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The use of Earth Resources Technology Satellites in solving global problems is examined. Topics discussed are: (1) management of food, water, and fiber resources; (2) exploration and management of energy and mineral resources; (3) protection of the environment; (4) protection of life and property; and (5) improvements in shipping and navigation.
Remote sensing of the earth from satellite systems such as Landsat, Nimbus, and Skylab has demonstrated the potential influence of such observations on a number of major human concerns. These concerns include the management of food, water and fiber resources, the exploration and management of mineral and energy resources, the protection of the environment, the protection of life and property, and improvements in shipping and navigation.
Inflow projections provide scenarios for future water availability and are integral to operational reservoir management. They can aid water practitioners in decision-making for conservation efforts, multiyear storage retention, managing flood risk, downstream water releases, and regional growth planning. However, conventional methods are often limited in terms of their ability to incorporate non-stationarity, long run persistence, and the cross-correlation of multiple series in a region. This research aims to address these issues with a hybrid approach that integrates Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) with the Matalas multisite generation method. Multiple long-run inflows were examined for the Shasta/Trinity Reservoirs and Oroville Reservoir of California. EMD is used to decompose each inflow series into a set of independent intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) that have different timescales and frequencies. These IMFs were grouped into intradecadal (less-than- 10-year average periodicity) and interdecadal (greater-than-10-year average periodicity) series for each site. The IMF projections at each site were then combined to produce replicates of the historical data. This preserves the correlation structure of the intra- and interdecadal components of the series. The hybrid EMD-Matalas method was compared to a traditional autoregressive lag-one model. Both methods were found to retain the statistical characteristics of the historical data. However, the EMD-Matalas method retained the multiyear wet and dry periods to a greater degree. This was examined by comparing the 5-year and 10-year sums from the traditional model with the hybrid EMD-Matalas model. An advantage of the EMD-Matalas method is the ability to explicitly incorporate modes of non-stationary long-run persistence often associated with large-scale climate drivers such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) or the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). This contributes to scenario planning that may be particularly important for managing multiyear low flow periods.
The International Space Station (ISS) Water Processor Assembly (WPA) and Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) manage and process water at various levels of cleanliness for multiple purposes. The effluent of theWPA and the influent of the OGA require water at very high levels of purity. The bulk of the water purification that occurs in both systems is performed by consumable activated carbon and ion exchange resin beds. Replacement beds must be available on orbit in order to continue the ISS critical processes of water purification and oxygen generation. Various hurdles exist in order to ensure viable spare resin beds. These include the characteristics of resin beds such as: storage environment, shelf life requirements, microbial growth, and variations in the levels and species of contaminants the beds are required to remove. Careful consideration has been given to match water models, bed capacities and spares traffic models to ensure that spares are always viable. The results of these studies and considerations, in particular, how shelf life requirements affect resin bed life management, are documented in this paper.
Improved quantification of agricultural water use efficiency is a primary focus of California's Water Conservation Act. The California Department of Water Resources (CDWR), after extensive stakeholder consultation, has published methods and indicators to help identify opportunities for improved efficiency of irrigation management at various spatial scales. Additional 2017 legislation directs water suppliers to quantify water use efficiency using the CDWR metrics to support preparation of agricultural water management plans. The IrriQuest calculator derives the Crop Consumptive Use Fraction (CCUF), a foundational metric relating seasonal crop evapotranspiration (ET) to total applied water. Satellite normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data are used to develop fractional canopy cover timeseries. Additional key inputs include daily reference ET, irrigation volume, irrigation method, precipitation, soil texture and crop type. IrriQuest estimates of seasonal crop ET show less than 10% mean absolute error compared to ground-based measurements of several annual and perennial crops monitored by sensor deployment in commercial fields. Two additional indicators build on CCUF. The Agronomic Water Use Fraction adds consideration of water applied for beneficial purposes such as pre-plant soil preparation, soil salinity management, and climate control. Total Water Use Fraction additionally accounts for water applied for environmental purposes such as maintenance of wetland and riparian habitat. A convenient on-line portal is under development for CCUF estimation and a standalone spreadsheet is available for computation of all three use fractions.
