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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1975

CARETS: A prototype regional environmental information system. Volume 10: Environmental problems in the coastal and wetlands ecosystems of Virginia Beach, Virginia

Many of the city of Virginia Beach's beach stabilization and sewage disposal problems are the result of an inadequate understanding, of physical and biological systems. Influenced by population and economic pressures, natural systems were artificially stabilized by engineering projects which had to be constantly maintained. These same pressures continue to prevail today in spite of a new environmental awareness; changes are occurring very slowly. Furthermore, the lack of adequate sewage disposal facilities and the continued urbanization of inappropriate areas are threatening Virginia Beach's attractiveness as a resort area.

Sewage disposal↗
DOE OSTI2018

Transcriptomic analysis of skin pigmentation variation in the Virginia opossum ( Didelphis virginiana )

Abstract Skin pigmentation and coat pigmentation are two of the best‐studied examples of traits under natural selection given their quantifiable fitness interactions with the environment (e.g., camouflage) and signalling with other organisms (e.g., warning coloration). Previous morphological studies have found that skin pigmentation variation in the Virginia opossum ( Didelphis virginiana ) is associated with variation in precipitation and temperatures across its distribution range following Gloger's rule (lighter pigmentation in temperate environments). To investigate the molecular mechanism associated with skin pigmentation variation, we used RNA‐Seq and quantified gene expression of wild opossums from tropical and temperate populations. Using differential expression analysis and a co‐expression network approach, we found that expression variation in genes with melanocytic and immune functions is significantly associated with the degree of skin pigmentation variation and may be underlying this phenotypic difference. We also found evidence suggesting that the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway might be regulating the depigmentation observed in temperate populations. Based on our study results, we present several alternative hypotheses that may explain Gloger's rule pattern of skin pigmentation variation in opossum, including changes in pathogen diversity supporting a pathogen‐resistant hypothesis, thermal stress associated with temperate environments, and pleiotropic and epistatic interactions between melanocytic and immune genes.

Nigenda‐Morales, Sergio F.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Remote Sensing Application to Land Use Classification in a Rapidly Changing Agricultural/Urban Area: City of Virginia Beach, Virginia

Remote sensing data on computer-compatible tapes of LANDSAT 1 multispectral scanner imager were analyzed to generate a land use map of the City of Virginia Beach. All four bands were used in both the supervised and unsupervised approaches with the LAYSYS software system. Color IR imagery of a U-2 flight of the same area was also digitized and two sample areas were analyzed via the unsupervised approach. The relationships between the mapped land use and the soils of the area were investigated. A land use land cover map at a scale of 1:24,000 was obtained from the supervised analysis of LANDSAT 1 data. It was concluded that machine analysis of remote sensing data to produce land use maps was feasible; that the LAYSYS software system was usable for this purpose; and that the machine analysis was capable of extracting detailed information from the relatively small scale LANDSAT data in a much shorter time without compromising accuracy.

Odenyo, V. A. O.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Experiments to verify nonparallel stability theory at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia

The effects of normal mass injection and suction on boundary-layer stability and transition are studied on a flat plate. Titanium panels, in which 0.063 mm diameter holes were drilled on 0.635 mm centers, are inserted in the plate. Suction level and distribution are variable. Disturbances are introduced by means of a vibrating ribbon and measurements of both mean- and disturbance-flow velocities are made with a hot wire. Disturbance amplitudes are measured as a function of Reynolds number, frequency, and suction characteristics, and are compared with the previous results obtained over a Dynapore surface. Transition measurements under natural and forced conditions are also made. The stabilizing effects of suction are documented. It is also shown that very high local flow rates through the suction holes (which approach a hole Reynolds number of 300) do not destabilize the flow. On the other hand, weak blowing lowers the transition Reynolds number, but is found not to cause serious problems.

