Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “High resolution data analysis”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 703 records · Page 39

Distributive On-line Processing, Visualization and Analysis System for Gridded Remote Sensing Data

The ability to use data stored in the current Earth Observing System (EOS) archives for studying regional or global phenomena is highly dependent on having a detailed understanding of the data's internal structure and physical implementation. Gaining this understanding and applying it to data reduction is a time- consuming task that must be undertaken before the core investigation can begin. This is an especially difficult challenge when science objectives require users to deal with large multi-sensor data sets that are usually of different formats, structures, and resolutions, for example, when preparing data for input into modeling systems. The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) has taken a major step towards meeting this challenge by developing an infrastructure with a Web interface that allows users to perform interactive analysis online without downloading any data, the GES-DISC Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure or "Giovanni." Giovanni provides interactive, online, analysis tools for data users to facilitate their research. There have been several instances of this interface created to serve TRMM users, Aerosol scientists, Ocean Color and Agriculture applications users. The first generation of these tools support gridded data only. The user selects geophysical parameters, area of interest, time period; and the system generates an output on screen in a matter of seconds. The currently available output options are: Area plot averaged or accumulated over any available data period for any rectangular area; Time plot time series averaged over any rectangular area; Time plots image view of any longitude-time and latitude-time cross sections; ASCII output for all plot types; Image animation for area plot. In the future, we will add correlation plots, GIS-compatible outputs, etc. This allow user to focus on data content (i.e. science parameters) and eliminate the need for expensive learning, development and processing tasks that are redundantly incurred by an archive's user community. The current implementation utilizes the GrADS-DODS Server (GDS), a stable, secure data server that provides subsetting and analysis services across the Internet for any GrADS-readable dataset. The subsetting capability allows users to retrieve a specified temporal and/or spatial subdomain from a large dataset, eliminating the need to download everything simply to access a small relevant portion of a dataset. The analysis capability allows users to retrieve the results of an operation applied to one or more datasets on the server. In our case, we use this approach to read pre-processed binary files and/or to read and extract the needed parts from HDF or HDF-EOS files. These subsets then serve as inputs into GrADS processing and analysis scripts. It can be used in a wide variety of Earth science applications: climate and weather events study and monitoring; modeling. It can be easily configured for new applications.

Leptoukh, G.↗

High spectral resolution remote sensing of the earth

Early results of a major advance in remote sensing called imaging spectrometry (IS), the simultaneous acquisition of images in many narrow contiguous spectral bands throughout the visible and solar-reflected infrared portions of the spectrum, are discussed. The motivation for IS is reviewed, and the performance of IS is examined, describing prototype sensors. The analysis of IS data is addressed, including the problem of visual interaction with hyperspectral images and their statistical properties, and the effect of data dimensionality on multispectral scene classification. A test of the capability of imaging spectrometry to identify minerals is reported.

Vane, G.↗

The Analysis of Using Satellite Soil Moisture Observations for Flood Detection, Evaluating Over the Thailand’s Great Flood of 2011

A flood monitoring and warning system provides critical information that can protect property and save lives. A basin-scale flood monitoring system requires an effective observation platform that offers extensive ground coverage of flood conditions, low latency, and high spatiotemporal resolution. While satellite imagery offers substantial spatial flood extent in detail due to its high spatial resolution, the coarse temporal resolution and cloud obstruction limit its near real-time application. Daily soil moisture data derived from satellite sensors at a scale of a few km can be used to monitor extreme wet surface conditions arising in flood occurrences. This study analyses the flood detection capabilities of several sources of soil moisture information, including the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity mission (SMOS), the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer on EOS (AMSR-E), the Advanced SCATterometer (ASCAT) on MetOp, the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), and the WaterGAP Global Hydrology Model (WGHM). In addition to soil moisture, the analysis includes measurements of surface reflectance from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), precipitation measurements from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), and terrestrial water storage estimates from the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) as proxies for flood inundations. The analysis was conducted over the Chao Phraya River Basin (CPB) in Thailand, where the Great Flood of 2011 led to one of the most significant economic losses in the country's history. Satellite-derived soil moisture exhibits a stronger correlation with the flood inundations than the precipitation, model-derived soil moisture, and terrestrial water storage data. SMOS soil moisture observation agrees best with the MODIS-derived flood extent/occurrence, both in terms of spatial distribution and timing, and providing approximated flood lead-time of one week or longer. A neural network constructed from SMOS and MODIS data is used to predict flood intensity/occurrence (given soil moisture input) with a predicted time window from eight days to thirty-two days. The short-term prediction (e.g., eight days) achieves the highest accuracy with an averaged recovery rate of approximately 60% (correlation coefficient). This study's results suggest a potential application of satellite soil moisture data in assisting flood monitoring and warning systems.

