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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Utah FORGE: Well 56-32 Drilling Data and Logs

This dataset consists of drilling data (Pason data spreadsheets, daily reports, days v. depth, mud logs), Schlumberger logs (FMI, shear anisotropy analysis, memory, sonic, array induction/spectral density/dual spaced neutron/gamma ray/caliper, spectral GR/temperature, and Gardner density correlation), and an end of well report (EOWR) for Utah FORGE well 56-32. This is a vertical well that will be used for seismic monitoring. It was drilled between February 7th and February 21st 2021 to a depth of 9,145 feet. More information about this well can be found at: https://utahforge.com/2021/02/09/drilling-progress-of-well-56-32/ (linked below)

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Data and code for Daily and Multi-Day Extreme Rainfall Analysis Under Future Climates Using Stochastic Storm Transposition and NEX-GDDP-CMIP6 Over CONUS

This data package provides inputs, codes, and outputs for a comprehensive analysis of projected changes in extreme precipitation across 10 regions of the continental United States, using 34 downscaled Earth System Models (ESMs) from the NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections, Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (NEX-GDDP-CMIP6) dataset. These models are part of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), a coordinated climate modeling framework widely used to assess climate change impacts. The analysis applies a stochastic storm transposition method to quantify changes in extreme rainfall under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) climate scenarios—SSP2-4.5 (moderate emissions) and SSP5-8.5 (high emissions)—compared to historical conditions (1995–2014 vs. 2081–2100). The dataset includes rainfall depth estimates for extreme events with return periods from 2 to 500 years across multiple storm durations (1, 3, and 5 days) for each of the 10 U.S. regions. Weighted ensemble statistics are derived from individual ESM performance against historical precipitation patterns, enabling robust uncertainty quantification through both sign-based and permutation-test-based model agreement assessments. Key analyses address: (1) relative changes in extreme precipitation for each climate scenario, (2) differences between SSP scenarios (SSP5-8.5 vs. SSP2-4.5), (3) contrasts between rare and frequent events, and (4) variations between multi-day and daily storm durations. The workflow produces ensemble statistics—median, 5th, 25th, 75th, and 95th percentiles—along with model agreement metrics that identify regions and event types with robust climate change signals. The dataset includes: processed rainfall depth outputs (netCDF format) from the RainyDay Python package, ESM weights from historical performance evaluation using DayMet observations, ensemble statistics across all storm dimensions, and figures summarizing key findings.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2011

Freeboard, Snow Depth and Sea-Ice Roughness in East Antarctica from In Situ and Multiple Satellite Data

In October 2003 a campaign on board the Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis had the objective to validate standard Aqua Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) sea-ice products. Additionally, the satellite laser altimeter on the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) was in operation. To capture the large-scale information on the sea-ice conditions necessary for satellite validation, the measurement strategy was to obtain large-scale sea-ice statistics using extensive sea-ice measurements in a Lagrangian approach. A drifting buoy array, spanning initially 50 km 100 km, was surveyed during the campaign. In situ measurements consisted of 12 transects, 50 500 m, with detailed snow and ice measurements as well as random snow depth sampling of floes within the buoy array using helicopters. In order to increase the amount of coincident in situ and satellite data an approach has been developed to extrapolate measurements in time and in space. Assuming no change in snow depth and freeboard occurred during the period of the campaign on the floes surveyed, we use buoy ice-drift information as well as daily estimates of thin-ice fraction and rough-ice vs smooth-ice fractions from AMSR-E and QuikSCAT, respectively, to estimate kilometer-scale snow depth and freeboard for other days. The results show that ICESat freeboard estimates have a mean difference of 1.8 cm when compared with the in situ data and a correlation coefficient of 0.6. Furthermore, incorporating ICESat roughness information into the AMSR-E snow depth algorithm significantly improves snow depth retrievals. Snow depth retrievals using a combination of AMSR-E and ICESat data agree with in situ data with a mean difference of 2.3 cm and a correlation coefficient of 0.84 with a negligible bias.

