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At least 919 records · Page 51

TPSAS-NF1676L-34796-DND

The recently completed 2015-2017 EVS-2 mission NAAMES (The North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study) provides a unique set of airborne remote sensing and ship-based in situ measurements in a remote and under-sampled region of the Earth?s ocean. The NASA SABOR (Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research) campaign was conducted during the summer of 2014, also in the Atlantic Ocean, out of the Chesapeake Bay and in the eastern coastal region of the United States. For both campaigns, the NASA GISS Research Scanning Polarimeter, a multi-angle, multi-spectral polarimeter measured the upwelling polarized radiances from aircraft. And for both campaigns, ship-based in situ measurements of the ocean were collected jointly with the aircraft measurements. We present results from the new RSP-MAPP (1) that is based on optimal estimation and that can retrieve simultaneous aerosol microphysical properties (including effective radius, single-scattering albedo, and real refractive index) and ocean color products using accurate radiative transfer, Mie calculations, and the DP (Detritus Plankton) series of accurate, numerically efficient ocean bio-optical models. The RSP-MAPP algorithm was applied to data collected during SABOR and NAAMES to retrieve aerosol microphysics and ocean products for all Aerosols-Above-Ocean (AAO) scenes. The RSP-MAPP products are compared against i) collocated aerosol extinction and backscatter profiles collected by the NASA LaRC airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL-1), including lidar depth profiles of the ocean diffuse attenuation coefficient and the hemispherical backscatter coefficient, and ii) collocated ship-based in situ measurements of the ocean.

Snorre Stamnes↗

An Intercomparison of High Spectral Resolution Lidar and Satellite Ocean Color Backscatter Retrievals

We present an intercomparison of satellite ocean color and high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) retrievals of upper ocean particulate backscattering (bbp) and diffuse attenuation coefficients (Kd). Ocean retrievals of bbp and Kd have been performed over a wide variety of optical and ecological domains using the NASA Langley Research Center HSRL-1 (532 nm) and the recently upgraded HSRL-2 (532 & 355 nm). These datasets provide a unique opportunity to perform a critical assessment of the HSRL technique and to explore the utility of HSRL measurements for evaluating the quality of ocean color remote sensing retrievals on regional scales. A matchup dataset of co-located and high-quality HSRL and ocean color remote sensing measurements was created using data from research flights conducted over the western North Atlantic Ocean during the NASA sponsored SABOR, NAAMES, and ACTIVATE campaigns. Overall, comparisons showed a strong agreement between HSRL and ocean color retrievals of bbp and Kd, providing confidence in our ability to retrieve upper ocean optical properties using oceanographic lidar. However, comparisons from individual flights can exhibit deviations that were not attributed to shifts in water column optical domains. In one of these cases, the simultaneous HSRL atmosphere-ocean retrievals from two consecutive days and within the same region were used to identify ocean color atmospheric correction errors resulting from the presence of absorbing aerosols. These results highlight the utility of airborne HSRL as a standalone ocean observing technology and as an independent and calibrated technique for assessing the quality of ocean color remote sensing retrievals.

Brian Collister↗

Instantaneous Photosynthetically Available Radiation (IPAR) prediction models based on Neural Network for ocean waters.

Instantaneous photosynthetically available radiation (IPAR) at the ocean surface and its vertical profile below the surface play a critical role in models to calculate net primary productivity of marine phytoplankton. In this work, we report two IPAR prediction models based on neural network (NN) approach, one for open ocean and the other for coastal waters. These models are trained, validated, and tested using a large volume of synthetic datasets for open ocean and coastal waters simulated by a radiative transfer model. Our NN models are designed to predict IPAR under a large range of atmospheric and oceanic conditions. The NN models can compute subsurface IPAR profile very accurately up to euphotic zone depth. The root mean square errors associated with the diffuse attenuation coefficient of IPAR are less than 0.011 𝑚−1 and 0.036 𝑚−1 for open ocean and coastal waters respectively. The performance of the NN models is better than presently available semi analytical models, with significant superiority in coastal waters.

