Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “cities”

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 883 records · Page 49
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2000

Total Optical Depth Analysis for NO2, O3 and Aerosols by a Multi-Filter Shadowband Radiometer

The main focus of this research is the retrieval of tropospheric aerosol information using a Multi-filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer, Model MFR-7, placed on the roof of the Science Building at Medgar Evers College. This instrument makes precise measurements of atmospheric extinction of the direct solar beam simultaneously at six wavelengths (475, 500, 615, 670, 840 and 940 nm) at one minute intervals throughout the day. We are interested in measuring the changes in the optical depth of ambient aerosols, mass, effective particle size, aerosol size distribution, and chemical composition of ambient particulate matter in the Greater New York City Area. Results will be compared with data obtained by A. Lacis, B. Carlson and B. Cairns at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

Williamson, Lorenzo↗
NASA NTRS2000

Olympus: The Ultimate Summit for Science

High above the world-class observatories that dot Hawaii's dormant Mauna Kea volcano, floating farther yet over the hostile and nearly inaccessible peaks of Mt. Everest, lies a summit waiting to be conquered. Here above the clouds and city lights and over 99.7% of the atmosphere is a platform on the edge of space, home to a broad range of astronomy and physics experiments. Today, balloons are lifting experiments longer, higher and more inexpensively than ever before, and returning them safely to Earth for reuse. Week-long flights at altitudes of approximately 35 kilometers carrying payloads in excess of several tons are the norm. NASA now plans to extend this platform and create a new generation of balloons capable of staying afloat with such cargo for 100 days and ultimately 1,000 days. What do some scientists hope to accomplish with 100 or even 1,000 days at the edge of space? To name but a few proposals on the table: Jupiter-size planet searches, large-aperture solar astronomy, large-aperture infrared astronomy, cosmic-ray investigations, long-duration Earth science missions, and hard x-ray imaging experiments. Olympus defines a new era in scientific ballooning. Advances in material science and trajectory control are enabling revolutionary capabilities. Very large scientific payloads can now be reliably launched and retrieved for reflight at a range of altitudes. Balloon flight still remains a fraction of the cost of a rocket launch. The ultra long duration balloon, with its 100-day maiden flight planned for 2001, provides a long-term facility in a near-space environment for many types of science. This is a stratospheric mountaintop well worth the climb.

Kelly, Darrell↗
NASA NTRS2001

On Rainfall Modification by Major Urban Areas: Observations from Space-borne Rain Radar on TRMM - Part 1

This study represents one of the first published attempts to identify rainfall modification by urban areas using satellite-based rainfall measurements. Data from the first space-based rain-radar, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission's (TRMM) Precipitation Radar, are employed. Analysis of the data enables identification of rainfall patterns around Atlanta, Montgomery, Nashville, San Antonio, Waco, and Dallas during the warm season. Results reveal an average increase of -28% in monthly rainfall rates within 30-60 kilometers downwind of the metropolis with a modest increase of 5.6% over the metropolis. Portions of the downwind area exhibit increases as high as 51%. The percentage chances are relative to an upwind CONTROL area. It was also found that maximum rainfall rates in the downwind impact area can exceed the mean value in the upwind CONTROL area by 48%-116%. The maximum value was generally found at an average distance of 39 km from the edge of the urban center or 64 km from the center of the city. These results are consistent with METROMEX studies of St. Louis almost two decades ago and more recent studies near Atlanta. Future work will investi(yate hypothesized factors causing rainfall modification by urban areas. Additional work is also needed to provide more robust validation of space-based rain estimates near major urban areas. Such research has implications for urban planning, water resource management, and understanding human impact on the environment.

