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NASA NTRS1990

High-resolution topography and albedo of the South Polar layered deposits on Mars

Using a new photoclinometric technique with high-resolution Mariner 9 images, maximum slopes of 10 - 20 deg are found to occur on an exposure of layered deposits within the south polar residual cap of Mars. Stereophotogrammetry is used to constrain the photoclinometric solutions, which resolve layer thicknesses of 100-300 m. Albedo variations are correlated with slope, indicating that frost is present on level areas. There is evidence for temporal changes in frost distribution in the seven days between the to images used in this study. The magnitude of the slopes derived here and consideration of the stability of water ice at the surface of the layered deposits strongly suggest the presence of a competent weathering rind. The weathered surface may be composed of dark filamentary sublimation residue particles that protect the underlying ice from solar heating. This hypothesis is consistent with previous studies of the regional color and albedo of the layered deposits, which indicate that the deposits are slightly darker and less red than the bright dust that mantles much of the south polar region. Furthermore, the proposed weathering mechanism provides a plausible source of dark, saltating material for the Martian polar dune fields.

Herkenhoff, Ken E.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Multi-color interferometric observations of Mira stars

Interferometric observations in the atmospheric windows of the near infrared (1 to 4 microns) can be efficiently used to probe the chemical composition of Miras atmosphere and provide direct measurements of extended gas layers around these stars. This is illustrated by recent Miras observations carried out with the FLUOR instrument of the IOTA interferometer (Mennesson et al. 2002, and Perrin et al. proceedings of this conference) and with the PTI test-bed (Thompson 2002, Thompson et al. 2002). These visibility measurements show evidence for continuum emission from very extended ( 2-3 stellar radii) semi-transparent gaseous atmospheric layers, and large apparent diameter changes with pulsation phase. Interestingly these observations are consistent with the extended molecular gas layers (H20, CO ...) already inferred around some of these objects from IS0 and high resolution ground-based FTS infrared spectra.

Miras atmosphere infrared interferometry↗

NASA NTRS2012

Critical Reflectance Derived from MODIS: Application for the Retrieval of Aerosol Absorption over Desert Regions

Aerosols are tiny suspended particles in the atmosphere that scatter and absorb sunlight. Smoke particles are aerosols, as are sea salt, particulate pollution and airborne dust. When you look down at the earth from space sometimes you can see vast palls of whitish smoke or brownish dust being transported by winds. The reason that you can see these aerosols is because they are reflecting incoming sunlight back to the view in space. The reason for the difference in color between the different types of aerosol is that the particles arc also absorbing sunlight at different wavelengths. Dust appears brownish or reddish because it absorbs light in the blue wavelengths and scatters more reddish light to space, Knowing how much light is scattered versus how much is absorbed, and knowin~ that as a function of wavelength is essential to being able to quantify the role aerosols play in the energy balance of the earth and in climate change. It is not easy measuring the absorption properties of aerosols when they are suspended in the atmosphere. People have been doing this one substance at a time in the laboratory, but substances mix when they are in the atmosphere and the net absorption effect of all the particles in a column of air is a goal of remote sensing that has not yet been completely successful. In this paper we use a technique based on observing the point at which aerosols change from brightening the surface beneath to darkening it. If aerosols brighten a surface. they must scatter more light to space. If they darken the surface. they must be absorbing more. That cross over point is called the critical reflectance and in this paper we show that critical reflectance is a monotonic function of the intrinsic absorption properties of the particles. This parameter we call the single scattering albedo. We apply the technique to MODIS imagery over the Sahara and Sahel regions to retrieve the single scattering albedo in seven wavelengths, compare these retrievals to ground-based retrievals from AERONET instruments and compute error bars on each retrieval. The results show that we can retrieve single scattering albedo for pure dust to within +/-0.02 and mixtures of dust and smoke to within +/-0.03. No other space based instrument has achieved a retrieval of single scattering albedo that spans the spectrum from 0.47 microns to 2.13 microns and produces regional maps of aerosol absorption showing gradients and changes. Applied in a more operational fashion, such information will narrow uncertainties in estimating aerosol forcing on climate.