Saric, William S.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analysis of Atmospheric Conditions Responsible for an Ozone Exceedance Event in Southeast Virginia on June 15, 2022

On June 15, 2022, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality monitoring site at Suffolk/Holland, a rural site in southeast Virginia, recorded its first ozone exceedance since 2016. An ozone exceedance day occurs when the daily maximum 8-hour average surface ozone concentration is greater than 70 ppb. On this day, it was 75 ppb. This event is also noteworthy due to the rapid increase in surface ozone between 6 am and 9 am EDT as well as the hourly maximum ozone concentration of 82 ppb that was measured at 1 pm EDT. In this analysis, we utilize various observational and model data to determine the atmospheric conditions responsible for this ozone exceedance event. The analysis is conducted in two parts: (1) an evaluation of the accuracy of the GEOS-CF and WRF-Chem model forecasts and (2) an investigation of the mechanisms responsible for the high surface ozone at the Virginia DEQ Suffolk/Holland monitoring site. Comparisons of model forecasted ozone time-height cross sections with measured ozone by lidars from the Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) at NASA Langley and NASA Goddard reveal that both models forecasted ozone reasonably well near the surface. Model and observational data reveal that an upper-level ridge was present over much of the eastern United States, with a broad anticyclonic circulation near the surface, resulting in north-northeasterly flow over southeast Virginia. Back trajectory calculations using the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model (HYSPLIT) and model data suggest that a low-level plume rich in ozone and precursor species originating from the New York City and New Jersey region was transported along the east coast between June 14 and June 15, arriving in southeast Virginia around 6 am EDT on June 15. In the early morning hours, this plume mixed down to the surface, elevating the background ozone mixing ratio as well as the mixing ratios of several precursor species. Other potential contributions are also explored and discussed. Lastly, the authors note that this work represents the analysis of the authors and not the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

Daniel B Phoenix↗
NASA NTRS1981

Summary of 1978 Southeastern Virginia Urban Plume study: Aircraft results for carbon monoxide, methane, nonmethane hydrocarbons, and ozone

The characteristics of the Southeastern Virginia urban plume were defined with emphasis on the photon-oxidant species. The measurement area was a rectangle, approximately 150 km by 100 km centered around Cape Charles, Virginia. Included in this area are the cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News, and Hampton. The area is bounded on the north by Wallops Island, Virginia, and on the south by the Hampton Roads area of Tidewater Virginia. The major axis of the rectangle is oriented in the southwest-northeast direction. The data set includes aircraft measurements for carbon monoxide, methane, nonmethane hydrocarbons, and ozone. The experiment shows that CO can be successfully measured as a tracer gas and used as an index for determining localized and urban plumes. The 1978 data base provided sufficient data to assess an automated chromatograph with flame ionization detection used for measuring methane and nonmethane hydrocarbons in flight.

Hill, G. F.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Developing Nationally Competitive NASA Research Capability in West Virginia

In May, 1995 West Virginia EPSCOR was awarded $150,000 to support activities to develop research capabilities in West Virginia in support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). These funds were used to support three projects: 1) Information Processing and the Earth Observing System, directed by Dr. Stuart Tewksbury of West Virginia University; 2) Development of Optical Materials for Atmospheric Sensing Experiments, directed by Dr. Nancy Giles of West Virginia University; and 3) Development of Doppler Global Velocimeter (DGV) for Aeronautical and Combustion Studies, directed by Dr. John Kuhlman of West Virginia University. The funding provides the means to develop capability in each of these areas. This report summarizes the technical accomplishments in each project supported under this award.

Calzonetti, Frank J.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Influence of landscape attributes on Virginia opossum density

Abstract The Virginia opossum ( Didelphis virginiana ), North America's only marsupial, has a range extending from southern Ontario, Canada, to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, and from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific. Despite the Virginia opossum's taxonomic uniqueness in relation to other mammals in North America and rapidly expanding distribution, its ecology remains relatively understudied. Our poor understanding of the ecology of this important mesopredator is especially pronounced in the rural southeastern United States. Our goal was to estimate effects of habitat on opossum density within an extensive multi‐year spatial capture‐recapture study. Additionally, we compared the results of this spatial capture‐recapture analysis with a simple relative abundance index. Opossum densities in the relatively underdeveloped regions of the southeastern United States were lower compared to the more human‐dominated landscapes of the Northeast and Midwest. In the southeastern United States, Virginia opossums occurred at a higher density in bottomland swamp and riparian hardwood forest compared to upland pine ( Pinus spp.) plantations and isolated wetlands. These results reinforce the notion that the Virginia opossum is commonly associated with land cover types adjacent to permanent water (bottomland swamps, riparian hardwood). The relatively low density of opossums at isolated wetland sites suggests that the large spatial scale of selection demonstrated by opossums gives the species access to preferable cover types within the same landscape.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Virginia Offshore Wind Technology Advancement Project (VOWTAP) DOE EE0005985 Final Technical Report Rev 1a