Satellite soil moisture↗

Strategies and Technologies for In Situ Mineralogical Investigations on Mars

Surface landers on Mars (Viking and Pathfinder) have not revealed satisfying answers to the mineralogy and lithology of the planet's surface. In part, this results from their prime directives: Viking focused on exobiology, Pathfinder focused on technology demonstration. The analytical instruments on board the landers made admirable attempts to extract the mineralogy and geology of Mars, as did countless modeling efforts after the missions. Here we suggest a framework for elucidating martian, or any other planetary geology, through an approach that defines (a) type of information required, (b) explorational strategy harmonious with acquisition of these data, (c) interpretation approach to the data, (d) compatible mission architecture, (e) instrumentation for interrogating rocks and soil. (a) Data required: The composition of a planet is ordered at scales ranging from molecules to minerals to rocks, and from geological units to provinces to planetary-scale systems. The largest ordering that in situ compositional instruments can attempt to interrogate is rock type "aggregate" information. This is what the geologist attempts to identify first. From this, mineralogy can be either directly seen or inferred. From mineralogy can be determined elemental abundances and perhaps the state of the compounds as being crystalline or amorphous. Knowledge of rock type and mineralogy is critical for elucidating geologic process. Mars landers acquired extremely valuable elemental data, but attempted to move from elements to aggregates, but this can only be done by making many assumptions and sometimes giant leaps of faith. Data we believe essential are elements, minerals, degree of ordering of compounds, and the aggregate or rock type that these materials compose. (b) Explorational strategy: A lander should function as a surrogate geologist. Of the total landscape, a geologist sees much, but gives detailed attention to an infinitesimally small amount of what is seen. To acquire samples worth detailed scrutiny, as many samples as possible need examining at a cursory or reconnaissance level. A representative, statistically-meaningful sample number cannot be overemphasized. This maxim still applies to geological exploration of our own planet of which we have abundant knowledge. Analysis of many samples mandates low-power consumption per sample. (c) Data interpretation: No single instrument can analyze the full spectrum of the x-axis. An instrument is optimized for detecting certain material characteristics and must therefore affix itself to some point on the x-axis. Any conclusions drawn about data to the left or right of the instrument's position on this axis must necessarily be derived by inference. Hence, it seems logical to include on a mission, instruments that are not closely spaced in their x-axis-position, and if only two analytical methods are used, as shown, they should start at opposite ends of the axis and work towards the center. As examples, we depict a high-resolution camera to evaluate rock type ("aggregate" state) and mineralogy, and an x-ray diffractometer-fluorescence spectrometer (XRD-XRF) to determine elements, minerals, and the degree of order of materials. (d) Mission architecture: No instrument or suite of instruments can be relied upon to always give truly unequivocal analyses. The suite of instruments should therefore permit conclusions of one instrument to be checked against those of another through closed analytical loops. These "loops" can be structured by a combination of orbital imagery, descent imagery, broad-band site viewing/analysis, and data that cover both x and y axes. For example, the detection of a basaltic-looking rock with a microscope should be checked against the elements detected, the appearance of the rock as a lava flow from descent imagery, and so forth. (e) Instrumentation: To satisfy the above criteria, it is necessary to: (i) See the rock or soil with high resolution + magnification, (ii) Examine many samples, (iii) Consume little power per analysis, (iv) Determine elemental species, (v) Determine mineralogy directly (not inferentially) and the degree of ordering of compounds, (vi) Start analyzing from both ends of the x-axis. Every geologist wants to see the hand sample first, and apply a hand lens to its surface. This has not been the starting point for missions to Mars. Thus, our technology satisfies all these criteria . This XRD-XRF-Optical instrument currently being developed, analyses rock or soil surfaces without the need for sample acquisition or preparation; this satisfies the power criterion, and enables many analyses. The device acquires direct mineralogy and determines elemental species. The embedded endoscopic camera satisfies the critical criterion of close inspection of samples; the fiber optic cable can also be used for IR, LTV, or laser sample analysis. Additional information is contained in the original (Figures).

