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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

On large outflows of Arctic sea ice into the Barents Sea

Winter outflows of Arctic sea ice into the Barents Sea are estimated using a 10-year record of satellite ice motion and thickness. The mean winter volume export through the Svalbard/Franz Josef Land passage is 40 km3, and ranges from -280 km3 to 340 km3. A large outflow in 2003 is preconditioned by an unusually high concentration of thick perennial ice over the Nansen Basin at the end of the 2002 summer. With a deep atmospheric low situated over the eastern Barents Sea in winter, the result is an increased export of Arctic ice. The Oct-Mar ice area flux, at 110 x 10 to the third power km3, is not only unusual in magnitude but also remarkable in that >70% of the area is multiyear ice; the ice volume flux at~340 km3 is almost one-fifth of the ice flux through the Fram Strait. Another large outflow of Arctic sea ice through this passage, comparable to that in 2003, is found in 1996. This southward flux of sea ice represents one of two major sources of freshwater in the Barents Sea; the other is the eastward flux of water via the Norwegian Coastal Current. The possible consequences of variable freshwater input on the Barents Sea hydrography and its impact on transformation of Atlantic Water en route to the Arctic Ocean are examined with a 25-year coupled ice-ocean model.

Artic ice↗
NASA NTRS2005

Chemistry and Mineralogy of Outcrops at Meridiani Planum

Analyses of outcrops created by the impact craters Endurance, Fram and Eagle reveal the broad lateral continuity of chemical sediments at the Meridiani Planum exploration site on Mars. Approximately ten mineralogical components are implied in these salt-rich silicic sediments, from measurements by instruments on the Opportunity rover. Compositional trends in an apparently intact vertical stratigraphic sequence at the Karatepe West ingress point at Endurance crater are consistent with non-uniform deposition or with subsequent migration of mobile salt components, dominated by sulfates of magnesium. Striking variations in Cl and enrichments of Br, combined with diversity in sulfate species, provide further evidence of episodes during which temperatures, pH, and water to rock ratios underwent significant change. To first order, the sedimentary sequence examined to date is consistent with a uniform reference composition, modified by movement of major sulfates upward and of minor chlorides downward. This reference composition has similarities to martian soils, supplemented by sulfate anion and the alteration products of mafic igneous minerals. Lesser cementation in lower stratigraphic units is reflected in decreased energies for grinding with the Rock Abrasion Tool. Survival of soluble salts in exposed outcrop is most easily explained by absence of episodes of liquid H2O in this region since the time of crater formation.

Clark, B. C.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Programmable Logic Application Notes

This column will be provided each quarter as a source for reliability, radiation results, NASA capabilities, and other information on programmable logic devices and related applications. This quarter will continue a series of notes concentrating on analysis techniques with this issue's section discussing: Digital Timing Analysis Tools and Techniques. Articles in this issue include: SX and SX-A Series Devices Power Sequencing; JTAG and SXISX-AISX-S Series Devices; Analysis Techniques (i.e., notes on digital timing analysis tools and techniques); Status of the Radiation Hard reconfigurable Field Programmable Gate Array Program, Input Transition Times; Apollo Guidance Computer Logic Study; RT54SX32S Prototype Data Sets; A54SX32A - 0.22 micron/UMC Test Results; Ramtron FM1608 FRAM; and Analysis of VHDL Code and Synthesizer Output.

Katz, Richard↗
NASA NTRS2009

Fluid-Evaporation Records Preserved in Meridiani Rocks

We have shown earlier that the high SO3/Cl ratios found in secondary mineral assemblages in shergottite GRIM glasses (Gas-Rich Impact-Melt) likely resulted from interactions of regolith materials with sulfate-rich (and Cl-poor) solutions. The low SO3/Cl ratios determined in secondary salts in nakhalite fracture-fillings presumably formed by rock interactions with chloride-rich (and SO4-poor) solutions near Mars surface. The SO3 and Cl abundances determined by APXS in abraded rocks (RAT) from Endurance, Fram and Eagle craters indicate that these salt assemblages likely formed by evaporative concentration of brine fluids at Meridiani. The SO3/Cl ratios in the abraded rocks are examined here, instead of their absolute abundances, because the abundance ratios might provide better guide-lines for tracking the evolution of evaporating fluids at Meridiani. The SO3/Cl ratios in these samples, in turn, might provide clues for the mobile element ratios of the altering fluids that infiltrated into the Meridiani rocks.