Wells, Kelley C.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evaluation of Long Term Microbial Regrowth in Slosh Water Tanks From the International Space Station

The NASA Launch Services Program (LSP) maintained the SPHERES-Slosh experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) between 2013 and 2019. The purpose of the Slosh experiment was to examine how liquids move inside fuel tanks in a microgravity environment. These tanks were similar to water storage tanks planned for use aboard future space systems, where large dormant periods between crew-use will provide similar conditions for biological growth or chemical leaching. The water within the SLOSH tanks remained undisturbed for over five years after testing concluded, providing a unique sample for stored water under microgravity conditions without prior protocols for microbial control such as sterilization or addition of biocides. The Slosh storage tanks were returned to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) aboard SpaceX CRS-18 mission in November 2019. Upon return of the tanks, the water within each tank was analyzed to determine how the water chemistry and biology changed during its tenure in microgravity. The data obtained and described within this publication provided a basis and reasoning for planning water storage and purification treatment methods aboard ISS, Gateway, and future space habitats. Results demonstrated that low microbial concentrations were present within the water, as expected since no biocide treatment was employed, yet no extensive biofilm formation was observed after 5 years even in the presence of microbial food sources such as the polycarbonate structure and food color additives. This experimentation demonstrates that future biofilm studies should be performed on this type of experimental setup with proper controls aboard ISS to examine microbial regrowth to improve microbial control within space water systems.

Luke B. Roberson↗

NASA NTRS2008

Rapid Biochemical Analysis on the International Space Station (ISS): Preparing for Human Exploration of the Moon and Mars

The Lab-on-a-Chip Application Development - Portable Test System, known as LOCAD-PTS, was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-116) on December 9th,2006. Since that time, it has remained onboard ISS and has been operated by the crew on 10 separate occasions LOCAD-PTS is a handheld device for rapid biochemical analysis; it consists of a spectrophotometer, a series of interchangeable cartridges, a pipette and several clean/sterilized swabbing kits to obtain samples from ISS surfaces. Sampling, quantitative analysis and data retrieval is performed onboard, therefore reducing the need to return samples to Earth. Less than 20 minutes are required from sampling to data, significantly faster than existing culture-based methods on ISS, which require 3-5 days. Different cartridges are available for the detection of different target molecules (simply by changing the formulation within each cartridge), thereby maximizing the benefit and applications addressed by a single instrument. Initial tests on ISS have focused on the detection of the bact.erial macromolecule endotoxin, a component of bacterial cell walls. LOCAD-PTS detects endotoxin with a cartridge that contains a formulation known as Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay. LAL is derived from blood of the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, and detects enodotoxin with an enzyme cascade that triggers generation Of a yellow colored dye, p-nitroanaline. The more p-nitroanaline product, the more endotoxin is in the original sample. To enable quantitative analysis, the absorbance of this color is measured by LOCAD-PTS through a 395 nm filter and compared with an internal calibration curve, to provide a reading on the LED display that ranges from 0.05 Endotoxin Units (EU)/ml to 5 EU/ml. Several surface sites were analyzed within ISS between March 2007 and February 2008, including multiple locations in the US Laboratory Destiny, Node 1 Unity, AMock, and Service Module Zvezda. The goals of this initial study were to i) test the cleanliness of reagents/supplies on orbit, ii) test the crew's ability to collect and process a sample in microgravity without contamination, iii) demonstrate nominal function of the LOCAD-PTS, and iv) provide a general survey of endotoxin within the ISS. The surface sites varied greatly in terms of their frequency-of-use and material texture/composition; from relatively smooth aluminum, to fabric, to the room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) rubber of a Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit. Results showed that: i) the swabbing kits and reagents remained clean on orbit, ii) the crew could collect and process a sample without contamination, and iii) the LOCAD-PTS functioned nominally in > 99% of the 55 tests completed. We will present detailed results of the survey of endotoxin on ISS surfaces. These results and technology are important in the near-term - by providing an extra tool in the toolbox for ISS microbial monitoring. They are also important in the longer term as valuable preparation for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. One of the proposed science goals for the human exploration of Mars will be to detect and characterize any indigenous biological molecules that may exist on the Martian surface. To achieve that goal, the crew must have the technology available onboard to differentiate indigenous biology from any terrestrial biological material brought to Mars by the spacecraft and crew (termed 'forward contamination'). The LAL assay is already one of the official methods used by NASA's planetary protection program to certify cleanliness of interplanetary robotic spacecraft prior to launch; and therefore endotoxin is a good marker of forward contamination (as well as other microbial molecules detectable with LOCAD-PTS e.g. box-1, 3-glucan and lipoteichoic acid). Furthermore, the distribution and abundance of these molecules on the ISS provides a good indicator of what to expect on the Crew Exploratioehicle Orion, the lunar lander Antares, and future crewed spacecraft destined for Mars. In addition, technology such as LOCAD-PTS has been proposed to help evaluate forward contamination during lunar surface operations by the crew, as preparation for the human exploration of Mars.

