Non-invasive 3D geometry extraction and robotic modeling of a Sea lion foreflipper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, R. K.; Leftwich, M. C.; Friedman, C.

2016-02-01

California Sea Lions are very agile swimmers and unlike many marine animals, they use their fore flipper rather than their hind flipper undulations to generate high thrust values. To date there exist limited amount of qualitative studies for sea lions swimming that show the flippers are used for thrust, stability, and control during swimming motions. Quantitative studies mainly measured drag used for cost of transport, and analyzed banked turn performance. Recently, the kinematics of a California sea lion flipper during the thrust phase was extracted using video tracking in two dimensions. This work extends the tracking ability to three dimensions using a non-invasive Direct Linear Transformation (DLT) technique employed on non-research sea lions at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. The flippers are therefore marker-less and tracking is carried out manually in post processing after capturing complete dorsal-ventral flipper motions. Two cameras are used (3840 × 2160 pixels resolution) and calibrated in space using a calibration target inserted into the sea lion habitat. They are synchronized in time using a simple light flash. The fluid flow and forces generated by a sea lion clap is also being explored. Recently, a sea lion flipper from a deceased subject was externally scanned in high detail for fluid dynamics research. The flipper's geometry is being used in this work to design and build an articulate flipper model that is approximately 60% of the full size span. The model is actuated by servo motors and is designed to mimic a sea lion flipper clap motion based on the previously extracted kinematics from above. The model incorporates three axles, simulating the movements of the sea lion's elbow, wrist, and knuckles. The flipper tip speed is designed to match typical Reynolds numbers for the full-scale flipper for an acceleration from rest maneuver. The model will be tested in a water flume to obtain the forces during the thrust production phase of the flipper motion.

Effects of Altitude on Turbojet Engine Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleming, William A

1951-01-01

Component and over-all performance characteristics of several turbojet engines investigated in the altitude facilities of the NACA Lewis Laboratory during the last several years are summarized to indicate the effects of altitude on turbojet engine performance. Data presented show that failure of turbojet engine performance to generalize for all altitudes can be traced to reductions in compressor efficiency, corrected air flow, and combustion efficiency at altitude. In addition, it is shown that although engines of different design may have equal thrusts at sea level, the thrusts at altitude may vary widely because of differences in compressor performance characteristics from one engine to another.

Tectonic control on coarse-grained foreland-basin sequences: An example from the Cordilleran foreland basin, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horton, Brian K.; Constenius, Kurt N.; Decelles, Peter G.

2004-07-01

Newly released reflection seismic and borehole data, combined with sedimentological, provenance, and biostratigraphic data from Upper Cretaceous Paleocene strata in the proximal part of the Cordilleran foreland-basin system in Utah, establish the nature of tectonic controls on stratigraphic sequences in the proximal to distal foreland basin. During Campanian time, coarse-grained sand and gravel were derived from the internally shortening Charleston-Nebo salient of the Sevier thrust belt. A rapid, regional Campanian progradational event in the distal foreland basin (>200 km from the thrust belt in <8 m.y.) can be tied directly to active thrust-generated growth structures and an influx of quartzose detritus derived from the Charleston-Nebo salient. Eustatic sea-level variation exerted a minimal role in sequence progradation.

Experimental Altitude Performance of JP-4 Fuel and Liquid-Oxygen Rocket Engine with an Area Ratio of 48

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fortini, Anthony; Hendrix, Charles D.; Huff, Vearl N.

1959-01-01

The performance for four altitudes (sea-level, 51,000, 65,000, and 70,000 ft) of a rocket engine having a nozzle area ratio of 48.39 and using JP-4 fuel and liquid oxygen as a propellant was evaluated experimentally by use of a 1000-pound-thrust engine operating at a chamber pressure of 600 pounds per square inch absolute. The altitude environment was obtained by a rocket-ejector system which utilized the rocket exhaust gases as the pumping fluid of the ejector. Also, an engine having a nozzle area ratio of 5.49 designed for sea level was tested at sea-level conditions. The following table lists values from faired experimental curves at an oxidant-fuel ratio of 2.3 for various approximate altitudes.

Active Thrusting Offshore Mount Lebanon: Source of the Tsunamigenic A.D. 551 Beirut-Tripoli Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapponnier, P.; Elias, A.; Singh, S.; King, G.; Briais, A.; Daeron, M.; Carton, H.; Sursock, A.; Jacques, E.; Jomaa, R.; Klinger, Y.

2007-12-01

On July 9, AD 551, a large earthquake, followed by a tsunami destroyed most of the coastal cities of Phoenicia (modern-day Lebanon). This was arguably one of the most devastating historical submarine earthquakes in the eastern Mediterranean. Geophysical data from the Shalimar survey unveils the source of this Mw=7.5 event: rupture of the offshore, hitherto unknown, 100?150 km-long, active, east-dipping Mount Lebanon Thrust (MLT). Deep-towed sonar swaths along the base of prominent bathymetric escarpments reveal fresh, west facing seismic scarps that cut the sediment-smoothed seafloor. The MLT trace comes closest (~ 8 km) to the coast between Beirut and Enfeh, where as 13 radiocarbon-calibrated ages indicate, a shoreline-fringing Vermetid bench suddenly emerged by ~ 80 cm in the 6th century AD. At Tabarja, the regular vertical separation (~ 1 m) of higher fossil benches, suggests uplift by 3 more comparable-size earthquakes since the Holocene sea-level reached a maximum ca. 7-6 ka, implying a 1500?1750 yr recurrence time. Unabated thrusting on the MLT likely orchestrated the growth of Mt. Lebanon since the late Miocene. The newly discovered MLT has been the missing piece in the Dead Sea Transform and eastern Mediterranean tectonic scheme. Identifying the source of the AD 551 event thus ends a complete reassessment of the sources of the major historical earthquakes on the various faults of the Lebanese Restraining Bend of the Levant Fault System (or Dead Sea Transform).

Active Thrusting Offshore Mount Lebanon: Source of the Tsunamigenic A.D. 551 Beirut-Tripoli Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapponnier, P.; Elias, A.; Singh, S.; King, G.; Briais, A.; Daeron, M.; Carton, H.; Sursock, A.; Jacques, E.; Jomaa, R.; Klinger, Y.

2004-12-01

On July 9, AD 551, a large earthquake, followed by a tsunami destroyed most of the coastal cities of Phoenicia (modern-day Lebanon). This was arguably one of the most devastating historical submarine earthquakes in the eastern Mediterranean. Geophysical data from the Shalimar survey unveils the source of this Mw=7.5 event: rupture of the offshore, hitherto unknown, 100?150 km-long, active, east-dipping Mount Lebanon Thrust (MLT). Deep-towed sonar swaths along the base of prominent bathymetric escarpments reveal fresh, west facing seismic scarps that cut the sediment-smoothed seafloor. The MLT trace comes closest (~ 8 km) to the coast between Beirut and Enfeh, where as 13 radiocarbon-calibrated ages indicate, a shoreline-fringing Vermetid bench suddenly emerged by ~ 80 cm in the 6th century AD. At Tabarja, the regular vertical separation (~ 1 m) of higher fossil benches, suggests uplift by 3 more comparable-size earthquakes since the Holocene sea-level reached a maximum ca. 7-6 ka, implying a 1500?1750 yr recurrence time. Unabated thrusting on the MLT likely orchestrated the growth of Mt. Lebanon since the late Miocene. The newly discovered MLT has been the missing piece in the Dead Sea Transform and eastern Mediterranean tectonic scheme. Identifying the source of the AD 551 event thus ends a complete reassessment of the sources of the major historical earthquakes on the various faults of the Lebanese Restraining Bend of the Levant Fault System (or Dead Sea Transform).

A robotic platform for studying sea lion thrust production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leftwich, Megan; Patel, Rahi; Kulkarni, Aditya; Friedman, Chen

California Sea Lions are agile swimmers and, uniquely, use their foreflippers (rather than hind flipper undulation) to generate thrust. Recently, a sea lion flipper from a deceased subject was externally scanned in high detail for fluid dynamics research. The flipper's geometry is used in this work to build an accurate scaled down flipper model (approximately 68% of the full size span). The flipper model is placed in a water flume to obtain lift and drag force measurements. The unique trailing edge features are then examined for their effect on the measured forces by comparing to similar flipper models with a smooth trailing edge, sinusoidal trailing edge, and a saw-tooth trailing edge. Additionally, a robotic flipper is being designed and built, replicating the sea lion foreflipper anatomical structure. The robot is actuated by a set of servo motors and replicates the sea lion flipper clap motion based on previously extracted kinematics. The flipper tip speed is designed to match typical full scale Reynolds numbers for an acceleration from rest maneuver. The model is tested in the water flume as well to obtain the forces and flow structures during the thrust production phase of the flipper motion.

Altitude-chamber performance of British Rolls-Royce Nene II engine III : 18.00-inch-diameter jet nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grey, Ralph E; Brightwell, Virginia L; Barson, Zelmar; NACA

1950-01-01

An altitude-chamber investigation of British Rolls-Royce Nene II turbojet engine was conducted over range of altitudes from sea level to 65,000 feet and ram pressure ratios from 1.10 to 3.50, using an 18.00-inch-diameter jet nozzle. The 18.00-inch-diameter jet nozzle gave slightly lower values of net-thrust specific fuel consumption than either the 18.41- or the standard 18.75-inch-diameter jet nozzles at high flight speeds. At low flight speeds, the 18.41-inch-diameter jet nozzle gave the lowest value of net-thrust specific fuel consumption.

A study of sea lion hydrodynamics using a robotic foreflipper platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulkarni, Aditya A.; Patel, Rahi K.; Leftwich, Megan C.

2016-11-01

Unlike most fish and mammals-that utilize BCF swimming-sea lions rely on their foreflippers to generate thrust without a characteristic flapping frequency. This unique swimming style allows the sea lion to be highly maneuverable, while also producing high amounts of thrust. To explore this motion, and the physics that underlies it, we use novel markerless tracking techniques on untrained sea lions at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C to get the complete motion during different maneuvers. High speed video and three-dimensional surface reconstruction techniques are used to extract the foreflippers kinematics during the thrust phase. Using this data, pitch angle is calculated with respect to the base of the flipper to build a scaled robotic flipper. Dye visualization is carried out in a water channel by injecting dye upstream of the leading edge of the flipper with flow speed set to explore different parameters, like Reynolds number or angular velocity. Results show low pressure on the upper surface of the flipper causes the fluid to be pulled around the flipper forming a vortex that moves fully out of the plane.

Linear test bed. Volume 1: Test bed no. 1. [aerospike test bed with segmented combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The Linear Test Bed program was to design, fabricate, and evaluation test an advanced aerospike test bed which employed the segmented combustor concept. The system is designated as a linear aerospike system and consists of a thrust chamber assembly, a power package, and a thrust frame. It was designed as an experimental system to demonstrate the feasibility of the linear aerospike-segmented combustor concept. The overall dimensions are 120 inches long by 120 inches wide by 96 inches in height. The propellants are liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen. The system was designed to operate at 1200-psia chamber pressure, at a mixture ratio of 5.5. At the design conditions, the sea level thrust is 200,000 pounds. The complete program including concept selection, design, fabrication, component test, system test, supporting analysis and posttest hardware inspection is described.

Investigation of Water-spray Cooling of Turbine Blades in a Turbojet Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freche, John C; Stelpflug, William J

1953-01-01

An analytical and experimental investigation was made with a J33-A-9 engine to determine the effectiveness of spray cooling as a means of increasing thrust by permitting engine operation at inlet-gas temperatures and speeds above rated. With the assumption of adequate spray cooling at a coolant-to-gas flow ratio of 3 percent, calculations for the sea-level static condition indicated a thrust may be achieved by engine operation at an inlet-gas temperature of 2000 degrees F and an overspeed of 10 percent. Of the water-injection configurations investigated experimentally, those located in the inner ring of the stator diaphragm provided the best cooling at rated engine speed.

Full load estimation of an offshore wind turbine based on SCADA and accelerometer data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noppe, N.; Iliopoulos, A.; Weijtjens, W.; Devriendt, C.

2016-09-01

As offshore wind farms (OWFs) grow older, the optimal use of the actual fatigue lifetime of an offshore wind turbine (OWT) and predominantly its foundation will get more important. In case of OWTs, both quasi-static wind/thrust loads and dynamic loads, as induced by turbulence, waves and the turbine's dynamics, contribute to its fatigue life progression. To estimate the remaining useful life of an OWT, the stresses acting on the fatigue critical locations within the structure should be monitored continuously. Unfortunately, in case of the most common monopile foundations these locations are often situated below sea-level and near the mud line and thus difficult or even impossible to access for existing OWTs. Actual strain measurements taken at accessible locations above the sea level show a correlation between thrust load and several SCADA parameters. Therefore a model is created to estimate the thrust load using SCADA data and strain measurements. Afterwards the thrust load acting on the OWT is estimated using the created model and SCADA data only. From this model the quasi static loads on the foundation can be estimated over the lifetime of the OWT. To estimate the contribution of the dynamic loads a modal decomposition and expansion based virtual sensing technique is applied. This method only uses acceleration measurements recorded at accessible locations on the tower. Superimposing both contributions leads to a so-called multi-band virtual sensing. The result is a method that allows to estimate the strain history at any location on the foundation and thus the full load, being a combination of both quasi-static and dynamic loads, acting on the entire structure. This approach is validated using data from an operating Belgian OWF. An initial good match between measured and predicted strains for a short period of time proofs the concept.

Alternate space shuttle concepts study. Part 2: Technical summary. Volume 2: Orbiter definition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

A study was conducted of a three-engined external hydrogen tank orbiter/heat sink booster utilizing 415 K sea level thrust engines. The results of the study, pertaining to the orbiter portion of the configuration, are presented. A complete summary of characteristics is given for the external tank configuration along with some comparative data for a conventional internal tank configuration.

Large-scale glacitectonic deformation in response to active ice sheet retreat across Dogger Bank (southern central North Sea) during the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Emrys; Cotterill, Carol; Johnson, Kirstin; Crombie, Kirstin; James, Leo; Carr, Simon; Ruiter, Astrid

2018-01-01

High resolution seismic data from the Dogger Bank in the central southern North Sea has revealed that the Dogger Bank Formation records a complex history of sedimentation and penecontemporaneous, large-scale, ice-marginal to proglacial glacitectonic deformation. These processes led to the development of a large thrust-block moraine complex which is buried beneath a thin sequence of Holocene sediments. This buried glacitectonic landsystem comprises a series of elongate, arcuate moraine ridges (200 m up to > 15 km across; over 40-50 km long) separated by low-lying ice marginal to proglacial sedimentary basins and/or meltwater channels, preserving the shape of the margin of this former ice sheet. The moraines are composed of highly deformed (folded and thrust) Dogger Bank Formation with the lower boundary of the deformed sequence (up to 40-50 m thick) being marked by a laterally extensive décollement. The ice-distal parts of the thrust moraine complex are interpreted as a "forward" propagating imbricate thrust stack developed in response to S/SE-directed ice-push. The more complex folding and thrusting within the more ice-proximal parts of the thrust-block moraines record the accretion of thrust slices of highly deformed sediment as the ice repeatedly reoccupied this ice marginal position. Consequently, the internal structure of the Dogger Bank thrust-moraine complexes can be directly related to ice sheet dynamics, recording the former positions of a highly dynamic, oscillating Weichselian ice sheet margin as it retreated northwards at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum.

Fault propagation folds induced by gravitational failure and slumping of the Central Costa Rica volcanic range: Implications for large terrestrial and Martian volcanic edifices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Borgia, A.; Burr, J.; Montero, W.

1990-08-30

Long sublinear ridges and related scarps located at the base of large volcanic structures are frequently interpreted as normal faults associated with extensional regional stress. In contrast, the ridges bordering the Central Costa Rica volcanic range (CCRVR) are the topographic expression of hanging wall asymmetric angular anticlines overlying low-angle thrust faults at the base of the range. These faults formed by gravitational failure and slumping of the flanks of the range due to the weight of the volcanic edifices and were perhaps triggered by the intrusion of magma over the past 20,000 years. These anticlines are hypothesized to occur alongmore » the base of the volcano, where the thrust faults ramp up toward the sea bottom. Ridges and scarps between 2,000 and 5,000 m below sea level are interpreted as the topographic expression of these folds. The authors further suggest that the scarps of the CCRVR and valid scaled terrestrial analogs of the perimeter scarp of the Martian volcano Olympus Mons. They suggest that the crust below Olympus Mons has failed under the load of the volcano, triggering the radial slumping of the flanks of the volcano on basal thrusts. The thrusting would have, in turn, formed the anticlinal ridges and scarps that surround the edifice. The thrust faults may extend all the way to the base of the Martian crust (about 40 km), and they may have been active until almost the end of the volcanic activity. They suggest that gravitational failure and slumping of the flanks of volcanoes is a process common to most large volcanic edifices. In the CCRVR this slumping of the flanks is a slow intermittent process, but it could evolve to rapid massive avalanching leading to catastrophic eruptions. Thus monitoring of uplift and displacement of the folds related to the slump tectonics could become an additional effective method for mitigating volcanic hazards.« less

Quaternary extensional and compressional tectonics revealed from Quaternary landforms along Kosi River valley, outer Kumaun Lesser Himalaya, Uttarakhand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luirei, Khayingshing; Bhakuni, S. S.; Kothyari, Girish Ch.; Tripathi, Kavita; Pant, P. D.

2016-04-01

A portion of the Kosi River in the outer Kumaun Lesser Himalaya is characterized by wide river course situated south of the Ramgarh Thrust, where huge thickness (~200 m) of the landslide deposits and two to three levels of unpaired fan terraces are present. Brittle normal faults, suggesting extensional tectonics, are recognized in the Quaternary deposits and bedrocks as further supported by surface morphology. Trending E-W, these faults measure from 3 to 5 km in length and are traced as discontinuous linear mini-horst and fault scarps (sackungen) exposed due to cutting across by streams. Active normal faults have displaced the coarsely laminated debris fan deposits at two sites located 550 m apart. At one of the sites, the faults look like bookshelf faulting with the maximum displacement of ~2 m and rotation of the Quaternary boulders along the fault plane is observed. At another site, the maximum displacement measures about 0.60 cm. Thick mud units deposited due to blocking of the streams by landslides are observed within and above the fan deposit. Landslide debris fans and terrace landforms are widely developed; the highest level of fan is observed ~1240 m above mean sea level. At some places, the reworking of the debris fans by streams is characterized by thick laminated sand body. Along the South Almora Thrust and Ramgarh Thrust zones, the valleys are narrow and V-shaped where Quaternary deposits are sparse due to relatively rapid uplift across these thrusts. Along the South Almora Thrust zone, three to four levels of fluvial terraces are observed and have been incised by river exposing the bedrocks due to recent movement along the RT and SAT. Abandoned channel, tilted mud deposits, incised meandering, deep-cut V-shaped valleys and strath terraces indicate rapid uplift of the area. Thick mud sequences in the Quaternary columns indicate damming of streams. A ~10-km-long north-south trending transverse Garampani Fault has offset the Ramgarh Thrust producing tectonic landforms.

Performance of a small annular turbojet combustor designed for low cost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fear, J. S.

1972-01-01

Performance investigations were conducted on a combustor utilizing several cost-reducing innovations and designed for use in a low-cost 4448-N thrust turbojet engine for commercial light aircraft. Low-cost features included simple, air-atomizing fuel injectors; combustor liners of perforated sheet; and the use of inexpensive type 304 stainless-steel material. Combustion efficiencies at the cruise and sea-level-takeoff design points were approximately 97 and 98 percent, respectively. The combustor isothermal pressure loss was 6.3 percent at the cruise-condition diffuser inlet Mach number of 0.34. The combustor exit temperature pattern factor was less than 0.24 at both the cruise and sea-level-takeoff design points. The combustor exit average radial temperature profiles at all conditions were in very good agreement with the design profile.

Active thrusting offshore Mount Lebanon: Source of the tsunamigenic A.D. 551 Beirut-Tripoli earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elias, Ata; Tapponnier, Paul; Singh, Satish C.; King, Geoffrey C. P.; Briais, Anne; Daëron, Mathieu; Carton, Helene; Sursock, Alexander; Jacques, Eric; Jomaa, Rachid; Klinger, Yann

2007-08-01

On 9 July A.D. 551, a large earthquake, followed by a tsunami, destroyed most of the coastal cities of Phoenicia (modern-day Lebanon). Tripoli is reported to have “drowned,” and Berytus (Beirut) did not recover for nearly 1300 yr afterwards. Geophysical data from the Shalimar survey unveil the source of this event, which may have had a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.5 and was arguably one of the most devastating historical submarine earthquakes in the eastern Mediterranean: rupture of the offshore, hitherto unknown, ˜100-150-km-long active, east-dipping Mount Lebanon thrust. Deep-towed sonar swaths along the base of prominent bathymetric escarpments reveal fresh, west-facing seismic scarps that cut the sediment-smoothed seafloor. The Mount Lebanon thrust trace comes closest (˜8 km) to the coast between Beirut and Enfeh, where, as 13 14C-calibrated ages indicate, a shoreline-fringing vermetid bench suddenly emerged by ˜80 cm in the sixth century A.D. At Tabarja, the regular vertical separation (˜1 m) of higher fossil benches suggests uplift by three more earthquakes of comparable size since the Holocene sea level reached a maximum ca. 7-6 ka, implying a 1500-1750 yr recurrence time. Unabated thrusting on the Mount Lebanon thrust likely drove the growth of Mount Lebanon since the late Miocene.

Morphologic evolution of the Central Andes of Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, Laura; Pfiffner, O. Adrian

2012-01-01

In this paper, we analyze the morphology of the Andes of Peru and its evolution based on the geometry of river channels, their bedrock profiles, stream gradient indices and the relation between thrust faults and morphology. The rivers of the Pacific Basin incised Mesozoic sediments of the Marañon thrust belt, Cenozoic volcanics and the granitic rocks of the Coastal Batholith. They are mainly bedrock channels with convex upward shapes and show signs of active ongoing incision. The changes in lithology do not correlate with breaks in slope of the channels (or knick points) such that the high gradient indices (K) with values between 2,000-3,000 and higher than 3,000 suggest that incision is controlled by tectonic activity. Our analysis reveals that many of the ranges of the Western Cordillera were uplifted to the actual elevations where peaks reach to 6,000 m above sea level by thrusting along steeply dipping faults. We correlate this uplift with the Quechua Phase of Neogene age documented for the Subandean thrust belt. The rivers of the Amazonas Basin have steep slopes and high gradient indices of 2,000-3,000 and locally more than 3,000 in those segments where the rivers flow over the crystalline basement of the Eastern Cordillera affected by vertical faulting. Gradient indices decrease to 1,000-2,000 within the east-vergent thrust belt of the Subandean Zone. Here a correlation between breaks in river channel slopes and location of thrust faults can be established, suggesting that the young, Quechua Phase thrust faults of the Subandean thrust belt, which involve Neogene sediments, influenced the channel geometry. In the eastern lowlands, these rivers become meandering and flow parallel to anticlines that formed in the hanging wall of Quechua Phase thrust faults, suggesting that the river courses were actively displaced outward into the foreland.

The Cenozoic fold-and-thrust belt of Eastern Sardinia: Evidences from the integration of field data with numerically balanced geological cross section

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arragoni, S.; Maggi, M.; Cianfarra, P.; Salvini, F.

2016-06-01

Newly collected structural data in Eastern Sardinia (Italy) integrated with numerical techniques led to the reconstruction of a 2-D admissible and balanced model revealing the presence of a widespread Cenozoic fold-and-thrust belt. The model was achieved with the FORC software, obtaining a 3-D (2-D + time) numerical reconstruction of the continuous evolution of the structure through time. The Mesozoic carbonate units of Eastern Sardinia and their basement present a fold-and-thrust tectonic setting, with a westward direction of tectonic transport (referred to the present-day coordinates). The tectonic style of the upper levels is thin skinned, with flat sectors prevailing over ramps and younger-on-older thrusts. Three regional tectonic units are present, bounded by two regional thrusts. Strike-slip faults overprint the fold-and-thrust belt and developed during the Sardinia-Corsica Block rotation along the strike of the preexisting fault ramps, not affecting the numerical section balancing. This fold-and-thrust belt represents the southward prosecution of the Alpine Corsica collisional chain and the missing link between the Alpine Chain and the Calabria-Peloritani Block. Relative ages relate its evolution to the meso-Alpine event (Eocene-Oligocene times), prior to the opening of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Tortonian). Results fill a gap of information about the geodynamic evolution of the European margin in Central Mediterranean, between Corsica and the Calabria-Peloritani Block, and imply the presence of remnants of this double-verging belt, missing in the Southern Tyrrhenian basin, within the Southern Apennine chain. The used methodology proved effective for constraining balanced cross sections also for areas lacking exposures of the large-scale structures, as the case of Eastern Sardinia.

Lateral ramps in the folded Appalachians and in overthrust belts worldwide; a fundamental element of thrust-belt architecture

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pohn, Howard A.

2000-01-01

Lateral ramps are zones where decollements change stratigraphic level along strike; they differ from frontal ramps, which are zones where decollements change stratigraphic level perpendicular to strike. In the Appalachian Mountains, the surface criteria for recognizing the subsurface presence of lateral ramps include (1) an abrupt change in wavelength or a termination of folds along strike, (2) a conspicuous change in the frequency of mapped faults or disturbed zones (extremely disrupted duplexes) at the surface, (3) long, straight river trends emerging onto the coastal plain or into the Appalachian Plateaus province, (4) major geomorphic discontinuities in the trend of the Blue Ridge province, (5) interruption of Mesozoic basins by cross-strike border faults, and (6) zones of modern and probable ancient seismic activity. Additional features related to lateral ramps include tectonic windows, cross-strike igneous intrusions, areas of giant landslides, and abrupt changes in Paleozoic sedimentation along strike. Proprietary strike-line seismic-reflection profiles cross three of the lateral ramps that were identified by using the surface criteria. The profiles confirm their presence and show their detailed nature in the subsurface. Like frontal ramps, lateral ramps are one of two possible consequences of fold-and-thrust-belt tectonics and are common elements in the Appalachian fold-and-thrust belt. A survey of other thrust belts in the United States and elsewhere strongly suggests that lateral ramps at depth can be identified by their surface effects. Lateral ramps probably are the result of thrust sheet motion caused by continued activation of ancient cratonic fracture systems. Such fractures localized the transform faults along which the continental segments adjusted during episodes of sea-floor spreading.

Aerodynamic Tests on a Static California Sea Lion Flipper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulkarni, Aditya A.; Leftwich, Megan C.

2017-11-01

Unlike most biological swimmers that use BCF swimming, the California sea lion relies on its foreflippers for thrust production. This unique swimming style, which lacks a characteristic oscillation frequency, allows the sea lion to leave less traceable wake while also producing high amounts of thrust. While the swimming energetics of the animal have been studied, almost nothing is known about the fluid dynamics of the system. To overcome this lack of basic understanding, a three-dimensional model of the flipper was developed using structured light-based scanners. Cross sections of the flipper model resemble the shape of the airfoils typically found in wings with thickness ratios, 11% - 37%. Wind tunnel testing conducted on static flipper revealed that positive lift was being generated at negative angles of attack. This is hypothesized to help the sea lions considerably in perform tight maneuvers with a small turning radius. The wake structure downstream of the flipper was captured using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV).

The kinematics of the California sea lion foreflipper during forward swimming.

PubMed

Friedman, C; Leftwich, M C

2014-11-07

To determine the two-dimensional kinematics of the California sea lion foreflipper during thrust generation, a digital, high-definition video is obtained using a non-research female sea lion at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC. The observational videos are used to extract maneuvers of interest--forward acceleration from rest using the foreflippers and banked turns. Single camera videos are analyzed to digitize the flipper during the motions using 10 points spanning root to tip in each frame. Digitized shapes were then fitted with an empirical function that quantitatively allows for both comparison between different claps, and for extracting kinematic data. The resulting function shows a high degree of curvature (with a camber of up to 32%). Analysis of sea lion acceleration from rest shows thrust production in the range of 150-680 N and maximum flipper angular velocity (for rotation about the shoulder joint) as high as 20 rad s⁻¹. Analysis of turning maneuvers indicate extreme agility and precision of movement driven by the foreflipper surfaces.

The Unique Propulsive Wake Pattern of the Swimming Sea Slug Aplysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhuoyu; Mittal, Rajat

2017-11-01

The Aplysia, also sometimes referred to as the `Sea Hare,' is a sea slug that swims elegantly using large-amplitude flapping of its mantle. The Sea Hare has become a very valuable laboratory animal for investigation into nervous systems and brain behavior due to its simple neural system with large neurons and axons. Recently, attempts have also been made to develop biohybrid robots with both organic actuation and organic motor-pattern control inspired by the locomotion of Aplysia. While extensive works have been done to investigate this animal's neurobiology, relatively little is known about its propulsive mechanisms and swimming energetics. In this study, incompressible flow simulations with a simple kinematical model are used to gain insights into vortex dynamics, thrust generation and energetics of locomotion. The effect of mantle kinematics on the propulsive performance is examined, and simulations indicate a unique vortex wake pattern that is responsible for thrust generation. The research is supported by NSF Grant PLR-1246317 and NSF XSEDE Grant TG-CTS100002.

Seismicity associated with the Sumatra-Andaman Islands earthquake of 26 December 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dewey, J.W.; Choy, G.; Presgrave, B.; Sipkin, S.; Tarr, A.C.; Benz, H.; Earle, P.; Wald, D.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey/National Earthquake Information Center (USGS/ NEIC) had computed origins for 5000 earthquakes in the Sumatra-Andaman Islands region in the first 36 weeks after the Sumatra-Andaman Islands mainshock of 26 December 2004. The cataloging of earthquakes of mb (USGS) 5.1 and larger is essentially complete for the time period except for the first half-day following the 26 December mainshock, a period of about two hours following the Nias earthquake of 28 March 2005, and occasionally during the Andaman Sea swarm of 26-30 January 2005. Moderate and larger (mb ???5.5) aftershocks are absent from most of the deep interplate thrust faults of the segments of the Sumatra-Andaman Islands subduction zone on which the 26 December mainshock occurred, which probably reflects nearly complete release of elastic strain on the seismogenic interplate-thrust during the mainshock. An exceptional thrust-fault source offshore of Banda Aceh may represent a segment of the interplate thrust that was bypassed during the mainshock. The 26 December mainshock triggered a high level of aftershock activity near the axis of the Sunda trench and the leading edge of the overthrust Burma plate. Much near-trench activity is intraplate activity within the subducting plate, but some shallow-focus, near-trench, reverse-fault earthquakes may represent an unusual seismogenic release of interplate compressional stress near the tip of the overriding plate. The interplate-thrust Nias earthquake of 28 March 2005, in contrast to the 26 December aftershock sequence, was followed by many interplate-thrust aftershocks along the length of its inferred rupture zone.

Distinguishing thrust sequences in gravity-driven fold and thrust belts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsop, G. I.; Weinberger, R.; Marco, S.

2018-04-01

Piggyback or foreland-propagating thrust sequences, where younger thrusts develop in the footwalls of existing thrusts, are generally assumed to be the typical order of thrust development in most orogenic settings. However, overstep or 'break-back' sequences, where later thrusts develop above and in the hangingwalls of earlier thrusts, may potentially form during cessation of movement in gravity-driven mass transport deposits (MTDs). In this study, we provide a detailed outcrop-based analysis of such an overstep thrust sequence developed in an MTD in the southern Dead Sea Basin. Evidence that may be used to discriminate overstep thrusting from piggyback thrust sequences within the gravity-driven fold and thrust belt includes upright folds and forethrusts that are cut by younger overlying thrusts. Backthrusts form ideal markers that are also clearly offset and cut by overlying younger forethrusts. Portions of the basal detachment to the thrust system are folded and locally imbricated in footwall synclines below forethrust ramps, and these geometries also support an overstep sequence. However, new 'short-cut' basal detachments develop below these synclines, indicating that movement continued on the basal detachment rather than it being abandoned as in classic overstep sequences. Further evidence for 'synchronous thrusting', where movement on more than one thrust occurs at the same time, is provided by displacement patterns on sequences of thrust ramp imbricates that systematically increases downslope towards the toe of the MTD. Older thrusts that initiate downslope in the broadly overstep sequence continue to move and therefore accrue greater displacements during synchronous thrusting. Our study provides a template to help distinguish different thrust sequences in both orogenic settings and gravity-driven surficial systems, with displacement patterns potentially being imaged in seismic sections across offshore MTDs.

Design and Installation of a Field Ionization Test Chamber for Ion Thrusters

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

where F is thrust, m& is the mass flow rate of the propellant, and go is the standard acceleration due to gravity at sea level [1]. It provides a...only one graphene wall, and multi- walled CNT ( MWCNT ), which consist of multiple, concentric walls of graphene (Figure 9). One of the most unique...ionization chamber to ensure the mass flow rate going into the chamber matches the mass flow rate leaving it. 46 B. FIELD EMISSION AND FIELD

Transient Three-Dimensional Side Load Analysis of a Film Cooled Nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Ten-See; Guidos, Mike

2008-01-01

Transient three-dimensional numerical investigations on the side load physics for an engine encompassing a film cooled nozzle extension and a regeneratively cooled thrust chamber, were performed. The objectives of this study are to identify the three-dimensional side load physics and to compute the associated aerodynamic side load using an anchored computational methodology. The computational methodology is based on an unstructured-grid, pressure-based computational fluid dynamics formulation, and a transient inlet history based on an engine system simulation. Ultimately, the computational results will be provided to the nozzle designers for estimating of effect of the peak side load on the nozzle structure. Computations simulating engine startup at ambient pressures corresponding to sea level and three high altitudes were performed. In addition, computations for both engine startup and shutdown transients were also performed for a stub nozzle, operating at sea level. For engine with the full nozzle extension, computational result shows starting up at sea level, the peak side load occurs when the lambda shock steps into the turbine exhaust flow, while the side load caused by the transition from free-shock separation to restricted-shock separation comes at second; and the side loads decreasing rapidly and progressively as the ambient pressure decreases. For the stub nozzle operating at sea level, the computed side loads during both startup and shutdown becomes very small due to the much reduced flow area.

Experiment/Analytical Characterization of the RBCC Rocket-Ejector Mode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruf, J. H.; Lehman, M.; Pal, S.; Santoro, R. J.; West, J.; Turner, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Experimental and complementary CFD results from the study of the rocket-ejector mode of a Rocket Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) engine are presented and discussed. The experiments involved systematic flowfield measurements in a two-dimensional, variable geometry rocket-ejector system. The rocket-ejector system utilizes a single two-dimensional, gaseous oxygen/gaseous hydrogen rocket as the ejector. To gain a thorough understanding of the rocket-ejector's internal fluid mechanic/combustion phenomena, experiments were conducted with both direct-connect and sea-level static configurations for a range of rocket operating conditions. Overall system performance was obtained through global measurements of wall static pressure profiles, heat flux profiles and engine thrust, whereas detailed mixing and combustion information was obtained through Raman spectroscopy measurements of major species (oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and water vapor). The experimental results for both the direct-connect and sea-level static configurations are compared with CFD predictions of the flowfield.

Numerical Simulation of the RTA Combustion Rig

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davoudzadeh, Farhad; Buehrle, Robert; Liu, Nan-Suey; Winslow, Ralph

2005-01-01

The Revolutionary Turbine Accelerator (RTA)/Turbine Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) project is investigating turbine-based propulsion systems for access to space. NASA Glenn Research Center and GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE) planned to develop a ground demonstrator engine for validation testing. The demonstrator (RTA-1) is a variable cycle, turbofan ramjet designed to transition from an augmented turbofan to a ramjet that produces the thrust required to accelerate the vehicle from Sea Level Static (SLS) to Mach 4. The RTA-1 is designed to accommodate a large variation in bypass ratios from sea level static to Mach 4 conditions. Key components of this engine are new, such as a nickel alloy fan, advanced trapped vortex combustor, a Variable Area Bypass Injector (VABI), radial flameholders, and multiple fueling zones. A means to mitigate risks to the RTA development program was the use of extensive component rig tests and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis.

Wilson Cycle studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, Kevin

1987-01-01

The main activity relating to the study during this half year was a three week field trip to study Chinese sedimentary basins (June 10 to July 3, 1986) at no cost to the project. This study, while of a reconnaissance character, permitted progress in understanding how the processes of island arc-collision and micro-continental collision operated during the Paleozoic in far western China (especially the Junggar and Tarim basins and in the intervening Tien Shan Mountains). These effects of the continuing collision of India and Asia on the area were also studied. Most specifically, these result in the elevation of the Tien Shan to more than 4 km above sea level and the depression of Turfan to move 150m below sea level. Both thrusting and large-scale strike-slip motion are important in producing these elevation changes. Some effort during the half year was also devoted to the study of greenstone-belts in terms of the Wilson Cycle.

The evolution of a Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic intraplate basin (Duaringa Basin), eastern Australia: evidence for the negative inversion of a pre-existing fold-thrust belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babaahmadi, Abbas; Sliwa, Renate; Esterle, Joan; Rosenbaum, Gideon

2017-12-01

The Duaringa Basin in eastern Australia is a Late Cretaceous?-early Cenozoic sedimentary basin that developed simultaneously with the opening of the Tasman and Coral Seas. The basin occurs on the top of an earlier (Permian-Triassic) fold-thrust belt, but the negative inversion of this fold-thrust belt, and its contribution to the development of the Duaringa Basin, are not well understood. Here, we present geophysical datasets, including recently surveyed 2D seismic reflection lines, aeromagnetic and Bouguer gravity data. These data provide new insights into the structural style in the Duaringa Basin, showing that the NNW-striking, NE-dipping, deep-seated Duaringa Fault is the main boundary fault that controlled sedimentation in the Duaringa Basin. The major activity of the Duaringa Fault is observed in the southern part of the basin, where it has undergone the highest amount of displacement, resulting in the deepest and oldest depocentre. The results reveal that the Duaringa Basin developed in response to the partial negative inversion of the pre-existing Permian-Triassic fold-thrust belt, which has similar orientation to the extensional faults. The Duaringa Fault is the negative inverted part of a single Triassic thrust, known as the Banana Thrust. Furthermore, small syn-depositional normal faults at the base of the basin likely developed due to the reactivation of pre-existing foliations, accommodation faults, and joints associated with Permian-Triassic folds. In contrast to equivalent offshore basins, the Duaringa Basin lacks a complex structural style and thick syn-rift sediments, possibly because of the weakening of extensional stresses away from the developing Tasman Sea.

Control Design for a Generic Commercial Aircraft Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Csank, Jeffrey; May, Ryan D.

2010-01-01

This paper describes the control algorithms and control design process for a generic commercial aircraft engine simulation of a 40,000 lb thrust class, two spool, high bypass ratio turbofan engine. The aircraft engine is a complex nonlinear system designed to operate over an extreme range of environmental conditions, at temperatures from approximately -60 to 120+ F, and at altitudes from below sea level to 40,000 ft, posing multiple control design constraints. The objective of this paper is to provide the reader an overview of the control design process, design considerations, and justifications as to why the particular architecture and limits have been chosen. The controller architecture contains a gain-scheduled Proportional Integral controller along with logic to protect the aircraft engine from exceeding any limits. Simulation results illustrate that the closed loop system meets the Federal Aviation Administration s thrust response requirements

Tectonic stratification and seismicity of the accretionary prism of the Azerbaijani part of Greater Caucasus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alizade, Akif; Kangarli, Talat; Aliyev, Fuad

2013-04-01

The Greater Caucasus has formed during last stage of the tectogenesis in a geodynamic condition of the lateral compression, peculiar to the zone pseudo-subduction interaction zone between Northern and Southern Caucasian continental microplates. Its present day structure formed as a result of horizontal movements of the different phases and sub-phases of Alpine tectogenesis (from late Cimmerian to Valakhian), and is generally regarded as zone where, along Zangi deformation, the insular arc formations of the Northern edge of South Caucasian microplate thrust under the Meso-Cenozoic substantial complex contained in the facials of marginal sea of Greater Caucasus. The last, in its turn, has been pushed beneath the North-Caucasus continental margin of the Scythian plate along Main Caucasus Thrust fault. Data collected from the territory of Azerbaijan and its' sector of the Caspian area stands for pseudo-subduction interaction of microplates which resulted in the tectonic stratification of the continental slope of Alpine formations, marginal sea and insular arc into different scale plates of south vergent combined into napping complexes. In the orogeny's present structure, tectonically stratified Alpine substantial complex of the marginal sea of Greater Caucasus bordered by Main Caucasus and Zangi thrusts, is represented by allochthonous south vergent accretionary prism in the front of first deformation with its' root buried under the southern border of Scythian plate. Allocated beneath mentioned prism, the autochthonous bedding is presented by Meso-Cenosoic complex of the Northern flank of the South-Caucasian miroplate, which is in its' turn crushed and lensed into southward shifted tectonic microplates gently overlapping the northern flank of Kura flexure along Ganykh-Ayrichay-Alyat thrust. Data of real-time GPS measurement of regional geodynamics indicates that pseudo-subduction of South Caucasian microplate under the North Caucasian microplate still continues during present stage of alpine tectogenesis. Among others, ongoing pseudo-subduction is indicated by data of regional seismicity which is irregularly distributed by depth (foci levels 2-6; 8-12; 17-22; 25-45 km). Horizontal and vertical seismic zoning is explained by Earth crust's block divisibility and tectonic stratification, within the structure of which the earthquake focuses are mainly confined to the crossing nodes of differently oriented ruptures, or to the planes of deep tectonic disruptions and lateral displacements along unstable contacts of the substantial complexes with various degree of competence. At present stage of tectogenesis, seismically most active are the structures of the northern flank of South Caucasian microplate, controlled by Ganyx-Ayrichay-Alyat deep thrust with "General Caucasus" spread in the west, and sub-meridian right-lateral strike slip zone of the Western Caspian fault in the east of Azerbaijani part of Greater Caucasus.

DC-9 flight demonstration program with refanned JT8D engines. Volume 1: Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The design, analysis, fabrication, and ground and flight testing of DC-9 airframe/nacelle hardware with prototype JT8D-109 engines are discussed. The installation of the JT8D-109 engine on the DC-9 Refan airplane required new or modified hardware for the pylon, nacelle, and fuselage. The acoustic material used in the nose cowl was bonded aluminum honeycomb sandwich and the exhaust duct acoustic material was Inconel 625 Stresskin. The sea level static, standard day bare engine takeoff thrust, the cruise TSFC and the maximum available cruise thrust for the JT8D-109 engine were compared with those of the JT8D-9 engine. The range capabilities of the DC-9 Refan and the production DC-9 airplane were also compared. The Refan airplane demonstrated flight characteristics similar to the production DC-9-30 and satisfied airworthiness requirements. Flyover noise levels were determined for the DC-9 Refan and the DC-9 C-9A airplane for takeoff and landing conditions. Cost estimates were also made.

Controls on Albian-Cenomanian carbonate platform sedimentation in middle eastern region: Kesalon event, a middle Cretaceous sea level change in Israel and its correlation with global sea level changes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Braun, M.; Hirsch, F.

1987-05-01

After Neocomian regional denudation, Aptian Telemim (= Blanche) carbonates onlapped the Arabian subplate, followed by Yavne-Tammun regression and Albian transgression. Near the Levant coast, the Albian-early Coniacian Judea carbonate platform interfingers with the Talme Yaffe basin to the west. To the south and east, Judea-type carbonates gradually onlap the mainly continental Kurnub (Nubia type) clastics of the peri-Arabian belt. Detailed analysis of the cyclic sedimentation within the 700-m thick Judea Limestone reveals a regressive trend near the top of the Albian Yagur Formation in Galilee, the Hevyon Formation in the Negev, and the ledge of the Kesalon formation in centralmore » Israel Judean Hills, which represents the end of the Early Cretaceous sedimentary cycle. The early Cenomanian marly chalk of the En Yorqeam Formation starts the Cenomanian cycle, followed by bedded and massive dolomite and ammonoid-bearing limestone. Platform sedimentation before this Kesalon event is dominated by bank facies with some rudistid bioherms of presumable Albian age. After the Kesalon event, Cenomanian and Turonian platforms have fast-changing paleogeography on basinal chalks, shales, bioherms and backreef lagoons. Facies boundaries, running mainly east-west to southwest-northeast up to the Early Cretaceous, became close to north-south in the Late Cretaceous. Albian-Cenomanian regressive-transgressive cycles in Israel match fairly well with global sea level changes, in particular the Kesalon event, which corresponds to the Ka-Kb sea level change of Vail et al. Late Turonian-early Senonian thrusting of the peri-Arabian alpine belt and folding in the Syrian arc heavily affect the unraveling of global sea level changes on the Arabian subplate.« less

Sea level side loads in high-area-ratio rocket engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nave, L. H.; Coffey, G. A.

1973-01-01

An empirical separation and side load model to obtain applied aerodynamic loads has been developed based on data obtained from full-scale J-2S (265K-pound-thrust engine with an area ratio of 40:1) engine and model testing. Experimental data include visual observations of the separation patterns that show the dynamic nature of the separation phenomenon. Comparisons between measured and applied side loads are made. Correlations relating the separation location to the applied side loads and the methods used to determine the separation location are given.

JT8D-15/17 High Pressure Turbine Root Discharged Blade Performance Improvement. [engine design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Janus, A. S.

1981-01-01

The JT8D high pressure turbine blade and seal were modified, using a more efficient blade cooling system, improved airfoil aerodynamics, more effective control of secondary flows, and improved blade tip sealing. Engine testing was conducted to determine the effect of these improvements on performance. The modified turbine package demonstrated significant thrust specific fuel consumption and exhaust gas temperature improvements in sea level and altitude engine tests. Inspection of the improved blade and seal hardware after testing revealed no unusual wear or degradation.

An Evaluation of the Use by Teachers of British Petroleum's Multi-Media Resource Pack, A North Sea Adventure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Jean; Lloyd, Gerald

Presented is an evaluation of a multi-media resource pack, available from British Petroleum Corporation, which details the discovery and extraction of North Sea oil. The evaluation presented includes three thrusts: (1) a determination of the areas where the packs were distributed; (2) personal interviews with teachers who had used the packs; and…

How to build a model illustrating sea-floor spreading and subduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lahr, J.C.

1999-01-01

This report describes how to build a model of the outer 300 km (180 miles) of the Earth that can be used to develop a better understanding of the principal features of plate tectonics, including sea-floor spreading, the pattern of magnetic stripes frozen into the sea floor, transform faulting, thrust faulting, subduction, and volcanism. In addition to a paper copy of this report, the materials required are a cardboard shoebox, glue, scissors, straight edge, and safety razor blade.

Structural deformation and detailed architecture of accretionary wedge in the northern Manila subduction zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, J.; Wu, S.; Yao, Y.; Chen, C.

2017-12-01

The South China Sea (SCS) which located at the southeast edge of the Eurasian plate, is heavily influenced by the Philippine Sea plate and the Indo-Australian plate. As eastern boundary of the SCS, Manila subduction zone was created by the northwestern movement of the Philippine Sea plate, recorded the key information on formation and evolution of the SCS and often triggered off earthquakes and tsunami in the East and South Asia. Using high resolution multi-channel seismic data across the northern Manila subduction zone, this study analyzed sedimentary characteristics of oceanic basin and trench, and fine described features of structural deformation and architecture of accretionary wedge and magmatism to discuss the time of subduction inception, thrust motion and influence of seamount subduction on the geometry of the Manila trench. Results show that lower slope of accretionary wedge mainly consist of imbricated thrusts with blind thrust as the frontal fault and structural wedge whereas upper slope was obscure for intensely structural deformation and magmatism. All the thrust faults merged into a detachment fault/surface which may root in Lower Miocene or even older strata, cut off the Miocene near buried seamount and extended the Pliocene upward, suggesting that this detachment fault was obviously influenced by buried seamount and basement high below the accretionary wedge. Magmatism began to be active from late Miocene and continued to be intense during Pliocene and Quaternary in the oceanic basin, trench and accretionary wedge. Based on characteristics of sedimentary and structural deformation, this study proposed that accretionary wedge of the northern Manila subduction zone formed before 16.5 Ma and propagated to the SCS through piggyback propagation thrusting when seafloor spreading of the SCS was still ongoing before 15 Ma. Subduction of extended continental crust in the northeastern SCS created a significantly concaving eastward to geometric shape of the northern Manila trench. With the subducting of fossil ridge of the SCS to the Manila trench and ridge/trench collision happening in the future, the convexly westward arc feature of Manila trench was changed to flat and will be even concave eastward.

Structural analysis of the Tabaco anticline, Cerrejón open-cast coal mine, Colombia, South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardozo, Néstor; Montes, Camilo; Marín, Dora; Gutierrez, Iván; Palencia, Alejandro

2016-06-01

The Tabaco anticline is a 15 km long, south plunging, east-vergent anticline in northern Colombia, close to the transpressional collisional margin between the Caribbean and South American plates. In the Cerrejón open-cast coal mine, systematic mapping of coal seams in the middle to upper Paleocene Cerrejón Formation has yielded an exceptional dataset consisting of 10 horizontal slices (sea level to 90 m elevation, regularly spaced at 10 m intervals) through the anticline. Coal seams and fault traces in these slices are used to construct a 3D model of the anticline. This 3D model shows tighter folds within lower coal seams, NW-vergent thrusts and related folds on the gentler western limb, and strike-slip faults on the steeper eastern limb. Fault slip-tendency analysis is used to infer that these two faulting styles resulted from two different stress fields: an earlier one consistent with thrusting and uplift of the Perijá range, and a later one consistent with strike-slip faulting (Oca, Ranchería and Samán faults). Our preferred interpretation is that the anticline developed its eastern vergence during the early stages (late Paleocene-early Eocene) of tilting of the Santa Marta massif. Later NW-vergent thrusting on the western limb (early to middle Eocene) was related to western propagation of the Perijá thrust system. These results contribute to the understanding of the structural evolution of the area. They are also a good example of the complex interplay between detachment folding, thrusting, and strike-slip faulting during the growth of a km-size fold in a transpressive setting.

a Revision to the Tectonics of the Flores Back-Arc Thrust Zone, Indonesia?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tikku, A. A.

2011-12-01

The Flores and Bali Basins are continental basins in the Flores back-arc thrust zone associated with Eocene subduction of the Indo-Australian plate beneath the Sunda plate followed by Miocene to present-day inversion/thrusting. The basins are east of Java and north of the islands of Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa and Flores in the East Java Sea area of Indonesia. The tectonic interpretation of these basins is based on seismic, bathymetry and gravity data and is also supported by present-day GPS measurements that demonstrate subduction is no longer active across the Flores thrust zone. Current thinking about the area is that the Flores Basin (on the east end of the thrust zone) had the most extension in the back-arc thrust and may be a proto-oceanic basin, though the option of a purely continental extensional basin can not be ruled out. The Bali Basin (on the west end of the thrust zone) is thought to be shallower and have experienced less continental thinning and extension than the Flores Basin. Depth to basement estimates from recently collected marine magnetic data indicate the depth of the Bali Basin may be comparable to the depth of the Flores Basin. Analysis of the marine magnetic data and potential implications of relative plate motions will be presented.

Optimal thrust level for orbit insertion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerf, Max

2017-07-01

The minimum-fuel orbital transfer is analyzed in the case of a launcher upper stage using a constantly thrusting engine. The thrust level is assumed to be constant and its value is optimized together with the thrust direction. A closed-loop solution for the thrust direction is derived from the extremal analysis for a planar orbital transfer. The optimal control problem reduces to two unknowns, namely the thrust level and the final time. Guessing and propagating the costates is no longer necessary and the optimal trajectory is easily found from a rough initialization. On the other hand the initial costates are assessed analytically from the initial conditions and they can be used as initial guess for transfers at different thrust levels. The method is exemplified on a launcher upper stage targeting a geostationary transfer orbit.

Overview of 10 inch Diameter HTPB Hybrid Motor Testing with Liquid Oxygen at Stennis Space Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knowles, Timothy E.; Kearney, Darren; Roberts, Ryan

2005-01-01

To further explore the operation of hybrid rocket motors and to demonstrate the performance characteristics of the motor design Lockheed Martin funded research on a series of 10 inch diameter hybrid motors that produce less than 10 klbf sea level thrust. This test series was given the name "Hybrid Technology Test Program." These motors were fired in the existing test stand at the SSC E-3 complex Cell 1. The fuel and oxidizer for these 10 inch diameter motors are HTPB and LO2, respectively. The original goal of the testing was to verify that the predicted performance matched the actual performance of these 10 inch motors (ref. figure 1) and then confirm that the motors performed acceptably. For this element of testing horizontally fired hybrid motors will be tested using LO2 supplied from the existing facility 100 gallon LO2 tank that is pressurized with facility GN2. The thrust produced by the motor will be measured by a Lockheed Martin supplied load cell.

Liquid fluorine/hydrazine rhenium thruster update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Appel, M. A.; Kaplan, R. B.; Tuffias, R. H.

1983-01-01

The status of a fluorine/hydrazine thruster development program is discussed. A solid rhenium metal sea-level thrust chamber was successfully fabricated and tested for a total run duration of 1075 s with 17 starts. Rhenium fabrication methods are discussed. A test program was conducted to evaluate performance and chamber cooling. Acceptable performance was reached and cooling was adequate. A flight-type injector was fabricated that achieved an average extrapolated performance value of 3608 N-s/kg (368 lbf-s/lbm). Altitude thrust chambers were fabricated. One chamber incorporates a rhenium combustor and nozzle with an area ratio of 15:1, and a columbium nozzle extension with area ratios from 15:1 to 60:1. The other chamber was fabricated completely with a carbon/carbon composite. Because of the attributes of rhenium for use in high-temperature applications, a program to provide the materials and processes technology needed to reliably fabricate and/or repair vapor-deposited rhenium parts of relatively large size and complex shape is recommended.

Small, low-cost, expendable turbojet engine. 1: Design, fabrication, and preliminary testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dengler, R. P.; Macioce, L. E.

1976-01-01

A small experimental axial-flow turbojet engine in the 2,669-Newton (600-lbf) thrust class was designed, fabricated, and tested to demonstrate the feasibility of several low-cost concepts. Design simplicity was stressed in order to reduce the number of components and machining operations. Four engines were built and tested for a total of 157 hours. Engine testing was conducted at both sea-level static and simulated flight conditions for engine speeds as high as 38,000 rpm and turbine-inlet temperatures as high as 1,255 K (1,800 F).

BSRs Elevated by Fluid Upwelling on the Upper Amazon Fan : Bottom-up Controls on Gas Hydrate Stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Praeg, D.; Silva, C. G.; dos Reis, A. T.; Ketzer, J. M.; Unnithan, V.; Perovano Da Silva, R. J.; Cruz, A. M.; Gorini, C.

2017-12-01

The stability of natural gas hydrate accumulations on continental margins has mainly been considered in terms of changes in seawater pressures and temperatures driven from above by climate. We present evidence from the Amazon deep-sea fan for stability zone changes driven from below by fluid upwelling. A grid of 2D and 3D multichannel seismic data show the upper Amazon fan in water depths of 1200-2000 m to contain a discontinuous bottom-simulating seismic reflection (BSR) that forms `patches' 10-50 km wide and up to 140 km long, over a total area of at least 5000 km2. The elongate BSR patches coincide with anticlinal thrust-folds that record on-going gravitational collapse of the fan above décollements at depths of up to 10 km. The BSR lies within 100-300 m of seafloor, in places rising beneath features that seafloor imagery show to be pockmarks and mud volcanoes, some venting gas to the water column. The BSR patches are up to 500 m shallower than predicted for methane hydrate based on geothermal gradients as low as 17˚C/km measured within the upper fan, and inversion of the BSR to obtain temperatures at the phase boundary indicates gradients 2-5 times background levels. We interpret the strongly elevated BSR patches to record upwelling of warm gas-rich fluids through thrust-fault zones 101 km wide. We infer this process to favour gas hydrate occurrences that are concentrated in proportion to flux and locally pierced by vents, and that will be sensitive to temporal variations in the upward flux of heat and gas. Thus episodes of increased flux, e.g. during thrusting, could dissociate gas hydrates to trigger slope failures and/or enhanced gas venting to the ocean. Structurally-driven fluid flow episodes could account for evidence of recurrent large-scale failures from the compressive belt on the upper fan during its Neogene collapse, and provide a long-term alternative to sea level triggering. The proposed mechanism of upward flux links the distribution and stability of gas hydrate occurrences (and gas vents) to the internal dynamics of deep-sea depocentres, in all water depths that structural pathways for fluid migration may form. Gravitational collapse is increasingly recognized to affect passive continental margins, and our findings challenge global models of hydrate inventory over time based solely on in situ methanogenesis.

Thrust Generation with Low-Power Continuous-Wave Laser and Aluminum Foil Interaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Horisawa, Hideyuki; Sumida, Sota; Funaki, Ikkoh

2010-05-06

The micro-newton thrust generation was observed through low-power continuous-wave laser and aluminum foil interaction without any remarkable ablation of the target surface. To evaluate the thrust characteristics, a torsion-balance thrust stand capable for the measurement of the thrust level down to micro-Newton ranges was developed. In the case of an aluminum foil target with 12.5 micrometer thickness, the maximum thrust level was 15 micro-newtons when the laser power was 20 W, or about 0.75 N/MW. It was also found that the laser intensity, or laser power per unit area, irradiated on the target was significantly important on the control ofmore » the thrust even under the low-intensity level.« less

Three-thrust fault system at the plate suture of arc-continent collision in the southernmost Longitudinal Valley, eastern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Chen, H.; Hsu, Y.; Yu, S.

