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At least 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

Topographic Evidence for Eruptive Style Changes and Magma Evolution of Small Plains-style Volcanoes on Earth and Mars

Topographic profiles and surface characteristics of small (5 - 25 km diameter) plains-style shield volcanoes on the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) provide a method to evaluate eruptive processes and magmatic evolution on Martian volcanic plains. The ESRP is an ideal place to observe Mars-like volcanic features where hundreds of small monogenetic basaltic shields dominate the volcanic-sedimentary depositional sequence, and numerous planetary analogues are evident: coalescent mafic shields, hydromagmatic explosive eruptions, the interaction of lava flows with surficial water and glacial ice, and abundant eolian sand and loess. Single flows cannot be correlated over great distances, and are spatially restricted. These relations are useful for planetary exploration when inferring volcanic evolutionary patterns in lava plains represented by numerous eruptive vents. High spatial resolution imagery and digital topographic data for Mars from MOC, MOLA, and THEMIS is allowing for improvements in the level of detail of stratigraphic mapping of fields of small (< 25 km in diameter) volcanoes as well as studies of the morphological characteristics of individual volcanoes. In order to compare Mars and Earth volcanic features, elevation data from U.S.G.S. 10-meter digital elevation models (DEMs) and high-precision GPS field measurements are used in this study to generate approx. 20m spacing topographic profiles from which slope and surface morphology can be extracted. Average ESRP flank and crater slopes are calculated using 100 - 200 m spacing for optimum comparison to MOLA data, and to reduce the effects of surface irregularities.

Hughes, S. S.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Electron energy loss spectroscopy techniques for the study of microbial chromium(VI) reduction

Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) techniques were used to determine oxidation state, at high spatial resolution, of chromium associated with the metal-reducing bacteria, Shewanella oneidensis, in anaerobic cultures containing Cr(VI)O4(2-). These techniques were applied to fixed cells examined in thin section by conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as unfixed, hydrated bacteria examined by environmental cell (EC)-TEM. Two distinct populations of bacteria were observed by TEM: bacteria exhibiting low image contrast and bacteria exhibiting high contrast in their cell membrane (or boundary) structure which was often encrusted with high-contrast precipitates. Measurements by EELS demonstrated that cell boundaries became saturated with low concentrations of Cr and the precipitates encrusting bacterial cells contained a reduced form of Cr in oxidation state + 3 or lower.

Evaluation Studies↗
NASA NTRS1976

High resolution radiometric measurements of convective storms during the GATE experiment

Using passive microwave data from the NASA CV-990 aircraft and radar data collected during the Global Atmospheric Research Program Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE), an empirical model was developed relating brightness temperatures sensed at 19.35 GHz to surface rainfall rates. This model agreed well with theoretical computations of the relationship between microwave radiation and precipitation in the tropics. The GATE aircraft microwave data was then used to determine the detailed structure of convective systems. The high spatial resolution of the data permitted identification of individual cells which retained unique identities throughout their lifetimes in larger cloud masses and allowed analysis of the effects of cloud merger.

Fowler, G.↗
NASA NTRS2013

A Lyman Break Galaxy in the Epoch of Reionization from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Grism Spectroscopy

Slitless grism spectroscopy from space offers dramatic advantages for studying high redshift galaxies: high spatial resolution to match the compact sizes of the targets, a dark and uniform sky background, and simultaneous observation over fields ranging from five square arcminutes (HST) to over 1000 square arcminutes (Euclid). Here we present observations of a galaxy at z = 6.57 the end of the reioinization epoch identified using slitless HST grism spectra from the PEARS survey (Probing Evolution And Reionization Spectroscopically) and reconfirmed with Keck + DEIMOS. This high redshift identification is enabled by the depth of the PEARS survey. Substantially higher redshifts are precluded for PEARS data by the declining sensitivity of the ACS grism at greater than lambda 0.95 micrometers. Spectra of Lyman breaks at yet higher redshifts will be possible using comparably deep observations with IR-sensitive grisms.

