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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Metadata Schemas and Ontologies for Building Energy Applications: A Critical Review and Use Case Analysis

With the increasing digitalization of processes throughout the lifecycle of buildings, data exchanged between stakeholders and between building systems has grown significantly. However, a lack of semantic interoperability between data in different systems is still prevalent, hindering the development of applications that can be reused across buildings and limiting the scalability of innovative solutions. Semantics refers to the description of the meaning of the data in a way that can be consistently understood by applications. Recently, several competing initiatives have been developing metadata schemas and ontologies to express this semantic information for different applications in the building domain. This paper systematically reviews these schemas and conducts an analysis of five of them to evaluate their applicability to three high-value use cases for building operations: energy audits, automated fault detection and diagnostics and optimal control. The survey finds 40 schemas published in the last 10 years but but their actual use in industry is difficult to estimate. Among the five selected ontologies, several gaps are highlighted in relation to the three use cases. Recommendations for the future include better harmonization of these initiatives, more centralized repositories and search engines for these schemas as well as better industry engagement to facilitate their adoption.

Smart Building, Sematic, Metadata, Ontology, Data ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Optimization-Based Formulations for Short-Circuit Studies with Inverter-Interfaced Generation in PowerModelsProtection.jl

Protecting inverter-interfaced microgrids is challenging as conventional time-overcurrent protection becomes unusable due to the lack of fault current. There is a great need for novel protective relaying methods that enable the application of protection coordination on microgrids, thereby allowing for microgrids with larger areas and numbers of loads while not compromising reliable power delivery. Tools for modeling and analyzing such microgrids under fault conditions are necessary in order to help design such protective relaying and operate microgrids in a configuration that can be protected, though there is currently a lack of tools applicable to inverter-interfaced microgrids. This paper introduces the concept of applying an optimization problem formulation to the topic of inverter-interfaced microgrid fault modeling, and discusses how it can be employed both for simulating short-circuits and as a set of constraints for optimal microgrid operation to ensure protective device coordination.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Elaboration of Energy Balance: A Model for the Brazilian States

The energy balance constitutes a powerful management instrument for government agencies, as it offers an overview of the energy situation of the country (or region) and serves as a guide for energy policies and monitoring of these policies. Although Brazil has published the national energy balance for more than half a century, the national publication does not adequately address energy statistics at the level of the states. This occurs either due to the lack of specific data or the absence of total disaggregation. Accordingly, the elaboration and implementation of public policies for the energy sector in the Brazilian states lack consistent energy statistics. Therefore, this paper aims to present a model for the Brazilian states to elaborate the energy balance. The proposed model consists of applying internationally referenced methodologies to develop a user-friendly software, which includes automatic energy unit conversions, different chart styles, high-level data organization, and Sankey diagrams. As a result, the software can be adopted by local governments as a tool to maintain the state energy balance publication periodically, and hence obtain the detailed information necessary to manage and formulate energy policies. The advantage of the software is that it can be operated by non-experts and the energy flow as well as the entire report can be generated automatically. The proposed software was successfully used to generate the energy balance of the Mato Grosso do Sul state.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Augmented Reality Technologies for Radiation Safety Training: A Systematic Review of Sensor Integration and Visualization Approaches

This paper presents a comprehensive systematic review examining the application of augmented reality (AR) and sensor technologies for visualizing ionizing radiation in virtual training environments. The review methodology involved systematic identification and analysis of the relevant literature based on predetermined criteria including publication type, year of publication, application domain, and technological approach. The literature search encompassed publications from 2011 to 2021 across four major academic databases: Web of Science, Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, and Scopus. Through rigorous screening following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 23 research articles met the inclusion criteria for detailed analysis. From 404 initial database records, 360 were excluded during title/abstract screening (primarily for lacking AR components, radiation focus, or training applications) and 4 during full-text assessment (all for lacking sensor integration). The findings reveal that AR-based ionizing radiation visualization has been successfully implemented across diverse domains, including nuclear facility operations, medical procedures, CERN research activities, and educational and monitoring applications. The analysis identified multiple dimensions of impact, encompassing distinct benefits, emerging opportunities, and implementation challenges associated with AR deployment for ionizing radiation training. Each of these dimensions is comprehensively examined and documented within this review. Additionally, this study identifies critical research gaps that currently limit the full potential of AR technology in supporting ionizing radiation training programs. These gaps are systematically analyzed and discussed to establish clear directions for future research endeavors in this emerging field.

