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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2011

Migratory Behavior and Survival of Juvenile Salmonids in the Lower Columbia River, Estuary, and Plume in 2010

Uncertainty regarding the migratory behavior and survival of juvenile salmonids passing through the lower Columbia River and estuary after negotiating dams on the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) prompted the development and application of the Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS). The JSATS has been used to investigate the survival of juvenile salmonid smolts between Bonneville Dam (river kilometer (rkm) 236) and the mouth of the Columbia River annually since 2004. In 2010, a total of 12,214 juvenile salmonids were implanted with both a passive integrated transponder (PIT) and a JSATS acoustic transmitter. Using detection information from JSATS receiver arrays deployed on dams and in the river, estuary, and plume, the survival probability of yearling Chinook salmon and steelhead smolts tagged at John Day Dam was estimated form multiple reaches between rkm 153 and 8.3 during the spring. During summer, the survival probability of subyearling Chinook salmon was estimated for the same reaches. In addition, the influence of routes of passage (e.g., surface spill, deep spill, turbine, juvenile bypass system) through the lower three dams on the Columbia River (John Day, The Dalles, and Bonneville) on juvenile salmonid smolt survival probability from the dams to rkm 153 and then between rkm 153 and 8.3 was examined to increase understanding of the immediate and latent effects of dam passage on juvenile salmon survival. Similar to previous findings, survival probability was relatively high (>0.95) for most groups of juvenile salmonids from the Bonneville Dam tailrace to about rkm 50. Downstream of rkm 50 the survival probability of all species and run types we examined decreased markedly. Steelhead smolts suffered the highest mortality in this lower portion of the Columbia River estuary, with only an estimated 60% of the tagged fish surviving to the mouth of the river. In contrast, yearling and subyearling Chinook salmon smolts survived to the mouth of the river at higher rates, with estimated survival probabilities of 84% and 86%, respectively. The influence of route of passage at the lower three dams in the FCRPS on juvenile salmonid survival appeared to be relatively direct and immediate. Significant differences in estimated survival probabilities of juvenile salmonid smolts among groups with different dam passage experiences were often detected between the dams and rkm 153. In contrast, the influence of route of passage on survival to the mouth of the Columbia River was not apparent among the groups of tagged juvenile salmonids with different FCRPS passage experiences after they had already survived to a point about 80 km downstream of Bonneville Dam. Yearling Chinook salmon and steelhead smolts that migrated through the lower estuary in off-channel habitats took two to three times longer to travel through these lower reaches and their estimated survival probabilities were not significantly different from that of their cohorts which migrated in or near the navigation channel. A large proportion of the tagged juvenile salmonids migrating in or near the navigation channel in the lower estuary crossed from the south side of the estuary near Astoria, Oregon and passed through relatively shallow expansive sand flats (Taylor Sands) to the North Channel along the Washington shore of the estuary. This migratory behavior may contribute to the avian predation losses observed on for fish (2 to 12% of fish in this study).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Impact Disdrometers Instrument Handbook

To improve the quantitative description of precipitation processes in climate models, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility has been collecting observations of the drop size spectra of rain events since early in 2006. Impact disdrometers were the initial choice due to their reliability, ease of maintenance, and relatively low cost. Each of the two units deployed was accompanied by a nearby tipping bucket. In 2010, the tipping buckets were replaced by weighing buckets rain gauges. Five video disdrometers were subsequently purchased and are described in ARM’s VDIS Handbook.1 As of April 2011, three of the weighing bucket instruments were deployed, one was to travel with the second ARM Mobile Facility, and the fifth was a spare. Two of the video disdrometers were deployed, a third was to be deployed later in the spring of 2011, one was to travel with the second ARM Mobile Facility, and the last was a spare. Detailed descriptions of impact disdrometers and their datastreams are provided in this document.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Seasonality of soil CO2 efflux in a temperate forest: Biophysical effects of snowpack and spring freeze–thaw cycles

Changes in characteristics of snowfall and spring freeze–thaw-cycle (FTC) events under the warming climate make it critical to understand biophysical controls on soil CO2 efflux (RS) in seasonally snow-covered ecosystems. We conducted a snow removal experiment and took year-round continuous automated measurements of RS, soil temperature (T5) and soil volumetric water content at the 5 cm depth (W5) with a half-hour interval in a Chinese temperate forest in 2010–2011. Our objectives were to: (1) develop statistical models to describe the seasonality of RS in this forest; (2) quantify the contribution of seasonal RS to the annual budget; (3) examine biophysical effects of snowpack on RS; and (4) test the hypothesis that an FTC-induced enhancement of RS is jointly driven by biological and physical processes.