2013-12-01

Active faults developed into a rather complex three-thrust fault system at the southern end of the narrow Longitudinal Valley in eastern Taiwan, a present-day on-land plate suture between the Philippine Sea plate and Eurasia. Based on more than ten years long geodetic data (including GPS and levelling), field geological investigation, seismological data, and regional tomography, this paper aims at elucidating the architecture of this three-thrust system and the associated surface deformation, as well as providing insights on fault kinematics, slip behaviors and implications of regional tectonics. Combining the results of interseismic (secular) horizontal and vertical velocities, we are able to map the surface traces of the three active faults in the Taitung area. The west-verging Longitudinal Valley Fault (LVF), along which the Coastal Range of the northern Luzon arc is thrusting over the Central Range of the Chinese continental margin, braches into two active strands bounding both sides of an uplifted, folded Quaternary fluvial deposits (Peinanshan massif) within the valley: the Lichi fault to the east and the Luyeh fault to the west. Both faults are creeping, to some extent, in the shallow surface level. However, while the Luyeh fault shows nearly pure thrust type, the Lichi fault reveals transpression regime in the north and transtension in the south end of the LVF in the Taitung plain. The results suggest that the deformation in the southern end of the Longitudinal Valley corresponds to a transition zone from present arc-collision to pre-collision zone in the offshore SE Taiwan. Concerning the Central Range, the third major fault in the area, the secular velocities indicate that the fault is mostly locked during the interseismic period and the accumulated strain would be able to produce a moderate earthquake, such as the example of the 2006 M6.1 Peinan earthquake, expressed by an oblique thrust (verging toward east) with significant left-lateral strike slip component. Taking into account of the recent study on the regional seismic Vp tomography, it shows a high velocity zone with steep east-dipping angle fills the gap under the Longitudinal Valley between the opposing verging LVF and the Central Range fault, implying a possible rolled-back forearc basement under the Coastal Range.

User's Guide for the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation (C-MAPSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frederick, Dean K.; DeCastro, Jonathan A.; Litt, Jonathan S.

2007-01-01

This report is a Users Guide for the NASA-developed Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation (C-MAPSS) software, which is a transient simulation of a large commercial turbofan engine (up to 90,000-lb thrust) with a realistic engine control system. The software supports easy access to health, control, and engine parameters through a graphical user interface (GUI). C-MAPSS provides the user with a graphical turbofan engine simulation environment in which advanced algorithms can be implemented and tested. C-MAPSS can run user-specified transient simulations, and it can generate state-space linear models of the nonlinear engine model at an operating point. The code has a number of GUI screens that allow point-and-click operation, and have editable fields for user-specified input. The software includes an atmospheric model which allows simulation of engine operation at altitudes from sea level to 40,000 ft, Mach numbers from 0 to 0.90, and ambient temperatures from -60 to 103 F. The package also includes a power-management system that allows the engine to be operated over a wide range of thrust levels throughout the full range of flight conditions.

Architecture-Led Safety Process

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

Action Hazard Guide 42 Table 18: Comparative Table of Safety and Reliability Terms 47 CMU/SEI-2016-TR-012 | SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INSTITUTE...provides too much thrust Engine is slow to pro- vide commanded thrust (increase or de- crease) Engine will not shut- down when com - manded...Thrust level must be provided at the com - manded level H4: Engine is slow to provide commanded thrust SC3: Engine must provide commanded thrust in

Green Propellant Test Capabilities of the Altitude Combustion Stand at the NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kubiak, Jonathan M.; Arnett, Lori A.

2016-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is committed to providing simulated altitude rocket test capabilities to NASA programs, other government agencies, private industry partners, and academic partners. A primary facility to support those needs is the Altitude Combustion Stand (ACS). ACS provides the capability to test combustion components at a simulated altitude up to 100,000 ft. (approx.0.2 psia/10 Torr) through a nitrogen-driven ejector system. The facility is equipped with an axial thrust stand, gaseous and cryogenic liquid propellant feed systems, data acquisition system with up to 1000 Hz recording, and automated facility control system. Propellant capabilities include gaseous and liquid hydrogen, gaseous and liquid oxygen, and liquid methane. A water-cooled diffuser, exhaust spray cooling chamber, and multi-stage ejector systems can enable run times up to 180 seconds to 16 minutes. The system can accommodate engines up to 2000-lbf thrust, liquid propellant supply pressures up to 1800 psia, and test at the component level. Engines can also be fired at sea level if needed. The NASA GRC is in the process of modifying ACS capabilities to enable the testing of green propellant (GP) thrusters and components. Green propellants are actively being explored throughout government and industry as a non-toxic replacement to hydrazine monopropellants for applications such as reaction control systems or small spacecraft main propulsion systems. These propellants offer increased performance and cost savings over hydrazine. The modification of ACS is intended to enable testing of a wide range of green propellant engines for research and qualification-like testing applications. Once complete, ACS will have the capability to test green propellant engines up to 880 N in thrust, thermally condition the green propellants, provide test durations up to 60 minutes depending on thrust class, provide high speed control and data acquisition, as well as provide advanced imaging and diagnostics such as infrared (IR) imaging.

Oxygen/Alcohol Dual Thrust RCS Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angstadt, Tara; Hurlbert, Eric

1999-01-01

A non-toxic dual thrust RCS engine offers significant operational, safety, and performance advantages to the space shuttle and the next generation RLVs. In this concept, a single engine produces two thrust levels of 25 and 870 lbf. The low thrust level is provided by the spark torch igniter, which, with the addition of 2 extra valves, can also be made to function as a vernier. A dual thrust RCS engine allows 38 verniers to be packaged more efficiently on a vehicle. These 38 vemiers improve translation and reduce cross coupling, thereby providing more pure roll, pitch, and yaw maneuvers of the vehicle. Compared to the 6 vemiers currently on the shuttle, the 38 dual thrust engines would be 25 to 40% more efficient for the same maneuvers and attitude control. The vernier thrust level also reduces plume impingement and contamination concerns. Redundancy is also improved, thereby improving mission success reliability. Oxygen and ethanol are benign propellants which do not create explosive reaction products or contamination, as compared to hypergolic propellants. These characteristics make dual-thrust engines simpler to implement on a non-toxic reaction control system. Tests at WSTF in August 1999 demonstrated a dual-thrust concept that is successful with oxygen and ethanol. Over a variety of inlet pressures and mixture ratios at 22:1 area ratio, the engine produced between 230 and 297 sec Isp, and thrust levels from 8 lbf. to 50 lbf. This paper describes the benefits of dual-thrust engines and the recent results from tests at WSTF.

High-power, null-type, inverted pendulum thrust stand.

PubMed

Xu, Kunning G; Walker, Mitchell L R

2009-05-01

This article presents the theory and operation of a null-type, inverted pendulum thrust stand. The thrust stand design supports thrusters having a total mass up to 250 kg and measures thrust over a range of 1 mN to 5 N. The design uses a conventional inverted pendulum to increase sensitivity, coupled with a null-type feature to eliminate thrust alignment error due to deflection of thrust. The thrust stand position serves as the input to the null-circuit feedback control system and the output is the current to an electromagnetic actuator. Mechanical oscillations are actively damped with an electromagnetic damper. A closed-loop inclination system levels the stand while an active cooling system minimizes thermal effects. The thrust stand incorporates an in situ calibration rig. The thrust of a 3.4 kW Hall thruster is measured for thrust levels up to 230 mN. The uncertainty of the thrust measurements in this experiment is +/-0.6%, determined by examination of the hysteresis, drift of the zero offset and calibration slope variation.

A low-angle normal fault and basement structures within the Enping Sag, Pearl River Mouth Basin: Insights into late Mesozoic to early Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the South China Sea area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Qing; Mei, Lianfu; Shi, Hesheng; Shu, Yu; Camanni, Giovanni; Wu, Jing

2018-04-01

The basement structure of the Cenozoic Enping Sag, within the Pearl River Mouth Basin on the northern margin of South China Sea, is revealed by borehole-constrained high-quality 3D seismic reflection data. Such data suggest that the Enping Sag is bounded in the north by a low-angle normal fault. We interpret this low-angle normal fault to have developed as the result of the reactivation of a pre-existing thrust fault part of a pre-Cenozoic thrust system. This is demonstrated by the selective reactivation of the pre-existing thrust and by diffuse contractional deformation recognized from the accurate analysis of basement reflections. Another significant result of this study is the finding of some residual rift basins within the basement of the Enping Sag. Both the thrust system and the residual basins are interpreted to have developed after the emplacement of continental margin arc-related granitoids (J3-K1) that define the basement within the study area. Furthermore, seismic sections show that the pre-existing residual rift basins are offset by the main thrust fault and they are both truncated by the Tg unconformity. These structural relationships, interpreted in the frame of previous studies, help us to reconstruct a six-event structural evolution model for the Enping Sag from the late Mesozoic to the early Cenozoic. In particular, we interpret the residual rift basins to have formed as the result of back-arc extension due to the slab roll-back of the Paleo-Pacific Plate subduction in the early K2. The thrust system has recorded a compressional event in the late K2 that followed the back-arc extension in the SCS area. The mechanism of this compressional event is still to be clarified, and might be related to continuous subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate or to the continent-continent collision between a micro-continental block and the South China margin.

Adaptation Method for Overall and Local Performances of Gas Turbine Engine Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sangjo; Kim, Kuisoon; Son, Changmin

2018-04-01

An adaptation method was proposed to improve the modeling accuracy of overall and local performances of gas turbine engine. The adaptation method was divided into two steps. First, the overall performance parameters such as engine thrust, thermal efficiency, and pressure ratio were adapted by calibrating compressor maps, and second, the local performance parameters such as temperature of component intersection and shaft speed were adjusted by additional adaptation factors. An optimization technique was used to find the correlation equation of adaptation factors for compressor performance maps. The multi-island genetic algorithm (MIGA) was employed in the present optimization. The correlations of local adaptation factors were generated based on the difference between the first adapted engine model and performance test data. The proposed adaptation method applied to a low-bypass ratio turbofan engine of 12,000 lb thrust. The gas turbine engine model was generated and validated based on the performance test data in the sea-level static condition. In flight condition at 20,000 ft and 0.9 Mach number, the result of adapted engine model showed improved prediction in engine thrust (overall performance parameter) by reducing the difference from 14.5 to 3.3%. Moreover, there was further improvement in the comparison of low-pressure turbine exit temperature (local performance parameter) as the difference is reduced from 3.2 to 0.4%.

Supersonic wings with significant leading-edge thrust at cruise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robins, A. W.; Carlson, H. W.; Mack, R. J.

1980-01-01

Experimental/theoretical correlations are presented which show that significant levels of leading-edge thrust are possible at supersonic speeds for certain planforms having the geometry to support the theoretical thrust-distribution potential. The new analytical process employed provides not only the level of leading-edge thrust attainable but also the spanwise distribution of both it and that component of full theoretical thrust which acts as vortex lift. Significantly improved aerodynamic performance in the moderate supersonic speed regime is indicated.

Propulsion requirements for reusable single-stage-to-orbit rocket vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, Douglas O.; Engelund, Walter C.; Lepsch, Roger

1994-05-01

The conceptual design of a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle using a wide variety of evolutionary technologies has recently been completed as a part of NASA's Advanced Manned Launch System (AMLS) study. The employment of new propulsion system technologies is critical to the design of a reasonably sized, operationally efficient SSTO vehicle. This paper presents the propulsion system requirements identified for this near-term AMLS SSTO vehicle. Sensitivities of the vehicle to changes in specific impulse and sea-level thrust-to-weight ratio are examined. The results of a variety of vehicle/propulsion system trades performed on the near-term AMLS SSTO vehicle are also presented.

Cenozoic pre-glacial tectonostratigraphy and erosion estimates for the northwestern Barents Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lasabuda, Amando; Sverre Laberg, Jan; Knutsen, Stig-Morten

2017-04-01

The northwestern Barents Sea continental margin is located between Bjørnøya and Svalbard. It is a structurally complex area characterized by a series of highs and basins influenced by: 1) the formation of the Spitsbergen fold-and-thrust belt towards the north and the pull-apart basin, the Vestbakken Volcanic Province, to the south, and 2) the rifting and opening of the Fram Strait, the deep-water gateway connecting the Norwegian - Greenland Sea and the Arctic Ocean. This study incorporate newly available 2D seismic data as well as magnetic data, and aim to improve the understanding of the Cenozoic evolution of this area, including better constrain of the timing of the main sedimentation events of the Cenozoic basins and estimates of the volume of sediments involved and the corresponding rates of erosion of the drainage area. The Cenozoic development of this area is strongly related to the rifting and opening of the Norwegian-Greenland Sea. During the Paleocene-Eocene, the northwestern Barents Sea margin were subjected to compression/transpression when Greenland drifted towards Svalbard that led to uplift and the development of fold-and-thrust belt on Svalbard. Subsequently, from the Oligocene, a tectonic plate reorganization occurred, leading to crustal extension, sea floor spreading and opening of the Fram Strait west of Svalbard. The seismic data shows a pronounced sequence of Early - Mid Cenozoic, pre-glacial sediments overlying the oceanic crust west of Svalbard while to the east, the Svalbard platform and the Stappen High were subjected to erosion and probably acted as the main sediment source for the northwestern Barents Sea margin. The amount of erosion will be estimated from the study of the deposited sediment volumes and their inferred source area. We will then compare the sedimentation and erosion rates to rates from other parts of the Norwegian - Barents Sea - Svalbard margin as well as relevant modern systems. Furthermore, the Cenozoic paleo-geography will be reconstructed.

Locomotor activity during the frenzy swim: analysing early swimming behaviour in hatchling sea turtles.

PubMed

Pereira, Carla M; Booth, David T; Limpus, Colin J

2011-12-01

Swimming effort of hatchling sea turtles varies across species. In this study we analysed how swim thrust is produced in terms of power stroke rate, mean maximum thrust per power stroke and percentage of time spent power stroking throughout the first 18 h of swimming after entering the water, in both loggerhead and flatback turtle hatchlings and compared this with previous data from green turtle hatchlings. Loggerhead and green turtle hatchlings had similar power stroke rates and percentage of time spent power stroking throughout the trial, although mean maximum thrust was always significantly higher in green hatchlings, making them the most vigorous swimmers in our three-species comparison. Flatback hatchlings, however, were different from the other two species, with overall lower values in all three swimming variables. Their swimming effort dropped significantly during the first 2 h and kept decreasing significantly until the end of the trial at 18 h. These results support the hypothesis that ecological factors mould the swimming behaviour of hatchling sea turtles, with predator pressure being important in determining the strategy used to swim offshore. Loggerhead and green turtle hatchlings seem to adopt an intensely vigorous and energetically costly frenzy swim that would quickly take them offshore into the open ocean in order to reduce their exposure to near-shore aquatic predators. Flatback hatchlings, however, are restricted in geographic distribution and remain within the continental shelf region where predator pressure is probably relatively constant. For this reason, flatback hatchlings might use only part of their energy reserves during a less vigorous frenzy phase, with lower overall energy expenditure during the first day compared with loggerhead and green turtle hatchlings.

Strike-slip deformation reflects complex partitioning of strain in the Nankai Accretionary Prism (SE Japan)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azevedo, Marco C.; Alves, Tiago M.; Fonseca, Paulo E.; Moore, Gregory F.

2018-01-01

Previous studies have suggested predominant extensional tectonics acting, at present, on the Nankai Accretionary Prism (NAP), and following a parallel direction to the convergence vector between the Philippine Sea and Amur Plates. However, a complex set of thrusts, pop-up structures, thrust anticlines and strike-slip faults is observed on seismic data in the outer wedge of the NAP, hinting at a complex strain distribution across SE Japan. Three-dimensional (3D) seismic data reveal three main families of faults: (1) NE-trending thrusts and back-thrusts; (2) NNW- to N-trending left-lateral strike-slip faults; and (3) WNW-trending to E-W right-lateral strike-slip faults. Such a fault pattern suggests that lateral slip, together with thrusting, are the two major styles of deformation operating in the outer wedge of the NAP. Both styles of deformation reflect a transpressional tectonic regime in which the maximum horizontal stress is geometrically close to the convergence vector. This work is relevant because it shows a progressive change from faults trending perpendicularly to the convergence vector, to a broader partitioning of strain in the form of thrusts and conjugate strike-slip faults. We suggest that similar families of faults exist within the inner wedge of the NAP, below the Kumano Basin, and control stress accumulation and strain accommodation in this latter region.

Stenian Estuarine System and Early Neoproterozoic Microbial Records of Capiru Formation, Southern Ribeira Belt.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cury, L. F.; Santos, L. D. R.; Leandro, R.; Lange, L.; Bahniuk Rumbelsperger, A.

2017-12-01

The Capiru formation is a low-grade metasedimentary sequence composed by slates, rhythmic phyllites, quartzites and marbles, disposed and disrupted in tectonic blocks delimited by thrust and strike-slip faults related to oblique collisions in the southern Ribeira Belt, Curitiba terrane, southern Brazil. The rocks of the Capiru formation crops out as a thrust-folded belt, delimited on the north by the transcurrent faults of Lancinha Shear Zone (LSZ), and to the south by thrust faults with large isograde variation. Three lithological sequences are recognized mainly by their compositional and stratigraphic records, including a (i) ferruginous sequence with quartzites, metasandstones and metaconglomerates with goethite/hematite cements and phyllites with magnetite; ii) metadolomites with stromatolites, interbeded with pelitic layers and iii) a metapelitic sequence with metarhythmites and metasandstones with well preserved organic-rich material. The records of two tectonic-metamorphic events related to thrust and transpressive tectonics are heterogeneously developed in all sequences, still been recognized sections with the original stratigraphic succession. The stratigraphic record suggests an estuarine environment with rising sea level developing tidal flats and tidal channels. U-Pb detrital zircon analyses characterizes Rhyacian ages (between 2.2-2.1 Ga) as the main sources, and Stenian ages (between 1.08-1.20 Ga) as maximum age for sedimentation. The metapelites mineral assemblage is composed by quartz, muscovite, sericite, illite, kaolinite, sepiolite, magnetite, goethite, hematite and carbonaceous material with bulk organic carbon content (BOC) ranging from 0.09 to 1.21 (%), a precambrian microbial activity record. The metadolomites are characterized by the presence of stromatolites in different types and dimensions, with microbial activity records supported by SEM-EDS (up to 91% C), with EPS-like morphologies within microporosity, NaCl compounds and clay minerals, probably indicative of microorganism contribution during the deposition.

Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Northwest Laptev Sea Shelf Province, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klett, Timothy; Pitman, Janet K.; Moore, Thomas E.; Gautier, Donald L.

2017-12-22

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has recently assessed the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Northwest Laptev Sea Shelf Province as part of the USGS Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal. The province is in the Russian Arctic, east of Severnaya Zemlya and the Taimyr fold-and-thrust belt. The province is separated from the rest of the Laptev Sea Shelf by the Severnyi transform fault. One assessment unit (AU) was defined for this study: the Northwest Laptev Sea Shelf AU. The estimated mean volumes of undiscovered petroleum resources in the Northwest Laptev Sea Shelf Province are approximately 172 million barrels of crude oil, 4.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 119 million barrels of natural-gas liquids, north of the Arctic Circle.

Window into the Caledonian orogen: Structure of the crust beneath the East Shetland platform, United Kingdom

USGS Publications Warehouse

McBride, J.H.; England, R.W.

1999-01-01

Reprocessing and interpretation of commercial and deep seismic reflection data across the East Shetland platform and its North Sea margin provide a new view of crustal subbasement structure beneath a poorly known region of the British Caledonian orogen. The East Shetland platform, east of the Great Glen strike-slip fault system, is one of the few areas of the offshore British Caledonides that remained relatively insulated from the Mesozoic and later rifting that involved much of the area around the British Isles, thus providing an "acoustic window" into the deep structure of the orogen. Interpretation of the reflection data suggests that the crust beneath the platform retains a significant amount of its original Caledonian and older architecture. The upper to middle crust is typically poorly reflective except for individual prominent dipping reflectors with complex orientations that decrease in dip with depth and merge with a lower crustal layer of high reflectivity. The three-dimensional structural orientation of the reflectors beneath the East Shetland platform is at variance with Caledonian reflector trends observed elsewhere in the Caledonian orogen (e.g., north of the Scottish mainland), emphasizing the unique tectonic character of this part of the orogen. Upper to middle crustal reflectors are interpreted as Caledonian or older thrust surfaces that were possibly reactivated by Devonian extension associated with post-Caledonian orogenic collapse. The appearance of two levels of uneven and diffractive (i.e., corrugated) reflectivity in the lower crust, best developed on east-west-oriented profiles, is characteristic of the East Shetland platform. However, a north-south-oriented profile reveals an interpreted south-vergent folded and imbricated thrust structure in the lower crust that appears to be tied to the two levels of corrugated reflectivity on the east-west profiles. A thrust-belt origin for lower crustal reflectivity would explain its corrugated appearance. Regional seismic velocity models derived from refraction data suggest that this reflectivity correlates with a continuous lower crustal layer that has an intermediate seismic velocity. The lower crustal reflectivity is determined to be older than Mesozoic age by the bending down and truncation of the two reflectivity levels at the western margin of the North Sea Viking graben by a major mantle reflector inferred to be associated with Mesozoic rifting. The results of this study are thus in contrast with orthodox interpretations of the reflective layered lower crust as being caused by mantle-derived igneous intrusion or by deformation fabrics associated with stretching in response to continental rifting.

Geometry and slip rates of active blind thrusts in a reactivated back-arc rift using shallow seismic imaging: Toyama basin, central Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishiyama, Tatsuya; Kato, Naoko; Sato, Hiroshi; Koshiya, Shin; Toda, Shigeru; Kobayashi, Kenta

2017-10-01

Active blind thrust faults, which can be a major seismic hazard in urbanized areas, are commonly difficult to image with seismic reflection surveys. To address these challenges in coastal plains, we collected about 8 km-long onshore high-resolution two-dimensional (2D) seismic reflection data using a dense array of 800 geophones across compressionally reactivated normal faults within a failed rift system located along the southwestern extension of the Toyama trough in the Sea of Japan. The processing of the seismic reflection data illuminated their detailed subsurface structures to depths of about 3 km. The interpreted depth-converted section, correlated with nearby Neogene stratigraphy, indicated the presence of and along-strike variation of previously unrecognized complex thrust-related structures composed of active fault-bend folds coupled with pairs of flexural slip faults within the forelimb and newly identified frontal active blind thrusts beneath the alluvial plain. In addition, growth strata and fold scarps that deform lower to upper Pleistocene units record the recent history of their structural growth and fault activity. This case shows that shallow seismic reflection imaging with densely spaced seismic recorders is a useful tool in defining locations, recent fault activity, and complex geometry of otherwise inaccessible active blind thrust faults.

Seismotectonics of the 6 February 2012 Mw 6.7 Negros Earthquake, central Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aurelio, M. A.; Dianala, J. D. B.; Taguibao, K. J. L.; Pastoriza, L. R.; Reyes, K.; Sarande, R.; Lucero, A.

2017-07-01

At 03:49 UTC on the 6th of February 2012, Negros Island in the Visayan region of central Philippines was struck by a magnitude Mw 6.7 earthquake causing deaths of over 50 people and tremendous infrastructure damage leaving hundreds of families homeless. The epicenter was located in the vicinity of the eastern coastal towns of La Libertad and Tayasan of the Province of Negros Oriental. Earthquake-induced surface deformation was mostly in the form of landslides, liquefaction, ground settlement, subsidence and lateral spread. There were no clear indications of a fault surface rupture. The earthquake was triggered by a fault that has not been previously recognized. Earthquake data, including epicentral and hypocentral distributions of main shock and aftershocks, and focal mechanism solutions of the main shock and major aftershocks, indicate a northeast striking, northwest dipping nodal plane with a reverse fault mechanism. Offshore seismic profiles in the Tañon Strait between the islands of Negros and Cebu show a northwest dipping reverse fault consistent in location, geometry and mechanism with the nodal plane calculated from earthquake data. The earthquake generator is here proposed to be named the Negros Oriental Thrust (NOT). Geologic transects established from structural traverses across the earthquake region reveal an east-verging fold-thrust system. In the latitude of Guihulngan, this fold-thrust system is represented by the Razor Back Anticline - Negros Oriental Thrust pair, and by the Pamplona Anticline - Yupisan Thrust pair in the latitude of Dumaguete to the south. Together, these active fold-thrust systems are causing active deformation of the western section of the Visayan Sea Basin under a compressional tectonic regime. This finding contradicts previous tectonic models that interpret the Tañon Strait as a graben, bounded on both sides by normal faults supposedly operating under an extensional regime. The Negros Earthquake and the active fold-thrust systems that were discovered in the course of the structural analysis provide strong arguments for basin inversion processes now affecting the Visayan Sea Basin, albeit under very slow strain rates derived from previous GPS campaigns. The occurrence of the earthquake in an area where no active faults have been previously recognized and characterized by slow present-day strain rates underscores the necessity of paying more attention to and exerting more effort in the evaluation of earthquake hazards of regions that are seemingly seismically quiet, especially when they underlie highly urbanized areas.

Performance potential of air turbo-ramjet employing supersonic through-flow fan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kepler, C. E.; Champagne, G. A.

1989-01-01

A study was conducted to assess the performance potential of a supersonic through-flow fan in an advanced engine designed to power a Mach-5 cruise vehicle. It included a preliminary evaluation of fan performance requirements and the desirability of supersonic versus subsonic combustion, the design and performance of supersonic fans, and the conceptual design of a single-pass air-turbo-rocket/ramjet engine for a Mach 5 cruise vehicle. The study results showed that such an engine could provide high thrust over the entire speed range from sea-level takeoff to Mach 5 cruise, especially over the transonic speed range, and high fuel specific impulse at the Mach 5 cruise condition, with the fan windmilling.

Effect of design over-all compressor pressure ratio division on acceleration characteristics of three hypothetical two-spool turbojet engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Filippi, Richard E; Dugan, James F , Jr

1956-01-01

The engines, each with a compressor overall total-pressure ratio of 12 and a design inner-turbine-inlet temperature of 2500 degrees R, were investigated at static sea-level conditions to determine the effect on transient performance of varying the desitn pressure ratio divisions 2-6, 3-4, and 4-3 between the outer and inner compressors. The transient considered was an acceleration from 40 to 100 percent design thrust. When the outer compressor of each engine reached design speed, the inner compressors were overspeeding, the maximum being only 1.7 over design mechanical speed. Acceleration times for the three engines were equal.

Recommended Practices in Thrust Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polk, James E.; Pancotti, Anthony; Haag, Thomas; King, Scott; Walker, Mitchell; Blakely, Joseph; Ziemer, John

2013-01-01

Accurate, direct measurement of thrust or impulse is one of the most critical elements of electric thruster characterization, and one of the most difficult measurements to make. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics has started an initiative to develop standards for many important measurement processes in electric propulsion, including thrust measurements. This paper summarizes recommended practices for the design, calibration, and operation of pendulum thrust stands, which are widely recognized as the best approach for measuring micro N- to mN-level thrust and micro Ns-level impulse bits. The fundamentals of pendulum thrust stand operation are reviewed, along with its implementation in hanging pendulum, inverted pendulum, and torsional balance configurations. Methods of calibration and recommendations for calibration processes are presented. Sources of error are identified and methods for data processing and uncertainty analysis are discussed. This review is intended to be the first step toward a recommended practices document to help the community produce high quality thrust measurements.

Medium-frequency impulsive-thrust-activated liquid hydrogen reorientation with Geyser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hung, R. J.; Shyu, K. L.

1992-01-01

Efficient technique are studied for accomplishing propellant resettling through the minimization of propellant usage through impulsive thrust. A comparison between the use of constant-thrust and impulsive-thrust accelerations for the activation of propellant resettlement shows that impulsive thrust is superior to constant thrust for liquid reorientation in a reduced-gravity environment. This study shows that when impulsive thrust with 0.1-1.0-, and 10-Hz frequencies for liquid-fill levels in the range between 30-80 percent is considered, the selection of 1.0-Hz-frequency impulsive thrust over the other frequency ranges of impulsive thrust is the optimum. Characteristics of the slosh waves excited during the course of 1.0-Hz-frequency impulsive-thrust liquid reorientation were also analyzed.

High Resolution Multichannel Imaging of Basin Growth Along a Continental Transform: The Marmara Sea Along the North Anatolian Fault in NW Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steckler, M. S.; Çifçi, G.; Demirbağ, E.; Akhun, S. D.; Büyükaşik, E.; Cevatoglu, M.; Coşkun, S.; Diebold, J.; Dondurur, D.; Gürçay, S.; Imren, C.; Kücük, H. M.; Kurt, H.; Özer, P. G.; Perinçek, E.; Seeber, L.; Shillington, D.; Sorlien, C.; Timur, D.

2008-12-01

The 1500-km-long North Anatolian continental transform (NAF) accommodates the westward motion of the Anatolian platelet relative to Asia. The Marmara Trough in western Turkey is a large composite Quaternary structure that includes three main extensional basins with water depths reaching ~1200m separated by shallower ridges. Syntectonic sedimentation in the basins with highly variable sea-level-related changes in accumulation rates provide valuable time-space markers for reconstructing structural growth and basin development in the Marmara Sea. The TAMAM (Turkish-American MArmara Multichannel) Project is a collaboration between several US and Turkish research institutes. During July 2008, TAMAM collected ~2700 km of multichannel profiles in the Marmara Sea using the R/V K. Piri Reis. MCS data were sampled with a 1-ms interval on the first 72 channels with 6.25m group spacing in a 600m streamer. The source was a 45/45 cu. in. GI air gun, which was fired every 12.5 or18.75m. The gun-streamer offset was 40 or 100 m depending on water depth. Both the gun and streamer were towed at a depth of 3 or 4m. This configuration yielded high-resolution images of the stratigraphy in the Marmara Sea. TAMAM follows a recent series of impressive seismotectonic studies of the NAF in the Marmara Sea area. Previous seismic cruises focused on deep penetration MCS imaging of the overall basin structure and faulting or very high-resolution imaging of the near-surface faulting. TAMAM fills a gap in resolution imaging the stratigraphy that records the history of deformation in the basins and linkages between faults. We will present preliminary high-resolution images of the stratigraphy and tectonics beneath the Marmara Sea highlighting the following exciting observations and initial results from this experiment: 1) Improved stratigraphic correlations between the major basins, a primary goal of the experiment; 2) Clearer imaging of active faults, including the NAF, the less studied southern branch of the NAF, the Imrali fault, and numerous smaller active faults; 3) Imaging of thrusts and thrust-related folds in parts of the basin; 4) Better constraints on variations in the dip and sense of motion (transpression vs. transtension) on the upper 1-2 km of the NAF; 5) Stratigraphic boundaries in the turbiditic sections in the deep basins that may be related to interactions between tectonics and changes in sedimentation rate driven by variations in sealevel and paleoclimate; 5) Extent of gravity slides at the edges of most of the subbasins; and 6) Imaging of a stack of lowstand deltas with a relatively even vertical spacing suggesting deposition tracking the ~100 ka late Quaternary glacial cycles.

Contrasted terrace systems of the lower Moulouya valley as indicator of crustal deformation in NE Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rixhon, Gilles; Bartz, Melanie; El Ouahabi, Meriam; Szemkus, Nina; Brueckner, Helmut

2016-04-01

The Moulouya river has the largest catchment in Morocco and drains an area which is characterized by active crustal deformation during the Late Cenozoic due to the convergence between the African and Eurasian plates. As yet, its Pleistocene terrace sequence remains poorly documented. Our study focuses on the lowermost reach of the river in NE Morocco, which drains the Triffa sedimentary basin directly upstream of the estuary. New field observations, measurements and sedimentological data reveal contrasted fluvial environments on either side of a newly identified thrust zone, which disrupts the whole sedimentary basin and is associated with N-S compressive shortening in this region (Barcos et al., 2014). Long-lasting fluvial aggradation, materialized by ≥37 m-thick stacked fill terraces, and the development of a well-preserved terrace staircase, with (at least) three Pleistocene terrace levels, occur in the footwall and the hanging wall of the thrust, respectively. Same as for the Pleistocene terrace sediments of the middle Moulouya, a recurrent sedimentary pattern, characterized by fining-upward sequences was observed in the studied terrace profiles. Assessing the rates of crustal deformation along this main thrust zone requires age estimations for these Pleistocene terrace deposits of the lower Moulouya on each side of the thrust. Samples for luminescence (OSL/IRSL), electron spin resonance (ESR, on quartz) and cosmogenic nuclide dating (26Al/10Be, burial dating) were collected in terrace deposits located both in the foot- and hanging walls. Sample preparation and analysis as well as age determination are in progress. The preliminary data mentioned above, soon to be completed by chronological data, agree well with morphometric indicators stating that the whole Moulouya catchment is at disequilibrium state (Barcos et al., 2014). This is confirmed by several knickpoints in its longitudinal profile. Late Cenozoic uplift associated with crustal shortening, which occurred in the lowermost reach of the river, may have both hindered profile rectification of the Moulouya and, at the same time, buffered the effects of long-term base-level changes due to eustatic sea-level variations. Reference: Barcos, L., Jabaloy, A., Azdimousa, A., Asebriy, L., Gómez-Ortiz, D., Rodríguez-Peces, M.J., Tejero, R., Pérez-Peña, J.V., 2014. Study of relief changes related to active doming in the eastern Moroccan Rif (Morocco) using geomorphological indices. J. African Earth Sci. 100, 493-509.

Thrust modulation methods for a subsonic V/STOL aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woollett, R. R.

1981-01-01

Low speed wind tunnel tests were conducted to assess four methods for attaining thrust modulation for V/STOL aircraft. The four methods were: (1) fan speed change, (2) fan nozzle exit area change, (3) variable pitch rotor (VPR) fan, and (4) variable inlet guide vanes (VIGV). The interrelationships between inlet and thrust modulation system were also investigated using a double slotted inlet and thick lip inlet. Results can be summarized as: (1) the VPR and VIGV systems were the most promising, (2) changes in blade angle to obtain changes in fan thrust have significant implications for the inlet, and (3) both systems attained required level of thrust with acceptable levels of fan blade stress.

Deltaic sedimentation and stratigraphic sequences in post-orogenic basins, Western Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piper, David J. W.; Kontopoulos, N.; Panagos, A. G.

1988-03-01

Post-orogenic basin sediments in the gulfs of Corinth, Patras and Amvrakia, on the western coast of Greece, occur in four tectonic settings: (1) true graben; (2) simple and complex half graben; (3) shallow half graben associated with the high-angel surface traces of thrust faults; and (4) marginal depressions adjacent to graben in which sediment loading has occurred. Late Quaternary facies distribution has been mapped in all three basins. Sea level changes, interacting with the apparently fortuitous elevation of horsts at basin margins, result in a complex alternation of well-mixed marine, stratified marine, brackish and lacustrine facies. Organic carbon contents of muds are high in all but the well-mixed marine facies. Basin margin slope is the most important determinant of facies distribution. The steep slopes of the Gulf of Corinth half graben result in fan-deltas which deliver coarse sediments in turbidity currents to the deep basin floor. Where gradients are reduced by marginal downwarping (Gulf of Patras) or on the gentle slopes of thrust-related half graben (Gulf of Amvrakia) coarse sediments are trapped on the subaerial delta or the coastal zone, and the fine sediment reaching the basin floor appears derived mainly from muddy plumes during winter floods.

Preliminary flight test results of the F100 EMD engine in an F-15 airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, L. P.; Burcham, F. W., Jr.

1984-01-01

A flight evaluation of the F100 Engine Model Derivative (EMD) is conducted. The F100 EMD is an advanced version of the F100 engine that powers the F15 and F16 airplanes. The F100 EMD features a bigger fan, higher temperature turbine, a Digital Electronic Engine Control system (DEEC), and a newly designed 16 segment afterburner, all of which results in a 15 to 20 percent increase in sea level thrust. The flight evaluations consist of investigation of performance (thrust, fuel flow, and airflow) and operability (transient response and airstart) in the F-15 airplane. The performance of the F100 EMD is excellent. Aircraft acceleration time to Mach 2.0 is reduced by 23 percent with two F100 EMD engines. Several anomalies are discovered in the operability evaluations. A software change to the DEEC improved the throttle, and subsequent Cooper Harper ratings of 3 to 4 are obtained. In the extreme upper left hand corner of the flight enveloped, compressor stalls occurr when the throttle is retarded to idle power. These stalls are not predicted by altitude facility tests or stability for the compressor.

Shaping low-thrust trajectories with thrust-handling feature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taheri, Ehsan; Kolmanovsky, Ilya; Atkins, Ella

2018-02-01

Shape-based methods are becoming popular in low-thrust trajectory optimization due to their fast computation speeds. In existing shape-based methods constraints are treated at the acceleration level but not at the thrust level. These two constraint types are not equivalent since spacecraft mass decreases over time as fuel is expended. This paper develops a shape-based method based on a Fourier series approximation that is capable of representing trajectories defined in spherical coordinates and that enforces thrust constraints. An objective function can be incorporated to minimize overall mission cost, i.e., achieve minimum ΔV . A representative mission from Earth to Mars is studied. The proposed Fourier series technique is demonstrated capable of generating feasible and near-optimal trajectories. These attributes can facilitate future low-thrust mission designs where different trajectory alternatives must be rapidly constructed and evaluated.

Thrust Stand Characterization of the NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diamant, Kevin D.; Pollard, James E.; Crofton, Mark W.; Patterson, Michael J.; Soulas, George C.

2010-01-01

Direct thrust measurements have been made on the NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion engine using a standard pendulum style thrust stand constructed specifically for this application. Values have been obtained for the full 40-level throttle table, as well as for a few off-nominal operating conditions. Measurements differ from the nominal NASA throttle table 10 (TT10) values by 3.1 percent at most, while at 30 throttle levels (TLs) the difference is less than 2.0 percent. When measurements are compared to TT10 values that have been corrected using ion beam current density and charge state data obtained at The Aerospace Corporation, they differ by 1.2 percent at most, and by 1.0 percent or less at 37 TLs. Thrust correction factors calculated from direct thrust measurements and from The Aerospace Corporation s plume data agree to within measurement error for all but one TL. Thrust due to cold flow and "discharge only" operation has been measured, and analytical expressions are presented which accurately predict thrust based on thermal thrust generation mechanisms.

Hydrodynamic thrust generation and power consumption investigations for piezoelectric fins with different aspect ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahab, S.; Tan, D.; Erturk, A.

2015-12-01

Bio-inspired hydrodynamic thrust generation using piezoelectric transduction has recently been explored using Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC) actuators. The MFC technology strikes a balance between the actuation force and structural deformation levels for effective swimming performance, and additionally offers geometric scalability, silent operation, and ease of fabrication. Recently we have shown that mean thrust levels comparable to biological fish of similar size can be achieved using MFC fins. The present work investigates the effect of length-to-width (L/b) aspect ratio on the hydrodynamic thrust generation performance of MFC cantilever fins by accounting for the power consumption level. It is known that the hydrodynamic inertia and drag coefficients are controlled by the aspect ratio especially for L/b< 5. The three MFC bimorph fins explored in this work have the aspect ratios of 2.1, 3.9, and 5.4. A nonlinear electrohydroelastic model is employed to extract the inertia and drag coefficients from the vibration response to harmonic actuation for the first bending mode. Experiments are then conducted for various actuation voltage levels to quantify the mean thrust resultant and power consumption levels for different aspect ratios. Variation of the thrust coefficient of the MFC bimorph fins with changing aspect ratio is also semi-empirically modeled and presented.

Geologic map of the Hogback Mountain quadrangle, Lewis and Clark and Meagher Counties, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reynolds, Mitchell W.

2003-01-01

The geologic map of the Hogback Mountain quadrangle, scale 1:24,000, was made as part of the Montana Investigations Project to provide new information on the stratigraphy, structure, and geologic history of an area in the geologically complex southern part of the Montana disturbed belt. In the Hogback Mountain area, rocks ranging in age from Middle Proterozoic through Cretaceous are strongly folded within and under thrust plates of equivalent rocks. Continental rocks of successive thrust plates have been telescoped eastward over a buttress of the stable continent. Erosional remnants of Oligocene andesitic basalt lie on highest surfaces eroded across the strongly deformed older rocks; younger erosion has dissected the terrain deeply, producing Late Tertiary and Quaternary deposits of alluvium, colluvium, and local landslide debris in the valleys and canyons. Different stratigraphic successions are exposed at different structural levels across the quadrangle. In the northeastern part of the quadrangle at the lowest structural level, rocks of the Upper Mississippian Big Snowy Group, including the Kibbey Formation and the undivided Otter and Heath Formations, the overlying Pennsylvanian Amsden and undivided Quadrant and Phosphoria Formations, the Ellis Group, and the Kootenai Formation, are folded and broken by thrust faults. The next higher structural level, the Avalanche Butte thrust plate, exposes strongly folded and, in places, attenuated strata of Cambrian (Flathead Sandstone, Wolsey Shale, Meagher Limestone, and undivided Pilgrim Formation and Park Shale), Devonian (Maywood Formation, Jefferson Formation, and most of the Three Forks Formation), and Mississippian (uppermost part of the Three Forks Formation and Lodgepole and Mission Canyon Limestones) ages. The overlying Hogback Mountain thrust plate contains strongly folded rocks ranging in age from the Middle Proterozoic Greyson Formation to the Upper and Lower Mississippian Mission Canyon Limestone and Cretaceous diorite sills. The highest structural level, the Moors Mountain thrust plate, contains the Middle Proterozoic Greyson and Newland Formations and discontinuous Upper Proterozoic diabase sills. Rocks are complexly folded and faulted across the quadrangle. At the lowest level in the northeastern part of the quadrangle, Upper Mississippian and younger strata are folded along northwest-trending axes and broken by thrust faults that at outcrop level displace the same rocks. The central core of the quadrangle is formed by the Avalanche Butte thrust plate, which contains recumbently folded and thrust faulted Paleozoic rocks. A succession of four tight recumbent folds within the plate have axial traces that trend northwest and north-northwest, and that are both arched and downfolded along east- and northeast-trending axes. Carbonate rocks of the Mission Canyon and Lodgepole Limestones in the upper part of the Avalanche Butte thrust plate exposed in the canyon of Trout Creek are folded and attenuated in stacked east-directed recumbent folds that developed as a succession of folded duplex thrust slices. The exposed remnant of the next higher structural level, the Hogback Mountain thrust plate, contains northeast- and east-trending folds that are inverted on the upper overturned limb of a younger northwest-trending recumbent fold. The Hogback Mountain thrust fault is itself folded and, in its northernmost exposures, is overturned to dip west beneath the overlying Moors Mountain thrust plate. During post-middle Tertiary deformation, the Hogback Mountain thrust fault moved as a normal fault, down on the east. The structurally highest Moors Mountain thrust plate rests on the Avalanche Butte thrust plate in the southwestern part of the quadrangle and across both the Avalanche Butte and Hogback Mountain thrust plates along the northwest edge of the quadrangle. In the central eastern part of the map area, the edge of a large klippen of the Moors Mounta

Stratigraphy of lower to middle Paleozoic rocks of northern Nevada and the Antler orogeny

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ketner, Keith B.

2013-01-01

Commonly accepted concepts concerning the lower Paleozoic stratigraphy of northern Nevada are based on the assumption that the deep-water aspects of Ordovician to Devonian siliceous strata are due to their origin in a distant oceanic environment, and their presence where we find them is due to tectonic emplacement by the Roberts Mountains thrust. The concept adopted here is based on the assumption that their deep-water aspects are the result of sea-level rise in the Cambrian, and all of the Paleozoic strata in northern Nevada are indigenous to that area. The lower part of the Cambrian consists mainly of shallow-water cross-bedded sands derived from the craton. The upper part of the Cambrian, and part of the Ordovician, consists mainly of deep-water carbonate clastics carried by turbidity currents from the carbonate shelf in eastern Nevada, newly constructed as a result of sea-level rise. Ordovician to mid-Devonian strata are relatively deep-water siliceous deposits, which are the western facies assemblage. The basal contact of this assemblage on autochthonous Cambrian rocks is exposed in three mountain ranges and is clearly depositional in all three. The western facies assemblage can be divided into distinct stratigraphic units of regional extent. Many stratigraphic details can be explained simply by known changes in sea level. Upper Devonian to Mississippian strata are locally and westerly derived orogenic clastic beds deposited disconformably on the western facies assemblage. This disconformity, clearly exposed in 10 mountain ranges, indicates regional uplift and erosion of the western facies assemblage and absence of local deformation. The disconformity represents the Antler orogeny.

Seismic imaging of gas hydrates in the northernmost South China sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tan K.; Yang, Ben Jhong; Deng, Jia-Ming; Lee, Chao-Shing; Liu, Char-Shine

2010-03-01

Horizon velocity analysis and pre-stack depth migration of seismic profiles collected by R/V Maurice Ewing in 1995 across the accretionary prism off SW Taiwan and along the continental slope of the northernmost South China Sea were implemented for identifying gas hydrates. Similarly, a survey of 32 ocean-bottom seismometers (OBS), with a spacing of about 500 m, was conducted for exploring gas hydrates on the accretionary prism off SW Taiwan in April 2006. Travel times of head wave, refraction, reflection and converted shear wave identified from the hydrophone, vertical and horizontal components of these OBS data were applied for imaging P-wave velocity and Poisson’s ratio of hydrate-bearing sediments. In the accretionary prism off SW Taiwan, we found hydrate-bearing sediment, with a thickness of about 100-200 m, a relatively high P-wave velocity of 1.87-2.04 km/s and a relatively low Poisson’s ratio of 0.445-0.455, below anticlinal ridges near imbricate emergent thrusts in the drainage system of the Penghu and Kaoping Canyons. Free-gas layer, with a thickness of about 30-120 m, a relatively low P-wave velocity of 1.4-1.8 km/s and a relatively high Poisson’s ratio (0.47-0.48), was also observed below most of the bottom-simulating reflectors (BSR). Subsequently, based on rock physics of the three-phase effective medium, we evaluated the hydrate saturation of about 12-30% and the free-gas saturation of about 1-4%. The highest saturation (30% and 4%) of gas hydrates is found below anticlines due to N-S trending thrust-bounded folds and NE-SW thrusting and strike-slip ramps in the lower slope of the accretionary prism. We suggest that fluid may have migrated through the relay-fault array due to decollement folding and gas hydrates have been trapped in anticlines formed by the basement rises along the thrust faults. In contrast, in the rifted continental margin of the northernmost South China Sea, P-wave velocities of 1.9-2.2 km/s and 1.3-1.6 km/s, and thicknesses of about 50-200 m and 100-200 m, respectively, for a hydrate layer and a free-gas layer were imaged below the remnant and erosional ridges in the upper continental slope. High P-wave velocity of hydrate-bearing sediment below erosional ridges may also indicate high saturation of hydrates there. Normal faults due to rifting in the South China continental crust may have provided conduits for gas migration below the erosional ridges where P-wave velocity of hydrate-bearing sediment in the passive continental margin of the northernmost South China Sea is greater than that in the active accretionary prism off SW Taiwan.

Structural characteristics around the frontal thrust along the Nankai Trough revealed by bathymetric and seismic reflection survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamashita, M.; Nakanishi, A.; Moore, G. F.; Kodaira, S.; Nakamura, Y.; Miura, S.; Kaneda, Y.

2016-12-01

Great earthquakes with tsunamis with recurrence intervals of 100-200 years have occurred along the Nankai Trough near central Japan where the Shikoku Basin is subducting with thick sediments on the Philippine Sea plate. To predict the exact height of the tsunami on the coast region generated by these large ruptures, it is important to estimate the vertical deformation that occurs on the seaward end of the rupture area. Recent drilling results have also yielded evidence not only of splay faults that generate tsunamigenic rupture, but also new evidence of tsunamigenic rupture along the frontal thrust at the trench axis in the Nankai Trough. In order to understand the deformation around the frontal thrust at the trench axis, we conducted a dense high-resolution seismic reflection survey with 10-20 km spacing over 1500 km of line length during 2013 and 2014. Clear seismic reflection images of frontal thrusts in the accretionary prism and subducting Shikoku Basin, image deformation along the trench axis between off Muroto Cape and off Ashizuri Cape. The cumulative displacement along the frontal thrust and second thrust are measured from picked distinct reflectors in depth-converted profiles. The average value of cumulative displacement of the frontal thrust is more than 100 m within 2 km depth beneath the seafloor. The location of highest displacement of 300 m displacement agree with the seaward end of slip distribution of the 1946 Nankai event calculated by numerical simulations. We also evaluate the seaward structure for understanding the future rupture distribution. The protothrust zone (PTZ) consisting of many incipient thrusts is identifiable in the portion of trough-fill sediments seaward of the frontal thrust. In order to emphasize the characteristics of frontal thrust and PTZ, we construct the detailed relief image for focusing on the lineated slope of the PTZ at the trough axis. Although our surveys covered a part of Nankai seismogenic zone, it is important to evaluate the initiation and evolution of frontal thrust at the toe of Nankai trough axis. This study is part of "Research project for compound disaster mitigation on the great earthquakes and tsunamis around the Nankai Trough region" funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan.

Near-field tsunami inferred from numerical modeling of medieval overwash at Anegada, British Virgin Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Y.; Ten Brink, U. S.; Atwater, B. F.; Tuttle, M. P.; Robert, H.; Feuillet, N.; Jennifer, W.; Fuentes, Z.

2012-12-01

In a comparison among numerical models of storms and tsunamis, only tsunami waves of nearby origin manage to wash over an area where coral heads of medieval age are scattered hundreds of meters inland from the north shore of Anegada, British Virgin Islands. This low-lying island faces the Puerto Rico Trench 120 km to the north. The island's north shore, fringed by a coral reef 100-1200 m offshore, displays geological evidence for two levels of overwash. The medieval overwash, dated to AD 1200-1450, was the higher one. It is evidenced by scores of coral boulders scattered hundreds of meters inland. Some of them crossed the area of the modern storm berm at Soldier Wash, continued across a broad limestone rise 3-4 m above sea level, and came to rest on lower ground farther inland. Coral heads in four other areas, also medieval or older, came to rest hundreds of meters inland from beach ridges now 2-4 m above sea level. The later, lower-elevation overwash, dated to AD 1650-1800, laid down a sheet of sand and shell that extends as much as 1.5 km inland. The hypothetical causes for each event, tested by numerical modeling, include (1) category IV and V hurricanes that differ in surge and wave heights; (2) the 1755 Lisbon earthquake or hypothetical medieval predecessor, at M 8.7 and M 9.0; (3) M 8.4 thrust earthquake along the Puerto Rico Trench between Hispaniola and Anegada; (4) M 8.7 thrust along the Puerto Rico Trench between Tortola and Antigua; (5) M 8.0 earthquake from normal faulting on the outer rise north of Anegada. The model output includes extent of onshore flooding, depth and velocity of overland flow, and energy lost by tsunami and hurricane waves as they cross the reef and continue across a shallow subtidal flat to Anegada's north shore. For the medieval overwash, the modeling is most conclusive in testing various explanations for the coral boulders inland of Soldier Wash. The simulated hurricane waves do not wash inland of the storm berm; the height of storm surge level is limited by deep water offshore, and the waves lose energy by breaking on the reef. As for the hypothesized tsunami sources, the Soldier Wash evidence is explained only by the M 8.7 interplate-thrust source along the eastern Puerto Rico Trench (4) or the outer-rise source north of Anegada (5). The M 8.7 interplate-thrust source may be inconsistent with recent GPS measurements [1], in which case the likely source is normal faulting on the outer rise (L = 132 km, W = 45 km, depth = 7.5 km, dip = 60°, strike = 110°, rake = -90°, slip = 7.1 m). The 1755 Lisbon tsunami may explain the sand-and-shell sheet from 1650-1800, with two caveats: (1) the sheet extends farther inland than does the modeled inundation from a Lisbon source smaller than M 9.0; and (2) neither of the Lisbon sources tested corresponds to mapped faults offshore Iberia (the modeled Lisbon sources strike NNW-SSE to account for flooding and damage elsewhere in the Caribbean [2]). In the hurricane models, the reef and the subtidal flats behind it dissipate too much wave energy from the storms to explain even the low-elevation overwash of 1650-1800. COMPANION ABSTRACTS: Geological evidence overview (Atwater), coral-boulder ages (Weil Accardo). REFERENCES: [1] GRL 39 (2012), L10304. [2] Marine Geology (2009), 264, 109-122.

Investigating the coastal paleo-seismic and paleo-tsunami records using vermetid benches in the Eastern Mediterranean: case of the Palm Islands reserve -Lebanon.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elias, A.

2014-12-01

The vermetid benches or reefs are thick bio-constructions of marine shells of the Vermetidae group that thrive at sea-level and are used as proxy for crustal tectonic deformation, sea-level changes, paleoclimate reconstruction or paleo-Tsunami markers in different regions especially around the Mediterranean Sea. The Palm Islands Reserve located 5km offshore northern Lebanon in the Eastern Mediterranean, on the hanging wall of a submarine, active thrust fault - the Rankine-Abdeh fault - hold abundant vermetid bio-constructions that are still relatively well preserved. It is an exceptional site for testing and investigating hypothesis on the use of the vermetid benches. We surveyed the surface and shorelines of the Palm Island, the largest of the Islands. The fossil vermetid bio-constructions are present as uplifted benches on its northern side. Also, many of the large boulders mostly found on the south-western shore of the islands still hold vermetid bio-constructions originally from the intertidal position before the boulders were uplifted and thrown over the surface of the island away from the shoreline by powerful waves. Two continuous vertical sections of these bio-constructions, 7 and 13cm thick were sampled for radiocarbon dating. Of the 21 large boulders we surveyed 10 had their vermetid crusts sampled for 14C dating. Their measured radiocarbon ages are spread over many centuries and do not cluster around any single date that could correspond with that of a tsunami or storm event responsible for their transport. On another hand the radiocarbon ages from the uplifted benches show that the last co-seismic rupture of the underlying and offshore Rankine-Abdeh thrust took place after the 9th century AD and resulted in the tectonic uplift of the Palm Islands shoreline, by around 80cm. Interpretation of the morphology and ages of the vermetid bio-constructions found on the overthrown boulders suggest that another such co-seismic event happened towards the end of the 4th millennium BC. Finally two vertical growth rates of the vermetid bio-constructions were estimated for the Palm Island location around 0.049 cm/yr during the 6-9th century AD and 0.033 cm/yr during the late 4th millennium BC.

Late tectonic uplift of an inverted oceanic basin in South East Asia: the case of Palawan Island (western Philippines)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meresse, F.; Savva, D.; Pubellier, M.; Steuer, S.; Franke, D.; Cordey, F.; Muller, C.; Sapin, F.; Mouly, B.; Auxiètre, J.-L.

2012-04-01

The elongated island of Palawan, bounded by two marginal basins, the South China Sea to the North and the Sulu Sea to the South is composed of remnants of an inverted basin (Proto-South China Sea) thrusted onto the margin of a continental terrane which rifted away from the Chinese-Vietnamese margin. Based on field observations coupled with seismic and drill-holes data, our study focuses on the structural architecture of the island in order to decipher the geodynamic evolution of the southern margin of the South China Sea. Structurally, the Palawan Island consists of: (i) the Palawan wedge, which extends towards the South China Sea is composed of deformed slope to deep ocean deposits of Cretaceous (north Palawan) to Tertiary (central and south Palawan) ages. This accretionnary wedge is characterized by small wavelength folds of mainly NE-SW trend. Offshore, the unconformable Middle-Late Miocene Tabon limestones unit postdates the last stages of the Palawan wedge growth/setting; (ii) On top of this wedge lie thrust slices of ophiolite bodies comprising ribbon cherts of Albian age as indicated by radiolarians.; these bodies are likely to be relicts of the now-subducted Proto South China Sea; (iii) The central and southern parts of the Palawan island are characterized by a large wavelength antiform of NE-SW trend. This structure is sealed by the slightly tilted Early Pliocene marls unit; (iv) The island also presents necking zones bordered by N-S trending transform faults. This area witnessed the geodynamic evolution of the South East Asia which consists of a succession of opening/closure of oceanic basins and block accretions. The Palawan Island therefore results of the closing of the Proto-South China Sea which once formed both the Palawan accretionary wedge and the overlying ophiolite tectonic slices. During a later compressive event, the rifted continental margin which composes the basement of the Island was inverted, inducing the uplift and the large scale folding of the Palawan Island. In a final stage, the strain relaxing results in the formation of the necking zones, probably reactivating the inherited transform faults of the Proto-South China Sea. Keywords: Palawan Island; South China Sea; oceanic basin; inverted margin; Ophiolite.

Spreading of the ocean floor: Undeformed sediments in the peru-chile trench

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scholl, D. W.; von Huene, Roland E.; Ridlon, J.B.

1968-01-01

None of the expected stratigraphic and structural effects of a spreading sea floor have been imposed on the sedimentary fill of the Peru-Chile Trench. During at least the last several million years, and perhaps during much of the Cenozoic, the trench has not been affected by an oceanic crust thrusting under the continent.

The evolution of the Dogger Bank, North Sea: A complex history of terrestrial, glacial and marine environmental change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cotterill, Carol J.; Phillips, Emrys; James, Leo; Forsberg, Carl Fredrik; Tjelta, Tor Inge; Carter, Gareth; Dove, Dayton

2017-09-01

This paper presents a summary of the results of a detailed multidisciplinary study of the near surface geology of the Dogger Bank in the southern central North Sea, forming part of a site investigation for a major windfarm development undertaken by the Forewind consortium. It has revealed that the Dogger Bank is internally complex rather than comprising a simple ;layer cake; of the Quaternary sediments as previously thought. Regional and high-resolution seismic surveys have enabled a revised stratigraphic framework to be established for the upper part of this sequence which comprises the Eem (oldest), Dogger Bank, Bolders Bank formations and Botney Cut Formation (youngest), overlain by a typically thin Holocene sequence. Detailed mapping of key horizons identified on the high-resolution seismic profiles has led to the recognition of a series of buried palaeo-landsystems which are characterised by a range of features including; glacial, glacifluvial and fluvial channels, a large-scale glacitectonic thrust-moraine complex with intervening ice-marginal basins, a lacustrine basin and marine ravinement surfaces. Interpretation of these buried landscapes has enabled the development of an environmental change model to explain the evolution of the Dogger Bank. This evolution was driven by the complex interplay between climate change, ice sheet dynamics and sea level change associated with the growth and subsequent demise of the British and Irish and Fennoscandian ice sheets during the Weichselian glaciation. Following the decay of these ice sheets the Dogger Bank entered a period of significant climatic and environmental flux which saw a terrestrial landscape being progressively inundated as sea levels rose during the Holocene.