Markus, Thorsten↗
NASA NTRS1982

Limits on the lunar temperature profile

Limits on the selenotherm are estimated using (1) a preferred set of bounds on the lunar electrical conductivity profile; (2) published laboratory conductivity vs. temperature data for an olivine and several aluminous orthopyroxenes; and (3) estimates for the Al2O3 content of the deep interior suggested by bulk composition models. The inferred limits are narrowest in the depth range 450 to 1350 km and are in accord with independent geophysical constraints. Thermal history models which yield present-day selenotherms that are in best agreement with these limits are those which permit subsolidus convection at depths greater than 800 km in the moon.

Hood, L. L.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Intergranular Oxidation of Unstressed Alloy 600 SA and Alloy 600TT in PWR Primary Water

Unstressed coupons of Alloy 600 SA (solution-annealed) and Alloy 600TT were exposed to simulated pressurized water reactor (PWR) primary water at 360oC. The depth of intergranular oxide penetration, as well as the microstructure and microchemistry associated with intergranular (IG) oxidation of selected samples, were characterized by SEM, serial FIB sectioning, TEM and APT. There is no clear trend to indicate that IG oxidation depths in unstressed coupons are different between Alloy 600 SA and TT. At the same time, all SA+TT materials examined evidenced significant interaction between oxidation and Cr-rich GB precipitates. In addition, the spatial extent of GB compositional changes ahead of the oxidation front (e.g. Cr depletion and Ni enrichment) appears different for Alloy 600 SA vs. SA+TT. In SA heats exposed for only 1000 h (42 days), the composition of some GBs changes over distances of 500–1000 nm. SA+TT materials appear not to develop such long-range GB compositional changes (10s nm alteration distances only).

Alloy 600, IGA, PWR, Oxidation, FIB, TEM, APT↗
NASA NTRS2003

Detecting water hazards for autonomous off-road navigation

Detecting water hazards for autonomous, off-road navigation of unmanned ground vehicles is a largely unexplored problem. In this paper, we catalog environmental variables that affect the difficulty of this problem, including day vs. night operation, whether the water reflects sky or other terrain features, the size of the water body, and other factors. We briefly survey sensors that are applicable to detecting water hazards in each of these conditions. We then present analyses and results for water detection for four specific sensor cases: 1) using color image classification to recognize sky reflections in water during the day, 2) using ladar to detect the presence of water bodies and to measure their depth, 3) using short-wave infrared (SWIR) imagery to detect water bodies, as well as snow and ice, and 4) using mid-wave infrared (MWIR) imagery to recognize water bodies at night. For color imagery, we demonstrate solid results with a classifier that runs at nearly video rate on a 433 MHz processor. For ladar, we present a detailed propagation analysis that shows the limits of water body detection and depth estimation as a function of look ahead distance, water depth, and ladar wavelength. For SWIR and MWIR, we present sample imagery from a variety of data collections that illustrate the potential of these sensors. These results demonstrate significant progress on this problem.

McHenry, Mike↗
NASA NTRS2021

Using SMAP Level-4 Soil Moisture to Constrain MOD16 Evapotranspiration over the Contiguous USA

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a key hydrologic variable linking the Earth’s water, carbon and energy cycles. At large spatial scales, remote sensing-based (RS) models are often used to quantify ET. Despite the large number of RS ET models available, few include soil moisture as a key environmental input, which can degrade model accuracy and utility. Here, we use model assimilation enhanced soil moisture estimates from the NASA SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) mission as a water supply control in the MOD16 ET algorithm framework. SMAP-derived daily surface (0-5cm depth) and root zone (0-1m depth) soil moisture are used with MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) vegetation observations, and 4km gridded regional surface meteorology (Gridmet) as primary inputs for estimating daily ET and underlying model soil and stomatal conductance terms. We calibrated the model environmental response parameters using tower eddy covariance ET observations representing major North American biomes. The model ET results were validated using a holdout set of tower observations spanning a large regional climate gradient. The updated ET estimates outperform the baseline MOD16 product across all tower validation sites (RMSE = 0.758 vs 1.108 mm day-1; R2 = 0.68 vs0.45, respectively). Smaller relative improvements were obtained using a recalibrated model with 4km Gridmet meteorology, but no soil moisture control (RMSE = 0.813 mm day-1; R2 = 0.66), indicating that these changes are essential for the improved model performance. The soil moisture-constrained model improvements and relative benefits from the SMAP observations are greater in arid climates, consistent with stronger soil moisture control on ET in water-limited regions. The use of SMAP soil moisture as an additional model constraint improves MOD16 regional performance and provides a new framework for investigating both soil and atmosphere controls on ET.

