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At least 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Florida's propagation report

One of the key goals of the Florida Center is to obtain a maximum of useful information on propagation behavior unique to its subtropical weather and subtropical climate. Such weather data is of particular interest when it is (or has the potential to become) useful for developing and implementing techniques to compensate for adverse weather effects. Also discussed are data observations, current challenges, CDF's, sun movement, and diversity experiments.

Helmken, Henry↗
NASA NTRS1994

A review of falconry as a bird control technique with recommendations for use at the Shuttle Landing Facility, John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA

Falconry has been proposed as a method of reducing the bird/aircraftstrike hazard, in addition to current bird control techniques, at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, U.S. Bird control programs using falconry have been employed at a number of military and commercial airfields in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Most falconry programs have been discontinued. In most situations, falconry did not prove cost effective when compared to alternative bird control techniques. Available literature and documents, as well as several raptor specialists and military personnel, suggest that falconry may be useful only against certain problem species and when other bird control methods have been proven inadequate. Because many of the most commonly used falcons are protected species, acquisition of falcons will complicate their use in bird control programs. Many avian species found at the SLF are federally and state protected or of conservation concern, therefore, environmental impacts may also result from the use of falcons.

Larson, Vickie L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Waterbird use of coastal impoundments and management implications in east-central Florida

Monthly surveys were conducted on Kennedy Space Center for one year to determine densities of waterbirds within impounded salt marshes that were predominantly open water with little emergent vegetation. The objective was to assess the importance of these impoundments to waterbirds, particularly wading birds, which are species of special conservation concern. Water-level management for mosquito control and waterfowl provided habitat for an abundance of ducks, shorebirds, coots, and wading birds. Average densities throughout the year for these groups were 5.26, 412, 2.80, and 2.20 birds/ha, respectively. The majority of waterfowl were present during the winter. Shorebirds were most common during spring migration. Wading bird densities increased with declining water level. Due to the extensive alteration and development of coastal wetlands in central Florida, properly managed impoundments may provide important feeding areas for maintaining certain waterbird populations.

Breininger, David R.↗
NASA NTRS1995

David Florida Laboratory: Support for mobile satellite communications

The comprehensive integration and environmental (including RF) test facilities of the Canadian Space Agency's David Florida Laboratory (CSA)(DFL) were used extensively for the MSAT Program. Following a description of the facilities, the paper outlines their application to the qualification of the two MSAT satellites following an overview of the test plan. Particular emphasis is given to passive intermodulation measurement (PIM) demands, which for the MSAT satellites, contributed to the need to extend the anechoic chamber. The extended chamber was also used for an EMC test and SAR signature test of the RADARSAT satellite. The DFL's facilities are being used for additional aspects of mobile satellite communications. One shielded anechoic Extra High Frequency (EHF) chamber and associated test equipment are employed predominantly for measuring the performance of the IRIDIUM satellites' Engineering Model Gateway Moveable Antennas (EM)(GMA). Other chambers are used for testing aeronautical antennas on behalf of Inmarsat. Still others combine thermal and PIM testing. The paper concludes with a review of the test requirements of evolving satcom missions such as Inmarsat Aero-1.

Dumoulin, Jean-Guy↗
NASA NTRS1988

Long-Term Trends in Abundance and Distribution of Manatees (Trichechus Manatus) in the Northern Banana River, Brevard County, Florida

Four aerial survey projects were conducted between 1977 and 1986 to determine the abundance, density and distribution of West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus), in the northern Banana River, Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Manatee density and distribution within selected portions of the 78.5 sq km study area were determined. Peak numbers of manatees occurred in spring of each year. The maximum counts increased from 56 in 1978 to 297 in 1986. Manatee abundance was lowest in the winter of each year. Mean density per flight increased from 0.52 manatees/sq km in 1977-78 to 2.73/sq km in 1984-86. This increase may reflect increases in the east coast population or shifts in the population distribution. Distributional changes were observed in the study area through time, with a lower percentage of manatees occurring in industrial areas and a correspondingly higher percentage of manatees in nonindustrial areas by 1985.