61 - RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Slicing Solutions for Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing

Both commercial and research applications of wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) have seen considerable growth in the additive manufacturing of metallic components. However, there remains a clear lack of a unified paradigm for toolpath generation when slicing parts for WAAM deposition. Existing toolpath generation options typically lack the appropriate features to account for all complexities of the WAAM process. This manuscript explores the key slicing challenges specific to toolpaths for WAAM geometry and pairs each consideration with multiple solutions to mitigate most negative effects on completed components. These challenges must be addressed to minimize voids, prevent bead collapse, and ensure deposited components accurately approximate the desired geometry. Slicing considerations are grouped into four general categories: geometric, process, thermal, and productivity. Geometric considerations are addressed with overhang compensation, corner-sharpening, and toolpath-smoothing features. Process considerations are addressed with start point configuration and controls for the bead lengths and end points. Thermal and productivity considerations are addressed with island optimization, multi-material printing, and connected insets. Finally, tools for the post-processing of generated G-code are explored. Overall, these solutions represent a critical set of slicing features used to improve generated toolpaths and the quality of the components deposited with those toolpaths.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

On a Unified Core Characterization Methodology to Support the Systematic Assessment of Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals Bearing Unconventional Carbon Ores and Sedimentary Strata

A significant gap exists in our understanding and ability to predict the spatial occurrence and extent of rare earth elements (REE) and certain critical minerals (CM) in sedimentary strata. This is largely due to a lack of existing, systematic, and well-distributed REE and CM samples and analyses in United States sedimentary basins. In addition, the type of sampling and characterization performed to date has generally lacked the resolution and approach required to constrain geologic and geographic heterogeneities typical of subsurface, mineral resources. Here, we describe a robust and systematic method for collecting core scale characterization data that can be applied to studies on the contextual and spatial attributes, the geologic history, and lithostratigraphy of sedimentary basins. The methods were developed using drilled cores from coal bearing sedimentary strata in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming (PRB). The goal of this effort is to create a unified core characterization methodology to guide systematic collection of key data to achieve a foundation of spatially and geologically constrained REEs and CMs. This guidance covers a range of measurement types and methods that are each useful either individually or in combination to support characterization and delineation of REE and CM occurrences. The methods herein, whether used in part or in full, establish a framework to guide consistent acquisition of geological, geochemical, and geospatial datasets that are key to assessing and validating REE and CM occurrences from geologic sources to support future exploration, assessment, and techno-economic related models and analyses.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Development of Novel Small-Molecule Activators of Pyruvate Kinase Muscle Isozyme 2, PKM2, to Reduce Photoreceptor Apoptosis

Treatment options are lacking to prevent photoreceptor death and subsequent vision loss. Previously, we demonstrated that reprogramming metabolism via the pharmacologic activation of PKM2 is a novel photoreceptor neuroprotective strategy. However, the features of the tool compound used in those studies, ML-265, preclude its advancement as an intraocular, clinical candidate. This study sought to develop the next generation of small-molecule PKM2 activators, aimed specifically for delivery into the eye. Compounds were developed that replaced the thienopyrrolopyridazinone core of ML-265 and modified the aniline and methyl sulfoxide functional groups. Compound 2 demonstrated that structural changes to the ML-265 scaffold are tolerated from a potency and efficacy standpoint, allow for a similar binding mode to the target, and circumvent apoptosis in models of outer retinal stress. To overcome the low solubility and problematic functional groups of ML-265, compound 2’s efficacious and versatile core structure for the incorporation of diverse functional groups was then utilized to develop novel PKM2 activators with improved solubility, lack of structural alerts, and retained potency. No other molecules are in the pharmaceutical pipeline for the metabolic reprogramming of photoreceptors. Thus, this study is the first to cultivate the next generation of novel, structurally diverse, small-molecule PKM2 activators for delivery into the eye.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Cytoplasmic Receptor-like Kinase Contributes to Salinity Tolerance

Receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs) are receptor kinases that lack extracellular ligand-binding domains and have emerged as a major class of signaling proteins that regulate plant cellular activities in response to biotic/abiotic stresses and endogenous extracellular signaling molecules. We have identified a rice RLCK (OsRLCK311) that was significantly higher in transgenic pSARK-IPT rice (Oryza sativa) that exhibited enhanced growth under saline conditions. Overexpression of OsRLCK311 full-length protein (RLCK311FL) and the C-terminus of OsRLCK311 (ΔN) in Arabidopsis confirmed its role in salinity tolerance, both in seedlings and mature plants. Protein interaction assays indicated that OsRLCK311 and ΔN interacted in-vivo with the plasma membrane AQP AtPIP2;1. The RLCK311-PIP2;1 binding led to alterations in the stomata response to ABA, which was characterized by more open stomata of transgenic plants. Moreover, OsRLCK311-ΔN effect in mediating enhanced plant growth under saline conditions was also observed in the perennial grass Brachypodium sylvaticum, confirming its role in both dicots and monocots species. Lastly, OsRLCK311 interacted with the rice OsPIP2;1. We suggest that the rice OsRLCK311 play a role in regulating the plant growth response under saline conditions via the regulation of the stomata response to stress. This role seems to be independent of the RLCK311 kinase activity, since the overexpression of the RLCK311 C-terminus (ΔN), which lacks the kinase full domain, has a similar phenotype to RLCK311FL.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Benefits and Critical Knowledge Gaps in Determining the Role of Floating Photovoltaics in the Energy-Water-Food Nexus

Floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) systems have become an increasingly attractive application of photovoltaics (PV) because of land-use constraints, the cost of land and site preparation, and the perceived energy and environmental co-benefits. Despite the increasing interest in FPV systems, a robust validation of their suggested co-benefits and impacts on the nexus of energy, water, and food (EWF) systems is lacking. This information gap makes it challenging for decision makers to justify its adoption—potentially suppressing FPV deployment. To address this gap and to help de-risk this PV deployment opportunity, we (1) review the suggested co-benefits of FPV systems with a focus on the impacts that could alleviate pressures on EWF systems and (2) identify areas where further research is needed to reduce uncertainty around FPV system performance. Our review reveals that EWF nexus-relevant co-benefits, such as improved panel efficiency and reduced land usage, are corroborated in the literature, whereas others, such as water quality impacts, lack empirical evidence. Our findings indicate that further research is needed to quantify the water-related and broader economic, environmental, social, sustainability, justice, and resilience co-benefits and impacts of FPV systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Portable Rabies Virus Sequencing in Canine Rabies Endemic Countries Using the Oxford Nanopore MinION

As countries with endemic canine rabies progress towards elimination by 2030, it will become necessary to employ techniques to help plan, monitor, and confirm canine rabies elimination. Sequencing can provide critical information to inform control and vaccination strategies by identifying genetically distinct virus variants that may have different host reservoir species or geographic distributions. However, many rabies testing laboratories lack the resources or expertise for sequencing, especially in remote or rural areas where human rabies deaths are highest. We developed a low-cost, high throughput rabies virus sequencing method using the Oxford Nanopore MinION portable sequencer. A total of 259 sequences were generated from diverse rabies virus isolates in public health laboratories lacking rabies virus sequencing capacity in Guatemala, India, Kenya, and Vietnam. Phylogenetic analysis provided valuable insight into rabies virus diversity and distribution in these countries and identified a new rabies virus lineage in Kenya, the first published canine rabies virus sequence from Guatemala, evidence of rabies spread across an international border in Vietnam, and importation of a rabid dog into a state working to become rabies-free in India. Taken together, our evaluation highlights the MinION’s potential for low-cost, high volume sequencing of pathogens in locations with limited resources.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Design, Manufacture, and Testing of an Open-Source Benchmark Composite Hydrokinetic Turbine Blade: Preprint

