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At least 1,225 records · Page 68

Updated Observations of Clouds By MODIS for Global Model Assessment

This paper describes a new global dataset of cloud properties observed by MODIS relying on the current (collection 6.1) processing of MODIS data and produced to facilitate comparison with results from the MODIS observational proxy used in climate models. The dataset merges observations from the two MODIS instruments into a single netCDF file. Statistics (mean, standard deviation, and number of observations) are accumulated over daily and monthly timescales on an equal-angle grid for viewing and illumination geometry, cloud detection, cloud-top pressure, and cloud properties (optical thickness, effective particle size, and water path) partitioned by thermodynamic phase and an assessment as to whether the underlying observations come from fully or partly cloudy pixels. Similarly partitioned joint histograms are available for (1) optical thickness and cloud-top pressure, (2) optical thickness and particle size, and (3) cloud water path and particle size. Differences with standard data products, caveats for data use, and guidelines for comparison to the MODIS simulator are described.

Robert Pincus↗

Identifying Hurricane Impacts on Barbuda Using Citizen Science Ground Observations, Drone Photography and Satellite Imagery

Barbuda is a low-lying leeward island in the West Indies. In September 2017 Hurricane Irma battered the island with 185 mph winds. Damage to housing and infrastructure was so extensive that all 1800 residents of the island were immediately evacuated post hurricane to the neighboring island of Antigua. Our research is focused on documenting and analyzing the landscape scale changes that took place on the island as a result of the hurricane using a nested methodology. Ground level observations were recorded using a beta version of the Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Observer Land Cover tool. Aerial photographs provide medium scale landscape resolution. Satellite images were processed to provide NDVI values. We describe how nested data at several spatial scales enable detailed description of Hurricane Irma’s impact across the landscape of this 62 sq. mile island. Here we are connecting observations at different spatial scales, using citizen science observations, aerial drone photography and satellite imagery to document and analyze hurricane impacts on the island of Barbuda, eastern Caribbean.

Barbuda↗

Charge-Sign Dependent Cosmic-Ray Modulation Observed with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope on the International Space Station

We present the observation of a charge-sign dependent solar modulation of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope onboard the International Space Station over 6 yr, corresponding to the positive polarity of the solar magnetic field. The observed variation of proton count rate is consistent with the neutron monitor count rate, validating our methods for determining the proton count rate. It is observed by the Calorimetric Electron Telescope that both GCR electron and proton count rates at the same average rigidity vary in anticorrelation with the tilt angle of the heliospheric current sheet, while the amplitude of the variation is significantly larger in the electron count rate than in the proton count rate. We show that this observed charge-sign dependence is reproduced by a numerical “drift model” of the GCR transport in the heliosphere. This is a clear signature of the drift effect on the long-term solar modulation observed with a single detector.

O. Adriani↗

The SCIFLI Airborne Observation of Artemis 1 Ascent

SCIFLI, The Scientifically Calibrated In-Flight Imagery (https://scifli.larc.nasa.gov/), team at NASA Langley Research Center specializes in the collection of multispectral data for space vehicles during Ascent and Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) observations. Multispectral datasets are invaluable across the NASA Agency and to commercial stakeholders for evaluating the performance of launch and re-entry space vehicles and ensuring the safety of the scientific research community. The launch of Artemis 1 marked the initiation of NASA returning to lunar exploration. SCIFLI’s Airborne Multispectral Imager (SAMI) was deployed by the SCIFLI team to scientifically document the historic event and provide the NASA research community with aerial footage of the event in wavelength channels ranging from the ultraviolet (UV) to the visible (VIS) to mid-wave infrared (MWIR). SAMI was designed to spectrally image unique aerothermal phenomena during the Artemis 1 launch. The use of these datasets captured in-flight during the launch will provide insight to research organizations across the Agency; aiding in validation efforts for simulations and modeling that contributed to the kickoff of the Agency’s resurgence to lunar exploration. This presentation will focus on the imagery captured on SAMI by the WB-57 team on November 16th, 2022, during the observation. Imaging objectives were identified and considered beforehand to determine the configuration of the SAMI instrument for the imaging mission. SCIFLI and Opto-Knowledge Systems, Inc. (OKSI) performed a thorough review of the datasets collected to identify and characterize aerothermal phenomena occurring during the observation. Additional post-processing was completed to provide quantitatively calibrated temperature images of the rocket during the observation. Some of the candidates were not optimal for quantitative temperature extraction due to common degradation factors, but after various image enhancements they proved useful for qualitatively characterizing different phenomena during the observation.