Provancha, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) Densities in Coastal Scrub and Slash Pine Flatwoods in Florida

Densities of gopher tortoises were compared with habitat characteristics in scrub and in flatwood habitats on the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Tortoises were distributed widely among habitat types and did not have higher densities in well-drained (oak-palmetto) than in poorly-drained (saw palmetto) habitats. Fall densities of tortoises ranged from a mean of 2.7 individuals/ha in disturbed habitat to 0.0 individuals/ha in saw palmetto habitat. Spring densities of tortoises ranged from a mean of 2.5 individuals/ha in saw palmetto habitat to 0.7 individuals/ha in oak-palmetto habitat. Densities of tortoises were correlated positively with the percent herbaceous cover, an indicator of food resources. Plots were divided into three burn classes; these were areas burned within three years, burned four to seven years, and unburned for more than seven years prior to the study. Relationships between densities of tortoises and time-since-fire classes were inconsistent.

Breininger, David R.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Assessment of Rainfall Estimates Using a Standard Z-R Relationship and the Probability Matching Method Applied to Composite Radar Data in Central Florida

Precipitation estimates from radar systems are a crucial component of many hydrometeorological applications, from flash flood forecasting to regional water budget studies. For analyses on large spatial scales and long timescales, it is frequently necessary to use composite reflectivities from a network of radar systems. Such composite products are useful for regional or national studies, but introduce a set of difficulties not encountered when using single radars. For instance, each contributing radar has its own calibration and scanning characteristics, but radar identification may not be retained in the compositing procedure. As a result, range effects on signal return cannot be taken into account. This paper assesses the accuracy with which composite radar imagery can be used to estimate precipitation in the convective environment of Florida during the summer of 1991. Results using Z = 30OR(sup 1.4) (WSR-88D default Z-R relationship) are compared with those obtained using the probability matching method (PMM). Rainfall derived from the power law Z-R was found to he highly biased (+90%-l10%) compared to rain gauge measurements for various temporal and spatial integrations. Application of a 36.5-dBZ reflectivity threshold (determined via the PMM) was found to improve the performance of the power law Z-R, reducing the biases substantially to 20%-33%. Correlations between precipitation estimates obtained with either Z-R relationship and mean gauge values are much higher for areal averages than for point locations. Precipitation estimates from the PMM are an improvement over those obtained using the power law in that biases and root-mean-square errors are much lower. The minimum timescale for application of the PMM with the composite radar dataset was found to be several days for area-average precipitation. The minimum spatial scale is harder to quantify, although it is concluded that it is less than 350 sq km. Implications relevant to the WSR-88D system are discussed.

Crosson, William L.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Correlation of S-Band Weather Radar Reflectivity and ACTS Propagation Data in Florida

Previous work has shown that Ka-band attenuation due to rainfall and corresponding S-band reflectivity are highly correlated. This paper reports on work whose goal is to determine the feasibility of estimation and, by extension, prediction of one parameter from the other using the Florida ACTS propagation terminal (APT) and the nearby WSR-88D S-band Doppler weather radar facility operated by the National Weather Service. This work is distinguished from previous efforts in this area by (1) the use of a single-polarized radar, preventing estimation of the drop size distribution (e.g., with dual polarization) and (2) the fact that the radar and APT sites are not co-located. Our approach consists of locating the radar volume elements along the satellite slant path and then, from measured reflectivity, estimating the specific attenuation for each associated path segment. The sum of these contributions yields an estimation of the millimeter-wave attenuation on the space-ground link. Seven days of data from both systems are analyzed using this procedure. The results indicate that definite correlation of S-band reflectivity and Ka-band attenuation exists even under the restriciton of this experiment. Based on these results, it appears possible to estimate Ka-band attenuation using widely available operational weather radar data. Conversely, it may be possible to augment current radar reflectivity data and coverage with low-cost attenuation or sky temperature data to improve the estimation of rain rates.