Shepherd, J. Marshall↗
NASA NTRS2001

Facility for Atmospheric Remote Sensing (FARS) Cirrus Measurements for FIRE III

From our Facility of Atmospheric Remote Sensing (FARS) in Salt Lake City, Utah, we have since December 1986 collected ground-truth data from cirrus clouds for aiding in satellite cloud detection algorithm testing and improvement, the development of cirrus radiative parameterizations, and basic cloud physics research. This research program has involved data regularly collected with a polarization ruby (0.694 micrometer) lidar system and a suit of passive (visible, infrared, and microwave) radiometers, although a number of comprehensive cloud case studies using the full compliment of remote sensors (i.e., 95 GHz polarimetric Doppler radar and high-resolution dual-wavelength Polarization Diversity Lidar, PDL) have also been obtained. Since our program began, a total of approximately 3,200 hours of lidar/radiometer data have been collected, resulting in a uniquely comprehensive, and climatologically-representative, high cloud dataset. In this report, we highlight our research accomplishments over the period of performance of this grant.

Sassen, Kenneth↗
NASA NTRS2001

Total Solar Eclipse of 2002 December 04

On 2002 December 04, a total eclipse of the Sun will be visible from within a narrow corridor which traverses the Southern Hemisphere. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in the South Atlantic, crosses southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, and ends at sunset in southern Australia. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southern two thirds of Africa, Antarctica, Indian Ocean and Australia. Detailed predictions for this event are presented and include besselian elements, geographic coordinates of the path of totality, physical ephemeris of the umbra, topocentric limb profile corrections, local circumstances for approximately 400 cities, maps of the eclipse path, weather prospects, the lunar limb profile and the sky during totality. Information on safe eclipse viewing and eclipse photography is included.

Espenak, Fred↗
NASA NTRS2001

CSMA Versus Prioritized CSMA for Air-Traffic-Control Improvement

OPNET version 7.0 simulations are presented involving an important application of the Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN), Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) over the Very High Frequency Data Link, Mode 2 (VDL-2). Communication is modeled for essentially all incoming and outgoing nonstop air-traffic for just three United States cities: Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Detroit. There are 32 airports in the simulation, 29 of which are either sources or destinations for the air-traffic of the aforementioned three airports. The simulation involves 111 Air Traffic Control (ATC) ground stations, and 1,235 equally equipped aircraft-taking off, flying realistic free-flight trajectories, and landing in a 24-hr period. Collisionless, Prioritized Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) is successfully tested and compared with the traditional CSMA typically associated with VDL-2. The performance measures include latency, throughput, and packet loss. As expected, Prioritized CSMA is much quicker and more efficient than traditional CSMA. These simulation results show the potency of Prioritized CSMA for implementing low latency, high throughput, and efficient connectivity.

Robinson, Daryl C.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Advanced Methods for Aircraft Engine Thrust and Noise Benefits: Nozzle-Inlet Flow Analysis

The Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics Laboratory at Hampton University (HU/FM&AL) jointly with the NASA Glenn Research Center has conducted four connected subprojects under the reporting project. Basically, the HU/FM&AL Team has been involved in joint research with the purpose of theoretical explanation of experimental facts and creation of accurate numerical simulation techniques and prediction theory for solution of current problems in propulsion systems of interest to the NAVY and NASA agencies. This work is also supported by joint research between the NASA GRC and the Institute of Mechanics at Moscow State University (IM/MSU) in Russia under a CRDF grant. The research is focused on a wide regime of problems in the propulsion field as well as in experimental testing and theoretical and numerical simulation analyses for advanced aircraft and rocket engines. The FM&AL Team uses analytical methods, numerical simulations and possible experimental tests at the Hampton University campus. The fundamental idea uniting these subprojects is to use nontraditional 3D corrugated and composite nozzle and inlet designs and additional methods for exhaust jet noise reduction without essential thrust loss and even with thrust augmentation. These subprojects are: (1) Aeroperformance and acoustics of Bluebell-shaped and Telescope-shaped designs; (2) An analysis of sharp-edged nozzle exit designs for effective fuel injection into the flow stream in air-breathing engines: triangular-round, diamond-round and other nozzles; (3) Measurement technique improvement for the HU Low Speed Wind Tunnel; a new course in the field of aerodynamics, teaching and training of HU students; experimental tests of Mobius-shaped screws: research and training; (4) Supersonic inlet shape optimization. The main outcomes during this reporting period are: (l) Publications: The AIAA Paper #00-3170 was presented at the 36th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, 17-19 June, 2000, Huntsville, AL. The AIAA Paper #01-1893 has been accepted for the AIAA/NAL-NASDA-ISAS 10th International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference, 24-27 April 2001, Kyoto, Japan. The AIAA Paper #01 -3204 has been accepted for presentation at the 37th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, being held on 08-11 July, in Salt Lake City, UT; (2) A U.S. patent #6,082,635 was granted on July 4, 2000; (3) Grants and proposals: The H U/ FM&AL was awarded the NASA grant NAG-3-2495 in October 2000 and the laboratory is a primary U.S. research team in a joint project under the CRDF award granted to the NASA GRC and IM/MSU (Russia) in July 2000; (4) Theory and numerical simulations: Analytical theory, numerical simulation, comparison of theoretical with experimental results, and modification of theoretical approaches, models, grids, etc., have been conducted for several complicated 2D and 3D nozzle and inlet designs using NASA, ICASE, and IM/MSU codes based on full Euler and Navier-Stokes solvers: CFL3D, FLUENT, and GODUNOV, and others; (5) Experimental Tests: (a) A new course: "Advanced Aerodynamics and Aircraft Performance" presented in spring semester, 2001; training and experimental test research using the HU LSWT. (b) Small-scale M6bius-shaped screws were tested in different conditions and their application has shown essential benefits by comparison with traditional designs; (6) Installation in the FM&AL computer system: second software TECPLOT 8.0 for the UNIX SGI workstation and free TECPLOT 7.5 for the PC Dell computer, and 2D and 3D GRIDGEN (version 9) for the UNIX SGI as well as installation of two free NASA codes, 3D MAG and VULCAN; (7) Student Research Activity: Involvement of two undergraduate students as research assistants in the current research project.