The Earth Observing One (EO-1) satellite was launched in November 2000 as a one year technology demonstration mission for a variety of space technologies. After the first year, it was used as a pathfinder for the creation of SensorWebs. A SensorWeb is the integration of variety of space, airborne and ground sensors into a loosely coupled collaborative sensor system that automatically provides useful data products. Typically, a SensorWeb is comprised of heterogeneous sensors tied together with a messaging architecture and web services. Disasters are the perfect arena to use SensorWebs. One SensorWeb pilot project that has been active since 2009 is the Namibia Early Flood Warning SensorWeb pilot project. The Pilot Project was established under the auspices of the Namibian Ministry of Agriculture Water and Forestry (MAWF)/Department of Water Affairs, the Committee on Earth Observing Satellites (CEOS)/Working Group on Information Systems and Services (WGISS) and moderated by the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER). The effort began by identifying and prototyping technologies which enabled the rapid gathering and dissemination of both space-based and ground sensor data and data products for the purpose of flood disaster management and water-borne disease management. This was followed by an international collaboration to build small portions of the identified system which was prototyped during that past few years during the flood seasons which occurred in the February through May timeframe of 2010 and 2011 with further prototyping to occur in 2012. The SensorWeb system features EO-1 data along with other data sets from such satellites as Radarsat, Terra and Aqua. Finally, the SensorWeb team also began to examine the socioeconomic component to determine the impact of the SensorWeb technology and how best to assist in the infusion of this technology in lesser affluent areas with low levels of basic infrastructure. This paper provides an overview of these efforts, highlighting the EO-1 usage in this SensorWeb.
The work is reported of the panel concerning the application of space technology to the improved management of the nation's inland resources. The progress since the 1967-68 study is briefly reviewed. The data needed for the management of inlet water ways, and the potential benefits of better management are discussed along with 16 proposed demonstration projects.
The International Space Station (ISS) Node 1 Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System is comprised of five subsystems: Atmosphere Control and Storage (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS), Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), and Water Recovery and Management (WRM). This paper will provide a summary of the Node 1 ECLS THC subsystem design and a detailed discussion of the ISS ECLS Acceptance Testing methodology utilized for this subsystem.The International Space Station (ISS) Node 1 Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System is comprised of five subsystems: Atmosphere Control and Storage (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS), Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), and Water Recovery and Management (WRM). This paper will provide a summary of the Node 1 ECLS THC subsystem design and a detailed discussion of the ISS ECLS Acceptance Testing methodology utilized for this subsystem.
Excerpts from federal legislation and regulations mandating areawide waster treatment management as a means of restoring and maintaining the integrity of the nation's water are presented along with requirements for grants to the states for water quality planning, management, and implementation. Experiences using LANDSAT to identify nonpoint sources of water pollution as well as land/use/land cover features in South Dakota, Kentucky, Georgia, New Jersey, and Texas are described. Present activities suggest that this type of remote sensing is an efficient, effective tool for areawide water quality planning. Interaction with cognizant federal, state, and local government personnel involved in EPA section 208 planning activities can guide the development of new capabilities and enhance their utility and prospect for use.
During the past eight years, the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center has supported the development of an integrated water and waste management system which includes the compression distillation process for recovering useable water from urine, urinal flush water, humidity condensate, commode flush water, and concentrated wash water. This paper describes the design of the compression distillation unit, developed for this system, and the testing performed to demonstrate its reliability and performance. In addition, this paper summarizes the work performed on pretreatment and post-treatment processes, to assure the recovery of sterile potable water from urine and treated urinal flush water.
The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) for the Space Station Freedom and future colonization of the Moon and Mars presents new challenges for present technologies. Current plans call for a crew of 8 to live in a safe, shirt-sleeve environment for 90 days without ground support. Because of these requirements, all life support systems must be self-sufficient and reliable. The ECLSS is composed of six subsystems. The temperature and humidity control (THC) subsystem maintains the cabin temperature and humidity at a comfortable level. The atmosphere control and supply (ACS) subsystem insures proper cabin pressure and partial pressures of oxygen and nitrogen. To protect the space station from fire damage, the fire detection and suppression (FDS) subsystem provides fire sensing alarms and extinguishers. The waste management (WM) subsystem compacts solid wastes for return to Earth, and collects urine for water recovery. Because it is impractical, if not impossible, to supply the station with enough fresh air and water for the duration of the space station's extended mission, these elements are recycled. The atmosphere revitalization (AR) subsystem removes CO2 and other dangerous contaminants from the air. The water recovery and management (WRM) subsystem collects and filters condensate from the cabin to replenish potable water supplies, and processes urine and other waste waters to replenish hygiene water supplies. These subsystems are not fully automated at this time. Furthermore, the control of these subsystems is not presently integrated; they are largely independent of one another. A fully integrated and automated ECLSS would increase astronauts' productivity and contribute to their safety and comfort. The Kansas State University Advanced Design Team is in the process of researching and designing controls for the automation of the ECLSS for Space Station Freedom and beyond. The approach chosen to solve this problem is to divide the design into three phases. The first phase is to research the ECLSS as a whole system and then concentrate efforts on the automation of a single subsystem. The AR subsystem was chosen for our focus. During the second phase, the system control process will then be applied to the AR subsystem.