Wolfe, Eric E.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Temporal, Spatial, and Diurnal Patterns in Avian Activity at the Shuttle Landing Facility, John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA

Spatial and temporal patterns in bird abundance within the five-mile airspace at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) on John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, USA were investigated for purposes of quantifying Bird Aircraft Strike Hazards (BASH). The airspace is surrounded by the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) which provides habitat for approximately 331 resident and migratory bird species. Potential bird strike hazards were greatest around sunrise and sunset for most avian taxonomic groups, including wading birds, most raptors, pelicans, gulls/terns, shorebirds, and passerines. Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures were identified as a primary threat to aircraft operations and were represented in 33% of the samples. Diurnal vulture activity varied seasonally with the development of air thermals in the airspace surrounding the SLF. Variation in the presence and abundance of migratory species was shown for American Robins, swallows, and several species of shorebirds. Analyses of bird activities provides for planning of avionics operations during periods of low-dsk and allows for risk minimization measures during periods of high-risk.

Larson, Vickie L.↗
NASA NTRS1998

The Behavior of Total Lightning Activity in Severe Florida Thunderstorms

The development of a new observational system called LISDAD (Lightning Imaging Sensor Demonstration and Display) has enabled a study of severe weather in central Florida. The total flash rates for storms verified to be severe are found to exceed 60 flashes/min, with some values reaching 500 flashes/min. Similar to earlier results for thunderstorm microbursts, the peak flash rate precedes the severe weather at the ground by 5-20 minutes. A distinguishing feature of severe storms is the presence of lightning "jumps"-abrupt increases in flash rate in advance of the maximum rate for the storm. ne systematic total lightning precursor to severe weather of all kinds-wind, hail, tornadoes-is interpreted in terms of the updraft that sows the seeds aloft for severe weather at the surface and simultaneously stimulates the ice microphysics that drives the lightning activity.

Williams, Earle↗
NASA NTRS1998

Total Lightning and Radar Storm Characteristics Associated with Severe Storms in Central Florida

This paper examines the three dimensional characteristics of lightning flashes and severe storms observed in Central Florida during 1997-1998. The lightning time history of severe and tornadic storms were captured during the on-going ground validation campaign supporting the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) experiment on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). The ground validation campaign is a collaborative experiment that began in 1997 and involves scientists at the Global Hydrology and Climate Center, MIT/Lincoln Laboratories, and the NWS Forecast Office at Melbourne, FL. Lightning signatures that may provide potential early warning of severe storms are being evaluated by the forecasters at the NWS/MLB office. Severe storms with extreme flash rates sometimes exceeding 300 per minute and accompanying rapid increases in flash rate prior to the onset of the severe weather (hall, damaging winds, tornadoes) have been reported by Hodanish et al. and Williams et al. (1998-this conference). We examine the co-evolving changes in storm structure (mass, echo top, shear, latent heat release) and kinematics associated with these extreme and rapid flash rate changes over time. The flash frequency and density are compared with the three dimensional radar reflectivity structure of the storm to help interpret the possible mechanisms producing the extreme and rapidly increasing flash rates. For two tornadic storms examined thus far, we find the burst of lightning is associated with the development of upper level rotation in the storm. In one case, the lightning burst follows the formation of a bounded weak echo region (BWER). The flash rates diminish with time as the rotation develops to the ground in conjunction with the decent of the reflectivity core. Our initial findings suggest the dramatic increase of flash rates is associated with a sudden and dramatic increase in storm updraft intensity which we hypothesize is stretching vertical vorticity as well as enhancing the development of the mixed phase region of the storm. We discuss the importance of these factors in producing both the observed extreme flash rates and the severe weather that follows in these storms and others to be presented.