Quiet Clean Short-Haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) acoustic and aerodynamic tests on a scale model over-the-wing thrust reverser and forward thrust nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stimpert, D. L.

1978-01-01

An acoustic and aerodynamic test program was conducted on a 1/6.25 scale model of the Quiet, Clean, Short-Haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) forward thrust over-the-wing (OTW) nozzle and OTW thrust reverser. In reverse thrust, the effect of reverser geometry was studied by parametric variations in blocker spacing, blocker height, lip angle, and lip length. Forward thrust nozzle tests determined the jet noise levels of the cruise and takeoff nozzles, the effect of opening side doors to achieve takeoff thrust, and scrubbing noise of the cruise and takeoff jet on a simulated wing surface. Velocity profiles are presented for both forward and reverse thrust nozzles. An estimate of the reverse thrust was made utilizing the measured centerline turning angle.

Low heat transfer oxidizer heat exchanger design and analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kanic, P. G.; Kmiec, T. D.; Peckham, R. J.

1987-01-01

The RL10-IIB engine, a derivative of the RLIO, is capable of multi-mode thrust operation. This engine operates at two low thrust levels: tank head idle (THI), which is approximately 1 to 2 percent of full thrust, and pumped idle (PI), which is 10 percent of full thrust. Operation at THI provides vehicle propellant settling thrust and efficient engine thermal conditioning; PI operation provides vehicle tank pre-pressurization and maneuver thrust for log-g deployment. Stable combustion of the RL10-IIB engine at THI and PI thrust levels can be accomplished by providing gaseous oxygen at the propellant injector. Using gaseous hydrogen from the thrust chamber jacket as an energy source, a heat exchanger can be used to vaporize liquid oxygen without creating flow instability. This report summarizes the design and analysis of a United Aircraft Products (UAP) low-rate heat transfer heat exchanger concept for the RL10-IIB rocket engine. The design represents a second iteration of the RL10-IIB heat exchanger investigation program. The design and analysis of the first heat exchanger effort is presented in more detail in NASA CR-174857. Testing of the previous design is detailed in NASA CR-179487.

Phanerozoic geological evolution of Northern and Central Africa: An overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guiraud, R.; Bosworth, W.; Thierry, J.; Delplanque, A.

2005-10-01

The principal paleogeographic characteristics of North and Central Africa during the Paleozoic were the permanency of large exposed lands over central Africa, surrounded by northerly and northwesterly dipping pediplanes episodically flooded by epicontinental seas related to the Paleotethys Ocean. The intra-continental Congo-Zaire Basin was also a long-lived feature, as well as the Somali Basin from Late Carboniferous times, in conjunction with the development of the Karoo basins of southern Africa. This configuration, in combination with eustatic sea-level fluctuations, had a strong influence on facies distributions. Significant transgressions occurred during the Early Cambrian, Tremadocian, Llandovery, Middle to Late Devonian, Early Carboniferous, and Moscovian. The Paleozoic tectonic history shows an alternation of long periods of predominantly gentle basin subsidence and short periods of gentle folding and occasionally basin inversion. Some local rift basins developed episodically, located mainly along the northern African-Arabian plate margin and near the West African Craton/Pan-African Belt suture. Several arches or spurs, mainly N-S to NE-SW trending and inherited from late Pan-African fault swarms, played an important role. The Nubia Province was the site of numerous alkaline anorogenic intrusions, starting in Ordovician times, and subsequently formed a large swell. Paleozoic compressional events occurred in the latest Early Cambrian ("Iskelian"), Medial Ordovician to earliest Silurian ("pre-Caradoc" and "Taconian"), the end Silurian ("Early Acadian" or "Ardennian"), mid-Devonian ("Mid-Acadian"), the end Devonian ("Late Acadian" or "Bretonnian"), the earliest Serpukhovian ("Sudetic"), and the latest Carboniferous-earliest Permian ("Alleghanian" or "Asturian"). The strongest deformations, including folding, thrusting, and active strike-slip faulting, were registered in Northwestern Africa during the last stage of the Pan-African Belt development around the West African Craton (end Early Cambrian) and during the polyphased Hercynian-Variscan Orogeny that extended the final closure of the Paleotethys Ocean and resulted in the formation of the Maghrebian and Mauritanides belts. Only gentle deformation affected central and northeastern African during the Paleozoic, the latter remaining a passive margin of the Paleotethys Ocean up to the Early Permian when the development of the Neotethys initiated along the Eastern Mediterranean Basins. The Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary sequence similarly consists of a succession of eustatically and tectonically controlled depositional cycles. Through time, progressive southwards shift of the basin margins occurred, related to the opening of the Neotethys Ocean and to the transgressions resulting from warming of the global climate and associated rise of the global sea level. The Guinean-Nigerian Shield, the Hoggar, Tibesti-Central Cyrenaica, Nubia, western Saudi Arabia, Central African Republic, and other long-lived arches delimited the principal basins. The main tectonic events were the polyphased extension, inversion, and folding of the northern African-Arabian shelf margin resulting in the development of the Alpine Maghrebian and Syrian Arc belts, rifting and drifting along the Central Atlantic, Somali Basins, and Gulf of Aden-Red Sea domains, inversion of the Murzuq-Djado Basin, and rifting and partial inversion along the Central African Rift System. Two major compressional events occurred in the Late Santonian and early Late Eocene. The former entailed folding and strike-slip faulting along the northeastern African-northern Arabian margin (Syrian Arc) and the Central African Fold Belt System (from Benue to Ogaden), and thrusting in Oman. The latter ("Pyrenean-Atlasic") resulted in folding, thrusting, and local metamorphism of the northern African-Arabian plate margin, and rejuvenation of intra-plate fault zones. Minor or more localized compressional deformations took place in the end Cretaceous, the Burdigalian, the Tortonian and Early Quaternary. Recent tectonic activity is mainly concentrated along the Maghrebian Alpine Belt, the offshore Nile Delta, the Red Sea-East African Rifts Province, the Aqaba-Dead Sea-Bekaa sinistral strike-slip fault zone, and some major intra-plate fault zones including the Guinean-Nubian, Aswa, and central Sinai lineaments. Large, long-lived magmatic provinces developed in the Egypt-Sudan confines (Nubia), in the Hoggar-Air massifs, along the Cameroon Line and Nigerian Jos Plateau, and along the Levant margin, resulting in uplifts that influenced the paleogeography. Extensive tholeiitic basaltic magmatism at ˜200 Ma preceded continental break-up in the Central Atlantic domain, while extensive alkaline to transitional basaltic magmatism accompanied the Oligocene to Recent rifting along the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden-East African rift province.

Static performance and noise tests on a thrust reverser for an augmentor wing aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harkonen, D. L.; Marrs, C. C.; Okeefe, J. V.

1974-01-01

A 1/3 scale model static test program was conducted to measure the noise levels and reverse thrust performance characteristics of wing-mounted thrust reverser that could be used on an advanced augmentor wing airplane. The configuration tested represents only the most fundamental designs where installation and packaging restraints are not considered. The thrust reverser performance is presented in terms of horizontal, vertical, and resultant effectiveness ratios and the reverser noise is compared on the basis of peak perceived noise level (PNL) and one-third octave band data (OASPL). From an analysis of the model force and acoustic data, an assessment is made on the stopping distance versus noise for a 90,900 kg (200,000 lb) airplane using this type of thrust reverser.

Evaluation of an Outer Loop Retrofit Architecture for Intelligent Turbofan Engine Thrust Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litt, Jonathan S.; Sowers, T. Shane

2006-01-01

The thrust control capability of a retrofit architecture for intelligent turbofan engine control and diagnostics is evaluated. The focus of the study is on the portion of the hierarchical architecture that performs thrust estimation and outer loop thrust control. The inner loop controls fan speed so the outer loop automatically adjusts the engine's fan speed command to maintain thrust at the desired level, based on pilot input, even as the engine deteriorates with use. The thrust estimation accuracy is assessed under nominal and deteriorated conditions at multiple operating points, and the closed loop thrust control performance is studied, all in a complex real-time nonlinear turbofan engine simulation test bed. The estimation capability, thrust response, and robustness to uncertainty in the form of engine degradation are evaluated.

Nuclear-Rocket Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rom, Frank E.

1968-01-01

The three basic types of nuclear power-plants (solid, liquid, and gas core) are compared on the bases of performance potential and the status of current technology. The solid-core systems are expected to have impulses in the range of 850 seconds, any thrust level (as long as it is greater than 10,000 pounds (44,480 newtons)), and thrust-to-engine-weight ratios of 2 to 20 pounds per pound (19.7 to 197 newtons per kilogram). There is negligible or no fuel loss from the solid-core system. The solid-core system, of course, has had the most work done on it. Large-scale tests have been performed on a breadboard engine that has produced specific impulses greater than 700 seconds at thrust levels of about 50,000 pounds (222,000 newtons). The liquid-core reactor would be interesting in the specific impulse range of 1200 to 1500 seconds. Again, any thrust level can be obtained depending on how big or small the reactor is made. The thrust-to-engine weight ratio for these systems would be in the range of 1 to 10. The discouraging feature of the liquid-core system is the high fuel-loss ratio anticipated. Values of 0.01 to 0.1 pound (0.00454 to 0.0454 kilograms) or uranium loss per pound (0.454 kilograms) of hydrogen are expected, if impulses in the range of 1200 to 1500 seconds are desired. The gas-core reactor shows specific impulses in the range of 1500 to 2500 seconds. The thrust levels should be at least as high as the weight so that the thrust-to-weight ratio does not go below 1. Because the engine weight is not expected to be under 100,000 pounds (444,800 newtons), thrust levels higher than 100,000 pounds (448,000 newtons) are of interest. The thrust-to-engine weights, in that case, would run from 1 to 20 pounds per pound (9.8 to 19.7 kilograms). Gas-core reactors tend to be very large, and can have high thrust-to-weight ratios. As in the case of the liquid-core system, the fuel loss that will be attendant with gas cores as envisioned today will be rather high. The loss rates will be 0.01 to 0.1 pound of uranium (0.00454 to 0.0454 kilograms) for each pound (0.454 kilograms) of hydrogen.

Optimal Trajectories For Orbital Transfers Using Low And Medium Thrust Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cobb, Shannon S.

1992-01-01

For many problems it is reasonable to expect that the minimum time solution is also the minimum fuel solution. However, if one allows the propulsion system to be turned off and back on, it is clear that these two solutions may differ. In general, high thrust transfers resemble the well-known impulsive transfers where the burn arcs are of very short duration. The low and medium thrust transfers differ in that their thrust acceleration levels yield longer burn arcs which will require more revolutions, thus making the low thrust transfer computational intensive. Here, we consider optimal low and medium thrust orbital transfers.

Thrust-ridge paleodepositional model for the Upper Freeport coal bed and associated clastic facies, Upper Potomac coal field, Appalachian Basin, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belt, Edward S.; Lyons, P.C.

1990-01-01

Two differential depositional sequences are recognized within a 37-m-thick lowermost section of the Conemaugh Group of Late Pennsylvanian (Westphalian D) age in the southern part of the Upper Potomac coal field (panhandle of Maryland and adjacent West Virginia). The first sequence is dominated by the Upper Freeport coal bed and zone (UF); the UF consists of a complex of interfingered thick coal beds and mudrocks. The UF underlies the entire 500 km2 study area (approximately 40 km in a NE-SW direction). The second sequence is dominated by medium- to coarse-grained sandstone and pebbly sandstone. They were deposited in channel belts that cut into and interfingered laterally with mudrock and fine- to medium-grained sandstone facies of floodbasin and crevasse-lobe origin. Thin lenticular coals occur in the second sequence. Nowhere in the study area does coarse-grained sandstone similar to the sandstone of the channel belts of the second sequence occur within the UF. However, 20 km north of the study area, coarse channel belts are found that are apparently synchronous with the UF (Lyons et al., 1984). The southeastern margin of the study are is bounded by the Allegheny Front. Between it and the North Mountain thrust (75 km to the southeast), lie at least eight other thrusts of unknown extent (Wilson, 1887). All these thrusts are oriented northwest; Devonian and older strata are exposed at the surface between the Allegheny Front and the North Mountain thrust. A blind-thrust ridge model is proposed to explain the relation of the two markedly depositional sequences to the thrusts that lie to the southeast of the Upper Potomac coal field. This model indicates that thrust ridges diverted coarse clastics from entering the swamp during a period when the thick Upper Freeport peat accumulated. Anticlinal thrust ridges and associated depressions are envisioned to have developed parallel to the Appalachian orogen during Middle and early Late Pennsylvanian time. A blind thrust developed from one of the outboard ridges, and it was thrust farther outboard ahead of the main body of the orogen. Sediment derived from the orogen was diverted into a sediment trap inboard of the ridge (Fig. 1). The ridge prevented sediment from entering the main peat-forming swamp. Sediment shed from the orogen accumulated in the sediment trap was carried out of the ends of the trap by steams that occupied the shear zone at the ends of the blind-thrust ridge (Fig. 1). Remnants of blind-thrust ridges occurs in the Sequatchie Valley thrust and the Pine Mountain thrust of the southern Appalachians. The extent, parallel to the orogen, of the thick areally extensive UF coal is related to the length of the blind-thrust ridge that, in turn, controlled the spacing of the river-derived coarse clastics that entered the main basin from the east. Further tectonism caused the thrust plane to emerge to the surface of the blind-thrust ridge. Peat accumulation was then terminated by the rapid erosion of the blind-thrust ridge and by the release of trapped sediment behind it. The peat was buried by sediments from streams from closely spaced channel belts] with intervening floodbasins. The model was implications for widespread peat (coal) deposits that developed in tropical regions, a few hundred kilometers inland from the sea during Pennsylvanian time (Belt and Lyons, 1989). ?? 1990.

Static Performance of Six Innovative Thrust Reverser Concepts for Subsonic Transport Applications: Summary of the NASA Langley Innovative Thrust Reverser Test Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asbury, Scott C.; Yetter, Jeffrey A.

2000-01-01

The NASA Langley Configuration Aerodynamics Branch has conducted an experimental investigation to study the static performance of innovative thrust reverser concepts applicable to high-bypass-ratio turbofan engines. Testing was conducted on a conventional separate-flow exhaust system configuration, a conventional cascade thrust reverser configuration, and six innovative thrust reverser configurations. The innovative thrust reverser configurations consisted of a cascade thrust reverser with porous fan-duct blocker, a blockerless thrust reverser, two core-mounted target thrust reversers, a multi-door crocodile thrust reverser, and a wing-mounted thrust reverser. Each of the innovative thrust reverser concepts offer potential weight savings and/or design simplifications over a conventional cascade thrust reverser design. Testing was conducted in the Jet-Exit Test Facility at NASA Langley Research Center using a 7.9%-scale exhaust system model with a fan-to-core bypass ratio of approximately 9.0. All tests were conducted with no external flow and cold, high-pressure air was used to simulate core and fan exhaust flows. Results show that the innovative thrust reverser concepts achieved thrust reverser performance levels which, when taking into account the potential for system simplification and reduced weight, may make them competitive with, or potentially more cost effective than current state-of-the-art thrust reverser systems.

Supersonic wings with significant leading-edge thrust at cruise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robins, A. W.; Carlson, H. W.; Mack, R. J.

1980-01-01

Experimental/theoretical correlations are presented which show that significant levels of leading edge thrust are possible at supersonic speeds for certain planforms which match the theoretical thrust distribution potential with the supporting airfoil geometry. The analytical process employed spanwise distribution of both it and/or that component of full theoretical thrust which acts as vortex lift. Significantly improved aerodynamic performance in the moderate supersonic speed regime is indicated.

Investigation of Thrust Augmentation and Acoustic Performance by Ejectors on PDE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Gui-yang; Weng, Chun-sheng; Li, Ning; Huang, Xiao-long

2016-04-01

Thrust augmentation and acoustic performance of a Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE) with ejector system is experimentally investigated. For these tests the LEjector/DEjector is varied from 1.18 to 4 and the axial placement of the ejector relative to the PDE exhaust is varied from an x/DPDE of -3 to 3. Results from the tests show that the optimum LEjector/DEjector based on thrust augmentation and Overall Sound Pressure Level (OASPL) is found to be 2.61. The divergent ejector performed the best based on thrust augmentation, while the reduction effect for OASPL and Peak Sound Pressure Level (PSPL) at 60° is most prominent for the convergent ejector. The optimum axial position based on thrust augmentation is determined to be x/DPDE = 2, while, x/DPDE = 0 based on OASPL and PSPL.

User's Guide for the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation (C-MAPSS): Version 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Yuan; Frederick, Dean K.; DeCastro, Jonathan A.; Litt, Jonathan S.; Chan, William W.

2012-01-01

This report is a Users Guide for version 2 of the NASA-developed Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation (C-MAPSS) software, which is a transient simulation of a large commercial turbofan engine (up to 90,000-lb thrust) with a realistic engine control system. The software supports easy access to health, control, and engine parameters through a graphical user interface (GUI). C-MAPSS v.2 has some enhancements over the original, including three actuators rather than one, the addition of actuator and sensor dynamics, and an improved controller, while retaining or improving on the convenience and user-friendliness of the original. C-MAPSS v.2 provides the user with a graphical turbofan engine simulation environment in which advanced algorithms can be implemented and tested. C-MAPSS can run user-specified transient simulations, and it can generate state-space linear models of the nonlinear engine model at an operating point. The code has a number of GUI screens that allow point-and-click operation, and have editable fields for user-specified input. The software includes an atmospheric model which allows simulation of engine operation at altitudes from sea level to 40,000 ft, Mach numbers from 0 to 0.90, and ambient temperatures from -60 to 103 F. The package also includes a power-management system that allows the engine to be operated over a wide range of thrust levels throughout the full range of flight conditions.

Development of a glacially dominated shelf-slope-fan system in tectonically active southeast Alaska: Results of IODP Expedition 341 core-log-seismic integrated studies at glacial cycle resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulick, Sean; Jaeger, John; Mix, Alan; Swartz, John; Worthington, Lindsay; Reece, Robert

2014-05-01

Collision of the Yakutat microplate with North American formed the St. Elias Mountains in coastal Gulf of Alaska. While the tectonic driver for orogenesis has been ongoing since the Miocene, results from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 341 suggests that direct climatic perturbation of active orogenesis through glacial erosion is non-linear. Geophysical studies of the glaciated continental margin, slope, and adjacent deep-sea Surveyor Fan allow examination of the glaciated orogen from source to sink. Using high-resolution and crustal-scale seismic data and through comparison with other glaciated margins, we can identify key diagnostic seismic morphologies and facies indicative of glacial proximity and sediment routing. Expedition drilling results calibrated these images suggesting a timeline for initial advances of the Cordilleran ice sheet related glacial systems onto the shelf and a further timeline for the development of ice streams that reach the shelf edge. Comparisons can be made within this single margin between evolution of the tectonic-glacial system where erosion and sediment transport are occurring within a fold and thrust belt versus on a more stable shelf region. Onshore the Bering-Bagley glacial system in the west flows across the Yakataga fold and thrust belt, allowing examination of whether glacial erosion can cause tectonic feedbacks, whereas offshore the Bering-Bagley system interacts with the Pamplona Zone thrusts in a region of significant sediment accommodation. Results from Expedition 341 imply that timing of glacial advance to the shelf edge in this region may be driven by the necessity of filling up the accommodation through aggradation followed by progradation and thus is autogenic. In contrast the Malaspina-Hubbard glacial system to the east encountered significantly less accommodation and more directly responded to climatic forcing including showing outer shelf glacial occupation since the mid-Pleistocene transition-MPT to 100 kyr glacial-interglacial cycles. Examination of the sink for both of these systems, which includes the Surveyor Fan and Aleutian Trench wedge, demonstrates a clear climatic driver for sediment flux to the deep sea. The first appearance of ice-rafted debris at our distal drill site closely approximates the start of the Pleistocene and a doubling of sediment accumulation accompanies the MPT. Converting sediment volumes just within the deep-sea sinks back to erosion rates in the orogen and correlating with changes in exhumation rates from thermochronology demonstrates a lack of accelerated tectonic response to the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciations at the start of the Pleistocene but increased shortening and exhumation of sediments at the MPT. The form of tectonic response differs between out-of-sequence thrusting or antiformal stacking within the fold and thrust belt to the west and a near vertical advection of material in a tectonic aneurysm in the core of the orogen to the east.

Intelligent Engine Systems: Adaptive Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibson, Nathan

2008-01-01

We have studied the application of the baseline Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm to the control of main fuel flow rate (WF36), variable bleed valve (AE24) and variable stator vane (STP25) control of a simulated high-bypass turbofan engine. Using reference trajectories for thrust and turbine inlet temperature (T41) generated by a simulated new engine, we have examined MPC for tracking these two reference outputs while controlling a deteriorated engine. We have examined the results of MPC control for six different transients: two idle-to-takeoff transients at sea level static (SLS) conditions, one takeoff-to-idle transient at SLS, a Bode power command and reverse Bode power command at 20,000 ft/Mach 0.5, and a reverse Bode transient at 35,000 ft/Mach 0.84. For all cases, our primary focus was on the computational effort required by MPC for varying MPC update rates, control horizons, and prediction horizons. We have also considered the effects of these MPC parameters on the performance of the control, with special emphasis on the thrust tracking error, the peak T41, and the sizes of violations of the constraints on the problem, primarily the booster stall margin limit, which for most cases is the lone constraint that is violated with any frequency.

A first course in optimum design of yacht sails

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugimoto, Takeshi

1993-03-01

The optimum sail geometry is analytically obtained for the case of maximizing the thrust under equality and inequality constraints on the lift and the heeling moment. A single mainsail is assumed to be set close-hauled in uniform wind and upright on the flat sea surface. The governing parameters are the mast height and the gap between the sail foot and the sea surface. The lifting line theory is applied to analyze the aerodynamic forces acting on a sail. The design method consists of the variational principle and a feasibility study. Almost triangular sails are found to be optimum. Their advantages are discussed.

Control Design for an Advanced Geared Turbofan Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, Jeffryes W.; Litt, Jonathan S.

2017-01-01

This paper describes the design process for the control system of an advanced geared turbofan engine. This process is applied to a simulation that is representative of a 30,000 lbf thrust class concept engine with two main spools, ultra-high bypass ratio, and a variable area fan nozzle. Control system requirements constrain the non-linear engine model as it operates throughout its flight envelope of sea level to 40,000 ft and from 0 to 0.8 Mach. The control architecture selected for this project was developed from literature and reflects a configuration that utilizes a proportional integral controller integrated with sets of limiters that enable the engine to operate safely throughout its flight envelope. Simulation results show the overall system meets performance requirements without exceeding system operational limits.

Design and analysis report for the RL10-2B breadboard low thrust engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, J. R.; Foust, R. R.; Galler, D. E.; Kanic, P. G.; Kmiec, T. D.; Limerick, C. D.; Peckham, R. J.; Swartwout, T.

1984-01-01

The breadboard low thrust RL10-2B engine is described. A summary of the analysis and design effort to define the multimode thrust concept applicable to the requirements for the upper stage vehicles is provided. Baseline requirements were established for operation of the RL10-2B engine under the following conditions: (1) tank head idle at low propellant tank pressures without vehicle propellant conditioning or settling thrust; (2) pumped idle at a ten percent thrust level for low G deployment and/or vehicle tank pressurization; and (3) full thrust (15,000 lb.). Several variations of the engine configuration were investigated and results of the analyses are included.

A Robotic Platform to Study the Foreflipper of the California Sea Lion.

PubMed

Kulkarni, Aditya A; Patel, Rahi K; Friedman, Chen; Leftwich, Megan C

2017-01-10

The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), is an agile and powerful swimmer. Unlike many successful swimmers (dolphins, tuna), they generate most of their thrust with their large foreflippers. This protocol describes a robotic platform designed to study the hydrodynamic performance of the swimming California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). The robot is a model of the animal's foreflipper that is actuated by motors to replicate the motion of its propulsive stroke (the 'clap'). The kinematics of the sea lion's propulsive stroke are extracted from video data of unmarked, non-research sea lions at the Smithsonian Zoological Park (SNZ). Those data form the basis of the actuation motion of the robotic flipper presented here. The geometry of the robotic flipper is based a on high-resolution laser scan of a foreflipper of an adult female sea lion, scaled to about 60% of the full-scale flipper. The articulated model has three joints, mimicking the elbow, wrist and knuckle joint of the sea lion foreflipper. The robotic platform matches dynamics properties-Reynolds number and tip speed-of the animal when accelerating from rest. The robotic flipper can be used to determine the performance (forces and torques) and resulting flowfields.

Low thrust chemical orbit to orbit propulsion system propellant management study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dergance, R. H.; Hamlyn, K. M.; Tegart, J. R.

1981-01-01

Low thrust chemical propulsion systems were sized for transfer of large space systems from LEO to GEO. The influence of propellant combination, tankage and insulation requirements, and propellant management techniques on the LTPS mass and volume were studied. Liquid oxygen combined with hydrogen, methane or kerosene were the propellant combinations. Thrust levels of 445, 2230, and 4450 N were combined with 1, 4 and 8 perigee burn strategies. This matrix of systems was evaluated using multilayer insulation and spray-on-foam insulation systems. Various combinations of toroidal, cylindrical with ellipsoidal domes, and ellipsoidal tank shapes were investigated. Results indicate that low thrust (445 N) and single perigee burn approaches are considerably less efficient than the higher thrust level and multiple burn strategies. A modified propellant settling approach minimized propellant residuals and decreased system complexity, in addition, the toroid/ellipsoidal tank combination was predicted to be shortest.

Thrust Stand for Electric Propulsion Performance Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markusic, T. E.; Jones, J. E.; Cox, M. D.

2004-01-01

An electric propulsion thrust stand capable of supporting thrusters with total mass of up to 125 kg and 1 mN to 1 N thrust levels has been developed and tested. The mechanical design features a conventional hanging pendulum arm attached to a balance mechanism that transforms horizontal motion into amplified vertical motion, with accommodation for variable displacement sensitivity. Unlike conventional hanging pendulum thrust stands, the deflection is independent of the length of the pendulum arm, and no reference structure is required at the end of the pendulum. Displacement is measured using a non-contact, optical linear gap displacement transducer. Mechanical oscillations are attenuated using a passive, eddy current damper. An on-board microprocessor-based level control system, which includes a two axis accelerometer and two linear-displacement stepper motors, continuously maintains the level of the balance mechanism - counteracting mechanical %era drift during thruster testing. A thermal control system, which includes heat exchange panels, thermocouples, and a programmable recirculating water chiller, continuously adjusts to varying thermal loads to maintain the balance mechanism temperature, to counteract thermal drifts. An in-situ calibration rig allows for steady state calibration both prior to and during thruster testing. Thrust measurements were carried out on a well-characterized 1 kW Hall thruster; the thrust stand was shown to produce repeatable results consistent with previously published performance data.

Pulsed Electric Propulsion Thrust Stand Calibration Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wong, Andrea R.; Polzin, Kurt A.; Pearson, J. Boise

2011-01-01

The evaluation of the performance of any propulsion device requires the accurate measurement of thrust. While chemical rocket thrust is typically measured using a load cell, the low thrust levels associated with electric propulsion (EP) systems necessitate the use of much more sensitive measurement techniques. The design and development of electric propulsion thrust stands that employ a conventional hanging pendulum arm connected to a balance mechanism consisting of a secondary arm and variable linkage have been reported in recent publications by Polzin et al. These works focused on performing steady-state thrust measurements and employed a static analysis of the thrust stand response. In the present work, we present a calibration method and data that will permit pulsed thrust measurements using the Variable Amplitude Hanging Pendulum with Extended Range (VAHPER) thrust stand. Pulsed thrust measurements are challenging in general because the pulsed thrust (impulse bit) occurs over a short timescale (typically 1 micros to 1 millisecond) and cannot be resolved directly. Consequently, the imparted impulse bit must be inferred through observation of the change in thrust stand motion effected by the pulse. Pulsed thrust measurements have typically only consisted of single-shot operation. In the present work, we discuss repetition-rate pulsed thruster operation and describe a method to perform these measurements. The thrust stand response can be modeled as a spring-mass-damper system with a repetitive delta forcing function to represent the impulsive action of the thruster.

Thrust Stand for Vertically Oriented Electric Propulsion Performance Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moeller, Trevor; Polzin, Kurt A.

2010-01-01

A variation of a hanging pendulum thrust stand capable of measuring the performance of an electric thruster operating in the vertical orientation is presented. The vertical orientation of the thruster dictates that the thruster must be horizontally offset from the pendulum pivot arm, necessitating the use of a counterweight system to provide a neutrally-stable system. Motion of the pendulum arm is transferred through a balance mechanism to a secondary arm on which deflection is measured. A non-contact light-based transducer is used to measure displacement of the secondary beam. The members experience very little friction, rotating on twisting torsional pivots with oscillatory motion attenuated by a passive, eddy current damper. Displacement is calibrated using an in situ thrust calibration system. Thermal management and self-leveling systems are incorporated to mitigate thermal and mechanical drifts. Gravitational restoring force and torsional spring constants associated with flexure pivots provide restoring moments. An analysis of the design indicates that the thrust measurement range spans roughly four decades, with the stand capable of measuring thrust up to 12 N for a 200 kg thruster and up to approximately 800 mN for a 10 kg thruster. Data obtained from calibration tests performed using a 26.8 lbm simulated thruster indicated a resolution of 1 mN on 100 mN-level thrusts, while those tests conducted on 200 lbm thruster yielded a resolution of roughly 2.5 micro at thrust levels of 0.5 N and greater.

Thrust stand for vertically oriented electric propulsion performance evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moeller, Trevor; Polzin, Kurt A.

A variation of a hanging pendulum thrust stand capable of measuring the performance of an electric thruster operating in the vertical orientation is presented. The vertical orientation of the thruster dictates that the thruster must be horizontally offset from the pendulum pivot arm, necessitating the use of a counterweight system to provide a neutrally stable system. Motion of the pendulum arm is transferred through a balance mechanism to a secondary arm on which deflection is measured. A noncontact light-based transducer is used to measure displacement of the secondary beam. The members experience very little friction, rotating on twisting torsional pivotsmore » with oscillatory motion attenuated by a passive, eddy-current damper. Displacement is calibrated using an in situ thrust calibration system. Thermal management and self-leveling systems are incorporated to mitigate thermal and mechanical drifts. Gravitational force and torsional spring constants associated with flexure pivots provide restoring moments. An analysis of the design indicates that the thrust measurement range spans roughly four decades, with the stand capable of measuring thrust up to 12 N for a 200 kg thruster and up to approximately 800 mN for a 10 kg thruster. Data obtained from calibration tests performed using a 26.8 lbm simulated thruster indicated a resolution of 1 mN on 100 mN level thrusts, while those tests conducted on a 200 lbm thruster yielded a resolution of roughly 2.5 mN at thrust levels of 0.5 N and greater.« less

Insights on the 1990 Bohol Tsunamigenic Earthquake, Bohol Island, Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Besana, G. M.; Daligdig, J. A.; Abigania, M. T.; Talisic, J. E.; Evangelista, N.

2004-12-01

The February 8, 1990 earthquake at Bohol area is one of the few strong earthquakes that have affected central Philippines since the early 1900's. This M6.0 1990 Bohol event nonetheless wrought havoc to at least 16 municipalities, caused numerous casualties, injured about three hundred people, rendered several thousand homeless and evacuated from the coastal areas, and damaged at least P154 million worth of properties. The epicenter of this earthquake was initially placed onshore at 17km east of Tagbilaran City and was attributed to the movement along the Alicia Thrust Fault- a fault trending northeast-southwest. Noticeably, there was no surface rupture and the succeeding aftershocks clustered along a northeast-southwest trend off the eastern shore of Bohol island. In addition, the southeastern part of Bohol island experienced tsunami inundation particularly the municipalities of Jagna, Duero, Guindulman, Garcia Hernandez, and Valencia. In this study, several issues were resolved regarding this seismic event. First, the 1990 Bohol earthquake was generated along an offshore thrust fault based on the reviews of seismicity data from the NEIC. -Post-determined plots of the mainshock and aftershocks indicate offshore event with focal mechanism solutions that imply thrust fault activity. Intensity data likewise indicates that intense ground shaking was mainly felt in the southeastern part of the island. Second, recent field investigations undertaken clearly indicated a widespread tsunami inundation wherein the southeastern shorelines of Bohol likewise experienced a regional retreat in sea level several minutes after the strong ground shaking. Lastly, such tsunamigenic structure could somehow explain the anomalously large waves that impacted Camiguin island, an island more than 50km southeast of Bohol. A reconstruction of true tsunami heights and runup distances was also undertaken based from eyewitness accounts. Future works would involve relocation of aftershocks and numerical modeling of tsunami.

Tectonic controls of Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc mineralization in orogenic forelands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradley, D.C.; Leach, D.L.

2003-01-01

Most of the world's Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) zinc-lead deposits occur in orogenic forelands. We examine tectonic aspects of foreland evolution as part of a broader study of why some forelands are rich in MVT deposits, whereas others are barren. The type of orogenic foreland (collisional versus Andean-type versus inversion-type) is not a first-order control, because each has MVT deposits (e.g., Northern Arkansas, Pine Point, and Cevennes, respectively). In some MVT districts (e.g., Tri-State and Central Tennessee), mineralization took place atop an orogenic forebulge, a low-amplitude (a few hundred meters), long-wavelength (100-200 km) swell formed by vertical loading of the foreland plate. In the foreland of the active Banda Arc collision zone, a discontinuous forebulge reveals some of the physiographic and geologic complexities of the forebulge environment, and the importance of sea level in determining whether or not a forebulge will emerge and thus be subject to erosion. In addition to those on extant forebulges, some MVT deposits occur immediately below unconformities that originated at a forebulge, only to be subsequently carried toward the orogen by the plate-tectonic conveyor (e.g., Daniel's Harbour and East Tennessee). Likewise, some deposits are located along syn-collisional, flexure-induced normal and strike-slip faults in collisional forelands (e.g., Northern Arkansas, Daniel's Harbour, and Tri-State districts). These findings reveal the importance of lithospheric flexure, and suggest a conceptual tectonic model that accounts for an important subset of MVT deposits-those in the forelands of collisional orogens. The MVT deposits occur both in flat-lying and in thrust-faulted strata; in the latter group, mineralization postdated thrusting in some instances (e.g., Picos de Europa) but may have predated thrusting in other cases (e.g., East Tennessee).

The 30-centimeter ion thrust subsystem design manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The principal characteristics of the 30-centimeter ion propulsion thrust subsystem technology that was developed to satisfy the propulsion needs of future planetary and early orbital missions are described. Functional requirements and descriptions, interface and performance requirements, and physical characteristics of the hardware are described at the thrust subsystem, BIMOD engine system, and component level.

A 10 nN resolution thrust-stand for micro-propulsion devices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chakraborty, Subha; Courtney, Daniel G.; Shea, Herbert, E-mail: herbert.shea@epfl.ch

We report on the development of a nano-Newton thrust-stand that can measure up to 100 μN thrust from different types of microthrusters with 10 nN resolution. The compact thrust-stand measures the impingement force of the particles emitted from a microthruster onto a suspended plate of size 45 mm × 45 mm and with a natural frequency over 50 Hz. Using a homodyne (lock-in) readout provides strong immunity to facility vibrations, which historically has been a major challenge for nano-Newton thrust-stands. A cold-gas thruster generating up to 50 μN thrust in air was first used to validate the thrust-stand. Better thanmore » 10 nN resolution and a minimum detectable thrust of 10 nN were achieved. Thrust from a miniature electrospray propulsion system generating up to 3 μN of thrust was measured with our thrust-stand in vacuum, and the thrust was compared with that computed from beam diagnostics, obtaining agreement within 50 nN to 150 nN. The 10 nN resolution obtained from this thrust-stand matches that from state-of-the-art nano-Newton thrust-stands, which measure thrust directly from the thruster by mounting it on a moving arm (but whose natural frequency is well below 1 Hz). The thrust-stand is the first of its kind to demonstrate less than 3 μN resolution by measuring the impingement force, making it capable of measuring thrust from different types of microthrusters, with the potential of easy upscaling for thrust measurement at much higher levels, simply by replacing the force sensor with other force sensors.« less

A 10 nN resolution thrust-stand for micro-propulsion devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Subha; Courtney, Daniel G.; Shea, Herbert

2015-11-01

We report on the development of a nano-Newton thrust-stand that can measure up to 100 μN thrust from different types of microthrusters with 10 nN resolution. The compact thrust-stand measures the impingement force of the particles emitted from a microthruster onto a suspended plate of size 45 mm × 45 mm and with a natural frequency over 50 Hz. Using a homodyne (lock-in) readout provides strong immunity to facility vibrations, which historically has been a major challenge for nano-Newton thrust-stands. A cold-gas thruster generating up to 50 μN thrust in air was first used to validate the thrust-stand. Better than 10 nN resolution and a minimum detectable thrust of 10 nN were achieved. Thrust from a miniature electrospray propulsion system generating up to 3 μN of thrust was measured with our thrust-stand in vacuum, and the thrust was compared with that computed from beam diagnostics, obtaining agreement within 50 nN to 150 nN. The 10 nN resolution obtained from this thrust-stand matches that from state-of-the-art nano-Newton thrust-stands, which measure thrust directly from the thruster by mounting it on a moving arm (but whose natural frequency is well below 1 Hz). The thrust-stand is the first of its kind to demonstrate less than 3 μN resolution by measuring the impingement force, making it capable of measuring thrust from different types of microthrusters, with the potential of easy upscaling for thrust measurement at much higher levels, simply by replacing the force sensor with other force sensors.

Thrust Stand for Electric Propulsion Performance Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polzin, Kurt A.; Markusic, Thomas E.; Stanojev, Boris J.; Dehoyos, Amado; Spaun, Benjamin

2006-01-01

An electric propulsion thrust stand capable of supporting testing of thrusters having a total mass of up to 125 kg and producing thrust levels between 100 microN to 1 N has been developed and tested. The design features a conventional hanging pendulum arm attached to a balance mechanism that converts horizontal deflections produced by the operating thruster into amplified vertical motion of a secondary arm. The level of amplification is changed through adjustment of the location of one of the pivot points linking the system. Response of the system depends on the relative magnitudes of the restoring moments applied by the displaced thruster mass and the twisting torsional pivots connecting the members of the balance mechanism. Displacement is measured using a non-contact, optical linear gap displacement transducer and balance oscillatory motion is attenuated using a passive, eddy-current damper. The thrust stand employs an automated leveling and thermal control system. Pools of liquid gallium are used to deliver power to the thruster without using solid wire connections, which can exert undesirable time-varying forces on the balance. These systems serve to eliminate sources of zero-drift that can occur as the stand thermally or mechanically shifts during the course of an experiment. An in-situ calibration rig allows for steady-state calibration before, during and after thruster operation. Thrust measurements were carried out on a cylindrical Hall thruster that produces mN-level thrust. The measurements were very repeatable, producing results that compare favorably with previously published performance data, but with considerably smaller uncertainty.

Cryogenic liquid resettlement activated by impulsive thrust in space-based propulsion system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hung, R. J.; Shyu, K. L.

1991-01-01

The purpose of present study is to investigate most efficient technique for propellant resettling through the minimization of propellant usage and weight penalties. Comparison between the constant reverse gravity acceleration and impulsive reverse gravity acceleration to be used for the activation of propellant resettlement, it shows that impulsive reverse gravity thrust is superior to constant reverse gravity thrust for liquid reorientation in a reduced gravity environment. Comparison among impulsive reverse gravity thrust with 0.1, 1.0 and 10 Hz frequencies for liquid filled level in the range between 30 to 80 percent, it shows that the selection of 1.0 Hz frequency impulsive thrust over the other frequency ranges of impulsive thrust is most proper based on the present study.

Cryogenic liquid resettlement activated by impulsive thrust in space-based propulsion system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hung, R. J.; Shyu, K. L.

1991-01-01

The purpose of present study is to investigate the most efficient technique for propellant resettling through the minimization of propellant usage and weight penalties. Comparison between the constant reverse gravity acceleration and impulsive reverse gravity acceleration to be used for the activation of propellant resettlement shows that impulsive reverse gravity thrust is superior to constant reverse gravity thrust for liquid reorientation in a reduced gravity environment. Comparison among impulsive reverse gravity thrust with 0.1, 1.0, and 10 Hz frequencies for liquid-filled level in the range between 30 to 80 percent shows that the selection of a medium frequency of 1.0 Hz impulsive thrust over the other frequency ranges of impulsive thrust is the most proper.

Parametric Model of an Aerospike Rocket Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korte, J. J.

2000-01-01

A suite of computer codes was assembled to simulate the performance of an aerospike engine and to generate the engine input for the Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories. First an engine simulator module was developed that predicts the aerospike engine performance for a given mixture ratio, power level, thrust vectoring level, and altitude. This module was then used to rapidly generate the aerospike engine performance tables for axial thrust, normal thrust, pitching moment, and specific thrust. Parametric engine geometry was defined for use with the engine simulator module. The parametric model was also integrated into the iSIGHTI multidisciplinary framework so that alternate designs could be determined. The computer codes were used to support in-house conceptual studies of reusable launch vehicle designs.

Parametric Model of an Aerospike Rocket Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korte, J. J.

2000-01-01

A suite of computer codes was assembled to simulate the performance of an aerospike engine and to generate the engine input for the Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories. First an engine simulator module was developed that predicts the aerospike engine performance for a given mixture ratio, power level, thrust vectoring level, and altitude. This module was then used to rapidly generate the aerospike engine performance tables for axial thrust, normal thrust, pitching moment, and specific thrust. Parametric engine geometry was defined for use with the engine simulator module. The parametric model was also integrated into the iSIGHT multidisciplinary framework so that alternate designs could be determined. The computer codes were used to support in-house conceptual studies of reusable launch vehicle designs.

Subduction- and exhumation-related structures in the Cycladic Blueschists: Insights from south Evia Island (Aegean region, Greece)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xypolias, P.; Iliopoulos, I.; Chatzaras, V.; Kokkalas, S.

2012-04-01

Detailed geological mapping, structural investigation and amphibole chemistry analyses in southern Evia (Aegean Sea, Greece) allow us to place new constraints on the internal structural architecture and tectonic evolution of the Cycladic Blueschists. We show that the early deformation history was related to ESE directed thrusting resulting in the stacking of the Styra and Ochi nappes, which constitute the Cycladic Blueschist unit in Evia. These early thrust movements initiated just before and proceeded at peak conditions of the Eocene high-pressure metamorphism. Subsequent constrictional deformation gave rise to E-W trending upright folding accomplished at the early exhumation stage. The main ductile-stage exhumation occurred during a single deformation phase associated with the decompression of blueschist rocks from the stability field of crossite to that of actinolite. This phase was characterized by localization of ductile deformation into a series of major, tens of meters thick, ENE directed shear zones, which cut up-section in their transport direction and restack the early thrust and fold sequence, locally bringing the structurally lower Styra nappe over the higher Ochi nappe. It is suggested that these zones operated as thrusts rather than normal sense shear zones as has been previously argued and were possibly formed during the Oligocene ENE-ward extrusion of the blueschists. Brittle-ductile NE dipping normal faulting of post-early Miocene age was probably responsible for the final exhumation of rocks.

Development of a Thrust Stand to Meet LISA Mission Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willis, William D., III; Zakrzwski, Charles M.; Merkowitz, Stephen M.

2002-01-01

A thrust stand has been built to measure the force-noise produced by electrostatic micro-Newton (muN) thrusters. The LISA mission's Disturbance Reduction System (DRS) requires thrusters that are capable of producing continuous thrust levels between 1-100 muN with a resolution of 0.1 muN. The stationary force-noise produced by these thrusters must not exceed 0.1 muN/dHz in the measurement bandwidth 10(exp -4) to 1 Hz. The LISA Thrust Stand (LTS) is a torsion-balance type thrust stand designed to meet the following requirements: stationary force-noise measurements from l0( -4) to 1 Hz with 0.1 muN/dHz sensitivity, absolute thrust measurements from 1-100 muN with better than 0.1 muN resolution, and dynamic thruster response from to 10 Hz. The LTS employs a unique vertical configuration, autocollimator for angular position measurements, and electrostatic actuators that are used for dynamic pendulum control and null-mode measurements. Force-noise levels are measured indirectly by characterizing the thrust stand as a spring-mass system. The LTS was initially designed to test the indium FEEP thruster developed by the Austrian Research Center in Seibersdorf (ARCS), but can be modified for testing other thrusters of this type.

Development of A Thrust Stand to Meet LISA Mission Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willis, William D., III; Zakrzwski, C. M.; Bauer, Frank H. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A thrust stand has been built and tested that is capable of measuring the force-noise produced by electrostatic micro-Newton (micro-Newton) thrusters. The LISA mission's Disturbance Reduction System (DRS) requires thrusters that are capable of producing continuous thrust levels between 1-100 micro-Newton with a resolution of 0.1 micro-Newton. The stationary force-noise produced by these thrusters must not exceed 0.1 pN/4Hz in a 10 Hz bandwidth. The LISA Thrust Stand (LTS) is a torsion-balance type thrust stand designed to meet the following requirements: stationary force-noise measurements from 10(exp-4) to 1 Hz with 0.1 micro-Newton resolution, absolute thrust measurements from 1-100 micro-Newton with better than 0.1 micro-Newton resolution, and dynamic thruster response from 10(exp -4) to 10 Hz. The ITS employs a unique vertical configuration, autocollimator for angular position measurements, and electrostatic actuators that are used for dynamic pendulum control and null-mode measurements. Force-noise levels are measured indirectly by characterizing the thrust stand as a spring-mass system. The LTS was initially designed to test the indium FEEP thruster developed by the Austrian Research Center in Seibersdorf (ARCS), but can be modified for testing other thrusters of this type.

Maximum thrust mode evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orme, John S.; Nobbs, Steven G.

1995-01-01

Measured reductions in acceleration times which resulted from the application of the F-15 performance seeking control (PSC) maximum thrust mode during the dual-engine test phase is presented as a function of power setting and flight condition. Data were collected at altitudes of 30,000 and 45,000 feet at military and maximum afterburning power settings. The time savings for the supersonic acceleration is less than at subsonic Mach numbers because of the increased modeling and control complexity. In addition, the propulsion system was designed to be optimized at the mid supersonic Mach number range. Recall that even though the engine is at maximum afterburner, PSC does not trim the afterburner for the maximum thrust mode. Subsonically at military power, time to accelerate from Mach 0.6 to 0.95 was cut by between 6 and 8 percent with a single engine application of PSC, and over 14 percent when both engines were optimized. At maximum afterburner, the level of thrust increases were similar in magnitude to the military power results, but because of higher thrust levels at maximum afterburner and higher aircraft drag at supersonic Mach numbers the percentage thrust increase and time to accelerate was less than for the supersonic accelerations. Savings in time to accelerate supersonically at maximum afterburner ranged from 4 to 7 percent. In general, the maximum thrust mode has performed well, demonstrating significant thrust increases at military and maximum afterburner power. Increases of up to 15 percent at typical combat-type flight conditions were identified. Thrust increases of this magnitude could be useful in a combat situation.

Effect of tibial plateau leveling on stability of the canine cranial cruciate-deficient stifle joint: an in vitro study.

PubMed

Reif, Ullrich; Hulse, Donald A; Hauptman, Joe G

2002-01-01

To evaluate the effect of tibial plateau leveling on joint motion in canine stifle joints in which the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) had been severed. In vitro cadaver study. Six canine cadaver hind legs. Radiographs of the stifle joints were made to evaluate the tibial plateau angle with respect to the long axis of the tibia. The specimens were mounted in a custom-made testing device to measure cranio-caudal translation of the tibia with respect to the femur. An axial load was applied to the tibia, and its position was recorded in the normal stifle, after transection of the CCL, and after tibial plateau leveling. Further, the amount of caudal tibial thrust was measured in the tibial plateau leveled specimen while series of eight linearly increasing axial tibial loads were applied. Transection of the CCL resulted in cranial tibial translation when axial tibial load was applied. After tibial plateau leveling, axial loading resulted in caudal translation of the tibia. Increasing axial tibial load caused a linear increase in caudal tibial thrust in all tibial plateau-leveled specimens. After tibial plateau leveling, axial tibial load generates caudal tibial thrust, which increases if additional axial load is applied. Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy may prevent cranial translation during weight bearing in dogs with CCL rupture by converting axial load into caudal tibial thrust. The amount of caudal tibial thrust seems to be proportional to the amount of weight bearing. Copyright 2002 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons

Alternative model of thrust-fault propagation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisenstadt, Gloria; de Paor, Declan G.

1987-07-01

A widely accepted explanation for the geometry of thrust faults is that initial failures occur on deeply buried planes of weak rock and that thrust faults propagate toward the surface along a staircase trajectory. We propose an alternative model that applies Gretener's beam-failure mechanism to a multilayered sequence. Invoking compatibility conditions, which demand that a thrust propagate both upsection and downsection, we suggest that ramps form first, at shallow levels, and are subsequently connected by flat faults. This hypothesis also explains the formation of many minor structures associated with thrusts, such as backthrusts, wedge structures, pop-ups, and duplexes, and provides a unified conceptual framework in which to evaluate field observations.

Low thrust vehicle concept study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Low thrust chemical (hydrogen-oxygen) propulsion systems configured specifically for low acceleration orbit transfer of large space systems were defined. Results indicate that it is cost effective and least risk to combine the OTV and stowed spacecraft in a single 65 K Shuttle. The study shows that the engine for an optimized low thrust stage (1) does not require very low thrust; (2) 1-3 K thrust range appears optimum; (3) thrust transient is not a concern; (4) throttling probably not worthwhile; and (5) multiple thrusters complicate OTV/LSS design and aggravate LSS loads. Regarding the optimum vehicle for low acceleration missions, the single shuttle launch (LSS and expendable OTV) is most cost effective and least risky. Multiple shuttles increase diameter 20%. The space based radar structure short OTV (which maximizes space available for packaged LSS) favors use of torus tank. Propellant tank pressures/vapor residuals are little affected by engine thrust level or number of burns.

Marine fog: a review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koračin, Darko; Dorman, Clive E.; Lewis, John M.; Hudson, James G.; Wilcox, Eric M.; Torregrosa, Alicia

2014-01-01

The objective of this review is to discuss physical processes over a wide range of spatial scales that govern the formation, evolution, and dissipation of marine fog. We consider marine fog as the collective combination of fog over the open sea along with coastal sea fog and coastal land fog. The review includes a history of sea fog research, field programs, forecasting methods, and detection of sea fog via satellite observations where similarity in radiative properties of fog top and the underlying sea induce further complexity. The main thrust of the study is to provide insight into causality of fog including its initiation, maintenance, and destruction. The interplay between the various physical processes behind the several stages of marine fog is among the most challenging aspects of the problem. An effort is made to identify this interplay between processes that include the microphysics of fog formation and maintenance, the influence of large-scale circulation and precipitation/clouds, radiation, turbulence (air-sea interaction), and advection. The environmental impact of marine fog is also addressed. The study concludes with an assessment of our current knowledge of the phenomenon, our principal areas of ignorance, and future lines of research that hold promise for advances in our understanding.

Seismic images of the sliver strike-slip fault and back thrust in the Andaman-Nicobar region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Satish C.; Moeremans, Raphaele; McArdle, Jo; Johansen, Kjell

2013-10-01

sliver strike-slip Great Sumatra Fault (GSF) traverses mainland Sumatra from the Sunda Strait in the southeast to Banda Aceh in the northwest, and defines the present day plate boundary between the Sunda Plate in the north and the Burmese Sliver Plate in the south. It has been well studied on mainland Sumatra but poorly north of Banda Aceh in the Andaman Sea. Here we present deep seismic reflection images along the northward extension of the GSF over 700 km until it joins the Andaman Sea Spreading Centre, and we interpret these images in the light of earthquake, gravity, and bathymetry data. We find that the GSF has two strands between Banda Aceh and Nicobar Island: a transpression in the south and a deep narrow active rift system in the north, dotted with volcanoes in the center, suggesting that the volcanic arc is coincident with rifting. Farther north of Nicobar Island, an active strike-slip fault, the Andaman-Nicobar Fault, cuts through a rifted deep basin until its intersection with the Andaman Sea Spreading Centre. The volcanic arc lies just east of the rift basin. The western margin of this basin seems to be a rifted continental margin, tilted westward, and flooring the Andaman-Nicobar fore-arc basin. The Andaman-Nicobar fore-arc basin is bounded in the west by back thrusts similar to the West Andaman and Mentawai faults. The cluster of seismicity after the 2004 great Andaman-Sumatra earthquake just north of Nicobar Island coincides with the intersection of two strike-slip fault systems.

Effects of bleed air extraction on thrust levels on the F404-GE-400 turbofan engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yuhas, Andrew J.; Ray, Ronald J.

1992-01-01

A ground test was performed to determine the effects of compressor bleed flow extraction on the performance of F404-GE-400 afterburning turbofan engines. The two engines were installed in the F/A-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility. A specialized bleed ducting system was installed onto the aircraft to control and measure engine bleed airflow while the aircraft was tied down to a thrust measuring stand. The test was conducted on each engine and at various power settings. The bleed air extraction levels analyzed included flow rates above the manufacturer's maximum specification limit. The measured relationship between thrust and bleed flow extraction was shown to be essentially linear at all power settings with an increase in bleed flow causing a corresponding decrease in thrust. A comparison with the F404-GE-400 steady-state engine simulation showed the estimation to be within +/- 1 percent of measured thrust losses for large increases in bleed flow rate.

Influence of Thrust Level on the Architecture and Optimal Working Process Parameters of a Small-scale Turbojet for UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuz`michev, V. S.; Filinov, E. P.; Ostapyuk, Ya A.

2018-01-01

This article describes how the thrust level influences the turbojet architecture (types of turbomachines that provide the maximum efficiency) and its working process parameters (turbine inlet temperature (TIT) and overall pressure ratio (OPR)). Functional gasdynamic and strength constraints were included, total mass of fuel and the engine required for mission and the specific fuel consumption (SFC) were considered optimization criteria. Radial and axial turbines and compressors were considered. The results show that as the engine thrust decreases, optimal values of working process parameters decrease too, and the regions of compromise shrink. Optimal engine architecture and values of working process parameters are suggested for turbojets with thrust varying from 100N to 100kN. The results show that for the thrust below 25kN the engine scale factor should be taken into the account, as the low flow rates begin to influence the efficiency of engine elements substantially.

Influence of a Levelness Defect in a Thrust Bearing on the Dynamic Behaviour of AN Elastic Shaft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

BERGER, S.; BONNEAU, O.; FRÊNE, J.

2002-01-01

This paper examines the non-linear dynamic behaviour of a flexible shaft. The shaft is mounted on two journal bearings and the axial load is supported by a defective hydrodynamic thrust bearing at one end. The defect is a levelness defect of the rotor. The thrust bearing behaviour must be considered to be non-linear because of the effects of the defect. The shaft is modelled with typical beam finite elements including effects such as the gyroscopic effects. A modal technique is used to reduce the number of degrees of freedom. Results show that the thrust bearing defects introduce supplementary critical speeds. The linear approach is unable to show the supplementary critical speeds which are obtained only by using non-linear analysis.

Land, sea, and air unmanned systems research and development at SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Hoa G.; Laird, Robin; Kogut, Greg; Andrews, John; Fletcher, Barbara; Webber, Todd; Arrieta, Rich; Everett, H. R.

2009-05-01

The Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) has a long and extensive history in unmanned systems research and development, starting with undersea applications in the 1960s and expanding into ground and air systems in the 1980s. In the ground domain, we are addressing force-protection scenarios using large unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and fixed sensors, and simultaneously pursuing tactical and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) operations with small man-portable robots. Technology thrusts include improving robotic intelligence and functionality, autonomous navigation and world modeling in urban environments, extended operational range of small teleoperated UGVs, enhanced human-robot interaction, and incorporation of remotely operated weapon systems. On the sea surface, we are pushing the envelope on dynamic obstacle avoidance while conforming to established nautical rules-of-the-road. In the air, we are addressing cooperative behaviors between UGVs and small vertical-takeoff- and-landing unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). Underwater applications involve very shallow water mine countermeasures, ship hull inspection, oceanographic data collection, and deep ocean access. Specific technology thrusts include fiber-optic communications, adaptive mission controllers, advanced navigation techniques, and concepts of operations (CONOPs) development. This paper provides a review of recent accomplishments and current status of a number of projects in these areas.

Seismicity of the Earth 1900-2010 New Guinea and vicinity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benz, Harley M.; Herman, Matthew; Tarr, Arthur C.; Hayes, Gavin P.; Furlong, Kevin P.; Villaseñor, Antonio; Dart, Richard L.; Rhea, Susan

2011-01-01

There have been 22 M7.5+ earthquakes recorded in the New Guinea region since 1900. The dominant earthquake mechanisms are thrust and strike slip, associated with the arc-continent collision and the relative motions between numerous local microplates. The largest earthquake in the region was a M8.2 shallow thrust fault event in the northern Papua province of Indonesia that killed 166 people in 1996. The Australia-Pacific plate boundary is over 4,000 km long on the northern margin, from the Sunda (Java) trench in the west to the Solomon Islands in the east. The eastern section is over 2,300 km long, extending west from northeast of the Australian continent and the Coral Sea until it intersects the east coast of Papua New Guinea. The boundary is dominated by the general northward subduction of the Australia plate.