Artemis1↗

Assimilation of TROPICS Radiance Data in Nasa Geos System and Impact Assessments Through Observing System Experiments

Since the first full-scale weather satellite Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS)-1 was launched in 1960 to measure weather patterns from space, the number of satellites carrying various sensors to measure atmospheric properties has increased rapidly. Data from these meteorological satellites have been crucial to the advancement of the NWP forecasts. Especially, space-borne measurements of atmospheric temperature and moisture information provided by microwave sounders were reported to contribute most to positive impacts on global NWP forecasts. Developing and launching an operational weather satellite is a daunting and tremendously expensive mission that requires many years of planning, developments, and maintenance after the launch. Small satellites with low size, weight, and power requirements can reduce the cost associated with the construction and launch of large bus platforms and draw attention of several space agencies and weather technology companies that started investing their resources to develop small satellites and measure the potential benefits and weaknesses. The NASA Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) mission is a constellation of small satellites carrying state-of-art microwave temperature and humidity sounders with 12 channels between 91 GHz and 205 GHz frequency. Currently five TROPICS cubsats, including TROPICS-pathfinder, are in space and provide the temperature and humidity data from space to the meteorological community. This study seeks to assess the potential impact that the constellation of TROPICS satellites may bring to the global NWP analysis and forecasts by assimilating all-sky TROPICS data and implementing observing system experiments (OSE) using the NASA GEOS system. Various evaluations metrics including forecast skills, fit to other observations such as radiosondes and microwave and infrared sounder are used. Along with the NWP impact assessment, the quality of the TROPICS data is evaluated by looking at observation minus forecast statistics in comparisons with other conventional satellite temperature and humidity sounders.

Min-Jeong Kim↗

Observations of the Age of Air from the Northern Hemisphere Midlatitude Surface

Understanding and modeling the interhemispheric transport (IHT) of trace gases and aerosols is important for interpreting past (and projecting future) changes in atmospheric composition. One IHT measure -- the mean age since air was last at the Northern Hemisphere (NH) midlatitude surface – represents a fundamental property of tropospheric transport that can be estimated from measurements of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Here we use SF6 measurements obtained from the recent NASA Atmospheric Tomography Mission (ATom) to construct observational estimates of the mean age throughout the troposphere. We compare the ATom based ages, which span all four seasons during the period 2016-2018 over both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, with previous in situ-based estimates obtained from the HIAPER Pole‐to‐Pole Observations (HIPPO) project, which are available only for the Pacific. In order to interpret the observed variations in mean age and their relationship with the large-scale flow we use simulations of the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) general circulation model, constrained with meteorological fields derived from the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2), performed over the entire MERRA-2 period (including ATom). We confirm results from previous studies showing that the model ages are biased old compared to the observational estimates. However, we also show that this model bias is reduced in more recent years, which we interpret in terms of changes in the latitudinal distribution of SF6 emissions over the 2000s.

interhemispheric transport (IHT)↗

Towards Soil Moisture Profile Estimation in the Root Zone Using L- and P-Band Radiometer Observations: A Coherent Modelling Approach