The primary purpose of the VOWTAP was to advance the offshore wind industry in the United States (U.S.) by demonstrating innovative technologies and process solutions that would establish offshore wind as a cost-effective renewable energy resource. The VOWTAP Team proposed to design, construct, and operate a 12 megawatt (MW) offshore wind facility located approximately 27 statute miles (mi) (24 nautical miles [nm], 43 kilometers [km]) off the coast of Virginia. The proposed Project would consist of two Alstom Haliade™ 150-6 MW turbines mounted on inward battered guide structures (IBGS), a 34.5-kilovolt (kV) alternating current (AC) submarine cable interconnecting the WTGs (inter-array cable), a 34.5-kV AC submarine transmission cable (export cable), and a 34.5 kV underground cable (onshore interconnection cable) that would connect the Project with existing Dominion infrastructure located in Virginia Beach, Virginia (Figure 1). Interconnection with the existing Dominion infrastructure would also require an onshore switch cabinet, a fiber optic cable, and new interconnection station to be located entirely within the boundaries of the Camp Pendleton State Military Reservation (Camp Pendleton). The VOWTAP balanced technology innovation with commercial readiness such that turbine operations were anticipated to commence by 2018. Dominion, as the leaseholder of the Virginia Wind Energy Area (WEA), anticipated leveraging lessons learned through the VOWTAP, and applying them to future commercial-scale offshore wind development.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Inaugural Symposium of the Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment, Virginia Commonwealth University

The Inaugural Symposium of the Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment (ISEE) was held in Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia during April 26 – 28, 2023. The symposium addressed issues and challenges in energy and environment and highlighted the use of clean renewable energy to mitigate the adverse effects of fossil fuels and the greenhouse gases it produces. These issues are complex as the involve educating the public that the climate change is real, it is caused by the use of fossil fuels, it requires scientists and engineers to understand the fundamental science in the production and storage of renewable energy, it requires industries to manufacture and distribute the equipment necessary for commercial application of these technologies, it requires policy makers to put together policies and guidelines to make the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies efficient, and it requires social scientists and educators to address environmental justice issues and create a workforce to sustain the transition. The symposium considered all the above issues with a diverse list of speakers from the federal and state government, industrial partners, and experts from science and technology to social sciences and public policy. Speakers from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Department of Energy, universities, and non-governmental agencies discussed the challenges and solutions in Plenary as well as Panel sessions. The talks were recorded with permission from the speakers and the panelists and were put in the ISEE website. The participants included students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors from Virginia Commonwealth University and local area Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) such as Virginia State University and Norfolk State University. The $5000 fund awarded by the Department of Energy were used to support the participation of students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty from the HBCU institutions. The technical program the list of participants is provided later in the document.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

TASTI-GRID: An Overview of West Virginia’s Grid Resilience Challenges

West Virginia’s legacy as a top power producer with a legacy of mining and natural gas is well-known across the country. A state with historic underinvestment, vulnerability to natural hazards, and a large rural population – much of West Virginia’s critical energy infrastructure is beyond its recommended lifecycle at 75+ years old. West Virginian’s are feeling the effects of neighboring Virginia’s data center growth, as its grid interconnectedness with neighboring states have impacted energy affordability as power supply has not kept up with demand. The state aims to attract data centers to improve economic development, however, the age of infrastructure, utility reliability, weather-induced major outages, and cost of proposed improvements compound West Virginia’s resilience challenges.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1997

Business Plan: The Virginia Space Flight Center

The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA) was established on July 1, 1995 and codified at Sections 9-266.1 et seq., Code of Virginia. It is governed by an eleven person Board of Directors representing industry, state and local government and academia. VCSFA has designated the Center for Commercial Space Infrastructure as its Executive Directorate and Operating Agent. This Business Plan has been developed to provide information to prospective customers, prospective investors, state and federal government agencies, the VCSFA Board and other interested parties regarding development and operation of the Virginia Space Flight Center (VSFC) at Wallops Island. The VSFC is an initiative sponsored by VCSFA to achieve its stated objectives in the areas of economic development and education. Further, development of the VSFC is in keeping with the state's economic goals set forth in Opportunity Virginia, the strategic plan for jobs and prosperity, which are to: (1) Strengthen the rapidly growing aerospace industry in space based services including launch services, remote sensing, satellite manufacturing and telecommunications; and (2) Capitalize on intellectual and technical resources throughout the state and become a leader in the development of advanced technology businesses.

Reed, Billie M.↗