Gilinsky, Mikhail↗
NASA NTRS2001

Numerical Simulation of One- and Two-Phase Flows in Propulsion Systems

In this report, we present some results of problems investigated during joint research between the Hampton University Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics Laboratory (HU/FM&AL), NASA GRC, and the LaRC Hyper-X Program. This work is supported by joint research between the NASA GRC and the Institute of Mechanics at Moscow State University (IM/MSU) in Russia under a CRDF grant. The main areas of current scientific interest of the HU/FM&AL include an investigation of the proposed and patented advanced methods for aircraft engine thrust and noise benefits. These methods are based on nontraditional 3D corrugated and composite nozzle, inlet, propeller and screw designs such as a Bluebell and Telescope nozzle, Mobius-shaped screw, etc. This is the main subject of our other projects, of which one is presented at the current conference. Here we analyze additional methods for exhaust jet noise reduction without essential thrust loss and even with thrust augmentation. Such additional approaches are: (1) to add some solid, fluid, or gas mass at discrete locations to the main supersonic gas stream to minimize the negative influence of strong shock waves formed in propulsion systems. This mass addition may be accompanied by heat addition to the main stream as a result of the fuel combustion or by cooling of this stream as a result of the liquid mass evaporation and boiling; (2) Use of porous or permeable nozzles and additional shells at the nozzle exit for preliminary cooling of the hot jet exhaust and pressure compensation for off-design conditions (so-called continuous ejector with small mass flow rate); and (3) to propose and analyze new effective methods of fuel injection into the flow stream in air-breathing engines. The research is focused on a wide regime of problems in the propulsion field as well as in experimental testing and theoretical and numerical simulation analyses for advanced aircraft and rocket engines. The FM&AL Team uses analytical methods, numerical simulations, and experimental tests at the Hampton University campus, NASA, and IM/MSU. The main outcomes during this reporting period are: (1) Publications: The AIAA Paper #01-1893 has been accepted for the AIAA/NAL-NASDA-ISAS 10th International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference, 24-27 April 2001, Kyoto, Japan. The AIAA Paper #01-3204 has been accepted for presentation at the 37th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference being held on 08-11 July, in Salt Lake City, UT; (2) Grants and proposals: The HU/FM&AL was awarded the NASA grant NAG3-2495 in October 2000 and the CRDF award was granted to the NASA GRC-HU FM&AL and IM/MSU (Russia) in July 2000. A solicited proposal was submitted for the NASA NRA-01GRC-02 competition and two unsolicited proposals to NASA are in preparation; (3) Theory and numerical simulations: Analytical theory, numerical simulation, comparison of theoretical with experimental results, and modification of theoretical approaches, models, grids, etc. Such investigations have been conducted for three main problems: (a) Combustion efficiency optimization in the half-duct combustor system; (b) Drag reduction effects for blunt bodies with solid needles; and (c) Solid particle injection from the butt-end against a supersonic flow. The NASA CFL3D, HU/FM&AL, and IM/MSU GODUNOV codes were used and modified for solution of these problems. The codes are based on full Euler and Navier-Stokes solvers with and without nonequilibrium oxygen-nitrogen and air-hydrogen chemical reactions in laminar and turbulent gas flow regimes; (4) Experimental tests: In the IM/MSU supersonic wind tunnel, experimental tests were conducted with different number, location, and geometric parameters of solid needles mounted at the front of the butt-end in supersonic flow. Optimal parameters were determined that provide minimal butt-end drag in the stationary flow regime. Experimental and numerical simulation results are in good agreement; (5) Student Research Activity: Involvement of one graduate and two undergraduate students as research assistants in the current project.

Gilinsky, Mikhail↗
NASA NTRS2001

Recent Advances in Maya Studies Using Remotely Sensed Data

The Peten region of northern Guatemala is one of the last places on earth where major archeological sites remain to be discovered. It was in this region that the Maya civilization began, flourished, and abruptly disappeared. Remote sensing technology is helping to locate and map ancient Maya sites that are threatened today by accelerating deforestation and looting. Thematic Mapper and IKONOS satellite and airborne Star3i radar data, combined with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, are successfully detecting ancient Maya features such as cities, roadways, canals, and water reservoirs. Satellite imagery is also being used to map the bajos, which are seasonally flooded swamps that cover over 40% of the land surface. The use of baJos for farming has been a source of debate within the professional community for many years. But the recent detection and verification of cultural features within the baJo system by our research team are providing conclusive evidence that the ancient Maya had adapted well to wetland environments from the earliest times and utilized them until the time of the Maya collapse. The combination of water management and baJo farming is an important resource for the future of the current inhabitants who are experiencing rapid population growth. Remote sensing imagery is also demonstrating that in the Preclassic period (600 BC- AD 250), the Maya had already achieved a high organizational level as evidenced by the construction of massive temples and an elaborate inter-connecting roadway system. Although they experienced several setbacks such as droughts and hurricanes, the Maya nevertheless managed the delicate forest ecosystem successfully for several centuries. However, around AD 800, something happened to the Maya to cause their rapid decline and eventual disappearance from the region. The evidence indicates that at this time there was increased climatic dryness, extensive deforestation, overpopulation, and widespread warfare. This raises a relevant question today-namely, how severe do internal stresses in a civilization have to become before relatively minor climate shifts can cause a widespread cultural collapse?