Wang, Chuankuan↗
DOE OSTI2011

Proceedings of the Inaugural Meeting of the International Forum for Reactor Aging Management (IFRAM)

In almost all countries with nuclear power plants (NPPs), regulatory authorities and the nuclear industry are looking at some form of extended operating periods. To support life extension activities it is necessary to ensure the continued safety and reliability of system, structures, and components, and the component materials. Internationally, a variety of individual national and international activities have been initiated including Plant Life Management through the International Atomic Energy Agency, Electric Power Research Institute’s Long Term Operation program, and various national programs in managing materials degradation and related topics. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) engaged the international community in workshops in 2005-2006 to identify research needs and to collect information in an expert panel report on Proactive Management of Materials Degradation (PMMD), which was reported in NUREG/CR-6923. These results are also available via an Information Tool on the internet at http://pmmd.pnl.gov. This information builds on the extensive compilations known as the GALL Report (Generic Aging Lessons Learned, NUREG-1801, Vols. 1 and 2). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) recently issued a report on the review of various international activities in PMMD (PNNL-17779). There have also been initiatives by Electricite de France, Tokyo Electric Power Company, EPRI, and others to establish a "Materials Aging Institute." Within the materials degradation research community there are also networks and technical meetings focused on some elements of PMMD. In spite of all these efforts, there is currently no forum to bring together these diverse activities and provide coordinated information exchange and prioritization of materials aging management/PMMD topics. It is believed that the International Forum for Reactor Aging Management (IFRAM) would be a good way to achieve this goal and help develop new approaches for ensuring continued safe operation in existing and future nuclear power plants. To begin addressing this need, NRC has established a Proactive Management of Materials Degradation Program for managing in-service degradation of metallic components in aging NPPs. The NRC is seeking to facilitate the establishment of IFRAM as a network of international experts who would exchange information on operating experience, best practices, and emerging knowledge. These experts would be willing to work jointly and leverage the separate efforts of existing national programs into a unified approach to enable the potential for the safe and economic life extension of NPPs. A proposal for establishing IFRAM was developed and presented at Engagement workshops in Seoul, Korea (October 2009) and Petten, The Netherlands (May 2010). Participants in both groups demonstrated strong interest in the establishment of IFRAM. Therefore the Global Steering Committee was formed to plan and carry out the start-up of IFRAM in 2011. This group finalized the documents for IFRAM and organized the kick-off meeting. This document records the contents of the inaugural meeting of IFRAM, which was held August 4-5, 2011, at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Representatives from Asia, Europe, and the United States met to share information on reactor aging management and make plans for the future. Professor Tetsuo Shoji was elected chairperson of the Leadership Council. This kick-off event transformed the dream of an international forum into a reality. IFRAM has begun to achieve its mission.

Reactor Aging Management↗
DOE OSTI2026

Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout movement in a dam tailrace

Populations of Bull Trout Salvelinus confluentus and Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi in the Pend Oreille Basin have declined, partly due to fragmentation caused by hydropower dams. This study aimed to analyze the movements and behavior of these species downstream of Albeni Falls Dam over two years to inform fishway design. Radiotracking investigations were conducted to monitor 10 adult Bull Trout and 17 adult Westslope Cutthroat Trout from September 2008 to July 2010. Macro and micro detection zones were delineated to study fine- and large-scale movements in the tailrace. Macro zones included the spillway and powerhouse tailrace areas. Micro zones were nested within macro zones to identify regions close to the dam where fishway structures could be built. Both Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout exhibited high mobility in the dam tailrace, transitioning between macro detection zones. Seasonal variations influenced their distribution patterns. During the spring freshet migration season, both species were primarily detected at the left powerhouse micro zone. In sedentary periods (fall/winter and summer), fish actively swam throughout the tailrace, displaying search behavior. These behavior observations suggest that potential fishway entrances located near dam concrete would be effective: the area near the left powerhouse was identified as the optimal construction location. This study highlights the feasibility of designing fish passage structures to mitigate population fragmentation and support species recovery.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