SMAP↗
NASA NTRS2012

Evaluating Nighttime CALIOP 0.532 micron Aerosol Optical Depth and Extinction Coefficient Retrievals

NASA Cloud Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) Version 3.01 5-km nighttime 0.532 micron aerosol optical depth (AOD) datasets from 2007 are screened, averaged and evaluated at 1 deg X 1 deg resolution versus corresponding/co-incident 0.550 micron AOD derived using the US Navy Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS), featuring two-dimensional variational assimilation of quality-assured NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) AOD. In the absence of sunlight, since passive radiometric AOD retrievals rely overwhelmingly on scattered radiances, the model represents one of the few practical global estimates available from which to attempt such a validation. Daytime comparisons, though, provide useful context. Regional-mean CALIOP vertical profiles of night/day 0.532 micron extinction coefficient are compared with 0.523/0.532 micron ground-based lidar measurements to investigate representativeness and diurnal variability. In this analysis, mean nighttime CALIOP AOD are mostly lower than daytime (0.121 vs. 0.126 for all aggregated data points, and 0.099 vs. 0.102 when averaged globally per normalised 1 deg. X 1 deg. bin), though the relationship is reversed over land and coastal regions when the data are averaged per normalised bin (0.134/0.108 vs. 0140/0.112, respectively). Offsets assessed within single bins alone approach +/- 20 %. CALIOP AOD, both day and night, are higher than NAAPS over land (0.137 vs. 0.124) and equal over water (0.082 vs. 0.083) when averaged globally per normalised bin. However, for all data points inclusive, NAAPS exceeds CALIOP over land, coast and ocean, both day and night. Again, differences assessed within single bins approach 50% in extreme cases. Correlation between CALIOP and NAAPS AOD is comparable during both day and night. Higher correlation is found nearest the equator, both as a function of sample size and relative signal magnitudes inherent at these latitudes. Root mean square deviation between CALIOP and NAAPS varies between 0.1 and 0.3 globally during both day/night. Averaging of CALIOP along-track AOD data points within a single NAAPS grid bin improves correlation and RMSD, though day/night and land/ocean biases persist and are believed systematic. Vertical profiles of extinction coefficient derived in the Caribbean compare well with ground-based lidar observations, though potentially anomalous selection of a priori lidar ratios for CALIOP retrievals is likely inducing some discrepancies. Mean effective aerosol layer top heights are stable between day and night, indicating consistent layer-identification diurnally, which is noteworthy considering the potential limiting effects of ambient solar noise during day.

aerosol optical depth↗
NASA NTRS2000

Carbon and Oxygen Budgets of Subtidal and Intertidal Cyanobacterial Mats

Intertidal cyanobacterial mats (Lyngbya-dominated) are contrasted with mats (Microcoleus-dominated) that grow in subtidal (0.7m water depth) hypersaline (90-110 permil) environments. In benthic chamber experiments conducted in Oct., 1999, mats exhibited greater net uptake of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from overlying water during the daylight period than Microcoleus mats (e.g., 200 vs 120 mmol C/m. at 26 deg C, respectively). Net DIC release at night was similar for both mats (approx. 80 mmol C/m). Daytime net O2 release by Lyngby mats exceeded that by Microcoleus mats (150 vs 100 mmol O2/m), and O2 uptake at night was comparable for both mats (60-80 mmol O2/m). Nonphotosynthetic populations are more prominent within the subtidal versus intertidal mats, and accordingly exhibited greater internal 02 uptake and DIC production during the day. Over 24 hours, Lyngby-dominated mats exhibited greater net uptake of DIC than subtidal Microcoleus mats, consistent with these intertidal mats being "pioneer" communities that constantly recover from periodic physical disruption in energetic environments. The Microcoleus-dominated mats achieve steady-state mat thicknesses by balancing primary production against diagenetic decomposition of cellular and extracellular organic constituents.