Aeroacoustic Analysis of Fan Noise Reduction With Increased Bypass Nozzle Area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodward, Richard P.; Hughes, Christopher E.; Podboy, Gary G.

2005-01-01

An advanced model turbofan was tested in the NASA Glenn 9-by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel (9x15 LSWT) to explore far field acoustic effects of increased bypass nozzle area. This fan stage test was part of the NASA Glenn Fan Broadband Source Diagnostic Test, second entry (SDT2) which acquired aeroacoustic results over a range of test conditions. The baseline nozzle was sized to produce maximum stage performance at cruise condition. However, the wind tunnel testing is conducted near sea level condition. Therefore, in order to simulate and obtain performance at other operating conditions, two additional nozzles were designed and tested one with +5 percent increase in weight flow (+5.4 percent increase in nozzle area compared with the baseline nozzle), sized to simulate the performance at the stage design point (takeoff) condition, and the other with a +7.5 percent increase in weight flow (+10.9 percent increase in nozzle area) sized for maximum weight flow with a fixed nozzle at sea level condition. Measured acoustic benefits with increased nozzle area were very encouraging, showing overall sound power level (OAPWL) reductions of 2 or more dB while the stage thrust actually increased by 2 to 3 percent except for the most open nozzle at takeoff rotor speed where stage performance decreased. Effective perceived noise levels for a 1500 ft engine flyover and 3.35 scale factor showed a similar noise reduction of 2 or more EPNdB. Noise reductions, principally in the level of broadband noise, were observed everywhere in the far field. Laser Doppler Velocimetry measurements taken downstream of the rotor showed that the total turbulent velocity decreased with increasing nozzle flow, which may explain the reduced rotor broadband noise levels.

Internal performance characteristics of thrust-vectored axisymmetric ejector nozzles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lamb, Milton

1995-01-01

A series of thrust-vectored axisymmetric ejector nozzles were designed and experimentally tested for internal performance and pumping characteristics at the Langley research center. This study indicated that discontinuities in the performance occurred at low primary nozzle pressure ratios and that these discontinuities were mitigated by decreasing expansion area ratio. The addition of secondary flow increased the performance of the nozzles. The mid-to-high range of secondary flow provided the most overall improvements, and the greatest improvements were seen for the largest ejector area ratio. Thrust vectoring the ejector nozzles caused a reduction in performance and discharge coefficient. With or without secondary flow, the vectored ejector nozzles produced thrust vector angles that were equivalent to or greater than the geometric turning angle. With or without secondary flow, spacing ratio (ejector passage symmetry) had little effect on performance (gross thrust ratio), discharge coefficient, or thrust vector angle. For the unvectored ejectors, a small amount of secondary flow was sufficient to reduce the pressure levels on the shroud to provide cooling, but for the vectored ejector nozzles, a larger amount of secondary air was required to reduce the pressure levels to provide cooling.

Near field earthquake sources scenarios and related tsunamis on the French-Italian Riviera (Western Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larroque, Christophe; Ioualalen, Mansour; Scotti, Oona

2014-05-01

The large system of thrust faults recently evidenced at the foot of the northern Ligurian margin accommodates the inversion of this ancient passive margin since at least 5 Ma (Messinian times). At depth, these faults are certainly connected to a major northward dipping thrust that accounts for the major part of the seismicity in the northern Ligurian Sea. The deformations of the Quaternary sediments along the faults attest to a compressive tectonic regime consistent with the focal mechanisms of earthquakes. The major event in the area (the Ligurian earthquake, 1887/02/23, Mw 6.7-6.9 and the related tsunami) could result from the activation of part of the Ligurian thrust. Starting from the Ligurian earthquake source characteristics (strike: N55°E, dip: 16°N, length: 35 km, width: 17 km, co-seismic slip: 1.5 m, focal depth: 15 km, Mw 6.9), we have built an exhaustive set of earthquake scenarios involving the 80 km long Ligurian thrust. (1) Two of these earthquake scenarios ruptured respectively the eastern (offshore Imperia) and western (offshore Nice) part of the Ligurian thrust. (2) As these scenarios must scan the range of potential events in accordance with the geology, a second group of scenarios tests an 80 km long rupture of the entire Ligurian thrust with different strikes (N55°E and N70°E) and different widths of the faulting surface (17 km and 27 km) and then co-seismic slips of 2 m and 3.3 m, respectively. As the Ligurian coast is a densely populated and industrial area, the vulnerability is high. We want to stress here that we are more concerned with tsunamis triggered by local earthquakes. This is because, considering their arrival times (a few minutes), the risk prevention cannot be handled by existing tsunami warning system. For all scenarios we evaluate the tsunami coastal impact. The spatial distribution of the maximum wave height (MWH) is provided with a tentative identification of the processes that are responsible for it. The predictions suggest that the wave impact is mostly local considering the relatively moderate size of the rupture planes compared to large subduction earthquake induced tsunamis. The studied scenarios show that for such events specific localities along the French-Italian Riviera (San Remo, Cipressa, Imperia, Diano Marina, Nice) may experience very significant MWH (in the range of 3 to 10 m depending of the co-seismic slip and magnitude) related to the shallow focal depth tested for such scenarios. We may reasonably conclude that the tsunami threat is relatively significant and uniform along the Italian side of the Riviera (from Ventimiglia to Imperia) while it is more localized along the French side from Ventimiglia to Antibes with however higher local level of inundation, e.g., Nice city center, in case of a complete rupture of the Ligurian thrust faults system.

Focused Experimental and Analytical Studies of the RBCC Rocket-Ejector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lehman, M.; Pal, S.; Schwes, D.; Chen, J. D.; Santoro, R. J.

1999-01-01

The rocket-ejector mode of a Rocket Based Combined Cycle Engine (RBCC) was studied through a joint experimental/analytical approach. A two-dimensional variable geometry rocket-ejector system with enhanced optical access was designed and fabricated for experimentation. The rocket-ejector system utilizes a single two-dimensional gaseous oxygen/gaseous hydrogen rocket as the ejector. To gain a systematic understanding of the rocket ejector's internal fluid mechanic/combustion phenomena, experiments were conducted with both direct-connect and sea-level static configurations for a range of rocket operating conditions Overall system performance was obtained through Global measurements of wall static pressure profiles, heat flux profiles and engine thrust, whereas detailed mixing and combustion information was obtained through Raman spectroscopy measurements of major species (gaseous oxygen, hydrogen. nitrogen and water vapor). These experimental efforts were complemented by Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) flowfield analyses.

Ignition Delay Experiments with Small-scale Rocket Engine at Simulated Altitude Conditions Using Various Fuels with Nitric Acid Oxidants / Dezso J. Ladanyi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ladanyi, Dezso J

1952-01-01

Ignition delay determinations of several fuels with nitric oxidants were made at simulated altitude conditions utilizing a small-scale rocket engine of approximately 50 pounds thrust. Included in the fuels were aniline, hydrazine hydrate, furfuryl alcohol, furfuryl mercaptan, turpentine, and mixtures of triethylamine with mixed xylidines and diallyaniline. Red fuming, white fuming, and anhydrous nitric acids were used with and without additives. A diallylaniline - triethylamine mixture and a red fuming nitric acid analyzing 3.5 percent water and 16 percent NO2 by weight was found to have a wide temperature-pressure ignition range, yielding average delays from 13 milliseconds at 110 degrees F to 55 milliseconds at -95 degrees F regardless of the initial ambient pressure that ranged from sea-level pressure altitude of 94,000 feet.

Design study of an air pump and integral lift engine ALF-504 using the Lycoming 502 core

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rauch, D.

1972-01-01

Design studies were conducted for an integral lift fan engine utilizing the Lycoming 502 fan core with the final MQT power turbine. The fan is designed for a 12.5 bypass ratio and 1.25:1 pressure ratio, and provides supercharging for the core. Maximum sea level static thrust is 8370 pounds with a specific fuel consumption of 0.302 lb/hr-lb. The dry engine weight without starter is 1419 pounds including full-length duct and sound-attenuating rings. The engine envelope including duct treatment but not localized accessory protrusion is 53.25 inches in diameter and 59.2 inches long from exhaust nozzle exit to fan inlet flange. Detailed analyses include fan aerodynamics, fan and reduction gear mechanical design, fan dynamic analysis, engine noise analysis, engine performance, and weight analysis.

Low thrust optimal orbital transfers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cobb, Shannon S.

1994-01-01

For many optimal transfer problems it is reasonable to expect that the minimum time solution is also the minimum fuel solution. However, if one allows the propulsion system to be turned off and back on, it is clear that these two solutions may differ. In general, high thrust transfers resemble the well known impulsive transfers where the burn arcs are of very short duration. The low and medium thrust transfers differ in that their thrust acceleration levels yield longer burn arcs and thus will require more revolutions. In this research, we considered two approaches for solving this problem: a powered flight guidance algorithm previously developed for higher thrust transfers was modified and an 'averaging technique' was investigated.

Polyphase tectonics at the southern tip of the Manila trench, Mindoro-Tablas Islands, Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchadier, Yves; Rangin, Claude

1990-11-01

The southern termination of the Manila trench within the South China Sea continental margin in Mindoro is marked by a complex polyphase tectonic fabric in the arc-trench gap area. Onshore Southern Mindoro the active deformation front of the Manila trench is marked by parallel folds and thrusts, grading southward to N50° W-trending left-lateral strike-slip faults. This transpressive tectonic regime, active at least since the Late Pliocene, has overprinted the collision of an Early Miocene volcanic arc with the South China Sea continental margin (San Jose platform). The collision is postdated by deposition of the Late Miocene-Early Pliocene elastics of the East Mindoro basin. The tectonic and geological framework of this arc, which overlies a metamorphic basement and Eocene elastics, suggests that it was built on a drifted block of the South China Sea continental margin.

Reinterpretation of Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonic events, Mountain Pass area, northeastern San Bernardino County, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nance, M.A.

1993-04-01

Detailed mapping, stratigraphic structural analysis in the Mountain Pass area has resulted in a reinterpretation of Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonic events in the area. Mesozoic events are characterized by north vergent folds and thrust faults followed by east vergent thrusting. Folding created two synclines and an anticline which were than cut at different stratigraphic levels by subsequent thrust faults. Thrusting created composite tectono-stratigraphic sections containing autochthonous, para-autothonous, and allochthonous sections. Normal faults cutting these composite sections including North, Kokoweef, White Line, and Piute fault must be post-thrusting, not pre-thrusting as in previous interpretations. Detailed study of these faults results inmore » differentiation of at least three orders of faults and suggest they represent Cenozoic extension correlated with regional extensional events between 11 and 19 my. Mesozoic stratigraphy reflects regional orogenic uplift, magmatic activity, and thrusting. Inclusion of Kaibab clasts in the Chinle, Kaibab and Chinle clasts in the Aztec, and Chinle, Aztec, and previously deposited Delfonte Volcanics clasts in the younger members of the Delfonte Volcanics suggest regional uplift prior to the thrusting of Cambrian Bonanza King over Delfonte Volcanics by the Mescal Thrust fault. The absence of clasts younger than Kaibab argues against pre-thrusting activity for the Kokoweef fault.« less

Exhumation history of the West Kunlun Mountains, northwestern Tibet: Evidence for a long-lived, rejuvenated orogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Kai; Wang, Guo-Can; Bernet, Matthias; van der Beek, Peter; Zhang, Ke-Xin

2015-12-01

How and when the northwestern Tibetan Plateau originated and developed upon pre-existing crustal and topographic features is not well understood. To address this question, we present an integrated analysis of detrital zircon U-Pb and fission-track double dating of Cenozoic synorogenic sediments from the Kekeya and Sanju sections in the southwestern Tarim Basin. These data help establishing a new chronostratigraphic framework for the Sanju section and confirm a recent revision of the chronostratigraphy at Kekeya. Detrital zircon fission-track ages present prominent Triassic-Early Jurassic (∼250-170 Ma) and Early Cretaceous (∼130-100 Ma) static age peaks, and Paleocene-Early Miocene (∼60-21 Ma) to Eocene-Late Miocene (∼39-7 Ma) moving age peaks, representing source exhumation. Triassic-Early Jurassic static peak ages document unroofing of the Kunlun terrane, probably related to the subduction of Paleotethys oceanic lithosphere. In combination with the occurrence of synorogenic sediments on both flanks of the Kunlun terrane, these data suggest that an ancient West Kunlun range had emerged above sea level by Triassic-Early Jurassic times. Early Cretaceous fission-track peak ages are interpreted to document exhumation related to thrusting along the Tam Karaul fault, kinematically correlated to the Main Pamir thrust further west. Widespread Middle-Late Mesozoic crustal shortening and thickening likely enhanced the Early Mesozoic topography. Paleocene-Early Eocene fission-track peak ages are presumably partially reset. Limited regional exhumation indicates that the Early Cenozoic topographic and crustal pattern of the West Kunlun may be largely preserved from the Middle-Late Mesozoic. The Main Pamir-Tam Karaul thrust belt could be a first-order tectonic feature bounding the northwestern margin of the Middle-Late Mesozoic to Early Cenozoic Tibetan Plateau. Toward the Tarim basin, Late Oligocene-Early Miocene steady exhumation at a rate of ∼0.9 km/Myr is likely related to initial thrusting of the Tiklik fault and reactivation of the Tam Karaul thrust. Thrusting together with upper crustal shortening in the mountain front indicates basinward expansion of the West Kunlun orogen at this time. This episode of exhumation and uplift, associated with magmatism across western Tibet, is compatible with a double-sided lithospheric wedge model, primarily driven by breakoff of the Indian crustal slab. Accelerated exhumation of the mountain front at a rate of ∼1.1 km/Myr since ∼15 Ma supports active compressional deformation at the margins of the northwestern Tibetan Plateau. We thus propose that the West Kunlun Mountains are a long-lived topographic unit, dating back to Triassic-Early Jurassic times, and have experienced Middle-Late Mesozoic to Early Cenozoic rejuvenation and Late Oligocene-Miocene expansion.

Control of syntectonic erosion and sedimentation on kinematic evolution of a multidecollement fold and thrust zone: Analogue modeling of folding in the southern subandean of Bolivia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darnault, Romain; Callot, Jean-Paul; Ballard, Jean-François; Fraisse, Guillaume; Mengus, Jean-Marie; Ringenbach, Jean-Claude

2016-08-01

Several analogue modeling studies have been conducted during the past fifteen years with the aim to discuss the effects of sedimentation and erosion on Foreland Fold and Thrust Belt, among which a few have analyzed these processes at kilometric scale (Malavieille et al., 1993; Nalpas et al., 1999; Barrier et al., 2002; Pichot and Nalpas, 2009). The influence of syn-deformation sedimentation and erosion on the structural evolution of FFTB has been clearly demonstrated. Here, we propose to go further in this approach by the study of a more complex system with a double decollement level. The natural study case is the Bolivian sub-Andean thrust and fold belt, which present all the required criteria, such as the double decollement level. A set of analogue models performed under a CT-scan have been used to test the influence of several parameters on a fold and thrust belt system, among which: (i) the spatial variation of the sediment input, (ii) the spatial variation of the erosion rate, (iii) the relative distribution of sedimentation between foreland and hinterland. These experiments led to the following observations: 1. The upper decollement level acts as a decoupling level in case of increased sedimentation rate: it results in the verticalization of the shallower part (above the upper decollement level), while the deeper parts are not impacted. 2. Similarly, the increase of the erosion rate involves the uplift of the deeper part (below the upper decollement level), whereas the shallower parts are not impacted. 3. A high sedimentation rate in the foreland involves a fault and fold vergence reversal, followed by a back-thrusting of the shallower part. 4. A high sedimentation rate in the hinterland favours thrust development toward the foreland in the shallower parts.

Revolution at Sea Starts Here. A 1987 History of the Naval Surface Warfare Center

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10 . SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) 12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY...Blake, Mary H. Hagen, Mark E. Chase, Gary Kendrick, Barbara Wisdom, George L. Hamlin, Pamela 0. Lama, Marcella Westermeyer, and Dave Meggs. Without...needs over the next 10 to 20 years. These thrusts were to: * Emphasize development and integration of Shipboard Electronic Warfare Systems; * Increase

Geomorphology of submerged river channels indicates Late Quaternary tectonic activity in the Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vrabec, M.; Slavec, P.; Poglajen, S.; Busetti, M.

2012-04-01

We use multibeam and parametric subbottom sonar data, complemented with multichannel and high-resolution single-channel seismic profiles, to investigate sea-bottom morphology and subbottom sediment structure in the south-eastern half of the Gulf of Trieste, northern Adriatic Sea. The study area comprises 180 km2 of predominantly flat seabed with the water depth from 20 to 25 m. Pre-Quaternary basement consists of Mesozoic-Paleogene carbonate platform unit, overlain by Eocene marls and sandstones, covered by up to 300 m thick Quaternary sediments of predominantly continental origin. The uppermost few meters of sediment consist of Holocene fine-grained marine deposits. Structurally, the investigated area belongs to the imbricated rim of the Adriatic microplate and is dissected by several NE-dipping low-angle thrusts with up to several kms of displacement. The thrusts are cut by younger NE-SW-trending steeply dipping faults with sinistral and/or normal offset, mapped onshore. The continuation of those faults into the offshore area is suggested by mismatch of thrust structures between parallel seismic profiles. Geodetic data on present-day tectonic activity is controversial. Whereas the Adriatic microplate is currently moving northwards towards Eurasia at the rate of 2-4 mm/yr, the GNSS data show no measurable deformation in the Gulf of Trieste. On the other hand, onshore precise-levelling data suggest localized vertical motions in the range of 1 mm/yr, interpreted as an indication of thrust activity. High-resolution swath bathymetry revealed several current-related erosional and depositional features such as gullies and megadunes with up to 5 m of relief. The most conspicuous seabed morphological features are pre-Holocene river channels preserved in low-erosion submarine environment, which make excellent markers for studying the long-term geomorphological evolution of the area. The WNW-ESE-trending paleo-Rižana river is characterized by highly sinuous meandering channels. Sequential profiles perpendicular to the river course suggest consistent ~NE-ward lateral shifting of channels, parallel with inclination of the present-day seabed and with the present-day lateral gradient in channel depth. A longitudinal profile of the Rižana river plain revealed downstream increase in elevation of the stream bed, visible both from seabed bathymetry and from vertical position of channel lag deposits in subbottom sonar profiles. These observations suggest post-depositional tectonic tilting of the fluvial sediments that could be related either to activation of NE-dipping thrusts in the pre-Quaternary basement, or to minor anticlinal folding associated with Quaternary transpressional faulting along NW-SE-trending zones, implied from seismic profiles NW-ward of our study area. An enigmatic low-sinuosity channel feature runs along the coastline in the NE-SW direction and crosses the paleo-Rižana channel. Subbottom sonar profiles show asymmetric channel geometry and strong reflectors (channel lag deposits?) at the channel bottom, typical of other documented river channels in the area. This feature is vertically offset by a NE-SW-trending linear morphological flexure that corresponds in location and orientation to the onshore Monte Spaccato fault. Subbottom profiling revealed in several places an abrupt truncation of horizontal reflectors that could be manifestation of faulting. These indications of Late Quaternary - Holocene tectonic activity may have important implications for seismic hazard in the heavily populated coastal area of the Gulf of Trieste.

Tsunami waves generated by dynamically triggered aftershocks of the 2010 Haiti earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ten Brink, U. S.; Wei, Y.; Fan, W.; Miller, N. C.; Granja, J. L.

2017-12-01

Dynamically-triggered aftershocks, thought to be set off by the passage of surface waves, are currently not considered in tsunami warnings, yet may produce enough seafloor deformation to generate tsunamis on their own, as judged from new findings about the January 12, 2010 Haiti earthquake tsunami in the Caribbean Sea. This tsunami followed the Mw7.0 Haiti mainshock, which resulted from a complex rupture along the north shore of Tiburon Peninsula, not beneath the Caribbean Sea. The mainshock, moreover, had a mixed strike-slip and thrust focal mechanism. There were no recorded aftershocks in the Caribbean Sea, only small coastal landslides and rock falls on the south shore of Tiburon Peninsula. Nevertheless, a tsunami was recorded on deep-sea DART buoy 42407 south of the Dominican Republic and on the Santo Domingo tide gauge, and run-ups of ≤3 m were observed along a 90-km-long stretch of the SE Haiti coast. Three dynamically-triggered aftershocks south of Haiti have been recently identified within the coda of the mainshock (<200 s) by analyzing P wave arrivals recorded by dense seismic arrays, parsing the arrivals into 20-s-long stacks, and back-projecting the arrivals to the vicinity of the main shock (50-300 km). Two of the aftershocks, coming 20-40 s and 40-60 s after the mainshock, plot along NW-SE-trending submarine ridges in the Caribbean Sea south of Haiti. The third event, 120-140 s was located along the steep eastern slope of Bahoruco Peninsula, which is delineated by a normal fault. Forward tsunami models show that the arrival times of the DART buoy and tide gauge times are best fit by the earliest of the three aftershocks, with a Caribbean source 60 km SW of the mainshock rupture zone. Preliminary inversion of the DART buoy time series for fault locations and orientations confirms the location of the first source, but requires an additional unidentified source closer to shore 40 km SW of the mainshock rupture zone. This overall agreement between earthquake and tsunami analyses suggests that land-based earthquake ruptures and/or non-thrust main shocks can generate tsunamis by means of dynamically-triggered aftershocks. It also provides an independent verification to the back-projection seismic method, and it indicates that the active NE-SW shortening of Hispaniola extends southward into the Caribbean Sea.

Performance of a 100 kW class applied field MPD thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mantenieks, Maris A.; Sovey, James S.; Myers, Roger M.; Haag, Thomas W.; Raitano, Paul; Parkes, James E.

1989-01-01

Performance of a 100 kW, applied field magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster was evaluated and sensitivities of discharge characteristics to arc current, mass flow rate, and applied magnetic field were investigated. Thermal efficiencies as high as 60 percent, thrust efficiencies up to 21 percent, and specific impulses of up to 1150 s were attained with argon propellant. Thrust levels up to 2.5 N were directly measured with an inverted pendulum thrust stand at discharge input powers up to 57 kW. It was observed that thrust increased monotonically with the product of arc current and magnet current.

Design and Optimization of Low-thrust Orbit Transfers Using Q-law and Evolutionary Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Seungwon; vonAllmen, Paul; Fink, Wolfgang; Petropoulos, Anastassios; Terrile, Richard

2005-01-01

Future space missions will depend more on low-thrust propulsion (such as ion engines) thanks to its high specific impulse. Yet, the design of low-thrust trajectories is complex and challenging. Third-body perturbations often dominate the thrust, and a significant change to the orbit requires a long duration of thrust. In order to guide the early design phases, we have developed an efficient and efficacious method to obtain approximate propellant and flight-time requirements (i.e., the Pareto front) for orbit transfers. A search for the Pareto-optimal trajectories is done in two levels: optimal thrust angles and locations are determined by Q-law, while the Q-law is optimized with two evolutionary algorithms: a genetic algorithm and a simulated-annealing-related algorithm. The examples considered are several types of orbit transfers around the Earth and the asteroid Vesta.

Static performance of vectoring/reversing non-axisymmetric nozzles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willard, C. M.; Capone, F. J.; Konarski, M.; Stevens, H. L.

1977-01-01

An experimental program sponsored by the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory is currently in progress to determine the internal and installed performance characteristics of five different thrust vectoring/reversing non-axisymmetric nozzle concepts for tactical fighter aircraft applications. Internal performance characteristics for the five non-axisymmetric nozzles and an advanced technology axisymmetric baseline nozzle were determined in static tests conducted in January 1977 at the NASA-Langley Research Center. The non-axisymmetric nozzle models were tested at thrust deflection angles of up to 30 degrees from horizontal at throat areas associated with both dry and afterburning power. In addition, dry power reverse thrust geometries were tested for three of the concepts. The best designs demonstrated internal performance levels essentially equivalent to the baseline axisymmetric nozzle at unvectored conditions. The best designs also gave minimum performance losses due to vectoring, and reverse thrust levels up to 50% of maximum dry power forward thrust. The installed performance characteristics will be established based on wind tunnel testing to be conducted at Arnold Engineering Development Center in the fall of 1977.

Aftershocks to Philippine quake found within nearby megathrust fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Colin

2013-02-01

On 31 August 2012 a magnitude 7.6 earthquake ruptured deep beneath the sea floor of the Philippine Trench, a powerful intraplate earthquake centered seaward of the plate boundary. In the wake of the main shock, sensors detected a flurry of aftershocks, counting 110 in total. Drawing on seismic wave observations and rupture mechanisms calculated for the aftershocks, Ye et al. found that many were located near the epicenter of the main intraplate quake but at shallower depth; all involved normal faulting. Some shallow thrusting aftershocks were located farther to the west, centered within the potentially dangerous megathrust fault formed by the subduction of the Philippine Sea plate beneath the Philippine microplate, the piece of crust housing the Philippine Islands.

Petroleum geology and resources of the middle Caspian Basin, Former Soviet Union

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ulmishek, Gregory F.

2001-01-01

The Middle Caspian basin occupies a large area between the Great Caucasus foldbelt and the southern edge of the Precambrian Russian craton. The basin also includes the central part of the Caspian Sea and the South Mangyshlak subbasin east of the sea. The basin was formed on the Hercynian accreted terrane during Late Permian?Triassic through Quaternary time. Structurally, the basin consists of the fold-and-thrust zone of the northern Caucasus foothills, the foredeep and foreland slope, the Stavropol-Prikumsk uplift and East Manych trough to the north of the slope, and the South Mangyshlak subbasin and slope of the Karabogaz arch east of the Caspian Sea. All these major structures extend offshore. Four total petroleum systems (TPS) have been identified in the basin. The South Mangyshlak TPS contains more than 40 discovered fields. The principal reserves are in Lower?Middle Jurassic sandstone reservoirs in structural traps. Source rocks are poorly known, but geologic data indicate that they are in the Triassic taphrogenic sequence. Migration of oil and gas significantly postdated maturation of source rocks and was related to faulting and fracturing during middle Miocene to present time. A single assessment unit covers the entire TPS. Largest undiscovered resources of this assessment unit are expected in the largely undrilled offshore portion of the TPS, especially on the western plunge of the Mangyshlak meganticline. The Terek-Caspian TPS occupies the fold-and-thrust belt, foredeep, and adjoining foreland slope. About 50 hydrocarbon fields, primarily oil, have been discovered in the TPS. Almost all hydrocarbon reserves are in faulted structural traps related to thrusting of the foldbelt, and most traps are in frontal edges of the thrust sheets. The traps are further complicated by plastic deformation of Upper Jurassic salt and Maykop series (Oligocene? lower Miocene) shale. Principal reservoirs are fractured Upper Cretaceous carbonates and middle Miocene sandstones. Principal source rocks are organic-rich shales in the lower part of the Maykop series. Source rocks may also be present in the Eocene, Upper Jurassic, and Middle Jurassic sections, but their contribution to discovered reserves is probably small. Three assessment units are delineated in the TPS. One of them encompasses the thrust-and-fold belt of northern Caucasus foothills. This assessment unit contains most of the undiscovered oil resources. The second assessment unit occupies the foredeep and largely undeformed foreland slope. Undiscovered resources of this unit are relatively small and primarily related to stratigraphic traps. The third unit is identified in almost untested subsalt Jurassic rocks occurring at great depths and is speculative. The unit may contain significant amounts of gas under the Upper Jurassic salt seal. The Stavropol-Prikumsk TPS lies north of the Terek-Caspian TPS and extends offshore into the central Caspian Sea where geologic data are scarce. More than one hundred oil and gas fields have been found onshore. Offshore, only one well was recently drilled, and this well discovered a large oil and gas field. Almost the entire sedimentary section of the TPS is productive; however, the principal oil reserves are in Lower Cretaceous clastic reservoirs in structural traps of the Prikumsk uplift. Most original gas reserves are in Paleogene reservoirs of the Stavropol arch and these reservoirs are largely depleted. At least three source rock formations, in the Lower Triassic, Middle Jurassic, and Oligocene?lower Miocene (Maykop series), are present in the TPS. Geochemical data are inadequate to correlate oils and gases in most reservoirs with particular source rocks, and widespread mixing of hydrocarbons apparently took place. Three assessment units encompassing the onshore area of the TPS, the offshore continuation of the Prikumsk uplift, and the central Caspian area, are identified. The

Experimental Investigation of Unsteady Thrust Augmentation Using a Speaker-Driven Jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, Daniel E.; Wernet, Mark P.; John, Wentworth T.

2007-01-01

An experimental investigation is described in which a simple speaker-driven jet was used as a pulsed thrust source (driver) for an ejector configuration. The objectives of the investigation were twofold. The first was to expand the experimental body of evidence showing that an unsteady thrust source, combined with a properly sized ejector generally yields higher thrust augmentation values than a similarly sized, steady driver of equivalent thrust. The second objective was to identify characteristics of the unsteady driver that may be useful for sizing ejectors, and for predicting the thrust augmentation levels that may be achieved. The speaker-driven jet provided a convenient source for the investigation because it is entirely unsteady (i.e., it has no mean velocity component) and because relevant parameters such as frequency, time-averaged thrust, and diameter are easily variable. The experimental setup will be described, as will the two main measurements techniques employed. These are thrust and digital particle imaging velocimetry of the driver. It will be shown that thrust augmentation values as high as 1.8 were obtained, that the diameter of the best ejector scaled with the dimensions of the emitted vortex, and that the so-called formation time serves as a useful dimensionless parameter by which to characterize the jet and predict performance.

Structural evolution of the Nankai inner accretionary prism constrained by thermal structure and sedimentary age of deep borehole samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuchi, R.; Yamaguchi, A.; Ito, H.; Yamamoto, Y.; Ashi, J.

2017-12-01

The Nankai accretionary wedge has been developed by subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Eurasian and Amur Plate, accompanying forearc basin development upon inner wedge. To evaluate the evolutionary processes of the Nankai inner accretionary wedge, we performed vitrinite reflectance analysis and detrital zircon U-Pb age dating using cuttings retrieved from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site C0002 located within the Kumano Basin and penetrates the inner accretionary wedge down to 3058.5 m below the seafloor (mbsf). Although Ro values of vitrinite reflectance tend to increase with depth, there are two reversals (1300-1500 mbsf and 2400-2600 mbsf) of Ro values. The youngest detrital zircon U-Pb age of the cuttings from 2600.5 mbsf is 7.41 Ma, which is obviously younger than shipboard nannofossil ages (9.56-10.54 Ma) at 2245.5 mbsf. Both Ro values and the youngest detrital zircon U-Pb ages show a reversal between 2400-2600 mbsf, suggesting the existence of a thrust fault with sufficient displacement to offset both paleothermal structure and sediment age. Despite similar depositonal age and paleogeothermal gradient, lithofacies in the hanging- and footwall of the 2400-2600 mbsf thrust fault are different; volcaniclastic sediments are rare in the footwall. The lack of volcaniclastic sediments corresponding to the Middle Shikoku Basin facies in the footwall of the thrust suggests that sediments below 2600 mbsf have similar sedimentation background to that of present off-Muroto input site sediments. Thus, our synthesized model of tectonic evolutionary process of deep portion of the Nankai inner accretionary wedge is as follows: 1) 4 Ma: hemipelagic sediments, which deposited similar environment of present off-Muroto input, have accreted ( 4 Ma corresponds to the age of unconformity between forearc basin and accretionary prism (Kinoshita et al., 2009)). 2) 2 Ma: The megasplay fault was activated (Strasser et al., 2009), and Site C0002 sediments moved into inner wedge. Moving direction of the Philippine Sea Plate became NNW to WNW (Kamata and Kodama, 1999). 3) present: inner accretionary wedge has been buried with formation of Kumano forearc basin. Sediments existed offshore of the 4 Ma source area of Site C0002 have moved to off-Muroto input with the motion of the Philippine Sea Plate.

Helicon double layer thruster operation in a low magnetic field mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harle, T.; Pottinger, S. J.; Lappas, V. J.

2013-02-01

Direct thrust measurements are made of a helicon double layer thruster operating in a low magnetic field mode. The relationship between the imposed axial magnetic field and generated thrust is investigated for a radio frequency input power range 200-500 W for propellant flow rates of 16.5 and 20 sccm (0.46 and 0.55 mg s-1) of argon. The measured thrust shows a strong dependence on the magnetic field strength, increasing by up to a factor of 5 compared with the minimum thrust level recorded. A peak thrust of 0.4-1.1 mN depending on thruster operating conditions is obtained. This increase is observed to take place over a small range of peak magnetic field strengths in the region of 70-110 G. The magnitude of the thrust and the corresponding magnitude of the magnetic field at which the peak thrust occurs is shown to increase with increasing input power for a given propellant flow rate. The ion current determined using a retarding field energy analyser and the electron number density found using a microwave resonator probe both correlate with the observed trend in thrust as a function of applied magnetic field.

Static investigation of two fluidic thrust-vectoring concepts on a two-dimensional convergent-divergent nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wing, David J.

1994-01-01

A static investigation was conducted in the static test facility of the Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel of two thrust-vectoring concepts which utilize fluidic mechanisms for deflecting the jet of a two-dimensional convergent-divergent nozzle. One concept involved using the Coanda effect to turn a sheet of injected secondary air along a curved sidewall flap and, through entrainment, draw the primary jet in the same direction to produce yaw thrust vectoring. The other concept involved deflecting the primary jet to produce pitch thrust vectoring by injecting secondary air through a transverse slot in the divergent flap, creating an oblique shock in the divergent channel. Utilizing the Coanda effect to produce yaw thrust vectoring was largely unsuccessful. Small vector angles were produced at low primary nozzle pressure ratios, probably because the momentum of the primary jet was low. Significant pitch thrust vector angles were produced by injecting secondary flow through a slot in the divergent flap. Thrust vector angle decreased with increasing nozzle pressure ratio but moderate levels were maintained at the highest nozzle pressure ratio tested. Thrust performance generally increased at low nozzle pressure ratios and decreased near the design pressure ratio with the addition of secondary flow.

Titan I propulsion system modeling and possible performance improvements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giusti, Oreste

This thesis features the Titan I propulsion systems and offers data-supported suggestions for improvements to increase performance. The original propulsion systems were modeled both graphically in CAD and via equations. Due to the limited availability of published information, it was necessary to create a more detailed, secondary set of models. Various engineering equations---pertinent to rocket engine design---were implemented in order to generate the desired extra detail. This study describes how these new models were then imported into the ESI CFD Suite. Various parameters are applied to these imported models as inputs that include, for example, bi-propellant combinations, pressure, temperatures, and mass flow rates. The results were then processed with ESI VIEW, which is visualization software. The output files were analyzed for forces in the nozzle, and various results were generated, including sea level thrust and ISP. Experimental data are provided to compare the original engine configuration models to the derivative suggested improvement models.

Control Design for an Advanced Geared Turbofan Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, Jeffryes W.; Litt, Jonathan S.

2017-01-01

This paper describes the design process for the control system of an advanced geared turbofan engine. This process is applied to a simulation that is representative of a 30,000 pound-force thrust class concept engine with two main spools, ultra-high bypass ratio, and a variable area fan nozzle. Control system requirements constrain the non-linear engine model as it operates throughout its flight envelope of sea level to 40,000 feet and from 0 to 0.8 Mach. The purpose of this paper is to review the engine control design process for an advanced turbofan engine configuration. The control architecture selected for this project was developed from literature and reflects a configuration that utilizes a proportional integral controller with sets of limiters that enable the engine to operate safely throughout its flight envelope. Simulation results show the overall system meets performance requirements without exceeding operational limits.

The Tyrrhenian stage geodinamic evolution of Apenninic-Maghrebian orogen (Southern Apennines and Sicily)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lentini, F.; Carbone, S.; Barreca, G.

2009-04-01

In the Central Mediterranean region the foreland domains are represented by two continental blocks, the Apulian Block to the north and the Pelagian Block to the south, respectively belonging to the Adria and to the Africa plates. They are separated since Permo-Triassic times by the oceanic crust of the Ionian Sea. The Apenninic-Maghrebian orogen is located between two oceanic crusts: the old Ionian crust, at present time subducting beneath the Calabrian Arc, and the new crust of the opening Tyrrhenian Sea. The orogenic belt is represented by a multilayer allochthonous edifice, composed of the Calabride Chain (CC) tectonically overlying the Apenninic-Maghrebian Chain (AMC), which in turn overthrust onto the Upper Miocene and Pliocene top-levels of a deep seated thrust system, originating by the deformation of the innermost carbonates of the Pelagian/Apulian blocks (External Thrust System: ETS). The AMC tectonic units derive from the orogenic transport during Oligo-Miocene times of sedimentary sequences deposited in palaeogeographical domains located between the Europe and the Afro-Adriatic plates. These units are composed of Meso-Cenozoic shallow-water carbonate successions detached from a continental type crust sector, the Panormide/Apenninic Block, recognizable by means of seismic lines shot in the Tyrrhenian offshore of Southern Apennines and Northern Sicily. The Meso-Cenozoic basinal units, that compose the AMC, can be distinguished into two main groups of sequences, originally located on oceanic crusts separated by the Panormide/Apenninic Block: the external ones (Ionides) related to an original basin belonging to branches of the Ionian Palaeobasin involved in the orogenesis, and the internal ones ascribed to the Alpine Tethys (Sicilide Units). The terrigenous deposits of the basinal sequences belonging to the Ionides are represented by Tertiary foreland/foredeep deposits, whose relationships with the substratum are occasionally preserved, although large detachments occurred with further forward transport, which generated repeated slices with an apparent increase to the original thickness. . The Alpine Tethydes are composed of sedimentary sequences, which were deposited in the Alpine Tethys, and originally were located between the European and the Panormide/Apenninic Block. They are represented by allochthonous far travelled tectonic units, resting on both the Panormide/Apenninic Platforms and the Ionides. The Calabride Chain originated by the delamination of the European margin. This roof thrust system includes nappes of Hercynian basement with remains of the original Meso-Cenozoic covers deformed during the Paleogene and sutured by the Late Oligocene-Early Burdigalian Capo d'Orlando Flysch. The geological, geophysical data and the volcanological characters permit to restore the palaeogeography and the geodynamic evolution, and allow to recognize three orogenic stages: the Eo-Alpine, originated during Cretaceous-Eocene times, evident in the western Calabria, in the Tyrrhenian basin and the Alpine Corsica; the Balearic stage (Late Oligocene-Early Miocene), in which the Corsica-Sardinia block rotated and collided with the Adria-Africa margins with thrusting of the Alpine Tethydes over Panormide/Apenninic platforms; and the Tyrrhenian stage (Middle Miocene to Present), when the onset of the Tyrrhenian back-arc basin occurred and after the closure of the interposed Palaeoionian branches the Ionides were tectonically transported onto the foreland blocks. The CROP crustal sections allow to distinguish thickness and distribution of the crusts in this area of the Mediterranean Sea, and their clear influence on geodynamic evolution of the Tyrrhenian stage. They confirm that both the foreland blocks extend below the orogenic belt, reaching the Tyrrhenian margins, with a gradual thinning and a transition to a Palaeo-Ionian slab, probably not active at present time, from which the Ionides detached and overrode the ETS. The seismogeological data indicate the presence of the Panormide/Apenninic blocks, that took part in the closure of the branches of the Palaeo-Ionian Sea interposed between the Panormide/Apenninic crust and the Pelagian/Apulian Blocks. At the present time the Panormide/Apenninic blocks are colliding with the foreland blocks. Such a collisional stage along the Tyrrhenian coast of north-western Sicily and the contemporaneous active subduction processes below the Calabrian Arc produce the NW-SE oriented South Tyrrhenian System. This system drives the transfer of the orogenic front towards areas characterized by still subducting oceanic crust of the Ionian sector. In particular it consists of predominantly NW-SE oriented right lateral faults system with antithetical NE-SW and coeval associated N-S normal faults and south-verging thrusts. All these structures are compatible with an unique cinematic framework dominated by transcurrent tectonics. Geological mapping carried out in the on-shore areas of Sicily, integrated with stratigraphical and structural analysis, permit to recognize some main structures in connection with the geodynamic evolution of the Tyrrhenian stage and allow to propose an updated structural model of this area.

Design of Aircraft (Selected Chapters),

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-22

9 - compressed air motor of the drive of the reverser of the thrust of fan; 10 - flexible drive shaft; 11 - gearbox and jack; 12 - moving ring; 13...24 - cutoff and control valve; 25 - main line of pneumatic system; 26 - pneumo-starter; 27 - given by compressed air motor hydraulic pump; 28...kilometer; p - mass air density; p, - on the surface of sea; .A=p/p°- relative density of air ; R - radius of the Earth, a radius turn/bank and so forth; S

Isolated intermediate-depth seismicity north of the Izu peninsula, Japan: implications for subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakajima, Junichi

2018-01-01

The subduction of the Philippine Sea (PHS) Plate toward the north of Izu peninsula, Japan, is of great interest because intraslab seismicity is absent where the buoyant Izu volcanic arc has been subducting over the past 15 Myr. This study analyzes 42 earthquakes in an isolated seismic cluster that occurred 100 km north of Izu peninsula at depths of 40-90 km and discusses seismogenesis in the context of plate subduction. We picked P- and S-wave arrival times of earthquakes to produce a complete hypocenter catalogue, carried out double-difference event relocations, and then determined focal mechanism solutions of 7 earthquakes from P-wave polarity data. Based on the focal mechanism solution, the largest earthquake (M3.1) is interpreted as a thrust earthquake along the upper surface of the PHS Plate. Locations of other earthquakes relative to the largest event suggest that most earthquakes occur within the subducting PHS Plate. Our results suggest that the PHS Plate north of Izu peninsula has temperatures low enough to facilitate thrust and intraslab earthquakes at depths of 60-90 km. Earthquakes are likely to occur where pore pressures are locally high, which weakens pre-existing faults. The presence of the intermediate-depth seismic cluster indicates the continuous subduction of the PHS Plate toward the north of Izu peninsula without any disruption.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Mega-thrust and Intra-slab Earthquakes Beneath Tokyo Metropolitan Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirata, N.; Sato, H.; Koketsu, K.; Hagiwara, H.; Wu, F.; Okaya, D.; Iwasaki, T.; Kasahara, K.

2006-12-01

In central Japan the Philippine Sea plate (PSP) subducts beneath the Tokyo Metropolitan area, the Kanto region, where it causes mega-thrust earthquakes, such as the 1703 Genroku earthquake (M8.0) and the 1923 Kanto earthquake (M7.9) which had 105,000 fatalities. The vertical proximity of this down going lithospheric plate is of concern because the greater Tokyo urban region has a population of 42 million and is the center of approximately 40% of the nation's economic activities. A M7+ earthquake in this region at present has high potential to produce devastating loss of life and property with even greater global economic repercussions. The M7+ earthquake is evaluated to occur with a probability of 70% in 30 years by the Earthquake Research Committee of Japan. In 2002, a consortium of universities and government agencies in Japan started the Special Project for Earthquake Disaster Mitigation in Urban Areas, a project to improve information needed for seismic hazards analyses of the largest urban centers. Assessment in Kanto of the seismic hazard produced by the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) mega-thrust earthquakes requires identification of all significant faults and possible earthquake scenarios and rupture behavior, regional characterizations of PSP geometry and the overlying Honshu arc physical properties (e.g., seismic wave velocities, densities, attenuation), and local near-surface seism ic site effects. Our study addresses (1) improved regional characterization of the PSP geometry based on new deep seismic reflection profiles (Sato etal.,2005), reprocessed off-shore profiles (Kimura et al.,2005), and a dense seismic array in the Boso peninsular (Hagiwara et al., 2006) and (2) identification of asperities of the mega-thrust at the top of the PSP. We qualitatively examine the relationship between seismic reflections and asperities inferred by reflection physical properties. We also discuss the relation between deformation of PSP and intra-slab M7+ earthquakes: the PSP is subducting beneath the Hoshu arc and also colliding with the Pacific plate. The subduction and collision both contribute active seismicity in the Kanto region. We present a high resolution tomographic image to show a low velocity zone which suggests a possible internal failure of the slab; a source region of the M7+ intra-slab earthquake. Our study contributes a new assessment of the seismic hazard in the Tokyo metropolitan area. tokyo.ac.jp/daidai/index-J.html

SSME structural computer program development. Volume 3: BOPACE demonstration analysis of the SSME thrust chamber liner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spring, A. H.

1973-01-01

The application of a structural computer program for analysis of a thrust chamber liner is discussed. Two objectives were accomplished as follows: (1) exercise of the full capabilities of the computer program and (2) definition of thermal and mechanical boundary conditions to reflect the emergency power level operating conditions for the SSME 47OK engine at a station just upstream of the thrust chamber throat. Creep information on the thrust chamber is presented as a reference curve of creep strain versus time for various temperatures. Contour plots of the effective plastic strain, effective stress, and effective creep strain are developed.

Breadboard RL10-11B low thrust operating mode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kmiec, Thomas D.; Galler, Donald E.

1987-01-01

Cryogenic space engines require a cooling process to condition engine hardware to operating temperature before start. This can be accomplished most efficiently by burning propellants that would otherwise be dumped overboard after cooling the engine. The resultant low thrust operating modes are called Tank Head Idle and Pumped Idle. During February 1984, Pratt & Whitney conducted a series of tests demonstrating operation of the RL10 rocket engines at low thrust levels using a previously untried hydrogen/oxygen heat exchanger. The initial testing of the RL10-11B Breadboard Low Thrust Engine is described. The testing demonstrated operation at both tank head idle and pumped idle modes.

Software for Estimating Costs of Testing Rocket Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, Merlon M.

2004-01-01

A high-level parametric mathematical model for estimating the costs of testing rocket engines and components at Stennis Space Center has been implemented as a Microsoft Excel program that generates multiple spreadsheets. The model and the program are both denoted, simply, the Cost Estimating Model (CEM). The inputs to the CEM are the parameters that describe particular tests, including test types (component or engine test), numbers and duration of tests, thrust levels, and other parameters. The CEM estimates anticipated total project costs for a specific test. Estimates are broken down into testing categories based on a work-breakdown structure and a cost-element structure. A notable historical assumption incorporated into the CEM is that total labor times depend mainly on thrust levels. As a result of a recent modification of the CEM to increase the accuracy of predicted labor times, the dependence of labor time on thrust level is now embodied in third- and fourth-order polynomials.

Software for Estimating Costs of Testing Rocket Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, Merion M.

2002-01-01

A high-level parametric mathematical model for estimating the costs of testing rocket engines and components at Stennis Space Center has been implemented as a Microsoft Excel program that generates multiple spreadsheets. The model and the program are both denoted, simply, the Cost Estimating Model (CEM). The inputs to the CEM are the parameters that describe particular tests, including test types (component or engine test), numbers and duration of tests, thrust levels, and other parameters. The CEM estimates anticipated total project costs for a specific test. Estimates are broken down into testing categories based on a work-breakdown structure and a cost-element structure. A notable historical assumption incorporated into the CEM is that total labor times depend mainly on thrust levels. As a result of a recent modification of the CEM to increase the accuracy of predicted labor times, the dependence of labor time on thrust level is now embodied in third- and fourth-order polynomials.

Software for Estimating Costs of Testing Rocket Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, Merlon M.

2003-01-01

A high-level parametric mathematical model for estimating the costs of testing rocket engines and components at Stennis Space Center has been implemented as a Microsoft Excel program that generates multiple spreadsheets. The model and the program are both denoted, simply, the Cost Estimating Model (CEM). The inputs to the CEM are the parameters that describe particular tests, including test types (component or engine test), numbers and duration of tests, thrust levels, and other parameters. The CEM estimates anticipated total project costs for a specific test. Estimates are broken down into testing categories based on a work-breakdown structure and a cost-element structure. A notable historical assumption incorporated into the CEM is that total labor times depend mainly on thrust levels. As a result of a recent modification of the CEM to increase the accuracy of predicted labor times, the dependence of labor time on thrust level is now embodied in third- and fourth-order polynomials.

Biomimetic propulsion under random heaving conditions, using active pitch control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Politis, Gerasimos; Politis, Konstantinos

2014-05-01

Marine mammals travel long distances by utilizing and transforming wave energy to thrust through proper control of their caudal fin. On the other hand, manmade ships traveling in a wavy sea store large amounts of wave energy in the form of kinetic energy for heaving, pitching, rolling and other ship motions. A natural way to extract this energy and transform it to useful propulsive thrust is by using a biomimetic wing. The aim of this paper is to show how an actively pitched biomimetic wing could achieve this goal when it performs a random heaving motion. More specifically, we consider a biomimetic wing traveling with a given translational velocity in an infinitely extended fluid and performing a random heaving motion with a given energy spectrum which corresponds to a given sea state. A formula is invented by which the instantaneous pitch angle of the wing is determined using the heaving data of the current and past time steps. Simulations are then performed for a biomimetic wing at different heave energy spectra, using an indirect Source-Doublet 3-D-BEM, together with a time stepping algorithm capable to track the random motion of the wing. A nonlinear pressure type Kutta condition is applied at the trailing edge of the wing. With a mollifier-based filtering technique, the 3-D unsteady rollup pattern created by the random motion of the wing is calculated without any simplifying assumptions regarding its geometry. Calculated unsteady forces, moments and useful power, show that the proposed active pitch control always results in thrust producing motions, with significant propulsive power production and considerable beneficial stabilizing action to ship motions. Calculation of the power required to set the pitch angle prove it to be a very small percentage of the useful power and thus making the practical application of the device very tractable.

Initial Thrust Measurements of Marshall's Ion-ioN Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caruso, Natalie R. S.; Scogin, Tyler; Liu, Thomas M.; Walker, Mitchell L. R.; Polzin, Kurt A.; Dankanich, John W.

2015-01-01

Electronegative ion thrusters are a variation of traditional gridded ion thruster technology differentiated by the production and acceleration of both positive and negative ions. Benefits of electronegative ion thrusters include the elimination of lifetime-limiting cathodes from the thruster architecture and the ability to generate appreciable thrust from both charge species. While much progress has been made in the development of electronegative ion thruster technology, direct thrust measurements are required to unambiguously demonstrate the efficacy of the concept and support continued development. In the present work, direct thrust measurements of the thrust produced by the MINT (Marshall's Ion-ioN Thruster) are performed using an inverted-pendulum thrust stand in the High-Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory's Vacuum Test Facility-1 at the Georgia Institute of Technology with operating pressures ranging from 4.8 x 10(exp -5) and 5.7 x 10(exp -5) torr. Thrust is recorded while operating with a propellant volumetric mixture ratio of 5:1 argon to nitrogen with total volumetric flow rates of 6, 12, and 24 sccm (0.17, 0.34, and 0.68 mg/s). Plasma is generated using a helical antenna at 13.56 MHz and radio frequency (RF) power levels of 150 and 350 W. The acceleration grid assembly is operated using both sinusoidal and square waveform biases of +/-350 V at frequencies of 4, 10, 25, 125, and 225 kHz. Thrust is recorded for two separate thruster configurations: with and without the magnetic filter. No thrust is discernable during thruster operation without the magnetic filter for any volumetric flow rate, RF forward Power level, or acceleration grid biasing scheme. For the full thruster configuration, with the magnetic filter installed, a brief burst of thrust of approximately 3.75 mN +/- 3 mN of error is observed at the start of grid operation for a volumetric flow rate of 24 sccm at 350 W RF power using a sinusoidal waveform grid bias at 125 kHz and +/- 350 V. Similar bursts in thrust are observed using a square waveform grid bias at 10 kHz and +/- 350 V for volumetric flow rates of 6, 10, and 12 sccm at 150, 350, and 350 W respectively. The only operating condition that exhibits repeated thrust spikes throughout thruster operation is the 24 sccm condition with a 5:1 mixture ratio at 150 W RF power using the 10 kHz square waveform acceleration grid bias. Thrust spikes for this condition measure 3 mN with an error of +/- 2.5 mN. There are no operating conditions tested that show continuous thrust production.

Method and apparatus for rapid thrust increases in a turbofan engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cornett, J. E.; Corley, R. C.; Fraley, T. O.; Saunders, A. A., Jr. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

Upon a landing approach, the normal compressor stator schedule of a fan speed controlled turbofan engine is temporarily varied to substantially close the stators to thereby increase the fuel flow and compressor speed in order to maintain fan speed and thrust. This running of the compressor at an off-design speed substantially reduces the time required to subsequently advance the engine speed to the takeoff thrust level by advancing the throttle and opening the compressor stators.

Calculation of Turbine Axial Thrust by Coupled CFD Simulations of the Main Flow Path and Secondary Cavity Flow in an SLI LOX Turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorney, D. J.; Marci, Bogdan; Tran, Ken; Sargent, Scott

2003-01-01

Each single reusable Space Launch Initiative (SLI) booster rocket is an engine operating at a record vacuum thrust level of over 730,000 Ibf using LOX and LH2. This thrust is more than 10% greater than that of the Delta IV rocket, resulting in relatively large LOX and LH2 turbopumps. Since the SLI rocket employs a staged combustion cycle the level of pressure is very high (thousands of psia). This high pressure creates many engineering challenges, including the balancing of axial-forces on the turbopumps. One of the main parameters in the calculation of the axial force is the cavity pressure upstream of the turbine disk. The flow in this cavity is very complex. The lack of understanding of this flow environment hinders the accurate prediction of axial thrust. In order to narrow down the uncertainty band around the actual turbine axial force, a coupled, unsteady computational methodology has been developed to simulate the interaction between the turbine main flow path and the cavity flow. The CORSAIR solver, an unsteady three- dimensional Navier-Stokes code for turbomachinery applications, was used to solve for both the main and the secondary flow fields. Turbine axial thrust values are presented in conjunction with the CFD simulation, together with several considerations regarding the turbine instrumentation for axial thrust estimations during test.

Hybrid propulsion technology program. Volume 1: Conceptional design package

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, Gordon E.; Holzman, Allen L.; Leisch, Steven O.; Keilbach, Joseph; Parsley, Randy; Humphrey, John

1989-01-01

A concept design study was performed to configure two sizes of hybrid boosters; one which duplicates the advanced shuttle rocket motor vacuum thrust time curve and a smaller, quarter thrust level booster. Two sizes of hybrid boosters were configured for either pump-fed or pressure-fed oxygen feed systems. Performance analyses show improved payload capability relative to a solid propellant booster. Size optimization and fuel safety considerations resulted in a 4.57 m (180 inch) diameter large booster with an inert hydrocarbon fuel. The preferred diameter for the quarter thrust level booster is 2.53 m (96 inches). As part of the design study critical technology issues were identified and a technology acquisition and demonstration plan was formulated.

Hybrid propulsion technology program. Volume 2: Technology definition package

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, Gordon E.; Holzman, Allen L.; Leisch, Steven O.; Keilbach, Joseph; Parsley, Randy; Humphrey, John

1989-01-01

A concept design study was performed to configure two sizes of hybrid boosters; one which duplicates the advanced shuttle rocket motor vacuum thrust time curve and a smaller, quarter thrust level booster. Two sizes of hybrid boosters were configured for either pump-fed or pressure-fed oxygen feed systems. Performance analyses show improved payload capability relative to a solid propellant booster. Size optimization and fuel safety considerations resulted in a 4.57 m (180 inch) diameter large booster with an inert hydrocarbon fuel. The preferred diameter for the quarter thrust level booster is 2.53 m (96 inches). The demonstration plan would culminate with test firings of a 3.05 m (120 inch) diameter hybrid booster.

Paleozoic-involving thrust array in the central Sierras Interiores (South Pyrenean Zone, Central Pyrenees): regional implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, L.; Cuevas, J.; Tubía, J. M.

2012-04-01

This work deals with the structural evolution of the Sierras Interiores between the Tena and Aragon valleys. The Sierras Interiores is a WNW-trending mountain range that bounds the South Pyrenean Zone to the north and that is characterized by a thrust-fold system with a strong lithological control that places preferably decollements in Triassic evaporites. In the studied area of the Sierras Interiores Cenomanian limestones cover discordantly the Paleozoic rocks of the Axial Zone because there is a stratigraphic lacuna developed from Triassic to Late Cretaceous times. A simple lithostratigraphy of the study area is made up of Late Cenomanian to Early Campanian limestones with grey colour and massive aspect in landscape (170 m, Lower calcareous section), Campanian to Maastrichtian brown coloured sandstones (400-600 m, Marboré sandstones) and, finally, Paleocene light-coloured massive limestones (130-230 m), that often generate the higher topographic levels of the Sierras Interiores due to their greater resistance to erosion. Above the sedimentary sequence of the Sierras Interiores, the Jaca Basin flysch succession crops out discordantly. Based on a detailed mapping of the studied area of the Sierras Interiores, together with well and structural data of the Jaca Basin (Lanaja, 1987; Rodríguez and Cuevas, 2008) we have constructed a 12 km long NS cross section, approximately parallel to the movement direction deduced for this region (Rodríguez et al., 2011). The main structure is a thrust array made up of at least four Paleozoic-involving thrusts (the deeper thrust system) of similar thickness in a probably piggyback sequence, some of which are blind thrusts that generate fold-propagation-folds in upper levels. The higher thrust of the thrust array crops out duplicating the lower calcareous section all over the Sierras Interiores. The emplacement of the deeper thrust system generated the tightness of previous structures: south directed piggyback duplexes (the upper thrust system) affecting the Marboré sandstones and the Paleocene limestones, deformed by angular south-vergent folds and their related axial plane foliation. The transect explained above clearly summarizes the alpine evolution of northern part of the Sierras Interiores. Moreover, well data available indicate the presence of two thrust soled in the lower calcareous section covering Triassic evaporites at 5 km depth and 8 km to the south of the Sierras Interiores. Because the Triassic evaporites constitute a main decollement level in the South Pyrenean Zone, the deeper thrust system is associated to the emplacement of the Gavarnie nappe. Lanaja, J.M., 1987, Contribución de la exploración petrolífera al conocimiento de la Geología de España, IGME, Madrid, 465 p. Rodríguez, L., Cuevas, J., 2008. Geogaceta 44, 51-54. Rodríguez, L., Cuevas, J., Tubia, J.M., 2011. Geophysical Research Abstracts 13, 2273.