In Search of a Cost-Effective Approach for Estimating Dam Passage Survival

Abstract Passage of downstream-migrating fishes through hydropower dams poses a management issue in rivers throughout the world. As such, regulations have been enacted at many locales to understand and limit fish losses by requiring dam passage survival estimation. However, limiting estimates of survival to the dam and immediate tailrace presents a challenge to researchers. In this study, two alternative release–recapture methods were used to estimate dam passage survival of juvenile salmonids through Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, Washington, in 2018. One approach, the virtual/paired-release (ViPRe) model, was extensively used in the Columbia–Snake River basin at federally operated hydroelectric dams during 2010–2014. This existing approach uses three releases of tagged smolts to isolate dam passage survival, defined as survival from the upstream dam face to the tailrace mixing zone 1–2 km downstream of the dam. An alternative approach, the virtual release/dead-fish correction (ViRDCt) model, uses one live-release group paired with a release of dead tagged fish at the dam to estimate the same survival parameter. The alternative estimation approaches were tested on two spring out-migrating stocks, yearling Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss, and on a summer out-migrating stock of subyearling Chinook Salmon. The alternative estimates for these stocks were all within 1 SE. However, the ViRDCt model produced survival estimates with SEs that were 59% smaller than those of the existing ViPRe model and did so using 42% fewer tagged fish and one less downstream acoustic detection array. Because of the reduced sample size, nearly US$540,000 less in tag costs and 4,000 fewer labor-hours were required to implement the ViRDCt model compared to the ViPRe model. As such, the ViRDCt model represents a cost-effective and precise approach to characterizing dam passage survival.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2013

Improved Boundary Layer Depth Retrievals from MPLNET

Continuous lidar observations of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) depth have been made at the Micropulse Lidar Network (MPLNET) site in Greenbelt, MD since April 2001. However, because of issues with the operational PBL depth algorithm, the data is not reliable for determining seasonal and diurnal trends. Therefore, an improved PBL depth algorithm has been developed which uses a combination of the wavelet technique and image processing. The new algorithm is less susceptible to contamination by clouds and residual layers, and in general, produces lower PBL depths. A 2010 comparison shows the operational algorithm overestimates the daily mean PBL depth when compared to the improved algorithm (1.85 and 1.07 km, respectively). The improved MPLNET PBL depths are validated using radiosonde comparisons which suggests the algorithm performs well to determine the depth of a fully developed PBL. A comparison with the Goddard Earth Observing System-version 5 (GEOS-5) model suggests that the model may underestimate the maximum daytime PBL depth by 410 m during the spring and summer. The best agreement between MPLNET and GEOS-5 occurred during the fall and they diered the most in the winter.

