere-middle atmosphere version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate Model (CCM2). Several important features of the two constituent fields are well reproduced by the CCM2, despite the use of simplified methane photochemistry in the CCM2 and some notable differences between the model's zonal mean circulation and climatology. Observed features simulated by the model include the following: 1) subsidence over a deep layer in the Southern Hemisphere polar vortex; 2) widespread dehydration in the polar vortex; and 3) existence of a region of low water vapor mixing ratios extending from the Antarctic into the Northern Hemisphere tropics, which suggests that Antarctic dehydration contributes to midlatitude and tropical dryness in the stratosphere.

Mote, Philip W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Marangoni instability induced convection in an evaporating liquid droplet

The processes occurring when a liquid drop undergoes evaporation are described. When a liquid drop undergoes evaporation, its surface temperature decreases. If the droplet is free floating in a microgravity environment, the heat transfer process inside the droplet is initially condition controlled. As the process continues, a radial temperature gradient builds up at the free surface until the critical Marangoni number is exceeded. Then the onset of instability induces thermocapillary convective flows, which in turn speed up the evaporation. The convective flows will subside when the interior of the droplet reaches a certain equilibrium temperature, and the process will return to the diffusion controlled mode. Both preliminary modeling and recent laboratory data have confirmed that Marangoni instability induced convection can and does occur in the droplet evaporation process. Mathematical models representing Marangoni instability in an evaporating liquid drop are presented. An ideal space experiment to study and characterize the onset of Marangoni instability in an evaporating liquid droplet and to establish the effect of Marangoni instability induced convection on the droplet evaporation rate is outlined and the need for conducting such experiments in space is highlighted. However, before an opportunity to conduct experiments in space arises, ground based experiments have to be conducted to study feasibility issues and proof of concept. A ground based experiment of this type is outlined.

Chai, An-Ti↗
NASA NTRS1993

Horizontal stresses induced by vertical processes in planetary lithospheres

Understanding the state of stress in the elastic lithosphere is of fundamental importance for planetary geophysics, as it is the link between the observed geologic structures on the surface and the processes which form and modify these structures. As such, it can provide valuable constraints for the difficult problem of determining interior structure and processes. On the Earth, most large scale, organized deformation can be related to lateral tectonics associated with plate dynamics; however, the tectonics on many extraterrestrial bodies (such as the Moon, Mars, and most of the outer-planet satellites) appears to be primarily vertical in nature, and the horizontal stresses induced by vertical motions and loads are expected to dominate the deformation of their lithospheres. The largest stress contributions from vertical loading come from the flexure of the lithosphere, which induces both bending moments and membrane stresses. We are concerned here only with nonflexural changes in the state of stress induced by processes such as sedimentary and volcanic deposition, erosional denudation, and changes in the thermal gradient that induce uplift or subsidence. This analysis is important both for evaluating stresses for specific regions in which the vertical stress history can be estimated, as well as for applying the proper loading conditions to global stress models. It is also of interest for providing a reference state of stress for interpreting stress measurements in the crust of the Earth.

Banerdt, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Flexure and the role of inplane force around coronae on Venus