Marshall, J. R.↗

The feasibility study for electronic imaging system with the photoheliograph

The development of the electronic subsystems used for the photoheliograph and its application for a high resolution study of the sun are discussed. Basic considerations are as follows: (1) determination of characteristics of solar activity within the spectral response of the photoheliograph, (2) determination of the space vehicles capable of carrying the photoheliograph, (3) analysis of the capability of the ground based data gathering network to assimilate the generated information, and (4) the characteristics of the photoheliograph and the associated spectral filters.

Svensson, E. L.↗

Spatial resolution and repeatability of Magsat crustal anomaly data over the Indian Ocean

Preliminary results from analysis of individual Magsat tracks in the eastern Indian Ocean demonstrate the resolution capability and repeatability of these data. Spectrum analysis indicates that 250 km is the absolute lower limit for resolving crustal magnetic anomalies in Magsat along-track data. Spectral coherence analysis of closely-spaced tracks shows that magnetic anomaly features with wavelengths greater than 700 km are highly repeatable from track to track.

Sailor, R. V.↗

Topographic mapping from ERS-1 and SEASAT radar interferometry

A radar interferometric technique for topographic mapping of surfaces yields a high resolution, globally consistent approach to generation of digital elevation models. The technique is illustrated with maps generated from SEASAT and European Space Agency Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) data. A SEASAT interferometric image of a forested area which includes some unvegetated lava flows is analyzed. An analysis of errors expected from application of the technique to maps generated from ERS-1 data is presented. An orbital scenario for a global mapping mission is outlined.

Zebker, Howard A.↗

Ejecta patterns of Meteor Crater, Arizona derived from the linear un-mixing of TIMS data and laboratory thermal emission spectra

Accurate interpretation of thermal infrared data depends upon the understanding and removal of complicating effects. These effects may include physical mixing of various mineralogies and particle sizes, atmospheric absorption and emission, surficial coatings, geometry effects, and differential surface temperatures. The focus is the examination of the linear spectral mixing of individual mineral or endmember spectra. Linear addition of spectra, for particles larger than the wavelength, allows for a straight-forward method of deconvolving the observed spectra, predicting a volume percent of each endmember. The 'forward analysis' of linear mixing (comparing the spectra of physical mixtures to numerical mixtures) has received much attention. The reverse approach of un-mixing thermal emission spectra was examined with remotely sensed data, but no laboratory verification exists. Understanding of the effects of spectral mixing on high resolution laboratory spectra allows for the extrapolation to lower resolution, and often more complicated, remotely gathered data. Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data for Meteor Crater, Arizona were acquired in Sep. 1987. The spectral un-mixing of these data gives a unique test of the laboratory results. Meteor Crater (1.2 km in diameter and 180 m deep) is located in north-central Arizona, west of Canyon Diablo. The arid environment, paucity of vegetation, and low relief make the region ideal for remote data acquisition. Within the horizontal sedimentary sequence that forms the upper Colorado Plateau, the oldest unit sampled by the impact crater was the Permian Coconino Sandstone. A thin bed of the Toroweap Formation, also of Permian age, conformably overlays the Coconino. Above the Toroweap lies the Permian Kiabab Limestone which, in turn, is covered by a thin veneer of the Moenkopi Formation. The Moenkopi is Triassic in age and has two distinct sub-units in the vicinity of the crater. The lower Wupatki member is a fine-grained sandstone, while the upper Moqui member is a fissile siltstone. Ejecta from these units are preserved as inverted stratigraphy up to 2 crater radii from the rim. The mineralogical contrast between the units, relative lack of post-emplacement erosion and ejecta mixing provide a unique site to apply the un-mixing model. Selection of the aforementioned units as endmembers reveals distinct patterns in the ejecta of the crater.