Rhoads, James E.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Modeling MESSENGER Observations of Calcium in Mercury's Exosphere

The Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) on the MESSENGER spacecraft has made the first high-spatial-resolution observations of exospheric calcium at Mercury. We use a Monte Carlo model of the exosphere to track the trajectories of calcium atoms ejected from the surface until they are photoionized, escape from the system, or stick to the surface. This model permits an exploration of exospheric source processes and interactions among neutral atoms, solar radiation, and the planetary surface. The MASCS data have suggested that a persistent, high-energy source of calcium that was enhanced in the dawn, equatorial region of Mercury was active during MESSENGER's three flybys of Mercury and during the first seven orbits for which MASCS obtained data. The total Ca source rate from the surface varied between 1.2x10(exp 23) and 2.6x10(exp 23) Ca atoms/s, if its temperature was 50,000 K. The origin of this high-energy, asymmetric source is unknown, although from this limited data set it does not appear to be consistent with micrometeoroid impact vaporization, ion sputtering, electron-stimulated desorption, or vaporization at dawn of material trapped on the cold nightside.

Messenger↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Mapping Inundation from Hurricane Florence (2018) with L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar, Commercial Imagery, and Ancillary Data via Machine Learning Classification

During and after flooding events, mapping the extent of floodwaters aids in the distribution of resources, recovery efforts, and damage assessment practices. Development of a land cover classification system focused on mapping inundation after major hurricane events using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data could allow for the production of near-real-time inundation mapping, enabling government and emergency response entities to get a preliminary idea of a developing situation. Complimentary optical and SAR images from domestic and foreign entities are brought together through activations of the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters to support response efforts, from true-color, near-infrared, and thermal remote sensing data obtained by NASA, NOAA, and international satellites to the collection of high-resolution true color aerial photography by NOAA and the National Geodetic Survey. In response to Hurricane Florence of 2018, NASA JPL collected numerous swaths of quad-pol L-band SAR data with the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) instrument observing the record-setting river stages across North and South Carolina. The resulting fully-polarized SAR images allow for mapping of inundation extent at a high spatial resolution with a unique advantage over optical imaging stemming from the sensor’s ability to penetrate cloud cover and dense vegetation. In this study, true-color NOAA aerial and commercial satellite imagery are used in conjunction with four UAVSAR data swaths centered on the Lumberton and Cape Fear River basins in southeastern North Carolina to develop a Random Forest classification model focused on mapping open water and floodwater otherwise obscured by vegetation or lingering cloud cover. Ancillary building footprint, transportation route, and population data will also be incorporated into the classification scheme to estimate the societal impacts of flooding based on the proximity of features to detected inundation. Preliminary results from the Hurricane Florence case study will be discussed in addition to the limitations of available validation data for assessment of the classifier’s accuracy.

Alexander M Melancon↗
NASA NTRS1989

Geology of Southern Guinevere Planitia, Venus, based on analyses of Goldstone radar data

The ensemble of 41 backscatter images of Venus acquired by the S Band (12.6 cm) Goldstone radar system covers approx. 35 million km and includes the equatorial portion of Guinevere Planitia, Navka Planitia, Heng-O Chasma, and Tinatin Planitia, and parts of Devana Chasma and Phoebe Regio. The images and associated altimetry data combine relatively high spatial resolution (1 to 10 km) with small incidence angles (less than 10 deg) for regions not covered by either Venera Orbiter or Arecibo radar data. Systematic analyses of the Goldstone data show that: (1) Volcanic plains dominate, including groups of small volcanic constructs, radar bright flows on a NW-SE arm of Phoebe Regio and on Ushas Mons and circular volcano-tectonic depressions; (2) Some of the regions imaged by Goldstone have high radar cross sections, including the flows on Ushas Mons and the NW-SE arm of Phoebe Regio, and several other unnamed hills, ridged terrains, and plains areas; (3) A 1000 km diameter multiringed structure is observed and appears to have a morphology not observed in Venera data (The northern section corresponds to Heng-O Chasma); (4) A 150 km wide, 2 km deep, 1400 km long rift valley with upturned flanks is located on the western flank of Phoebe Regio and extends into Devana Chasma; (5) A number of structures can be discerned in the Goldstone data, mainly trending NW-SE and NE-SW, directions similar to those discerned in Pioneer-Venus topography throughout the equatorial region; and (6) The abundance of circular and impact features is similar to the plains global average defined from Venera and Arecibo data, implying that the terrain imaged by Goldstone has typical crater retention ages, measured in hundreds of millions of years. The rate of resurfacing is less than or equal to 4 km/Ga.