Rao, M. N.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Nonvolatile Memory Technology for Space Applications

This slide presentation reviews several forms of nonvolatile memory for use in space applications. The intent is to: (1) Determine inherent radiation tolerance and sensitivities, (2) Identify challenges for future radiation hardening efforts, (3) Investigate new failure modes and effects, and technology modeling programs. Testing includes total dose, single event (proton, laser, heavy ion), and proton damage (where appropriate). Test vehicles are expected to be a variety of non-volatile memory devices as available including Flash (NAND and NOR), Charge Trap, Nanocrystal Flash, Magnetic Memory (MRAM), Phase Change--Chalcogenide, (CRAM), Ferroelectric (FRAM), CNT, and Resistive RAM.

Oldham, Timothy R.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Evaluation of Arctic Sea Ice Thickness Simulated by AOMIP Models

We compare results from six AOMIP model simulations with estimates of sea ice thickness obtained from ICESat, moored and submarine-based upward looking sensors, airborne electromagnetic measurements and drill holes. Our goal is to find patterns of model performance to guide model improvement. The satellite data is pan-arctic from 2004-2008, ice-draft data is from moored instruments in Fram Strait, the Greenland Sea and the Beaufort Sea from 1992-2008 and from submarines from 1975-2000. The drill hole data are from the Laptev and East Siberian marginal seas from 1982-1986 and from coastal stations from 1998-2009. While there are important caveats when comparing modeled results with measurements from different platforms and time periods such as these, the models agree well with moored ULS data. In general, the AOMIP models underestimate the thickness of measured ice thicker than about 2 m and overestimate thickness of ice thinner than 2 m. The simulated results are poor over the fast ice and marginal seas of the Siberian shelves. Averaging over all observational data sets, the better correlations and smaller differences from observed thickness are from the ECCO2 and UW models.

Johnson, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2011

Airborne Surveys of Snow Depth over Arctic Sea Ice

During the spring of 2009, an ultrawideband microwave radar was deployed as part of Operation IceBridge to provide the first cross-basin surveys of snow thickness over Arctic sea ice. In this paper, we analyze data from three approx 2000 km transects to examine detection issues, the limitations of the current instrument, and the regional variability of the retrieved snow depth. Snow depth is the vertical distance between the air \snow and snow-ice interfaces detected in the radar echograms. Under ideal conditions, the per echogram uncertainty in snow depth retrieval is approx 4 - 5 cm. The finite range resolution of the radar (approx 5 cm) and the relative amplitude of backscatter from the two interfaces limit the direct retrieval of snow depths much below approx 8 cm. Well-defined interfaces are observed over only relatively smooth surfaces within the radar footprint of approx 6.5 m. Sampling is thus restricted to undeformed, level ice. In early April, mean snow depths are 28.5 +/- 16.6 cm and 41.0 +/- 22.2 cm over first-year and multiyear sea ice (MYI), respectively. Regionally, snow thickness is thinner and quite uniform over the large expanse of seasonal ice in the Beaufort Sea, and gets progressively thicker toward the MYI cover north of Ellesmere Island, Greenland, and the Fram Strait. Snow depth over MYI is comparable to that reported in the climatology by Warren et al. Ongoing improvements to the radar system and the utility of these snow depth measurements are discussed.

Kwok, R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Development of Next Generation Memory Test Experiment for Deployment on a Small Satellite

The original Memory Test Experiment successfully flew on the FASTSAT satellite launched in November 2010. It contained a single Ramtron 512K ferroelectric memory. The memory device went through many thousands of read/write cycles and recorded any errors that were encountered. The original mission length was schedule to last 6 months but was extended to 18 months. New opportunities exist to launch a similar satellite and considerations for a new memory test experiment should be examined. The original experiment had to be designed and integrated in less than two months, so the experiment was a simple design using readily available parts. The follow-on experiment needs to be more sophisticated and encompass more technologies. This paper lays out the considerations for the design and development of this follow-on flight memory experiment. It also details the results from the original Memory Test Experiment that flew on board FASTSAT. Some of the design considerations for the new experiment include the number and type of memory devices to be used, the kinds of tests that will be performed, other data needed to analyze the results, and best use of limited resources on a small satellite. The memory technologies that are considered are FRAM, FLASH, SONOS, Resistive Memory, Phase Change Memory, Nano-wire Memory, Magneto-resistive Memory, Standard DRAM, and Standard SRAM. The kinds of tests that could be performed are read/write operations, non-volatile memory retention, write cycle endurance, power measurements, and testing Error Detection and Correction schemes. Other data that may help analyze the results are GPS location of recorded errors, time stamp of all data recorded, radiation measurements, temperature, and other activities being perform by the satellite. The resources of power, volume, mass, temperature, processing power, and telemetry bandwidth are extremely limited on a small satellite. Design considerations must be made to allow the experiment to not interfere with the satellite s primary mission.