Precision irrigation management and crop water stress assessment rely on accurate estimation of root zone soil moisture. However, only the top 5cm soil moisture can be estimated using the two current passive microwave satellite missions, Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), which operate at L-band (wavelength of ~21cm). Since the contributing depth of the soil to brightness temperature increases with observation wavelength, it is expected that a P-band (wavelength of ~40cm) radiometer could potentially provide soil moisture information from deeper layers of the soil profile. Moreover, by combining both L- and P- bands, it is hypothesized that the soil moisture profile can be estimated even beyond their individual observation depths. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the potential of combined L-band and P-band radiometer observations to estimate the soil moisture profile under flat bare soil using a stratified coherent forward model. Brightness temperature observations at L-band and P-band from a tower based experimental site across a dry (April 2019) and a wet (March 2020) period, covering different soil moisture profile shapes, were used in this study. Results from an initial synthetic study showed that the performance of a combined L-band and P-band approach was better than the performance of using either band individually, with an average depth over which reliable soil moisture profile information could be estimated (i.e. with a target root mean square error (RMSE) of less than 0.04 m3/m3) being 20cm for linear and 15cm for second-order polynomial functions. Other functions were also tested but found to have a poorer performance. Applying the method to the tower-based brightness temperature achieved an average estimation depth of 28cm (20cm) and 5cm (5cm) during the dry and wet periods respectively when using a second-order polynomial (linear) function. These findings highlight the opportunity of a satellite mission with L-band and P-band observations to accurately estimate the soil moisture profile to as deep as 30cm globally.

Foad Brakhasi↗

Observation impacts in the lower troposphere and challenges of Planetary Boundary Layer data assimilation

The Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) developed by the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office assimilates a wide range of observations to support various NASA Earth Science missions. To set the stage for follow-on Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) science and prepare for future observing systems of the next decade, we have assessed the effectiveness of the use of existing observing systems in the lower troposphere in GEOS, and analyzed model responses to the incremental analysis update (IAU) forcing. With a better understanding of the GEOS data assimilation algorithms in the PBL, we have developed strategies for improved PBL data assimilation in GEOS. The strategies to enhance data usages in both the data assimilation system and forecast model will be presented, and the utilization of PBL height data from multiple observing systems will be discussed as well.

Yanqiu Zhu↗

Aura/MLS Observes, and SD-WACCM-X Simulates the Seasonality, Quasi-Biennial Oscillation and El Nino Southern Oscillation of the Migrating Diurnal Tide Driving Upper Mesospheric Co Primarily Through Vertical Advection

This work uses 17 years of upper mesospheric carbon monoxide (CO) and temperature observations by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on-board the Aura satellite to present and explain the seasonal and interannual variability of the migrating diurnal tide (DW1) component of upper mesospheric CO. This work then compares these observations to simulations by the Specified Dynamics – Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with Ionosphere/Thermosphere eXtension (SD-WACCM-X). Results show that, for all seasons, MLS CO local-time perturbations peaks above 85 km and has a latitude structure resembling the (1,1) mode in temperature. On the other hand, SD-WACCM-X DW1 also peaks above 85 km and has a latitude structure resembling the (1,1) mode but it simulates 2 local maximum of the (1,1) mode between 85 km and 92 km. Despite the differences in altitude structure, a tendency analysis and the adiabatic displacement method revealed that, on seasonal and interannual timescales, observed and modelled CO’s (1,1) component can be reproduced solely using vertical advection. It was also found that both observed and modelled CO’s (1,1) component contains interannual oscillations with periodicities close to that of the Quasi-biennial Oscillation and the El Nino Southern Oscillation. From these results, this work concludes that on seasonal and interannual timescales, the observed and modelled (1,1) mode affects the global structure of upper mesospheric CO primarily through vertical advection.

Cornelius Csar Jude H. Salinas↗

Analysis of Ground-Based Observations of TLES From Spritacular Project Database

Spritacular is a citizen science project that was launched in October of 2022. It provides a space for anyone to submit their transient luminous event (TLE) images along with observational information, i.e. time, geographic location, direction, camera setup. Along with submissions, one can also help identify different types of TLEs in the images submitted. Since its inception hundreds of images have been submitted to the project database by its users. Not only does the database itself provide a record of observations, but these submissions allow for scientists with access to a wider array of observational platforms to obtain a better understanding of TLE’s without having to chase or hunt for them. Citizen science databases come with pros and cons when dealing with observational science and trying to work across different platforms. Using this database, over one hundred sprites were found to have accurate pointing and adequate temporal resolution to attempt to match both ground based (National Lightning Detection Network [NLDN]) and satellite based (Geostationary Lightning Mapper [GLM]) sensors. A statistical analysis of these TLE properties as well as a discussion about the implications these measurements have on the hunt for TLEs both in current space based observational platforms such as the Atmosphere-Space Interaction Monitor (ASIM), International Space Station Lightning Imaging Sensor (ISS-LIS), and GLM or legacy satellite instruments such as the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite will be presented.