The development of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) for Space Station Freedom, future colonization of the Moon, and Mars missions presents new challenges for present technologies. ECLSS that operate during long-duration missions must be semi-autonomous to allow crew members environmental control without constant supervision. A control system for the ECLSS must address these issues as well as being reliable. The Kansas State University Advanced Design Team is in the process of researching and designing controls for the automation of the ECLSS for Space Station Freedom and beyond. The ECLSS for Freedom is composed of six subsystems. The temperature and humidity control (THC) subsystem maintains the cabin temperature and humidity at a comfortable level. The atmosphere control and supply (ACS) subsystem insures proper cabin pressure and partial pressures of oxygen and nitrogen. To protect the space station from fire damage, the fire detection and suppression (FDS) subsystem provides fire-sensing alarms and extinguishers. The waste management (WM) subsystem compacts solid wastes for return to Earth, and collects urine for water recovery. The atmosphere revitalization (AR) subsystem removes CO2 and other dangerous contaminants from the air. The water recovery and management (WRM) subsystem collects and filters condensate from the cabin to replenish potable water supplies, and processes urine and other waste waters to replenish hygiene water supplies. These subsystems are not fully automated at this time. Furthermore, the control of these subsystems is not presently integrated; they are largely independent of one another. A fully integrated and automated ECLSS would increase astronauts' productivity and contribute to their safety and comfort.
Management of aquatic weeds in complex watersheds and river systems present many challenges to assessment, planning, and implementation of management for aquatic invasive plants. The Delta Region Areawide Aquatic Weed Project (DRAAWP), a USDA sponsored area-wide project including NASA Ames Research Center and State of California Department of Boating and Waterways, is working to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency of invasive plant management in the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Expansion of invasive aquatic plants has been detrimental to water management and the ecosystem complex in the San Francisco Bay/California Delta. The portion of DRAAWP reported here focuses on parametrizing the environmental response inputs for the Delta models for prominent invasive aquatic plants. Changing climate, long-term drought, shifts in land use, and variation in water flow and quality from input watersheds lead to wide and unique variation in environmental conditions. Environmental variability occurs across a range of time scales from long-term climate and seasonal trends to short-term water flow mediated variations. Response of invasive aquatic plants are examined using controlled environment growth facilities at time scales of weeks, day, and hours using a combination of study duration and growth assessment techniques to assess water quality, temperature, nutrient, and light effects. These provide response parameters for plant growth models in response to the variation and interact with management and economic models associated with aquatic weed management. Plant growth models are informed by remote sensing and applied spatially across the Delta to balance location and type of aquatic plant, growth response to altered environments and phenology.
There are no author-identified significant results in this report.
There are no author-identified significant results in this report.
ERTS-1 images of two federal reservoirs in Kansas exhibit good correlation with suspended load. The major reservoirs in Kansas, as well as in other Great Plains states, are playing increasingly important roles in flood control, recreation, agriculture, and urban water supply. Satellite imagery may prove useful for acquiring timely low cost water quality data required for optimum management of these fresh water resources.
Analyses of ERTS-1 MSS computer compatible tapes of reservoir scenes in Kansas along with ground truth show that MSS bands and band ratios can be used for reliable prediction of suspended loads up to at least 900 ppm. The major reservoirs in Kansas, as well as in other Great Plains states, are playing increasingly important roles in flood control, recreation, agriculture, and urban water supply. Satellite imagery is proving useful for acquiring timely low cost water quality data required for optimum management of these fresh water resources.
An overview is given of the present state of satellites making observations of the earth. Satellite systems discussed include the NOAA series of Synchronous Meteorological Satellites (SMS) and sun-synchronous satellites, the two LANDSATS (formerly called ERTS), and the NIMBUS series. Examples are presented of the types of observations being made as well as their purposes. These include observations of synoptic and mesoscale atmospheric processes for daily weather forecasting, global atmospheric processes for long-range weather forecasting, planetary radiation budget and ocean circulation for monitoring climatic trends, earth dynamics and tectonic structure for mineral exploration and assessing earthquake hazards, atmospheric composition and water quality for environment monitoring, and thematic mapping for monitoring land use, managing crops and water resources, and assessing environmental impacts.