In a trend toward clean energy alternatives, recent years have seen great strides in the marine energy space. Consequently, there is a pressing need for the design, development, and validation of novel energy harvesting technologies such as hydrokinetic devices, which capture kinetic energy from waves, tides, and currents. However, these devices span numerous concepts and designs that often lack solid benchmark research that can be freely referenced throughout their development. This work focuses on the design process of an open-source composite hydrokinetic turbine blade for a three-bladed marine turbine rotor assembly with a diameter of 2.5 m. The proposed blade consists of two structural composite skins that are bonded with an adhesive and filled with a foam core. This study also explores and contrasts the efficiency and resolution of low-fidelity rapid design methodologies and comprehensive high-fidelity approaches in the context of blade design, modeling, and analysis efforts, a key objective in this research. Blade hydrodynamic loads were modeled and applied to finite-element blade models to study deformations and potential failure. Ongoing and upcoming efforts will result in blade manufacture and structural testing at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In future work, multiple blades will be deployed at the Living Bridge site at the University of New Hampshire and will be compared to rigid aluminum blades of the same geometry, developed by Sandia National Laboratories. Ultimately, this research will lay foundational groundwork for researchers and manufacturers, establishing a baseline composite blade design that will serve as a benchmark in the development of future hydrokinetic turbine blades.

blade design↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nondetection of Helium in the Upper Atmospheres of Three Sub-Neptune Exoplanets

We present a search for helium in the upper atmospheres of three sub-Neptune-sized planets to investigate the origins of these ubiquitous objects. The detection of helium for a low-density planet would be strong evidence for the presence of a primary atmosphere accreted from the protoplanetary nebula because large amounts of helium are not expected in the secondary atmospheres of rocky planets. We used Keck+NIRSPEC to obtain high-resolution transit spectroscopy of the planets GJ 1214b, GJ 9827d, and HD 97658b around the 10833 Å He triplet feature. We did not detect helium absorption for any of the planets despite achieving a high level of sensitivity. We used the nondetections to set limits on the planets’ thermosphere temperatures and atmospheric loss rates by comparing grids of 1D models to the data. We also performed coupled interior structure and atmospheric loss calculations, which suggest that the bulk atmospheres (winds) of the planets would be at most modestly enhanced (depleted) in helium relative to their primordial composition. Our lack of detections of the helium triplet for GJ 1214b and GJ 9827d is highly inconsistent with the predictions of models for the present-day mass loss on these planets. Higher signal-to-noise data would be needed to detect the helium feature predicted for HD 97658b. We identify uncertainties in the extreme-ultraviolet fluxes of the host stars and the lack of detailed mass-loss models specifically for cool and metal-enhanced atmospheres as the main limitations to the interpretation of our results. Ultimately, our results suggest that the upper atmospheres of sub-Neptune planets are fundamentally different from those of gas giant planets.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

The High-energy Spectrum of the Nearby Planet-hosting Inactive Mid-M Dwarf LHS 3844

To fully characterize the atmospheres, or lack thereof, of terrestrial exoplanets, we must include the high-energy environments provided by their host stars. The nearby mid-M dwarf LHS 3844 hosts a terrestrial world that lacks a substantial atmosphere. We present a time-series UV spectrum of LHS 3844 from 1131 to 3215 Å captured by HST/COS. We detect one flare in the FUV that has an absolute energy of 8.96 ± 0.77 × 10{sup 28} erg and an equivalent duration of 355 ± 31 s. We extract the flare and quiescent UV spectra separately. For each spectrum, we estimate the Lyα flux using correlations between UV line strengths. We use Swift-XRT to place an upper limit on the soft X-ray flux and construct a differential emission model to estimate flux that is obscured by the interstellar medium. We compare the differential emission model flux estimates in the XUV to other methods that rely on scaling from the Lyα, Si iv, and N v lines in the UV. The XUV, FUV, and NUV flux of LHS 3844 relative to its bolometric luminosity is log{sub 10}(L {sub band}/L {sub Bol}) =−3.65, −4.16, and −4.48, respectively, for the quiescent state. These values agree with trends in high-energy flux as a function of stellar effective temperature found by the MUSCLES survey for a sample of early-M dwarfs. Many of the most spectroscopically accessible terrestrial exoplanets orbit inactive mid-to-late M dwarfs like LHS 3844. Measurements of M dwarf high-energy spectra are preferable for exoplanet characterization but are not always possible. The spectrum of LHS 3844 is a useful proxy for the current radiation environment for these worlds.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