Arvidson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Design of a normal incidence multilayer imaging X-ray microscope

Normal incidence multilayer Cassegrain X-ray telescopes were flown on the Stanford/MSFC Rocket X-ray Spectroheliograph. These instruments produced high spatial resolution images of the sun and conclusively demonstrated that doubly reflecting multilayer X-ray optical systems are feasible. The images indicated that aplanatic imaging soft X-ray/EUV microscopes should be achievable using multilayer optics technology. A doubly reflecting normal incidence multilayer imaging X-ray microscope based on the Schwarzschild configuration has been designed. The design of the microscope and the results of the optical system ray trace analysis are discussed. High resolution aplanatic imaging X-ray microscopes using normal incidence multilayer X-ray mirrors should have many important applications in advanced X-ray astronomical instrumentation, X-ray lithography, biological, biomedical, metallurgical, and laser fusion research.

Shealy, David L.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Satellite Estimates of Momentum Fluxes from High-Impact Gravity Wave Events in the Stratosphere and Their Effects on Circulation

Recent assessments of chemistry-climate models (CCMs) reveal biases in temperatures and winds in, especially but not limited to, the Southern Hemisphere stratosphere, where winds are generally too strong and temperatures too cold. The reasons for these biases are not completely understood, but it is thought that missing wave drag in models is a major culprit. Observational and modeling studies support this idea by elucidating the role of infrequent but very high-impact gravity wave events in the stratosphere. These highly intermittent gravity wave events with large momentum fluxes are the most important drivers of circulation and transport in the stratosphere, yet they are not treated correctly in most global models. This has implications for the cold pole problem in the Southern Hemisphere and the global Brewer-Dobson circulation in general. In this presentation we show results combining HIRDLS and AIRS to derive detailed gravity wave properties and obtain new quantitative estimates of the local and intermittent gravity wave drag in the stratosphere. The combination of high-vertical resolution (1 km) and near-global (60°S to 80°N), close horizontal sampling (100 km) makes HIRDLS temperatures the best available dataset for retrieving gravity wave properties needed to diagnose gravity wave effects on circulation. We further exploit the close zonal sampling of HIRDLS near the turnaround latitude in the Southern Hemisphere to obtain estimates of the missing drag. We combine the HIRDLS results with AIRS brightness temperature images, which reveal high-spatial resolution detail of long vertical wavelength waves, to obtain 3-D, day-to-day variability in gravity wave properties and attribute the wave events to wave sources. The AIRS and HIRDLS datasets complement each other well since the two instruments have very different resolutions and horizontal sampling.

Holt, Laura↗
NASA NTRS2002

Chandra X-Ray Observations of the Jovian System

High-spatial resolution Chandra x-ray observations have demonstrated that most of Jupiter's northern auroral x-rays come from a hot spot located significantly poleward of the latitudes connected to the inner magnetosphere. This hot spot appears fixed in magnetic latitude and longitude and coincides with a region exhibiting anomalous ultraviolet and infrared emissions. The hot spot also exhibited approximately 45 minute quasi-periodic oscillations, a period similar to those reported for high-latitude radio and energetic electron bursts observed by near-Jupiter spacecraft. These results invalidate the idea that jovian auroral x-ray emissions are mainly excited by steady precipitation of energetic heavy ions from the inner magnetosphere. Instead, the x-rays appear to result from currently unexplained processes in the outer magnetosphere that produce highly localized and highly variable emissions over an extremely wide range of wavelengths. The Chandra observations also revealed for the first time x-ray emission (about 0.1 GW) from the Io Plasma Torus, as well as very faint x-ray emission (about 1-2 MW) from the Galilean moons Io, Europa, and possibly Ganymede. The emission from the moons is almost certainly due to Kalpha emission of surface atoms (and possibly impact atoms) excited by the impact of highly energetic protons, oxygen, and sulfur atoms and ions from the Torus. The Torus emission is less well understood at present, although bremsstrahlung from the non-thermal tail of the electron distribution may provide a significant fraction. In any case, further observations, already accepted and in the process of being planned, with Chandra, some with the moderate energy resolution of the CCD camera, together with simultaneous Hubble Space Telescope observations and hopefully ground-based IRTF observations should soon provide greater insight into these various processes.

Elsner, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence and Reconnection in the Magnetotail

We have used a global MHD simulation with high spatial resolution to investigate the origin and properties of turbulence in the plasma sheet. In this simulation we imposed a steady southward IMF with a magnitude of 5 nT at the upstream simulation boundary for more than three hours followed by ninety minutes of northward IMF of the same magnitude. The solar wind number density was 20 cm-3, the thermal pressure was 20 pPa, and the velocity was 500 km/s in the x direction. The moderately high dynamic pressure confined the magnetotail to the high-grid resolution region. Even for these nominal solar wind parameters and steady driving the plasma sheet became turbulent. The power spectral densities and probability distribution functions computed from the simulations were comparable to those obtained from spacecraft observations. The largest scale vortices were associated with reconnection outflows and, in the southward IMF case, with the diversion of high speed flows in the near-Earth region. Both time and space domain analyses revealed that there were three scales present, the large scale of the driving processes, the intermediate inertial scale and the dissipative scale.