MacLeod, Todd↗
NASA NTRS2012

CoNNeCT Antenna Positioning System Dynamic Simulator Modal Model Correlation

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed an on-orbit, adaptable, Software Defined Radios (SDR)/Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS)-based testbed facility to conduct a suite of experiments to advance technologies, reduce risk, and enable future mission capabilities on the International Space Station (ISS). The Communications, Navigation, and Networking reConfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT) Project will provide NASA, industry, other Government agencies, and academic partners the opportunity to develop and field communications, navigation, and networking technologies in both the laboratory and space environment based on reconfigurable, software-defined radio platforms and the STRS Architecture. The CoNNeCT Payload Operations Nomenclature is SCAN Testbed, and this nomenclature will be used in all ISS integration, safety, verification, and operations documentation. The SCAN Testbed (payload) is a Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism (FRAM) based payload that will launch aboard the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Multipurpose Exposed Pallet (EP-MP) to the International Space Station (ISS), and will be transferred to the Express Logistics Carrier 3 (ELC3) via Extravehicular Robotics (EVR). The SCAN Testbed will operate on-orbit for a minimum of two years.

Jones, Trevor M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Introduction to: Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation(AMOC)

A striking conclusion of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007 report is the crucial role that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) may play in anthropogenic climate change. However, these IPCC coupled climate simulations show a broad range of uncertainty in the magnitude and timing of AMOC transport change ranging from none to nearly complete collapse within the 21st century. The potential consequences of large changes in the characteristics of AMOC have motivated the creation in the United States of an interagency program and implementation plan to develop monitoring and prediction capabilities for the AMOC This program parallels the development of substantial monitoring efforts by European, South American and African countries -- notably the UK Rapid and Rapid-Watch programs. The papers contained in this volume are derived from presentations at the First U.S. Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) Meeting held 4 - 6 May, 2009 to review the US implementation plan and its coordination with other monitoring activities. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation consists of multiple components illustrated in an attached figure. Water enters the South Atlantic at upper and intermediate depths through both western and eastern routes (where eddy transport is especially important) and is transported northward across the equator, where it recirculates within the northern subtropical and subpolar gyres. The northern end is defined by the sinking regions of the Nordic Seas and the Labrador Sea where the waters that eventually form the upper and lower branches of North Atlantic Deep Water are conditioned. High surface salinities, the result of high net evaporation in the tropics and subtropics (including the Mediterranean Sea), and presence of regions of the Arctic Ocean that remain ice-free even in winter allow for the rapid cooling and thus densification of surface water. This dense surface water becomes the source of deep water formation in the sinking regions. In addition to transporting mass, the AMOC transports roughly half of the total amount of heat carried northward through the northern subtropics (down the temperature-gradient) by the ocean. In contrast in the Southern Hemisphere AMOC transports heat up-gradient from the cool Circumpolar Current to the warm tropics. Paleoevidence suggests that AMOC heat transport in the two hemispheres has varied over time in ways intimately tied to millennial changes in the Earth's climate. In one example, the abrupt Younger Dryas spell of cold weather over the North Atlantic, which began 13,000 years ago, has generally been linked to a millennial shutdown of the AMOC as a result of massive freshwater discharge from the North American continent. The current AMOC monitoring array consists of a series of instrumented transects located across key passages (see Cunningham et al., 2010 for a recent review). In the Arctic and sub-Arctic, transects cross Fram Strait, Denmark Strait and the Faroe Channel (connecting Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom), as well as the entrance to the Labrador Sea. Further south and extending outwards from the east coast of North America there are a series of monitoring arrays including arrays of the Canadian Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program, deployments of the Rapid Western Atlantic Variability Experiment (WAVE), Line W at 39 N, as well as the Rapid-MOC moored array. The latter spans the entire Atlantic basin along 26.5 N. At tropical latitudes we have the Meridional Overturning Variability Experiment (MOVE) array at 16 N, while in the Southern Hemisphere a corresponding basin-spanning transect is being established at the latitude of Cape of Good Hope, complemented by arrays at Drake Passage.

