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At least 325 records · Page 18

Satellite radar altimetry over ice. Volume 1: Processing and corrections of Seasat data over Greenland

The data-processing methods and ice data products derived from Seasat radar altimeter measurements over the Greenland ice sheet and surrounding sea ice are documented. The corrections derived and applied to the Seasat radar altimeter data over ice are described in detail, including the editing and retracking algorithm to correct for height errors caused by lags in the automatic range tracking circuit. The methods for radial adjustment of the orbits and estimation of the slope-induced errors are given.

Zwally, H. Jay↗

The first operation and results of the Chung-Li VHF radar

The Chung-Li Very High Frequency (VHF) radar is used in the dual-mode operations, applying Doppler beam-swinging as well as the spaced-antenna-drift method. The design of the VHF radar is examined. Results of performance tests are discussed.

Chao, J. K.↗

High-Resolution Wind Measurements for Offshore Wind Energy Development

A mathematical transform, called the Rosette Transform, together with a new method, called the Dense Sampling Method, have been developed. The Rosette Transform is invented to apply to both the mean part and the fluctuating part of a targeted radar signature using the Dense Sampling Method to construct the data in a high-resolution grid at 1-km posting for wind measurements over water surfaces such as oceans or lakes.

Nghiem, Son V.↗

Imaging radar applications to mapping and charting

The paper outlines the major actual and potential radar mapping applications, gives an account of the present state of satellite radar imaging, and reviews the radargrammetric work achieved since 1972. Attention is focused on the mapping methods and accuracy regarding single-image radar mapping, stereo radargrammetry, and mapping from blocks of overlapping imagery. It is recommended that more radargrammetric expertise be applied in radar mapping projects so that full advantage may be taken of the metric information potential of imaging radar.

Leberl, F.↗

Estimation of areal rainfall using the radar echo area time integral

The Area Time Integral (ATI) method of Doneaud et al. (1984) is extended to the measurement of cumulative areawide rainfall for periods up to 12 h. The extended ATI method is used to analyze data from the Florida Area Cumulus Experiment II. The relationship between radar estimated rain volume and radar-measured area covered with echoes is examined to test the possibility of obtaining values similar to conventional reflectivity-rainfall estimates of rainfall using only area measurements. The correlation between gage-estimated rain volume and radar estimated area covered with showers is also studied, focusing on the possible estimation of rain volume values using a small number of echo area observations.

Lopez, Raul E.↗

Wave Measurements Using Multi-Frame Processing of Marine Radar Data

Marine radars have proven to be useful for measuring ocean waves, but the accuracy of the measurements is limited by several factors including the look-angle dependence of the radar signals as well as noise in the radar data. The look-angle dependence introduces a systematic error or bias in the measurements, and noise causes a random error. This paper describes a method of combining data from multiple radar frames that is optimal in the sense of minimizing the error for a set of biased measurements with random additive noise. The results are shown experimentally to increase the correlation of the radar estimates with buoy measurements.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Aircraft motion analysis using limited flight and radar data

The development and application of methods for reconstructing, from a limited set of recorded data, a comprehensive scenario of aircraft motions before and during an accident are described. The accuracy of these analytical methods is investigated using data recorded onboard the Ames CV-990 research aircraft. In these experiments, the expanded set of data, derived from either foil or ATC records, is compared with corresponding values measured by the research instrumentation system onboard the aircraft. The results indicate that many of the derived quantities are in good agreement with the corresponding onboard measurements. A recent application of this procedure using actual accident records is presented and potential applications are briefly reviewed.

Wingrove, R. C.↗

CO, O3, and aerosol measurements from NASA Global Tropospheric Experiment - Test flights 1981

A series of four instrument test flights was conducted during July 1981 in preparation for the NASA Global Tropospheric Experiment. The purpose of the flights was to demonstrate the feasibility and value of simultaneously measuring several specific atmospheric pollutants over a 25 deg latitudinal range. Carbon monoxide and methane grab samples were obtained simultaneously with nearly continuous in situ ozone and remote ozone and aerosol optical radar measurements. The sampling platform was a NASA Electra, a four engine turboprop aircraft. Attention is given to CO and CH4 sample collection and analysis, ozone measurement methods, the aerosol measurement method, an interpretation of the optical radar display, and a synergistic consideration of results.