DesMarais, David J.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Fast Response of East Asian Precipitation in June 2020 to Local and Remote Aerosol Emission Reductions during COVID-19

Here, in this study, the fast response of East Asian summer precipitation to COVID-19–induced aerosol emission reductions is examined using the Community Earth System Model, version 2.2 (CESM2.2). The emission reductions decreased aerosol optical depth and cloud cover over northern China in June 2020. The troposphere became warmer, strengthening the land–sea thermal contrast and anomalous southerly winds. The subtropical westerly jet accelerated and shifted southward, favoring low-level convergence, upward air motions, and subsequent condensational heating over the Yangtze River basin (YRB). The feedback of condensational heating in return strengthened the convergence and ascent. The western North Pacific subtropical high was intensified, which further enhanced the moisture advection and convergence over the YRB. Both the enhanced moisture convergence and ascent increased precipitation over the YRB during June 2020. Furthermore, local and remote emission reductions show different impacts on convection and moisture transport over the YRB. The emission reductions over China caused stronger convective precipitation (1.15 vs 0.63 mm day −1 ) but weaker larger-scale precipitation (1.17 vs 2.24 mm day −1 ) than the emission reductions outside China. In addition to the emission reductions, the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in 2020 also play an important role in increasing precipitation over the YRB, contributing about 42.8%. The relative contribution of SST anomalies also increases under the COVID-19–induced emission scenario.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2002

Improved Estimates of Temporally Coherent Internal Tides and Energy Fluxes from Satellite Altimetry

Satellite altimetry has opened a surprising new avenue to observing internal tides in the open ocean. The tidal surface signatures are very small, a few cm at most, but in many areas they are robust, owing to averaging over many years. By employing a simplified two dimensional wave fitting to the surface elevations in combination with climatological hydrography to define the relation between the surface height and the current and pressure at depth, we may obtain rough estimates of internal tide energy fluxes. Initial results near Hawaii with Topex/Poseidon (T/P) data show good agreement with detailed 3D (three dimensional) numerical models, but the altimeter picture is somewhat blurred owing to the widely spaced T/P tracks. The resolution may be enhanced somewhat by using data from the ERS-1 (ESA (European Space Agency) Remote Sensing) and ERS-2 satellite altimeters. The ERS satellite tracks are much more closely spaced (0.72 deg longitude vs. 2.83 deg for T/P), but the tidal estimates are less accurate than those for T/P. All altimeter estimates are also severely affected by noise in regions of high mesoscale variability, and we have obtained some success in reducing this contamination by employing a prior correction for mesoscale variability based on ten day detailed sea surface height maps developed by Le Traon and colleagues. These improvements allow us to more clearly define the internal tide surface field and the corresponding energy fluxes. Results from throughout the global ocean will be presented.

Ray, Richard D.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Diurnal and Directional Responses of Chlorophyll Fluorescence and the PRI in a Cornfield