An Optical Overview of Blazars with LAMOST. II. Gamma-Ray Blazar Candidates and Updated Classifications

Blazars represent the dominant class of associated γ-ray sources detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). However, in the more recent release of the Fourth Fermi-LAT Point Source Catalog (4FGL), ∼25% of the sources associated with lower-energy counterparts show a multifrequency behavior similar to that of blazars, but lacks an optical spectroscopic confirmation of their nature and are therefore classified as Blazar Candidates of Uncertain Type (BCUs). A particularly challenging task in blazar studies is to classify these BCUs and, when possible to estimate their redshifts, in particular for BL Lac objects, characterized by almost featureless optical spectra with only weak emission lines. Continuing our study of blazars with Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) optical spectral data, we perform an extensive search for optical spectra available in the LAMOST Data Release 6 archive. Our aim is confirming the blazar nature of BCUs and to test if new data can allow us to get a redshift estimate for BL Lac objects that lack measurement, as well as to search for and discover changing-look blazars. We selected sources out of the 4FGL catalog, the list of targets from our follow-up spectroscopic campaign of unidentified and/or unassociated γ-ray sources, and the Roma-BZCAT multifrequency catalog of blazars, finding a total of 42 sources with available LAMOST DR6 spectra. We confirmed the blazar-like nature of four blazar candidates . For the remaining 37 sources we confirm their previous classification.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

R Coronae Borealis Star Evolution: Simulating 3D Merger Events to 1D Stellar Evolution Including Large-scale Nucleosynthesis

R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars are rare hydrogen-deficient carbon-rich variable supergiants thought to be the result of dynamically unstable white dwarf mergers. In this article, we attempt to model RCB stars through all the relevant timescales by simulating a merger event in Octo-tiger, a 3D adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) hydrodynamics code, and mapping the post-merger object into MESA, a 1D stellar evolution code. We then post-process the nucleosynthesis on a much larger nuclear reaction network to study the enhancement of s-process elements. We present models that match observations or previous studies in most surface abundances, isotopic ratios, early evolution, and lifetimes. We also observe similar mixing behavior to previous modeling attempts that result in the partial He-burning products visible on the surface in observations. However, we do note that our subsolar models lack any enhancement in s-process elements, which we attribute to a lack of hydrogen in the envelope. We also find that the 16 O/ 18 O isotopic ratio is very sensitive to initial hydrogen abundance and increases outside of the acceptable range with a hydrogen mass fraction greater than 10 -4 .

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Systematic Search for MeV–GeV Pulsar Wind Nebulae without Gamma-Ray Detected Pulsars

An increasing number of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) are being identified in the TeV band by ground-based Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes such that they constitute the dominant source class of Galactic TeV emitters. However, MeV–GeV PWN counterparts are still largely lacking. To date, only a dozen PWNe are identified by the Fermi–Large Area Telescope (LAT) in the MeV–GeV band. Most PWNe are located along the Galactic plane embedded within the prominent, diffuse Galactic γ-ray emission, which makes these sources difficult to disentangle from the bright diffuse background. We present a systematic search for γ-ray counterparts to known PWNe in the 300 MeV–2 TeV energy band using the Fermi–LAT. We target the locations of previously identified PWNe that lack detected Fermi–LAT pulsars to minimize associated pulsar contamination. The sample includes six previously identified Fermi PWNe and eight Fermi–LAT sources associated with PWNe. We report the analysis of 58 regions of interest and classify Fermi–LAT detected sources as either a likely PWN or a candidate PWN counterpart based on their morphological and spectral characteristics across the broadband spectrum. There are nine unidentified Fermi–LAT sources that we consider as likely PWN counterparts, which, if confirmed to be PWNe, would greatly increase the PWN population detected by the Fermi–LAT from 12 to 21. The remaining Fermi–LAT detected sources are considered weaker PWN candidates. A second approach in the systematic search for γ-ray emitting PWNe will involve studying the off-pulse phases of Fermi–LAT detected pulsars for the presence of an obscured PWN and will be reported in a subsequent paper.