Micropluse Lidar Network↗
DOE OSTI2013

Slip and Dilation Tendency Analysis of Neal Hot Springs Geothermal Area

Slip and Dilation Tendency in focus areas Critically stressed fault segments have a relatively high likelihood of acting as fluid flow conduits (Sibson, 1994). As such, the tendency of a fault segment to slip (slip tendency; Ts; Morris et al., 1996) or to dilate (dilation tendency; Td; Ferrill et al., 1999) provides an indication of which faults or fault segments within a geothermal system are critically stressed and therefore likely to transmit geothermal fluids. The slip tendency of a surface is defined by the ratio of shear stress to normal stress on that surface: Ts = T / on (Morris et al., 1996). Dilation tendency is defined by the stress acting normal to a given surface: Td = (o1-on) / (o1-o3) (Ferrill et al., 1999). Slip and dilation were calculated using 3DStress (Southwest Research Institute). Slip and dilation tendency are both unitless ratios of the resolved stresses applied to the fault plane by ambient stress conditions. Values range from a maximum of 1, a fault plane ideally oriented to slip or dilate under ambient stress conditions to zero, a fault plane with no potential to slip or dilate. Slip and dilation tendency values were calculated for each fault in the focus study areas at, McGinness Hills, Neal Hot Springs, Patua, Salt Wells, San Emidio, and Tuscarora on fault traces. As dip is not well constrained or unknown for many faults mapped in within these we made these calculations using the dip for each fault that would yield the maximum slip tendency or dilation tendency. As such, these results should be viewed as maximum tendency of each fault to slip or dilate. The resulting along-fault and fault-to-fault variation in slip or dilation potential is a proxy for along fault and fault-to-fault variation in fluid flow conduit potential. Stress Magnitudes and directions Stress field variation within each focus area was approximated based on regional published data and the world stress database (Hickman et al., 2000; Hickman et al., 1998 Robertson-Tait et al., 2004; Hickman and Davatzes, 2010; Davatzes and Hickman, 2006; Blake and Davatzes 2011; Blake and Davatzes, 2012; Moeck et al., 2010; Moos and Ronne, 2010 and Reinecker et al., 2005) as well as local stress information if applicable. For faults within these focus systems we applied either a normal faulting stress regime where the vertical stress (sv) is larger than the maximum horizontal stress (shmax) which is larger than the minimum horizontal stress (sv>shmax>shmin) or strike-slip faulting stress regime where the maximum horizontal stress (shmax) is larger than the vertical stress (sv) which is larger than the minimum horizontal stress (shmax >sv>shmin) depending on the general tectonic province of the system. Based on visual inspection of the limited stress magnitude data in the Great Basin we used magnitudes such that shmin/shmax = .527 and shmin/sv= .46, which are consistent with complete and partial stress field determinations from Desert Peak, Coso, the Fallon area and Dixie valley (Hickman et al., 2000; Hickman et al., 1998 Robertson-Tait et al., 2004; Hickman and Davatzes, 2011; Davatzes and Hickman, 2006; Blake and Davatzes 2011; Blake and Davatzes, 2012). Based on inversion of fault kinematic data, Edwards (2013) interpreted that two discrete stress orientations are preserved at Neal Hot Springs. An older episode of east-west directed extension and a younger episode of southwest-northeast directed sinistral, oblique -normal extension. This interpretation is consistent with the evolution of Cenozoic tectonics in the region (Edwards, 2013). As such we applied a southwest-northeast (060) directed normal faulting stress regime, consistent with the younger extensional episode, to the Neal Hot Springs faults. Under these stress conditions northeast striking steeply dipping fault segments have the highest tendency to dilate and northeast striking 60 degrees dipping fault segments have the highest tendency to slip. Under these stress condi...

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2015

Impact of Transpacific Aerosol on Air Quality over the United States: A Perspective from Aerosol-Cloud-Radiation Interactions

Observations have well established that aerosols from various sources in Asia, Europe, and Africa can travel across the Pacific and reach the contiguous United States (U.S.) at least on episodic bases throughout a year, with a maximum import in spring. The imported aerosol not only can serve as an additional source to regional air pollution (e.g., direct input), but also can influence regional air quality through the aerosol-cloud-radiation (ACR) interactions that change local and regional meteorology. This study assessed impacts of the transpacific aerosol on air quality, focusing on surface ozone and PM2.5, over the U.S. using the NASA Unified Weather Research Forecast model. Based on the results of 3- month (April to June of 2010) simulations, the impact of direct input (as an additional source) of transpacific aerosol caused an increase of surface PM2.5 concentration by approximately 1.5 micro-g/cu m over the west coast and about 0.5 micro-g/cu m over the east coast of the U.S. By influencing key meteorological processes through the ACR interactions, the transpacific aerosol exerted a significant effect on both surface PM2.5 (+/-6 micro-g/cu m3) and ozone (+/-12 ppbv) over the central and eastern U.S. This suggests that the transpacific transport of aerosol could either improve or deteriorate local air quality and complicate local effort toward the compliance with the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

Tao, Zhining↗
DOE OSTI2016

SURFACE TEMPERATURES ON TITAN DURING NORTHERN WINTER AND SPRING

Meridional brightness temperatures were measured on the surface of Titan during the 2004–2014 portion of the Cassini mission by the Composite Infrared Spectrometer. Temperatures mapped from pole to pole during five two-year periods show a marked seasonal dependence. The surface temperature near the south pole over this time decreased by 2 K from 91.7 ± 0.3 to 89.7 ± 0.5 K while at the north pole the temperature increased by 1 K from 90.7 ± 0.5 to 91.5 ± 0.2 K. The latitude of maximum temperature moved from 19 S to 16 N, tracking the sub-solar latitude. As the latitude changed, the maximum temperature remained constant at 93.65 ± 0.15 K. In 2010 our temperatures repeated the north–south symmetry seen by Voyager one Titan year earlier in 1980. Early in the mission, temperatures at all latitudes had agreed with GCM predictions, but by 2014 temperatures in the north were lower than modeled by 1 K. The temperature rise in the north may be delayed by cooling of sea surfaces and moist ground brought on by seasonal methane precipitation and evaporation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Switchgrass Biomass Quality as Affected by Nitrogen Rate, Harvest Time, and Storage

