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At least 1,315 records · Page 73
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NASA NTRS1984

Photographic memory: The storage and retrieval of data

The concept of density encoding digital data in a mass-storage computer peripheral is proposed. This concept requires that digital data be encoded as distinguishable density levels (DDLS) of the film to be used as the storage medium. These DDL's are then recorded on the film in relatively large pixels. Retrieval of the data would be accomplished by scanning the photographic record using a relatively small aperture. Multiplexing of the pixels is used to store data of a range greater than the number of DDL's supportable by the film in question. Although a cartographic application is used as an example for the photographic storage of data, any digital data can be stored in a like manner. When the data is inherently spatially-distributed, the aptness of the proposed scheme is even more evident. In such a case, human-readability is an advantage which can be added to those mentioned earlier: speed of acquisition, ease of implementation, and cost effectiveness.

Horton, J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Validation of temperature retrievals obtained by the Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) experiment on Nimbus 7

An outline is given of LIMS temperature determinations (as a function of pressure) from measurements in two channels covering portions of the 15-micrometer band of carbon dioxide. The known sources of error from the radiometer and data reduction are used to estimate the systematic and random errors expected of the results. Observational determinations of the complete end-to-end precision are obtained by computing the standard deviation of six sequential temperature retrievals in regions where the atmosphere is horizontally uniform. This yields values of 0.2 to 0.6 K, in reasonable agreement with the estimates. A correction for horizontal gradients in the atmosphere leads to a large reduction in the differences between the stratospheric temperatures determined on the ascending and descending portions of the orbit. The temperatures agree in the mean with radiosondes and rocketsondes to within 1-2 K in most regions below 1 mbar. Several interesting, previously unseen features included cold regions in the mid-latitude mesosphere and wavelike vertical variations in the tropics.

Gille, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1985

On the Improvement of Satellite Temperature Retrievals by Means of Boundary Layer Models

The improvement of the accuracy of the satellite temperature retrievals close to the Earth's surface by boundary layer models was determined. The simplest type of boundary layer models that only consider time changes in the mean boundary layer quantities such as equivalent potential temperature and specific humidity, but neglect the details of the turbulent structure in the interior of the layer were used. They can be run with relatively few externally specified parameters: surface wind speed and divergence rate. Model verifications studies show that under certain conditions the mean atmospheric structure can be simulated very well.

Boers, R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Retrieval of cloud cover parameters from multispectral satellite images

A technique is described for extracting cloud cover parameters from multispectral satellite radiometric measurements. Utilizing three channels from the AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) on NOAA polar orbiting satellites, it is shown that one can retrieve four parameters for each pixel: cloud fraction within the FOV, optical thickness, cloud-top temperature and a microphysical model parameter. The last parameter is an index representing the properties of the cloud particle and is determined primarily by the radiance at 3.7 microns. The other three parameters are extracted from the visible and 11 micron infrared radiances, utilizing the information contained in the two-dimensional scatter plot of the measured radiances. The solution is essentially one in which the distributions of optical thickness and cloud-top temperature are maximally clustered for each region, with cloud fraction for each pixel adjusted to achieve maximal clustering.

Arking, A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The accuracy of mesoscale temperature and dewpoint fields retrieved from VAS satellite and conventional surface data

The Visible Infrared Spin-Scan Radiometer (VISSR) Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) is a twelve channel imaging radiometer on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). It is pointed out that the instrument is designed to monitor the evolution of tropospheric temperature and moisture fields at mesoscale resolution. Since the numerical qualities of VAS soundings affect their usefulness, a quantitative verification of the absolute and relative accuracy of VAS soundings appears highly desirable. The present investigation is concerned with an objective verification for two VAS case studies. Absolute accuray is measured by comparing the VAS retrievals to the radiosonde values at the network sites. Absolute temperature accuracy is found to be + or - 2 C below 500 mb, while absolute dewpoint accuracy is + or - 2 to + or - 3 C below 850 mb.