NASA Researcher Examines an Aircraft Model with a Four-Fan Thrust Reverser

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-03-21

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) researcher John Carpenter inspects an aircraft model with a four-fan thrust reverser which would be studied in the 9- by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel at the Lewis Research Center. Thrust reversers were introduced in the 1950s as a means for slowing high-speed jet aircraft during landing. Engineers sought to apply the technology to Vertical and Short Takeoff and Landing (VSTOL) aircraft in the 1970s. The new designs would have to take into account shorter landing areas, noise levels, and decreased thrust levels. A balance was needed between the thrust reverser’s efficiency, its noise generation, and the engine’s power setting. This model underwent a series of four tests in the 9- by 15-foot tunnel during April and May 1974. The model, with a high-wing configuration and no tail, was equipped with four thrust-reverser engines. The investigations included static internal aerodynamic tests on a single fan/reverser, wind tunnel isolated fan/reverser thrust tests, installation effects on a four-fan airplane model in a wind tunnel, and single reverser acoustic tests. The 9-by 15 was built inside the return leg of the 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel in 1968. The facility generates airspeeds from 0 to 175 miles per hour to evaluate the aerodynamic performance and acoustic characteristics of nozzles, inlets, and propellers, and investigate hot gas re-ingestion of advanced VSTOL concepts. John Carpenter was a technician in the Wind Tunnels Service Section of the Test Installations Division.

Morphologic and structural evolution of the Algerian Margin since Messinian (-6 Myr); First results of a new experimental approach.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dominguez, S.; Strzerzynski, P.; Déverchère, J.; Boudiaf, A.; Yelles, K.

2009-04-01

In the framework of the ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche) DANACOR Project, dedicated to the seismo-tectonic study of the Algerian Margin, we have developed an experimental approach based on a new type of analog models to investigate its morpho-structural evolution over the last 6 Myr. Present day structure of the Algerian margin results from a polyphased geologic evolution starting, during Late Oligocene, with the opening of the Western Mediterranean Sea. During lower Miocene, back-arc extension and slab roll-back, associated to the Tethyan oceanic subduction induced accretion of the Kabylian crustal blocks against the North African passive margin. At the end of Miocene, a main tectono-climatic event occurred, the Messinian salinity crisis, that left a significant footprint on the marine sedimentation and coastal morphology. Finally, during Upper Pliocene and Quaternary, due to the ongoing crustal convergence between Africa and Eurasia, the Algerian Margin experienced active compression as shown by north dipping thrusts located onland (Yelles et al., 2006) and south dipping reverse faults located at sea (Déverchère et al. 2005, Domzig et al., 2006). The occurrence of moderate to strong compressive earthquakes, such as the Boumerdes earthquake (Mw 6.9, 2003) indicates that the deformation is still active. In such a context, the objectives of our study are to evaluate the impact of the Messinian salinity crisis on the morphological and sedimentological evolution of the margin and to test different hypothesis concerning the recent compressive tectonic event that developed in the last millions years and more particularly how it affects the margin and coastal domain tectonics. To model a whole continental margin, we've modified a recent experimental technique developed initially to study the interactions between Tectonics-Erosion-Sedimentation (TES) in active mountain foreland (Graveleau and Dominguez, 2008). Erosion of emerged topographies (coastal domain) is produced by sprinkling thin rain droplets on the model surface. Boundary conditions, models rheology and dimensioning parameters were determined using the available geologic and geophysical data. For such complex models, rigorous dimensioning cannot be achieved but, at a first order, 1 cm in the model can be considered as equivalent to 500 m in nature and 1s to about 50 years. Up to now, we performed 5 main experiments to determine the boundary conditions in terms of geometry and internal structure and also to find the most appropriate analog material rheology. All experiments started at the beginning of the Messinian salinity crisis (-5.96 Myr) by a rapid decrease of the sea level to -2500m (-5 cm), followed by 400000 yr (2 hours) of a low stand sea level. A specific material is then manually deposited to simulate the Messinian evaporites. During this stage, extreme erosion, creating several huge canyon systems on the emerged margin and onland, is observed as well as large fan deposits at the base of the margin. Finally, we induce a rapid sea level rise to simulate the replenishment of the Mediterranean Sea at -5.33 Myr. During the next 2 Myr (10 hours), only erosion of the coastal domain is performed resulting in progradation of marine sediments that deposited on the margin proximal domain. Near the end of Pliocene (about -2.3 Myr), compressive deformation is imposed and the model starts shortening. During this stage, that lasts more than 12 hours, reverse faults dipping landward develop together with a few backthrusts that affect the coastal domain as it is observed on the Algerian margin. A significant part of the upper domain of the margin emerged, inducing a seaward displacement of the coastal line. These new reliefs enhance erosion onland and sedimentation at sea that interact with the different active faults. This work represents a first attempt to model a tectonized continental margin by including realistic onland and at sea geological processes. Even if some work is still required to better take into account the specificity of the Algerian Margin, it allows to discuss the impact of the different tectono-climatic events undergone by the margin on its present day evolution. - Yelles-Chaouche A.K., Boudiaf A., Djellit H., and Bracène R., Active tectonics in northern Algeria, C.R. Geoscience, 338(1-2),126-139, 2006 - Déverchère J., K. Yelles, A. Domzig, B. Mercier de Lépinay, J-P. Bouillin, V. Gaullier, R. Bracène, E. Calais, B. Savoye, A. Kherroubi, P. Le Roy, H. Pauc, and G. Dan, 2005. Active thrust faulting offshore Boumerdes, Algeria, and its relations to the 2003 Mw 6.9 earthquake, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L04311. - Domzig A., Le Roy C., Yelles K., Déverchère J., Bouillin J-P., Bracene R., Mercier de Lépinay B., LE ROY P., Calais E., Kherroubi A., Gaullier V., Savoye B., & Pauc H., 2006. Searching for the Africa-Eurasia Miocene boundary offshore western Algeria (MARADJA'03 cruise), C.R. Géoscience, vol. 338, 80-91. - Graveleau and Dominguez, 2008. Analogue modelling of the interaction between tectonics, erosion and sedimentation in foreland thrust belts, C.R. Géoscience, vol. 340, no5, pp. 324-333.

Direct dating of Late Miocene-Early Pliocene compression on Elba Island: Is a new paradigm necessary for the opening of the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viola, Giulio; Torgersen, Espen; Mazzarini, Francesco; Musumeci, Giovanni; Garofalo, Paolo Stefano; van der Lelij, Roelant

2017-04-01

The northern Apennines accommodated the closure of the Liguro-Piemontese Ocean along the European and Adriatic continental margins. Crustal shortening via folding, eastward thrusting and stacking of oceanic and continental units during the westward subduction of Adria beneath the European plate shaped the orogenic prism starting in the Eocene and continuing to the Middle Miocene. Intrusive and volcanic rocks between 8.4 and 3 Ma crop out extensively in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea, and their emplacement in the inner portion of the belt is commonly interpreted as resulting from major crustal extension related to the Late Miocene-Pliocene opening of the northern Tyrrhenian Sea as a backarc basin. On the Island of Elba, which exposes the westernmost portion of the prism, the low-angle Zuccale fault (ZF) is generally interpreted as a major low-angle normal fault (LANF) whose Late Miocene activity would have greatly facilitated regional E-W extension in the geodynamic framework of the opening of the northern Tyrrhenian Sea between 10 and 5 Ma. In order to better constrain the kinematic meaning of the ZF and the timing of these important events, we have used the K-Ar method to date a set of brittle-ductile and brittle fault rocks cut by the ZF and sampled from its immediate footwall. A last sample from the brittle ZF itself is currently also being dated. The dated deformation zones in the ZF footwall are both thrusts with top-to-the east kinematics. They are undoubtedly cut by the brittle ZF and thus predate it; they are 1) the Calanchiole shear zone, formed by strongly sheared carbonate hornfelses and 2) the Capo Norsi fault, a brittle fault zone within serpentinites of the Ligurian sequence. While the Calanchiole shear zone developed coevally with the c. 6.2 Ma Porto Azzurro (PA) monzogranite, the Capo Norsi thrust led to the internal stacking of the PA contact aureole, and separates an upper complex that did not experience contact metamorphism from the underlying medium-grade hornfels rocks of the contact aureole at c. 6.2 Ma. K-Ar ages were produced from synkinematic illite separated from multiple grain sizes, with the goal to discriminate the role of clay synkinematic authigenesis and thus date the last increment of deformation. The age of the dated finest fraction constrains the age of the Calanchiole shear zone to 6.14±0.64 Ma (<0.1 µm fraction) and of the Capo Norsi thrust to 4.9±0.27 Ma (<0.4 µm fraction). Our results are fully consistent with the existing data and importantly provide the first direct dating of brittle deformation in the Apennines. In combination with field, kinematic and regional considerations, they undoubtedly constrain a Late Miocene-Early Pliocene regional compressive stress state, with the brittle ZF likely being its latest expression. This followed an earlier phase of upper crustal extension, presumably active since ˜16 Ma and was in turn followed by renewed extension. Compression at that time requires a re-evaluation of the geodynamic models of the evolution of the northern Apennines orogenic prism.

A Retro-Fit Control Architecture to Maintain Engine Performance With Usage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litt, Jonathan S.; Sowers, T. Shane; Garg, Sanjay

2007-01-01

An outer loop retrofit engine control architecture is presented which modifies fan speed command to obtain a desired thrust based on throttle position. This maintains the throttle-to-thrust relationship in the presence of engine degradation, which has the effect of changing the engine s thrust output for a given fan speed. Such an approach can minimize thrust asymmetry in multi-engine aircraft, and reduce pilot workload. The outer loop control is demonstrated under various levels of engine deterioration using a standard deterioration profile as well as an atypical profile. It is evaluated across various transients covering a wide operating range. The modified fan speed command still utilizes the standard engine control logic so all original life and operability limits remain in place. In all cases it is shown that with the outer loop thrust control in place, the deteriorated engine is able to match the thrust performance of a new engine up to the limits the controller will allow.

A piloted simulation investigation of the normal load factor and longitudinal thrust required for air-to-air acquisition and tracking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whalley, Matthew S.

1993-01-01

A piloted simulation study was performed by the U.S. Army Aeroflighydynamics Directorate to develop insight into the maneuverability requirements for aggressive helicopter maneuvering tasks such as air-to-air combat. Both a conventional helicopter and a helicopter with auxiliary thrust were examined. The aircraft parameters of interest were the normal and longitudinal load factor envelopes. Of particular interest were the mission performance and handling qualities tradeoffs with the parameters of interest. Two air-to-air acquisition and tracking tasks and a return-to-cover task were performed to assess mission performance. Results indicate that without auxiliary thrust, the ownship normal load factor capability needs to match that of the adversary in order to provide satisfactory handling qualities. Auxiliary thrust provides significant handling qualities advantages and can be substituted to some extent for normal load factor capability. Auxiliary thrust levels as low as 0.2 thrust/weight can provide significant handling qualities advantages.

Geometry of a large-scale low-angle mid-crustal thrust (Woodroffe Thrust, Central Australia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wex, Sebastian; Mancktelow, Neil S.; Hawemann, Friedrich; Pennacchioni, Giorgio; Camacho, Alfredo

2015-04-01

Young orogens, such as the Alps, mainly expose the upper part of the continental crust and it is not possible to follow large-scale thrusts (e.g. the Glarus Thrust) to great depth in order to study their changing rheological behavior. This knowledge, however, is crucial for determining the overall kinematic and dynamic response during collision, as middle to lower crustal rocks represent the major part of the total crustal section. Information from deeper parts of the continental crust can only be obtained directly by investigating regions where these levels are now exhumed. The Musgrave Ranges in Central Australia is a very well exposed, semi-desert area, in which numerous large-scale shear zones developed during the Petermann Orogeny around 550 Ma. The most prominent structure is the ˜400 km long E-W trending Woodroffe Thrust, which placed ˜1.2 Ga granulites onto similarly-aged amphibolite and granulite facies gneisses along a generally south-dipping thrust plane with a top-to-north shear sense. Geothermobarometric calculations on the associated mylonites established that the structure developed under mid-crustal conditions (500-650°C, 0.8-1 GPa). Regional P/T variations in the direction of thrusting are small, but show trends consistent with the south-dipping orientation of the thrust plane, which predicts deeper levels and a higher metamorphic grade in the south than in the north. They imply a very low gradient of only around 3°C/km for a distance of some 30 km in the movement direction of the thrust. Combined with a geothermal gradient on the order of 20°C/km, calculated from four separate P/T estimates from the hanging wall and footwall, this regional gradient indicates that the Woodroffe Thrust was originally shallow-dipping at an average angle of only around 9°. This suggests that upper crustal brittle thrusts do not necessarily steepen into the middle to lower crust, but can define very shallow-dipping, large-scale planar features, with dimensions in the order of hundreds of kilometres. Such a geometry would require the rocks to be weak, but field observations (e.g. large volumes of syn-tectonic pseudotachylyte) argue for strong behaviour, involving alternating fast (seismic) fracturing and slow (aseismic) creep.

Neotectonics and seismicity of a slowly deforming segment of the Adria-Europe convergence zone - the northern Dinarides fold-and-thrust belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ustaszewski, Kamil; Herak, Marijan; Tomljenović, Bruno; Herak, Davorka; Matej, Srebrenka

2014-05-01

With GPS-derived shortening rates of c. 3-5 mm/a, the Adria-Europe convergence zone across the fold-and-thrust belt of the Dinarides (Balkan Peninsula) is a slowly deforming plate boundary by global standards. We have analysed the active tectonics and instrumental seismicity of the northernmost segment of this fold-and-thrust belt at its border to the Pannonian Basin. This area hosts a Maastrichtian collisional suture formed by closure of Mesozoic fragments of the Neotethys, overprinted by Miocene back-arc extension, which led to the exhumation of greenschist- to amphibolite-grade rocks in several core complexes. Geological, geomorphological and reflection seismic data provide evidence for a compressive or transpressive reactivation of extensional faults after about 5 Ma. The study area represents the seismically most active region of the Dinarides apart from the Adriatic Sea coast and the area around Zagreb. The strongest instrumentally recorded earthquake (27 October 1969) affected the city of Banja Luka (northern Bosnia and Herzegovina). Fault plane solutions for the main shock (ML 6.4) and its largest foreshock (ML 6.0) indicate reverse faulting along ESE-WNW-striking nodal planes and generally N-S trending pressure axes. The spatial distribution of epicentres and focal depths, analyses of the macroseismic field and fault-plane solutions for several smaller events suggest on-going shortening in the internal Dinarides. Our results therefore imply that current Adria-Europe convergence is widely distributed across c. 300 km, rendering the entire Dinarides fold-and-thrust belt a slowly deforming plate boundary.

Neotectonics of the Dinarides-Pannonian Basin transition and possible earthquake sources in the Banja Luka epicentral area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ustaszewski, Kamil; Herak, Marijan; Tomljenović, Bruno; Herak, Davorka; Matej, Srebrenka

2014-12-01

This study provides evidence for post-5 Ma shortening in the transition area between the Dinarides fold-and-thrust belt and the Pannonian Basin and reviews possible earthquake sources for the Banja Luka epicentral area (northern Bosnia and Herzegovina) where the strongest instrumentally recorded earthquake (ML 6.4) occurred on 27 October 1969. Geological, geomorphological and reflection seismic data provide evidence for a contractional reactivation of Late Palaeogene to Middle Miocene normal faults at slip rates below 0.1 mm/a. This reactivation postdates deposition of the youngest sediments in the Pannonian Basin of Pontian age (c. 5 Ma). Fault plane solutions for the main 1969 Banja Luka earthquake (ML 6.4) and its largest foreshock (ML 6.0) indicate reverse faulting along ESE-WNW-striking nodal planes and generally N-S trending pressure axes. The spatial distribution of epicentres and focal depths, analyses of the macroseismic field and fault-plane solutions for several smaller events suggest on-going shortening in the internal Dinarides. Seismic deformation of the upper crust is also associated with strike-slip faults, likely related to the NE-SW trending, sinistral Banja Luka fault. Possibly, this fault transfers contraction between adjacent segments of the Dinarides thrust system. The study area represents the seismically most active region of the Dinarides apart from the Adriatic Sea coast and the bend zone around Zagreb. We propose that on-going thrusting in the internal Dinarides thrust system takes up a portion of the current Adria-Europe convergence.

Validation of Aircraft Noise Prediction Models at Low Levels of Exposure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Page, Juliet A.; Hobbs, Christopher M.; Plotkin, Kenneth J.; Stusnick, Eric; Shepherd, Kevin P. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Aircraft noise measurements were made at Denver International Airport for a period of four weeks. Detailed operational information was provided by airline operators which enabled noise levels to be predicted using the FAA's Integrated Noise Model. Several thrust prediction techniques were evaluated. Measured sound exposure levels for departure operations were found to be 4 to 10 dB higher than predicted, depending on the thrust prediction technique employed. Differences between measured and predicted levels are shown to be related to atmospheric conditions present at the aircraft altitude.

Geologic map and upper Paleozoic stratigraphy of the Marble Canyon area, Cottonwood Canyon quadrangle, Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stone, Paul; Stevens, Calvin H.; Belasky, Paul; Montañez, Isabel P.; Martin, Lauren G.; Wardlaw, Bruce R.; Sandberg, Charles A.; Wan, Elmira; Olson, Holly A.; Priest, Susan S.

2014-01-01

This geologic map and pamphlet focus on the stratigraphy, depositional history, and paleogeographic significance of upper Paleozoic rocks exposed in the Marble Canyon area in Death Valley National Park, California. Bedrock exposed in this area is composed of Mississippian to lower Permian (Cisuralian) marine sedimentary rocks and the Jurassic Hunter Mountain Quartz Monzonite. These units are overlain by Tertiary and Quaternary nonmarine sedimentary deposits that include a previously unrecognized tuff to which we tentatively assign an age of late middle Miocene (~12 Ma) based on tephrochronologic analysis, in addition to the previously recognized Pliocene tuff of Mesquite Spring. Mississippian and Pennsylvanian rocks in the Marble Canyon area represent deposition on the western continental shelf of North America. Mississippian limestone units in the area (Tin Mountain, Stone Canyon, and Santa Rosa Hills Limestones) accumulated on the outer part of a broad carbonate platform that extended southwest across Nevada into east-central California. Carbonate sedimentation was interrupted by a major eustatic sea-level fall that has been interpreted to record the onset of late Paleozoic glaciation in southern Gondwana. Following a brief period of Late Mississippian clastic sedimentation (Indian Springs Formation), a rise in eustatic sea level led to establishment of a new carbonate platform that covered most of the area previously occupied by the Mississippian platform. The Pennsylvanian Bird Spring Formation at Marble Canyon makes up the outer platform component of ten third-order (1 to 5 m.y. duration) stratigraphic sequences recently defined for the regional platform succession. The regional paleogeography was fundamentally changed by major tectonic activity along the continental margin beginning in middle early Permian time. As a result, the Pennsylvanian carbonate shelf at Marble Canyon subsided and was disconformably overlain by lower Permian units (Osborne Canyon and Darwin Canyon Formations) representing part of a deep-water turbidite basin filled primarily by fine-grained siliciclastic sediment derived from cratonal sources to the east. Deformation and sedimentation along the western part of this basin continued into late Permian time. The culminating phase was part of a regionally extensive late Permian thrust system that included the Marble Canyon thrust fault just west of the present map area.

Controls on the deposition and preservation of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale and Frontier Formation and equivalents, Rocky Mountain region, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirschbaum, Mark A.; Mercier, Tracey J.

2013-01-01

Regional variations in thickness and facies of clastic sediments are controlled by geographic location within a foreland basin. Preservation of facies is dependent on the original accommodation space available during deposition and ultimately by tectonic modification of the foreland in its postthrusting stages. The preservation of facies within the foreland basin and during the modification stage affects the kinds of hydrocarbon reservoirs that are present. This is the case for the Cretaceous Mowry Shale and Frontier Formation and equivalent strata in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Biostratigraphically constrained isopach maps of three intervals within these formations provide a control on eustatic variations in sea level, which allow depositional patterns across dip and along strike to be interpreted in terms of relationship to thrust progression and depositional topography. The most highly subsiding parts of the Rocky Mountain foreland basin, near the fold and thrust belt to the west, typically contain a low number of coarse-grained sandstone channels but limited sandstone reservoirs. However, where subsidence is greater than sediment supply, the foredeep contains stacked deltaic sandstones, coal, and preserved transgressive marine shales in mainly conformable successions. The main exploration play in this area is currently coalbed gas, but the enhanced coal thickness combined with a Mowry marine shale source rock indicates that a low-permeability, basin-centered play may exist somewhere along strike in a deep part of the basin. In the slower subsiding parts of the foreland basin, marginal marine and fluvial sandstones are amalgamated and compartmentalized by unconformities, providing conditions for the development of stratigraphic and combination traps, especially in areas of repeated reactivation. Areas of medium accommodation in the most distal parts of the foreland contain isolated marginal marine shoreface and deltaic sandstones that were deposited at or near sea level lowstand and were reworked landward by ravinement and longshore currents by storms creating stratigraphic or combination traps enclosed with marine shale seals. Paleogeographic reconstructions are used to show exploration fairways of the different play types present in the Laramide-modified, Cretaceous foreland basin. Existing oil and gas fields from these plays show a relatively consistent volume of hydrocarbons, which results from the partitioning of facies within the different parts of the foreland basin.

Underwater thrust and power generation using flexible piezoelectric composites: an experimental investigation toward self-powered swimmer-sensor platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erturk, Alper; Delporte, Ghislain

2011-12-01

Fiber-based flexible piezoelectric composites offer several advantages to use in energy harvesting and biomimetic locomotion. These advantages include ease of application, high power density, effective bending actuation, silent operation over a range of frequencies, and light weight. Piezoelectric materials exhibit the well-known direct and converse piezoelectric effects. The direct piezoelectric effect has received growing attention for low-power generation to use in wireless electronic applications while the converse piezoelectric effect constitutes an alternative to replace the conventional actuators used in biomimetic locomotion. In this paper, underwater thrust and electricity generation are investigated experimentally by focusing on biomimetic structures with macro-fiber composite piezoelectrics. Fish-like bimorph configurations with and without a passive caudal fin (tail) are fabricated and compared. The favorable effect of having a passive caudal fin on the frequency bandwidth is reported. The presence of a passive caudal fin is observed to bring the second bending mode close to the first one, yielding a wideband behavior in thrust generation. The same smart fish configuration is tested for underwater piezoelectric power generation in response to harmonic excitation from its head. Resonant piezohydroelastic actuation is reported to generate milli-newton level hydrodynamic thrust using milli-watt level actuation power input. The average actuation power requirement for generating a mean thrust of 19 mN at 6 Hz using a 10 g piezoelastic fish with a caudal fin is measured as 120 mW. This work also discusses the feasibility of thrust generation using the harvested energy toward enabling self-powered swimmer-sensor platforms with comparisons based on the capacity levels of structural thin-film battery layers as well as harvested solar and vibrational energy.

Structure of backarc inner rifts as a weakest zone of arc-backarc system: a case study of the Sea of Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Hiroshi; Ishiyama, Tasuya; Kato, Naoko; Abe, Susumu; Saito, Hideo; Shiraishi, Kazuya; Abe, Shiori; Iwasaki, Takaya; Inaba, Mitsuru; No, Tetsuo; Sato, Takeshi; Kodaira, Shuichi; Takeda, Tetsuya; Matsubara, Makoto; Kodaira, Chihiro

2015-04-01

A backarc inner rift is formed after a major opening of backarc basin near a volcanic front away from the spreading center of a major backarc basin. An obvious example is the inner rift along the Izu-Bonin arc. Similar inner rift zones have been developed along the Sea of Japan coast of Honshu island, Japan. NE and SW Japan arcs experienced strong shortening after the Miocene backarc rifting. The amount of shortening shows its maximum along the backarc inner rifts, forming a fold-and-thrust of thick post-rift sediments over all the structure of backarc. The rift structure has been investigated by onshore-offshore deep seismic reflection/wide-angle reflection surveys. We got continuous onshore-offshore image using ocean bottom cable and collected offshore seismic reflection data using two ships to obtain large offset data in the difficult area for towing a long streamer cable. The velocity structure beneath the rift basin was deduced by refraction tomography in the upper curst and earthquake tomography in the deeper part. It demonstrates larger P-wave velocity in upper mantle and lower crust, suggesting a large amount of mafic intrusion and thinning of upper continental crust. The deeper seismicity in the lower crust beneath the rift basin accords well to the mafic intrusive rocks. Syn-rift volcanism was bimodal, comprising a reflective unit of mafic rocks around the rift axis and a non-reflective unit of felsic rocks near the margins of the basins. Once rifting ended, thermal subsidence, and subsequently, mechanical subsidence related to the onset of the compressional regime, allowed deposition of up to 5 km of post-rift, deep marine to fluvial sedimentation. Continued compression produced fault-related folds in the post-rift sediments, characterized by thin-skin style of deformation. The syn-rift mafic intrusion in the crust forms convex shape and the boundary between pre-rift crust and mafic intrusive shows outward dipping surface. Due to the post rift compression, the boundary of rock units reactivated as reverse faults, commonly forming a large-scale wedge thrust and produced subsidence of rift basin under compressional stress regime. Large amount of convergence of overriding plate is accommodated along the inner rift, suggesting that it is a weakest zone in whole arc-backarc system. The convergence between young (15 Ma) Shikoku basin and SW Japan arc produced intense shortening along the inner failed rift along the Sea of Japan coast. After the onset of subduction along the Nankai trough, the fold-and-thrust belt was covered by Pliocene marine sediment. Before the 2011 off-Tohoku earthquake (M9), several damaging earthquakes occurred along the backarc fold-and-thrust belt. These represents that a weak backarc inner rift is very sensitive for the stress produce by the subduction interface.

Swimming performance and unique wake topology of the sea hare (Aplysia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhuoyu; Mittal, Rajat

2018-03-01

The Aplysia, commonly referred to as the "sea hare," is a marine mollusc that swims using large-amplitude flapping of its wide, winglike parapodia. In this study, flow simulations with a relatively simple kinematical model are used to gain insights into the vortex dynamics, thrust generation, and energetics of locomotion for this animal. A unique vortex pattern characterized by three distinct trains of vortex ringlike structures is observed in the wake of this animal. These vortex rings are associated with a positive momentum flux in the wake that counteracts the drag generated by the body. Simulations indicate propulsive efficiencies of up to 24% and terminal swimming speeds of about 0.9 body length per cycle. Swimming speeds are found to increase with increasing parapodial flapping amplitude as well as wavelength of undulation.

Performance of Low-Power Pulsed Arcjets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burton, Rodney L.

1995-01-01

The Electric Propulsion Laboratory at UIUC has in place all the capability and diagnostics required for performance testing of low power pulsed and DC arcjets. The UIUC thrust stand is operating with excellent accuracy and sensitivity at very low thrust levels. An important aspect of the experimental setup is the use of a PID controller to maintain a constant thruster position, which reduces hysterisis effects. Electrical noise from the arcjet induces some noise into the thrust signal, but this does not affect the measurement.

Problems of millipound thrust measurement. The "Hansen Suspension"

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carta, David G.

Considered in detail are problems which led to the need and use of the 'Hansen Suspension'. Also discussed are problems which are likely to be encountered in any low level thrust measuring system. The methods of calibration and the accuracies involved are given careful attention. With all parameters optimized and calibration techniques perfected, the system was found capable of a resolution of 10 {mu} lbs. A comparison of thrust measurements made by the 'Hansen Suspension' with measurements of a less sophisticated device leads to some surprising results.

Performance Assessment of a Large Scale Pulsejet- Driven Ejector System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, Daniel E.; Litke, Paul J.; Schauer, Frederick R.; Bradley, Royce P.; Hoke, John L.

2006-01-01

Unsteady thrust augmentation was measured on a large scale driver/ejector system. A 72 in. long, 6.5 in. diameter, 100 lb(sub f) pulsejet was tested with a series of straight, cylindrical ejectors of varying length, and diameter. A tapered ejector configuration of varying length was also tested. The objectives of the testing were to determine the dimensions of the ejectors which maximize thrust augmentation, and to compare the dimensions and augmentation levels so obtained with those of other, similarly maximized, but smaller scale systems on which much of the recent unsteady ejector thrust augmentation studies have been performed. An augmentation level of 1.71 was achieved with the cylindrical ejector configuration and 1.81 with the tapered ejector configuration. These levels are consistent with, but slightly lower than the highest levels achieved with the smaller systems. The ejector diameter yielding maximum augmentation was 2.46 times the diameter of the pulsejet. This ratio closely matches those of the small scale experiments. For the straight ejector, the length yielding maximum augmentation was 10 times the diameter of the pulsejet. This was also nearly the same as the small scale experiments. Testing procedures are described, as are the parametric variations in ejector geometry. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for general scaling of pulsed thrust ejector systems

Holocene coseismic and aseismic uplift of Isla Mocha, south-central Chile

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, A.R.; Manley, W.F.

1992-01-01

During the past 6000 years Isla Mocha, a 12 km-long island 30 km off the coast of south-central Chile, experienced a 38 m fall of relative sea level caused primarily by rapid tectonic uplift of the island. As many as 18 raised shorelines (strandlines) record this uplift. Historic accounts of uplift during the great earthquakes (M > 8) of 1835 and 1960 suggest some of the more prominent prehistoric strandlines also emerged during great earthquakes on the interface between the Nazca and South America plates. But the close elevational spacing of strandlines, subdued morphology of strandline beaches, scarcity of exposed bedrock wave-cut platforms, and the extremely high rates of aseismic uplift (ca. 70 mm/yr) of the island since the last great earthquake suggest that many strandlines were raised by aseismic rather than coseismic uplift. Strandline heights and 14 new radiocarbon ages on marine shells show that the present-day uplift rate is more than three times the net rate (ca. 20 mm/yr) of the past 1000 years. The recent high rate probably reflects increased aseismic slip on an inferred thrust fault in the overriding South America plate. Isla Mocha overlies an area of high stress concentration between two major segments of the Chilean subduction zone. The inferred high rate of slip on the thrust fault may be a response to stress changes on the plate interface near the boundary between the segments. ?? 1992.

Drone noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tinney, Charles; Sirohi, Jayant; University of Texas at Austin Team

2017-11-01

A basic understanding of the noise produced by single and multirotor drones operating at static thrust conditions is presented. This work acts as an extension to previous efforts conducted at The University of Texas at Austin (Tinney et al. 2017, AHS Forum 73). Propeller diameters ranging from 8 inch to 12 inch are examined for configurations comprising an isolated rotor, a quadcopter configuration and a hexacopter configuration, and with a constant drone pitch of 2.25. An azimuthal array of half-inch microphones, placed between 2 and 3 hub-center diameters from the drone center, are used to assess the acoustic near-field. Thrust levels, acquired using a six degree-of-freedom load cell, are then used to correlate acoustic noise levels to aerodynamic performance for each drone configuration. The findings reveal a nearly logarithmic increase in noise with increasing thrust. However, for the same thrust condition, considerable noise reduction is achieved by increasing the number of propeller blades thereby reducing the blade passage frequency and both the thickness and loading noise sources that accompany it.

Effects of turbine cooling assumptions on performance and sizing of high-speed civil transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Senick, Paul F.

1992-01-01

The analytical study presented examines the effects of varying turbine cooling assumptions on the performance of a high speed civil transport propulsion system as well as the sizing sensitivity of this aircraft to these performance variations. The propulsion concept employed in this study was a two spool, variable cycle engine with a sea level thrust of 55,000 lbf. The aircraft used for this study was a 250 passenger vehicle with a cruise Mach number of 2.4 and 5000 nautical mile range. The differences in turbine cooling assumptions were represented by varying the amount of high pressure compressor bleed air used to cool the turbines. It was found that as this cooling amount increased, engine size and weight increased, but specific fuel consumption (SFC) decreased at takeoff and climb only. Because most time is spent at cruise, the SFC advantage of the higher bleed engines seen during subsonic flight was minimized and the lower bleed, lighter engines led to the lowest takeoff gross weight vehicles. Finally, the change in aircraft takeoff gross weight versus turbine cooling level is presented.

Oxidizer heat exchanger component test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kanic, P. G.

1988-01-01

The RL10-IIB engine, is capable of multimode thrust operation. The engine operates at two low-thrust levels: tank head idle (THI), approximately 1 to 2 percent of full thrust; and pumped idle, 10 percent of full thrust. Operation at THI provides vehicle propellant settling thrust and efficient thermal conditioning; PI operation provides vehicle tank prepressurization and maneuver thrust for low-g deployment. Stable combustion of the RL10-IIB engine during the low-thrust operating modes can be accomplished by using a heat exchanger to supply gaseous oxygen to the propellant injector. The oxidized heat exchanger (OHE) vaporizes the liquid oxygen using hydrogen as the energy source. This report summarizes the test activity and post-test data analysis for two possible heat exchangers, each of which employs a completely different design philosophy. One design makes use of a low-heat transfer (PHT) approach in combination with a volume to attenuate pressure and flow oscillations. The test data showed that the LHT unit satisfied the oxygen exit quality of 0.95 or greater in both the THI and PI modes while maintaining stability. The HHT unit fulfilled all PI requirements; data for THI satisfactory operation is implied from experimental data that straddle the exact THI operating point.

Test Results for a Non-toxic, Dual Thrust Reaction Control Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Philip J.; Veith, Eric M.; Turpin, Alicia A.

2005-01-01

A non-toxic, dual thrust reaction control engine (RCE) was successfully tested over a broad range of operating conditions at the Aerojet Sacramento facility. The RCE utilized LOX/Ethanol propellants; and was tested in steady state and pulsing modes at 25-lbf thrust (vernier) and at 870-lbf thrust (primary). Steady state vernier tests vaned chamber pressure (Pc) from 0.78 to 5.96 psia, and mixture ratio (MR) from 0.73 to 1.82, while primary steady state tests vaned Pc from 103 to 179 psia and MR from 1.33 to 1.76. Pulsing tests explored EPW from 0.080 to 10 seconds and DC from 5 to 50 percent at both thrust levels. Vernier testing accumulated a total of 6,670 seconds of firing time, and 7,215 pulses, and primary testing accumulated a total of 2,060 seconds of firing time and 3,646 pulses.

Tailoff thrust and impulse imbalance between pairs of Space Shuttle solid rocket motors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobs, E. P.; Yeager, J. M.

1975-01-01

The tailoff thrust and impulse imbalance between pairs of solid rocket motors is of particular interest for the Space Shuttle Vehicle because of the potential control problems that exist with this asymmetric configuration. Although a similar arrangement of solid rocket motors was utilized for the Titan Program, they produced less than one-half the thrust level of the Space Shuttle at web action time, and the overall vehicle was symmetric. Since the Titan Program does provide the most applicable actual test data, 23 flight pairs were analyzed to determine the actual tailoff thrust and impulse imbalance experienced. The results were scaled up using the predicted web action time thrust and tailoff time to arrive at values for the Space Shuttle. These values were then statistically treated to obtain a prediction of the maximum imbalance one could expect to experience during the Shuttle Program.

Low-thrust chemical rocket engine study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shoji, J. M.

1981-01-01

An analytical study evaluating thrust chamber cooling engine cycles and preliminary engine design for low thrust chemical rocket engines for orbit transfer vehicles is described. Oxygen/hydrogen, oxygen/methane, and oxygen/RP-1 engines with thrust levels from 444.8 N to 13345 N, and chamber pressures from 13.8 N/sq cm to 689.5 N/sq cm were evaluated. The physical and thermodynamic properties of the propellant theoretical performance data, and transport properties are documented. The thrust chamber cooling limits for regenerative/radiation and film/radiation cooling are defined and parametric heat transfer data presented. A conceptual evaluation of a number of engine cycles was performed and a 2224.1 N oxygen/hydrogen engine cycle configuration and a 2224.1 N oxygen/methane configuration chosen for preliminary engine design. Updated parametric engine data, engine design drawings, and an assessment of technology required are presented.

Preliminary Results of Performance Measurements on a Cylindrical Hall-Effect Thruster with Magnetic Field Generated by Permanent Magnets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polzin, K. A.; Raitses, Y.; Merino, E.; Fisch, N. J.

2008-01-01

The performance of a low-power cylindrical Hall thruster, which more readily lends itself to miniaturization and low-power operation than a conventional (annular) Hall thruster, was measured using a planar plasma probe and a thrust stand. The field in the cylindrical thruster was produced using permanent magnets, promising a power reduction over previous cylindrical thruster iterations that employed electromagnets to generate the required magnetic field topology. Two sets of ring-shaped permanent magnets are used, and two different field configurations can be produced by reorienting the poles of one magnet relative to the other. A plasma probe measuring ion flux in the plume is used to estimate the current utilization for the two magnetic configurations. The measurements indicate that electron transport is impeded much more effectively in one configuration, implying a higher thrust efficiency. Preliminary thruster performance measurements on this configuration were obtained over a power range of 100-250 W. The thrust levels over this power range were 3.5-6.5 mN, with anode efficiencies and specific impulses spanning 14-19% and 875- 1425 s, respectively. The magnetic field in the thruster was lower for the thrust measurements than the plasma probe measurements due to heating and weakening of the permanent magnets, reducing the maximum field strength from 2 kG to roughly 750-800 G. The discharge current levels observed during thrust stand testing were anomalously high compared to those levels measured in previous experiments with this thruster.

Laramide structure of the central Sangre de Cristo Mountains and adjacent Raton Basin, southern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindsey, D.A.

1998-01-01

Laramide structure of the central Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Culebra Range) is interpreted as a system of west-dipping, basement-involved thrusts and reverse faults. The Culebra thrust is the dominant structure in the central part of the range; it dips 30 -55?? west and brings Precambrian metamorphic base-ment rocks over unmetamorphosed Paleozoic rocks. East of the Culebra thrust, thrusts and reverse faults break the basement and overlying cover rocks into north-trending fault blocks; these boundary faults probably dip 40-60?? westward. The orientation of fault slickensides indicates oblique (northeast) slip on the Culebra thrust and dip-slip (ranging from eastward to northward) movement on adjacent faults. In sedimentary cover rocks, east-vergent anticlines overlie and merge with thrusts and reverse faults; these anticlines are interpreted as fault-propagation folds. Minor east-dipping thrusts and reverse faults (backthrusts) occur in both the hanging walls and footwalls of thrusts. The easternmost faults and folds of the Culebra Range form a continuous structural boundary between the Laramide Sangre de Cristo highland and the Raton Basin. Boundary structures consist of west-dipping frontal thrusts flanked on the basinward side by poorly exposed, east-dipping backthrusts. The backthrusts are interpreted to overlie structural wedges that have been emplaced above blind thrusts in the basin margin. West-dipping frontal thrusts and blind thrusts are interpreted to involve basement, but backthrusts are rooted in basin-margin cover rocks. At shallow structural levels where erosion has not exposed a frontal thrust, the structural boundary of the basin is represented by an anticline or monocline. Based on both regional and local stratigraphic evidence, Laramide deformation in the Culebra Range and accompanying synorogenic sedimentation in the western Raton Basin probably took place from latest Cretaceous through early Eocene time. The earliest evidence of uplift and erosion of a highland is the appearance of abundant feldspar in the Late Cretaceous Vermejo Formation. Above the Vermejo, unconformities overlain by conglomerate indicate continued thrusting and erosion of highlands from late Cretaceous (Raton) through Eocene (Cuchara) time. Eocene alluvial-fan conglomerates in the Cuchara Formation may represent erosion of the Culebra thrust block. Deposition in the Raton Basin probably shifted north from New Mexico to southern Colorado from Paleocene to Eocene time as movement on individual thrusts depressed adjacent segments of the basin.

Evidence for Crustal-Scale Imbrication and non-Equilibrium Topography in the Southern Central Range, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrne, T. B.; Huang, C.; Ouimet, W. B.; Rau, R.; Hsieh, M.; Lee, Y.

2011-12-01

We integrate a suite of new and recently re-interpreted profiles of the 3-D crustal velocity structure from the southern Central Range of Taiwan with geomorphic data from the range and propose that the topography is supported by a crustal-scale, west-verging thrust. The extent and geometry of the thrust is indicated by contours of P-wave velocity that are progressively overturned from south to north, placing high Vp rocks above low Vp rocks. The interpreted thrust dips gently east (15-20 degrees) and carries pre-Tertiary metamorphic rocks and Eocene to Miocene rocks with a well-developed slaty cleavage in its hanging wall. The thrust is interpreted to cut up section to the west and link with the basal detachment of the fold-and-thrust belt. Leveling data1 along the South Cross-Island Highway also suggest that the thrust is active. Along-strike profiles suggest that the thrust is propagating southward, consistent with a progressive decrease in mean elevation and an increase in reset apatite fission track ages from north to south. The hanging wall of the propagating thrust also correlates with anomalous areas of low topographic relief that straddle the crest of the southern part of the range. The areas of low relief are fringed by stream channels with relatively high stream gradient indexes and do not appear related to weaker rock types, glacial erosion, or lower rock uplift rates along the range crest. We propose that the surfaces represent relict topography that formed prior to a recent acceleration in rock uplift rate, consistent with the presence of a propagating, crustal-scale thrust in the subsurface. Taken together, these results raise questions about the notion of steady state topography and critically tapered wedges in Taiwan. 1) Ching, Kuo-En, Hsieh, M.-L., Johnson, K. M., Chen, K-H., Rau, R.-J., Yang M., Modern vertical deformation rates and mountain building in Taiwan from precise leveling and continuous GPS observations, 2000-2008, in press, JGR.

Environmental Thrust Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

This handbook was prepared as a tool to assist U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees coordinate their resources and efforts to help people improve their environment. Twenty-two projects are outlined as potential environmental thrusts at the community level. It is the role of USDA employees to encourage and assist, in every way possible,…

Static Performance of a Wing-Mounted Thrust Reverser Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asbury, Scott C.; Yetter, Jeffrey A.

1998-01-01

An experimental investigation was conducted in the Jet-Exit Test Facility at NASA Langley Research Center to study the static aerodynamic performance of a wing-mounted thrust reverser concept applicable to subsonic transport aircraft. This innovative engine powered thrust reverser system is designed to utilize wing-mounted flow deflectors to produce aircraft deceleration forces. Testing was conducted using a 7.9%-scale exhaust system model with a fan-to-core bypass ratio of approximately 9.0, a supercritical left-hand wing section attached via a pylon, and wing-mounted flow deflectors attached to the wing section. Geometric variations of key design parameters investigated for the wing-mounted thrust reverser concept included flow deflector angle and chord length, deflector edge fences, and the yaw mount angle of the deflector system (normal to the engine centerline or parallel to the wing trailing edge). All tests were conducted with no external flow and high pressure air was used to simulate core and fan engine exhaust flows. Test results indicate that the wing-mounted thrust reverser concept can achieve overall thrust reverser effectiveness levels competitive with (parallel mount), or better than (normal mount) a conventional cascade thrust reverser system. By removing the thrust reverser system from the nacelle, the wing-mounted concept offers the nacelle designer more options for improving nacelle aero dynamics and propulsion-airframe integration, simplifying nacelle structural designs, reducing nacelle weight, and improving engine maintenance access.

Cenozoic evolution of the Pamir plateau recorded in surrounding basins, implications on Asian climate, land-sea distribution and biotic crises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupont Nivet, G.; Yang, W.; Blayney, T.; Bougeois, L.; Manceau, C.; Najman, Y.; Proust, J. N.; Guo, Z.; Grothe, A.; Mandic, O.; Fioroni, C.

2014-12-01

The Cenozoic Pamir orogen formed in response to the India-Asia collision. Existing datasets shows that the range grew since ca. 25 Ma, however the early Cenozoic history remains unconstrained. In that period, global climate changed from greenhouse to icehouse, the proto-Paratethys sea retreated out of Asia and continental aridification as well as monsoons established over Asia. These environmental changes are held responsible for major floral and faunal crises. However, the causal relationships between these events remains to be established because of the lack of accurate age constraints on their geological records. Here, we provide well-dated stratigraphic records using magneto- and bio-stratigraphy from the basins surrounding the Pamir. Southeast of the Pamir, along the Kunlun Shan into the southwestern Tarim Basin, Eocene marine deposits are continuously overlain by 41 to 15 Ma continental redbeds themselves overlain by conglomerates in a classic foreland sequence with upward increasing grain-size, accumulation rates and provenance proximity. However, North of the Pamir along the southwestern Tian Shan and West of the Pamir into the Afghan-Tadjik Basin, the entire Oligocene period appears to be missing from the record between the last marine and the first continental sediments dated to the Early Miocene. This supports a simple model in response to initial Eocene Pamir indentation with foreland basin activation in the Southeast related to the Kunlun Shan northward thrusting, followed much later by early Miocene activation of the northern foreland basin related to the southwestern Tian Shan overthrusting. The coeval activation of a lithospheric right-lateral strike-slip system along the Pamir/Tarim boundary may have enabled to transfer deformation from the India-Asia collision to the Tian Shan and possibly the Talas Fergana fault. This simple model suggests the following two-stage paleoenvironmental evolution: (1) Late Eocene sea retreat linked to the onset of Pamir indentation in conjunction with global sea-level drop, decreasing CO2 levels and ice-cap formation and (2) Early Miocene Tarim Basin closure by northward indentation of the Pamir plateau. This two-stage evolution is consistent with the Eocene occurrence of continental aridity and Asian Monsoons and their Early Miocene intensification.

Static investigation of the circulation control wing/upper surface blowing concept applied to the quiet short haul research aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eppel, J. C.; Shovlin, M. D.; Jaynes, D. N.; Englar, R. J.; Nichols, J. H., Jr.

1982-01-01

Full scale static investigations were conducted on the Quiet Short Haul Research Aircraft (QSRA) to determine the thrust deflecting capabilities of the circulation control wing/upper surface blowing (CCW/USB) concept. This scheme, which combines favorable characteristics of both the A-6/CCW and QSRA, employs the flow entrainment properties of CCW to pneumatically deflect engine thrust in lieu of the mechanical USB flap system. Results show that the no moving parts blown system produced static thrust deflections in the range of 40 deg to 97 deg (depending on thrust level) with a CCW pressure of 208,900 Pa (30.3 psig). In addition, the ability to vary horizontal forces from thrust to drag while maintaining a constant vertical (or lift) value was demonstrated by varying the blowing pressure. The versatility of the CCW/USB system, if applied to a STOL aircraft, was confirmed, where rapid conversion from a high drag approach mode to a thrust recovering waveoff or takeoff configuration could be achieved by nearly instantaneous blowing pressure variation.

Acoustic and aerodynamic performance of a variable-pitch 1.83-meter-(6-ft) diameter 1.20-pressure-ratio fan stage (QF-9)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaser, F. W.; Woodward, R. P.; Lucas, J. G.

1977-01-01

Far field noise data and related aerodynamic performance are presented for a variable pitch fan stage having characteristics suitable for low noise, STOL engine application. However, no acoustic suppression material was used in the flow passages. The fan was externally driven by an electric motor. Tests were made at several forward thrust rotor blade pitch angles and one for reverse thrust. Fan speed was varied from 60 to 120 percent of takeoff (design) speed, and exhaust nozzles having areas 92 to 105 percent of design were tested. The fan noise level was at a minimum at the design rotor blade pitch angles of 64 deg for takeoff thrust and at 57 deg for approach (50 percent takeoff thrust). Perceived noise along a 152.4-m sideline reached 100.1 PNdb for the takeoff (design) configuration for a stage pressure ratio of 1.17 and thrust of 57,600 N. For reverse thrust the PNL values were 4 to 5 PNdb above the takeoff values at comparable fan speeds.

A model for teaching and learning spinal thrust manipulation and its effect on participant confidence in technique performance.

PubMed

Wise, Christopher H; Schenk, Ronald J; Lattanzi, Jill Black

2016-07-01

Despite emerging evidence to support the use of high velocity thrust manipulation in the management of lumbar spinal conditions, utilization of thrust manipulation among clinicians remains relatively low. One reason for the underutilization of these procedures may be related to disparity in training in the performance of these techniques at the professional and post professional levels. To assess the effect of using a new model of active learning on participant confidence in the performance of spinal thrust manipulation and the implications for its use in the professional and post-professional training of physical therapists. A cohort of 15 DPT students in their final semester of entry-level professional training participated in an active training session emphasizing a sequential partial task practice (SPTP) strategy in which participants engaged in partial task practice over several repetitions with different partners. Participants' level of confidence in the performance of these techniques was determined through comparison of pre- and post-training session surveys and a post-session open-ended interview. The increase in scores across all items of the individual pre- and post-session surveys suggests that this model was effective in changing overall participant perception regarding the effectiveness and safety of these techniques and in increasing student confidence in their performance. Interviews revealed that participants greatly preferred the SPTP strategy, which enhanced their confidence in technique performance. Results indicate that this new model of psychomotor training may be effective at improving confidence in the performance of spinal thrust manipulation and, subsequently, may be useful for encouraging the future use of these techniques in the care of individuals with impairments of the spine. Inasmuch, this method of instruction may be useful for training of physical therapists at both the professional and post-professional levels.

Advanced Space Transportation Program (ASTP)

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-04-03

This is a computer generated image of a Shuttle launch utilizing 2nd generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) flyback boosters, a futuristic concept that is currently undergoing study by NASA's Space Launch Initiative (SLI) Propulsion Office, managed by the Marshall Space Fight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, working in conjunction with the Agency's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Currently, after providing thrust to the Space Shuttle, the solid rocket boosters are parachuted into the sea and are retrieved for reuse. The SLI is considering vehicle concepts that would fly first-stage boosters back to a designated landing site after separation from the orbital vehicle. These flyback boosters would be powered by several jet engines integrated into the booster capable of providing over 100,000 pounds of thrust. The study will determine the requirements for the engines, identify risk mitigation activities, and identify costs associated with risk mitigation and jet engine development and production, as well as determine candidate jet engine options to pursue for the flyback booster.

Crustal strain partitioning and the associated earthquake hazard in the eastern Sunda-Banda Arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koulali, A.; Susilo, S.; McClusky, S.; Meilano, I.; Cummins, P.; Tregoning, P.; Lister, G.; Efendi, J.; Syafi'i, M. A.

2016-03-01

We use Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements of surface deformation to show that the convergence between the Australian Plate and Sunda Block in eastern Indonesia is partitioned between the megathrust and a continuous zone of back-arc thrusting extending 2000 km from east Java to north of Timor. Although deformation in this back-arc region has been reported previously, its extent and the mechanism of convergence partitioning have hitherto been conjectural. GPS observations establish that partitioning occurs via a combination of anticlockwise rotation of an arc segment called the Sumba Block, and left-lateral movement along a major NE-SW strike-slip fault west of Timor. We also identify a westward extension of the back-arc thrust for 300 km onshore into East Java, accommodating slip of ˜6 mm/yr. These results highlight a major new seismic threat for East Java and draw attention to the pronounced seismic and tsunami threat to Bali, Lombok, Nusa Tenggara, and other coasts along the Flores Sea.

Masirah Graben, Oman: A hidden Cretaceous rift basin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beauchamp, W.H.; Ries, A.C.; Coward, M.P.

1995-06-01

Reflection seismic data, well data, geochemical data, and surface geology suggest that a Cretaceous rift basin exists beneath the thrusted allochthonous sedimentary sequence of the Masirah graben, Oman. The Masirah graben is located east of the Huqf uplift, parallel to the southern coast of Oman. The eastern side of the northeast-trending Huqf anticlinorium is bounded by an extensional fault system that is downthrown to the southeast, forming the western edge of the Masirah graben. This graben is limited to the east by a large wedge of sea floor sediments and oceanic crust, that is stacked as imbricate thrusts. These sediments/ophiolitesmore » were obducted onto the southern margin of the Arabian plate during the collision of the Indian/Afghan plates at the end of the Cretaceous. Most of the Masirah graben is covered by an allochthonous sedimentary sequence, which is complexly folded and deformed above a detachment. This complexly deformed sequence contrasts sharply with what is believed to be a rift sequence below the ophiolites. The sedimentary sequence in the Masirah graben was stable until further rifting of the Arabian Sea/Gulf of Aden in the late Tertiary, resulting in reactivation of earlier rift-associated faults. Wells drilled in the Masirah graben in the south penetrated reservoir quality rocks in the Lower Cretaceous Natih and Shuaiba carbonates. Analyses of oil extracted from Infracambrian sedimentary rocks penetrated by these wells suggest an origin from a Mesozoic source rock.« less

Effect of Pylon Wake with and Without Pylon Blowing on Propeller Thrust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gentry, Garl L., Jr.; Booth, Earl R., Jr.; Takallu, M. A.

1990-01-01

Pylon trailing edge blowing was investigated as a means of alleviating the effects of the pylon wake on a pusher arrangement of an advanced single-rotation turboprop. Measurements were made of steady-state propeller thrust and pylon wake pressures and turbulence levels with and without blowing. Results show that the pylon trailing edge blowing practically eliminated the pylon wake, significantly reduced the pylon wake turbulence, and had a relatively small effect on the steady-state propeller thrust. The data are presented with a minimum of analysis.

Cranial tibial wedge osteotomy: a technique for eliminating cranial tibial thrust in cranial cruciate ligament repair.

PubMed

Slocum, B; Devine, T

1984-03-01

Cranial tibial wedge osteotomy, surgical technique for cranial cruciate ligament rupture, was performed on 19 stifles in dogs. This procedure leveled the tibial plateau, thus causing weight-bearing forces to be compressive and eliminating cranial tibial thrust. Without cranial tibial thrust, which was antagonistic to the cranial cruciate ligament and its surgical reconstruction, cruciate ligament repairs were allowed to heal without constant loads. This technique was meant to be used as an adjunct to other cranial cruciate ligament repair techniques.

The 2004 Sumatra Earthquake Mw 9.3: Seismological and Geophysical Investigations in the Andaman-Nicobar Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mooney, W. D.; Kayal, J.

2007-05-01

The December 26, 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake (MW 9.3) is the fourth largest event (M>9.0) in the world during the last 100 years. It occurred by thrust faulting on the interplate thrust zone of the subducting India plate and overriding Burma platelet. The main shock rupture, ~1300 km long and ~200 km wide, propagated from north of Sumatra to Andaman - Nicobar Islands; the slow rupture generated Tsunami which killed about 300,000 people. The epicenter of the earthquake is located at 3.90N and 94.260E with a focal depth at 28 km (USGS). This mega seismic event triggered giant tsunamis that devastated the coastal regions of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and even the east coast of Africa. The impact of the tsunami was quite severe in India, in the coasts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Air-base in the Car- Nicobar island was totally devastated by the tsunami and killed about 200 people. Macroseismic survey was carried out by different teams of GSI in North Andaman, Middle Andaman, South Andaman, Havelock Hut Bay and also in the Nicobar Islands. A maximum intensity VIII was recorded in the Andaman Islands. The mega thrust event was followed by an intense aftershock activity spreading over an area extending between 30-140N along the Andaman - Nicobar - Sumatra Island arc region. The aftershocks are distributed northwards from the epicenter of the main shock suggesting a unilateral rupture propagation. The aftershock (M >4.5) area covers a length of about 1300 km and a width of about 200 km, in a 'banana' shape. The national network (IMD) recorded almost all aftershocks M >5.0; about 350 were recorded till 31.01.2005. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) deployed six temporary seismograph stations in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and also in Havelok and Narkunda (volcanic) islands. About 20,000 aftershocks (M >3.0) were recorded until end of March, 2005. About 1000 aftershocks (M >3.0) located by the GSI network until January 31, 2005 are studied. The aftershocks are still continuing; frequency of occurrence is, however, reduced now. Fault plane solutions suggest predominant thrust faulting in the fore arc region, and normal/strike ship in the back arc region, consistent with the regional tectonics. Crustal deformation study was carried out by various organizations. Pre- and -post earthquake vectors clearly show that islands have moved 2 to 6 meters in horizontal position towards mainland, and also there is anti-clockwise rotation. The GPS stations move southwesterly, 2 to 3 m in the Andaman Islands and 5 to 6 m in the Nicobar islands. Tidal observations indicate that there is a rise in local mean sea level of an order of 1.05 m at the Port Blair observatory. This observation is conformable with the GPS/levelling measurements that show a subsidence of the observatory to an extent of 1.1 m. The uplift and subsidence are explained by the thrust faulting involving reverse slip; uplift at the up dip edge and subsidence at the down dip on the coseismic rupture.

The Naval Flight Surgeon’s Pocket Reference to Aircraft Mishap Investigation. Fifth Edition

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

plant was developing thrust. h. If and when ejection was attempted. 58 i. Phase of flight at impact (e.g., recovery, stall, spin, inverted). 21...illuminated light bulbs at impact. j. Trim settings. k. Power plant malfunctions. l. Thrust at impact (demanded versus actual). m. Propeller RPM...carboxyhemoglobin. Carboxyhemoglobin levels in nonsmokers (in a minimally polluted area) range from 0.5% to 0.8%. 2. CO levels in the blood (assuming

High heat transfer oxidizer heat exchanger design and analysis. [RL10-2B engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kmiec, Thomas D.; Kanic, Paul G.; Peckham, Richard J.