Large coronae on Venus, such as Artemis and Latona, are rimmed by conspicuous trenches and associated outer rises. Sandwell and Schubert have observed that these systems resemble terrestrial subduction zones in planform and have succeeded in fitting an elastic plate bending equation to the inferred flexural topography. However, the first zero crossing bending moments required are -2.5 x 10(exp 17) N for Artemis and -5.0 x 10(exp 16) N for Latona. Since these moments are similar in magnitude to those of subducting slabs on Earth, a rollback subduction mechanism was proposed to explain the flexure around the largest coronae, although a differential thermal subsidence model is sufficient to account for the topography around some coronae. The purpose is to investigate the effect of inplane force as a possible alternative to large applied moments in producing flexure at Artemis and Latona. The close correlation of gravity to topography on Venus implies the absence of a low viscosity zone and the strong coupling of the lithosphere to mantle convection. If coronae are the surface manifestations of mantle plumes, they may be the sites of active convective stress coupling. As the upwelling reaches the lithosphere, it spreads radially outward, inducing shear tractions on the base of the plate. In addition, the hot, expanding corona may load the surrounding plate horizonally. Both the basal shear stresses and radial loading can be treated as an equivalent compressive inplane force in the mechanical lithosphere, which contributes to the bending of the outlying plate. Using a model that relates inplane force to the measured gravity anomalies, a rough value of the inplane force at Artemis was calculated. Recent Pioneer Venus spherical harmonic gravity models indicate a geoid anomaly of about 75 m over Artemis, which corresponds to an estimated inplane force on the order of -1x10(exp 13) N/m. The gravity model is unable to resolve Latona, but an inplane force of similar dimensions is assumed. The maximum possible inplane force based on the expected rheology can be constrained by using the approximate 5 K/km thermal gradient inferred from the best fit 30 km elastic plate at Artemis and Latona. For a dry olivine flow law in the upper mantle, the compressional load limit of the 60 km thick mechanical lithosphere is -4 x 10(exp 13) N/m. This value is equivalent to a load of -8 x 10(exp 13) N/m on a 30 km thick elastic plate.

Brown, C. David↗
NASA NTRS1993

Stratospheric aircraft exhaust plume and wake chemistry

Progress to date in an ongoing study to analyze and model emissions leaving a proposed High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) from when the exhaust gases leave the engine until they are deposited at atmospheric scales in the stratosphere is documented. A kinetic condensation model was implemented to predict heterogeneous condensation in the plume regime behind an HSCT flying in the lower stratosphere. Simulations were performed to illustrate the parametric dependence of contrail droplet growth on the exhaust condensation nuclei number density and size distribution. Model results indicate that the condensation of water vapor is strongly dependent on the number density of activated CN. Incorporation of estimates for dilution factors into a Lagrangian box model of the far-wake regime with scale-dependent diffusion indicates negligible decrease in ozone and enhancement of water concentrations of 6-13 times background, which decrease rapidly over 1-3 days. Radiative calculations indicate a net differential cooling rate of the plume about 3K/day at the beginning of the wake regime, with a total subsidence ranging between 0.4 and 1 km. Results from the Lagrangian plume model were used to estimate the effect of repeated superposition of aircraft plumes on the concentrations of water and NO(y) along a flight corridor. Results of laboratory studies of heterogeneous chemistry are also described. Kinetics of HCl, N2O5 and ClONO2 uptake on liquid sulfuric acid were measured as a function of composition and temperature. Refined measurements of the thermodynamics of nitric acid hydrates indicate that metastable dihydrate may play a role in the nucleation of more stable trihydrates PSC's.

Miake-Lye, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Interferometric detection of freeze-thaw displacements of Alaskan permafrost using ERS-1 data

The possibility of making large scale (50 km) measurements of motions of the earth's surface with high resolution (10 m) and very high accuracy (1 cm) from multipass SAR interferometry was established in 1989. Other experiments have confirmed the viability and usefulness of the method. Work is underway in various groups to measure displacements from volcanic activity, seismic events, glacier motion, and in the present study, freeze-thaw cycles in Alaskan permafrost. The ground is known to move significantly in these cycles, and provided that freezing does not cause image decorrelation, it should be possible to measure both ground swelling and subsidence. The authors have obtained data from multiple passes of ERS-1 over the Toolik Lake region of northern Alaska of suitable quality for interferometry. The data are processed into images, and single interferograms are formed in the usual manner. Phase unwrapping is performed, and the multipass baselines are estimated from the images using both orbit ephemerides and scene tie points. The phases are scaled by the baseline ratio, and a double-difference interferogram (DDI) is formed. It is found that there is a residual 'saddle-shape' phase error across the image, which is postulated to be caused by a small divergence (10(exp -2) deg.) in the orbits. A simulation of a DDI from divergent orbits confirms the shape and magnitude of the error. A two-dimensional least squares fit to the error is performed, which is used to correct the DDI. The final, corrected DDI shows significant phase (altitude) changes over the period of the observation.