Hakkinen, Sirpa↗
NASA NTRS2012

CoNNeCT Antenna Positioning System Dynamic Simulator Modal Model Correlation

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed an on-orbit, adaptable, Software Defined Radios (SDR)/Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS)-based testbed facility to conduct a suite of experiments to advance technologies, reduce risk, and enable future mission capabilities on the International Space Station (ISS). The Communications, Navigation, and Networking reConfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT) Project will provide NASA, industry, other Government agencies, and academic partners the opportunity to develop and field communications, navigation, and networking technologies in both the laboratory and space environment based on reconfigurable, software-defined radio platforms and the STRS Architecture. The CoNNeCT Payload Operations Nomenclature is "SCAN Testbed," and this nomenclature will be used in all ISS integration, safety, verification, and operations documentation. The SCAN Testbed (payload) is a Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism (FRAM) based payload that will launch aboard the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Multipurpose Exposed Pallet (EP-MP) to the International Space Station (ISS), and will be transferred to the Express Logistics Carrier 3 (ELC3) via Extravehicular Robotics (EVR). The SCAN Testbed will operate on-orbit for a minimum of two years.

Jones, Tevor M.↗
NASA NTRS2012

OPALS: A COTS-based Tech Demo of Optical Communications

I. Objective: Deliver video from ISS to optical ground terminal via an optical communications link. a) JPL Phaeton/Early Career Hire (ECH) training project. b) Implemented as Class-D payload. c) Downlink at approx.30Mb/s. II. Flight System a) Optical Head Beacon Acquisition Camera. Downlink Transmitter. 2-axis Gimbal. b) Sealed Container Laser Avionics Power distribution Digital I/O board III. Implementation: a) Ground Station - Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory at Table Mountain Facility b) Flight System mounted to ISS FRAM as standard I/F. Attached externally on Express Logistics Carrier.

optical communications↗
NASA NTRS2012

Evaluation of Arctic Sea Ice Thickness Simulated by Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison Project Models

Six Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison Project model simulations are compared with estimates of sea ice thickness derived from pan-Arctic satellite freeboard measurements (2004-2008); airborne electromagnetic measurements (2001-2009); ice draft data from moored instruments in Fram Strait, the Greenland Sea, and the Beaufort Sea (1992-2008) and from submarines (1975-2000); and drill hole data from the Arctic basin, Laptev, and East Siberian marginal seas (1982-1986) and coastal stations (1998-2009). Despite an assessment of six models that differ in numerical methods, resolution, domain, forcing, and boundary conditions, the models generally overestimate the thickness of measured ice thinner than approximately 2 mand underestimate the thickness of ice measured thicker than about approximately 2m. In the regions of flat immobile landfast ice (shallow Siberian Seas with depths less than 25-30 m), the models generally overestimate both the total observed sea ice thickness and rates of September and October ice growth from observations by more than 4 times and more than one standard deviation, respectively. The models do not reproduce conditions of fast ice formation and growth. Instead, the modeled fast ice is replaced with pack ice which drifts, generating ridges of increasing ice thickness, in addition to thermodynamic ice growth. Considering all observational data sets, the better correlations and smaller differences from observations are from the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean, Phase II and Pan-Arctic Ice Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System models.

sea ice↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Arctic

The Arctic environment in 2024 continued on a trajectory that has put it in a state far different from that of the twentieth century. Ongoing accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues to quickly warm the Arctic, resulting in rapid changes in the cryosphere that are driving cascading impacts to climate, ecological, and societal systems. Many weather- and climate-related impacts in the Arctic are the result of compounding change, such as increased riverbank erosion, which is proximately due to increased river discharge from higher seasonal precipitation, yet is also exacerbated by thawing permafrost. However, even individual storms occur within very different ocean and ice conditions than were typically present in the late twentieth century. As a result, the impacts, including high winds, excessive precipitation, and coastal inundation, may be quite different nowadays, as exemplified by the October 2024 storm in northwest Alaska that produced severe coastal flooding in several communities. To share some of these impacts with a wider audience, select extreme weather impacts around the greater Arctic have been highlighted through the inclusion of sidebars in recent State of the Climate Arctic chapters (e.g., Benestad et al. 2023; Thoman et al. 2024).