1987-01-01

The RL10-2B engine, a derivative of the RL10, is capable of multimode thrust operation. This engine operates at two low thrust levels: tank head idle (THI), which is approximately 1 to 2% of full thrust, and pumped idle (PI), which is 10% of full thrust. Operation at THI provides vehicle propellant settling thrust and efficient engine thermal conditioning; PI operation provides vehicle tank pre-pressurization and maneuver thrust for low-g deployment. Stable combustion of the RL10-2B engine during the low thrust operating modes can be accomplished by using a heat exchanger to supply gaseous oxygen to the propellant injector. The oxidizer heat exchanger (OHE) vaporizes the liquid oxygen using hydrogen as the energy source. The design, concept verification testing and analysis for such a heat exchanger is discussed. The design presented uses a high efficiency compact core to vaporize the oxygen, and in the self-contained unit, attenuates any pressure and flow oscillations which result from unstable boiling in the core. This approach is referred to as the high heat transfer design. An alternative approach which prevents unstable boiling of the oxygen by limiting the heat transfer is referred to as the low heat transfer design and is reported in Pratt & Whitney report FR-19135-2.

Orbit Transfer Vehicle (OTV) engine phase A study, extension 1. Volume 3: Study cost estimates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, K. L.

1980-01-01

Program cost and planning data based on 1980 technology and shown in 1979 dollars for a 20K lb Thrust Staged Combustion Cycle Engine are presented. These data were compared with those for the Advanced Expander Cycle Engine at 10K lb and 20K lb thrust levels.

Editorial on Future Jet Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gal-Or, Benjamin

2014-12-01

The jet engine is the prime flight controller in post-stall flight domains where conventional flight control fails, or when the engine prevents catastrophes in training, combat, loss of all airframe hydraulics (the engine retains its own hydraulics), loss of one engine, pilot errors, icing on the wings, landing gear and runway issues in takeoff and landing and in bad-whether recoveries. The scientific term for this revolutionary technology is "jet-steering", and in engineering practice - "thrust vectoring", or "TV". Jet-Steering in advanced fighter aircraft designs is integrated with stealth technology. The resulting classified Thrust-Vectoring-Stealth ("TVS") technology has generated a second jet-revolution by which all Air-&-Sea-Propulsion Science and R&D are now being reassessed. Classified F-22, X-47B/C and RQ-180 TVS-vehicles stand at the front of this revolution. But recent transfers of such sensitive technologies to South Korea and Japan [1-5], have raised various fundamental issues that are evaluated by this editorial-review. One, and perhaps a key conclusion presented here, means that both South Korea and Japan may have missed one of their air-&-sea defenses: To develop and field low-cost unmanned fleets of jet-drones, some for use with expensive, TVS-fighter aircraft in highly congested areas. In turn, the U.S., EU, Russia and China, are currently developing such fleets at various TVS levels and sizes. China, for instance, operates at least 15,000 drones ("UAVs") by 2014 in the civilian sector alone. All Chinese drones have been developed by at least 230 developers/manufacturers [1-16]. Mobile telecommunication of safe links between flyers and combat drones ("UCAVs") at increasingly deep penetrations into remote, congested areas, can gradually be purchased-developed-deployed and then operated by extant cader of tens of thousands "National Champion Flyers" who have already mastered the operation of mini-drones in free-to-all sport clubs under national competions and Awards. [Rule-13]. We also provide 26 references [17-43] to a different, unclassified technology that enhances TV-induced flight safety for passenger jets, turboprops and helicopters. It is based on patented stowed-away/emergency-deployed TV-kits added to fixed-configuration, subsonic exhaust nozzles of low thrust-to-weight ratio vehicles. Expected benefits include anti-terror recoveries from emergencies, like forced landing on unprepared runways or highways, or recoveries from all airframe-hydraulics-outs, asymmetric ice on wings, landing gear catastrophes, and recoveries from pilot errors and bad-whether incidents [Rule 9(7)]. Other TV technologies involve preventing catastrophes in speed and patrol boats, racing and regular cars/SUVs, buses and trucks. [Rule 9(8)] and faster helicopters [Rule 9(10)].

One microplate - three orogens: Alps, Dinarides, Apennines and the role of the Adriatic plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ustaszewski, Kamil; Le Breton, Eline; Balling, Philipp; Handy, Mark R.; Molli, Giancarlo; Tomljenović, Bruno

2017-04-01

The motion of the Adriatic microplate with respect to the Eurasian and African plates is responsible for the Mesozoic to present tectonic evolution of the Alps, Carpathians, the Dinarides and Hellenides as well as the Apennines. The classical approach for reconstructing plate motions is to assume that tectonic plates are rigid, then apply Euler's theorem to describe their rotation on an ideally spherical Earth by stepwise restorations of magnetic anomalies and fracture zones in oceanic basins. However, this approach is inadequate for reconstructing the motion of Mediterranean microplates like Adria, which, at present, is surrounded by convergent margins and whose oceanic portions have by now been entirely subducted. Most constraints on the motion of the Adriatic microplate come either from palaeomagnetics or from shortening estimates in the Alps, i.e., its northern margin. This approach renders plate tectonic reconstructions prone to numerous errors, yielding inadmissible misfits in the Ionian Sea between southern Italy and northern Greece. At the same time, Adria's western and eastern margins in the Apennines and in the Dinarides have hitherto not been appropriately considered for improving constraints on the motion of Adria. This presentation presents new results of ongoing collaborative research that aims at improving the relative motion path for the Adriatic microplate for the Cenozoic by additionally quantifying and restoring the amount of shortening and extension in a set of geophysical-geological transects from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Apennines and the Dinarides. Already now, our approach yields an improved motion path for the Adriatic microplate for the last 20 Ma, which minimizes misfits in previous reconstructions. The currently largest challenge in our reconstructions is to reconcile amount and age of shortening in the Dinarides fold-and-thrust belt. For one thing, we see good agreement between the cross-sectional length of subducted material (c. 135 km, estimated from p-wave tomographic models) and shortening in the external carbonate platform of the Dinarides thrust belt (c. 127 km, from balanced cross sections). However, most of the thrust belt shortening is of Palaeogene age, which is difficult to bring into agreement with the fact that most of the subduction observed in tomographic models is most likely of Neogene age. This suggests that a substantial amount of Neogene crustal shortening must have been accommodated in the internal parts of the Dinarides fold-and-thrust belt rather than along its front. More field studies are therefore badly needed to obtain a better understanding of the timing of individual faults and their role during the Neogene evolution of the NE margin of the Adriatic plate.

Late Neogene and Active Tectonics along the Northern Margin of the Central Anatolian Plateau,TURKEY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yildirim, C.; Schildgen, T. F.; Melnick, D.; Echtler, H. P.; Strecker, M. R.

2009-12-01

Margins of orogenic plateaus are conspicuous geomorphic provinces that archive tectonic and climatic variations related to surface uplift. Their growth is associated with spatial and temporal variations of mode and rate of tectonics and surface processes. Those processes can be strongly linked to the evolution of margins and plateaus thorough time. As one of the major morpho-tectonic provinces of Turkey, the Central Pontides (coinciding with the northern margin of the Central Anatolian Plateau (CAP)) display a remarkable topography and present valuable geologic and geomorphic indicators to identify active tectonics. Morpho-tectonic analysis, geological cross-sections, seismic profiles, and geodetic analysis reveal continuous deformation characterized by brittle faults from Late Miocene to recent across the northern margin of the CAP. In the Sinop Peninsula and offshore in the southern Black Sea, pervasive faulting and folding and uplift of Late Miocene to Quaternary marine deposits is related to active margin tectonics of the offshore southern Black Sea thrust and the onshore Balifaki and Erikli faults. In the Kastamonu-Boyabat sedimentary basin, the Late Miocene to Quaternary continental equivalents are strongly deformed by the Ekinveren Fault. This vergent inverse and thrust fault with overstepping en echelon segments deforms not only Quaternary travertines and conglomerates, but also patterns of the Pleistocene to Holocene drainage systems. In the southern Kastamonu-Boyabat basin, an antithetic thrust fault of the Ekinveren Fault system deformed also Quaternary fluviatile terrace deposits. Farther south, a dextral transpressive splay of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) deforms pediment surfaces and forms the northern flank of the Ilgaz active mountain range. The Ilgaz Range rises up to 2587 m.a.s.l and is delimited by active segments of the NAF.The Central Pontides are located at the apex of northward convex arc of the NAF. Geodetic analysis indicate a deviation of the slip vectors and strain partitioning in the Central Pontides due to the large restraining bend geometry of the NAF. DEM analysis and field observations reveal that the Central Pontides integrate an active bivergent wedge, indicating out-of sequence thrusting and topographical asymmetry, with a gentle pro-wedge northern slope and a steep retro-wedge southern slopes, and regional surface tilting from south to north. Uplifted presumably Late Pleistocene to Holocene marine terraces 4 to 40 m.a.s.l. along the coast and well developed pediment and fill and strath terrace surfaces ranging from 10 to 300 m above along the Gokirmak and Kizilirmak rivers will provide chronological constraints on the uplift and incision rates of the study area.

Study of radon flux and natural radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) in the Main Boundary Thrust region of Garhwal Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandari, Tushar; Prasad, Mukesh; Pant, Preeti; Semwal, Poonam; Bourai, Abhay Anand; Ramola, Rakesh Chand

2018-05-01

The Himalayan region is subdivided lithologically into four regions in which the junction between the lower Himalaya and Shivalik is known as the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT). It is well known that the environmental radon concentration depends upon various geological factors including faults, thrust, cracks and the composition of the soil. Radon gas eventually comes out from the fault/thrust zones having radium as its prominent source. Hence, it is important to study the behaviour of emission of radon present inside the earth crust as well as the levels of natural radionuclides in soil. In this study, the levels of natural radionuclides and exhalation rates of radon in the soil of MBT region of Garhwal Himalaya, India, were determined by using gamma ray spectrometer and scintillation detector-based Smart Radon Monitor, respectively. The average activities of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were found 71.9, 88.2 and 893.6 Bq Kg-1, respectively. The measured radon surface flux was found to vary from 13.08 to 1626.4 Bq m-2 h-1 with a mean value of 256.5 Bq m-2 h-1. The measured activity levels were used to assess the doses associated with the contaminated soil.

Over-the-wing model thrust reverser noise tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodykoontz, J.; Gutierrez, O.

1977-01-01

Static acoustic tests were conducted on a 1/12 scale model over-the-wing target type thrust reverser. The model configuration simulates a design that is applicable to the over-the-wing short-haul advanced technology engine. Aerodynamic screening tests of a variety of reverser designs identified configurations that satisfied a reverse thrust requirement of 35 percent of forward thrust at a nozzle pressure ratio of 1.29. The variations in the reverser configuration included, blocker door angle, blocker door lip angle and shape, and side skirt shape. Acoustic data are presented and compared for the various configurations. The model data scaled to a single full size engine show that peak free field perceived noise (PN) levels at a 152.4 meter sideline distance range from 98 to 104 PNdb.

Duplex development and abandonment during evolution of the Lewis thrust system, southern Glacier National Park, Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, An; Kelty, Thomas K.; Davis, Gregory A.

1989-09-01

Geologic mapping in southern Glacier National Park, Montana, reveals the presence of two duplexes sharing the same floor thrust fault, the Lewis thrust. The westernmost duplex (Brave Dog Mountain) includes the low-angle Brave Dog roof fault and Elk Mountain imbricate system, and the easternmost (Rising Wolf Mountain) duplex includes the low-angle Rockwell roof fault and Mt. Henry imbricate system. The geometry of these duplexes suggests that they differ from previously described geometric-kinematic models for duplex development. Their low-angle roof faults were preexisting structures that were locally utilized as roof faults during the formation of the imbricate systems. Crosscutting of the Brave Dog fault by the Mt. Henry imbricate system indicates that the two duplexes formed at different times. The younger Rockwell-Mt. Henry duplex developed 20 km east of the older Brave Dog-Elk Mountain duplex; the roof fault of the former is at a higher structural level. Field relations confirm that the low-angle Rockwell fault existed across the southern Glacier Park area prior to localized formation of the Mt. Henry imbricate thrusts beneath it. These thrusts kinematically link the Rockwell and Lewis faults and may be analogous to P shears that form between two synchronously active faults bounding a simple shear system. The abandonment of one duplex and its replacement by another with a new and higher roof fault may have been caused by (1) warping of the older and lower Brave Dog roof fault during the formation of the imbricate system (Elk Mountain) beneath it, (2) an upward shifting of the highest level of a simple shear system in the Lewis plate to a new decollement level in subhorizontal belt strata (= the Rockwell fault) that lay above inclined strata within the first duplex, and (3) a reinitiation of P-shear development (= Mt. Henry imbricate faults) between the Lewis thrust and the subparallel, synkinematic Rockwell fault.

Present-Day Strain and Rotation in the Lebanese Restraining Bend of the Dead Sea Fault System Based on Analysis of GPS Velocities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez, F.; Jaafar, R.; Abdallah, C.; Karam, G.

2012-12-01

The Lebanese Restraining Bend (LRB) is a ~200-km-long bend in the central part of the Dead Sea Fault system (DSFS). As with other large restraining bends, this part of the transform is characterized by more complicated structure than other parts. Additionally, results from recent GPS studies have documented slower velocities north of the LRB than are observed along the southern DSFS to the south. In an effort to understand how strain is transferred through the LRB, this study analyzes improved GPS velocities within the central DSFS based on new data and additional stations. Despite relatively modest rates of seismicity, the Dead Sea Fault system (DSFS) has a historically documented record of producing large and devastating earthquakes. Hence, geodetic measurements of crustal deformation may provide key constraints on processes of strain accumulation that may not be evident in instrumentally recorded seismicity. Within the LRB, the transform splays into two prominent strike-slip faults: The through-going Yammouneh fault and the Serghaya fault. The latter appears to terminate in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. Additionally, some oblique plate motion is accommodated by thrusting along the coast of Lebanon. This study used GPS observations from survey-mode GPS sites, as well as continuous GPS stations in the region. In total, 22 GPS survey sites have been measured in Lebanon between 2002 and 2010, along with GPS data from the adjacent area. Elastic models are used for initial assessment of fault slip rates. Incorporating two major strike-slip faults, as well as an offshore thrust fault, this modeling suggests left-lateral slip rates of 3.8 mm/yr and 1.1 mm/yr for the Yammouneh and Serghaya faults, respectively. The GPS survey network has sufficient density for analyzing velocity gradients in an effort to quantify tectonic strains and rotations. The velocity gradients suggest that differential rotations play a role in accommodating some plate motion.

GPS-Acoustic Seafloor Geodesy using a Wave Glider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chadwell, C. D.

2013-12-01

The conventional approach to implement the GPS-Acoustic technique uses a ship or buoy for the interface between GPS and Acoustics. The high cost and limited availability of ships restricts occupations to infrequent campaign-style measurements. A new approach to address this problem uses a remote controlled, wave-powered sea surface vehicle, the Wave Glider. The Wave Glider uses sea-surface wave action for forward propulsion with both upward and downward motions producing forward thrust. It uses solar energy for power with solar panels charging the onboard 660 W-h battery for near continuous operation. It uses Iridium for communication providing command and control from shore plus status and user data via the satellite link. Given both the sea-surface wave action and solar energy are renewable, the vehicle can operate for extended periods (months) remotely. The vehicle can be launched from a small boat and can travel at ~ 1 kt to locations offshore. We have adapted a Wave Glider for seafloor geodesy by adding a dual frequency GPS receiver embedded in an Inertial Navigation Unit, a second GPS antenna/receiver to align the INU, and a high precision acoustic ranging system. We will report results of initial testing of the system conducted at SIO. In 2014, the new approach will be used for seafloor geodetic measurements of plate motion in the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The project is for a three-year effort to measure plate motion at three sites along an East-West profile at latitude 44.6 N, offshore Newport Oregon. One site will be located on the incoming plate to measure the present day convergence between the Juan de Fuca and North American plates and two additional sites will be located on the continental slope of NA to measure the elastic deformation due to stick-slip behavior on the mega-thrust fault. These new seafloor data will constrain existing models of slip behavior that presently are poorly constrained by land geodetic data 100 km from the deformation front.

Initial Thrust Measurements of Marshall's Ion-ioN Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schloeder, Natalie R.; Scogin, Tyler; Liu, Thomas M.; Walker, Mitchell L. R.; Polzin, Kurt A.; Dankanich, John W.; Aanesland, Ane

2015-01-01

Electronegative ion thrusters are a variation of tradition gridded ion thruster technology differentiated by the production and acceleration of both positive and negative ions. Benefits of electronegative ion thrusters include the elimination of lifetime-limiting cathodes from the thruster architecture and the ability to generate appreciable thrust from both charge species. Following the continued development of electronegative ion thruster technology as exhibited by the PEGASES (Plasma Propulsion with Electronegative GASES) thruster, direct thrust measurements are required to push interest in electronegative ion thruster technology forward. For this work, direct thrust measurements of the MINT (Marshall's Ion-ioN Thruster) will be taken on a hanging pendulum thrust stand for propellant mixtures of Sulfur Hexafluoride and Argon at volumetric flow rates of 5-25 sccm at radio frequency power levels of 100-600 watts at a radio frequency of 13.56 MHz. Acceleration grid operation is operated using a square waveform bias of +/-300 volts at a frequency of 25 kHz.

Deepwater fold and thrust belt classification, tectonics, structure and hydrocarbon prospectivity: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morley, C. K.; King, R.; Hillis, R.; Tingay, M.; Backe, G.

2011-01-01

Deepwater fold and thrust belts (DWFTBs) are classified into near-field stress-driven Type 1 systems confined to the sedimentary section, and Type 2 systems deformed by either far-field stresses alone, or mixed near- and far-field stresses. DWFTBs can occur at all stages of the Wilson cycle up to early stage continent continent collision. Type 1 systems have either weak shale or salt detachments, they occur predominantly on passive margins but can also be found in convergent-related areas such as the Mediterranean and N. Borneo. Examples include the Niger and Nile deltas, the west coast of Africa, and the Gulf of Mexico. Type 2 systems are subdivided on a tectonic setting basis into continent convergence zones and active margin DWFTBs. Continent convergence zones cover DWFTBs developed during continent-arc or continent-continent collision, and those in a deepwater intracontinental setting (e.g. W. Sulawesi, Makassar Straits). Active margins include accretionary prisms and transform margins. The greatest variability in DWFTB structural style occurs between salt and shale detachments, and not between tectonic settings. Changes in fold amplitude and wavelength appear to be more related to thickness of the sedimentary section than to DWFTB type. In comparison with shale, salt detachment DWFTBS display a lower critical wedge taper, more detachment folds, long and episodic duration of deformation and more variation in vergence. Structures unique to salt include canopies and nappes. Accretionary prisms also standout from other DWFTBs due to their relatively long, continuous duration, rapid offshore propagation of the thrust front, and large amount of shortening. In terms of petroleum systems, many similar issues affect all DWFTBs, these include: the oceanward decrease in heat flow, offshore increase in age of mature source rock, and causes of trap failure (e.g. leaky oblique and frontal thrust faults, breach of top seal by fluid pipes). One major difference between Type 1 and Type 2 systems is reservoir rock. High quality, continent-derived, quartz-rich sandstones are generally prevalent in Type 1 systems. More diagenetically reactive minerals derived from igneous and ophiolitic sources are commonly present in Type 2 systems, or many are simply poor in well-developed turbidite sandstone units. However, some Type 2 systems, particularly those adjacent to active orogenic belts are partially sourced by high quality continent-derived sandstones (e.g. NW Borneo, S. Caspian Sea, Columbus Basin). In some cases very high rates of deposition in accretionary prisms adjacent to orogenic belts, coupled with uplift due to collision, results in accretionary prism related fold belts that pass laterally from sub-aerial to deepwater conditions (e.g. S. Caspian Sea, Indo-Burma Ranges). The six major hydrocarbon producing regions of DWFTBs worldwide (Gulf of Mexico, Niger Delta, NW Borneo, Brazil, West Africa, S. Caspian Sea) stand out as differing from most other DWFTBs in certain fundamental ways, particularly the very large volume of sediment deposited in the basins, and/or the great thickness and extent of salt or overpressured shale sdetachments.

Crustal underthrusting in the Crimea - Northern Black Sea area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yegorova, Tamara; Gobarenko, Valentina; Murovskaya, Anna; Sheremet, Yevgeniya

2016-04-01

The southern Crimean Mountains and the Greater Caucasus form a fold and thrust belt located on the northern margin of the Black Sea, south of Precambrian East European Craton. It is limited to the south by the Main Caucasus Thrust that runs along the whole of the northern margin of the Black Sea and is related to a zone of present day seismicity along the southern Crimea-Caucasus coast of the Sea (Crimean Seismogenic Zone). Strong seismic activity in the region indicates active on-going tectonic processes caused by collision of Eurasian and Arabian plates. In the vicinity of the seismogenic zone there is a transition from thick continental crust on the north to thin suboceanic one on the south in the sea. However, type and structural relations between them are known poorly. To understand better geodynamic processes, there were collected data on the earthquakes that were analyzed together with focal mechanisms of strong earthquakes, new results of geological structural analysis and paleostress reconstructions by kinematic method. These allowed drawing the following conclusions. Seismic activity in the study region, evidenced of active tectonic processes under compression and transpression at the transition from the southern margin of the East European Craton (Scythian Platform) to the Black Sea, is confirmed by predominance of reverse mechanisms among 31 focal mechanisms. In the seismogenic zone, much of which is located along the continental slope, there are three subzones (from east to west): 1) Kerch-Taman one dipping northwards at angle 30 degrees to the depth of 90 km; 2) South-Coast subzone gently dipping to the southeast at angle of 18 degrees with foci depth range 10-45 km, and 3) orthogonal to the latter and confining it from the west the Sevastopol one, characterized by scattered seismicity. The earthquake foci are located in the gradient zone that separates intense Crimea gravity high and positive anomaly of Northern Caucasus from negative gravity field of the Black Sea. The north-south tight band of the South-Coast subzone epicenters relates with highest gravity gradient offshore and is traced northward onshore on transition zone between the Western and Eastern Crimean Mountains. In the eastern part the reverse and strike-slip faulting prevail, while in the western part - the strike-slip and normal faults occur. The Kerch-Taman subzone is characterized by underthrusting the East Black Sea microplate with thin suboceanic (or strongly extended continental) crust below the Scythian Platform with thick continental crust. In the South-Coast subzone this process is complicated by wedging the frontal part of suboceanic crust into the mid-crust of Crimea. Sevastopol branch of the earthquakes is interpreted as zone of strike-slip deformations. The wedging of the East Black Sea microplate into the Scythian Plate crust in Crimea causes intense gravity anomaly of Crimean Mountains and strong present-day uplift of the latter. The analogue of described wedging mechanism seems to be geodynamic processes in the Ivrea area in Western Alps, ccharacterized by similar crust structure and intense gravity anomaly.

Insights Into Magma Ascent During Shallow-Level Crustal Shortening From Magnetic Fabrics of the Philipsburg Batholith, SW Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naibert, T. J.; Geissman, J. W.

2007-12-01

Latest Cretaceous development of the Sevier fold and thrust belt in SW Montana overlapped spatially with silicic magmatism. In the fold thrust belt, large volumes of magma were emplaced well east of the main magmatic arc, now exposed as the Idaho Batholith. Hypothesized mechanisms for emplacement of magma within the overthrust belt often involve magma ascent along shallow, west-dipping faults. The ~ 74 Ma (K-Ar method) Philipsburg Batholith is a 122 km2 tabular granodiorite emplaced into deformed Precambrian Belt Supergroup through Cretaceous strata. The Philipsburg Batholith lies in the upper plate of the Georgetown- Princeton Thrust, NW of Anaconda, Montana and cross-cuts two other previously mapped faults. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) measurements of 122 sites from the Philipsburg Batholith define magnetic foliations and/or lineations to test magma ascent along the Georgetown-Princeton Thrust. AMS fabrics in the Philipsburg Batholith, dominantly defined by magnetite, are generally oblate or triaxial and are typically very consistent at the site level. Preliminary fabric data show subhorizontal foliations across most of the batholith, with steeply dipping foliations near the margins and a minor increase in foliation dip near the inferred fault trace. The hypothesis of magma ascent along fault surfaces will be supported if further data confirm the concentration of relatively steep foliation orientations across the trace of the Georgetown-Princeton thrust.

Geologic and geophysical maps of the Las Vegas 30' x 60' quadrangle, Clark and Nye counties, Nevada, and Inyo County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Page, William R.; Lundstrom, Scott C.; Harris, Anita G.; Langenheim, V.E.; Workman, Jeremiah B.; Mahan, Shannon; Paces, James B.; Dixon, Gary L.; Rowley, Peter D.; Burchfiel, B.C.; Bell, John W.; Smith, Eugene I.

2005-01-01

Las Vegas and Pahrump are two of the fastest growing cities in the US, and the shortage of water looms as among the greatest future problems for these cities. These new maps of the Las Vegas 30 x 60-minute quadrangle provide a geologic and geophysical framework and fundamental earth science database needed to address societal issues such as ground water supply and contamination, surface flood, landslide, and seismic hazards, and soil properties and their changing impact by and on urbanization. The mountain ranges surrounding Las Vegas and Pahrump consist of Mesozoic, Paleozoic and Proterozoic rocks. A majority of these rocks are Paleozoic carbonate rocks that are part of Nevada's carbonate rock aquifer province. The Spring Mountains represent a major recharge site in the province, where maximum altitude is 3,632 m (Charleston Peak) above sea level. Rocks in the Sheep and Las Vegas Ranges and Spring Mountains contain correlative, northeast-striking, southeast-verging thrust faults that are part of the Cretaceous, Sevier orogenic belt. These thrusts were offset during the Miocene by the Las Vegas Valley shear system (LVVSZ). We conducted new mapping in the Blue Diamond area, highlighting refined work on the Bird Spring thrust, newly studied ancient landslides, and gravity-slide blocks. We conducted new mapping in the Las Vegas Range and mapped previously unrecognized structures such as the Valley thrust and fold belt; recognition of these structures has led to a refined correlation of Mesozoic thrust faults across the LVVSZ. New contributions in the quadrangle also include a greatly refined stratigraphy of Paleozoic bedrock units based on conodont biostragraphy. We collected over 200 conodont samples in the quadrangle and established stratigraphic reference sections used to correlate units across the major Mesozoic thrust faults. Quaternary deposits cover about half of the map area and underlie most of the present urbanized area. Deposits consist of large coalescing alluvial fans that grade downslope to extensive areas of fine-grained sediment indicative of groundwater-discharge during the Pleistocene. In the central areas of Las Vegas and Pahrump valleys, Quaternary fault scarps associated with past ground-water discharge deposits suggest a genetic relationship. In collaboration with NBMG and University of Nevada, a variety of ages of gravelly alluvium are newly mapped using surficial characteristics and soil development, along with reassessment of previously published mapping during compilation. Reconnaissance geochronology (thermoluminescence and U-series) of eolian and authigenic components of surficial and buried soils and spring deposits is applied to test hypotheses of geomorphic and hydrologic response to climate change over the past 100 k.y.). The major structure in the Las Vegas quadrangle is the LVVSZ. Because the LVVSZ is concealed by thick basin-fill deposits of Quaternary and Tertiary age, it was characterized primarily based on geophysics. Likewise, the newly described State line fault system in Pahrump Valley has also been characterized by geophysics, where geophysically inferred structures correlate remarkably with surface structures defined by our new geologic mapping in the Mound Spring and Hidden Hills Ranch 7.5-minute quadrangles.

Effect of low-stiffness closeout overwrap on rocket thrust-chamber life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kasper, H. J.; Nota-Donato, J. J.

1979-01-01

Three rocket thrust chambers with copper liners and a thrust level of 20.9 kN were cyclically test fired to failure. Two of the liners were made from oxygen free, high conductivity (OFHC) copper and from annealed Amzirc. The milled coolant channels were closed out with a thin copper closeout over which a fiberglass composite was wrapped to provide hoop strength only. Experimental data are presented, along with the results of a preliminary analysis that was performed before fabrication to evaluate the life extending potential of a thin copper closeout with a fiberglass overwrap.

Sea level reconstructions and non-marine sedimentation at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary: southwestern margin of the Neotethys in the Salt Range, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iqbal, Shahid; Wagreich, Michael

2016-04-01

The environmental changes during the Triassic-Jurassic boundary interval and the associated mass extinction event are still strongly debated. Sea-level reconstruction records during this interval reveal an end-Triassic global regression event. Erosion and karstification at the top of Triassic sediments, and Lower Jurassic fluvial channels with reworked Triassic clasts indicate widespread regression in the European basins. Laterite at the top of the Triassic, and quartzose conglomerates/sandstones at the base of the Jurassic indicate a fluvial/terrestrial onset in Iran and Afghanistan. Abrupt emergence, erosion and facies dislocation, from the Triassic dolomites (Kingriali Formation) to Lower Jurassic fluvial/continental quartzose conglomerates/pebbly sandstones (Datta Formation) occur in the Tethyan Salt Range of Pakistan. Sedimentological analyses indicate marine regression and emergence under tropical-subtropical conditions (Greenhouse conditions) and negates the possibility of glacial influence in this region. Field evidences indicate the presence of an undulatory surface at the base of the Jurassic and a high (Sargodha High) is present south of the Salt Range Thrust, the southern boundary of the basin. Furthermore, geophysical data (mostly seismic sections) in different parts of the basin display normal faults in the basement. These features are interpreted as horst and graben structures at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary in the Kohat-Potwar Plateau. The Lower Jurassic Datta Formation appears to have been deposited in an overall graben fill settings. Similar normal faults and graben fill geometries are observed on seismic sections in Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and other regions of the southeastern margin of the African Plate and are related to the Karoo rift system. To summarize, the basement normal faults and the graben fill features at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary in the Kohat-Potwar Plateau can be correlated to similar features common in the Karoo rift area. Regional sea-level fall associated with this rift produced erosional and reworking features similar to those occur at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary in the European basins, Iran and Afghanistan. The tectonic correlation with the European basins and sedimentological evidences for the globally present Jurassic-Triassic boundary in the Salt Range of Pakistan encourage a detail work in this regard.

Development of the Transport Class Model (TCM) Aircraft Simulation From a Sub-Scale Generic Transport Model (GTM) Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hueschen, Richard M.

2011-01-01

A six degree-of-freedom, flat-earth dynamics, non-linear, and non-proprietary aircraft simulation was developed that is representative of a generic mid-sized twin-jet transport aircraft. The simulation was developed from a non-proprietary, publicly available, subscale twin-jet transport aircraft simulation using scaling relationships and a modified aerodynamic database. The simulation has an extended aerodynamics database with aero data outside the normal transport-operating envelope (large angle-of-attack and sideslip values). The simulation has representative transport aircraft surface actuator models with variable rate-limits and generally fixed position limits. The simulation contains a generic 40,000 lb sea level thrust engine model. The engine model is a first order dynamic model with a variable time constant that changes according to simulation conditions. The simulation provides a means for interfacing a flight control system to use the simulation sensor variables and to command the surface actuators and throttle position of the engine model.

A turbojet-boosted two-stage-to-orbit space transportation system design study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hepler, A. K.; Zeck, H.; Walker, W.; Scharf, W.

1979-01-01

The concept to use twin turbo-powered boosters for acceleration to supersonic staging speed followed by an all rocket powered orbiter stage was proposed. A follow-on design study was then made of the concept with the performance objective of placing a 29,483 Kg payload into a .2.6 X 195.3 km orbit. The study was performed in terms of analysis and trade studies, conceptual design, utility and economic analysis, and technology assessment. Design features of the final configuration included: strakes and area rule for improved take off and low transonic drag, variable area inlets, exits and turbine, and low profile fixed landing gear for turbojet booster stage. The payload required an estimated GLOW of 1,270,000 kg for injection in orbit. Each twin booster required afterburning turbojet engines each with a static sea level thrust rating of 444,800 N. Life cycle costs for this concept were comparable to a SSTO/SLED concept except for increased development cost due to the turbojet engine propulsion system.

Double salt décollements: Effect of pinch-out overlapping in experimental thrust wedges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santolaria, P.; Vendeville, B.; Graveleau, F.; Casas, A.; Soto, R.

2013-12-01

The presence of one or more evaporitic horizons acting as detachment levels in fold-and-thrust belts is common. Numerous works have dealt with the analysis of the role played by basal detachments on the deformation style of fold-and-thrust belts, but less attention has been paid to the interaction between two décollements and strain transfer between them. In this study, 10 sand-silicone analogue experiments with two detachment levels and different stratigraphic pinch-out configurations were carried out: the basal décollement was located hinterlandwards, and the upper one was located forelandwards, with or without geographic underlap or overlap. These geometrical arrangements simulate evaporites deposited in foreland basins progressively involved in shortening. To analyze their influence on the geometry and kinematics of thrust wedges, we tested successively the following parameters: i) the amount of vertical overlapping between the two décollement pinch-outs, ii) the total amount of shortening, and iii) the geometry of the intermediate décollement (pinch-out line parallel or oblique with respect to the pinch-out line of the basal décollement). All experiments were quantitatively monitored by carrying DEM (Digital Elevation Models) and PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) measurements. All models had a similar style: (i) an inner domain, characterized by a thicker sand cover, with three forward verging thrusts rooted in the basal décollement, (ii) an outer domain with thinner sand cover, whose deformation pattern was characterized by 2 to 6 structures detaching on the upper décollement and (iii) a 'step zone' located between the inner and outer domains having varying geometry and kinematics. In longer-lived models, structures were reworked and salt migration deformed the early emplaced folds and thrusts. Our experimental results point out that the amount of vertical overlapping between the two décollement pinch outs is a first order parameter that conditions not only the geometry and deformation of the 'step zone', but also the geometry and kinematics of the entire thrust wedge. Comparison with the foreland fold-and-thrust belt from the Southeastern Pyrenees, where deformation is transferred from the Triassic evaporites to Eocene-Oligocene evaporitic horizons deposited in front of the advancing Pyrenean thrust sheets, supports the experimental results and validates their interpretation.

A theoretical analysis of the effect of thrust-related turbulence distortion on helicopter rotor low-frequency broadband noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, M.; Harris, W. L.

1984-01-01

The purpose of the analysis is to determine if inflow turbulence distortion may be a cause of experimentally observed changes in sound pressure levels when the rotor mean loading is varied. The effect of helicopter rotor mean aerodynamics on inflow turbulence is studied within the framework of the turbulence rapid distortion theory developed by Pearson (1959) and Deissler (1961). The distorted inflow turbulence is related to the resultant noise by conventional broadband noise theory. A comparison of the distortion model with experimental data shows that the theoretical model is unable to totally explain observed increases in model rotor sound pressures with increased rotor mean thrust. Comparison of full scale rotor data with the theoretical model shows that a shear-type distortion may explain decreasing sound pressure levels with increasing thrust.

Piloted Simulation Study of a Dual Thrust-Cutback Procedure for Reducing High-Speed Civil Transport Takeoff Noise Levels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riley, Donald R.; Glaab, Louis J.; Brandon, Jay M.; Person, Lee H., Jr.; Glaab, Patricia C.

1999-01-01

A piloted simulation study was performed for the purpose of indicating the noise reduction benefits and piloting performance that could occur for a typical 4-engine high-Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) configuration during takeoff when a dual thrust-cutback procedure was employed with throttle operation under direct computer control. Two thrust cutbacks were employed with the first cutback performed while the vehicle was accelerating on the run-way and the second cutback performed at a distance farther downrange. Added vehicle performance improvements included the incorporation of high-lift increments into the aerodynamic database of the vehicle and the use of limited engine oversizing. Four single-stream turbine bypass engines that had no noise suppression of any kind were used with this configuration. This approach permitted establishing the additional noise suppression level that was needed to meet Federal Air Regulation Part 36 Stage 3 noise levels for subsonic commercial jet aircraft. Noise level results were calculated with the jet mixing and shock noise modules of the Aircraft Noise Prediction Program (ANOPP).

Pulsed thermionic converter study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

A nuclear electric propulsion concept using a thermionic reactor inductively coupled to a magnetoplasmadynamic accelerator (MPD arc jet) is described, and the results of preliminary analyses are presented. In this system, the MPD thruster operates intermittently at higher voltages and power levels than the thermionic generating unit. A typical thrust pulse from the MPD arc jet is characterized by power levels of 1 to 4 MWe, a duration of 1 msec, and a duty cycle of approximately 20%. The thermionic generating unit operates continuously but with a lower power level of approximately 0.4 MWe. Energy storage between thrust pulses is provided by building up a large current in an inductor using the output of the thermionic converter array. Periodically, the charging current is interrupted, and the energy stored in the magnetic field of the inductor is utilized for a short duration thrust pulse. The results of the preliminary analysis show that a coupling effectiveness of approximately 85 to 90% is feasible for a nominal 400 KWe system with an inductive unit suitable for a flight vehicle.

Structural architecture of the central Brooks Range foothills, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Thomas E.; Potter, Christopher J.; O'Sullivan, Paul B.

2002-01-01

Five structural levels underlie the Brooks Range foothills, from lowest to highest: (1) autochthon, at a depth of ~9 km; (2) Endicott Mountains allochthon (EMA), thickest under the northern Brooks Range (>15 km) and wedging out northward above the autochthon; (3) higher allochthons (HA), with a composite thickness of 1.5+ km, wedging out northward at or beyond the termination of EMA; (4) Aptian-Albian Fortress Mountain Formation (FM), deposited unconformably on deformed EMA and HA and thickening northward into a >7-km-thick succession of deformed turbidites (Torok Formation); (5) gently folded Albian-Cenomanian deltaic deposits (Nanushuk Group). The dominant faulting pattern in levels 2-3 is thin-skinned thrusting and thrust-related folds formed before deposition of Cretaceous strata. These structures are cut by younger steeply south-dipping reverse faults that truncate and juxtapose structural levels 1-4 and expose progressively deeper structural levels to the south. Structural levels 4-5 are juxtaposed along a north-dipping zone of south-vergent folds and thrusts. Stratigraphic and fission-track age data suggest a kinematic model wherein the foothills belt was formed first, by thrusting of HA and EMA as deformational wedges onto the regionally south-dipping authochon at 140-120Ma. After deposition of FM and Torok during mid-Cretaceous hinterland extension and uplift, a second episode of contractional deformation at 60 Ma shortened the older allochthonous deformational wedges (EMA, HA) and overlying strata on north-vergent reverse faults. To the north, where the allochthons wedge out, shortening caused duplexing in the Torok and development of a triangle zone south of the Tuktu escarpment.

A study to estimate and compare the total particulate matter emission indices (EIN) between traditional jet fuel and two blends of Jet A/Camelina biofuel used in a high by-pass turbofan engine: A case study of Honeywell TFE-109 engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shila, Jacob Joshua Howard

The aviation industry is expected to grow at an annual rate of 5% until the year 2031 according to Boeing Outlook Report of 2012. Although the aerospace manufacturers have introduced new aircraft and engines technologies to reduce the emissions generated by aircraft engines, about 15% of all aircraft in 2032 will be using the older technologies. Therefore, agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Astronautics Administration (NASA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) among others together with some academic institutions have been working to characterize both physical and chemical characteristics of the aircraft particulate matter emissions to further understand their effects to the environment. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is also working to establish an inventory with Particulate Matter emissions for all the aircraft turbine engines for certification purposes. This steps comes as a result of smoke measurements not being sufficient to provide detailed information on the effects of Particulate Matter (PM) emissions as far as the health and environmental concerns. The use of alternative fuels is essential to reduce the impacts of emissions released by Jet engines since alternative aviation fuels have been studied to lower particulate matter emissions in some types of engines families. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the emission indices of the biofuel blended fuels were lower than the emission indices of the traditional jet fuel at selected engine thrust settings. The biofuel blends observed were 75% Jet A-25% Camelina blend biofuel, and 50% Jet A-50% Jet A blend biofuel. The traditional jet fuel in this study was the Jet A fuel. The results of this study may be useful in establishing a baseline for aircraft engines' PM inventory. Currently the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) engines emissions database contains only gaseous emissions data for only the TFE 731 and JT15D engines' families as representatives of other engines with rated thrust of 6000 pounds or below. The results of this study may be used to add to the knowledge of PM emission data that has been collected in other research studies. This study was quantitative in nature. Three factors were designated which were the types of fuels studied. The TFE-109 turbofan engine was the experimental subject. The independent variable was the engine thrust setting while the response variable was the emission index. Four engine runs were conducted for each fuel. In each engine run, four engine thrust settings were observed. The four engine thrust levels were 10%, 30%, 85%, and 100% rated thrusts levels. Therefore, for each engine thrust settings, there four replicates. The experiments were conducted using a TFE-109 engine test cell located in the Niswonger Aviation Technology building at the Purdue University Airport. The testing facility has the capability to conduct the aircraft PM emissions tests. Due to the equipment limitations, the study was limited to observe total PM emissions instead of specifically measuring the non-volatile PM emissions. The results indicate that the emissions indices of the blended biofuels were not statistically significantly lower compared to the emissions of the traditional jet fuel at rated thrust levels of 100% and 85% of TFE-109 turbofan engine. However, the emission indices for the 50%Jet A - 50%Camelina biofuel blend were statistically significantly lower compared to the emission indices of the 100% Jet A fuel at 10% and 30% engine rated thrusts levels of TFE-109 engine. The emission indices of the 50%-50% biofuel blend were lower by reductions of 15% and 17% at engine rated thrusts of 10% and 30% respectively compared to the emissions indices of the traditional jet fuel at the same engine thrust levels. Experimental modifications in future studies may provide estimates of the emissions indices range for this particular engine these estimates may be used to estimate the levels of PM emissions for other similar engines. Additional measurements steps such as heating of the sampling line, sampling dilution application, sampling line loss estimates, and calculations of the sampling line PM residence times will also be useful future results.

A Historical Systems Study of Liquid Rocket Engine Throttling Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Betts, Erin M.; Frederick, Robert A., Jr.

2010-01-01

This is a comprehensive systems study to examine and evaluate throttling capabilities of liquid rocket engines. The focus of this study is on engine components, and how the interactions of these components are considered for throttling applications. First, an assessment of space mission requirements is performed to determine what applications require engine throttling. A background on liquid rocket engine throttling is provided, along with the basic equations that are used to predict performance. Three engines are discussed that have successfully demonstrated throttling. Next, the engine system is broken down into components to discuss special considerations that need to be made for engine throttling. This study focuses on liquid rocket engines that have demonstrated operational capability on American space launch vehicles, starting with the Apollo vehicle engines and ending with current technology demonstrations. Both deep throttling and shallow throttling engines are discussed. Boost and sustainer engines have demonstrated throttling from 17% to 100% thrust, while upper stage and lunar lander engines have demonstrated throttling in excess of 10% to 100% thrust. The key difficulty in throttling liquid rocket engines is maintaining an adequate pressure drop across the injector, which is necessary to provide propellant atomization and mixing. For the combustion chamber, cooling can be an issue at low thrust levels. For turbomachinery, the primary considerations are to avoid cavitation, stall, surge, and to consider bearing leakage flows, rotordynamics, and structural dynamics. For valves, it is necessary to design valves and actuators that can achieve accurate flow control at all thrust levels. It is also important to assess the amount of nozzle flow separation that can be tolerated at low thrust levels for ground testing.

Geotechnical aspects of locating the Łagiewnicka Route on the area of the "White Seas" in Kraków

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zięba, Jakub; Bazarnik, Mirosława

2018-04-01

The article presents the results of field studies and laboratory tests of the subsoil of the section of the ";Łagiewnicka" route located on the area of so-called "White Seas" [1] in Kraków-Łagiewniki. The analysed samples come from the layer of anthropogenic soils being the result of the operation of the Solvay Sodium Plant in the 20th century. The results of the geotechnical and land-surveying studies served as the basis for developing a numerical model to determine the pressure on the walls of the planned tunnel and the horizontal thrust in the planned excavation. Besides, the study and test results were used to perform an analysis of the excavation's stability and to check the impact of the sheet pile on land deformations near the John Paul II Centre in Kraków.

Adjoint Sensitivity Method to Determine Optimal Set of Stations for Tsunami Source Inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusman, A. R.; Hossen, M. J.; Cummins, P. R.; Satake, K.

2017-12-01

We applied the adjoint sensitivity technique in tsunami science for the first time to determine an optimal set of stations for a tsunami source inversion. The adjoint sensitivity (AS) method has been used in numerical weather prediction to find optimal locations for adaptive observations. We implemented this technique to Green's Function based Time Reverse Imaging (GFTRI), which is recently used in tsunami source inversion in order to reconstruct the initial sea surface displacement, known as tsunami source model. This method has the same source representation as the traditional least square (LSQ) source inversion method where a tsunami source is represented by dividing the source region into a regular grid of "point" sources. For each of these, Green's function (GF) is computed using a basis function for initial sea surface displacement whose amplitude is concentrated near the grid point. We applied the AS method to the 2009 Samoa earthquake tsunami that occurred on 29 September 2009 in the southwest Pacific, near the Tonga trench. Many studies show that this earthquake is a doublet associated with both normal faulting in the outer-rise region and thrust faulting in the subduction interface. To estimate the tsunami source model for this complex event, we initially considered 11 observations consisting of 5 tide gauges and 6 DART bouys. After implementing AS method, we found the optimal set of observations consisting with 8 stations. Inversion with this optimal set provides better result in terms of waveform fitting and source model that shows both sub-events associated with normal and thrust faulting.

Andean subduction orogeny: feedbacks between tectonics, relief evolution and global climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacassin, Robin; Armijo, Rolando; Coudurier-Curveur, Aurélie; Carrizo, Daniel

2016-04-01

The Andean subduction margin, largest tectonic relief on the Earth (13 km vertically from the trench to the Altiplano) has a stepped morphology, which results of the evolution over the past 50 Myr of two parallel flat-ramp thrust systems, at the - previously unidentified - West Andean Thrust (WAT), and at the subduction interface. The evolution of those thrusts appears concomitant with increasing aridity in the Atacama Desert, which keeps a large-scale record of interplaying tectonics and Cenozoic climate change. The coastal morphology is dominated by the Atacama Bench, a giant uplifted terrace at 1-2km asl. Geomorphic and climatic data, numerical experiments of drainage formation are consistent with the development of a flat Atacama morphology close to sea level, interrupted at ≤10 Ma by tectonic uplift prevailing to the present. This suggests recent trench-ward relief growth by incorporation of the coastal Atacama Bench to the Andes reliefs. Thrust splay structures and other complexities above the subduction interface may explain this relief growth, as well as the distribution of asperities under the oceanward forearc, and the down-dip segmentation of coupling and seismicity on the megathrust. Combining those results with geological knowledge at the scale of the whole Central Andes, we show that the Andean orogeny results from protracted processes of bivergent crustal shortening in a wide region squeezed between the rigid Marginal Block and the S America Plate. The overall growth curve of Andean orogeny over the past 50 Myr appears synchronous with the onset of the "ramp-shaped" temperature decrease since the Early Eocene climatic optimum. Andean growth and global cooling may have operated under the same forcing mechanism at plate-scale, involving viscous flow in the mantle. But Andean growth appears modulated by climatic feedbacks causative of stepwise reductions of erosive power over the Andean margin. The first of such events is coeval with Late Eocene cooling and promoted the eastward propagation of deformation towards the continent interior. The second one, coeval with Late Miocene cooling, is associated with the establishment of hyper-aridity in the Atacama Desert, and is responsible of a tectonic "freezing" which promoted since the triggering of subduction of the Brazilian craton, the Andean bivergent growth, and rapid uplift throughout the Andes-Altiplano. Armijo R., Lacassin R., Coudurier-Curveur A., Carrizo D., Coupled tectonic evolution of Andean orogeny and global climate, Earth Science Reviews, 143, 1-35, doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2015.01.005, 2015.

Effect of applied force and blade speed on histopathology of bone during resection by sagittal saw.

PubMed

James, Thomas P; Chang, Gerard; Micucci, Steven; Sagar, Amrit; Smith, Eric L; Cassidy, Charles

2014-03-01

A sagittal saw is commonly used for resection of bone during joint replacement surgery. During sawing, heat is generated that can lead to an increase in temperature at the resected surface. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of applied thrust force and blade speed on generating heat. The effect of these factors and their interactions on cutting temperature and bone health were investigated with a full factorial Design of Experiments approach for two levels of thrust force, 15 N and 30 N, and for two levels of blade oscillation rate, 12,000 and 18,000 cycles per minute (cpm). In addition, a preliminary study was conducted to eliminate blade wear as a confounding factor. A custom sawing fixture was used to crosscut samples of fresh bovine cortical bone while temperature in the bone was measured by thermocouple (n=40), followed by measurements of the depth of thermal necrosis by histopathological analysis (n=200). An analysis of variance was used to determine the significance of the factor effects on necrotic depth as evidenced by empty lacunae. Both thrust force and blade speed demonstrated a statistically significant effect on the depth of osteonecrosis (p<0.05), while the interaction of thrust force with blade speed was not significant (p=0.22). The minimum necrotic depth observed was 0.50mm, corresponding to a higher level of force and blade speed (30 N, 18,000 cpm). Under these conditions, a maximum temperature of 93°C was measured at 0.3mm from the kerf. With a decrease in both thrust force and blade speed (15N, 12,000 cpm), the temperature in the bone increased to 109°C, corresponding to a nearly 50% increase in depth of the necrotic zone to 0.74 mm. A predictive equation for necrotic depth in terms of thrust force and blade speed was determined through regression analysis and validated by experiment. The histology results imply that an increase in applied thrust force is more effective in reducing the depth of thermal damage to surrounding bone than an increase in blade speed. Copyright © 2013 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A model for teaching and learning spinal thrust manipulation and its effect on participant confidence in technique performance

PubMed Central

Wise, Christopher H.; Schenk, Ronald J.; Lattanzi, Jill Black

2016-01-01

Background Despite emerging evidence to support the use of high velocity thrust manipulation in the management of lumbar spinal conditions, utilization of thrust manipulation among clinicians remains relatively low. One reason for the underutilization of these procedures may be related to disparity in training in the performance of these techniques at the professional and post professional levels. Purpose To assess the effect of using a new model of active learning on participant confidence in the performance of spinal thrust manipulation and the implications for its use in the professional and post-professional training of physical therapists. Methods A cohort of 15 DPT students in their final semester of entry-level professional training participated in an active training session emphasizing a sequential partial task practice (SPTP) strategy in which participants engaged in partial task practice over several repetitions with different partners. Participants’ level of confidence in the performance of these techniques was determined through comparison of pre- and post-training session surveys and a post-session open-ended interview. Results The increase in scores across all items of the individual pre- and post-session surveys suggests that this model was effective in changing overall participant perception regarding the effectiveness and safety of these techniques and in increasing student confidence in their performance. Interviews revealed that participants greatly preferred the SPTP strategy, which enhanced their confidence in technique performance. Conclusion Results indicate that this new model of psychomotor training may be effective at improving confidence in the performance of spinal thrust manipulation and, subsequently, may be useful for encouraging the future use of these techniques in the care of individuals with impairments of the spine. Inasmuch, this method of instruction may be useful for training of physical therapists at both the professional and post-professional levels. PMID:27559284

H2 arcjet performance mapping program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1992-01-01

Work performed during the period of Mar. 1991 to Jan. 1992 is reviewed. High power H2 arcjets are being considered for electric powered orbit transfer vehicles (EOTV). Mission analyses indicate that the overall arcjet thrust efficiency is very important since increasing the efficiency increases the thrust, and thereby reduces the total trip time for the same power. For example, increasing the thrust efficiency at the same specific impulse from 30 to 40 percent will reduce the trip time by 25 percent. For a 200 day mission, this equates to 50 days, which results in lower ground costs and less time during which the payload is dormant. Arcjet performance levels of 1200 seconds specific impulse (lsp) at 35 to 40 percent efficiency with lifetimes over 1000 hours are needed to support EOTV missions. Because of the potential very high efficiency levels, the objective of this program was to evaluate the ability of a scaled Giannini-style thruster to achieve the performance levels while operating at a reduced nominal power of 10 kW. To meet this objective, a review of past literature was conducted; scaling relationships were developed and applied to establish critical dimensions; a development thruster was designed with the aid of the plasma analysis model KARNAC and finite element thermal modeling; test hardware was fabricated; and a series of performance tests were conducted in RRC's Cell 11 vacuum chamber with its null-balance thrust stand.

Miniature Rocket Motor for Aircraft Stall/Spin Recovery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucy, M. H.

1985-01-01

Design accommodates different thrust levels and burn times with minimum weight. Different thrust levels achieved by substituting other propellants of different diameter and burn-rate characteristics. Different burn times achieved by simply changing length of grain/tube assembly. Grain bond material also acts as insulator for fiberglass tube. Rocket motor attached to aircraft model and ignited from radio-controlled 4.8-volt power source. Device provides more than twice energy available in previous designs at only 60 percent of weight. Rocket motor used to identify energy requirements for aircraft stall/spin recovery positive propulsion system.

Homotopy method for optimization of variable-specific-impulse low-thrust trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chi, Zhemin; Yang, Hongwei; Chen, Shiyu; Li, Junfeng

2017-11-01

The homotopy method has been used as a useful tool in solving fuel-optimal trajectories with constant-specific-impulse low thrust. However, the specific impulse is often variable for many practical solar electric power-limited thrusters. This paper investigates the application of the homotopy method for optimization of variable-specific-impulse low-thrust trajectories. Difficulties arise when the two commonly-used homotopy functions are employed for trajectory optimization. The optimal power throttle level and the optimal specific impulse are coupled with the commonly-used quadratic and logarithmic homotopy functions. To overcome these difficulties, a modified logarithmic homotopy function is proposed to serve as a gateway for trajectory optimization, leading to decoupled expressions of both the optimal power throttle level and the optimal specific impulse. The homotopy method based on this homotopy function is proposed. Numerical simulations validate the feasibility and high efficiency of the proposed method.

Low-speed wind tunnel tests of a 50.8-centimeter (20-in.) 1.15-pressure-ratio fan engine model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wesoky, H. L.; Abbott, J. M.; Albers, J. A.; Dietrich, D. A.

1974-01-01

At a typical STOL aircraft takeoff and landing velocity, wind tunnel aerodynamic and acoustic measurements demonstrated that an inlet lip-area contraction ratio of 1.35 was superior to a ratio of 1.26 at high incidence angles. A 17 percent reduction in net thrust and an increase of 9 decibels in sound pressure level at the blade passing frequency resulted from inlet flow separation at an incidence angle of 50 deg with the 1.26-contraction-ratio inlet. Reverse-thrust forces obtained with blade rotation through the feathered angle were 1.8 times larger than with blade rotation through the flat angle. Reverse-thrust force was reduced from 30 to 50 percent and sound pressure level increased from 3 to 7 decibels at the blade passing frequency between the wind-tunnel-off condition and a typical STOL aircraft landing velocity.

Static noise tests on modified augmentor wing jet STOL research aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, G. R.; Lilley, B. F.

1981-01-01

Noise measurements were made to determine if recent modifications made to the bifurcated jetpipe to increase engine thrust had at the same time reduced the noise level. The noise field was measured by a 6-microphone array positioned on a 30.5m (100 ft) sideline between 90 and 150 degrees from the left engine inlet. Noise levels were recorded at three flap angles over a range of engine thrust settings from flight idle to emergency power and plotted in one-third octave band spectra. Little attenuation was observed at maximum power, but significant attenuation was achieved at approach and cruise power levels.

NASA Orbit Transfer Rocket Engine Technology Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The advanced expander cycle engine with a 15,000 lb thrust level and a 6:1 mixture ratio and optimized performance was used as the baseline for a design study of the hydrogen/oxgyen propulsion system for the orbit transfer vehicle. The critical components of this engine are the thrust chamber, the turbomachinery, the extendible nozzle system, and the engine throttling system. Turbomachinery technology is examined for gears, bearing, seals, and rapid solidification rate turbopump shafts. Continuous throttling concepts are discussed. Components of the OTV engine described include the thrust chamber/nozzle assembly design, nozzles, the hydrogen regenerator, the gaseous oxygen heat exchanger, turbopumps, and the engine control valves.

Comparison of Performance Predictions for New Low-Thrust Trajectory Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polsgrove, Tara; Kos, Larry; Hopkins, Randall; Crane, Tracie

2006-01-01

Several low thrust trajectory optimization tools have been developed over the last 3% years by the Low Thrust Trajectory Tools development team. This toolset includes both low-medium fidelity and high fidelity tools which allow the analyst to quickly research a wide mission trade space and perform advanced mission design. These tools were tested using a set of reference trajectories that exercised each tool s unique capabilities. This paper compares the performance predictions of the various tools against several of the reference trajectories. The intent is to verify agreement between the high fidelity tools and to quantify the performance prediction differences between tools of different fidelity levels.

Performance of a Low-Power Cylindrical Hall Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polzin, Kurt A.; Markusic, Thomas E.; Stanojev, Boris J.; Dehoyos, Amado; Raitses, Yevgeny; Smirnov, Artem; Fisch, Nathaniel J.

2007-01-01

Recent mission studies have shown that a Hall thruster which operates at relatively constant thrust efficiency (45-55%) over a broad power range (300W - 3kW) is enabling for deep space science missions when compared with slate-of-the-art ion thrusters. While conventional (annular) Hall thrusters can operate at high thrust efficiency at kW power levels, it is difficult to construct one that operates over a broad power envelope down to 0 (100 W) while maintaining relatively high efficiency. In this note we report the measured performance (I(sub sp), thrust and efficiency) of a cylindrical Hall thruster operating at 0 (100 W) input power.

Orbit Transfer Vehicle Engine Study. Phase A, extension 1: Alternate low-thrust capability task report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mellish, J. A.