Maule, J.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Dust streaks on Mars: Colors and photometry

Photometric studies of crater related bright and dark streaks have strongly supported the hypothesis that the bright streaks are excess dust deposits and dark streaks are erosional windows in a partial dust cover. Red-blue (and red-violet) plots show that bright streaks are consistent with mosaics of bright red dust and background material. Here the plains are also consistent with a partial dust cover; the dark streak is the least covered area. Bright and dark streaks both reverse contrast relative to surrounding plains at phase angles over 100 deg in violet filter images. The similar phase behavior of both bright and dark streaks supports the idea that they are both changes in the amount of dust cover. Red-violet plots of bright streaks are most easily explained by mosaics of optically thick dust and plains material. Lengths of bright streaks are independent of their contrasts. This suggests the streak deposition, if in the mosaic patterns indicated above, is a function of available sites of deposition, rather than atmospheric dust loading. Contrasts of dark streaks with plains indicate the plains have fractional dust covers nealy as great as the maximum additional cover in bright streaks. The bright streaks thus store little of the global supply of dust.

Thomas, P.↗

NASA NTRS2000

NASA/GSFC Research Activities for the Global Ocean Carbon Cycle: A Prospectus for the 21st Century

There are increasing concerns that anthropogenic inputs of carbon dioxide into the Earth system have the potential for climate change. In response to these concerns, the GSFC Laboratory for Hydrospheric Processes has formed the Ocean Carbon Science Team (OCST) to contribute to greater understanding of the global ocean carbon cycle. The overall goals of the OCST are to: 1) detect changes in biological components of the ocean carbon cycle through remote sensing of biooptical properties, 2) refine understanding of ocean carbon uptake and sequestration through application of basic research results, new satellite algorithms, and improved model parameterizations, 3) develop and implement new sensors providing critical missing environmental information related to the oceanic carbon cycle and the flux of CO2 across the air-sea interface. The specific objectives of the OCST are to: 1) establish a 20-year time series of ocean color, 2) develop new remote sensing technologies, 3) validate ocean remote sensing observations, 4) conduct ocean carbon cycle scientific investigations directly related to remote sensing data, emphasizing physiological, empirical and coupled physical/biological models, satellite algorithm development and improvement, and analysis of satellite data sets. These research and mission objectives are intended to improve our understanding of global ocean carbon cycling and contribute to national goals by maximizing the use of remote sensing data.

Gregg, W. W.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Remote Sensing, GIS, and Vector-Borne Disease

The concept of global climate change encompasses more than merely an alteration in temperature; it also includes spatial and temporal covariations in precipitation and humidity, and more frequent occurrence of extreme weather events. The impact of these variations, which can occur at a variety of temporal and spatial scales, could have a direct impact on disease transmission through their environmental consequences for pathogen, vector, and host survival, as well as indirectly through human demographic and behavioral responses. New and future sensor systems will allow scientists to investigate the relationships between climate change and environmental risk factors at multiple spatial, temporal and spectral scales. Higher spatial resolution will provide better opportunities for mapping urban features previously only possible with high resolution aerial photography. These opportunities include housing quality (e.g., Chagas'disease, leishmaniasis) and urban mosquito habitats (e.g., dengue fever, filariasis, LaCrosse encephalitis). There are or will be many new sensors that have higher spectral resolution, enabling scientists to acquire more information about parameters such as soil moisture, soil type, better vegetation discrimination, and ocean color, to name a few. Although soil moisture content is now detectable using Landsat, the new thermal, shortwave infrared, and radar sensors will be able to provide this information at a variety of scales not achievable using Landsat. Soil moisture could become a key component in transmission risk models for Lyme disease (tick survival), helminthiases (worm habitat), malaria (vector-breeding habitat), and schistosomiasis (snail habitat).

