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NASA NTRS2002

Sources of Variability in Chlorophyll Analysis by Fluorometry and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography in a SIMBIOS Inter-Calibration Exercise

The purpose of this technical report is to provide current documentation of the Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) Project activities, NASA Research Announcement (NRA) research status, satellite data processing, data product validation, and field calibration. This documentation is necessary to ensure that critical information is related to the scientific community and NASA management. This critical information includes the technical difficulties and challenges of validating and combining ocean color data from an array of independent satellite systems to form consistent and accurate global bio-optical time series products. This technical report is not meant as a substitute for scientific literature. Instead, it will provide a ready and responsive vehicle for the multitude of technical reports issued by an operational project. This particular document focus on the variability in chlorophyll pigment measurements resulting from differences in methodologies and laboratories conducting the pigment analysis.

VanHeukelem, Laurie↗

NASA NTRS2002

The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS): Current Architecture and Implementation

Satellite ocean color missions require an abundance of high-quality in situ measurements for bio-optical and atmospheric algorithm development and post-launch product validation and sensor calibration. To facilitate the assembly of a global data set, the NASA Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view (SeaWiFS) Project developed the Seafaring Bio-optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), a local repository for in situ data regularly used in their scientific analyses. The system has since been expanded to contain data sets collected by the NASA Sensor Intercalibration and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) Project, as part of NASA Research Announcements NRA-96-MTPE-04 and NRA-99-OES-99. SeaBASS is a well moderated and documented hive for bio-optical data with a simple, secure mechanism for locating and extracting data based on user inputs. Its holdings are available to the general public with the exception of the most recently collected data sets. Extensive quality assurance protocols, comprehensive data and system documentation, and the continuation of an archive and relational database management system (RDBMS) suitable for bio-optical data all contribute to the continued success of SeaBASS. This document provides an overview of the current operational SeaBASS system.

Werdell, P. Jeremy↗

NASA NTRS2003

Ocean Optics Protocols for Satellite Ocean Color Sensor Validation: Special Topics in Ocean Optics Protocols and Appendices - Volume 6

This document stipulates protocols for measuring bio-optical and radiometric data for the Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) Project activities and algorithm development. The document is organized into 6 separate volumes as Ocean Optics Protocols for Satellite Ocean Color Sensor Validation, Revision 4. Volume I: Introduction, Background and Conventions; Volume II: Instrument Specifications, Characterization and Calibration; Volume III: Radiometric Measurements and Data Analysis Methods; Volume IV: Inherent Optical Properties: Instruments, Characterization, Field Measurements and Data Analysis Protocols; Volume V: Biogeochemical and Bio-Optical Measurements and Data Analysis Methods; Volume VI: Special Topics in Ocean Optics Protocols and Appendices. The earlier version of Ocean Optics Protocols for Satellite Ocean Color Sensor Validation, Revision 3 (Mueller and Fargion 2002, Volumes 1 and 2) is entirely superseded by the six volumes of Revision 4 listed above.

Mueller, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS2003

MOBY, A Radiometric Buoy for Performance Monitoring and Vicarious Calibration of Satellite Ocean Color Sensors: Measurement and Data Analysis Protocols

The Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY) is the centerpiece of the primary ocean measurement site for calibration of satellite ocean color sensors based on independent in situ measurements. Since late 1996, the time series of normalized water-leaving radiances L(sub WN)(lambda) determined from the array of radiometric sensors attached to MOBY are the primary basis for the on-orbit calibrations of the USA Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), the Japanese Ocean Color and Temperature Sensor (OCTS), the French Polarization Detection Environmental Radiometer (POLDER), the German Modular Optoelectronic Scanner on the Indian Research Satellite (IRS1-MOS), and the USA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS). The MOBY vicarious calibration L(sub WN)(lambda) reference is an essential element in the international effort to develop a global, multi-year time series of consistently calibrated ocean color products using data from a wide variety of independent satellite sensors. A longstanding goal of the SeaWiFS and MODIS (Ocean) Science Teams is to determine satellite-derived L(sub WN)(labda) with a relative combined standard uncertainty of 5 %. Other satellite ocean color projects and the Sensor Intercomparison for Marine Biology and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) project have also adopted this goal, at least implicitly. Because water-leaving radiance contributes at most 10 % of the total radiance measured by a satellite sensor above the atmosphere, a 5 % uncertainty in L(sub WN)(lambda) implies a 0.5 % uncertainty in the above-atmosphere radiance measurements. This level of uncertainty can only be approached using vicarious-calibration approaches as described below. In practice, this means that the satellite radiance responsivity is adjusted to achieve the best agreement, in a least-squares sense, for the L(sub WN)(lambda) results determined using the satellite and the independent optical sensors (e.g. MOBY). The end result of this approach is to implicitly absorb unquantified, but systematic, errors in the atmospheric correction, incident solar flux, and satellite sensor calibration into a single correction factor to produce consistency with the in situ data.