Chesters, D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Search and retrieval of office files using dBASE 3

Described is a method of automating the office files retrieval process using a commercially available software package (dBASE III). The resulting product is a menu-driven computer program which requires no computer skills to operate. One part of the document is written for the potential user who has minimal computer experience and uses sample menu screens to explain the program; while a second part is oriented towards the computer literate individual and includes rather detailed descriptions of the methodology and search routines. Although much of the programming techniques are explained, this document is not intended to be a tutorial on dBASE III. It is hoped that the document will serve as a stimulus for other applications of dBASE III.

Breazeale, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences physical retrieval system for remote determination of weather and climate parameter from HIRS2 and MSU observations

At the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences (GLAS) a physically based satellite temperature sounding retrieval system, involving the simultaneous analysis of HIRS2 and MSU sounding data, was developed for determining atmospheric and surface conditions which are consistent with the observed radiances. In addition to determining accurate atmospheric temperature profiles even in the presence of cloud contamination, the system provides global estimates of day and night sea or land surface temperatures, snow and ice cover, and parameters related to cloud cover. Details of the system are described elsewhere. A brief overview of the system is presented, as well as recent improvements and previously unpublished results, relating to the sea-surface intercomparison workshop, the diurnal variation of ground temperatures, and forecast impact tests.

Susskind, J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A theory for the retrieval of virtual temperature from winds, radiances and the equations of fluid dynamics

A technique to deduce the virtual temperature from the combined use of the equations of fluid dynamics, observed wind and observed radiances is described. The wind information could come from ground-based sensitivity very high frequency (VHF) Doppler radars and/or from space-borne Doppler lidars. The radiometers are also assumed to be either space-borne and/or ground-based. From traditional radiometric techniques the vertical structure of the temperature can be estimated only crudely. While it has been known for quite some time that the virtual temperature could be deduced from wind information only, such techniques had to assume the infallibility of certain diagnostic relations. The proposed technique is an extension of the Gal-Chen technique. It is assumed that due to modeling uncertainties the equations of fluid dynamics are satisfied only in the least square sense. The retrieved temperature, however, is constrained to reproduce the observed radiances. It is shown that the combined use of the three sources of information (wind, radiances and fluid dynamical equations) can result in a unique determination of the vertical temperature structure with spatial and temporal resolution comparable to that of the observed wind.

Tzvi, G. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Satellite attitude motion models for capture and retrieval investigations

The primary purpose of this research is to provide mathematical models which may be used in the investigation of various aspects of the remote capture and retrieval of uncontrolled satellites. Emphasis has been placed on analytical models; however, to verify analytical solutions, numerical integration must be used. Also, for satellites of certain types, numerical integration may be the only practical or perhaps the only possible method of solution. First, to provide a basis for analytical and numerical work, uncontrolled satellites were categorized using criteria based on: (1) orbital motions, (2) external angular momenta, (3) internal angular momenta, (4) physical characteristics, and (5) the stability of their equilibrium states. Several analytical solutions for the attitude motions of satellite models were compiled, checked, corrected in some minor respects and their short-term prediction capabilities were investigated. Single-rigid-body, dual-spin and multi-rotor configurations are treated. To verify the analytical models and to see how the true motion of a satellite which is acted upon by environmental torques differs from its corresponding torque-free motion, a numerical simulation code was developed. This code contains a relatively general satellite model and models for gravity-gradient and aerodynamic torques. The spacecraft physical model for the code and the equations of motion are given. The two environmental torque models are described.

Cochran, John E., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Rigorous approaches to tether dynamics in deployment and retrieval

Dynamics of tethers in a linearized analysis can be considered as the superposition of propagating waves. This approach permits a new way for the analysis of tether behavior during deployment and retrieval, where a tether is composed by a part at rest and a part subjected to propagation phenomena, with the separating section depending on time. The dependence on time of the separating section requires the analysis of the reflection of the waves travelling toward the part at rest. Such a reflection generates a reflected wave, whose characteristics are determined. The propagation phenomena of major interest in a tether are transverse waves and longitudinal waves, all mathematically modelled by the vibrating chord equations, if the tension is considered constant along the tether. An interesting problem also considered is concerned with the dependence of the tether tension from the longitudinal position, due to microgravity, and the influence of this dependence on the propagation waves.