PACE↗

A Compilation of Global Bio-Optical in Situ Data for Ocean Colour Satellite Applications – Version Three

A global in situ data set for validation of ocean colour products from the ESA Ocean Colour Climate Change Initiative (OC-CCI) is presented. This version of the compilation, starting in 1997, now extends to 2021, which is important for the validation of the most recent satellite optical sensors such as Sentinel 3B OLCI and NOAA-20 VIIRS. The data set comprises in situ observations of the following variables: spectral remote-sensing reflectance, concentration of chlorophyll-a, spectral inherent optical properties, spectral diffuse attenuation coefficient, and total suspended matter. Data were obtained from multi-project archives acquired via open internet services or from individual projects acquired directly from data providers. Methodologies were implemented for homogenization, quality control, and merging of all data. Minimal changes were made on the original data, other than conversion to a standard format, elimination of some points, after quality control and averaging of observations that were close in time and space. The result is a merged table available in text format. Overall, the size of the data set grew with 148 432 rows, with each row representing a unique station in space and time (cf. 136 250 rows in previous version; Valente et al., 2019). Observations of remote-sensing reflectance increased to 68 641 (cf. 59 781 in previous version; Valente et al., 2019). There was also a near tenfold increase in chlorophyll data since 2016. Metadata of each in situ measurement (original source, cruise or experiment, principal investigator) are included in the final table. By making the metadata available, provenance is better documented and it is also possible to analyse each set of data separately.

ocean color↗

Spectral Correlation in MODIS Water-Leaving Reflectance Retrieval Uncertainty

Spectral remote sensing reflectance, Rrs(λ) (sr−1), is the fundamental quantity used to derive a host of bio-optical and biogeochemical properties of the water column from satellite ocean color measurements. Estimation of uncertainty in those derived geophysical products is therefore dependent on knowledge of the uncertainty in satellite-retrieved R rs . Furthermore, since the associated algorithms require R rs at multiple spectral bands, the spectral (i.e., band-to-band)error covariance in R rs is needed to accurately estimate the uncertainty in those derived properties. This study establishes a derivative-based approach for propagating instrument random noise, instrument systematic uncertainty, and forward model uncertainty into R rs as retrieved using NASA’s multiple-scattering epsilon (MSEPS) atmospheric correction algorithm, to generate pixel-level error covariance in R rs . The approach is applied to measurements from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite and verified using Monte Carlo (MC) analysis. We also make use of this full spectral error covariance in R rs to calculate uncertainty in phytoplankton pigment chlorophyll-a concentration (chl a , mg/m 3 ) and diffuse attenuation coefficient of downwelling irradiance at 490 nm (K d (490), m -1 ). Accounting for the error covariance in R rs generally reduces the estimated relative uncertainty in chl a by ∼1-2% (absolute value) in waters with chl a < 0.25 mg/m 3 where the color index (CI) algorithm is used. The reduction is ∼5-10% in waters with chl a > 0.35 mg/m 3 where the blue-green ratio (OCX) algorithm is used. Such reduction can be higher than 30% in some regions. For K d (490), the reduction by error covariance is generally ∼2%, but can be higher than 20% in some regions. The error covariance in R rs is further verified through forward-calculating chl a from MODIS-retrieved and in situ R rs and comparing estimated uncertainty with observed differences. An 8-day global composite of propagated uncertainty shows that the goal of 35% uncertainty in chl a can be achieved over deep ocean waters (chl a ≤ 0.1 mg/m3). While the derivative-based approach generates reasonable error covariance in R rs some assumptions should be updated as our knowledge improves. These include the inter-band error correlation in top-of-atmosphere reflectance, and uncertainties in the calibration of MODIS 869 nm band, in ancillary data, and in the in situ data used for system vicarious calibration.

Ocean color↗

Effect of growth parameters on compositional variations in directionally solidified HgCdTe alloys

A series of Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te alloy crystals was grown by directional solidification with compositions ranging from x = 0.2 to x = 0.4. The measured axial compositional profiles were interpreted in terms of an exact numerical solution of the appropriate diffusion equation that takes into account both the variations of the segregation coefficient and solidification rate with composition. The solutions for all growth rates agree generally well with the experimental data, and confirm earlier observations that employed approximate analytical solutions. The effective mass diffusion coefficients showed no significant composition or melt temperature dependence. Slightly higher diffusion coefficients were obtained, however, for the highest growth rates.