Ramsey, Michael S.↗

A new MAP for Mars

A Mars Aerial Platform (MAP) mission capable of generating thousands of very-high-resolution (20 cm/pixel) pictures of the Martian surface is considered. The MAP entry vehicle will map the global circulation of the planet's atmosphere and examine the surface and subsurface. Data acquisition will use instruments carried aboard balloons flying at nominal altitude of about 7 km over the Martian surface. The MAP balloons will take high- and medium-resolution photographs of Mars, sound its surface with radar, and provide tracking data to chart its winds. Mars vehicle design is based on the fourth-generation NTP, NEP, SEP vehicle set that provides a solid database for determining transportation system costs. Interference analysis and 3D image generation are performed using manual system sizing and sketching in conjunction with precise CAD modeling.

Zubrin, Robert↗

JPL Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) Portal

Satellite observations can play a very important role in airborne field campaigns, since they provide a comprehensive description of the environment that is essential for the experiment design, flight planning, and post-experiment scientific data analysis. In the past, it has been difficult to fully utilize data from multiple NASA satellites due to the large data volume, the complexity of accessing NASA s data in near-real-time (NRT), as well as the lack of software tools to interact with multi-sensor information. The JPL GRIP Portal is a Web portal that serves a comprehensive set of NRT observation data sets from NASA and NOAA satellites describing the atmospheric and oceanic environments related to the genesis and intensification of the tropical storms in the North Atlantic Ocean. Together with the model forecast data from four major global atmospheric models, this portal provides a useful tool for the scientists and forecasters in planning and monitoring the NASA GRIP field campaign during the 2010 Atlantic Ocean hurricane season. This portal uses the Google Earth plug-in to visualize various types of data sets, such as 2D maps, wind vectors, streamlines, 3D data sets presented at series of vertical cross-sections or pointwise vertical profiles, and hurricane best tracks and forecast tracks. Additionally, it allows users to overlap multiple data sets, change the opacity of each image layer, generate animations on the fly with selected data sets, and compare the observation data with the model forecast using two independent calendars. The portal also provides the capability to identify the geographic location of any point of interest. In addition to supporting the airborne mission planning, the NRT data and portal will serve as a very rich source of information during the post-field campaign analysis stage of the airborne experiment. By including a diverse set of satellite observations and model forecasts, it provides a good spatial and temporal context for the high-resolution, but limited in space and time, airborne observations.

Knosp, Brian W.↗

Future Orbiting and In-Situ Exploration of Venus: Mount Etna as Terrestrial Analog

The exploration of Venus will soon experience a new golden era thanks to the recently selected NASA Deep Atmosphere of Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry and Imaging (DAVINCI) mission, NASA Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography & Spectroscopy (VERITAS) mission, and ESA EnVision mission. The DAVINCI mission will focus on the analysis of the the atmospheric vertical structure and composition of Earth’s twin planet and on the geologic structure of a tesserae terrain. The VERITAS mission will investigate the geologic features of its surface as well as geodynamic characteristics of the subsurface, providing high-resolution emissivity data, a global radar map at an approximate resolution of 30 meters/pixel, and estimation of the gravity anomaly of the shallow crust of the planet. The ESA EnVision mission will be complementary to the two NASA missions, providing high resolution 0.8-2.5 micron emissivity data, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, and Subsurface Radar Sounder (SRS) data. Beyond those, the proposed Roscosmos-NASA Venera-D mission will also be equipped with an orbiter that will investigate the atmospheric composition and circulation, as well as a lander that will analize the in-situ chemical composition and the surface-atmosphere interactions.

P. D’Incecco↗

A Unique, Optically Accessible Flame Tube Facility for Lean Combustor Studies

A facility that allows interrogation of combusting flows by advanced diagnostic methods and instrumentation has been developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center. An optically accessible flame tube combustor is described which has high temperature, pressure, and air flow capabilities. The windows in the combustor measure 3.8 cm axially by 5.1 cm radially, providing 67% optical access to the 7.6 cm x 7.6 cm cross section flow chamber. Advanced gas analysis instrumentation is available through a gas chromatography/mass spectrometer system (GC/MS), which has on-line capability for heavy hydrocarbon measurement with resolution to the parts per billion level. The instrumentation allows one to study combusting flows and combustor subcomponents, such as fuel injectors and air swirlers. Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) can measure unstable combustion species, which cannot be obtained with traditional gas sampling. This type of data is especially useful to combustion modellers. The optical access allows measurements to have high spatial and temporal resolution. GC/MS data and PLIF images of OH- are presented from experiments using a lean direct injection (LDI) combustor burning Jet-A fuel at inlet temperatures ranging from 810 K to 866 K, combustor pressures up to 1380 kPa, and equivalence ratios from 0.41 to 0.59.