1980-01-01

The feasibility and design impact of a requirement for the advanced expander cycle engine to be adaptable to extended low thrust operation of approximately 1K to 2K lb is assessed. It is determined that the orbit transfer vehicle point design engine can be reduced in thrust with minor injector modifications from 15K to 1K without significantly affecting combustion performance efficiency or injector face/chamber wall thermal compatibility. Likewise, high frequency transverse mode combustion instability is not expected to be detrimentally affected. Primarily, the operational limitations consist of feed system chugging instabilities and potential coupling of the injector response with the chamber longitudinal mode resonances under certain operating conditions. The recommended injector modification for low thrust operation is a change in the oxidizer injector element orifice size. Analyses also indicate that chamber coolant flow stability may be a concern below 2K 1bF operation and oxidizer pump stability could be a problem below a 2K thrust level although a recirculation flow could alleviate the problem.

Development Status of High-Thrust Density Electrostatic Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, Michael J.; Haag, Thomas W.; Foster, John E.; Young, Jason A.; Crofton, Mark W.

2017-01-01

Ion thruster technology offers the highest performance and efficiency of any mature electric propulsion thruster. It has by far the highest demonstrated total impulse of any technology option, demonstrated at input power levels appropriate for primary propulsion. It has also been successfully implemented for primary propulsion in both geocentric and heliocentric environments, with excellent ground/in-space correlation of both its performance and life. Based on these attributes there is compelling reasoning to continue the development of this technology: it is a leading candidate for high power applications; and it provides risk reduction for as-yet unproven alternatives. As such it is important that the operational limitations of ion thruster technology be critically examined and in particular for its application to primary propulsion its capabilities relative to thrust the density and thrust-to-power ratio be understood. This publication briefly addresses some of the considerations relative to achieving high thrust density and maximizing thrust-to-power ratio with ion thruster technology, and discusses the status of development work in this area being executed under a collaborative effort among NASA Glenn Research Center, the Aerospace Corporation, and the University of Michigan.

An engine trade study for a supersonic STOVL fighter-attack aircraft, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beard, B. B.; Foley, W. H.

1982-01-01

The best main engine for an advanced STOVL aircraft flight demonstrator was studied. The STOVL aircraft uses ejectors powered by engine bypass flow together with vectored core exhaust to achieve vertical thrust capability. Bypass flow and core flow are exhausted through separate nozzles during wingborne flight. Six near term turbofan engines were examined for suitability for this aircraft concept. Fan pressure ratio, thrust split between bypass and core flow, and total thrust level were used to compare engines. One of the six candidate engines was selected for the flight demonstrator configuration. Propulsion related to this aircraft concept was studied. A preliminary candidate for the aircraft reaction control system for hover attitude control was selected. A mathematical model of transfer of bypass thrust from ejectors to aft directed nozzle during the transition to wingborne flight was developed. An equation to predict ejector secondary air flow rate and ram drag is derived. Additional topics discussed include: nozzle area control, ejector to engine inlet reingestion, bypass/core thrust split variation, and gyroscopic behavior during hover.

Deformation and seismicity of Taiwan.

PubMed

Vita-Finzi, C

2000-10-10

14C-dated Holocene coastal uplift, conventional and satellite geodetic measurements, and coseismic and aseismic fault slip reveal the pattern of distributed deformation at Taiwan resulting from convergence between the Philippine Sea plate and Eurasia; as in other subduction orogenic settings, the locus of strain release and accumulation is strongly influenced by changes in fault geometry across strike. Uplift evidence from the islands of Lutao and Lanhsu is consistent with progressive oblique collision between the Luzon arc and the Chinese continental margin. In the Coastal Range, geodetic and seismic records show that shortening is taken up serially by discontinuous slip on imbricate faults. The geodetic data point to net extension across the Central Range, but deformed Holocene shorelines in the Hengchun Peninsula at its southern extremity suggest that the extension is a superficial effect partly caused by blind reverse faulting. The fastest shortening rates indicated by geodesy are recorded on the Longitudinal Valley fault and across the Chukou fault within the fold-and-thrust belt. In the former, the strain is dissipated mainly as aseismic reverse and strike-slip displacement. In contrast, the fold-and-thrust belt has witnessed five earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.5 or above in the 20th century, including the 1999.9.21 Chi-Chi earthquake (magnitude approximately 7.6) on a branch of the Chukou fault. The neotectonic and geodetic data for Taiwan as a whole suggest that the fold-and-thrust belt will continue to host the majority of great earthquakes on the island.

Advanced engine study for mixed-mode orbit-transfer vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mellish, J. A.

1978-01-01

Engine design, performance, weight and envelope data were established for three mixed-mode orbit-transfer vehicle engine candidates. Engine concepts evaluated are the tripropellant, dual-expander and plug cluster. Oxygen, RP-1 and hydrogen are the propellants considered for use in these engines. Theoretical performance and propellant properties were established for bipropellant and tripropellant mixes of these propellants. RP-1, hydrogen and oxygen were evaluated as coolants and the maximum attainable chamber pressures were determined for each engine concept within the constraints of the propellant properties and the low cycle thermal fatigue (300 cycles) requirement. The baseline engine design and component operating characteristics are determined at a thrust level of 88,964N (20,000 lbs) and a thrust split of 0.5. The parametric data is generated over ranges of thrust and thrust split of 66.7 to 400kN (15 to 90 klb) and 0.4 to 0.8, respectively.

A Seismo-Tectonic Signal From Offshore Sedimentation: The 2010 Haiti Earthquake and Prior Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McHugh, C. M.; Seeber, L.; Cormier, M.; Hornbach, M.; Momplaisir, R.; Waldhauser, F.; Sorlien, C. C.; Steckler, M. S.; Gulick, S.

2011-12-01

The Mw 7.0 January 2010 earthquake in Haiti was one of the deadliest in history. It involved multiple faults along or near the main Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault (EPGF). This left-lateral transform is a branch of the northern Caribbean plate boundary across southern Hispaniola. The main rupture was strike-slip but almost all aftershocks had thrust mechanisms, and surface deformation may have been concentrated on anticline forelimbs driven by blind thrust faults. Earthquake generated mass-wasting and turbidity currents were sampled from the Canal du Sud slope (~1000 m water depth), a basin at 1500 m, and the deepest part of the strait at 1700 m. The turbidites were strongly correlated by 234Th with a half-life of 24 days. In the deepest area, a turbidite-homogenite unit (T-H) extends over 50 km2 and is composed of basal sand beds 5 cm thick and 50 cm of mud above. The sedimentary structures in the sand were linked to oscillatory motions by internal seiches. The T-H units recovered from the slope and deep basin are similar in composition. The Leogane Delta, upslope from the sampling sites, is rich in this lithology that has been linked to oceanic basement rocks exposed on the southern Haitian peninsula. In contrast, the T-H unit recovered from the basin at 1500 m is perched behind a thrust anticline and has a greater concentration of Ca derived from Ca rich sources such as the Tapion Ridge on the southern peninsula. The Tapion Ridge is a compressional structure associated with a restraining bend along the EPGF. The T-H unit beneath the 2010 deposit has a 14C age of 2400 cal yrs BP, and interpreted as an earthquake triggered deposit. It is nearly identical in thickness, composition and fine structures to the 2010 T-H. Notably absent from the record are younger turbidites that could have been linked to the historic 1770 AD and other similar earthquakes expected from GPS rates across the EPGF. Two hypotheses are being considered for this long gap in T-H sedimentation. One proposes that during relative high stands of sea level fringing reefs are trapping sediment on the shelf and that a critical accumulation is needed to generate failure. Many large local earthquakes could have occurred before reaching this critical thickness. Low sedimentation rates (6 cm/1000 yrs) support this possibility. Our preferred hypothesis, alternatively, links T-Hs to earthquakes with a large thrust component such as the 2010 event in order to generate failure. This latter hypothesis accounts for some earthquakes producing no turbidites while others, such as the 2010 event, do. It also accounts for the fracturing sampled along 8 km of the perched basin. We propose that thrust earthquakes along the Tapion Ridge segment of the EPGF reoccur at ~2000-year intervals and this sedimentary signal is preserved in Canal du Sud.

Static investigation of a two-dimensional convergent-divergent exhaust nozzle with multiaxis thrust-vectoring capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, John G.

1990-01-01

An investigation was conducted in the Static Test Facility of the NASA Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel to determine the internal performance of two-dimensional convergent-divergent nozzles designed to have simultaneous pitch and yaw thrust vectoring capability. This concept utilized divergent flap rotation of thrust vectoring in the pitch plane and deflection of flat yaw flaps hinged at the end of the sidewalls for yaw thrust vectoring. The hinge location of the yaw flaps was varied at four positions from the nozzle exit plane to the throat plane. The yaw flaps were designed to contain the flow laterally independent of power setting. In order to eliminate any physical interference between the yaw flap deflected into the exhaust stream and the divergent flaps, the downstream corners of both upper and lower divergent flaps were cut off to allow for up to 30 deg of yaw flap deflection. The impact of varying the nozzle pitch vector angle, throat area, yaw flap hinge location, yaw flap length, and yaw flap deflection angle on nozzle internal performance characteristics, was studied. High-pressure air was used to simulate jet exhaust at nozzle pressure ratios up to 7.0. Static results indicate that configurations with the yaw flap hinge located upstream of the exit plane provide relatively high levels of thrust vectoring efficiency without causing large losses in resultant thrust ratio. Therefore, these configurations represent a viable concept for providing simultaneous pitch and yaw thrust vectoring.

Perceived Noise Analysis for Offset Jets Applied to Commercial Supersonic Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huff, Dennis L.; Henderson, Brenda S.; Berton, Jeffrey J.; Seidel, Jonathan A.

2016-01-01

A systems analysis was performed with experimental jet noise data, engine/aircraft performance codes and aircraft noise prediction codes to assess takeoff noise levels and mission range for conceptual supersonic commercial aircraft. A parametric study was done to identify viable engine cycles that meet NASAs N+2 goals for noise and performance. Model scale data from offset jets was used as input to the aircraft noise prediction code to determine the expected sound levels for the lateral certification point where jet noise dominates over all other noise sources. The noise predictions were used to determine the optimal orientation of the offset nozzles to minimize the noise at the lateral microphone location. An alternative takeoff procedure called programmed lapse rate was evaluated for noise reduction benefits. Results show there are two types of engines that provide acceptable range performance; one is a standard mixed-flow turbofan with a single-stage fan, and the other is a three-stream variable-cycle engine with a multi-stage fan. The engine with a single-stage fan has a lower specific thrust and is 8 to 10 EPNdB quieter for takeoff. Offset nozzles reduce the noise directed toward the thicker side of the outer flow stream, but have less benefit as the core nozzle pressure ratio is reduced and the bypass-to-core area ratio increases. At the systems level for a three-engine N+2 aircraft with full throttle takeoff, there is a 1.4 EPNdB margin to Chapter 3 noise regulations predicted for the lateral certification point (assuming jet noise dominates). With a 10 reduction in thrust just after takeoff rotation, the margin increases to 5.5 EPNdB. Margins to Chapter 4 and Chapter 14 levels will depend on the cumulative split between the three certification points, but it appears that low specific thrust engines with a 10 reduction in thrust (programmed lapse rate) can come close to meeting Chapter 14 noise levels. Further noise reduction is possible with additional reduction in takeoff thrust using programmed lapse rate, but studies are needed to investigate the practical limits for safety and takeoff regulations.

Alongstrike geometry variations of the Carpathian thrust front east of Tarnów (SE Poland) as intersection phenomenon related to thrust-floor palaeotopography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gluszynski, Andrzej; Aleksandrowski, Pawel

2017-04-01

Structural geometry of the Miocene (Badenian-Sarmatian) Carpathian orogenic front between Tarnów and Pilzno was investigated, using borehole and 2D and 3D seismic data. In line with some earlier studies by other authors, but in much more comprehensive way, our study reveals details of the alongstrike changing structural geometry of the Carpathian orogenic front and offers a model of its tectonic evolution. At places the frontal thrust of the Carpathians is blind and accompanied by well developed wedge tectonics phenomena. Elsewhere it is emergent at the surface and shows an apparently simple structure. The base of the fold-thrust zone rests on a substratum with highly variable palaeotopography, which includes a major palaeovalley incised in the Mesozoic basement to a depth exceeding 1 km. The palaeovalley floor was covered with salt-bearing evaporites at the time when the thrusting took place. The wedge tectonics phenomena include backthrusts and a prominent crocodile structure. The tectonic wedge is formed by stacked thrust-slices of the Cretaceous-to-Oligocene flysch of the Skole nappe. This wedge has forced a basal Miocene evaporitic layer (including salt) to split into two horizons (1) the lower one, which acted as a tectonic lubricant along the floor thrust of the forward-moving flysch wedge, and (2) the upper one, along which the Miocene sediments of the Carpathian foredeep were underthrusted by the flysch wedge. This resulting crocodile structure has the flysch wedge in its core, a passive roof of Miocene sediments at the top and tilted Miocene strata at its front, defining a frontal homocline. A minor triangle zone, cored with deformed evaporites, has formed due to backthrust branching at the rear of the frontal monocline. At other places, the Carpathian flysch and its basal thrust, emerge at the surface. The flysch must have once also formed a wedge there, but was mostly removed by erosion following its elevation above the present-day topographic surface on the frontal thrust. The Skole flysch units overlie a relatively thin zone of deformed Miocene evaporitic series that covers autochthonous clastic Miocene sediments of the inner parts of the Carpathian foredeep. The sediments are southerly dipping at a shallow angle below the Outer Carpathian nappe structure. Our study indicates that the lateral variations in the structural geometry at the thrust front of the Carpathian orogen are due to different levels of erosional truncation that were controlled mainly by a predeformational palaeotopography of the base of the Carpathian foredeep. At the same time, the wedge tectonics phenomena owe their formation to the limited lateral extent of the evaporitic layer and its facies changes. At erosionally lowered locations of the foredeep's base, represented by the deep palaeovalley of Pogórska Wola, the Carpathian thrust front is a fully preserved, subsurface structure, concealed below the Miocene molasse of the foredeep. In areas where the pre-thrusting erosion was not so efficient (outside the palaeovalley), the Carpathian orogenic front is emergent at the surface. We infer that the originally existent flysch tectonic wedge, splitting the evaporites at its front, was thrusted to upper levels and then eroded at such locations.

Geometry of a large-scale, low-angle, midcrustal thrust (Woodroffe Thrust, central Australia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wex, S.; Mancktelow, N. S.; Hawemann, F.; Camacho, A.; Pennacchioni, G.

2017-11-01

The Musgrave Block in central Australia exposes numerous large-scale mylonitic shear zones developed during the intracontinental Petermann Orogeny around 560-520 Ma. The most prominent structure is the crustal-scale, over 600 km long, E-W trending Woodroffe Thrust, which is broadly undulate but generally dips shallowly to moderately to the south and shows an approximately top-to-north sense of movement. The estimated metamorphic conditions of mylonitization indicate a regional variation from predominantly midcrustal (circa 520-620°C and 0.8-1.1 GPa) to lower crustal ( 650°C and 1.0-1.3 GPa) levels in the direction of thrusting, which is also reflected in the distribution of preserved deformation microstructures. This variation in metamorphic conditions is consistent with a south dipping thrust plane but is only small, implying that a ≥60 km long N-S segment of the Woodroffe Thrust was originally shallowly dipping at an average estimated angle of ≤6°. The reconstructed geometry suggests that basement-cored, thick-skinned, midcrustal thrusts can be very shallowly dipping on a scale of many tens of kilometers in the direction of movement. Such a geometry would require the rocks along the thrust to be weak, but field observations (e.g., large volumes of syntectonic pseudotachylyte) argue for a strong behavior, at least transiently. Localization on a low-angle, near-planar structure that crosscuts lithological layers requires a weak precursor, such as a seismic rupture in the middle to lower crust. If this was a single event, the intracontinental earthquake must have been large, with the rupture extending laterally over hundreds of kilometers.

Computation of optimal Mars trajectories via combined chemical/electrical propulsion, Part 3: Compromise solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miele, A.; Wang, T.; Williams, P. N.

2005-12-01

The success of the solar-electric ion engine powering the DS1 spacecraft has paved the way toward the use of low-thrust electrical engines in future planetary/interplanetary missions. Vis-à-vis a chemical engine, an electrical engine has a higher specific impulse, implying a possible decrease in propellant mass; however, the low-thrust aspect discourages the use of an electrical engine in the near-planet phases of a trip, since this might result in an increase in flight time. Therefore, a fundamental design problem is to find the best combination of chemical propulsion and electrical propulsion for a given mission, for example, a mission from Earth to Mars. With this in mind, this paper is the third of a series dealing with the optimization of Earth Mars missions via the use of hybrid engines, namely the combination of high-thrust chemical engines for planetary flight and low-thrust electrical engines for interplanetary flight. We look at the deep-space interplanetary portion of the trajectory under rather idealized conditions. The two major performance indexes, the propellant mass and the flight time, are in conflict with one another for the following reason: any attempt at reducing the former causes an increase in the latter and vice versa. Therefore, it is natural to consider a compromise performance index involving the scaled values of the propellant mass and flight time weighted respectively by the compromise factor C and its complement 1-C. We use the compromise factor as the parameter of the one-parameter family of compromise trajectories. Analyses carried out with the sequential gradient-restoration algorithm for optimal control problems lead to results which can be highlighted as follows. Thrust profile. Generally speaking, the thrust profile of the compromise trajectory includes three subarcs: the first subarc is characterized by maximum thrust in conjunction with positive (upward) thrust direction; the second subarc is characterized by zero thrust (coasting flight); the third subarc is characterized by maximum thrust in conjunction with negative (downward) thrust direction. Effect of the compromise factor. As the compromise factor increases, the propellant mass decreases and the flight time increases; correspondingly, the following changes in the thrust profile take place: (a) the time lengths of the first and third subarcs (powered phases) decrease slightly, meaning that thrust application occurs for shorter duration; also, the average value of the thrust direction in the first and third subarcs decreases, implying higher efficiency of thrust application wrt the spacecraft energy level; as a result, the total propellant mass decreases; (b) the time length of the second subarc (coasting) increases considerably, resulting in total time increase. Minimum time trajectory. If C=0, the resulting minimum time trajectory has the following characteristics: (a) the time length of the coasting subarc reduces to zero and the three-subarc trajectory degenerates into a two-subarc trajectory; (b) maximum thrust is applied at all times and the thrust direction switches from upward to downward at midcourse. Minimum propellant mass trajectory. If C=1, the resulting minimum propellant mass trajectory has the following characteristics: (a) the thrust magnitude has a bang-zero-bang profile; (b) for the powered subarcs, the thrust direction is tangent to the flight path at all times.

Electrostatic Plasma Accelerator (EPA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brophy, John R.; Aston, Graeme

1995-01-01

The application of electric propulsion to communications satellites, however, has been limited to the use of hydrazine thrusters with electric heaters for thrust and specific impulse augmentation. These electrothermal thrusters operate at specific impulse levels of approximately 300 s with heater powers of about 500 W. Low power arcjets (1-3 kW) are currently being investigated as a way to increase specific impulse levels to approximately 500 s. Ion propulsion systems can easily produce specific impulses of 3000 s or greater, but have yet to be applied to communications satellites. The reasons most often given for not using ion propulsion systems are their high level of overall complexity, low thrust with long burn times, and the difficulty of integrating the propulsion system into existing commercial spacecraft busses. The Electrostatic Plasma Accelerator (EPA) is a thruster concept which promises specific impulse levels between low power arcjets and those of the ion engine while retaining the relative simplicity of the arcjet. The EPA thruster produces thrust through the electrostatic acceleration of a moderately dense plasma. No accelerating electrodes are used and the specific impulse is a direct function of the applied discharge voltage and the propellant atomic mass.

Design, analysis, and control of a large transport aircraft utilizing selective engine thrust as a backup system for the primary flight control. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerren, Donna S.

1995-01-01

A study has been conducted to determine the capability to control a very large transport airplane with engine thrust. This study consisted of the design of an 800-passenger airplane with a range of 5000 nautical miles design and evaluation of a flight control system, and design and piloted simulation evaluation of a thrust-only backup flight control system. Location of the four wing-mounted engines was varied to optimize the propulsive control capability, and the time constant of the engine response was studied. The goal was to provide level 1 flying qualities. The engine location and engine time constant did not have a large effect on the control capability. The airplane design did meet level 1 flying qualities based on frequencies, damping ratios, and time constants in the longitudinal and lateral-directional modes. Project pilots consistently rated the flying qualities as either level 1 or level 2 based on Cooper-Harper ratings. However, because of the limited control forces and moments, the airplane design fell short of meeting the time required to achieve a 30 deg bank and the time required to respond a control input.

Thrust Belt Architecture of the Central and Southern Western Foothills of Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, F.; Wiltschko, D.

2006-12-01

A structural model of the central and southern Western Foothills Fold and Thrust Belt (WFFTB) was constructed from serial balanced cross sections using available surface, drill, seismic and thermochronologic data. The WFFTB is composed of four main thrust sheets with minor splays. On the east, the Tulungwan fault, which separates the sedimentary rocks of the WFFTB from the low grade meta-sediments of the Slate Belt, evolves from a basement cored fold in the north (around 24°10' N) where the conformable contact between foothills sediments and meta-sediments from the Slate Belt on its western flank is present. At this point the tip of the fault is below the unconformity and the displacement amount is small. To the south this fault breaks the back limb of the fold and gains displacement, and continues gaining displacement to the south. The next thrust sheet to the west includes the Schuantung, Fenghuangchan, Luku, Tatou, Hopiya, and Pingchi faults. This fault system is interpreted as characterized by a long flat with small ramps along a Miocene detachment, not a series of imbricates, as it has been interpreted before. The next thrust sheet to the west is the Chulungupu-Chukou-Lunhou, this system appears to gain displacement to the south as the Schuantung fault system decreases in amount of displacement. The Chulungpu-Chukou-Lunhou fault system contains a wide monocline in the central foothills related with the Chulungpu fault and two wide synclines in the southern part, the Yuching and Tinpligling synclines. Modeling of these two last structures shows that both are uplifted with respect to the regional level above a wide and flat feature; the footwall of the Lunhou fault is a monocline. A geometric solution to lift the Lunhou system involves a major fault-bend-fold anticline with a long ramp and a detachment at ~13 km of depth. It explains, 1) the frontal monocline, which is the from limb of this fault-bend- fold, 2) the minor structures associated with minor back-thrusts and wedging, and 3) the uplift of the structures above the regional level over a wide anticlinal crest. The last thrust system toward the west shows a series of structures which closely associated with the Peikang high implying that the structures are either inversion structures or new thrust faults whose ramps are located in pre-existing normal faults.

A reevaluation of the age of the Vincent-Chocolate Mountains thrust system, southern California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacobsen, C.E.; Barth, A.P.

1993-04-01

The Vincent-Chocolate Mountains (VCM) thrust superposes Mesozoic arc plutons and associated Precambrian country rock above subduction-related Pelona-Orocopia schist. The thrust is disrupted in many areas by postmetamorphic deformation, but appears to be intact in the San Gabriel Mountains. Two Rb-Sr mineral-isochron ages from Pelona Schist and mylonite in the San Gabriel Mountains led Ehlig (1981) to conclude that the original thrusting event occurred at c. 60 Ma. However, biotite K-Ar ages determined by Miller and Morton (1980) for upper plate in the same area caused Dillon (1986) to reach a different conclusion. The biotite ages range mainly from 74--60 Mamore » and increase structurally upward from the VCM thrust. Dillon (1986) inferred that the age gradient was due to uplift and cooling of the upper plate during underthrusting of Pelona Schist. This would indicate that the VCM thrust was at least 74 Ma in age. An alternative to the interpretation of Dillon (1986) is that the biotite age gradient largely predates the VCM thrust. Upward heat flow, leading to older ages at higher structural levels, could have resulted from either static cooling of Cretaceous plutons or uplift and erosion induced by crustal thickening during possible west-directed intra-arc thrusting at c. 88--78 Ma (May and Walker, 1989). Subsequent underthrusting of Pelona Schist would establish a cold lower boundary to the crust and cause the closure of isotopic systems in the base of the upper plate. A 60 Ma time of thrusting is also suggested by two amphibole [sup 40]Ar/[sup 39]Ar ages from the Pelona Schist of the San Gabriel Mountains. Peak metamorphic temperature in this area was below 480 C and amphibole ages should thus indicate time of crystallization rather than subsequent cooling. Four phengite [sup 40]Ar/[sup 39]Ar ages of 55--61 Ma from Pelona Schist and mylonite indicate rapid cooling from peak metamorphic temperatures, consistent with subduction refrigeration.« less

Electromyographic Comparison of Barbell Deadlift, Hex Bar Deadlift, and Hip Thrust Exercises: A Cross-Over Study.

PubMed

Andersen, Vidar; Fimland, Marius S; Mo, Dag-Andrè; Iversen, Vegard M; Vederhus, Torbjørn; Rockland Hellebø, Lars R; Nordaune, Kristina I; Saeterbakken, Atle H

2018-03-01

Andersen, V, Fimland, MS, Mo, D-A, Iversen, VM, Vederhus, T, Rockland Hellebø, LR, Nordaune, KI, and Saeterbakken, AH. Electromyographic comparison of barbell deadlift, hex bar deadlift, and hip thrust exercises: a cross-over study. J Strength Cond Res 32(3): 587-593, 2018-The aim of the study was to compare the muscle activation level of the gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and erector spinae in the hip thrust, barbell deadlift, and hex bar deadlift; each of which are compound resisted hip extension exercises. After 2 familiarization sessions, 13 resistance-trained men performed a 1 repetition maximum in all 3 exercises in 1 session, in randomized and counterbalanced order. The whole ascending movement (concentric phase), as well as its lower and upper parts (whole movement divided in 2), were analyzed. The hip thrust induced greater activation of the gluteus maximus compared with the hex bar deadlift in the whole (16%, p = 0.025) and the upper part (26%, p = 0.015) of the movement. For the whole movement, the biceps femoris was more activated during barbell deadlift compared with both the hex bar deadlift (28%, p < 0.001) and hip thrust (20%, p = 0.005). In the lower part of the movement, the biceps femoris activation was, respectively, 48% and 26% higher for the barbell deadlift (p < 0.001) and hex bar deadlift (p = 0.049) compared with hip thrust. Biceps femoris activation in the upper part of the movement was 39% higher for the barbell deadlift compared with the hex bar deadlift (p = 0.001) and 34% higher for the hip thrust compared with the hex bar deadlift (p = 0.002). No differences were displayed for the erector spinae activation (p = 0.312-0.859). In conclusion, the barbell deadlift was clearly superior in activating the biceps femoris compared with the hex bar deadlift and hip thrust, whereas the hip thrust provided the highest gluteus maximus activation.

Cenozoic evolution of the Pamir plateau recorded in surrounding basins, implications on Asian climate and land-sea distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupont-Nivet, Guillaume; Yang, Wei; Blayney, Tamsin; Proust, Jean-Noel; Guo, Zhaojie; Grothe, Arjen; Mandic, Oleg; Fionori, Chiara; Bougeois, Laurie; Najman, Yanina

2015-04-01

The Cenozoic Pamir orogen formed in response to the India-Asia collision. Existing datasets shows that the range grew since ca. 25 Ma, however the early Cenozoic history remains particularly enigmatic. In that peculiar period, global climate changed from greenhouse to icehouse, the proto-Paratethys sea retreated out of Asia and continental aridification as well as monsoons established over Asia. These environmental changes are held responsible for major floral and faunal crises including the emergence of plant communities and the dispersion of key mammal groups from Asia onto other continents. However, the causal relationships between these events remains to be established because of the lack of accurate age constraints on their geological records. Here, we provide well-dated stratigraphic records using magneto- and bio-stratigraphy from the basins surrounding the Pamir. Southeast of the Pamir, along the Kunlun Shan into the southwestern Tarim Basin, Eocene marine deposits are continuously overlain by 41 to 15 Ma continental redbeds themselves overlain by conglomerates in a classic foreland sequence with upward increasing grain-size, accumulation rates and provenance proximity. However, North of the Pamir along the southwestern Tian Shan and West of the Pamir into the Afghan-Tadjik Basin, the entire Oligocene period appears to be missing from the record between the last marine and the first continental sediments dated to the Early Miocene. This supports a simple basin evolution model in response to initial Pamir indentation with Eocene foreland basin activation in the Southeast related to the Kunlun Shan northward thrusting, followed much later by early Miocene activation of the northern foreland basin related to the southwestern Tian Shan overthrusting. The coeval activation of a lithospheric right-lateral strike-slip system along the Pamir/Tarim boundary may have enabled to transfer deformation from the India-Asia collision zone to the Tian Shan and possibly the Talas Fergana fault. This simple model suggests the following two-stage paleoenvironmental evolution: (1) Late Eocene sea retreat linked to the onset of Pamir indentation in conjunction with global sea-level drop, decreasing CO2 levels and ice-cap formation and (2) Early Miocene closure of the Tarim Basin by northward indentation of the Pamir plateau. This two stage evolution is consistent with the Eocene occurrence of continental aridity and Asian Monsoons and their Early Miocene intensification.

Mariner Venus/Mercury 1973 rocket engine assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snoke, D. R.; Williams, R. S.

1972-01-01

The fabrication and test of rocket engine assemblies (REA) for Mariner Venus/Mercury 1973 are reported. The fabrication, assembly and flight acceptance test of seven REA's including the type approval test of one engine and fabrication of one additional kit consisting of detail parts for an engine ready for catalyst loading are presented. The MV/M '73 REA which is a nominal 51 lbs thrust monopropellant engine is described. Under steady state operation the specific impulse is not less than 228 lb-sec at 55 lb and 218.5 lb-sec at 10 lb thrust varying linearly between these limits. The characteristic velocity is not less than 4100 ft/sec at any thrust level.

Performance seeking control (PSC) for the F-15 highly integrated digital electronic control (HIDEC) aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orme, John S.

1995-01-01

The performance seeking control algorithm optimizes total propulsion system performance. This adaptive, model-based optimization algorithm has been successfully flight demonstrated on two engines with differing levels of degradation. Models of the engine, nozzle, and inlet produce reliable, accurate estimates of engine performance. But, because of an observability problem, component levels of degradation cannot be accurately determined. Depending on engine-specific operating characteristics PSC achieves various levels performance improvement. For example, engines with more deterioration typically operate at higher turbine temperatures than less deteriorated engines. Thus when the PSC maximum thrust mode is applied, for example, there will be less temperature margin available to be traded for increasing thrust.

Jet noise suppressor nozzle development for augmentor wing jet STOL research aircraft (C-8A Buffalo)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harkonen, D. L.; Marks, C. C.; Okeefe, J. V.

1974-01-01

Noise and performance test results are presented for a full-scale advanced design rectangular array lobe jet suppressor nozzle (plain wall and corrugated). Flight design and installation considerations are also discussed. Noise data are presented in terms of peak PNLT (perceived noise level, tone corrected) suppression relative to the existing airplane and one-third octave-band spectra. Nozzle performance is presented in terms of velocity coefficient. Estimates of the hot thrust available during emergency (engine out) with the suppressor nozzle installed are compared with the current thrust levels produced by the round convergent nozzles.

AIR Model Preflight Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tai, H.; Wilson, J. W.; Maiden, D. L.

2003-01-01

The atmospheric ionizing radiation (AIR) ER-2 preflight analysis, one of the first attempts to obtain a relatively complete measurement set of the high-altitude radiation level environment, is described in this paper. The primary thrust is to characterize the atmospheric radiation and to define dose levels at high-altitude flight. A secondary thrust is to develop and validate dosimetric techniques and monitoring devices for protecting aircrews. With a few chosen routes, we can measure the experimental results and validate the AIR model predictions. Eventually, as more measurements are made, we gain more understanding about the hazardous radiation environment and acquire more confidence in the prediction models.

Transient fluvial incision as an indicator of active faulting and surface uplift in the Moroccan High Atlas.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulton, Sarah; Stokes, Martin; Mather, Anne

2013-04-01

Quantifying the extent to which geomorphic features can be used to extract tectonic signals is a key challenge for the Earth Sciences. Here, we analyse the long profiles of rivers that drain southwards across the Southern Atlas Fault (SAF), a segmented thrust fault that forms the southern margin of the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, with the aim of deriving new data on the recent activity of this little known fault system. River long profiles were extracted for the 32 major rivers that drain southwards into the Ouarzazate foreland basin. Of these, twelve exhibit concave-up river profiles with a mean concavity (Θ) of 0.61 and normalized steepness indices (Ksn) in the range 42-219; these are interpreted as rivers at or near steady-state. By contrast, 20 rivers are characterised by the presence of at least one knickpoint upstream of the thrust front. Knickzone height (the vertical distance between the knickpoint and the fault) varies from 100 - 1300 m, with calculated amounts of uplift at the range bounding fault ranging from 1040 - 80 m. In map view, knickpoint locations generally plot along sub-parallel lines to the thrust front and there are no obvious relationships with specific lithological units or boundaries. Furthermore, drainage areas upstream of the knickpoints range over several orders of magnitude indicating that they are not pinned at threshold drainage areas. Therefore, these features are interpreted as a transient response to base-level change. However, three distinct populations of knickpoints can be recognised based upon knickpoint elevation, these are termed K1, K2 and K3 and channel reaches are universally steeper below knickpoints than above. K1 and K2 knickpoints share common characteristics in that the elevation of the knickpoints, calculated incision and ksn all increase from west to east. Whereas, K3 knickpoints show little systematic variation along the range front, are observed at the lowest altitudes with calculated incision of < 200 m. Therefore, the K3 knickpoints are interpreted as the youngest forcing event possibly related to the regional capture of the Dades River by the Draa River < 300 ka. However, prior to this time the channels would have drained into an internally draining basin, so eustatic sea level fall cannot be a driving mechanism for the higher and therefore, older knickpoints. Thus it is more likely that these knickpoints have developed in response to Quaternary tectonic forcing along the SAF where rock uplift is greater in the east.

Noncatalytic hydrazine thruster development - 0.050 to 5.0 pounds thrust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murch, C. K.; Sackheim, R. L.; Kuenzly, J. D.; Callens, R. A.

1976-01-01

Noncatalytic (thermal-decompositon) hydrazine thrusters can operate in both the pulsing and steady-state modes to meet the propulsive requirements of long-life spacecraft. The thermal decomposition mode yields higher specific impulse than is characteristic of catalytic thrusters at similar thrust levels. This performance gain is the result of higher temperature operation and a lower fraction of ammonia dissociation. Some life limiting factors of catalytic thrusters are eliminated.

Thrust Augmentation Measurements Using a Pulse Detonation Engine Ejector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santoro, Robert J.; Pal, Sibtosh

2003-01-01

The present NASA GRC-funded three-year research project is focused on studying PDE driven ejectors applicable to a hybrid Pulse Detonation/Turbofan Engine. The objective of the study is to characterize the PDE-ejector thrust augmentation. A PDE-ejector system has been designed to provide critical experimental data for assessing the performance enhancements possible with this technology. Completed tasks include demonstration of a thrust stand for measuring average thrust for detonation tube multi-cycle operation, and design of a 72-in.-long, 2.25-in.-diameter (ID) detonation tube and modular ejector assembly. This assembly will allow testing of both straight and contoured ejector geometries. Initial ejectors that have been fabricated are 72-in.-long-constant-diameter tubes (4-, 5-, and 6-in.-diameter) instrumented with high-frequency pressure transducers. The assembly has been designed such that the detonation tube exit can be positioned at various locations within the ejector tube. PDE-ejector system experiments with gaseous ethylene/ nitrogen/oxygen propellants will commence in the very near future. The program benefits from collaborations with Prof. Merkle of University of Tennessee whose PDE-ejector analysis helps guide the experiments. The present research effort will increase the TRL of PDE-ejectors from its current level of 2 to a level of 3.

High-Power Hall Thruster Technology Evaluated for Primary Propulsion Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manzella, David H.; Jankovsky, Robert S.; Hofer, Richard R.

2003-01-01

High-power electric propulsion systems have been shown to be enabling for a number of NASA concepts, including piloted missions to Mars and Earth-orbiting solar electric power generation for terrestrial use (refs. 1 and 2). These types of missions require moderate transfer times and sizable thrust levels, resulting in an optimized propulsion system with greater specific impulse than conventional chemical systems and greater thrust than ion thruster systems. Hall thruster technology will offer a favorable combination of performance, reliability, and lifetime for such applications if input power can be scaled by more than an order of magnitude from the kilowatt level of the current state-of-the-art systems. As a result, the NASA Glenn Research Center conducted strategic technology research and development into high-power Hall thruster technology. During program year 2002, an in-house fabricated thruster, designated the NASA-457M, was experimentally evaluated at input powers up to 72 kW. These tests demonstrated the efficacy of scaling Hall thrusters to high power suitable for a range of future missions. Thrust up to nearly 3 N was measured. Discharge specific impulses ranged from 1750 to 3250 sec, with discharge efficiencies between 46 and 65 percent. This thruster is the highest power, highest thrust Hall thruster ever tested.

Rapid deceleration mode evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conners, Timothy R.; Nobbs, Steven G.; Orme, John S.

1995-01-01

Aircraft with flight capability above 1.4 normally have an RPM lockup or similar feature to prevent inlet buzz that would occur at low engine airflows. This RPM lockup has the effect of holding the engine thrust level at the intermediate power (maximum non-afterburning). For aircraft such as military fighters or supersonic transports, the need exists to be able to rapidly slow from supersonic to subsonic speeds. For example, a supersonic transport that experiences a cabin decompression needs to be able to slow/descend rapidly, and this requirement may size the cabin environmental control system. For a fighter, there may be a desire to slow/descend rapidly, and while doing so to minimize fuel usage and engine exhaust temperature. Both of these needs can be aided by achieving the minimum possible overall net propulsive force. As the intermediate power thrust levels of engines increase, it becomes even more difficult to slow rapidly from supersonic speeds. Therefore, a mode of the performance seeking control (PSC) system to minimize overall propulsion system thrust has been developed and tested. The rapid deceleration mode reduces the engine airflow consistent with avoiding inlet buzz. The engine controls are trimmed to minimize the thrust produced by this reduced airflow, and moves the inlet geometry to degrade the inlet performance. As in the case of the other PSC modes, the best overall performance (in this case the least net propulsive force) requires an integrated optimization of inlet, engine, and nozzle variables. This paper presents the predicted and measured results for the supersonic minimum thrust mode, including the overall effects on aircraft deceleration.

Test Stand at the Rocket Engine Test Facility

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-02-21

The thrust stand in the Rocket Engine Test Facility at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The Rocket Engine Test Facility was constructed in the mid-1950s to expand upon the smaller test cells built a decade before at the Rocket Laboratory. The $2.5-million Rocket Engine Test Facility could test larger hydrogen-fluorine and hydrogen-oxygen rocket thrust chambers with thrust levels up to 20,000 pounds. Test Stand A, seen in this photograph, was designed to fire vertically mounted rocket engines downward. The exhaust passed through an exhaust gas scrubber and muffler before being vented into the atmosphere. Lewis researchers in the early 1970s used the Rocket Engine Test Facility to perform basic research that could be utilized by designers of the Space Shuttle Main Engines. A new electronic ignition system and timer were installed at the facility for these tests. Lewis researchers demonstrated the benefits of ceramic thermal coatings for the engine’s thrust chamber and determined the optimal composite material for the coatings. They compared the thermal-coated thrust chamber to traditional unlined high-temperature thrust chambers. There were more than 17,000 different configurations tested on this stand between 1973 and 1976. The Rocket Engine Test Facility was later designated a National Historic Landmark for its role in the development of liquid hydrogen as a propellant.

Simulation of Liquid Injection Thrust Vector Control for Mars Ascent Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gudenkauf, Jared

2017-01-01

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is currently in the initial design phase for a potential Mars Ascent Vehicle; which will be landed on Mars, stay on the surface for period of time, collect samples from the Mars 2020 rover, and then lift these samples into orbit around Mars. The engineers at JPL have down selected to a hybrid wax-based fuel rocket using a liquid oxidizer based on nitrogen tetroxide, or a Mixed Oxide of Nitrogen. To lower the gross lift-off mass of the vehicle the thrust vector control system will use liquid injection of the oxidizer to deflect the thrust of the main nozzle instead of using a gimbaled nozzle. The disadvantage of going with the liquid injection system is the low technology readiness level with a hybrid rocket. Presented in this paper is an effort to simulate the Mars Ascent Vehicle hybrid rocket nozzle and liquid injection thrust vector control system using the computational fluid dynamic flow solver Loci/Chem. This effort also includes determining the sensitivity of the thrust vector control system to a number of different design variables for the injection ports; including axial location, number of adjacent ports, injection angle, and distance between the ports.

Mississippi State University Center for Air Sea Technology FY95 Research Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeske, Lanny; Corbin, James H.

1995-01-01

The Mississippi State University (MSU) Center for Air Sea Technology (CAST) evolved from the Institute for Naval Oceanography's (INO) Experimental Center for Mesoscale Ocean Prediction (ECMOP) which was started in 1989. MSU CAST subsequently began operation on 1 October 1992 under an Office of Naval Research (ONR) two-year grant which ended on 30 September 1994. In FY95 MSU CAST was successful in obtaining five additional research grants from ONR, as well as several other research contracts from the Naval Oceanographic Office via NASA, the Naval Research Laboratory, the Army Corps of Engineers, and private industry. In the past, MSU CAST technical research and development has produced tools, systems, techniques, and procedures that improve efficiency and overcome deficiency for both the operational and research communities residing with the Department of Defense, private industry, and university ocean modeling community. We continued this effort with the following thrust areas: to develop advanced methodologies and tools for model evaluation, validation and visualization, both oceanographic and atmospheric; to develop a system-level capability for conducting temporally and ; spatially scaled ocean simulations driven by or are responsive to ocean models, and take into consideration coupling to atmospheric models; to continue the existing oceanographic/atmospheric data management task with emphasis on distributed databases in a network environment, with database optimization and standardization, including use of Mosaic and World Wide Web (WWW) access; and to implement a high performance parallel computing technology for CAST ocean models

Directed energy deflection laboratory measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brashears, Travis; Lubin, Phillip; Hughes, Gary B.; Meinhold, Peter; Suen, Jonathan; Batliner, Payton; Motta, Caio; Griswold, Janelle; Kangas, Miikka; Johansson, Isbella; Alnawakhtha, Yusuf; Prater, Kenyon; Lang, Alex; Madajian, Jonathan

2015-09-01

We report on laboratory studies of the effectiveness of directed energy planetary defense as a part of the DESTAR (Directed Energy System for Targeting of Asteroids and exploRation) program. DE-STAR [1][5][6] and DE-STARLITE [2][5][6] are directed energy "stand-off" and "stand-on" programs, respectively. These systems consist of a modular array of kilowatt-class lasers powered by photovoltaics, and are capable of heating a spot on the surface of an asteroid to the point of vaporization. Mass ejection, as a plume of evaporated material, creates a reactionary thrust capable of diverting the asteroid's orbit. In a series of papers, we have developed a theoretical basis and described numerical simulations for determining the thrust produced by material evaporating from the surface of an asteroid [1][2][3][4][5][6]. In the DE-STAR concept, the asteroid itself is used as the deflection "propellant". This study presents results of experiments designed to measure the thrust created by evaporation from a laser directed energy spot. We constructed a vacuum chamber to simulate space conditions, and installed a torsion balance that holds an "asteroid" sample. The sample is illuminated with a fiber array laser with flux levels up to 60 MW/m2 which allows us to simulate a mission level flux but on a small scale. We use a separate laser as well as a position sensitive centroid detector to readout the angular motion of the torsion balance and can thus determine the thrust. We compare the measured thrust to the models. Our theoretical models indicate a coupling coefficient well in excess of 100 μN/Woptical, though we assume a more conservative value of 80 μN/Woptical and then degrade this with an optical "encircled energy" efficiency of 0.75 to 60 μN/Woptical in our deflection modeling. Our measurements discussed here yield about 45 μN/Wabsorbed as a reasonable lower limit to the thrust per optical watt absorbed.

Seismic imaging of the Main Frontal Thrust in Nepal reveals a shallow décollement and blind thrusting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almeida, Rafael V.; Hubbard, Judith; Liberty, Lee; Foster, Anna; Sapkota, Soma Nath

2018-07-01

Because great earthquakes in the Himalaya have an average recurrence interval exceeding 500 yr, most of what we know about past earthquakes comes from paleoseismology and tectonic geomorphology studies of the youngest fault system there, the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT). However, these data are sparse relative to fault segmentation and length, and interpretations are often hard to validate in the absence of information about fault geometry. Here, we image the upper two km of strata in the vicinity of the fault tip of the MFT in central Nepal (around the town of Bardibas) applying a pre-stack migration approach to two new seismic reflection profiles that we interpret using quantitative fault-bend folding theory. Our results provide direct evidence that a shallow décollement produces both emergent (Patu thrust) and blind (Bardibas thrust) fault strands. We show that the décollement lies about 2 km below the land surface near the fault tip, and steps down to a regional 5 km deep décollement level to the north. This implies that there is significant variation in the depth of the décollement. We demonstrate that some active faults do not reach the surface, and therefore paleoseismic trenching alone cannot characterize the earthquake history at these locations. Although blind, these faults have associated growth strata that allow us to infer their most recent displacement history. We present the first direct evidence of fault dip on two fault strands of the MFT at depth that can allow terrace uplift measurements to be more accurately converted to fault slip. We identify a beveled erosional surface buried beneath Quaternary sediments, indicating that strath surface formation is modulated by both climate-related base level changes and tectonics. Together, these results indicate that subsurface imaging, in conjunction with traditional paleoseismological tools, can best characterize the history of fault slip in the Himalaya and other similar thrust fault systems.

Northern Papua New Guinea: Structure and sedimentation in a modern arc-continent collision

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abbott, L.; Silver, E.

Northern Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Sea are the site of a modern oblique, arc-continent collision, which is progressing from northwest to southeast. By combining offshore seismic data from the Solomon Sea with geologic mapping in the Markham Valley area of northern Papua New Guinea the authors are predicting the outcome of this collision. The Huon Gulf is the present site of initial collision. Seismic profiles show this area is dominated by thin thrust sheets. Onshore, the bulk of the uplifted accretionary wedge is a melange with exotic blocks of a variety of lithologies. Structurally below the melange liesmore » the Leron Formation composed of thick channelized sandstone and conglomerate. It dips north at approximately 40{degree} and is cut by several thrust fault with associated folds. Limestone blocks within the melange are reported to be 2 Ma, and Beryllium 10 anomalies from Bismarck arc volcanoes suggest that initial collision of the Finisterre block (375 km northwest of the present collision point) began no earlier than 3 Ma. This implies the collision is propagating laterally at about 125 km/m.y.. Large outcrops of basalt and gabbro within the melange suggest that segments of oceanic crust were incorporated into the accretionary wedge. Modern sedimentation within the collision zone grades from fluvial sediments in the Markham Valley to deep-water turbidites ponded behind a structural ridge near the point of incipient collision. The Markham submarine canyon occupies the collision front here, and efficiently erodes the accretionary wedge. This setting may serve as a modem analog for deposition of much of the Leron Formation which exhibits tremendous sediment reworking.« less

Fore-arc basin deformation in the Andaman-Nicobar segment of the Sumatra-Andaman subduction zone: Insight from high-resolution seismic reflection data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moeremans, Raphaële E.; Singh, Satish C.

2015-08-01

The Andaman-Nicobar region is the northernmost segment of the Sumatra-Andaman subduction zone and marks the western boundary of the Andaman Sea, which is a complex active back-arc extensional basin. We present the interpretation of a new set of deep seismic reflection data acquired across the Andaman-Nicobar fore-arc basin, from 8°N to 11°N, in order to better understand its structure and evolution, focusing on (1) how obliquity of convergence affects deformation in the fore arc, (2) the nature and role of the Diligent Fault (DF), and (3) the Eastern Margin Fault (EMF). Despite the obliquity of convergence, back thrusting and compression seem to dominate the Andaman-Nicobar fore-arc basin deformation. The DF is primarily a back thrust and corresponds to the Mentawai and West Andaman Fault systems farther in the south, along Sumatra. The DF is expressed in the fore-arc basin as a series of mostly landward verging folds and faults, deforming the early to late Miocene sediments. The DF seems to root from the boundary between the accretionary complex and the continental backstop, where it meets the EMF. The EMF marks the western boundary of the fore-arc basin; it is associated with subsidence and is expressed as a deep piggyback basin, containing recent Pliocene to Pleistocene sediments. The eastern edge of the fore-arc basin is the Invisible Bank (IB), which is thought to be tilted and uplifted continental crust. Subsidence along the EMF and uplift and tilting of the IB seem to be related to different opening phases in the Andaman Sea.

Twin jet shielding. [for aircraft noise reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parthasarathy, S. P.; Cuffel, R. F.; Massier, P. F.

1979-01-01

For an over-the-wing/under-the-wing engine configuration on an airplane, the noise produced by the upper jet flow is partially reflected by the lower jet. An analysis has been performed which can be used to predict the distribution of perceived noise levels along the ground plane at take-off for an airplane which is designed to take advantage of the over/under shielding concept. Typical contours of PNL, the shielding benefit in the shadow zone, and the EPNL values at 3.5 nautical miles from brake release as well as EPNL values at sideline at 0.35 nautical miles have been calculated. This has been done for a range of flow parameters characteristic of engines producing inverted velocity profile jets suitable for use in a supersonic cruise vehicle. Reductions up to 6.0 EPNdB in community noise levels can be realized when the over engines are operated at higher thrust and the lower engines simultaneously operated with reduced thrust keeping the total thrust constant.

Absolute Sea-level Changes Derived from Integrated Geodetic Datasets (1955-2016) in the Caribbean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, L.; Wang, G.; Liu, H.

2017-12-01

Rising sea level has important direct impacts on coastal and island regions such as the Caribbean where the influence of sea-level rise is becoming more apparent. The Caribbean Sea is a semi-enclosed sea adjacent to the landmasses of South and Central America to the south and west, and the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles separate it from the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east. The work focus on studying the relative and absolute sea-level changes by integrating tide gauge, GPS, and satellite altimetry datasets (1955-2016) within the Caribbean Sea. Further, the two main components of absolute sea-level change, ocean mass and steric sea-level changes, are respectively studied using GRACE, temperature, and salinity datasets (1955-2016). According to the analysis conducted, the sea-level change rates have considerable temporal and spatial variations, and estimates may be subject to the techniques used and observation periods. The average absolute sea-level rise rate is 1.8±0.3 mm/year for the period from 1955 to 2015 according to the integrated tide gauge and GPS observations; the average absolute sea-level rise rate is 3.5±0.6 mm/year for the period from 1993 to 2016 according to the satellite altimetry observations. This study shows that the absolute sea-level change budget in the Caribbean Sea is closed in the periods from 1955 to 2016, in which ocean mass change dominates the absolute sea-level rise. The absolute sea-level change budget is also closed in the periods from 2004 to 2016, in which steric sea-level rise dominates the absolute sea-level rise.

Use of thoracic spine thrust manipulation for neck pain and headache in a patient following multiple-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a case report.

PubMed

Salvatori, Renata; Rowe, Robert H; Osborne, Raine; Beneciuk, Jason M

2014-06-01

Case report. Thoracic spine thrust manipulation has been shown to be an effective intervention for individuals experiencing mechanical neck pain. The patient was a 46-year-old woman referred to outpatient physical therapy 2 months following multiple-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. At initial evaluation, primary symptoms consisted of frequent headaches, neck pain, intermittent referred right elbow pain, and muscle fatigue localized to the right cervical and upper thoracic spine regions. Initial examination findings included decreased passive joint mobility of the thoracic spine, limited cervical range of motion, and limited right shoulder strength. Outcome measures consisted of the numeric pain rating scale, the Neck Disability Index, and the global rating of change scale. Treatment consisted of a combination of manual therapy techniques aimed at the thoracic spine, therapeutic exercises for the upper quarter, and patient education, including a home exercise program, over a 6-week episode of care. Immediate reductions in cervical-region pain (mean ± SD, 2.0 ± 1.1) and headache (2.0 ± 1.3) intensity were reported every treatment session immediately following thoracic spine thrust manipulation. At discharge, the patient reported 0/10 cervical pain and headache symptoms during all work-related activities. From initial assessment to discharge, Neck Disability Index scores improved from 46% to 16%, with an associated global rating of change scale score of +7 ("a very great deal better"). This case report describes the immediate and short-term clinical outcomes for a patient presenting with symptoms of neck pain and headache following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgical intervention. Clinical rationale and patient preference aided the decision to incorporate thoracic spine thrust manipulation as a treatment for this patient. Level of Evidence Therapy, level 4.

Variation of Seismicity and Stresses in Southwestern Taiwan under the Transition from Active to Incipient Collision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, T.; Jian, P.; Liang, W.

2012-12-01

Taiwan is formed by oblique convergence between NW moving Philippine Sea Plate and NE striking Eurasia continental margin. The central part of Taiwan still under active collision, but south of the island seismicity already shows eastward subdcution along the Mania Trench. Southwestern Taiwan is a unique location to observe this transition. In this study, we analyze the focal mechanisms earthquakes with ML greater than 3.5 that occurred in the southwestern Taiwan since 1996 (including 2010 M6.4 Jiashian and 2012 M6.1 Wutai earthquakes). The best moment tensor solutions and centroidal depths are constrained by modeling of regional waveform data. The results show detail variations of stress pattern. The Jiashan sequence and those thrusting earthquakes nearby to the south occur mainly at depth of 20-25 km in the mid-lower crust with average ENE-WSW principal compression, which is almost perpendicular to the direction of convergence. It can be distinguished from the shallower thrust events with ESE-WNW compression right north of Jiashan where the upper crust (10-20 km) is more seismically active and seismic stress is consistent with the geodetic stress. Further west near the deformation front, a group of strike-slip events at depth ~15 km shows average compression similar to Jiashan group, suggesting a possible link between them in the middle crust. Interestingly, the crust southwest of Jiasian has much lower seismic rate, however, several deep (>30km) earthquakes beneath Pingtung foredeep basin clearly show E-W extension, which is inconsistent with the E-W compression from present geodetic and Quaternary stress. Surface extrusion proposed by several studies may still exist, although the lower crust and upper mantle beneath this region is probably decoupled from above. These normal events can be explained by the plate bending as the leading South China Sea subducts beneath Philippine Sea. The Jiashian and Wutai earthquakes may be related to the continent-ocean boundary which is buckled at the corner east of Chaochu fault during the onset of collision.

Drowned carbonate platforms in the Huon Gulf, Papua New Guinea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, Jody M.; Wallace, Laura; Silver, Eli; Applegate, Bruce; Potts, Donald; Braga, Juan Carlos; Riker-Coleman, Kristin; Gallup, Christina

2004-11-01

The western Huon Gulf, Papua New Guinea, is an actively subsiding foreland basin dominated by drowned carbonate platforms. We investigated these platforms using new high-resolution multibeam, side-scan sonar and seismic data, combined with submersible observations and previously published radiometric and sedimentary facies data. The data reveal 14 distinct drowned carbonate platforms and numerous pinnacles/banks that increase in age (˜20-450 kyr) and depth (0.1-2.5 km) NE toward the Ramu-Markham Trench. Superimposed on this overall downward flexing of the platforms toward the trench is a systematic tilting of the deep platforms 15 m/km toward the NW and the shallow platforms 2 m/km toward the SE. This may reflect the encroaching thrust load from the NW (Finisterre Range) and spatial variations in the flexural rigidity of the underlying basement. The drowned platforms form a complex system of promontories and reentrants, with abundant pinnacles and banks preserved at similar depths seaward of the main platforms. This configuration closely mimics the present-day Huon coastline and its seaward islands fringed by modern coral reefs. The platforms retain structural, morphologic, and sedimentary facies evidence of primary platform growth, drowning, and subsequent backstepping, despite some lateral erosion of the platform margins (<100 m slope defacement) by mass wasting. Both platforms and pinnacles are composite features containing multiple terrace levels and notches, corresponding to multiple phases of growth, emergence, and drowning in response to rapid climatic and sea level changes during the evolution of each structure. On the basis of all observational and numerical modeling data, we propose a chronology for the initiation, growth, and drowning of the 14 platforms. Over shorter timescales (≤100 kyr) the rate and amplitude of eustatic sea level changes are critical in controlling initiation, growth, drowning or subaerial exposure, subsequent reinitiation, and final drowning of the platforms. However, continued tectonic subsidence and basement substrate morphology influence the overall backstepping geometry and subsequent tilting of the platforms over longer timescales (≥100-500 kyr).

Regional sea level projections with observed gauge, altimeter and reconstructed data along China coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, L.; Shi, H.; Zhang, S.

2017-12-01

Acting as the typical shelf seas in northwest Pacific Ocean, regional sea level along China coasts exhibits complicated and multiscale spatial-temporal characteristics under circumstance of global change. In this paper, sea level variability is investigated with tide gauges records, satellite altimetry data, reconstructed sea surface height, and CMIP simulation fields. Sea level exhibits the interannual variability imposing on a remarkable sea level rising in the China seas and coastal region, although its seasonal signals are significant as the results of global ocean. Sea level exhibits faster rising rate during the satellite altimetry era, nearly twice to the rate during the last sixty years. AVISO data and reconstructed sea surface heights illustrate good correlation coefficient, more than 0.8. Interannual sea level variation is mainly modulated by the low-frequency variability of wind fields over northern Pacific Ocean by local and remote processes. Meanwhile sea level varies obviously by the transport fluctuation and bimodality path of Kuroshio. Its variability possibly linked to internal variability of the ocean-atmosphere system influenced by ENSO oscillation. China Sea level have been rising during the 20th century, and are projected to continue to rise during this century. Sea level can reach the highest extreme level in latter half of 21st century. Modeled sea level including regional sea level projection combined with the IPCC climate scenarios play a significant role on coastal storm surge evolution. The vulnerable regions along the ECS coast will suffer from the increasing storm damage with sea level variations.

Structures-propulsion interactions and requirements. [large space structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coyner, J. V.