Clark, Dennis K.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Ocean Optics Protocols for Satellite Ocean Color Sensor Validation: Inherent Optical Properties: Instruments, Characterizations, Field Measurements and Data Analysis Protocols - Volume 4

Mueller, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Ocean Optics Protocols for Satellite Ocean Color Sensor Validation, Revision 4, Volume IV: Inherent Optical Properties: Instruments, Characterizations, Field Measurements and Data Analysis Protocols

This document stipulates protocols for measuring bio-optical and radiometric data for the Sensor Intercomparision and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) Project activities and algorithm development. The document is organized into 6 separate volumes as Ocean Optics Protocols for Satellite Ocean Color Sensor Validation, Revision 4. Volume I: Introduction, Background, and Conventions; Volume II: Instrument Specifications, Characterization and Calibration; Volume III: Radiometric Measurements and Data Analysis Methods; Volume IV: Inherent Optical Properties: Instruments, Characterization, Field Measurements and Data Analysis Protocols; Volume V: Biogeochemical and Bio-Optical Measurements and Data Analysis Methods; Volume VI: Special Topics in Ocean Optics Protocols and Appendices. The earlier version of Ocean Optics Protocols for Satellite Ocean Color Sensor Validation, Revision 3 is entirely superseded by the six volumes of Revision 4 listed above.

Mueller, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS2003

MODIS Validation, Data Merger and Other Activities Accomplished by the SIMBIOS Project: 2002-2003

The purpose of this technical report is to provide current documentation of the Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) Project activities, satellite data processing, and data product validation. This documentation is necessary to ensure that critical information is related to the scientific community and NASA management. This critical information includes the technical difficulties and challenges of validating and combining ocean color data from an array of independent satellite systems to form consistent and accurate global bio-optical time series products. This technical report focuses on the SIMBIOS Project s efforts in support of the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Earth Observing System (EOS) Terra platform (similar evaluations of MODIS/Aqua are underway). This technical report is not meant as a substitute for scientific literature. Instead, it will provide a ready and responsive vehicle for the multitude of technical reports issued by an operational project.

Fargion, Giulietta S.↗

NASA NTRS2003

SIMBIOS Project; 2003 Annual Report

The purpose of this technical report is to provide current documentation of the the Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) Project activities, NASA Research Announcement (NRA) research status, satellite data processing, data product validation, and field calibration. This documentation is necessary to ensure that critical information is related to the scientific community and NASA management. This critical information includes the technical difficulties and challenges of validating and combining ocean color data from an array of independent satellite systems to form consistent and accurate global bio-optical time series products. This technical report is not meant as a substitute for scientific literature. Instead, it will provide a ready and responsive vehicle for the multitude of technical reports issued by an operational project. The SIMBIOS Science Team Principal Investigators (PIs) original contributions to this report are in chapters four and above. The purpose of these contributions is to describe the current research status of the SIMBIOS-NRA-99 funded research. The contributions are published as submitted, with the exception of minor edits to correct obvious grammatical or clerical errors.

McClain, Charles R.↗

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 NTRS2014

MDO and Cross-Disciplinary Practice in R&D: A Portrait of Principles and Current Practice

For several decades, Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) has served an important role in aerospace engineering by incorporating physics based disciplinary models into integrated system or sub-system models for use in research, development, (R&D) and design. This paper examines MDO's role in facilitating the integration of the researchers from different single disciplines during R&D and early design of large-scale complex engineered systems (LaCES) such as aerospace systems. The findings in this paper are summarized from a larger study on interdisciplinary practices and perspectives that included considerable empirical data from surveys, interviews, and ethnography. The synthesized findings were derived by integrating the data with theories from organization science and engineering. The over-arching finding is that issues related to cognition, organization, and social interrelations mostly dominate interactions across disciplines. Engineering issues, such as the integration of hardware or physics-based models, are not as significant. Correspondingly, the data showed that MDO is not the primary integrator of researchers working across disciplines during R&D and early design of LaCES. Cognitive focus such as analysis versus design, organizational challenges such as incentives, and social opportunities such as personal networks often drove the human interactive practices among researchers from different disciplines. Facilitation of the inherent confusion, argument, and learning in crossdisciplinary research was identified as one of several needed elements of enabling successful research across disciplines.