Hinton, R. R.↗

Meteor radiant mapping with MU radar

The radiant point mapping of meteor showers with the MU radar by using a modified mapping method originally proposed by Morton and Jones (1982) was carried out. The modification is that each meteor echo was weighted by using the beam pattern of the radar system. A preliminary result of the radiant point mapping of the Geminids meteor shower in 1989 is presented.

Watanabe, Jun-Ichi↗

Evaluation of Physical Microphysical Property Retrieval Algorithms During the 2020 IMPACTS Field Campaign

The NASA Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) field campaign provides high-quality, high-altitude aircraft lidar (532 nm), radar (W-band) and in-cloud microphysical aircraft data taken during wintertime storm events impacting the United States. This study evaluates two mass-dimensional relationships (Brown and Francis (1995, BF95); Heymsfield (2014, H14) and two lidar-radar microphysical retrieval algorithms (Cloudsat and CALIPSO Ice Cloud Property Product (2C-ICE); VarPy (a variational method derived from the satellite lidar-radar data community)) to estimate aircraft-retrieved volume extinction coefficient (σ), ice water content (IWC), and effective radius (r e ) during the 2020 IMPACTS deployment. BF95 and H14 have a close 1:1 correlation (R 2 = 0.98) with in-situ observations of σ. However, only BF95 displays a linear, consistent, and almost temperature-independent low bias for IWC and r e , which likely arises from the environmental conditions used to determine each. Unlike the field-campaign-derived BF95 and H14 relationships, VarPy and 2C-ICE directly ingest the aircraft-based lidar and radar data to simulate σ, IWC, and r e . For all three microphysical parameters, VarPy and 2C-ICE retrieval errors became notably more pronounced around the dendritic growth zone (-15°C to -10°C) and near freezing (≥-5°C), which suggests that both algorithms experience difficulty addressing riming and aggregation processes and with larger particles (dendrites and plates) due in part to their simplified ice particle assumptions. However, the mean-melt diameter ice-particle assumption did yield more accurate IWC estimates, which led to slightly better overall results for VarPy.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Radar image registration and rectification

Two techniques for radar image registration and rectification are presented. In the registration method, a general 2-D polynomial transform is defined to accomplish the geometric mapping from one image into the other. The degree and coefficients of the polynomial are obtained using an a priori found tiepoint data set. In the second part of the paper, a rectification procedure is developed that models the distortion present in the radar image in terms of the radar sensor's platform parameters and the topographic variations of the imaged scene. This model, the ephemeris data and the digital topographic data are then used in rectifying the radar image. The two techniques are then used in registering and rectifying two examples of radar imagery. Each method is discussed as to its benefits, shortcomings and registration accuracy.

Naraghi, M.↗

Twenty and thirty GHz millimeter wave experiments with the ATS-6 satellite

The ATS-6 millimeter wave experiment, provided the first direct measurements of 20 and 30 GHz earth-space links from an orbiting satellite. Studies at eleven locations in the continental United States were directed at an evaluation of rain attenuation effects, scintillations, depolarization, site diversity, coherence bandwidth, and analog and digital communications techniques. In addition to direct measurements on the 20 and 30 GHz links, methods of attenuation prediction with radars, rain gages, and radiometers were developed and compared with the directly measured attenuation. Initial data results of the ATS-6 millimeter wave experiment from the major participating organizations are presented.

Ippolito, L. J.↗

Twenty and thirty GHz millimeter wave experiments with the ATS-6 satellite

Studies at 11 locations in the continental United States were directed at an evaluation of rain attenuation effects, scintillations, depolarization, site diversity, coherence bandwidth, and analog and digital communications techniques using the Applications Technology Satellite-6(ATS-6). In addition to direct measurements on the 20- and 30-GHz links, methods of attenuation prediction with radars, rain gages, and radiometers were developed and compared with the directly measured attenuation. Initial data results of the ATS-6 millimeter wave experiment were presented. The first section describes the experiment objectives, flight hardware, and modes of operation. The remaining six sections present papers prepared by the major participating organizations in the experiment. The papers present a comprehensive summary of the significant results of the initial 11 months of ATS-6 experiment measurements and related radiometric, radar, and radio-meteorology studies.