Beck, Louisa R.↗

NASA NTRS2011

El Nino-Southern Oscillation Correlated Aerosol Angstrom Exponent Anomaly Over the Tropical Pacific Discovered in Satellite Measurements

El Nino.Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the dominant mode of interannual variability in the tropical atmosphere. ENSO could potentially impact local and global aerosol properties through atmospheric circulation anomalies and teleconnections. By analyzing aerosol properties, including aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Angstrom exponent (AE; often used as a qualitative indicator of aerosol particle size) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer, the Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer and the Sea ]viewing Wide Field ]of ]view Sensor for the period 2000.2011, we find a strong correlation between the AE data and the multivariate ENSO index (MEI) over the tropical Pacific. Over the western tropical Pacific (WTP), AE increases during El Nino events and decreases during La Nina events, while the opposite is true over the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP). The difference between AE anomalies in the WTP and ETP has a higher correlation coefficient (>0.7) with the MEI than the individual time series and could be considered another type of ENSO index. As no significant ENSO correlation is found in AOD over the same region, the change in AE (and hence aerosol size) is likely to be associated with aerosol composition changes due to anomalous meteorological conditions induced by the ENSO. Several physical parameters or mechanisms that might be responsible for the correlation are discussed. Preliminary analysis indicates surface wind anomaly might be the major contributor, as it reduces sea ]salt production and aerosol transport during El Nino events. Precipitation and cloud fraction are also found to be correlated with tropical Pacific AE. Possible mechanisms, including wet removal and cloud shielding effects, are considered. Variations in relative humidity, tropospheric ozone concentration, and ocean color during El Nino have been ruled out. Further investigation is needed to fully understand this AE ]ENSO covariability and the underlying physical processes responsible for it.

Li, Jing↗

NASA NTRS1971

Thermal study of the Missouri River in North Dakota using infrared imagery

Studies of infrared imagery obtained from aircraft at 305- to 1,524-meter altitudes indicate the feasibility of monitoring thermal changes attributable to the operation of thermal electric plants and storage reservoirs, as well as natural phenomena such as tributary inflow and ground water seeps in large rivers. No identifiable sources of ground water inflow below the surface of the river could be found in the imagery. The thermal patterns from the generating plants and the major tributary inflow are readily apparent in imagery obtained from an altitude of 305 meters. Portions of the tape-recorded imagery were processed in a color-coded quantization to enhance the displays and to attach quantitative significance to the data. The study indicates a marked decrease in water temperature in the Missouri River prior to early fall and a moderate increase in temperature in late fall because of the Lake Sakakawea impoundment.

Crosby, O. A.↗

NASA NTRS1973

ERTS-1 evaluation of natural resources management applications in the Great Basin

The relatively cloud free weather in the Great Basin has allowed the accumulation of several dates of excellent ERTS-1 imagery. Mountains, valleys, playas, stream courses, canyons, alluvial fans, and other landforms are readily delineated on ERTS-1 imagery, particularly with MSS-5. Each band is useful for identifying and studying one or more natural resource features. For example, crested wheatgrass seedings were most easily identified and measured on MSS-7. Color enhancements simulating CIR were useful for depicting meadow and phreatophytic vegetation along water bodies and stream courses. Work is underway to inventory and monitor wildfire areas by age and successional status. Inventories have been completed on crested wheatgrass seedings over the entire State of Nevada, and inventories of playa surfaces, water surfaces, phreatophytic vegetation, snow cover, meadows, and other features is continuing. Vegetation ecotones are being delineated for vegetation mapping. The pinyon/juniper-northern desert shrub ecotone has been identified with considerable success. Phenology changes can be used to describe vegetation changes for management.