Szofran, F. R.↗

The second-moment climatology of the GATE rain rate data

The first part of this paper presents the description of the GARP (Global Atmospheric Research Program) Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE) 1 rain-rate data and its two-dimensional spectral and correlation characteristics, which has made it possible to accomplish the following: to show the concentration of a significant power along the frequency axis in the spatiotemporal spectra; to detect a diurnal cycle (which has a range of variation of about 3.4-5.4 mm/n) as one of the sources of bias in the rain statistics of satellite data; to study the distinction between the north-south and east-west transport of spatial rain-rate field and character of its anisotropy; to evaluate the scales of the distinction between second-moment estimates associated with ground and satellite samples; and to determine the appropriate spatial and temporal scales of simple linear stochastic models fitted to averaged rain-rate fields. The second part of this paper is devoted to an analysis of the diffusion of the rain rate by establishing a relationship between the parameters of the multivariate autoregressive model and the coefficients of a diffusion equation. This analysis led to the use of rain data to estimate the rain advection velocity as well as other coefficients of the diffusion equation of the corresponding field. The results obtained can be used for comparison with corresponding estimates of other sources of data (satellite, Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean - Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA, COARE) or simulated by physical models), for generating multiple samples of any size, for solving the inverse problems of some of the hydrodynamic equations, and in some other areas of rain data analysis and modeling.

Polyak, Ilya↗

Inter-Diffusion in the Presence of Free Convection

Because of their technological importance, establishment of the precise values of interdiffusion coefficients is important in multicomponent fluid systems. Such values are not available because diffusion is influenced by free convection due to compositionally induced density variations. In this project, earth based diffusion experiments are being performed in a viscous fluid system PbO-SiO2 at temperatures between 500-1000 C. This system is chosen because it shows a large variation in density with small changes in composition and is expected to show a large free convection effect. Infinite diffusion couples at different temperatures and times are being studied with different orientations with respect to gravity. Composition fields will be measured using an Electron Microprobe Analyzer and will be compared with the results of a complementary modeling study to extract the values of the true diffusion coefficient from the measured diffusion profiles.

Gupta, Prabhat K.↗

Influence of the structure of inlet free-stream turbulence on diffuser performance

The pressure recovery coefficient of a two-dimensional diffuser (Cp) was found to be significantly affected by the intensity and structure of the inlet free-stream turbulence. Significantly larger values of Cp occurred for the case of highly anisotropic inlet free-stream turbulence with the plane of rotation of the eddies parallel to the free-stream flow and perpendicular to the diverging walls of the diffuser, as compared to the values of Cp for the case of grid-generated near-isotropic inlet conditions. The relatively high values of Cp for the case of the highly anisotropic inlet free-stream turbulence conditions can be attributed to highly effective mixing, where the plane of rotation of the eddies facilitates a direct transport of momentum from the free-stream to the boundary layers along the diverging walls of the diffuser, as compared to the mixing that occurs with grid-generated highly unorganized eddies.

Hoffmann, Jon A.↗

Multivariate space - time analysis of PRE-STORM precipitation

This paper presents the methodologies and results of the multivariate modeling and two-dimensional spectral and correlation analysis of PRE-STORM rainfall gauge data. Estimated parameters of the models for the specific spatial averages clearly indicate the eastward and southeastward wave propagation of rainfall fluctuations. A relationship between the coefficients of the diffusion equation and the parameters of the stochastic model of rainfall fluctuations is derived that leads directly to the exclusive use of rainfall data to estimate advection speed (about 12 m/s) as well as other coefficients of the diffusion equation of the corresponding fields. The statistical methodology developed here can be used for confirmation of physical models by comparison of the corresponding second-moment statistics of the observed and simulated data, for generating multiple samples of any size, for solving the inverse problem of the hydrodynamic equations, and for application in some other areas of meteorological and climatological data analysis and modeling.

Polyak, Ilya↗

Polydiacetylene Films Prepared in Microgravity

A diffusive/kinetic rate equation was developed for the growth of polydiacetylene films from solution and compared with a microgravity experiment. The model takes into account both the kinetics of thin film growth and the diffusive transport limitations inherent to microgravity. In order to apply this model, measurements of the density and the ultraviolet extinction coefficient of the films, as well as of the diffusion coefficient of the monomer/solvent system, were made. The thin films grown in microgravity were predicted by the model to grow to a thickness of 0.148 micron, versus 0.150 micron for the ground control films. The flight films grew to 0.102 micron.