Antona, Ettore↗
NASA NTRS1986

NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility image retrieval and processing system

The general design and analysis functions of the NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility (RPIF) image workstation prototype are described. The main functions of the MicroVAX II based workstation will be database searching, digital image retrieval, and image processing and display. The uses of the Transportable Applications Executive (TAE) in the system are described. File access and image processing programs use TAE tutor screens to receive parameters from the user and TAE subroutines are used to pass parameters to applications programs. Interface menus are also provided by TAE.

Slavney, Susan↗
NASA NTRS1987

Retrieval of upper atmosphere pressure-temperature profiles from high resolution solar occultation spectra

Pressure-temperature profiles over the 18 to 75 km altitude range were retrieved from 0.01 cm(-1) resolution infrared solar absorption spectra recorded with the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) Fourier transform spectrometer operating in the solar occultation mode during the Spacelab 3 shuttle mission (April 30 to May 1, 1985). The analysis method is described and preliminary results deduced for five occultation events are compared to correlative pressure-temperature measurments.

Rinsland, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Retrieval of ammonia abundances and cloud opacities on Jupiter from Voyager IRIS spectra

Gaseous ammonia abundances and cloud opacities are retrieved from Voyager IRIS 5- and 45-micron data on the basis of a simplified atmospheric model and a two-stream radiative transfer approximation, assuming a single cloud layer with 680-mbar base pressure and 0.14 gas scale height. Brightness temperature measurements obtained as a function of emission angle from selected planetary locations are used to verify the model and constrain a number of its parameters.

Conrath, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Day-night variation in operationally retrieved TOVS temperature biases

Several authors have reported that operationally retrieved TOVS (TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder) temperatures are biased with respect to rawinsonde temperatures or temperature analyses. This note reports a case study from which it is concluded that, at least for the time period Mar. 26 through Apr. 8, 1979, there was a significant day-night variation in TOVS mean layer virtual temperature biases with respect to objective analyses of rawinsonde data over the U.S.

Kidder, Stanley Q.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Operational remote sounder (TOVS) retrieved temperature comparability with conventional in situ instruments

Monthly layer-mean TOVS retrieved temperatures for NOAA-6 and NOAA-7 from the tropics to the midlatitudes for 1980-1983 are compared to monthly layer-mean radiosonde temperature data. The amplitude of the January/July mean temperatures and the amplitude of the annual temperature cycle in the 100-70 and the 700-500 hPa layers are analyzed. It is observed that in the 100-70 hPa layer the TOVS data underestimate the annual cycle by about 3-4 K and the NOAA-6 data are closer to the radiosonde temperatures than the NOAA-7; in the 700-500 hPa layer the NOAA-6 is within + or - 1 K of the radiosonde measurements and the NOAA-7 data are within 0.5-1 K of the radiosonde data.

Schmidlin, Francis J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Cloud fields retrieved from analysis of HIRS2/MSU sounding data

The methods used to determine effective cloud fraction (cloud fraction times cloud emissivity at 11-14 microns) and cloud top pressure from analysis of HIRS2/MSU sounding data are described. Identical procedures are used day and night so as to allow for meaningful day-night difference fields. Results are shown for June 1979. The monthly mean effective cloud fraction is 43.4 percent, resulting from a 45.2 percent value at 0300 LT and 41.6 percent at 1500 LT. The retrieved single-day cloud field for June 11 shows good agreement with high spatial resolution visible and infrared imagery.

Susskind, J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Retrieval of surface roughness parameters from dual-frequency measurements of radar backscattering coefficients

The use of dual-frequency data of backscattering coefficients at a fixed angle to estimate surface roughness parameters is evaluated. Radar backscattering coefficients at 1.5 and 4.25 GHz are calculated using a model based on Kirchhoff approximation of electromagnetic wave scatttering from a rough soil surface. Plots of the calculated backscattering coefficients for Kansas soil moisture contents at the C- and L-band frequencies and HH polarization are analyzed. The effects of changes in correlation length on the backscattering coefficients are investigated. The calculated backscattering coefficients are compared with scatterometer data collected at 1.5 and 4.25 GHz, and it is detected that the model and field data correlate well. The data reveal that it is possible to retrieve the surface roughness parameters from measured radar data.

Mo, Tsan↗