Acharyya, A. [Univ. of Southern Denmark, Odense (D↗
DOE OSTI2020

Constraining the Twomey effect from satellite observations: issues and perspectives

Abstract. The Twomey effect describes the radiative forcing associated with a change in cloud albedo due to an increase in anthropogenic aerosol emissions. It is driven by the perturbation in cloud droplet number concentration (ΔNd, ant) in liquid-water clouds and is currently understood to exert a cooling effect on climate. The Twomey effect is the key driver in the effective radiative forcing due to aerosol–cloud interactions, but rapid adjustments also contribute. These adjustments are essentially the responses of cloud fraction and liquid water path to ΔNd, ant and thus scale approximately with it. While the fundamental physics of the influence of added aerosol particles on the droplet concentration (Nd) is well described by established theory at the particle scale (micrometres), how this relationship is expressed at the large-scale (hundreds of kilometres) perturbation, ΔNd, ant, remains uncertain. The discrepancy between process understanding at particle scale and insufficient quantification at the climate-relevant large scale is caused by co-variability of aerosol particles and updraught velocity and by droplet sink processes. These operate at scales on the order of tens of metres at which only localised observations are available and at which no approach yet exists to quantify the anthropogenic perturbation. Different atmospheric models suggest diverse magnitudes of the Twomey effect even when applying the same anthropogenic aerosol emission perturbation. Thus, observational data are needed to quantify and constrain the Twomey effect. At the global scale, this means satellite data. There are four key uncertainties in determining ΔNd, ant, namely the quantification of (i) the cloud-active aerosol – the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations at or above cloud base, (ii) Nd, (iii) the statistical approach for inferring the sensitivity of Nd to aerosol particles from the satellite data and (iv) uncertainty in the anthropogenic perturbation to CCN concentrations, which is not easily accessible from observational data. This review discusses deficiencies of current approaches for the different aspects of the problem and proposes several ways forward: in terms of CCN, retrievals of optical quantities such as aerosol optical depth suffer from a lack of vertical resolution, size and hygroscopicity information, non-direct relation to the concentration of aerosols, difficulty to quantify it within or below clouds, and the problem of insufficient sensitivity at low concentrations, in addition to retrieval errors. A future path forward can include utilising co-located polarimeter and lidar instruments, ideally including high-spectral-resolution lidar capability at two wavelengths to maximise vertically resolved size distribution information content. In terms of Nd, a key problem is the lack of operational retrievals of this quantity and the inaccuracy of the retrieval especially in broken-cloud regimes. As for the Nd-to-CCN sensitivity, key issues are the updraught distributions and the role of Nd sink processes, for which empirical assessments for specific cloud regimes are currently the best solutions. These considerations point to the conclusion that past studies using existing approaches have likely underestimated the true sensitivity and, thus, the radiative forcing due to the Twomey effect.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Reducing uncertainties in satellite estimates of aerosol–cloud interactions over the subtropical ocean by integrating vertically resolved aerosol observations

Satellite quantification of aerosol effects on clouds relies on aerosol optical depth (AOD) as a proxy for aerosol concentration or cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). However, the lack of error characterization of satellite-based results hampers their use for the evaluation and improvement of global climate models. We show that the use of AOD for assessing aerosol–cloud interactions (ACIs) is inadequate over vast oceanic areas in the subtropics. Instead, we postulate that a more physical approach that consists of matching vertically resolved aerosol data from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite at the cloud-layer height with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua cloud retrievals reduces uncertainties in satellite-based ACI estimates. Combined aerosol extinction coefficients (σ) below cloud top (σBC) from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) and cloud droplet number concentrations (N d ) from MODIS Aqua yield high correlations across a broad range of σBC values, with σBC quartile correlations ≥0.78. In contrast, CALIOP-based AOD yields correlations with MODIS Nd of 0.54–0.62 for the two lower AOD quartiles. Moreover, σBC explains 41% of the spatial variance in MODIS N d , whereas AOD only explains 17%, primarily caused by the lack of spatial covariability in the eastern Pacific. Compared with σBC, near-surface σ weakly correlates in space with MODIS N d , accounting for a 16% variance. It is concluded that the linear regression calculated from ln(N d )–ln(σBC) (the standard method for quantifying ACIs) is more physically meaningful than that derived from the Nd–AOD pair.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