Werner, Charles L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Geologic mapping of Northern Atla Regio on Venus: Preliminary data

The Northern part of Atla Regio within the frame of C1-formate Magellan photo map 15N197 was mapped geologically at scale 1:8,000,000. This is a part of Russia's contribution into C1 geologic mapping efforts. The map is reproduced here being reduced about twice. The map shows that the Northern Atla area is predominantly a volcanic plain with numerous volcanic features: shield volcanoes, domes and hills with various morphology, corona-like constructions, radar bright and dark spots often with flow-like outlines. Relatively small areas of tessera occurred in the area are mainly semi-flooded with the plain material. Tesserae are considered to be the oldest terrains within the map sheet. There are many lineated terrains in the region. They are interpreted as the old, almost-buried tesserae (those with crossed lineaments) or partly buried ridge belts (those with parallel lineaments). These lineated terrains have an intermediate age between the young volcanic plains and the old tessera areas. Two prominent high volcanic shields are located within the region - Ozza Mons and Sapas Mona. The most prominent structure in Northern Atla is Ganis Chasma rift. The rift cuts volcanic plain and is considered to be under formation during approximately the same time with Ozza Mons shield. Ganis Chasma rift valley is highly fractured and bounded with fault scarps. Rift shoulder uplifts are typical for Ganis Chasma. There are few relatively young volcanic features inside the rift valley. The analysis of fracturing and rift valley geometry shows the rift originated due to 5-10 percent crustal extention followed by the crustal subsidence. The age sequence summary for the main terrain types in the region is (from older to younger ones): tesserae; lineated terrains with crossed lineaments; lineated terrains with parallel lineaments; volcanic plains; and prominent volcanic shields and Ganis Chasma rift valley. The geologic structure of Atla Regio as it appeared now with the Magellan high resolution images is very close to that of Beta Regio. Such conclusion coincide with the earlier ones based on the coarser data.

Nikishin, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Geology of Galileo Regio quadrangle, Ganymede

Galileo Regio quadrangle, including most of Galileo Regio, contains two basic geologic units: older dark, furrowed, and heavily cratered material and younger light, grooved, relatively less-cratered material. Dark material dominates, the light material occurring to the W and SW in about five percent of the quadrangle. Dominant structural features, of uncertain origin, are the NW-trending arcuate furrows and associated orthogonal and oblique furrows in the dark material; grooves in the light material are not as well-ordered nor as intensely developed as elsewhere on Ganymede. Fifteen palimpsests, located partly or totally in the quadrangle and representing the period when the crust became sufficiently strong to record impact events, are subdivided into three relative-age classes, as are the numerous impact craters, some of which are dome, moat, and rampart-like. Galileo Regio is believed to have formed when, because of cooling, differentiation, and expansion, the thin, weak, icy lithosphere broke into blocks and light material filled the space between, or overspread those blocks that subsided, or both. Grooves formed in most of the light material and both light and dark material were cratered by impact, the most recent of which created bright-ray craters, the youngest features visible in the quadrangle.

Underwood, James R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A laboratory system for the investigation of rain fade compensation techniques for Ka-band satellites

The design and performance of a rain fade simulation/counteraction system on a laboratory simulated 30/20 GHz, time division multiple access (TDMA) satellite communications testbed is evaluated. Severe rain attenuation of electromagnetic radiation at 30/20 GHz occurs due to the carrier wavelength approaching the water droplet size. Rain in the downlink path lowers the signal power present at the receiver, resulting in a higher number of bit errors induced in the digital ground terminal. The laboratory simulation performed at NASA Lewis Research Center uses a programmable PIN diode attenuator to simulate 20 GHz satellite downlink geographic rain fade profiles. A computer based network control system monitors the downlink power and informs the network of any power threshold violations, which then prompts the network to issue commands that temporarily increase the gain of the satellite based traveling wave tube (TWT) amplifier. After the rain subsides, the network returns the TWT to the normal energy conserving power mode. Bit error rate (BER) data taken at the receiving ground terminal serves as a measure of the severity of rain degradation, and also evaluates the extent to which the network can improve the faded channel.