Ippolito, L. J.↗

ATS-6 - Millimeter Wave Propagation and Communications Experiments at 20 and 30 GHz

The Applications Technology Satellite (ATS-6) Millimeter Wave Experiment, developed and implemented by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, has provided the first direct measurements of 20- and 30-GHz earth-space links from an orbiting satellite. Studies at eleven locations in the continental United States were directed at an evaluation of rain attenuation effects, scintillations, depolarization, site diversity, coherence bandwidth, and analog and digital communications techniques. In addition to direct measurements on the 20- and 30-GHz links, methods of attenuation prediction with radars, rain gauges, and radiometers were developed and compared with the directly measured attenuation. This paper presents a review of the major results of the first year of measurements with ATS-6, with emphasis on the impact of the measurements on millimeter wave space systems design.

Ippolito, L. J.↗

Multi-year slant path rain fade statistics at 28.56 and 19.04 GHz for Wallops Island, Virginia

Multiyear rain fade statistics at 28.56 GHz and 19.04 GHz were compiled for the region of Wallops Island, Virginia covering the time periods, 1 April 1977 through 31 March 1978, and 1 September 1978 through 31 August 1979. The 28.56 GHz attenuations were derived by monitoring the beacon signals from the COMSTAR geosynchronous satellite, D sub 2 during the first year, and satellite, D sub 3, during the second year. Although 19.04 GHz beacons exist aboard these satellites, statistics at this frequency were predicted using the 28 GHz fade data, the measured rain rate distribution, and effective path length concepts. The prediction method used was tested against radar derived fade distributions and excellent comparisons were noted. For example, the rms deviations between the predicted and test distributions were less than or equal to 0.2dB or 4% at 19.04 GHz. The average ratio between the 28.56 GHz and 19.04 GHz fades were also derived for equal percentages of time resulting in a factor of 2.1 with a .05 standard deviation.

Goldhirsh, J.↗

Asymptotic Waveform Evaluation (AWE) Technique for Frequency Domain Electromagnetic Analysis

The Asymptotic Waveform Evaluation (AWE) technique is applied to a generalized frequency domain electromagnetic problem. Most of the frequency domain techniques in computational electromagnetics result in a matrix equation, which is solved at a single frequency. In the AWE technique, the Taylor series expansion around that frequency is applied to the matrix equation. The coefficients of the Taylor's series are obtained in terms of the frequency derivatives of the matrices evaluated at the expansion frequency. The coefficients hence obtained will be used to predict the frequency response of the system over a frequency range. The detailed derivation of the coefficients (called 'moments') is given along with an illustration for electric field integral equation (or Method of Moments) technique. The radar cross section (RCS) frequency response of a square plate is presented using the AWE technique and is compared with the exact solution at various frequencies.

Cockrell, C. R.↗

Soil Surveys

An accurate method of surveying the soil was developed by NASA and the Department of Agriculture. The method involves using ground penetrating radar to produce subsurface graphs. By examining printouts from the system's recorder, scientists can determine whether a site is appropriate for building, etc.

Source record↗

Method and apparatus for remote measurement of terrestrial biomass

Method and apparatus for remote measurement of terrestrial biomass contained in vegetative elements, such as large tree boles or trunks present in an area of interest. The method includes providing an airborne radar system, overflying the area of interest while directing radar energy having a frequency of under 400 MHz, and preferably between 80 and 120 MHz, toward the area of interest, using the radar system to collect backscatter data from the radar energy as a function of incidence angle and frequency, and using an inversion algorithm to determine a magnitude of the biomass from the backscatter data for each radar resolution cell. A biomass map is generated showing the magnitude of the biomass of the vegetative elements as a function of location on the map by using each resolution cell as a unique location thereon.

Johnson, Patrick W.↗