The purpose of this study was to assess the changes in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) biomass quality as affected by N rate, harvest time, and storage. This research was conducted near Bristol, SD, in 2010 and 2011. Treatments included three N rates (0, 56, and 112 kg N ha –1 ) applied annually and each N rate replicated four times. After a killing frost, all of the plots were harvested and baled in large round bales in October 2010 and November 2011. An area of about 30 m 2 from each plot was left unharvested to represent storage of standing switchgrass over the winter and to determine dry matter yields. Switchgrass was analyzed for hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, mineral elements, N, and C. In the first season, storage of the fall harvested switchgrass bales numerically increased the concentrations of hemicellulose, lignin, and N. In the second season, they increased significantly. Mineral elements significantly increased in both sampling seasons. Delaying harvest until spring decreased lignin, N, and mineral elements concentration, and increased cellulose and hemicellulose concentrations, but also reduced biomass yield. Results from this study suggest that delaying the switchgrass harvest until spring increased the overall feedstock quality for ethanol production, but yield reductions must be considered to determine the overall economic impact of a delayed harvest.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2012

Seasonal Variations in Titan's Stratosphere Observed with Cassini/CIRS: Temperature, Trace Molecular Gas and Aerosol Mixing Ratio Profiles

Titan's northern spring equinox occurred in August 2009. General Circulation Models (e.g. Lebonnois et al., 2012) predict strong modifications of the global circulation in this period, with formation of two circulation cells instead of the pole-to-pole cell that occurred during northern winter. This winter single cell, which had its descending branch at the north pole, was at the origin of the enrichment of molecular abundances and high stratopause temperatures observed by Cassini/CIRS at high northern latitudes (e.g. Achterberg et al., 2011, Coustenis et al., 2010, Teanby et al., 2008, Vinatier et al., 2010). The predicted dynamical seasonal variations after the equinox have strong impact on the spatial distributions of trace gas, temperature and aerosol abundances. We will present here an analysis of CIRS limb-geometry datasets acquired in 2010 and 2011 that we used to monitor the seasonal evolution of the vertical profiles of temperature, molecular (C2H2, C2H6, HCN, ..) and aerosol abundances.

Vinatier, S.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Report of the 1st SMAP Applications Workshop

The NASA Earth Science Division has made a commitment to “discover and demonstrate applications that inform resource management, policy development and decision making” (NASA Earth Science Division Applied Sciences Program, Program Strategy, 2010–2015). The NASA mission teams have the opportunity to take a lead role in meeting this challenge. A primary goal of the SMAP mission is to engage SMAP end users and build broad support for SMAP applications through a transparent and inclusive process. Toward this goal, the SMAP mission formed an open-community SMAP Applications Working Group (ApplWG) with over 150 members. The ApplWG held the first SMAP Applications Workshop on September 9–10, 2009, at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Silver Spring, Maryland. Workshop attendees represented state and federal agencies, operational centers focused on natural hazards and disasters, international organizations, and academia. Introductory speakers from NOAA, US Geological Survey (USGS), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Environment Canada, and US Department of Defense (DoD) addressed applications that included floods and droughts, early famine warning, crop assessments, human health, and defense.

O’Neill, P.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Surface Temperatures on Titan During Northern Winter and Spring

Meridional brightness temperatures were measured on the surface of Titan during the 2004-2014 portion of the Cassini mission by the Composite Infrared Spectrometer. Temperatures mapped from pole to pole during five two year periods show a marked seasonal dependence. The surface temperature near the south pole over this time decreased by 2 K from 91.7 plus or minus 0.3 to 89.7 plus or minus 0.5 K while at the north pole the temperature increased by 1 K from 90.7 plus or minus 0.5 to 91.5 plus or minus 0.2 K. The latitude of maximum temperature moved from 19 S to 16 N, tracking the subsolar latitude. As the latitude changed, the maximum temperature remained constant at 93.65 plus or minus 0.15 K. In 2010 our temperatures repeated the north-south symmetry seen by Voyager one Titan year earlier in 1980. Early in the mission, temperatures at all latitudes had agreed with GCM predictions, but by 2014 temperatures in the north were lower than modeled by 1 K. The temperature rise in the north may be delayed by cooling of sea surfaces and moist ground brought on by seasonal methane precipitation and evaporation.