Sever, Tom↗
NASA NTRS2001

Recent Advances in Maya Studies Using Remotely Sensed Data

The Peten region of northern Guatemala is one of the last places on earth where major archeological sites remain to be discovered. It was in this region that the Maya civilization began, flourished, and abruptly disappeared. Remote sensing technology is helping to locate and map ancient Maya sites that are threatened today by accelerating deforestation and looting. Thematic Mapper and IKONOS satellite and airborne Star3i radar data, combined with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, are successfully detecting ancient Maya features such as cities, roadways, canals, and water reservoirs. Satellite imagery is also being used to map the baJos, which are seasonally flooded swamps that cover over 40% of the land surface. The use of bajos for farming has been a source of debate within the professional community for many years. But the recent detection and verification of cultural features within the bajo system by our research team are providing conclusive evidence that the ancient Maya had adapted well to wetland environments from the earliest times and utilized them until the time of the Maya collapse. The combination of water management and bajo farming is an important resource for the future of the current inhabitants who are experiencing rapid population growth. Remote sensing imagery is also demonstrating that in the Preclassic period (600 BC- AD 250), the Maya had already achieved a high organizational level as evidenced by the construction of massive temples and an elaborate inter-connecting roadway system. Although they experienced several setbacks such as droughts and hurricanes, the Maya nevertheless managed the delicate forest ecosystem successfully for several centuries. However, around AD 800, something happened to the Maya to cause their rapid decline and eventual disappearance from the region. The evidence indicates that at this time there was increased climatic dryness, extensive deforestation, overpopulation, and widespread warfare. This raises a relevant question today-namely, how severe do internal stresses in a civilization have to become before relatively minor climate shifts can cause a widespread cultural collapse?

Sever, Tom↗
NASA NTRS2001

Association of American Geographers, Remote Sensing Specialty Group Special Issue of Geocarto International

This special issue continues the precedence of the Association of American Geographers (AAG), Remote Sensing Specialty Group (RSSG) for publishing selected articles in Geocarto International as a by-product from the AAG annual meeting. As editors, we issued earlier this year, a solicitation for papers to be published in a special issue of Geocarto International that were presented in RSSG-sponsored sessions at the 2001 AAG annual meeting held in New York City on February 27-March 3. Although not an absolute requisite for publication, the vast majority of the papers in this special issue were presented at this year's AAG meeting in New York. Other articles in this issue that were not part of a paper or poster session at the 2001 AAG meeting are authored by RSSG members. Under the auspices of the RSSG, this special Geocarto International issue provides even more compelling evidence of the inextricable linkage between remote sensing and geography. The papers in this special issue fall into four general themes: 1) Urban Analysis and Techniques for Urban Analysis; 2) Land Use/Land Cover Analysis; 3) Fire Modeling Assessment; and 4) Techniques. The first four papers herein are concerned with the use of remote sensing for analysis of urban areas, and with use or development of techniques to better characterize urban areas using remote sensing data. As the lead paper in this grouping, Rashed et al., examine the usage of spectral mixture analysis (SMA) for analyzing satellite imagery of urban areas as opposed to more 'standard' methods of classification. Here SMA has been applied to IRS-1C satellite multispectral imagery to extract measures that better describe the 'anatomy' of the greater Cairo, Egypt region. Following this paper, Weng and Lo describe how Landsat TM data have been used to monitor land cover types and to estimate biomass parameters within an urban environment. The research reported in this paper applies an integrated GIS (Geographic Information System) approach for detecting urban growth and assessing its impact on biomass in the Zhujiang Delta, China. The remaining two papers in this first grouping deal with improved techniques for characterizing and analyzing urban areas using remote sensing data. Myint examines the use of texture analysis to better classify urban features. Here wavelet analysis has been employed to assist in deriving a more robust classification of the urban environment from high spatial resolution, multispectral aircraft data. Mesev provides insight on how through the modification of the standard maximum likelihood image analysis technique, population census data can be used enhance the overall robustness of urban image classification through the modification of the standard maximum likelihood image analysis technique.