Svoboda, James S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Hotfire testing of a SSME HPOTP with an annular hydrostatic bearing

A new fluid film bearing package has been tested in the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) High Pressure Oxygen Turbopump (HPOTP). This fluid film element functions as both the pump end bearing and the preburner pump rear wear ring seal. Most importantly, it replaces a duplex ball bearing package which has been the primary life limiting component in the turbopump. The design and predicted performance of the turbopump are reviewed. Results are presented for measured pump and bearing performance during testing on the NASA Technology Test Bed (TTB) Engine located at MSFC. The most significant results were obtained from proximity probes located in the bearing bore which revealed large subsynchronous precession at ten percent of shaft speed during engine start which subsided prior to mainstage power levels and reappeared during engine shutdown at equivalent power levels below 65% of nominal. This phenomenon has been attributed to rotating stall in the diffuser. The proximity probes also revealed the location of the bearing in the bore for different operating speeds. Pump vibration characteristics were improved as compared to pumps tested with ball bearings. After seven starts and more than 700 seconds of testing, the pump showed no signs of performance degradation.

Nolan, Steven A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Satellite Laser Ranging operations

Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) is currently providing precision orbit determination for measurements of: 1) Ocean surface topography from satellite borne radar altimetry, 2) Spatial and temporal variations of the gravity field, 3) Earth and ocean tides, 4) Plate tectonic and regional deformation, 5) Post-glacial uplift and subsidence, 6) Variations in the Earth's center-of-mass, and 7) Variations in Earth rotation. SLR also supports specialized programs in time transfer and classical geodetic positioning, and will soon provide precision ranging to support experiments in relativity.

Pearlman, Michael R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A realistic model of evaporation for a liquid droplet

An intuitive delineation along with dimensional considerations and experimental evidences are presented to show that in a general case, the evaporation of a liquid droplet undergoes three regimes through the process. Initially, the heat transfer inside the evaporating droplets is conduction controlled; then, in the second stage, convective heat transfer may take over; finally, the convections subside, and the process returns to conduction controlled mode.

Chai, An-Ti↗
NASA NTRS1994

Implications of summertime marine stratocumulus on the North American climate

This study focuses on the effects of summertime stratocumulus over the eastern Pacific. This cloud is linked to the semi-permanent sub-tropical highs that dominate the low-level circulation over the Pacific and Atlantic. Subsidence on the eastern flank of these highs creates an inversion based about 800 m above sea level that caps moist air near the surface. This air overlies cool waters driven by upwelling along the coastal regions of North America. Strong surface north-westerlies mix the boundary layer enough to saturate the air just below the capping inversion. Widespread stratocumulus is thus formed. All calculations were carried out using the GENESIS general circulation model that was run at MSFC. Among the more important properties of the model is that it includes radiative forcing due to absorption of solar radiation and the emission of infrared radiation, interactive clouds (both stratocumulus and cumulus types), exchanges of heat and moisture with the lower boundary. Clouds are interactive in the sense that they impact the circulation by modifying the fields of radiative heating and turbulent fluxes of heat and moisture in the boundary layer. In turn, clouds are modified by the winds through the advection of moisture. In order to isolate the effects of mid- and high-latitude stratocumulus, two runs were made with the model: one with and the other without stratocumulus. The runs were made for a year, but with perpetual July conditions, i.e., solar forcing was fixed. The diurnal solar cycle, however, was allowed for. The sea surface temperature distribution was fixed in both runs to represent climatological July conditions. All dependent variables were represented at 12 surfaces of constant sigma = p/p(sub O), where p is pressure and p(sub O) is surface pressure. To facilitate analysis, model output was transformed to constant pressure surfaces. Structures no smaller in size than 7.5 degrees longitude and 4.5 degrees in latitude were resolved. Smaller features of the circulation were parameterized. The model thus captures synoptic- and planetary-scale circulation features.

Clark, John H. E.↗