Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “traces”

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 829 records · Page 46

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Trace Gas Columns Derived from WRF/Chem Regional Model Output: Planning for Geostationary Observations of Atmospheric Composition

We quantify both the spatial and temporal variability of column integrated O3, NO2, CO, SO2, and HCHO over the Baltimore / Washington, DC area using output from the Weather Research and Forecasting model with on-line chemistry (WRF/Chem) for the entire month of July 2011, coinciding with the first deployment of the NASA Earth Venture program mission Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ). Using structure function analyses, we find that the model reproduces the spatial variability observed during the campaign reasonably well, especially for O3. The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument will be the first NASA mission to make atmospheric composition observations from geostationary orbit and partially fulfills the goals of the Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) mission. We relate the simulated variability to the precision requirements defined by the science traceability matrices of these space-borne missions. Results for O3 from 0- 2 km altitude indicate that the TEMPO instrument would be able to observe O3 air quality events over the Mid-Atlantic area, even on days when the violations of the air quality standard are not widespread. The results further indicated that horizontal gradients in CO from 0-2 km would be observable over moderate distances (≥ 20 km). The spatial and temporal results for tropospheric column NO2 indicate that TEMPO would be able to observe not only the large urban plumes at times of peak production, but also the weaker gradients between rush hours. This suggests that the proposed spatial and temporal resolutions for these satellites as well as their prospective precision requirements are sufficient to answer the science questions they are tasked to address.

TEMPO↗

Airborne Observations of Ozone and Other Trace Gases Upwind of National Parks in California and Nevada

The Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) is a research project based at Moffett Field, CA, which collects airborne measurements of ozone, carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and formaldehyde, as well as 3-D winds, temperature, pressure, and location. Since its first science flight in 2011, AJAX has developed a wide a variety of mission types, combining vertical profiles (from approximately 8 km to near surface), boundary layer legs, and plume sampling as needed. With an ongoing five-year data set, the team has sampled over 160 vertical profiles, a dozen wildfires, and numerous stratospheric ozone intrusions. Our largest data collection includes 55 vertical profiles at Railroad Valley, NV, approximately 100 miles southwest of Great Basin National Park, and many of those flights include comparisons to surface monitors in the Nevada Rural Ozone Initiative network. We have also collected a smaller set of measurements northwest of Joshua Tree National Park, and are looking to develop partnerships that can put this data to use to assess or improve air quality in nearby Parks. AJAX also studies the plumes emitted by wildfires in California, as most emissions inventories are based on prescribed fires. We have sampled a dozen fires, and results will be presented from several, including the Rim (2013), Soberanes and Cedar (2016) Fires.

Ozone↗

Latitude Variations of Stratospheric Trace Gases

This paper presents observations made in 1987 and 1992, covering latitudes from 85°S to 85°N as part of the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment (AAOE) in 1987 and the Airborne Arctic Stratosphere Experiment (AASE) in1992.

Trace↗

Dynamical and Trace Gas Responses of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation to Historical and Future Climate Change

The Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) dominates the variability of the tropical stratosphere. The QBO can be seen in stratospheric zonal wind, temperature, and composition, but it also has a number of teleconnections—including to the polar vortices, extratropical surface winter climate, and the Madden-Julian Oscillation. Thus, its future trends will have a signature on the surface. Recent multi-model investigations (Richter et al. 2019, Butchart et al. 2020) suggest that a weakening of the QBO amplitude is very likely, but changes to QBO period and stability remain unclear, due in part to its highly parameterized nature. We investigate these aspects using multiple configurations of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies Model E2.2 (Rind et al., 2020; Orbe et al. 2020). As a high-top model with gravity wave drag partly sourced from (parameterized) convection, Model E2.2 includes key pathways for climate forcings to influence the QBO. Overall, both the period and amplitude decrease in response to increased CO2, with convection feedbacks critical for the period response, and ozone feedbacks enhancing the amplitude response. We use these results to interpret QBO trends in the historical and SSP integrations. Lastly, we examine the effect of volcanic eruptions on the QBO

Quasi-Biennial Oscillation↗