Determining the health and vigor of vegetation using high spectral resolution remote sensing is an important goal which has application to monitoring agriculture and ecosystem productivity and carbon exchange. Two spectral indices used to assess whether vegetation is performing near-optimally or exhibiting symptoms of environmental stress (e.g., drought or nutrient deficiency, non-optimal temperatures, etc.) are the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) and solar-induced red and far-red Chlorophyll Fluorescence (Fs). Both the PRI and Fs capture the dynamics of photoprotection mechanisms within green foliage: the PRI is based on the association of the reflected radiation in the green spectrum with the xanthophyll cycle, whereas Fs measures the emitted radiation in the red and far-red spectrum. Fs was determined from retrievals in the atmospheric oxygen absorption features centered at 688 and 760 nm using a modified Fraunhofer Line Depth (FLD) method. We previously demonstrated diurnal and seasonal PRI differences for sunlit vs. shaded foliage in a conifer forest canopy, as expressed in the hotspot and darkspot of the Bidirectional Reflectance Function (BRF). In a USDA-ARS experimental field site located in Beltsville, MD, USA, measurements were acquired over a corn crop from a nadir view in 2008 with an ASD FieldSpec Pro (Analytical Spectral Devices, Inc., Boulder, CO, USA) to study the behavior of the PRI for sunlit and shaded foliage as captured in reflectance variations associated with the BRF, in a I m tall canopy in the vegetative growth stage. Those observations were compared to simulations obtained from two radiative transfer models. Measurements were then acquired to examine whether the PRI and Fs were influenced by view zenith and azimuth geometries at different times of day. Those measurements were made in 2010 with the Ocean Optics USB4000 Miniature Fiber Optic Spectrometer (Ocean Optics Inc., Dunedin, Florida, USA) at several times during the day on multiple days throughout the growing season. We found that the PRI consistently had higher values, indicating lower stress, in the BRF darkspot associated with shaded foliage than in the hotspot associated with sunlit foliage. We also found that Fs exhibited differences associated with sunlit and shaded canopy sectors, which were most pronounced for the red/far-red Fs ratio. Values indicated greater physiological stress in afternoons compared to mornings, and in the early senescent canopy as compared to the vegetative growth stage, BRFs for both the PRI and the red/far-red Fs ratio were bowl-shaped for the full azimuth sweep of the canopy. These two spectral indices (PRI, Fs ratio) provided complementary information on the photosynthetic function of the corn canopy.

Middleton, Elizabeth↗
NASA NTRS2017

Testing Extensions of Our Quantitative Daily of San Joaquin Wintertime Aerosols Using MAIAC and Meteorology Without Transport/Transformation Assumptions

The Western US and many regions globally present daunting difficulties in understanding and mapping PM2.5 episodes. We evaluate extensions of a method independent of source-description and transport/transformation. These regions suffer frequent few-day episodes due to shallow mixing; low satellite AOT and bright surfaces complicate the description. Nevertheless, we expect residual errors in our maps of less than 8 ug/m^3 in episodes reaching 60-100 ug/m^3; maps which detail pollution from Interstate 5. Our current success is due to use of physically meaningful functions of MODIS-MAIAC-derived AOD, afternoon mixed-layer height, and relative humidity for a basin in which the latter are correlated. A mixed-effects model then describes a daily AOT-to-PM2.5 relationship. (Note: in other published mixed-effects models, AOT contributes minimally. We seek to extend on these to develop useful estimation methods for similar situations. We evaluate existing but more spotty information on size distribution (AERONET, MISR, MAIA, CALIPSO, other remote sensing). We also describe the usefulness of an equivalent mixing depth for water vapor vs meteorological boundary layer height. Each has virtues and limitations. Finally, we begin to evaluate methods for removing the complications due to detached but polluted layers (which don't mix to the surface) using geographical, meteorological, and remotely sensed data.

Chatfield, Robert B.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Background Noises Versus Intraseasonal Variation Signals: Small vs. Large Convective Cloud Objects From CERES Aqua Observations