El-Alaoui, Mostafa↗
NASA NTRS2019

Fusion of Surface Ceilometer Data and Satellite Cloud Retrievals in 2D Mesh Interpolating Model with Clustering

For accurate cloud ceiling information, a data fusion approach is proposed that utilizes satellite data to extend surface station information to much wider areas. Cloud base height (CBH) retrieved from satellite observations provides for much larger spatial coverage and higher resolution. The direct comparison of GOES-16 CBH with surface station ceiling yields a local bias that has to be corrected for in the initial GOES-16 cloud base information. This sparsely sampled bias correction presents an irregular 2D mesh of control points, which is then interpolated by constructing a continuous smooth field using polyharmonic splines. The influence of remote stations is restricted by grouping the control points into clusters depending on an effective distance. This cluster-based approach allows for constructing separate spline surfaces corresponding to physically different clouds. The obtained continuous bias correction function is then applied to the entire GOES-16 pixel level CBH except for areas far away from surface stations in data sparse regions such as offshore. The described method is currently being tested using daytime-only observations over the central and eastern United States. Overall, this approach has potential to provide more accurate, high spatial resolution cloud ceiling information for the aviation community.

Khlopenkov, Konstantin↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Unit of Lightning

For the past century, scientists have made quantitative measurements of lightning discharges. In the process, they refined the definition of a lightning unit, or basic quantum of lightning, in order to base it on observable parameters. Although many components of a lightning discharge have been identified, lightning usually occur in groups of discharges or pulses that, although complex, can be organized into units of flashes. This unit definition is based mainly on measurements of lightning from electric field, video, and ground flash lightning locating networks. More recent instrumentation with various combinations of high sensitivity, high temporal, or high spatial resolution often measure signals produced by lightning that do not cleanly divide into flashes. The data from these systems indicate the need or a more fundamental unit for lightning. Such a unit would be of benefit for both basic understanding of lightning and comparing lightning information between instruments. Without a common lightning unit definition, intercomparisons are difficult. For an example, the Lightning Detection And Ranging system (LDAR) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) have detected ,flash' rates as high as 600 per minute while analysis based on the Advanced Ground Based Field Mill network (AGBFM) detect only 33 "flashes" per minute in the same area and time periods. The satellite based Optical Transient Detector (OTD) and Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) sometimes see single "flashes" that last longer than 10 seconds. Such long duration flashes are not found in electric field records or ground strike location system data sets. The unit of lightning should be based on the fundamental components of the lightning discharge. This should make the unit as generally applicable as possible. For example, studies of NO(x) production by lightning depend on parameters of the individual lightning channels and not the summary flash characteristics. For such studies, the best unit of lightning may be closer to the classical stroke in the electric field data sets, flash in the LDAR data sets, and group in the OTD/LIS data sets. For this type of study, however, more than just the stroke count information is needed. In this paper, we will outline the current definitions of the unit of lightning and propose new basic definitions for the unit of lightning. Since different instruments detect lightning in different ways and different studies may need almost mutually exclusive aspects of the lightning discharge, there may not be a single definition of the unit of lightning that can be applied to all systems and all studies. However, common components can be found since all instrumentation are detecting aspects of the same phenomenon.

Mach, Douglas M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Studying cataclysmic variables with the Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope with its UV and imaging capabilities will allow new methods of investigating cataclysmic variables to be used. It provides the first opportunity to obtain high-time-resolution UV observations of cataclysmic variables, both spectroscopically and photometrically. Phase-resolved observations of eclipses can now be obtained which will allow the UV surface-brightness distributions in accretion disks to be studied. Eclipses of white dwarfs that were not visible in optical light will be detected in some systems. Other variations such as dips (in dwarf novae, intermediate polars, and polars), flickering, and oscillations can also be resolved for the first time in the UV. High-spatial-resolution, long-slit spectroscopy, and imaging with the FOC and WF/PC can be used to study the physical condition and morphology of ejected material around novae, recurrent novae, and precataclysmic variables. The UV and H-alpha imaging capabilities will also enable searches for cataclysmic variables in globular clusters to be carried out further into their cores than has been possible before.