Allen, Thomas R.↗
NASA NTRS2002

A Pilot Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing Curriculum that Promotes Engineering

Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) is located in a community that is mostly rural in nature. The area is economically deprived when compared to the rest of the state. Many businesses lack the computerized equipment and skills needed to propel upward in today's technologically advanced society. This project will close the ever-widening gap between advantaged and disadvantaged workers as well as increase their participation with industry, NASA and/or other governmental agencies. Everyone recognizes computer technology as the catalyst for advances in design, prototyping, and manufacturing or the art of machining. Unprecedented quality control and cost-efficiency improvements are recognized through the use of computer technology. This technology has changed the manufacturing industry with advanced high-tech capabilities needed by NASA. With the ever-widening digital divide, we must continue to provide computer technology to those who are socio-economically disadvantaged.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2001

An Investigation of the Influence of Urban Areas on Rainfall Using a Cloud-Mesoscale Model and the TRMM Satellite

A recent paper by Shepherd and Pierce (conditionally accepted to Journal of Applied Meteorology) used rainfall data from the Precipitation Radar on NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission's (TRMM) satellite to identify warm season rainfall anomalies downwind of major urban areas. A convective-mesoscale model with extensive land-surface processes is employed to (a) determine if an urban heat island (UHI) thermal perturbation can induce a dynamic response to affect rainfall processes and (b) quantify the impact of the following three factors on the evolution of rainfall: (1) urban surface roughness, (2) magnitude of the UHI temperature anomaly, and (3) physical size of the UHI temperature anomaly. The sensitivity experiments are achieved by inserting a slab of land with urban properties (e.g. roughness length, albedo, thermal character) within a rural surface environment and varying the appropriate lower boundary condition parameters. Early analysis suggests that urban surface roughness (through turbulence and low-level convergence) may control timing and initial location of UHI-induced convection. The magnitude of the heat island appears to be closely linked to the total rainfall amount with minor impact on timing and location. The physical size of the city may predominantly impact on the location of UHI-induced rainfall anomaly. The UHI factor parameter space will be thoroughly investigated with respect to their effects on rainfall amount, location, and timing. This study extends prior numerical investigations of the impact of urban surfaces on meteorological processes, particularly rainfall development. The work also contains several novel aspects, including the application of a high-resolution (less than I km) cloud-mesoscale model to investigate urban-induce rainfall process; investigation of thermal magnitude of the UHI on rainfall process; and investigation of UHI physical size on rainfall processes.

Shepherd, J. Marshall↗
NASA NTRS2001

Helicopter In-Flight Tracking System (HITS) for the Gulf of Mexico

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center (ARC) is sponsoring deployment and testing of the Helicopter In-flight Tracking System (HITS) in a portion of the Gulf of Mexico offshore area. Using multilateration principles, HITS determines the location and altitude of all transponder-equipped aircraft without requiring changes to current Mode A, C or S avionics. HITS tracks both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft operating in the 8,500 sq. mi. coverage region. The minimum coverage altitude of 100 ft. is beneficial for petroleum industry, allowing helicopters to be tracked onto the pad of most derricks. In addition to multilateration, HITS provides surveillance reports for aircraft equipped for Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B), a new surveillance system under development by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) is supporting NASA in managing HITS installation and operation, and in evaluating the system's effectiveness. Senses Corporation is supplying, installing and maintaining the HITS ground system. Project activities are being coordinated with the FAA and local helicopter operators. Flight-testing in the Gulf will begin in early 2002. This paper describes the HITS project - specifically, the system equipment (architecture, remote sensors, central processing system at Intracoastal City, LA, and communications) and its performance (accuracy, coverage, and reliability). The paper also presents preliminary results of flight tests.