Carswell, William E.↗

On the Calculation of Anisotropic Extinction Coefficients for Rigid Fibrous Ceramic Insulations

The specific anisotropic extinction coefficient e* couples the effective Radiative properties of a fibrous insulation into the radiation diffusion equation. This coefficient can be calculated using Mie scattering theory if fiber diameters, refractive indices and fiber orientation distributions are known. In general, fiber orientation distributions are not readily accessible and past calculations have considered fibers as either randomly distributed or normal to the heat flow direction. In certain rigid fibrous ceramic insulations neither of these cases apply well and a simple procedure is described for approximating e* from values calculated for the random and normal orientation cases. The intrinsic error associated with this scaling procedure is investigated. Numerical computations for several test structures and fiber materials show the average error to be less than 5% for net heat flux and radiation conductivity calculations.

Marshall, Jochen↗

A probability distribution model for rain rate

A systematic approach is suggested for modeling the probability distribution of rain rate. Rain rate, conditional on rain and averaged over a region, is modeled as a temporally homogeneous diffusion process with appropiate boundary conditions. The approach requires a drift coefficient-conditional average instantaneous rate of change of rain intensity-as well as a diffusion coefficient-the conditional average magnitude of the rate of growth and decay of rain rate about its drift. Under certain assumptions on the drift and diffusion coefficients compatible with rain rate, a new parametric family-containing the lognormal distribution-is obtained for the continuous part of the stationary limit probability distribution. The family is fitted to tropical rainfall from Darwin and Florida, and it is found that the lognormal distribution provides adequate fits as compared with other members of the family and also with the gamma distribution.

Kedem, Benjamin↗

Search for selective ion diffusion through membranes

The diffusion rates of several ions through some membranes developed as battery separators were measured. The ions investigated were Li(+), Rb(+), Cl(-), and So4. The members were crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol, crosslinked polyacrylic acid, a copolymer of the two, crosslinked calcium polyacrylate, cellulose, and several microporous polyphenylene oxide based films. No true specificity for diffusion of any of these ions was found for any of the membranes. But the calcium polyacrylate membrane was found to exhibit ion exchange with the diffusing ions giving rise to the leaching of the calcium ion and low reproducibility. These findings contrast earlier work where the calcium polyacrylate membrane did show specificity to the diffusion of the copper ion. In general, Fick's law appeared to be obeyed. Except for the microporous membranes, the coefficients for ion diffusion through the membranes were comparable with their values in water. For the microporous membranes, the values found for the coefficients were much less, due to the tortuosity of the micropores.

May, C. E.↗

Numerical simulation of conservation laws

A new numerical framework for solving conservation laws is being developed. This new approach differs substantially from the well established methods, i.e., finite difference, finite volume, finite element and spectral methods, in both concept and methodology. The key features of the current scheme include: (1) direct discretization of the integral forms of conservation laws, (2) treating space and time on the same footing, (3) flux conservation in space and time, and (4) unified treatment of the convection and diffusion fluxes. The model equation considered in the initial study is the standard one dimensional unsteady constant-coefficient convection-diffusion equation. In a stability study, it is shown that the principal and spurious amplification factors of the current scheme, respectively, are structurally similar to those of the leapfrog/DuFort-Frankel scheme. As a result, the current scheme has no numerical diffusion in the special case of pure convection and is unconditionally stable in the special case of pure diffusion. Assuming smooth initial data, it will be shown theoretically and numerically that, by using an easily determined optimal time step, the accuracy of the current scheme may reach a level which is several orders of magnitude higher than that of the MacCormack scheme, with virtually identical operation count.

Chang, Sin-Chung↗

Temperature dependence of damage coefficient in electron irradiated solar cells

Measurements of light-generated current vs cell temperature on electron-irradiated n/p silicon solar cells show the temperature coefficient of this current to increase with increasing fluence for both 10-ohm and 20-ohm cells. A relationship between minority-carrier diffusion length and light-generated current was derived by combining measurements of these two parameters: vs fluence at room temperature, and vs cell temperature in cells irradiated to a fluence of 1 x 10 to the 15th power e/sq cm. This relationship was used, together with the light-generated current data, to calculate the temperature dependence of the diffusion-length damage coefficient. The results show a strong decrease in the damage coefficient with increasing temperature in the range experienced by solar panels in synchronous earth orbit.

Faith, T. J.↗