Hicks, Yolanda R.↗

Multispectral Analysis of the Kasei Vallis-lanae Planum Region of Mars

The surficial geology of the Kasei Vallis - Lunae Planum region of Mars was investigated using the three color Viking Orbiter 1 data. Spatial resolution is 820m and Ls = 100 deg, a season of low atmospheric and and surface dustiness. This region was chosen for high quality color and thermal inertia data as well as for the diversity of volcanic plains and fluvial landform. The data was reformatted to Mercator projection and calibrated to normal reflectance using in flight calibration parameters and observed photometric properties. Color properties from this image are displayed in two forms: the Red Albedo vs. Violet Albedo two dimensional histogram, and representative 3 point spectra. Virtually the full range of regolith color properties known from prior research is represented, plus some new characteristics. Interpretations of the data are presented which address general composition and formation processes of channel and intracrater deposits.

Singer, R. B.↗

Evaluation of Retrieving Chlorophyll a Concentration and Colored Dissolved Organic Matter Absorption from Satellite Ocean Color Remote Sensing in the Coastal Waters of Hokkaido, Japan

Coastal ecosystems are important in biogeochemical cycles, because they provide many pathways for chemical elements and compounds to flow between the physical environment and living organisms. The spatial and temporal scales of the biotic and abiotic interactions establish the inherent dynamics of the coastal zone and the requirement for high-resolution investigations. Using match-up data collected in Hokkaido coastal waters, the study herein evaluated the performance of deriving chlorophyll (Chl) a concentration and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption (a(sub CDOM)) as a function of wavelength (λ) from satellite observations. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Second generation GLobal Imager (SGLI), which has 250 m spatial resolution, was compared with other satellite ocean color (OC) sensors. Our results show that the standard SGLI OC4 algorithm with the 530 nm band provided the best performance for Chl a retrievals, and the end-member analysis (EMA) technique improved the estimation of a(sub CDOM)(λ) . Overall differences between in situ radiometric data and satellite retrievals suggest that additional challenges remain, especially in the ultraviolet and blue spectral domains which are useful for studying CDOM and harmful algae blooms in coastal waters. To fulfill applications wherein high-quality remote sensing data are required, the improvement of the atmospheric correction is a likely research area where additional accomplishment will be beneficial for satellite observations of optically complex coastal waters.

SGLI/GCOM-C↗

Mobile Computing for Aerospace Applications

The use of commercial computer technology in specific aerospace mission applications can reduce the cost and project cycle time required for the development of special-purpose computer systems. Additionally, the pace of technological innovation in the commercial market has made new computer capabilities available for demonstrations and flight tests. Three areas of research and development being explored by the Portable Computer Technology Project at NASA Ames Research Center are the application of commercial client/server network computing solutions to crew support and payload operations, the analysis of requirements for portable computing devices, and testing of wireless data communication links as extensions to the wired network. This paper will present computer architectural solutions to portable workstation design including the use of standard interfaces, advanced flat-panel displays and network configurations incorporating both wired and wireless transmission media. It will describe the design tradeoffs used in selecting high-performance processors and memories, interfaces for communication and peripheral control, and high resolution displays. The packaging issues for safe and reliable operation aboard spacecraft and aircraft are presented. The current status of wireless data links for portable computers is discussed from a system design perspective. An end-to-end data flow model for payload science operations from the experiment flight rack to the principal investigator is analyzed using capabilities provided by the new generation of computer products. A future flight experiment on-board the Russian MIR space station will be described in detail including system configuration and function, the characteristics of the spacecraft operating environment, the flight qualification measures needed for safety review, and the specifications of the computing devices to be used in the experiment. The software architecture chosen shall be presented. An analysis of the performance characteristics of wireless data links in the spacecraft environment will be discussed. Network performance and operation will be modeled and preliminary test results presented. A crew support application will be demonstrated in conjunction with the network metrics experiment.