Martone, Patrick↗
NASA NTRS2002

A Remote Sensing Approach for Urban Environmental Decision-Making: An Atlanta, Georgia Case Study

Unquestionably, urbanization causes tremendous changes in land cover and land use, as well as impacting a host of environmental characteristics. For example, unlike natural surfaces, urban surfaces have very different thermal energy properties whereby they store solar energy throughout the day and continue to release it as heat well after sunset. This effect, known as the 'Urban Heat Island', serves as a catalyst for chemical reactions from vehicular exhaust and industrial activities leading to the deterioration in air quality, especially exacerbating the production of ground level ozone. 'Cool Community' strategies that utilize remote sensing data, are now being implemented as a way to reduce the impacts of the urban heat island and its subsequent environmental impacts. This presentation focuses on how remote sensing data have been used to provide descriptive and quantitative data for characterizing the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area - particularly for measuring surface energy fluxes, such as the thermal or "heat" energy that emanates from different land cover types across the Atlanta urban landscape. In turn, this information is useful for developing a better understanding of how the thermal characteristics of the city surface affect the urban heat island phenomena and, ultimately, air quality and other environmental parameters over the Atlanta metropolitan region. Additionally, this paper also provides insight on how remote sensing, with its synoptic approach, can be used to provide urban planners, local, state, and federal government officials, and other decision-makers, as well as the general public, with information to better manage urban areas as sustainable environments.

Quattrochi, Dale A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

A Perspective of Our Planet's Atmosphere, Land, and Oceans: A View from Space

A birds eye view of the Earth from afar and up close reveals the power and magnificence of the Earth and juxtaposes the simultaneous impacts and powerlessness of humankind. The NASA Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in an historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to South America with its Andes Mountains and the glaciers of Patagonia, ending up close and personal in Buenos Aires. See the latest spectacular images from NASA & NOAA remote sensing missions like GOES, TRMM, Landsat 7, QuikScat, and Terra, which will be visualized and explained in the context of global change. See visualizations of global data sets currently available from Earth orbiting satellites, including the Earth at night with its city lights, aerosols from biomass burning in South America and Africa, and global cloud properties. See the dynamics of vegetation growth and decay over South America over 17 years, and its contrast to the North American and Africa continents. New visualization tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global mosaic images from the Himalayas to the dynamics of the Pacific Ocean that affect the climate of South and North America. New visualization tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global mosaic images including Landsat and Terra tours of South America and Africa showing land use and land cover change from Patagonia to the Amazon Basin, including the Andes Mountains, the Pantanal, and the Bolivian highlands. Landsat flyins to Rio Di Janeiro and Buenos Aires will be shows to emphasize the capabilities of new satellite technology to visualize our natural environment. Spectacular new visualizations of the global atmosphere & oceans are shown. See massive dust storms sweeping across Africa and across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and Amazon basin. See ocean vortexes and currents that bring up the nutrients to feed tiny phytoplankton and draw the fish, giant whales and fisherman. See how the ocean blooms in response to these currents and El Nino/La Nina climate changes. We will illustrate these and other topics with a dynamic theater-style presentation, along with animations of satellite launch deployments and orbital mapping to highlight aspects of Earth observations from space.

King, Michael D.↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Science Behind the NASA/NOAA Electronic Theater 2002