Cassini↗
DOE OSTI2011

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Climate Research Facility Operations Quarterly Report. October 1 - December 31, 2010.

Individual raw datastreams from instrumentation at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility fixed and mobile sites are collected and sent to the Data Management Facility (DMF) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for processing in near-real time. Raw and processed data are then sent approximately daily to the ARM Archive, where they are made available to users. For each instrument, we calculate the ratio of the actual number of processed data records received daily at the Archive to the expected number of data records. The results are tabulated by (1) individual datastream, site, and month for the current year and (2) site and fiscal year (FY) dating back to 1998. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requires national user facilities to report time-based operating data. The requirements concern the actual hours of operation (ACTUAL); the estimated maximum operation or uptime goal (OPSMAX), which accounts for planned downtime; and the VARIANCE [1 - (ACTUAL/OPSMAX)], which accounts for unplanned downtime. The OPSMAX time for the first quarter of FY2010 for the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site is 2097.60 hours (0.95 x 2208 hours this quarter). The OPSMAX for the North Slope Alaska (NSA) locale is 1987.20 hours (0.90 x 2208) and for the Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) locale is 1876.80 hours (0.85 x 2208). The first ARM Mobile Facility (AMF1) deployment in Graciosa Island, the Azores, Portugal, continued through this quarter, so the OPSMAX time this quarter is 2097.60 hours (0.95 x 2208). The second ARM Mobile Facility (AMF2) began deployment this quarter to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The experiment officially began November 15, but most of the instruments were up and running by November 1. Therefore, the OPSMAX time for the AMF2 was 1390.80 hours (.95 x 1464 hours) for November and December (61 days). The differences in OPSMAX performance reflect the complexity of local logistics and the frequency of extreme weather events. It is impractical to measure OPSMAX for each instrument or datastream. Data availability reported here refers to the average of the individual, continuous datastreams that have been received by the Archive. Data not at the Archive are caused by downtime (scheduled or unplanned) of the individual instruments. Therefore, data availability is directly related to individual instrument uptime. Thus, the average percentage of data in the Archive represents the average percentage of the time (24 hours per day, 92 days for this quarter) the instruments were operating this quarter. Summary. Table 1 shows the accumulated maximum operation time (planned uptime), actual hours of operation, and variance (unplanned downtime) for the period October 1-December 31, 2010, for the fixed sites. Because the AMFs operate episodically, the AMF statistics are reported separately and not included in the aggregate average with the fixed sites. This first quarter comprises a total of 2,208 possible hours for the fixed sites and the AMF1 and 1,464 possible hours for the AMF2. The average of the fixed sites exceeded our goal this quarter. The AMF1 has essentially completed its mission and is shutting down to pack up for its next deployment to India. Although all the raw data from the operational instruments are in the Archive for the AMF2, only the processed data are tabulated. Approximately half of the AMF2 instruments have data that was fully processed, resulting in the 46% of all possible data made available to users through the Archive for this first quarter. Typically, raw data is not made available to users unless specifically requested.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Ertel potential vorticity versus Bernoulli streamfunction in earth's extratropical atmosphere: Q vs. B