T. Daniel Walker↗

Assessing the Uncertainty Impact of CERES Fast Longwave and SHortwave Radiative Flux (FLASHFlux) Level 3 Product With and Without Terra Observations

The Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) project provides satellite-based observations of how Earth’s energy flows are varying in time and space and how clouds and aerosols are affecting the Earth’s radiation budget. Nominally, CERES data products require months of validation and calibration before releasing a climate quality data. The Fast Longwave And SHortwave radiative Flux (FLASHFlux) data product was developed to provide data for applied science research involving the renewable energy and agricultural sectors within a week of observation. FLASHFlux achieves this by using simplified calibration, an operational meteorological product from Global Monitoring and Assimilation Office (GMAO), and a surface parameterizations model. The CERES FLASHFlux provides two data products: 1) an hourly Level 2 Single Scanner Footprint (SSF) data separately for Terra and NOAA-20 observations. 2) a daily Level 3 Time Interpolated and Spatially Averaged (TISA) gridded data that combines NOAA-20 and Terra observations on a one-degree equal angle grid. FLASHFlux TISA data product interpolate on a diurnal model that assumes a satellite equilateral crossing time of 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM from Terra and Aqua, respectively. Aqua was replaced by NOAA-20 starting on September 2022. Terra is planned to be replace by the Satellite ClOud and Radiation Property retrieval System (SatCORPS) soon. We are currently using the Terra observations as it continues to drift. We assess the impact of FLASHFlux TISA data when Terra is removed. An uncertainty estimate of the Top-Of-Atmosphere (TOA) fluxes are given of FLASHFlux Version4A (before Terra drift) and Version4B (current), and Version4B (no Terra) in comparison to the CERES EBAF and SYN1deg. In addition, we compare FLASHFlux Version4B and Version4B (no Terra) surface radiative fluxes to ground base measurements to determine the impact of running without Terra data.

PC Sawaengphokhai↗

Illustrating the Spatiotemporal Complexity of No2 Columns Using A Multi-Perspective Observing System: Moving Toward Geostationary Product Validation and Applications

As a precursor to secondary pollutants like ozone and PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is crucial to understand when addressing air quality issues. However, due to NO2’s short lifetime during the daytime and complexity of emission sources in urbanized regions, interpreting datasets from ground or satellite perspectives alone are challenged by variance in spatial and temporal resolutions. High resolution airborne mapping (< 1 km) of NO2 column densities across morning, midday, and afternoon add a unique perspective toward interpreting satellite data with respect to ground-measurements. This presentation focuses on the interpretation of spatiotemporal complexity of NO2 columns from the Synergistic TEMPO Air Quality Science Study (STAQS). The mission’s goal is to integrate geostationary observations from Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) with traditional and enhanced air quality monitoring to improve the understanding of air quality science for increased societal benefit. We will demonstrate the interweaved perspective of NO2 columns from ground-based Pandora spectrometers and satellite-based observations (e.g., TROPOMI) as compared to high spatial resolution airborne observations from the GEOstationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) Airborne Simulator (GCAS). This includes the evaluation of each dataset through comparison to each other to identify potential biases in data products and the impact of heterogeneity on these comparisons. Airborne data will also be used as a proxy for geostationary observations with morning, midday, and afternoon raster maps collected over four cities (Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, and New York City). Finally, recent research outcomes will be presented to demonstrate how airborne and geostationary observations can be used to evaluate emission inventories and air quality models.

Laura Judd↗

Assimilation of TROPICS Radiance Data in NASA GEOS System and Impact Assessments Through Observing System Experiments