Details of the science stories and scientific results behind the Etheater Earth Science Visualizations from the major remote sensing institutions around the country will be explained. The NASA Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in a historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to Temple Square and the University of Utah Campus. Go back to the early weather satellite images from the 1960s see them contrasted with the latest US/Europe/Japan global weather data. See the latest images and image sequences from NASA & NOAA missions like Terra, GOES, NOAA, TRMM, SeaWiFS, Landsat 7 visualized with state-of-the art tools. A similar retrospective of numerical weather models from the 1960s will be compared with the latest "year 2002" high-resolution models. See the inner workings of a powerful hurricane as it is sliced and dissected using the University of Wisconsin Vis-5D interactive visualization system. The largest super computers are now capable of realistic modeling of the global oceans. See ocean vortexes and currents that bring up the nutrients to feed phitoplankton and zooplankton as well as draw the crill fish, whales and fisherman. See the how the ocean blooms in response to these currents and El Nino/La Nina climate regimes. The Internet and networks have appeared while computers and visualizations have vastly improved over the last 40 years. These advances make it possible to present the broad scope and detailed structure of the huge new observed and simulated datasets in a compelling and instructive manner. New visualization tools allow us to interactively roam & zoom through massive global images larger than 40,000 x 20,000 pixels. Powerful movie players allow us to interactively roam, zoom & loop through 4000 x 4000 pixel bigger than HDTV movies of up to 5000 frames. New 3D tools allow highly interactive manipulation of detailed perspective views of many changing model quantities. See the 1m resolution before and after shots of lower Manhattan and the Pentagon after the September 11 disaster as well as shots of Afghanistan from the Space Imaging IKONOS as well as debris plume images from Terra MODIS and SPOT Image. Shown by the SGI-Octane Graphics-Supercomputer are visualizations of hurricanes Michelle 2001, Floyd, Mitch, Fran and Linda. Our visualizations of these storms have been featured on the covers of the National Geographic, Time, Newsweek and Popular Science. Highlights will be shown from the NASA's large collection of High Definition TV (HDTV) visualizations clips New visualizations of a Los Alamos global ocean model, and high-resolution results of a NASA/JPL Atlantic ocean basin model showing currents, and salinity features will be shown. El Nino/La Nina effects on sea surface temperature and sea surface height of the Pacific Ocean will also be shown. The SST simulations will be compared with GOES Gulf Stream animations and ocean productivity observations. Tours will be given of the entire Earth's land surface at 500 m resolution from recently composited Terra MODIS data, Visualizations will be shown from the Earth Science Etheater 2001 recently presented over the last years in New Zealand, Johannesburg, Tokyo, Paris, Munich, Sydney, Melbourne, Honolulu, Washington, New York City, Pasadena, UCAR/Boulder, and Penn State University. The presentation will use a 2-CPU SGI/CRAY Octane Super Graphics workstation with 4 GB RAM and terabyte disk array at 2048 x 768 resolution plus multimedia laptop with three high resolution projectors. Visualizations will also be featured from museum exhibits and presentations including: the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington, IMAX theater at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, the James Lovell Discovery World Science museum in Milwaukee, the American Museum of Natural History (NYC) Hayden Planetarium IMAX theater, etc. The Etheater is sponsored by NASA, NOAA and the American Meteorological Society. This presentation is brought to you by the University of Utah College of Mines and Earth Sciences and, the Utah Museum of Natural History.

Hasler, A. Fritz↗
NASA NTRS2002

Embedded Real-Time Linux for Instrument Control and Data Logging

When I moved to the west. coast to take a job at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA, I was impressed with the variety of equipment and software which scientists at the center use to conduct their research. was happy to find that I was just as likely to see a machine running Lenox as one running Windows in the offices and laboratories of NASA Ames (although many people seem to use Moos around here). I was especially happy to find that the particular group with whom I was going to work, the Atmospheric Physics Branch at Ames, relied almost entirely on Lenox machines for their day-to-day work. So it was no surprise that when it was time to construct a new control system for one of their most important pieces of hardware, a switch from an unpredictable DOS-based platform to an Embedded Linux-based one was a decision easily made. The system I am working on is called the Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer (SSFR), a PC-104 based system custom-built by Dr. Warren Gore at Ames. Dr. Gore, Dr. Peter Pilewskie, Dr. Maura Robberies and Larry Pezzolo use the SSFR in their research. The team working on the controller project consists of Dr. Gore, John Pommier, and myself. The SSFR is used by the ,cities Atmospheric Radiation Group to measure solar spectral irradiance at moderate resolution to determine the radiative effect of clouds, aerosols, and gases on climate, and also to infer the physical properties of aerosols and clouds. Two identical SSFR's have been built and successfully deployed in three field missions: 1) the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Enhanced Shortwave Experiment (ARESE) II in February/March, 2000; 2) the Puerto Rico Dust Experiment (PRIDE) in July, 2000; and 3) the South African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI) in August/September, 2000. Additionally, the SSFR was used to acquire water vapor spectra using the Ames Diameter base-path multiple-reflection absorption cell in a laboratory experiment.

Clanton, Sam↗