Goodman, Steven J↗
NASA NTRS1999

Mesoscale Simulations of a Florida Sea Breeze Using the PLACE Land Surface Model Coupled to a 1.5-Order Turbulence Parameterization

A sophisticated land-surface model, PLACE, the Parameterization for Land Atmospheric Convective Exchange, has been coupled to a 1.5-order turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) turbulence sub-model. Both have been incorporated into the Penn State/National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU/NCAR) mesoscale model MM5. Such model improvements should have their greatest effect in conditions where surface contrasts dominate over dynamic processes, such as the simulation of warm-season, convective events. A validation study used the newly coupled model, MM5 TKE-PLACE, to simulate the evolution of Florida sea-breeze moist convection during the Convection and Precipitation Electrification Experiment (CaPE). Overall, eight simulations tested the sensitivity of the MM5 model to combinations of the new and default model physics, and initialization of soil moisture and temperature. The TKE-PLACE model produced more realistic surface sensible heat flux, lower biases for surface variables, more realistic rainfall, and cloud cover than the default model. Of the 8 simulations with different factors (i.e., model physics or initialization), TKE-PLACE compared very well when each simulation was ranked in terms of biases of the surface variables and rainfall, and percent and root mean square of cloud cover. A factor separation analysis showed that a successful simulation required the inclusion of a multi-layered, land surface soil vegetation model, realistic initial soil moisture, and higher order closure of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). These were needed to realistically model the effect of individual, joint, and synergistic contributions from the land surface and PBL on the CAPE sea-breeze, Lake Okeechobee lake breeze, and moist convection.

Lynn, Barry H.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Studies of Florida Thunderstorms Using LDAR, LLP, and Single Doppler Radar Data

The paper summarizes results from research conducted on thunderstorms in the vicinity of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Florida, between 1993 and 1998. The focus of the research was to identify procedures that would assist weather forecasters at the Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) in real-time detection and forecasting of the lightning threat to launches and daily ground operations at KSC/CCAS sites. The research was divided into three topics: (1) studies aimed at improving the forecasting of the initial cloud-ground (CG) lightning threat, (2) studies aimed at improving the forecasting of the end-of-storm termination of the CG lightning threat, and (3) studies of the location of CG strikes relative to the thunderstorm radar echo and to lightning discharges aloft. Only the first two topics are covered in this preprint.

Forbes, Gregory S.↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Characteristics of Total Lightning Activity in Severe Florida Thunderstorms

Severe thunderstorms are defined by specific exceedance criteria regarding either wind speed (greater than or equal to 50 kts), hailstone diameter (greater than or equal to 3/4 inch), the occurrence of a tornado, or any combination thereof. Although traditional radar signatures of severe thunderstorms have been well documented, the characteristics of associated total lightning activity (both intracloud and cloud-to-ground) of severe thunderstorms remain poorly established. The reason for this are (1) less than 1% of all storms are actually severe, (2) intracloud lightning, which is typically the dominant form of electrical discharge within thunderstorms, is not routinely measured or recorded, (3) direct visual observations of intracloud lightning are obscured during the daytime, and (4) the migratory nature of many severe thunderstorms can make the accurate detection and mapping of intracloud lightning difficult when using fixed-location sensors. The recent establishment of LISDAD (Lightning Imaging Sensor Data Acquisition and Display - discussed in Goodman et al, this Meeting) has substantially addressed these limitations in east central Florida (ECFL). Analysis of total lightning flash Count histories using the LDAR (Lightning Detection And Ranging) system for known severe thunderstorms (currently irrespective of seasonal aspects and severe storm-type) has revealed flash rates exceeding 1 per second. This appears to be a necessary, but not sufficient,condition for most ECFL severe storm cases. The differences in radar-observed storm structure for high flash rate storms (to include both severe and non-severe categories) will be described together with the timing of peak flash rate vs. the timing of the severe weather manifestation. Comparisons with the satellite-bases OTD (Optical Transient Detector) overhead passes will also be presented when possible.

Williams, E.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Revised Flora and List of Threatened and Endangered Plants for the John F. Kennedy Space Center Area, Florida

The vascular flora of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) area was first studied in the 1970's, and the list was revised in 1990. Nomenclatural and taxonomic changes as well as additional collections required a revision of this list. The revised list includes 1024 taxa of which 803 are native and 221 are introduced. This appears to be a substantial proportion of the regional flora. Fifty taxa are endemic or nearly endemic, a level of endemism that appears high for the east coast of Florida. Of the 221 introduced plants, twenty-six are Category I invasive exotics and fifteen are Category II invasive exotics. Thirty-eight taxa are listed as threatened, endangered, or of special concern on state lists. For some of these taxa, populations on KSC appear to be important for their regional and global survival. The bryophyte flora of the KSC area includes 23 mosses and 20 liverworts and hornworts. The lichen flora is currently unknown.