Wood, Janet H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Galileo imaging results from the second Earth-Moon flyby: Lunar Maria and related units

The second flyby of the Earth-Moon System by Galileo occurred on December 7, 1992, on its trajectory toward Jupiter. The flyby took the spacecraft over the lunar north polar region from the dark farside and continued across the illuminated nearside. This provided the first opportunity to observe northern and northeastern limb regions with a modern, multispectral imaging system with high spatial resolution (up to 1.1 km/pixel). Scientific objectives included compositional assessment of previously uncharacterized mare regions, study of various light plains materials, and assessment of dark mantle deposits (DMD) and dark halo craters (DHC). Color composite images were prepared from ratios of Galileo SSI filter data (0.76/0.41 yields red; 0.76/0.99 yields green; 0.41/0.76 yields blue) and used for preliminary comparison of units. The 0.41/0.76 ratio has been empirically correlated to Ti content of mare soils (blue is relatively high, red is relatively low). The relative strengths of the ferrous one micron absorption in mafic minerals can be compared using the 0.76/0.99 ratio. In addition, relative ages of units analyzed spectrally were determined from crater statistics using Lunar Orbiter images following the techniques of Neukum et al. Mare deposits analyzed include Mare Humboldtianum, central and eastern Mare Frigoris, Mare Crisium and other deposits in the Crisium Basin, and isolated mare patches on the northeastern lunar limb. Preliminary results show a diversity of 0.41/0.76 micron signatures, implying a wide range of titanium contents. Some light plains units are similar to units found at the Apollo 16 site; others may be ancient mare materials. Dark mantle deposits (DMD) analyzed also are available.

Greeley, R.↗
NASA NTRS1998

First results from the aerosol lidar and backscatter sonde intercomparison campaign STRAIT'1997 at table mountain facility during February-March 1997

First results of an intercomparison measurement campaign between three aerosol lidar instruments and in-situ backscatter sondes performed at Table Mountain Facility (34.4 deg N, 117.7 deg E, 2280 m asl) in February-March 1997 are presented. During the campaign a total of 414 hours of lidar data were acquired by the Aerosol-Temperature-Lidar (ATL, Goddard Space Flight Center) the Mobile-aerosol-Raman-Lidar (MARL, Alfred Wegener Institute), and the TMF-Aerosol-Lidar (TAL, Jet Propulsion Laboratory), and four backscatter sondes were launched. From the data set altitude profiles of backscatter ratio and volume depolarization of stratospheric background aerosols at altitudes between 15 and 25 km and optically thin high-altitude cirrus clouds at altitudes below 13 km are derived. On the basis of a sulfuric acid aerosol model color ratio profiles obtained from two wavelength lidar data are compared to the corresponding profiles derived from the sonde observations. We find an excellent agreement between the in-situ and ATL lidar data with respect to backscatter and color ratio. Cirrus clouds were present on 16 of 26 nights during the campaign. Lidar observations with 17 minute temporal and 120-300 m spatial resolution indicate high spatial and temporal variability of the cirrus layers. Qualitative agreement is found between concurrent lidar measurements of backscatter ratio and volume depolarization.

Beyerle, G.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Eta Carinae and the Homunculus: An Astrophysical Laboratory

High spatial resolution spectroscopy with HST/STIS between 1998.0 and 2004.2 has provided much exciting information about the central binary system and the physics of its N-rich, C,O-poor ejecta. Stellar He I profiles, noticeably blue-shifted relative to P Cygni H and Fe II line profiles, originate from the ionized wind region between two massive companions. Changes in profiles of He I singlet and triplet lines provide clues to the excitation mechanisms involved as the hot, UV companion moves in its highly eccentric orbit. For 90% of the 5.54-year period, the spectra of nearby Weigelt blobs and the Little Homunculus include highly excited emission lines of Ar, Ne, and Fe. During the few month-long spectroscopic minimum, these systems are deprived of Lyman continuum. Recombination, plus cooling, occurs. In the skirt region between the bipolar Homunculus, a neutral emission region, devoid of hydrogen emission, glows in Ti II, Fe I, Sr II, Sc II, etc. We find the ejecta to have Ti/Ni abundances nearly 100 times solar, not due to nuclear processing, but due to lack of oxygen. Many metals normally tied up in interstellar dust remain in gaseous phase. Much information is being obtained on the physical processes in these warm N-rich gases, whose excitation varies with time in a predictable pattern. Indeed recent GRB high dispersion spectra include signatures of circumGRB warm gases. This indicates that the early, primordial massive stars have warm massive ejecta reminiscent to that around Eta Carinae.

Gull, Theodore R.↗