Tueller, P. T.↗

NASA NTRS2008

The Young Massive Stellar Cluster Sandage-96 after the Explosion of SN 2004DJ in NGC 2403

The bright supernova 2004dj occurred within the young massive stellar cluster Sandage-96 in a spiral arm of NGC 2403, close to other star-forming complexes. New multi-wavelength observations obtained with several ground-based- and space telescopes are combined to study the radiation from Sandage-96 after SN 2004dj faded away. The late-time light curves show that Sandage-96 started to dominate the flux in the optical bands after September, 2006 (+800 days after explosion). The optical fluxes are equal to the pre-explosion ones, suggesting that Sandage-96 has survived the explosion without significant changes in its stellar population. An optical Keck-spectrum obtained at +900 days after explosion shows the dominant blue continuum from the cluster stars shortward of 6000 A as well as strong SN nebular emission lines redward. The integrated SED of the cluster has been extended into the UV-region by archival XMM-Newton and new Swift observations, and compared with theoretical models. The outer parts of the cluster have been resolved by HST allowing the construction of a color-magnitude diagram. The fitting of the cluster SED with theoretical isochrones results in two possible solutions with ages being 9+/-1 Myr and 30+/-10 Myr, depending on the assumed metallicity and the theoretical model family. The isochrone fitting of the color-magnitude diagram indicates that the outer part of the cluster consists of stars having an age dispersion of 16 < t < 63 Myr, which is similar to that of nearby field stars. This age discrepancy may be resolved by the hypothesis that the outskirt of Sandage-96 is contaminated by stars captured from the field during cluster formation. The young age of Sandage-96 and the comparison of its pre- and post-explosion SEDs suggest a progenitor mass of 15 < or equal to M(sub prog) < 25 Stellar Mass.

Vinko, J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Reducing video frame rate increases remote optimal focus time

Twelve observers made best optical focus adjustments to a microscope whose high-resolution pattern was video monitored and displayed first on a National Television System Committee (NTSC) analog color monitor and second on a digitally compressed computer monitor screen at frame rates ranging (in six steps) from 1.5 to 30 frames per second (fps). This was done to determine whether reducing the frame rate affects the image focus. Reducing frame rate has been shown to be an effective and acceptable means of reducing transmission bandwidth of dynamic video imagery sent from Space Station Freedom (SSF) to ground scientists. Three responses were recorded per trial: time to complete the focus adjustment, number of changes of focus direction, and subjective rating of final image quality. It was found that: the average time to complete the focus setting increases from 4.5 sec at 30 fps to 7.9 sec at 1.5 fps (statistical probability = 1.2 x 10(exp -7)); there is no significant difference in the number of changes in the direction of focus adjustment across these frame rates; and there is no significant change in subjectively determined final image quality across these frame rates. These data can be used to help pre-plan future remote optical-focus operations on SSF.

Haines, Richard F.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Thermal Field Imaging Using Ultrasound

It is often desirable to be able to determine the temperature field in the interiors of opaque fluids forced into convection by externally imposed temperature gradients. To measure the temperature at a point in an opaque fluid in the usual fashion requires insertion of a probe, and to determine the full field therefore requires either the ability to move this probe or the introduction of multiple probes. Neither of these solutions is particularly satisfactory, although they can lead to quite accurate measurements. As an alternative we have investigated the use of ultrasound as a relatively non-intrusive probe of the temperature field in convecting opaque fluids. The temperature dependence of the sound velocity can be sufficiently great to permit a determination of the temperature from timing the traversal of an ultrasound pulse across a chamber. In this paper we will present our results on convecting flows of transparent and opaque fluids. Our experimental cells consist of relatively narrow rectangular cavities made of thermally insulating materials on the sides, and metal top and bottom plates. The ultrasound transducer is powered by a pulser/receiver, the signal output of which goes to a very high speed signal averager. The average of several hundred to several thousand signals is then sent to a computer for storage and analysis. The experimental procedure is to establish a convective flow by imposing a vertical temperature gradient on the chamber, and then to measure, at several regularly spaced locations, the transit time for an ultrasound pulse to traverse the chamber horizontally (parallel to the convecting rolls) and return to the transducer. The transit time is related to the temperature of the fluid through which the sound pulse travels. Knowing the relationship between transit time and temperature (determined in a separate experiment), we can extract the average temperature across the chamber at that location. By changing the location of the transducer it is then possible to find the average temperature at different locations along the chamber, thereby determining the temperature profile along the system. (In the future we will construct an array of transducers. This will give us the capability to determine the temperature profile much more rapidly than at present, an important consideration if time-dependent phenomena are to be studied.) To validate our procedure we introduced encapsulated liquid crystal particles into glycerol. The liquid crystal particles' color varies depending on the temperature of the fluid. A photograph of the fluid through transparent sidewalls therefore gives a picture of the temperature field of the convecting fluid, independent of our ultrasound imaging. A representative result is shown in the Figure 1, which reveals a very satisfying correspondence between the two techniques. Therefore we have a great deal of confidence that the ultrasound imaging approach is indeed measuring the actual temperature profile of the fluid. The technique has also been applied to convecting liquid metal flows, and representative data will be presented from those experiments as well.