We investigate the correlation of Ertel potential vorticity, Q, with Bernoulli streamfunction, B,on potential-temperature surfaces, θ, in Earth’s atmosphere poleward of ± 30° latitude. For input, we use the 1979–2010 CMAM30-SD specified-dynamics data set. We fit the model Q=Q 0 exp [-λ 0 (B-B0)] separately in the midlatitude [30°, 60°) and polar [60°, 90°] regions, and nondimensionalize the slope parameter as $\hat{λ}_0\equiv$ ($\overline{NH}$) 2 λ 0 In the troposphere, the peak of $\hat{λ}_0$ is approximately 2-3 in winter and 3–4 in summer in both regions. In the stratosphere during winter, both $\hat{λ}_0$| midlat and $\hat{λ}_0$| polar hover around unity. In spring and fall, $\hat{λ}_0$| polar continues to hover near unity, but $\hat{λ}_0$| midlat rises by a factor of two, with its maximum located at θ ~ 700 to 900 K. In summer, the polar value drops to $\hat{λ}_0$| polar << 1, while the midlatitude value swings negative to $\hat{λ}_0$| midlat ~ 22 to 23. In the mesosphere, $\hat{λ}_0$ exhibits incessant fluctuations with values that usually fall within the range 0 to 1. The results support the paradigm $\hat{λ}_0$ << 1for dynamically active regions primarily in the vicinity of θ ~ 3000–4000 K (~62–72 km) in the mesosphere, whereas except in summer, we get the simple result that the monthly climate-averaged profile, $\langle$ $\hat{λ}_0$ $\rangle$, in the polar regions is nearly unity across the entire stratosphere. In conclusion, during extended recoveries following SSWs, the midlatitude vertical profile develops a peak near 2000 K that descends over the course of a few weeks, alongside the descent of the elevated stratopause in the polar region.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2012

Collaborative Business Models for Exploration: - The Expansion of Public-Private Partnerships to Enable Exploration and Improve the Quality of Life on Earth

In May of 2007, The Space Life Sciences Strategy was published, launching a series of efforts aimed at driving human health and performance innovations that both meet space flight needs and benefit life on Earth. These efforts, led by the Space Life Science Directorate (SLSD) at the NASA Johnson Space Center, led to the development and implementation of the NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC) in October 2010. The NHHPC now has over 100 members including seven NASA centers; other federal agencies; some of the International Space Station partners; industry; academia and non-profits. The NHHPC seeks to share best practices, develop collaborative projects and experiment with open collaboration techniques such as crowdsourcing. Using this approach, the NHHPC collaborative projects are anticipated to be at the earliest possible stage of development utilizing the many possible public-private partnerships in this center. Two workshops have been successfully conducted in 2011 (January and October) with a third workshop planned for the spring of 2012. The challenges of space flight are similar in many respects to providing health care and environmental monitoring in challenging settings on the earth. These challenges to technology development include the need for low power consumption, low weight, in-situ analysis, operator independence (i.e., minimal training), robustness, and limited resupply or maintenance. When similar technology challenges are identified (such as the need to provide and monitor a safe water supply or develop a portable medical diagnostic device for remote use), opportunities arise for public-private partnerships to engage in co-creation of novel approaches for space exploration and health and environmental applications on earth. This approach can enable the use of shared resources to reduce costs, engage other organizations and the public in participatory exploration (solving real-world problems), and provide technologies with multiple uses for space exploration and life on earth. Several examples will be provided that demonstrate the application of a technology to solve a space exploration need and to provide a positive impact to the quality of life on earth.

Davis, Jeffrey R.↗
DOE OSTI2016

A stable snow–atmosphere coupled mode

Snow is both an important lower boundary forcing of the atmosphere and a response to atmospheric forcing in the extratropics. It is still unclear whether a stable snow–atmosphere coupled mode exists in the extratropics, like the ENSO in the tropics. Using Sliding Correlation analysis over Any Window, the present study quantitatively evaluates the stability of coupling relationships between the major modes of winter snow over the Northern Hemisphere and the winter atmospheric Arctic Oscillation (AO), the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) and the Siberian High over the period 1872–2010, and discusses their possible relationships for different seasons. Results show that the first mode of the winter snow cover fraction and the winter AO together constitute a stable snow–atmosphere coupled mode, the SNAO. The coupled mode is stronger during recent decades than before. The snow anomaly over Europe is one key factor of the SNAO mode due to the high stability there, and the polar vortex anomaly in the atmosphere is its other key factor. The continuity of signals in the SNAO between autumn and winter is weaker than that between winter and spring. The second winter snow mode is generally stably correlated with the winter AAO and was more stable before the 1970s. The AAO signal with boreal snow has a strong continuity in seasonal transition. Generally, through these coupled modes, snow and atmosphere can interact in the same season or between different seasons: autumn snow can influence the winter atmosphere; the winter atmosphere can influence spring snow.

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences↗