During inactive phases of Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), there are plenty of deep but small convective systems and far fewer deep and large ones. During active phases of MJO, a manifestation of an increase in the occurrence of large and deep cloud clusters results from an amplification of large-scale motions by stronger convective heating. This study is designed to quantitatively examine the roles of small and large cloud clusters during the MJO life cycle. We analyze the cloud object data from Aqua CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System) observations between July 2006 and June 2010 for tropical deep convective (DC) and cirrostratus (CS) cloud object types according to the real-time multivariate MJO index, which assigns the tropics to one of the eight MJO phases each day. The cloud object is a contiguous region of the earth with a single dominant cloud-system type. The criteria for defining these cloud types are overcast footprints and cloud top pressures less than 400 hPa, but DC has higher cloud optical depths (=10) than those of CS (<10). The size distributions, defined as the footprint numbers as a function of cloud object diameters, for particular MJO phases depart greatly from the combined (8-phase) distribution at large cloud-object diameters due to the reduced/increased numbers of cloud objects related to changes in the large-scale environments. The medium diameter corresponding to the combined distribution is determined and used to partition all cloud objects into "small" and "large" groups of a particular phase. The two groups corresponding to the combined distribution have nearly equal numbers of footprints. The medium diameters are 502 km for DC and 310 km for cirrostratus. The range of the variation between two extreme phases (typically, the most active and depressed phases) for the small group is 6-11% in terms of the numbers of cloud objects and the total footprint numbers. The corresponding range for the large group is 19-44%. In terms of the probability density functions of radiative and cloud physical properties, there are virtually no differences between the MJO phases for the small group, but there are significant differences for the large groups for both DC and CS types. These results suggest that the intreseasonal variation signals reside at the large cloud clusters while the small cloud clusters represent the background noises resulting from various types of the tropical waves with different wavenumbers and propagation speeds/directions.

Xu, Kuan-Man↗
NASA NTRS2018

Snowex 2017 Community Snow Depth Measurements: A Quality-Controlled, Georeferenced Product

Snow depth was one of the core ground measurements required to validate remotely-sensed data collected during SnowEx Year 1, which occurred in Colorado. The use of a single, common protocol was fundamental to produce a community reference dataset of high quality. Most of the nearly 100 Grand Mesa and Senator Beck Basin SnowEx ground crew participants contributed to this crucial dataset during 6-25 February 2017. Snow depths were measured along ~300 m transects, whose locations were determined according to a random-stratified approach using snowfall and tree-density gradients. Two-person teams used snowmobiles, skis, or snowshoes to travel to staked transect locations and to conduct measurements. Depths were measured with a 1-cm incremented probe every 3 meters along transects. In shallow areas of Grand Mesa, depth measurements were also collected with GPS snow-depth probes (a.k.a. MagnaProbes) at ~1-m intervals. During summer 2017, all reference stake positions were surveyed with <10 cm accuracy to improve overall snow depth location accuracy. During the campaign, 193 transects were measured over three weeks at Grand Mesa and 40 were collected over two weeks in Senator Beck Basin, representing more than 27,000 depth values. Each day of the campaign depth measurements were written in waterproof field books and photographed by National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) participants. The data were later transcribed and prepared for extensive quality assessment and control. Common issues such as protocol errors (e.g., survey in reverse direction), notebook image issues (e.g., halo in the center of digitized picture), and data-entry errors (sloppy writing and transcription errors) were identified and fixed on a point-by-point basis. In addition, we strove to produce a georeferenced product of fine quality, so we calculated and interpolated coordinates for every depth measurement based on surveyed stakes and the number of measurements made per transect. The product has been submitted to NSIDC in csv format. To educate data users, we present the study design and processing steps that have improved the quality and usability of this product. Also, we will address measurement and design uncertainties, which are different in open vs. forest areas.

Brucker, L.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Validation and moisture content sensitivity analysis of cross-laminated timber wall assemblies in EnergyPlus

Cross-laminated timber buildings are becoming more common in North America, with many numerical studies showing potential energy savings. However, no studies have validated any EnergyPlus heat transfer algorithms or quantified their accuracy in simulating CLT in building envelopes. This study empirically validates the heat flux predictions for each of EnergyPlus's heat transfer algorithms (Conduction Transfer Functions (CTF), Effective Moisture Penetration Depth (EMPD), Conduction Finite Difference (CondFD), and Heat and Moisture Transfer (HAMT)) for two different CLT ply thicknesses with both summer and winter boundary conditions measured in controlled lab experiments. It also evaluates the model sensitivity of heat flux and heating and cooling loads to moisture content. The 1D validation shows that the HAMT model is the most accurate among all algorithms. All EnergyPlus's heat flux predictions are accurate independent of CLT plate thickness for summer conditions. However, the three constant property algorithms (CTF, EMPD, and CondFD) underpredict heat flux throughout the whole day during winter conditions. The 1D sensitivity analysis indicates that elevated moisture content can increase peak heat fluxes through the material by up to 20 %. Finally, the whole building model sensitivity analysis shows increased heating load and slight cooling load variation due to increased moisture content when using constant property models. The analysis shows significantly lower peak thermal demand (7 % lower heating and 6 % lower cooling) and monthly thermal load (8 % less cooling and 6 % less heating) predictions when using HAMT vs a constant property model.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2011