Rivas McGowan, Anna-Maria↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Building Capacity to Use Earth Observations for Land Monitoring: A Synoptic Review of NASA DEVELOP’s Terrestrial Projects

The NASA DEVELOP Program addresses environmental and public policy issues through interdisciplinary research studies that apply the lens of Earth observations to decision making. The program builds capacity in both programmatic participants (e.g., students and recent graduates) and partner organizations (e.g., federal agencies and non-governmental organizations) to use and integrate Earth science information into environmental decision making. DEVELOP conducts 50-60 projects each year, with approximately three quarters of projects focusing on terrestrial-related topics such as monitoring and assessing land use/land change, vegetation health, agriculture, water resources, and urban development. This presentation will share the DEVELOP model for building capacity, highlight example project case studies, and share lessons learned working with a wide variety of partner organizations.

Capacity Building↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA DEVELOP’s Approach to Building Capacity to Apply Earth Observations for Coastal and Marine Decision Making

Part of NASA’s Applied Sciences, the DEVELOP Program builds capacity through 10-week interdisciplinary feasibility studies that identify how NASA Earth observations can be integrated into decision making processes. The program is a dual capacity building effort that fosters programmatic participants (early and transitioning career professionals, students, and recent graduates) to apply Earth observations to partner organizations’ decision making needs. The program conducts 50-60 projects annually, with about 10-15% of those focused on coastal and marine community concerns. These projects explore the use of satellite data and model outputs for measuring and mapping shoreline delineation, barrier island transgression, mangrove health and extent, sedimentation and water quality, and tropical cyclone impacts to coastal regions. This presentation will introduce DEVELOP and a series of project case studies, an overview of the organizations engaged and Earth observations utilized, and lessons learned.

Capacity Building↗

NASA NTRS2024

Central Park Ecological Conservation: Assessing Tree Health Conditions in New York City’s Central Park with NASA Earth Observation Data

The Central Park Conservancy stewards New York City’s iconic Central Park with a mission to preserve the park for all. This mission is complicated by the spread of Dutch elm disease (DED) which has threatened the culturally and ecologically significant American elm tree (Ulmus americana). Central Park is home to one of the largest and last remaining urban concentrations of American elm and the Conservancy currently protects them through integrated pest management. This paper discusses an interdisciplinary feasibility study that assessed the application of NASA Earth observations from 2014 to 2023 to detect changes in forest phenology possibly related to DED. Landsat 8 and 9 imagery was used to calculate multiyear time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and quantify changes in land surface phenology for a given year. A pixel-based logistic regression analysis was performed using changes in NDVI, tree site locations, and recorded occurrences of trees infected with DED as inputs. The results of this analysis show that changes in NDVI derived from Landsat data are capable of detecting unhealthy tree canopies with 71% precision and healthy tree canopies with 41% precision. The study had uncertainties and limitations due to the spatial and temporal resolutions of Landsat, the natural variability in land surface phenology and NDVI, and the attempt to detect disease impacts while disease prevention and mitigation is occurring. As is, the findings of this study and its methods provide managers with an approach for integrating Earth observations to make more informed decisions in the application and timing of urban forest management activities.

Central Park↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Assessing Tree Health Conditions in New York City’s Central Park with Earth Observation Data

The Central Park Conservancy stewards New York City’s iconic Central Park with a mission to preserve the park for all. This mission is complicated by the spread of Dutch elm disease (DED) which has threatened the culturally and ecologically significant American elm tree (Ulmus americana). Central Park is home to one of the largest and last remaining urban concentrations of American elm and the Conservancy currently protects them through integrated pest management. This project is an interdisciplinary feasibility study that assessed the application of NASA Earth observations from 2014 to 2023 to detect changes in forest phenology possibly related to DED. Landsat 8 and 9 imagery was used to calculate a multiyear time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and quantify changes in land surface phenology. A pixel-based logistic regression analysis was performed using changes in NDVI, tree site locations, and recorded occurrences of trees infected with DED as inputs. The results of this analysis show that changes in NDVI derived from Landsat data are capable of detecting unhealthy tree canopies with 71% precision and healthy tree canopies with 41% precision. The study had uncertainties and limitations due to the spatial and temporal resolutions of Landsat, the natural variability in land surface phenology and NDVI, and the attempt to detect disease impacts while disease prevention and mitigation are occurring. As is, the findings of this study and its methods provide managers with an approach for integrating Earth observations to make more informed decisions in the application and timing of urban forest management activities.