Alena, Richard↗

Assimilation of DAWN Doppler Wind Lidar Data During the 2017 Convective Processes Experiment (CPEX): Impact on Precipitation and Flow Structure

An improved representation of 3-D air motion and precipitation structure through forecast models and assimilation of observations is vital for improvements in weather forecasting capabilities. However, there are few independent data to properly validate a model forecast of precipitation structure when the underlying dynamics are evolving on short convective timescales. Using data from the JPL Ku/Ka-band Airborne Precipitation Radar (APR-2) and the 2 μmDoppler Aerosol Wind (DAWN) lidar collected during the2017 Convective Processes Experiment (CPEX), the NASA Unified Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Ensemble Data Assimilation System (EDAS) modeling system was used to quantify the impact of high-resolution sparsely sampled DAWN measurements on the analyzed variables and on the forecast when the DAWN winds were assimilated. Over-all, the assimilation of the DAWN wind profiles had a discernible impact on the wind field as well as the evolution and timing of the 3-D precipitation structure. Analysis of individual variables revealed that the assimilation of the DAWN winds resulted in important and coherent modifications of the environment. It led to an increase in the near-surface convergence, temperature, and water vapor, creating more favorable conditions for the development of convection exactly where it was observed (but not present in the control run). Comparison to APR-2 and observations by the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite shows a much-improved forecast after the assimilation of the DAWN winds – development of precipitation where there was none, more organized precipitation where there was some, and a much more intense and organized cold pool, similar to the analysis of the dropsonde data. The onset of the vertical evolution of the precipitation showed similar radar-derived cloud-top heights, but delayed in time. While this investigation was limited to a single CPEX flight date, the investigation design is appropriate for further investigation of the impact of airborne Doppler wind lidar observations upon short-term convective precipitation forecasts

DAWN↗

Multi-Sensor Distributive On-Line Processing, Visualization, and Analysis Infrastructure for an Agricultural Information System at the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC

The Goddard Space Flight Center Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) Distributed Active Center (DAAC) is developing an Agricultural Information System (AIS), evolved from an existing TRMM On-line Visualization and Analysis System precipitation and other satellite data products and services. AIS outputs will be ,integrated into existing operational decision support system for global crop monitoring, such as that of the U.N. World Food Program. The ability to use the raw data stored in the GES DAAC archives is highly dependent on having a detailed understanding of the data's internal structure and physical implementation. To gain this understanding is a time-consuming process and not a productive investment of the user's time. This is an especially difficult challenge when users need to deal with multi-sensor data that usually are of different structures and resolutions. The AIS has taken a major step towards meeting this challenge by incorporating an underlying infrastructure, called the GES-DISC Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure or "Giovanni," that integrates various components to support web interfaces that ,allow users to perform interactive analysis on-line without downloading any data. Several instances of the Giovanni-based interface have been or are being created to serve users of TRMM precipitation, MODIS aerosol, and SeaWiFS ocean color data, as well as agricultural applications users. Giovanni-based interfaces are simple to use but powerful. The user selects geophysical ,parameters, area of interest, and time period; and the system generates an output ,on screen in a matter of seconds.

Teng, William↗

The Mechanics of Atmospheric Systems Derived Through Vertical and Horizontal Analysis of Parametric Data

For 36 hours during April 1975, an atmospheric variability experiment was conducted. This research effort supported an observational program in which rawinsonde data, radar data, and satellite data were collected from a network of 42 stations east of the Rocky Mountains at intervals of 3 hours. This program presents data with a high degree of time resolution over a spatially and temporally extensive network. Reduction of the experiment data is intended primarily as a documentation of the checking and processing of the data and should be useful to prospective users. Various flow diagrams of the data processing procedures are described, and a complete summary of the formulas used in the data processing is provided. A wind computation scheme designed to extract as much detailed wind information as possible from the unique experiment data set is discussed. The accuracy of the thermodynamic and wind data were estimated. Errors in the thermodynamic and wind data are given.

Turner, R. E.↗