Comparison of Organ Dosimetry for Astronaut Phantoms: Earth-Based vs. Microgravity-Based Anthropometry and Body Positioning

The purpose of this study is to use NASA radiation transport codes to compare astronaut organ dose equivalents resulting from solar particle events (SPE), geomagnetically trapped protons, and free-space galactic cosmic rays (GCR) using phantom models representing Earth-based and microgravity-based anthropometry and positioning. Methods: The Univer sity of Florida hybrid adult phantoms were scaled to represent male and female astronauts with 5th, 50th, and 95th percentile heights and weights as measured on Earth. Another set of scaled phantoms, incorporating microgravity-induced changes, such as spinal lengthening, leg volume loss, and the assumption of the neutral body position, was also created. A ray-tracer was created and used to generate body self-shielding distributions for dose points within a voxelized phantom under isotropic irradiation conditions, which closely approximates the free-space radiation environment. Simplified external shielding consisting of an aluminum spherical shell was used to consider the influence of a spacesuit or shielding of a hull. These distributions were combined with depth dose distributions generated from the NASA radiation transport codes BRYNTRN (SPE and trapped protons) and HZETRN (GCR) to yield dose equivalent. Many points were sampled per organ. Results: The organ dos e equivalent rates were on the order of 1.5-2.5 mSv per day for GCR (1977 solar minimum) and 0.4-0.8 mSv per day for trapped proton irradiation with shielding of 2 g cm-2 aluminum equivalent. The organ dose equivalents for SPE irradiation varied considerably, with the skin and eye lens having the highest organ dose equivalents and deep-seated organs, such as the bladder, liver, and stomach having the lowest. Conclus ions: The greatest differences between the Earth-based and microgravity-based phantoms are observed for smaller ray thicknesses, since the most drastic changes involved limb repositioning and not overall phantom size. Improved self-shielding models reduce the overall uncertainty in organ dosimetry for mission-risk projections and assessments for astronauts

VanBaalen, Mary↗
DOE OSTI2025

Seismic imaging of the Ecuadorian forearc and arc from joint ambient noise, local, and teleseismic tomography: catching the Nazca slab in the act of flattening

SUMMARY The Ecuadorian Andes are a complex region characterized by accreted oceanic terranes driven by the ongoing subduction of the oceanic Nazca plate beneath South America. Present-day tectonics in Ecuador are linked to the downgoing plate geometry featuring the subduction of the aseismic, oceanic Carnegie Ridge, which is currently entering the trench. Using seismic tomography, we jointly invert arrival times of P and S waves from local and teleseismic earthquakes with surface wave dispersion curves to image the structure of the forearc and magmatic arc of the Ecuadorian Andes. Our data set includes > 100 000 traveltimes recorded at 294 stations across Ecuador. Our images show the basement of the central forearc is composed of accreted oceanic terranes with high elastic wave speeds. Inboard of the Carnegie Ridge, the westernmost forearc and coastal cordilleras display relatively low Vp and Vs and high Vp/Vs values, which we attribute to the increased hydration and fracturing of the overriding plate due to the subduction of the thick oceanic crust of the Carnegie Ridge. We additionally image across-arc differences in magmatic architecture. The frontal volcanic arc overlies accreted terranes and is characterized by low velocities and high Vp/Vs indicative of partial melt reservoirs which are limited to the upper crust. In contrast, the main arc displays regions of partial melt across a wider range of depths. The Subandean zone of Ecuador has two active volcanoes built on continental crust suggesting the arc is expanding eastwards. The mid to lower crust does not show indications of being modified from the magmatic process. We infer that the slab is in the process of flattening as a consequence of early-stage subduction of the buoyant Carnegie Ridge.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