Andereck, D.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Dynamic Tunnel Usability Study: Format Recommendations for Synthetic Vision System Primary Flight Displays

A usability study evaluating dynamic tunnel concepts has been completed under the Aviation Safety and Security Program, Synthetic Vision Systems Project. The usability study was conducted in the Visual Imaging Simulator for Transport Aircraft Systems (VISTAS) III simulator in the form of questionnaires and pilot-in-the-loop simulation sessions. Twelve commercial pilots participated in the study to determine their preferences via paired comparisons and subjective rankings regarding the color, line thickness and sensitivity of the dynamic tunnel. The results of the study showed that color was not significant in pilot preference paired comparisons or in pilot rankings. Line thickness was significant for both pilot preference paired comparisons and in pilot rankings. The preferred line/halo thickness combination was a line width of 3 pixels and a halo of 4 pixels. Finally, pilots were asked their preference for the current dynamic tunnel compared to a less sensitive dynamic tunnel. The current dynamic tunnel constantly gives feedback to the pilot with regard to path error while the less sensitive tunnel only changes as the path error approaches the edges of the tunnel. The tunnel sensitivity comparison results were not statistically significant.

Arthur, Jarvis J., III↗

NASA NTRS2009

A Landsat-Based Assessment of Mobile Bay Land Use and Land Cover Change from 1974 to 2008

The Mobile Bay region has experienced noteworthy land use and land cover (LULC) change in the latter half of the 20th century. Accompanying this change has been urban expansion and a reduction of rural land uses. Much of this LULC change has reportedly occurred since the landfall of Hurricane Frederic in 1979. The Mobile Bay region provides great economic and ecologic benefits to the Nation, including important coastal habitat for a broad diversity of fisheries and wildlife. Regional urbanization threatens the estuary s water quality and aquatic-habitat dependent biota, including commercial fisheries and avian wildlife. Coastal conservation and urban land use planners require additional information on historical LULC change to support coastal habitat restoration and resiliency management efforts. This presentation discusses results of a Gulf of Mexico Application Pilot project that was conducted in 2008 to quantify and assess LULC change from 1974 to 2008. This project was led by NASA Stennis Space Center and involved multiple Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) partners, including the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (NEP), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration s (NOAA s) National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC), and the NOAA Coastal Services Center. Nine Landsat images were employed to compute LULC products because of their availability and suitability for the application. The project also used Landsat-based national LULC products, including coastal LULC products from NOAA s Coastal Change & Analysis Program (C-CAP), available at 5-year intervals since 1995. Our study was initiated in part because C-CAP LULC products were not available to assess the region s urbanization prior to 1995 and subsequent to post Hurricane Katrina in 2006. This project assessed LULC change across the 34-year time frame and at decadal and middecadal scales. The study area included the majority of Mobile and Baldwin counties that encompass Mobile Bay. In doing so, each date of Landsat data was classified using an end-user defined modified Anderson level 1 classification scheme. LULC classifications were refined using a decision rule approach in conjunction with available C-CAP products. Individual dates of LULC classifications were validated by image interpretation of stratified random locations on raw Landsat color composite imagery in combination with higher resolution remote sensing and in-situ reference data. The results indicate that during the 34-year study period, urban areas increased from 96,688 to 150,227 acres, representing a 55.37% increase, or 1.63% per annum. Most of the identified urban expansion results from conversion of rural forest and agriculture to urban cover types. Final LULC mapping and metadata products were produced for the entire study area as well as watersheds of concern within the study area. Final project products, including LULC trend information, were incorporated into the Mobile Bay NEP State of the Bay report. Products and metadata were transferred to NOAA NCDDC to allow free online accessibility and use by GOMA partners and by the public.