Thoman, Richard L. [Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK↗
DOE OSTI2026

Machine Learning Eliminates Reanalysis Warm Bias and Reveals Weaker Winter Surface Cooling Over Arctic Sea Ice

The surface energy budget governs Arctic sea-ice growth/melt, yet observations are sparse, and reanalysis data sets suffer from systematic biases. Here, we train a neural network with observational data to bias-correct hourly ERA5 fluxes over Arctic ice-covered regions (≥70°N; sea-ice concentration >80%) for 1994–2024. Training data cover two full seasonal cycles and different sea-ice regimes. The neural network reduces RMSE for net shortwave radiation by ∼40%, downward longwave radiation by ∼16% and the total surface energy budget by ∼55%, eliminating the wintertime warm bias of ∼4 K in ERA5. Wintertime surface cooling is reduced by ∼50%, yielding thermodynamic ice-growth estimates of ∼80–120 cm, consistent with SMOS–CryoSat satellite thickness increases and in contrast to the 150–200 cm growth implied by ERA5. Our bias-corrected data capture the observed clear/cloudy states of the winter boundary layer and can be used to study Arctic climatology, evaluate climate models and drive sea-ice-ocean models.

Hossain, Akil [Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar ↗
DOE OSTI2026

Addressing the split incentive challenge for rooftop solar PV and battery energy storage in multifamily rental buildings (CRADA 638 Final Report)

This project advances the understanding of how roof solar PV systems and battery energy storage systems (BESS) can be effectively deployed in multifamily residential buildings, a sector that has historically faced barriers due to misaligned incentives between landlords and tenants. By leveraging high-resolution building stock data and simulation tools, the research demonstrates how energy consumption patterns vary across building types, climates, and occupant characteristics, and how these variations influence the optimal sizing and operation of distributed energy resources. A key contribution is the development of a publicly accessible, web-based tool named RESIDE (Residential Energy Systems & Infrastructure Data Evaluation) that allows users to explore building energy use and evaluate solar and battery configurations without requiring specialized expertise. This significantly lowers the barrier to entry for stakeholders such as property owners, utilities, and policymakers. From a technical perspective, the project shows that integrating rooftop solar PV with battery energy storage can substantially reduce electricity costs and peak demand through strategies such as energy arbitrage and peak shaving. The modeling framework incorporates real-world constraints, including time-of-use electricity pricing and battery degradation, providing realistic and actionable insights. Economically, the results indicate that properly sized systems can deliver meaningful cost savings, improving the feasibility of energy investments in multifamily housing. More broadly, the project benefits the public by supporting the transition to affordable and reliable energy, particularly in rental multifamily housing where adoption has traditionally lagged.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Simultaneous enhancement of multiple functional properties using evolution-informed protein design

Abstract A major challenge in protein design is to augment existing functional proteins with multiple property enhancements. Altering several properties likely necessitates numerous primary sequence changes, and novel methods are needed to accurately predict combinations of mutations that maintain or enhance function. Models of sequence co-variation (e.g., EVcouplings), which leverage extensive information about various protein properties and activities from homologous protein sequences, have proven effective for many applications including structure determination and mutation effect prediction. We apply EVcouplings to computationally design variants of the model protein TEM-1 β -lactamase. Nearly all the 14 experimentally characterized designs were functional, including one with 84 mutations from the nearest natural homolog. The designs also had large increases in thermostability, increased activity on multiple substrates, and nearly identical structure to the wild type enzyme. This study highlights the efficacy of evolutionary models in guiding large sequence alterations to generate functional diversity for protein design applications.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Development and flight-testing of modular autonomous cultivation systems for biological plastics upcycling aboard the ISS

Cultivation of microorganisms in space has enormous potential to enable in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) Here, we develop an autonomous payload with fully programmable serial passaging and sample preservation, termed the Modular Open Biological Platform (MOBP), and flight-test the MOBP aboard the International Space Station (ISS) by conducting enzymatic and microbial plastics upcycling experiments. The MOBP is a compact, modular bioreactor system that allows for sustained microbial growth via automated media transfers, such as those for sample collection and storage for terrestrial analyses, and precise data monitoring from integrated sensors. The MOBP was flight-tested with two experiments designed to evaluate biological upcycling of the plastic poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The bioproduct βKA can be polymerized into a nylon-6,6 analog with improved properties for use in the production of a variety of materials. We posit the MOBP will aid in democratizing the execution of synthetic biology in spaceflight towards enabling ISRU.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