John Hocknell↗

NASA NTRS2004

Evidence for Natural Variability in Marine Stratocumulus Cloud Properties Due to Cloud-Aerosol

In this study, aircraft observations from the Interdisciplinary Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS) Twin Otter are used to characterize the variability in drizzle, cloud, and aerosol properties associated with cloud rifts and the surrounding solid clouds observed off the coast of California. A flight made on 16 July 1999 provided measurements directly across an interface between solid and rift cloud conditions. Aircraft instrumentation allowed for measurements of aerosol, cloud droplet, and drizzle spectra. CCN concentrations were measured in addition to standard thermodynamic variables and the winds. A Forward Scatter Spectrometer Probe (FSSP) measured size distribution of cloud-sized droplets. A Cloud Imaging Probe (CIP) was used to measure distributions of drizzle-sized droplets. Aerosol distributions were obtained from a Cloud Aerosol Scatterprobe (CAS). The CAS probe measured aerosols, cloud droplets and drizzle-sized drops; for this study. The CAS probe was used to measure aerosols in the size range of 0.5 micron - 1 micron. Smaller aerosols were characterized using an Ultrafine Condensation Particle Counter (CPC) sensor. The CPC was used to measure particles with diameters greater than 0.003 micron. By subtracting different count concentrations measured with the CPC, this probe was capable of identifying ultrafine particles those falling in the size range of 3 nanometers - 7 nanometers that are believed to be associated with new particle production.

Albrecht, Bruce↗

NASA NTRS1998

Pristine Igneous Rocks and the Early Differentiation of Planetary Materials

Our studies are highly interdisciplinary, but are focused on the processes and products of early planetary and asteroidal differentiation, especially the genesis of the ancient lunar crust. Most of the accessible lunar crust consists of materials hybridized by impact-mixing. Rare pristine (unmixed) samples reflect the original genetic diversity of the early crust. We studied the relative importance of internally generated melt (including the putative magma ocean) versus large impact melts in early lunar magmatism, through both sample analysis and physical modeling. Other topics under investigation included: lunar and SNC (martian?) meteorites; igneous meteorites in general; impact breccias, especially metal-rich Apollo samples and polymict eucrites; effects of regolith/megaregolith insulation on thermal evolution and geochronology; and planetary bulk compositions and origins. We investigated the theoretical petrology of impact melts, especially those formed in large masses, such as the unejected parts of the melts of the largest lunar and terrestrial impact basins. We developed constraints on several key effects that variations in melting/displacement ratio (a strong function of both crater size and planetary g) have on impact melt petrology. Modeling results indicate that the impact melt-derived rock in the sampled, megaregolith part of the Moon is probably material that was ejected from deeper average levels than the non-impact-melted material (fragmental breccias and unbrecciated pristine rocks). In the largest lunar impacts, most of the impact melt is of mantle origin and avoids ejection from the crater, while most of the crust, and virtually all of the impact-melted crust, in the area of the crater is ejected. We investigated numerous extraordinary meteorites and Apollo rocks, emphasizing pristine rocks, siderophile and volatile trace elements, and the identification of primary partial melts, as opposed to partial cumulates. Apollo 15 sample 15434,28 is an extraodinarily large glass spherule, nearly if not entirely free of meteoritic contamination, and provides insight into the diversity of mare basalts in the Hadley-Apennine region. Apollo 14 sample 14434 is in many respects a new rock type, intermediate between nonmare gabbronorites and mare basalts. We helped to both plan and implement a consortium to study the Yamato-793605 SNC/martian meteorite.

Warren, Paul H.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Anthropogenic-Induced Drought: Escalating Mental Health Crises and Environmental Inequities

This study investigates the relationship between the Great Salt Lake (GSL) decline and air quality, focusing on PM2.5 concentrations and their impacts on public health. As the GSL continues to shrink, it has become a significant source of dust emissions, posing serious health and environmental risks to the surrounding areas. There search examines how diminishing water levels in the GSL, driven by climate change, agricultural water use, and urban development, affect local populations' mental health. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the study considers the long-term effects of air quality on mental health in relation to inorganic particulate matter, gaseous pollutants, and social vulnerability.

Maheshwari Neelam↗

NASA NTRS1984

NASA contributions to the global habitability program

As a result of developments occurring over the last two decades, the data acquisition, storage, analysis, and transmission facilities are now available for a concerted long-term interdisciplinary and international study of the global environmental system. Such a study is the essence of the 'Global Habitability' concept introduced in 1982. The aims of Global Habitability research are considered, taking into account an understanding of the vital global processes of the earth's energy balance, the global hydrological cycle, and the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Details of NASA planning for Global Habitability are discussed along with international data exchange arrangements. Attention is given to the possible contributions of satellite data and associated techniques to Global Habitability, examples of specific research conducted by NASA in support of the Global Habitability and the international sharing of data and results for Global Habitability.

Mcconnell, D. G.↗