Since the first full-scale weather satellite Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS)-1 was launched in 1960 to measure weather patterns from space, the number of satellites carrying various sensors to measure atmospheric properties has increased rapidly. Data from these meteorological satellites have been crucial to the advancement of the NWP forecasts. Especially, space-borne measurements of atmospheric temperature and moisture information provided by microwave sounders were reported to contribute most to positive impacts on global NWP forecasts. Developing and launching an operational weather satellite is a daunting and tremendously expensive mission that requires many years of planning, developments, and maintenance after the launch. Small satellites with low size, weight, and power requirements can reduce the cost associated with the construction and launch of large bus platforms and draw attention of several space agencies and weather technology companies that started investing their resources to develop small satellites and measure the potential benefits and weaknesses. The NASA Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) mission is a constellation of small satellites carrying state-of-art microwave temperature and humidity sounders with 12 channels between 91 GHz and 205 GHz frequency. Currently five TROPICS cubsats, including TROPICS-pathfinder, are in space and provide the temperature and humidity data from space to the meteorological community. This study seeks to assess the potential impact that the constellation of TROPICS satellites may bring to the global NWP analysis and forecasts by assimilating all-sky TROPICS data and implementing observing system experiments (OSE) using the NASA GEOS system. Various evaluations metrics including forecast skills, fit to other observations such as radiosondes and microwave and infrared sounder are used. Along with the NWP impact assessment, the quality of the TROPICS data is evaluated by looking at observation minus forecast statistics in comparisons with other conventional satellite temperature and humidity sounders.

Min-Jeong Kim↗

Classifying Microwave Radiometer Observations Over the Netherlands Into Dry, Shallow-, and Non-Shallow Precipitation Using A Random Forest Model

Spaceborne microwave radiometers represent an important component of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission due to their frequent sampling of rain systems. Microwave radiometers measure microwave radiation (brightness temperatures, Tb), which can be converted into precipitation estimates with appropriate assumptions. However, detecting shallow precipitation systems using space-borne radiometers is challenging, especially over land, as their weak signals are hard to differentiate from those associated with dry conditions. This study uses a random forest model (RF) to classify microwave radiometer observations as dry, shallow, or nonshallow over the Netherlands - a region with varying surface conditions and frequent occurrence of shallow precipitation. The RF is trained on five years of data (2016-2020) and tested with two independent years (2015, 2021). The observations are classified using ground-based weather radar echo top heights. Various RF models are assessed, such as using only GPM’s Microwave Imager (GMI) Tb values as input features or including spatially aligned ERA-5 2-meter temperature and freezing level reanalysis and/or Dual Precipitation Radar (DPR) observations. Independent of the input features, the model performs best in summer and worst in winter. The model classifies observations from high-frequency channels (≥85 GHz) with lower Tb-values as non-shallow, higher values as dry, and those in between as shallow. Misclassified footprints exhibit radiometric characteristics corresponding to their assigned class. Case studies reveal dry observations misclassified as shallow are associated with lower Tb-values, likely resulting from the presence of ice particles in non-precipitating clouds. Shallow footprints misclassified as dry are likely related to the absence of ice particles.

Linda Bogerd↗

Observations of Typhoon Generated Gravity Waves From the CIPS and AIRS Instruments and Comparison to the High-Resolution ECMWF Model

The satellite-based Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) observed concentric gravity waves (GWs) generated by Typhoon Yutu in late October 2018. This work compares CIPS and AIRS nadir viewing observations of GWs at altitudes of 50–55 and 30–40 km, respectively, to simulations from the high-resolution European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting Integrated Forecasting System (ECMWF-IFS) and ECMWF reanalysis v5 (ERA5). Both ECMWF-IFS with 9 km and ERA5 with 31 km horizontal resolution show concentric GWs at similar locations and timing as the AIRS and CIPS observations. The GW wavelengths are ∼225–236 km in ECMWF-IFS simulations, which compares well with the wavelength inferred from the observations. After validation of ECMWF GWs, five category five typhoon events during 2018 are analyzed using ECMWF to obtain characteristics of concentric GWs in the Western Pacific regions. The amplitudes of GWs in the stratosphere are not strongly correlated with the strength of typhoons, but are controlled by background wind conditions. Our results confirm that amplitudes and shapes of concentric GWs observed in the stratosphere and lowermost mesosphere are heavily influenced by the background wind conditions.

gravity wave↗

Investigating Zonal Asymmetries in Stratospheric Ozone Trends From Satellite Limb Observations and a Chemical Transport Model