Schmalzer, Paul A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Multispectral In-situ Measurements of Organic Matter and Chlorophyll Fluorescence in Seawater: Documenting the Intrusion of the Mississippi River Plume in the West Florida Shelf

We performed multispectral in-situ fluorescence measurement of colored dissolved organic matter and chlorophyll in surface water of the West Florida Shelf using West Labs Spectral absorption and Fluorescence Instrument (SAFIre). Continuous measurements underway allowed us to simultaneously map the dispersion of riverine organic material and chlorophyll on the shelf. By using two fluorescence emission ratios we were able to differentiate between riverine and marine CDOM. Our data also showed unusually high concentrations of CDOM offshore. These were attributed to an intrusion of the Mississippi River Plume. We performed limited comparisons between in-situ chlorophyll concentrations measured with SAFIre and chlorophyll values obtained from SeaWiFS satellite data using OC4 and MODIS algorithm. Our results show that, although both algorithms overestimated chlorophyll, MODIS performed better than OC4, particularly in areas with high CDOM concentrations. Analysis of the relationship between chlorophyll and CDOM concentrations within the study area showed regional variability causes by differences in river source.

DelCastillo, Carlos E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Formation of a Tropopause Cirrus Layer Observed over Florida during CRYSTAL-FACE

On July 13, 2002, a widespread, thin tropopause cirrus layer occurred over the Florida region. This cloud was observed in great detail with the CRYSTAL-FACE instrumentation, including in-situ measurements with the WB-57 aircraft. We use this cloud case study to evaluate the physical processes controlling the formation and evolution of tropopause cirrus layers. Microphysics indicate ice crystal diameters in the cloud layer ranged from about 7 to 40 um, and the peak number mode was about 10-25 um. In-situ water vapor and temperature measurements in the cloud indicated supersaturation with respect to ice throughout, with ice saturation ratios as large as 1.8. TRajectory analysis shows that the air sampled near the tropopause on this day generally came from the north and cooled considerable during the previous days.Examination of visible satellite imagery indicates that the cloud layer formation was, in general, not simply left over ice from convectively generated anvil cirrus.

Jensen, Eric↗
NASA NTRS2004

Observations of Florida Convective Storms using Dual Wavelength Airborne Radar

NASA conducted the Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers (CRYSTAL) Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (FACE) during July 2002 for improved understanding of tropical cirrus. One of the goals was to improve the understanding of cirrus generation by convective updrafts. The reasons why some convective storms produce extensive cirrus anvils is only partially related to convective instability and the vertical transport ice mass by updrafts. Convective microphysics must also have an important role on cirrus generation, for example, there are hypotheses that homogeneous nucleation in convective updrafts is a major source of anvil ice particles. In this paper, we report on one intense CRYSTAL-FACE convective case on 16 July 2002 that produced extensive anvil. During CRYSTAL-FACE, up to 5 aircraft flying from low- to high-altitudes, were coordinated for the study of thunderstorm-generated cirrus. The NASA high-altitude (20 km) ER-2 aircraft with remote sensing objectives flew above the convection, and other aircraft such as the WB-57 performing in situ measurements flew below the ER-2. The ER-2 remote sensing instruments included two nadir viewing airborne radars. The CRS 94 GHz radar and the EDOP 9.6 GHz radar were flown together for the first time during CRYSTAL-FACE and they provided a unique opportunity to examine the structure of 16 July case from a dual-wavelength perspective. EDOP and CRS are complementary for studying convection and cirrus since CRS is more sensitive than EDOP for cirrus, and EDOP is considerably less attenuating in convective regions. In addition to the aircraft, coordinated ground-based radar measurements were taken with the NPOL S-Band (3 GHz) multiparameter radar. One of the initial goals was to determine whether dual-wavelength airborne measurements could identify supercooled water regions.

Heymsfield, G. M.↗