Spruce, Joseph↗

NASA NTRS2003

The Second SIMBIOS Radiometric Intercomparison (SIMRIC-2), March-November 2002

The second SIMBIOS (Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies) Radiometric Intercomparison (SIMRIC-2) was carried out in 2002. The purpose of the SIMRIC's was to ensure a common radiometric scale among the calibration facilities that are engaged in calibrating in-situ radiometrics used for ocean color-related research and to document the calibration procedures and protocols. The SeaWIFS Transfer Radiometer (SXR-II) measured the calibration radiances at six wavelengths from 411nm to 777nm in the ten laboratories participating in the SIMRIC-2. The measured radiances were compared with the radiances expected by the laboratories. The agreement was within the combined uncertainties for all but two laboratories. Likely error sources were identified in these laboratories and corrective measures were implemented. NIST calibrations in December 2001 and January 2003 showed changes ranging from -0.6% to +0.7% for the six SXR-II channels. Two independent light sources were used to monitor changes in the SXR-II responsivity between the NIST calibrations. A 2% variation of the responsivity of channel 1 of the SXR-II was detected, and the SXR-II responsivity was corrected using the monitoring data. This report also compared directional reflectance calibrations of a Spectralon plaque by different calibration facilities

Meister, Gerhard↗

NASA NTRS2005

Advanced Three-Dimensional Display System

A desktop-scale, computer-controlled display system, initially developed for NASA and now known as the VolumeViewer(TradeMark), generates three-dimensional (3D) images of 3D objects in a display volume. This system differs fundamentally from stereoscopic and holographic display systems: The images generated by this system are truly 3D in that they can be viewed from almost any angle, without the aid of special eyeglasses. It is possible to walk around the system while gazing at its display volume to see a displayed object from a changing perspective, and multiple observers standing at different positions around the display can view the object simultaneously from their individual perspectives, as though the displayed object were a real 3D object. At the time of writing this article, only partial information on the design and principle of operation of the system was available. It is known that the system includes a high-speed, silicon-backplane, ferroelectric-liquid-crystal spatial light modulator (SLM), multiple high-power lasers for projecting images in multiple colors, a rotating helix that serves as a moving screen for displaying voxels [volume cells or volume elements, in analogy to pixels (picture cells or picture elements) in two-dimensional (2D) images], and a host computer. The rotating helix and its motor drive are the only moving parts. Under control by the host computer, a stream of 2D image patterns is generated on the SLM and projected through optics onto the surface of the rotating helix. The system utilizes a parallel pixel/voxel-addressing scheme: All the pixels of the 2D pattern on the SLM are addressed simultaneously by laser beams. This parallel addressing scheme overcomes the difficulty of achieving both high resolution and a high frame rate in a raster scanning or serial addressing scheme. It has been reported that the structure of the system is simple and easy to build, that the optical design and alignment are not difficult, and that the system can be built by use of commercial off-the-shelf products. A prototype of the system displays an image of 1,024 by 768 by 170 (=133,693,440) voxels. In future designs, the resolution could be increased. The maximum number of voxels that can be generated depends upon the spatial resolution of SLM and the speed of rotation of the helix. For example, one could use an available SLM that has 1,024 by 1,024 pixels. Incidentally, this SLM is capable of operation at a switching speed of 300,000 frames per second. Implementation of full-color displays in future versions of the system would be straightforward: One could use three SLMs for red, green, and blue, respectively, and the colors of the voxels could be automatically controlled. An optically simpler alternative would be to use a single red/green/ blue light projector and synchronize the projection of each color with the generation of patterns for that color on a single SLM.

Geng, Jason↗