This study investigates the origin of a zonal asymmetry in stratospheric ozone trends at northern high latitudes, identified in satellite limb observations over the past two decades. We use a merged data set consisting of ozone profiles retrieved at the University of Bremen from SCIAMACHY and OMPS-LP measurements to derive ozone trends. We also use TOMCAT chemical transport model (CTM) simulations, forced by ERA5 reanalyses, to investigate the factors that drive the asymmetry observed in the long-term changes. By studying seasonally and longitudinally resolved observation-based ozone trends, we find, especially during spring, a well-pronounced asymmetry at polar latitudes with values up to +6 % per decade over Greenland and −5 % per decade over western Russia. The control CTM simulation agrees well with these observed trends, whereas sensitivity simulations indicate that chemical mechanisms involved in the production and removal of ozone, or their changes, are unlikely to explain the observed behavior. The decomposition of TOMCAT ozone time series and ERA5 geopotential height into the first two wavenumber components shows a clear correlation between the two variables in the middle stratosphere and demonstrates a weakening and a shift in the wavenumber-1 planetary wave activity over the past two decades. Finally, the analysis of the polar vortex position and strength points to a decadal oscillation with a reversal pattern at the beginning of the century. The same is found in the ozone trend asymmetry. This further stresses the link between changes in the polar vortex position and the identified ozone trend pattern.

Instrumentation↗

Observing and Projecting the Lasting Fate of the Hunga Eruption on Atmospheric Water Vapor and Hydroxyl Radical

On 15th Jan. 2022 the submarine Hunga volcano erupted injecting approximately 0.5 Tg of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, but more significantly added 150-170 Tg of water vapor to the stratospheric background (over a 10% perturbation) in a matter of several hours. The sulfur dioxide rapidly converted to sulfate aerosol and along with water vapor, was transported around the Southern Hemisphere sub-tropics into midlatitudes and beyond with some transport into the Northern Hemisphere. With a much longer lifetime than sulfate aerosol, measurable water vapor mass anomalies have persisted with only small losses over more than 2 years since the eruption and are likely to continue above background for the remainder of the decade. Satellite measurements from limb and nadir viewing observing instruments provide the information needed to reasonably initialize the Hunga eruption in the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model using the “replay” framework coupled to the Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) stratosphere-troposphere chemical mechanism for the recent past and have continued the simulations into the future with the free running chemistry climate model (CCM). Using a number of model ensemble members together with the satellite observations, we quantify how the Hunga eruption is perturbing atmospheric composition and climate and projecting the influences to come as the enhanced water vapor continues in the stratosphere with only very slow removal mechanisms. Modeling suggests that the water rich eruption enhanced stratospheric hydroxyl radiacal (OH) and is supported by the speed of the observed conversion of SO2 into sulfate aerosol. These simulations also suggest a significant reduction in tropospheric OH over the mid-high latitude Southern Hemisphere, which has implications for numerous species that are impacted by this radical. The Hunga eruption provides a useful test of chemistry climate models and an opportunity for observation-based process understanding and in making new connections.

Hunga volcano↗

Determining The Nanoflare Heating Frequency of an X-Ray Bright Point Observed by MaGIXS

Nanoflares are thought to be one of the prime candidates that can heat the solar corona to its multi-million kelvin temperature. Individual nanoflares are difficult to detect with the present generation instruments, however their presence can be inferred by comparing simulated nanoflare-heated plasma emissions with the observed emission. Using HYDRAD coronal loop simulations, we model the emission from an X-ray bright point (XBP) observed by the Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS), along with nearest-available observations from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and X-Ray Telescope (XRT) onboard Hinode observatory. The length and magnetic field strength of the coronal loops are derived from the linear-force-free extrapolation of the observed photospheric magnetogram by Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard SDO. Each loop is assumed to be heated by random nanoflares, whose magnitude and frequency are determined by the loop length and magnetic field strength. The simulation results are then compared and matched against the measured intensity from AIA, XRT, and MaGIXS. Our model results indicate the observed emissions from the XBP under study could be well matched by a distribution of nanoflares with average delay times 1500 s to 3000 s, which suggest that the heating is dominated by high-frequency events. Further, we demonstrate the high sensitivity of MaGIXS and XRT to diagnose the heating frequency using this method, while AIA passbands are found to be the least sensitive.

coronal heating↗