1982-01-01

The effects of low-thrust primary propulsion system characteristics on the mass, area, and orbit transfer characteristics of large space systems (LSS) were determined. Three general structural classes of LSS were considered, each with a broad range of diameters and nonstructural surface densities. While transferring the deployed structure from LEO and to GEO, an acceleration range of 0.02 to 0.1 g's was found to maximize deliverable payload based on structural mass impact. After propulsion system parametric analyses considering four propellant combinations produced values for available payload mass, length and volume, a thrust level range which maximizes deliverable LSS diameter was determined corresponding to a structure and propulsion vehicle. The engine start and/or shutdown thrust transients on the last orbit transfer (apogee) burn can impose transient loads which would be greater than the steady-state loads at the burnout acceleration. The effect of the engine thrust transients on the LSS was determined from the dynamic models upon which various engine ramps were imposed.

Axial Surface Mapping of Wrinkle Ridges on Solis Planum, Mars from MOLA Topography: Constraints on Subsurface Blind Thrust Geometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vidal, A.; Mueller, K.; Golombek, M. P.

2003-01-01

We undertook axial surface mapping of selected wrinkle ridges on Solis Planum, Mars in order to assess the subsurface geometry of blind thrusts proposed to exist beneath them. This work builds on previous work that defined structural families of wrinkle ridges based on their surface morphology in this region. Although a growing consensus exists for models of wrinkle ridge kinematics and mechanics, a number of current problems remain. These include the origin of topographic offset across the edges of wrinkle ridges, the relationship between broad arches and superposed ridges, the origin of smaller wrinkles, and perhaps most importantly, the trajectory of blind thrusts that underlie wrinkle ridges and accommodate shortening at deeper crustal levels. We are particularly interested in defining the depths at which blind thrusts flatten under wrinkle ridges in order to provide constraints on the brittle-ductile transition during Early Hesperian time. We also seek to test whether wrinkle ridges on Solis Planum develop above reactivated faults or newly formed ones.

Acoustic and aerodynamic testing of a scale model variable pitch fan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jutras, R. R.; Kazin, S. B.

1974-01-01

A fully reversible pitch scale model fan with variable pitch rotor blades was tested to determine its aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics. The single-stage fan has a design tip speed of 1160 ft/sec (353.568 m/sec) at a bypass pressure ratio of 1.5. Three operating lines were investigated. Test results show that the blade pitch for minimum noise also resulted in the highest efficiency for all three operating lines at all thrust levels. The minimum perceived noise on a 200-ft (60.96 m) sideline was obtained with the nominal nozzle. At 44% of takeoff thrust, the PNL reduction between blade pitch and minimum noise blade pitch is 1.8 PNdB for the nominal nozzle and decreases with increasing thrust. The small nozzle (6% undersized) has the highest efficiency at all part thrust conditions for the minimum noise blade pitch setting; although, the noise is about 1.0 PNdB higher for the small nozzle at the minimum noise blade pitch position.

Design verification test matrix development for the STME thrust chamber assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dexter, Carol E.; Elam, Sandra K.; Sparks, David L.

1993-01-01

This report presents the results of the test matrix development for design verification at the component level for the National Launch System (NLS) space transportation main engine (STME) thrust chamber assembly (TCA) components including the following: injector, combustion chamber, and nozzle. A systematic approach was used in the development of the minimum recommended TCA matrix resulting in a minimum number of hardware units and a minimum number of hot fire tests.

Nonlinear maneuver autopilot for the F-15 aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menon, P. K. A.; Badgett, M. E.; Walker, R. A.

1989-01-01

A methodology is described for the development of flight test trajectory control laws based on singular perturbation methodology and nonlinear dynamic modeling. The control design methodology is applied to a detailed nonlinear six degree-of-freedom simulation of the F-15 and results for a level accelerations, pushover/pullup maneuver, zoom and pushover maneuver, excess thrust windup turn, constant thrust windup turn, and a constant dynamic pressure/constant load factor trajectory are presented.

Correlation of sea level falls interpreted from atoll stratigraphy with turbidites in adjacent basins

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lincoln, J.M.

Past sea levels can be derived from any atoll subsurface sediments deposited at or near sea level by determining the ages of deposition and correcting the present depths to the sediments for subsidence of the underlying edifice since the times of deposition. A sea level curve constructed by this method consists of discontinuous segments, each corresponding to a period of rising relative sea level and deposition of a discrete sedimentary package. Discontinuities in the sea level curve derived by this method correspond to relative sea level falls and stratigraphic hiatuses in the atoll subsurface. During intervals of relative sea levelmore » fall an atoll emerges to become a high limestone island. Sea level may fluctuate several times during a period of atoll emergence to become a high limestone island. Sea level may fluctuate several times during a period of atoll emergence without depositing sediments on top of the atoll. Furthermore, subaerial erosion may remove a substantial part of the depositional record of previous sea level fluctuations. For these reasons the authors must look to the adjacent basins to complement the incomplete record of sea level change recorded beneath atolls. During lowstands of sea level, faunas originally deposited near sea level on an atoll may be eroded and redeposited as turbidites in deep adjacent basins. Three such turbidites penetrated during deep-sea drilling at Sites 462 and 315 in the central Pacific correlate well with a late Tertiary sea level curve based on biostratigraphic ages and {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr chronostratigraphy for core from Enewetak Atoll in the northern Marshall Islands. Further drilling of the archipelagic aprons adjacent to atolls will improve the sea level history that may be inferred from atoll stratigraphy.« less

Fluid expulsion sites on the Cascadia accretionary prism: mapping diagenetic deposits with processed GLORIA imagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carson, Bobb; Seke, Erol; Paskevich, Valerie F.; Holmes, Mark L.

1994-01-01

Point-discharge fluid expulsion on accretionary prisms is commonly indicated by diagenetic deposition of calcium carbonate cements and gas hydrates in near-surface (<10 m below seafloor; mbsf) hemipelagic sediment. The contrasting clastic and diagenetic lithologies should be apparent in side scan images. However, sonar also responds to variations in bottom slope, so unprocessed images mix topographic and lithologic information. We have processed GLORIA imagery from the Oregon continental margin to remove topographic effects. A synthetic side scan image was created initially from Sea Beam bathymetric data and then was subtracted iteratively from the original GLORIA data until topographic features disappeared. The residual image contains high-amplitude backscattering that we attribute to diagenetic deposits associated with fluid discharge, based on submersible mapping, Ocean Drilling Program drilling, and collected samples. Diagenetic deposits are concentrated (1) near an out-of-sequence thrust fault on the second ridge landward of the base of the continental slope, (2) along zones characterized by deep-seated strikeslip faults that cut transversely across the margin, and (3) in undeformed Cascadia Basin deposits which overlie incipient thrust faults seaward of the toe of the prism. There is no evidence of diagenetic deposition associated with the frontal thrust that rises from the dècollement. If the dècollement is an important aquifer, apparently the fluids are passed either to the strike-slip faults which intersect the dècollement or to the incipient faults in Cascadia Basin for expulsion. Diagenetic deposits seaward of the prism toe probably consist dominantly of gas hydrates.

Multi-Objective Optimization of a Turbofan for an Advanced, Single-Aisle Transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berton, Jeffrey J.; Guynn, Mark D.

2012-01-01

Considerable interest surrounds the design of the next generation of single-aisle commercial transports in the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 class. Aircraft designers will depend on advanced, next-generation turbofan engines to power these airplanes. The focus of this study is to apply single- and multi-objective optimization algorithms to the conceptual design of ultrahigh bypass turbofan engines for this class of aircraft, using NASA s Subsonic Fixed Wing Project metrics as multidisciplinary objectives for optimization. The independent design variables investigated include three continuous variables: sea level static thrust, wing reference area, and aerodynamic design point fan pressure ratio, and four discrete variables: overall pressure ratio, fan drive system architecture (i.e., direct- or gear-driven), bypass nozzle architecture (i.e., fixed- or variable geometry), and the high- and low-pressure compressor work split. Ramp weight, fuel burn, noise, and emissions are the parameters treated as dependent objective functions. These optimized solutions provide insight to the ultrahigh bypass engine design process and provide information to NASA program management to help guide its technology development efforts.

Prediction of the Thrust Performance and the Flowfield of Liquid Rocket Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, T.-S.

1990-01-01

In an effort to improve the current solutions in the design and analysis of liquid propulsive engines, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model capable of calculating the reacting flows from the combustion chamber, through the nozzle to the external plume, was developed. The Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) fired at sea level, was investigated as a sample case. The CFD model, FDNS, is a pressure based, non-staggered grid, viscous/inviscid, ideal gas/real gas, reactive code. An adaptive upwinding differencing scheme is employed for the spatial discretization. The upwind scheme is based on fourth order central differencing with fourth order damping for smooth regions, and second order central differencing with second order damping for shock capturing. It is equipped with a CHMQGM equilibrium chemistry algorithm and a PARASOL finite rate chemistry algorithm using the point implicit method. The computed flow results and performance compared well with those of other standard codes and engine hot fire test data. In addition, the transient nozzle flowfield calculation was also performed to demonstrate the ability of FDNS in capturing the flow separation during the startup process.

Monopropellant engine investigation for space shuttle reaction control system, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The results are presented of an investigation to determine the capability of a monopropellant hydrazine thruster to meet the requirements specified for the space shuttle reaction control system (RCS). Of those requirements, the major concern was whether the 100,000 seconds life could be achieved at thrust levels within the specified range. Although burn times in excess of 200,000 seconds have been demonstrated at low thrust levels, the corresponding total impulse values have been substantially lower than that required for the space shuttle RCS. Two other areas of concern, involving the catalyst, were: (1) the effects of the relatively high vehicle vibration levels on catalyst attrition and (2) the effect of exposure of the catalyst to air during atmospheric reentry of the vehicle.

Reevaluation of 1935 M 7.0 earthquake fault, Miaoli-Taichung Area, western Taiwan: a DEM and field study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Y. N.; Chen, Y.; Ota, Y.

2003-12-01

A large earthquake (M 7.0) took place in Miaoli area, western Taiwan on April 21st, 1935. Right to its south is the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake fault, indicating it is not only tectonically but seismically active. As the previous study, the study area is located in the mature zone of a tectonic collision that occurred between Philippine sea Plate and Eurasia continental Plate. The associated surface ruptures of 1935 earthquake daylighted Tungtsichiao Fault, a tear fault trending NE in the south and Chihhu Fault, a back thrust trending N-S in the north, but no ruptures occurred in between. Strike-slip component was identified by the horizontal offset observed along Tungtsichiao Fault; however, there are still disputes on the reported field evidence. Our purposes are (1) to identify the structural behaviors of these two faults, (2) to find out what the seismogenic structure is, and (3) to reconstruct the regional geology by information given by this earthquake. By DEM interpretation and field survey, we can clearly recognize a lot of the 1935 associated features. In the west of Chihhu Fault, a series of N-S higher terraces can be identified with eastward tilted surfaces and nearly 200 m relative height. Another lower terrace is also believed being created during the 1935 earthquake, showing an east-facing scarp with a height of ca. 1.5~2 m. Outcrop investigation reveals that the late-Miocene bedrock has been easterly thrusted over the Holocene conglomerates, indicating a west-dipping fault plane. The Tungtsichiao Fault cuts through a lateritic terrace at Holi, which is supposed developed in Pleistocene. The fault scarp is only discernible in the northeastern ending. Other noticeable features are the fault related antiforms that line up along the surface rupture. There is no outcrop to show the fault geometry among bedrocks. We re-interpret the northern Chihhu Fault as the back thrust generated from a main subsurface detachment, which may be the actual seismogenic fault. Due to the bend geometry normally existing between ramp and detachment, stress accumulated and earthquake happened right on it. The fault tip of this main thrust may be blind on land or break out offshore, which explains why no surface ruptures related to the main thrust were found.

Immediate changes in widespread pressure pain sensitivity, neck pain, and cervical range of motion after cervical or thoracic thrust manipulation in patients with bilateral chronic mechanical neck pain: a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Martínez-Segura, Raquel; De-la-Llave-Rincón, Ana I; Ortega-Santiago, Ricardo; Cleland, Joshua A; Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, César

2012-09-01

Randomized clinical trial. To compare the effects of cervical versus thoracic thrust manipulation in patients with bilateral chronic mechanical neck pain on pressure pain sensitivity, neck pain, and cervical range of motion (CROM). Evidence suggests that spinal interventions can stimulate descending inhibitory pain pathways. To our knowledge, no study has investigated the neurophysiological effects of thoracic thrust manipulation in individuals with bilateral chronic mechanical neck pain, including widespread changes on pressure sensitivity. Ninety patients (51% female) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: cervical thrust manipulation on the right, cervical thrust manipulation on the left, or thoracic thrust manipulation. Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) over the C5-6 zygapophyseal joint, lateral epicondyle, and tibialis anterior muscle, neck pain (11-point numeric pain rating scale), and cervical spine range of motion (CROM) were collected at baseline and 10 minutes after the intervention by an assessor blinded to the treatment allocation of the patients. Mixed-model analyses of covariance were used to examine the effects of the treatment on each outcome variable, with group as the between-subjects variable, time and side as the within-subject variables, and gender as the covariate. The primary analysis was the group-by-time interaction. No significant interactions were found with the mixed-model analyses of covariance for PPT level (C5-6, P>.210; lateral epicondyle, P>.186; tibialis anterior muscle, P>.268), neck pain intensity (P = .923), or CROM (flexion, P = .700; extension, P = .387; lateral flexion, P>.672; rotation, P>.192) as dependent variables. All groups exhibited similar changes in PPT, neck pain, and CROM (all, P<.001). Gender did not influence the main effects or the interaction effects in the analyses of the outcomes (P>.10). The results of the current randomized clinical trial suggest that cervical and thoracic thrust manipulation induce similar changes in PPT, neck pain intensity, and CROM in individuals with bilateral chronic mechanical neck pain. However, changes in PPT and CROM were small and did not surpass their respective minimal detectable change values. Further, because we did not include a control group, we cannot rule out a placebo effect of the thrust interventions on the outcomes. Therapy, level 1b.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2012;42(9):806-814, Epub 18 June 2012. doi:10.2519/jospt.2012.4151.

An investigation into the vertical axis control power requirements for landing VTOL type aircraft onboard nonaviation ships in various sea states

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, M. E.; Roskam, J.

1985-01-01

The problem of determining the vertical axis control requirements for landing a VTOL aircraft on a moving ship deck in various sea states is examined. Both a fixed-base piloted simulation and a nonpiloted simulation were used to determine the landing performance as influenced by thrust-to-weight ratio, vertical damping, and engine lags. The piloted simulation was run using a fixed-based simulator at Ames Research center. Simplified versions of an existing AV-8A Harrier model and an existing head-up display format were used. The ship model used was that of a DD963 class destroyer. Simplified linear models of the pilot, aircraft, ship motion, and ship air-wake turbulence were developed for the nonpiloted simulation. A unique aspect of the nonpiloted simulation was the development of a model of the piloting strategy used for shipboard landing. This model was refined during the piloted simulation until it provided a reasonably good representation of observed pilot behavior.

Flight Tests of the Wilford XOZ-1 Sea Gyroplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gustafson, Frederic B.

1941-01-01

During August 1939 a series of flight tests was made at Langley Field on the Wilford sea gyroplane, designated by the Navy as the XOZ-1. These tests were intended to permit rough evaluation of the stability and control characteristics of the machine, with particular reference to possible improvements in rigging which might be made in future machines with fixed wing and nonarticulated feathering control rotor, and to provide data on the bending and feathering motions of the rotor blades. The tests made in 1939 proved inadequate, chiefly because the machine as flown did not have sufficient propeller thrust to give it an appreciable speed range in steady flight. Further tests were therefore made in August 1940 after overhauling the engine and substituting a metal propeller for the wooded one first used. The range of speeds covered in steady flight was markedly extended. Steady-flight runs only were made in this series, since it was felt that takeoffs and landings had been covered sufficiently in the previous tests.

Uplift of the Western Transverse Ranges and Ventura Area of Southern California: A Four-Technique Geodetic Study Combining GPS, InSAR, Leveling, and Tide Gauges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, William C.; Burgette, Reed J.; Johnson, Kaj M.; Blewitt, Geoffrey

2018-01-01

We estimate the rate of vertical land motion (VLM) in the region around the Western Transverse Ranges (WTR), Ventura, and Big Bend of the San Andreas Fault (SAF) of southern California using data from four geodetic techniques: GPS, interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), leveling, and tide gauges. We use a new analysis technique called GPS Imaging to combine the techniques and leverage the synergy between (1) high geographic resolution of InSAR, (2) precision, stability, and geocentric reference frame of GPS, (3) decades long observation of VLM with respect to the sea surface from tide gauges, and (4) relative VLM along dense leveling lines. The uncertainty in the overall rate field is 1 mm/yr, though some individual techniques have uncertainties as small as 0.2 mm/yr. The most rapid signals are attributable to subsidence in aquifers and groundwater changes. Uplift of the WTR is geographically continuous, adjacent to the SAF and appears related to active crustal contraction across Pacific/North America plate boundary fault system. Uplift of the WTR and San Gabriel Mountains is 2 mm/yr and is asymmetrically focused west of the SAF, consistent with interseismic strain accumulation across thrust faults in the Ventura area and Santa Barbara channel that accommodate contraction against the near vertical SAF.

Fold and thrust partitioning in a contracting fold belt: Insights from the 1931 Mach earthquake in Baluchistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szeliga, Walter; Bilham, Roger; Schelling, Daniel; Kakar, Din Mohamed; Lodi, Sarosh

2009-10-01

Surface deformation associated with the 27 August 1931 earthquake near Mach in Baluchistan is quantified from spirit-leveling data and from detailed structural sections of the region interpreted from seismic reflection data constrained by numerous well logs. Mean slip on the west dipping Dezghat/Bannh fault system amounted to 1.2 m on a 42 km × 72 km thrust plane with slip locally attaining 3.2 m up dip of an inferred locking line at ˜9 km depth. Slip also occurred at depths below the interseismic locking line. In contrast, negligible slip occurred in the 4 km near the interseismic locking line. The absence of slip here in the 4 years following the earthquake suggests that elastic energy there must either dissipate slowly in the interseismic cycle, or that a slip deficit remains, pending its release in a large future earthquake. Elastic models of the earthquake cycle in this fold and thrust belt suggest that slip on the frontal thrust fault is reduced by a factor of 2 to 8 compared to that anticipated from convergence of the hinterland, a partitioning process that is presumably responsible for thickening of the fold and thrust belt at the expense of slip on the frontal thrust. Near the latitude of Quetta, GPS measurements indicate that convergence is ˜5 mm/yr. Hence the minimum renewal time between earthquakes with 1.2-m mean displacement should be as little as 240 years. However, when the partitioning of fold belt convergence to frontal thrust slip is taken into account the minimum renewal time may exceed 2000 years.

Performance of Simple Gas Foil Thrust Bearings in Air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruckner, Robert J.

2012-01-01

Foil bearings are self-acting hydrodynamics devices used to support high speed rotating machinery. The advantages that they offer to process fluid lubricated machines include: high rotational speed capability, no auxiliary lubrication system, non-contacting high speed operation, and improved damping as compared to rigid hydrodynamic bearings. NASA has had a sporadic research program in this technology for almost 6 decades. Advances in the technology and understanding of foil journal bearings have enabled several new commercial products in recent years. These products include oil-free turbochargers for both heavy trucks and automobiles, high speed electric motors, microturbines for distributed power generation, and turbojet engines. However, the foil thrust bearing has not received a complimentary level of research and therefore has become the weak link of oil-free turbomachinery. In an effort to both provide machine designers with basic performance parameters and to elucidate the underlying physics of foil thrust bearings, NASA Glenn Research Center has completed an effort to experimentally measure the performance of simple gas foil thrust bearing in air. The database includes simple bump foil supported thrust bearings with full geometry and manufacturing techniques available to the user. Test conditions consist of air at ambient pressure and temperatures up to 500 C and rotational speeds to 55,000 rpm. A complete set of axial load, frictional torque, and rotational speed is presented for two different compliant sub-structures and inter-pad gaps. Data obtained from commercially available foil thrust bearings both with and without active cooling is presented for comparison. A significant observation made possible by this data set is the speed-load capacity characteristic of foil thrust bearings. Whereas for the foil journal bearing the load capacity increases linearly with rotational speed, the foil thrust bearing operates in the hydrodynamic high speed limit. In this case, the load capacity is constant and in fact often decreases with speed if other factors such as thermal conditions and runner distortions are permitted to dominate the bearing performance.

Analysis of gas turbine engines using water and oxygen injection to achieve high Mach numbers and high thrust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henneberry, Hugh M.; Snyder, Christopher A.

1993-01-01

An analysis of gas turbine engines using water and oxygen injection to enhance performance by increasing Mach number capability and by increasing thrust is described. The liquids are injected, either separately or together, into the subsonic diffuser ahead of the engine compressor. A turbojet engine and a mixed-flow turbofan engine (MFTF) are examined, and in pursuit of maximum thrust, both engines are fitted with afterburners. The results indicate that water injection alone can extend the performance envelope of both engine types by one and one-half Mach numbers at which point water-air ratios reach 17 or 18 percent and liquid specific impulse is reduced to some 390 to 470 seconds, a level about equal to the impulse of a high energy rocket engine. The envelope can be further extended, but only with increasing sacrifices in liquid specific impulse. Oxygen-airflow ratios as high as 15 percent were investigated for increasing thrust. Using 15 percent oxygen in combination with water injection at high supersonic Mach numbers resulted in thrust augmentation as high as 76 percent without any significant decrease in liquid specific impulse. The stoichiometric afterburner exit temperature increased with increasing oxygen flow, reaching 4822 deg R in the turbojet engine at a Mach number of 3.5. At the transonic Mach number of 0.95 where no water injection is needed, an oxygen-air ratio of 15 percent increased thrust by some 55 percent in both engines, along with a decrease in liquid specific impulse of 62 percent. Afterburner temperature was approximately 4700 deg R at this high thrust condition. Water and/or oxygen injection are simple and straightforward strategies to improve engine performance and they will add little to engine weight. However, if large Mach number and thrust increases are required, liquid flows become significant, so that operation at these conditions will necessarily be of short duration.

Acoustics and Trust of Separate-Flow Exhaust Nozzles With Mixing Devices for High-Bypass-Ratio Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saiyed, Naseem H.; Mikkelsen, Kevin L.; Bridges, James E.

2000-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center recently completed an experimental study to reduce the jet noise from modern turbofan engines. The study concentrated on exhaust nozzle designs for high-bypass-ratio engines. These designs modified the core and fan nozzles individually and simultaneously. Several designs provided an ideal jet noise reduction of over 2.5 EPNdB for the effective perceived noise level (EPNL) metric. Noise data, after correcting for takeoff thrust losses, indicated over a 2.0-EPNdB reduction for nine designs. Individually modifying the fan nozzle did not provide attractive EPNL reductions. Designs in which only the core nozzle was modified provided greater EPNL reductions. Designs in which core and fan nozzles were modified simultaneously provided the greatest EPNL reduction. The best nozzle design had a 2.7-EPNdB reduction (corrected for takeoff thrust loss) with a 0.06-point cruise thrust loss. This design simultaneously employed chevrons on the core and fan nozzles. In comparison with chevrons, tabs appeared to be an inefficient method for reducing jet noise. Data trends indicate that the sum of the thrust losses from individually modifying core and fan nozzles did not generally equal the thrust loss from modifying them simultaneously. Flow blockage from tabs did not scale directly with cruise thrust loss and the interaction between fan flow and the core nozzle seemed to strongly affect noise and cruise performance. Finally, the nozzle configuration candidates for full-scale engine demonstrations are identified.

Sea-level Fingerprinting, Vertical Crustal Motion from GIA, and Projections of Relative Sea-level Change in the Canadian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, Thomas; Simon, Karen; Forbes, Donald; Dyke, Arthur; Mazzotti, Stephane

2010-05-01

We present projections of relative sea-level rise in the 21st century for communities in the Canadian Arctic. First, for selected communities, we determine the sea-level fingerprinting response from Antarctica, Greenland, and mountain glaciers and ice caps. Then, for various published projections of global sea-level change in the 21st century, we determine the local amount of "absolute" sea-level change. We next determine the vertical land motion arising from glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) and incorporate this into the estimates of absolute sea-level change to obtain projections of relative sea-level change. The sea-level fingerprinting effect is especially important in the Canadian Arctic owing to proximity to Arctic ice caps and especially to the Greenland ice sheet. Its effect is to reduce the range of projected relative sea-level change compared to the range of global sea-level projections. Vertical crustal motion is assessed through empirically derived regional isobases, the Earth's predicted response to ice-sheet loading and unloading by the ICE-5G ice sheet reconstruction, and Global Positioning System vertical velocities. Owing to the large rates of crustal uplift from glacial isostatic adjustment across a large region of central Arctic Canada, many communities are projected to experience relative sea-level fall despite projections of global sea-level rise. Where uplift rates are smaller, such as eastern Baffin Island and the western Canadian Arctic, sea-level is projected to rise.

Projecting Future Sea Level Rise for Water Resources Planning in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, J.; Kao, K.; Chung, F.

2008-12-01

Sea level rise is one of the major concerns for the management of California's water resources. Higher water levels and salinity intrusion into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta could affect water supplies, water quality, levee stability, and aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna species and their habitat. Over the 20th century, sea levels near San Francisco Bay increased by over 0.6ft. Some tidal gauge and satellite data indicate that rates of sea level rise are accelerating. Sea levels are expected to continue to rise due to increasing air temperatures causing thermal expansion of the ocean and melting of land-based ice such as ice on Greenland and in southeastern Alaska. For water planners, two related questions are raised on the uncertainty of future sea levels. First, what is the expected sea level at a specific point in time in the future, e.g., what is the expected sea level in 2050? Second, what is the expected point of time in the future when sea levels will exceed a certain height, e.g., what is the expected range of time when the sea level rises by one foot? To address these two types of questions, two factors are considered: (1) long term sea level rise trend, and (2) local extreme sea level fluctuations. A two-step approach will be used to develop sea level rise projection guidelines for decision making that takes both of these factors into account. The first step is developing global sea level rise probability distributions for the long term trends. The second step will extend the approach to take into account the effects of local astronomical tides, changes in atmospheric pressure, wind stress, floods, and the El Niño/Southern Oscillation. In this paper, the development of the first step approach is presented. To project the long term sea level rise trend, one option is to extend the current rate of sea level rise into the future. However, since recent data indicate rates of sea level rise are accelerating, methods for estimating sea level rise that account for this acceleration are needed. One such method is an empirical relationship between air temperatures and global sea levels. The air temperature-sea level rise relationship was applied to the 12 climate change projections selected by the California Climate Action Team to estimate future sea levels. The 95% confidence level developed from the historical data was extrapolated to estimate the uncertainties in the future projections. To create sea level rise trend probability distributions, a lognormal probability distribution and a generalized extreme value probability distribution are used. Parameter estimations for these distributions are subjective and inevitably involve uncertainties, which will be improved as more research is conducted in this area.

The Istria yo-yo - evidence for millennial seismic cycle in the northern Adriatic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kázmér, Miklós; Vrabec, Marko; Székely, Balázs

2014-05-01

The Istria Peninsula in the northern Adriatic Sea (Croatia and Slovenia) is considered to be a nearly aseismic part of the Adriatic microplate, as opposed to the seismically active frontal ranges of the highly active Dinaric orogen. New archaeoseismological data from the Medieval Eufrasius cathedral in Poreč on the west coast of Istria demonstrate two, previously unknown major earthquakes, which occured approx. a millennium apart. Evidence for slow coastal uplift alternating with rapid subsidence allows to identify the seismic cycle. A marine notch, otherwise an excellent marker of sea level, extends along a 240 km segment of the northern Adriatic rocky coast, from Trieste to Zadar. We interpret the following history of vertical displacements: (1) Slow uplift, evidenced by the 1-2 m high, roofed marine notch oversized with respect to the microtidal regime of the Adriatic Sea. 0.5-1 m deep notches were etched into the coast between ~3000 BC until the 4-6th century AD (Faivre et al., 2010). (2) Rapid submergence of the notch to 1-2 m depth below sea level, dated by the construction of successive cathedrals of Poreč built on increasingly higher ground at the seaside (4-6th century AD); submergence of Cissa town on Pag island in 361 AD. (3) Slow uplift of less than 2 m between the construction of the last, Eufrasius cathedral in the 4-6th century AD and the ~1440 AD earthquake. No conspicuous notch were etched in the rocky shore during this period. (4) Rapid submergence of terrestrial sediments below sea level after 1400 AD (Faivre et al., 2011). Major earthquake damage in Poreč cathedral just before 1440 AD. (5) Slow uplift after 1440 AD, corroborated by three decades of high-precision levelling and recent GPS data (Rezo et al., 2010). No conspicuous notch etched in the rocky shore during this period. (6) Next major earthquake with subsidence on land and uplift in the sea with tsunami... when? In our interpretation of the seismic cycle, Istria is slowly raised, about 1-2 m in a millennium, during stress accumulation caused by a locked fault plane. Stress release produces sudden subsidence of the coast, which is recorded by subsided coastal features (marine notch, terrestrial sediments, cathedral of Poreč). We speculate that the thrust fault responsible for the earthquakes lies below the 2-5 km thick Triassic-Cretaceous carbonate platform sequence. The fault plane is assumed to be a gently sloping surface descending towards the east within the Permian-Lower Triassic clastic and evaporite beds. Over the centuries betweeen earthquakes the fault remained locked and the gradually increasing strain was manifested by the uplift (bulging) of the west coast of Istria, whereas the offshore portion of the hanging wall probably bowed downward above the fault. When rupture occurred, the bulge suddenly lowered back to the 'original' elevation. Meanwhile, the bowed, submarine portion of Istria relaxed and possibly triggered a tsunami. Continuing NNW-ward motion of the Adriatic microplate towards Eurasia, well-documented by GPS measurements, provides energy for stress accumulation of the next earthquake cycle. These observations challenge the current notion of Istria as the region of low seismic hazard and invite further paleoseismological research (M.K. OTKA K67.583; M.V. ARRS L1-5452 grant. B.S. contributed as Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow) References: Faivre et al. (2010): GeoActa, SP 3, 125-134; Faivre et al. (2011): Quat. Int. 232, 132-143; Rezo et al. (2010): EJGE 15, 1835-1847

Quiet Clean Short-haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) Over-The-Wing (OTW) propulsion systems test report. Volume 4: Acoustic performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stimpert, D. L.

1979-01-01

A series of acoustic tests were conducted on the over the wing engine. These tests evaluated the fully suppressed noise levels in forward and reverse thrust operation and provided insight into the component noise sources of the engine plus the suppression achieved by various components. System noise levels using the contract specified calculation procedure indicate that the in-flight noise level on a 152 m sideline at takeoff and approach are 97.2 and 94.6 EPNdB, respectively, compared to a goal of 95.0 EPNdB. In reverse thrust, the system noise level was 106.1 PNdB compared to a goal of 100 PNdB. Baseline source noise levels agreed very well with pretest predictions. Inlet-radiated noise suppression of 14 PNdB was demonstrated with the high throat Mach number inlet at 0.79 throat Mach number.

Glaciotectonic deformation associated with the Orient Point-Fishers Island moraine, westernmost Block Island Sound: further evidence of readvance of the Laurentide ice sheet

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poppe, Lawrence J.; Oldale, Robert N.; Foster, David S.; Smith, Shepard M.

2012-01-01

High-resolution seismic-reflection profiles collected across pro-glacial outwash deposits adjacent to the circa 18 ka b.p. Orient Point–Fishers Island end moraine segment in westernmost Block Island Sound reveal extensive deformation. A rhythmic seismic facies indicates the host outwash deposits are composed of fine-grained glaciolacustrine sediments. The deformation is variably brittle and ductile, but predominantly compressive in nature. Brittle deformation includes reverse faults and thrust faults that strike parallel to the moraine, and thrust sheets that extend from beneath the moraine. Ductile deformation includes folded sediments that overlie undisturbed deposits, showing that they are not drape features. Other seismic evidence for compression along the ice front consists of undisturbed glaciolacustrine strata that dip back toward and underneath the moraine, and angular unconformities on the sea floor where deformed sediments extend above the surrounding undisturbed correlative strata. Together, these ice-marginal glaciotectonic features indicate that the Orient Point–Fishers Island moraine marks a significant readvance of the Laurentide ice sheet, consistent with existing knowledge for neighboring coeval moraines, and not simply a stillstand as previously reported.

Extrusional Tectonics over Plate Corner: an Example in Northern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Chia-Yu; Lee, Jian-Cheng; Li, Zhinuo; Lee, Ching-An; Yeh, Chia-Hung

2016-04-01

In northern Taiwan, contraction, transcurrent shearing, block rotation and extension are four essential tectonic deformation mechanisms involved in the progressive deformation of this arcuate collision mountain belt. The neotectonic evolution of the Taiwan mountain belt is mainly controlled not only by the oblique convergence between the Eurasian plate and the Philippine Sea plate but also the corner shape of the plate boundary. Based on field observations and analyses, and taking geophysical data (mostly GPS) and experimental modelling into account, we interpret the curved belt of northern Taiwan as a result of of contractional deformation (with compression, thrust-sheet stacking & folding, back thrust duplex & back folding) that induced vertical extrusion, combined with increasing transcurrent & rotational deformation (with transcurrent faulting, bookshelf-type strike-slip faulting and block rotation) that induced transcurrent/rotational extrusion and extension deformation which in turn induced extensional extrusion. As a consequence, a special type of extrusional folds was formed in association with contractional, transcurrent & rotational and extensional extrusions subsequently. The extrusional tectonics in northern Taiwan reflect a single, albeit complicated, regional pattern of deformation. The crescent-shaped mountain belt of Northeastern Taiwan develops in response to oblique indentation by an asymmetric wedge indenter, retreat of Ryukyu trench and opening of the Okinawa trough.

Extrusional Tectonics at Plate Corner: an Example in Northern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, C. Y.; Lee, J. C.; Li, Z.; Yeh, C. H.; Lee, C. A.

2015-12-01

In northern Taiwan, contraction, transcurrent shearing, block rotation and extension are four essential tectonic deformation mechanisms involved in the progressive deformation of this arcuate collision mountain belt. The neotectonic evolution of the Taiwan mountain belt is mainly controlled not only by the oblique convergence between the Eurasian plate and the Philippine Sea plate but also the corner shape of the plate boundary. Based on field observations and analyses, and taking geophysical data (mostly GPS) and experimental modelling into account, we interpret the curved belt of northern Taiwan as a result of of contractional deformation (with compression, thrust-sheet stacking & folding, back thrust duplex & back folding) that induced vertical extrusion, combined with increasing transcurrent & rotational deformation (with transcurrent faulting, bookshelf-type strike-slip faulting and block rotation) that induced transcurrent/rotational extrusion and extension deformation which in turn induced extensional extrusion. As a consequence, a special type of extrusional folds was formed in association with contractional, transcurrent & rotational and extensional extrusions subsequently. The extrusional tectonics in northern Taiwan reflect a single, albeit complicated, regional pattern of deformation. The crescent-shaped mountain belt of Northeastern Taiwan develops in response to oblique indentation by an asymmetric wedge indenter and opening of the Okinawa trough at plate corner.

Contemporary Arctic Sea Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cazenave, A. A.

2017-12-01

During recent decades, the Arctic region has warmed at a rate about twice the rest of the globe. Sea ice melting is increasing and the Greenland ice sheet is losing mass at an accelerated rate. Arctic warming, decrease in the sea ice cover and fresh water input to the Arctic ocean may eventually impact the Arctic sea level. In this presentation, we review our current knowledge of contemporary Arctic sea level changes. Until the beginning of the 1990s, Arctic sea level variations were essentially deduced from tide gauges located along the Russian and Norwegian coastlines. Since then, high inclination satellite altimetry missions have allowed measuring sea level over a large portion of the Arctic Ocean (up to 80 degree north). Measuring sea level in the Arctic by satellite altimetry is challenging because the presence of sea ice cover limits the full capacity of this technique. However adapted processing of raw altimetric measurements significantly increases the number of valid data, hence the data coverage, from which regional sea level variations can be extracted. Over the altimetry era, positive trend patterns are observed over the Beaufort Gyre and along the east coast of Greenland, while negative trends are reported along the Siberian shelf. On average over the Arctic region covered by satellite altimetry, the rate of sea level rise since 1992 is slightly less than the global mea sea level rate (of about 3 mm per year). On the other hand, the interannual variability is quite significant. Space gravimetry data from the GRACE mission and ocean reanalyses provide information on the mass and steric contributions to sea level, hence on the sea level budget. Budget studies show that regional sea level trends over the Beaufort Gyre and along the eastern coast of Greenland, are essentially due to salinity changes. However, in terms of regional average, the net steric component contributes little to the observed sea level trend. The sea level budget in the Arctic indicates a dominant mass contribution, especially in the Greenland, Norwegian, and Barents Seas sector.

Control of lithosphere structure on surface deformation in the Central Barents Sea: insights from dynamical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gac, Sebastien; Faleide, Jan Inge

2014-05-01

The Barents Sea is located in the Northern European Arctic. The Eastern Barents Sea features one of the deepest sedimentary basins in the world whereas large parts of the Western Barents Sea is covered by a shallow sedimentary platform. Seismic tomography data (Levshin et al., 2007; Ritzmann and Faleide, 2009) show slower S-wave velocity in the upper mantle beneath the East Barents Sea compared to the West Barents Sea, indicating a steep deepening of the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB) in the Central Barents Sea from West to East. Additionally, the Central Barents Sea is marked by a South-North succession of regularly-spaced inverted structures (uplifted domes) such as the Fedinsky High and the Sentralbanken High. The origin of these inverted structures is under debate. The interpretation of recent seismic data in the Central Barents Sea suggests that part of the inversion is contemporaneous with the Late-Triassic-Early Jurassic westwards thrusting of Novaya Zemlya. This suggests that the origin of domes might be linked to compressional events on the eastern side of the Barents Sea. A 2D thermo-mechanical model of lithosphere shortening is used to explore the effect of LAB geometry on the surface deformation in the Central Barents Sea. The model is based on a Lagrangian finite element method (Gac et al., 2013). The model consists of a crust - mantle lithosphere characterized by non-linear temperature and pressure dependent visco-elastic-plastic rheologies. The mechanical model is coupled with a thermal model taking into account heat advection and diffusion. Sedimentation and gravity are also taken into account. Contractional boundary conditions are applied on vertical sides of the model resulting in buckling of the crust. Several models are run for different geometry of the LAB. Preliminary results are shown. 3D conceptual models are then proposed to explain the 3D distribution of inverted structures in the Central Barents Sea. REFERENCES: Gac, S., Huismans, R.S., Simon, N.S.C., Podladchikov, Y,Y, and Faleide, J.I., 2013. Formation of intra-cratonic basins by lithospheric shortening and phase changes: a case study from the ultra-deep East Barents Sea basin. Terra Nova, DOI: 10.1111/ter.12057. Levshin, A.L., Schweitzer, J., Weidle, C., Shapiro, N.M., and Ritzwoller, M.H., 2007. Surface wave tomography of the Barents Sea and surrounding region. Geophys. J. Int., 170, 441-459. Ritzmann, O., and Faleide, J.I., 2009. The crust and mantle lithosphere in the Barents Sea/Kara Sea region. Tectonophysics, 470, 89-104.

Probabilistic assessment of sea level during the last interglacial stage.

PubMed

Kopp, Robert E; Simons, Frederik J; Mitrovica, Jerry X; Maloof, Adam C; Oppenheimer, Michael

2009-12-17

With polar temperatures approximately 3-5 degrees C warmer than today, the last interglacial stage (approximately 125 kyr ago) serves as a partial analogue for 1-2 degrees C global warming scenarios. Geological records from several sites indicate that local sea levels during the last interglacial were higher than today, but because local sea levels differ from global sea level, accurately reconstructing past global sea level requires an integrated analysis of globally distributed data sets. Here we present an extensive compilation of local sea level indicators and a statistical approach for estimating global sea level, local sea levels, ice sheet volumes and their associated uncertainties. We find a 95% probability that global sea level peaked at least 6.6 m higher than today during the last interglacial; it is likely (67% probability) to have exceeded 8.0 m but is unlikely (33% probability) to have exceeded 9.4 m. When global sea level was close to its current level (>or=-10 m), the millennial average rate of global sea level rise is very likely to have exceeded 5.6 m kyr(-1) but is unlikely to have exceeded 9.2 m kyr(-1). Our analysis extends previous last interglacial sea level studies by integrating literature observations within a probabilistic framework that accounts for the physics of sea level change. The results highlight the long-term vulnerability of ice sheets to even relatively low levels of sustained global warming.

Two Sea-Level Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galvin, C.

2008-12-01

"No place on the sandy ocean shores of the world has been shown to be eroding because of sea level rise." This statement appeared nearly 19 years ago in bold print at the top of the page in a brief article published in Shore and Beach (Galvin,1990). The term "sea level rise" was defined in 1990 as follows: "In this statement, "sea level rise" has the meaning that the average person on the street usually attaches to that term. That is, sea level is rising; not, as in some places like the Mississippi River delta, land level is sinking." While still a subject of controversy, it is now (2008) increasingly plausible (Tornqvist et al,2008) that damage from Hurricane Katrina was significantly worse on the Mississippi River delta because floodwaters exploited wetlands and levees whose elevations had been lowered by decades of compaction in the underlying soil. (1) "Sea level" commonly appears in the literature as "relative sea level rise", occurring that way in 711 publications between 1980 and 2009 (GeoRef database on 8 Sep 08). "Relative sea level rise" does not appear in the 2005 AGI Glossary. The nearest Glossary term is "relative change in sea level", but that term occurs in only 12 publications between 1980 and 2009. The Glossary defines this term in a sequence stratigraphy sense, which infers that "relative sea level rise" is the sum of bottom subsidence and eustatic sea level rise. In plain English, "relative sea level rise" means "water depth increase". For present day coastal environments, "relative sea level rise" is commonly used where eustatic sea level rise is less than subsidence, that is, where the magnitude of actual sea level rise is smaller than the magnitude of subsidence. In that situation, "relative sea level rise" misleads both the average person and the scientist who is not a coastal geologist. Thus, the first challenge is to abandon "relative sea level rise" in favor of "water depth increase", in order that the words accurately descibe what happens. It would further clarify popular understanding if the term "actual sea level rise" were used in place of "eustatic sea level rise". (2)Geologists have approximated the the practice of paleontologists and biologists in establishing type examples of important geological features. This is a useful practice. A graduate geologist holds in mind clear conceptions of "beach cusps", "drumlin fields", "birdfoot deltas", and "igneous sills" based on seeing field examples accepted by professional geologists as representative of these features. However, although publications frequently report that sea level rise erodes a particular beach, no one identifies a type beach where that cause has been proven to produce the alleged effect. At the type beach, it is necessary to show that sea level is rising, and that the beach erodes primarily from this sea level rise, rather than from interrupted longshore transport. Thus, the second challenge is to identify a type ocean beach proven to erode because of sea level rise.

On the lag time between internal strain and basement involved thrust induced exhumation: The case of the Colombian Eastern Cordillera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mora, Andrès; Blanco, Vladimir; Naranjo, Julian; Sanchez, Nelson; Ketcham, Richard A.; Rubiano, Jorge; Stockli, Daniel F.; Quintero, Isaid; Nemčok, Michal; Horton, Brian K.; Davila, Hamblet

2013-07-01

Thrust sheets accumulate internal strain before they start moving along discrete fault planes. However, there are no previous studies evaluating the time difference between initiation of strain and fault displacement. In this paper we use observations from the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia to evaluate this interval. We utilize multiple thermochronometers and paleothermometers to refine the timing of deformation. Based on these new data we build time-temperature path estimates that together with geometric outcrop-based structural analysis and fluid inclusions allow us to assign relative timing to features associated with strain, such as cleavage, veins and certain types of fractures, and compare that with the timing of thrusting. We find that cleavage was only formed close to maximum paleotemperatures, almost coeval with the onset of thrust-induced denudation by the Late Oligocene. The corresponding structural level of fold-related veins suggest that they were formed later but still when the country rocks were at temperatures higher than 160 °C, mostly during the Early Miocene and still coexisted with the latest stages of cleavage formation. Our data show that the main period of strain hardening was short (probably a few million years) and occurred before first-order basement thrusting was dominant, but was associated with second-order folding.

Anomalous Thrust Production from an RF Test Device Measured on a Low-Thrust Torsion Pendulum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brady, David A.; White, Harold G.; March, Paul; Lawrence, James T.; Davies, Frank J.

2014-01-01

This paper describes the test campaigns designed to investigate and demonstrate viability of using classical magnetoplasmadynamics to obtain a propulsive momentum transfer via the quantum vacuum virtual plasma. This paper will not address the physics of the quantum vacuum plasma thruster (QVPT), but instead will describe the recent test campaign. In addition, it contains a brief description of the supporting radio frequency (RF) field analysis, lessons learned, and potential applications of the technology to space exploration missions. During the first (Cannae) portion of the campaign, approximately 40 micronewtons of thrust were observed in an RF resonant cavity test article excited at approximately 935 megahertz and 28 watts. During the subsequent (tapered cavity) portion of the campaign, approximately 91 micronewtons of thrust were observed in an RF resonant cavity test article excited at approximately 1933 megahertz and 17 watts. Testing was performed on a low-thrust torsion pendulum that is capable of detecting force at a single-digit micronewton level. Test campaign results indicate that the RF resonant cavity thruster design, which is unique as an electric propulsion device, is producing a force that is not attributable to any classical electromagnetic phenomenon and therefore is potentially demonstrating an interaction with the quantum vacuum virtual plasma.

Origin of the high plateau in the Central Andes, Bolivia, South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamb, Simon; Hoke, Leonore

1997-08-01

The Bolivian Altiplano, in the Central Andes of South America, is part of the second largest high plateau on Earth. It is an elongate region of subdued relief, ˜1.2 × 105 km2 and ˜4 km above sea level, bounded by the Eastern Cordillera and volcanic arc (Western Cordillera). Here the crust is up to ˜75 km thick. We describe the Cenozoic geological evolution of this region, using a revised chronostratigraphy and an analysis of the crustal and lithospheric structure. Crustal shortening and magmatic addition and, locally, sedimentation are the main mechanisms of Cenozoic crustal thickening, leading to nearly 4 km of surface uplift since the Paleocene. Addition of mafic melts appears to be a first-order mechanism of Cenozoic crustal growth, contributing ˜40% of the crustal thickening beneath the volcanic arc. Removal of the basal part of the lithosphere may have caused two episodes of widespread arc and behind-arc mafic volcanism, at ˜23 Ma and 0 - ˜5 Ma, contributing to the surface uplift. The Altiplano originated as a sedimentary basin, several hundred kilometers wide, between the proto-Western Cordillera and a narrow zone of uplift (proto-Eastern Cordillera) farther east. The latter zone formed by inversion of the center of a wide lacustrine or marine Cretaceous - Paleocene basin close to sea-level at ˜45 Ma. A thickness of 2-4 km of Paleogene continental elastics accumulated in the proto-Altiplano basin. Subsequently, in the Oligocene, we estimate that this region and the western margin of the Eastern Cordillera were technically shortened ˜22% (˜65 km), resulting in ˜9 km of average crustal thickening. The Altiplano basin was rejuvenated at ˜25 Ma and subsequently flooded with up to 8 km thickness of detritus eroded from the uplifting Eastern and Western Cordilleras. Between ˜25 and 5 Ma, folding and thrusting in the western margin of the Eastern Cordillera migrated westward into the center of the Altiplano basin, essentially terminating deposition, except in local subbasins, and accommodating ˜13% (˜30 km) of shortening and an estimated ˜7 km of average crustal thickening. Subsequently, there has been strike-slip deformation and limited local thrusting (< 5 km of shortening). Geomorphological and geochronological evidence for 1.5-2 km of surface uplift of this region since the Late Miocene suggests ˜14 km of lower crustal thickening beneath an essentially rigid "lid", and can be explained by ˜100-150 km of underthrusting of the Brazilian shield and adjacent regions beneath the eastern margin of the Central Andes. The present subdued relief in the Altiplano may be a result of ductile flow in the lower crust and sedimentation and erosion in an internal drainage basin.

What Causes the North Sea Level to Rise Faster over the Last Decade ?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpytchev, Mikhail; Letetrel, Camille

2013-04-01

We combined tide gauge records (PSMSL) and satellite altimetry data (TOPEX/POSEIDON-JASON 1-2) to reconstruct the mean level of the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea Shelf (NS-NSS) over 1950-2012. The reconstructed NS-NSS mean sea level fluctuations reveal a pronounced interannual variability and a strong sea level acceleration since the mid-1990's. In order to understand the causes of this acceleration, the NS-NSS mean sea level was cross-correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation and Arctic Oscillation indices. While the interannual variability of the mean sea level correlates well with the NAO/AO indices, the observed acceleration in the NS-NSS mean level is not linked linearly to the NAO/AO fluctuations. On the other hand, the Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) analysis of steric sea level variations in the eastern North Atlantic gives a dominant EOF pattern (55% of variance explained) that varies on a decadal scale very closely to the NS-NSS mean level flcutuations. Also, the amplification in the temporal amplitude of the dominant steric sea level EOF corresponds to the acceleration observed in the NS-NSS mean sea level signal. This suggests that decadal variations in the mean level of the North Sea - the Norwegian Sea Shelf reflect changes in the Subpolar Front currents (Rossby, 1996).

Reconstruction of Local Sea Levels at South West Pacific Islands—A Multiple Linear Regression Approach (1988-2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, V.; Melet, A.; Meyssignac, B.; Ganachaud, A.; Kessler, W. S.; Singh, A.; Aucan, J.

2018-02-01

Rising sea levels are a critical concern in small island nations. The problem is especially serious in the western south Pacific, where the total sea level rise over the last 60 years has been up to 3 times the global average. In this study, we aim at reconstructing sea levels at selected sites in the region (Suva, Lautoka—Fiji, and Nouméa—New Caledonia) as a multilinear regression (MLR) of atmospheric and oceanic variables. We focus on sea level variability at interannual-to-interdecadal time scales, and trend over the 1988-2014 period. Local sea levels are first expressed as a sum of steric and mass changes. Then a dynamical approach is used based on wind stress curl as a proxy for the thermosteric component, as wind stress curl anomalies can modulate the thermocline depth and resultant sea levels via Rossby wave propagation. Statistically significant predictors among wind stress curl, halosteric sea level, zonal/meridional wind stress components, and sea surface temperature are used to construct a MLR model simulating local sea levels. Although we are focusing on the local scale, the global mean sea level needs to be adjusted for. Our reconstructions provide insights on key drivers of sea level variability at the selected sites, showing that while local dynamics and the global signal modulate sea level to a given extent, most of the variance is driven by regional factors. On average, the MLR model is able to reproduce 82% of the variance in island sea level, and could be used to derive local sea level projections via downscaling of climate models.

Acceleration of Sea Level Rise Over Malaysian Seas from Satellite Altimeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamid, A. I. A.; Din, A. H. M.; Khalid, N. F.; Omar, K. M.

2016-09-01

Sea level rise becomes our concern nowadays as a result of variously contribution of climate change that cause by the anthropogenic effects. Global sea levels have been rising through the past century and are projected to rise at an accelerated rate throughout the 21st century. Due to this change, sea level is now constantly rising and eventually will threaten many low-lying and unprotected coastal areas in many ways. This paper is proposing a significant effort to quantify the sea level trend over Malaysian seas based on the combination of multi-mission satellite altimeters over a period of 23 years. Eight altimeter missions are used to derive the absolute sea level from Radar Altimeter Database System (RADS). Data verification is then carried out to verify the satellite derived sea level rise data with tidal data. Eight selected tide gauge stations from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak are chosen for this data verification. The pattern and correlation of both measurements of sea level anomalies (SLA) are evaluated over the same period in each area in order to produce comparable results. Afterwards, the time series of the sea level trend is quantified using robust fit regression analysis. The findings clearly show that the absolute sea level trend is rising and varying over the Malaysian seas with the rate of sea level varies and gradually increase from east to west of Malaysia. Highly confident and correlation level of the 23 years measurement data with an astonishing root mean square difference permits the absolute sea level trend of the Malaysian seas has raised at the rate 3.14 ± 0.12 mm yr-1 to 4.81 ± 0.15 mm yr-1 for the chosen sub-areas, with an overall mean of 4.09 ± 0.12 mm yr-1. This study hopefully offers a beneficial sea level information to be applied in a wide range of related environmental and climatology issue such as flood and global warming.

Cold-flow acoustic evaluation of a small scale, divergent, lobed nozzle for supersonic jet noise suppression

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huff, R. G.; Groesbeck, D. E.

1975-01-01

A supersonic jet noise suppressor was tested with cold flow for acoustic and thrust characteristics at nozzle- to atmospheric-pressure ratios of 1.5 to 4.0. Jet noise suppression and spectral characteristics of the divergent, lobed, suppressor (DLS) nozzle with and without an ejector are presented. Suppression was obtained at nozzle pressure ratios of 2.5 to 4.0. The largest, maximum-lobe, sound pressure level suppression with a hard-wall ejector was 14.6 decibels at a nozzle pressure ratio of 3.5. The thrust loss was 2 percent. In general, low-frequency jet noise was suppressed, leaving higher frequencies essentially unchanged. Without the ejector the nozzle showed a thrust loss of 11 percent together with slightly poorer noise suppression.

Active geodynamics of the Caucasus/Caspian region educed from GPS, and seismic Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gadirov (Kadirov), Fakhraddin; Floyd, Michael; Reilinger, Robert; Alizadeh, Akif; Guliyev, Ibrahim; Mammadov, Samir; Safarov, Rafig

2017-04-01

The geodynamic and earthquake activity in the Caucasus/Caspian region is due to the ongoing collision of the Arabian plate with Eurasia. The Caucasus and Caspian Sea are historically among the most seismically active regions on earth. These earthquakes have caused thousands of deaths and great economic distress. Future earthquakes in the Caucasus and Caspian Sea must be considered and planned for in order to limit their impact on the people, ecology, and infrastructure of the region. Within this plate tectonics context, we examine deformation of the Caucasus region and show that most crustal shortening in the collision zone is accommodated by the Greater Caucasus Fold-and-Thrust Belt (GCFTB) along the southern edge of the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The eastern GCFTB appears to bifurcate west of Baku, with one branch following the accurate geometry of the Greater Caucasus, turning towards the south and traversing the Neftchala Peninsula. A second branch may extend directly into the Caspian Sea south of Baku, likely connecting to the Central Caspian Seismic Zone. We model deformation in terms of a locked thrust fault that coincides in general with the main surface trace of the GCFTB. We consider two end-member models, each of which tests the likelihood of one or other of the branches being the dominant cause of observed deformation. Our models indicate that strain is actively accumulating on the fault along the 200 km segment of the fault west of Baku (approximately between longitudes 47-49°E). Parts of this segment of the fault broke in major earthquakes historically (1191, 1859, 1902) suggesting that significant future earthquakes (M 6-7) are likely on the central and western segment of the fault. We observe a similar deformation pattern across the eastern end of the GCFTB along a profile crossing the Kura Depression and Greater Caucasus Mountains in the vicinity of Baku. Along this eastern segment, a branch of the fault changes from a NW-SE striking thrust to an N-S oriented strike-slip fault. The similar deformation pattern along the eastern and central GCFTB segments raises the possibility that major earthquakes may also occur in eastern Azerbaijan. However, the eastern segment of the GCFTB has no record of large historic earthquakes, and is characterized by thick, highly saturated and over-pressured sediments within the Kura Depression and adjacent Caspian Basin that may inhibit elastic strain accumulation in favour of fault creep, and/or distributed faulting and folding. Thus, while our analyses suggest that large earthquakes are likely in central and western Azerbaijan, it is still uncertain whether significant earthquakes are also likely along the eastern segment, and on which structure. Ongoing and future focused studies of active deformation promise to shed further light on the tectonics and earthquake hazards in this highly populated and developed part of Azerbaijan.

A search for scale in sea-level studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larsen, C.E.; Clark, I.

2006-01-01

Many researchers assume a proportional relationship among the atmospheric CO2 concentration, temperature, and sea level. Thus, the rate of sea-level rise should increase in concert with the documented exponential increase in CO2. Although sea surface temperature has increased in places over the past century and short-term sea level rose abruptly during the 1990s, it is difficult to demonstrate a proportional relationship using existing geologic or historic records. Tide gauge records in the United States cover too short a time interval to verify acceleration in the rate of sea-level rise, although multicentury tide gauge and staff records from the Netherlands and Sweden suggest a mid-19th-century acceleration in sea-level rise. Reconstructions of sea-level changes for the past 1000 years derived using benthic foraminifer data from salt marshes along the East Coast of the United States suggest an increased rate of relative sea-level rise beginning in the 1600s. Geologic records of relative sea-level rise for the past 6000 years are available for several sites along the US East Coast from 14C-dated basal peat below salt marshes and estuarine sediments. When these three scales of sea-level variation are integrated, adjusted for postglacial isostatic movement, and replotted, the range of variation in sea level suggested by basal peat ages is within ??1 meter of the long-term trend. The reconstruction from Long Island Sound data shows a linear rise in sea level beginning in the mid-1600s at a rate consistent with the historic record of mean high water. Long-term tide gauge records from Europe and North America show similar trends since the mid-19th century. There is no clear proportional exponential increase in the rate of sea-level rise. If proportionality exists among sea level, atmospheric CO2, and temperature, there may be a significant time lag before an anthropogenic increase in the rate of sea-level rise occurs.

Variability and change of sea level and its components in the Indo-Pacific region during the altimetry era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Quran; Zhang, Xuebin; Church, John A.; Hu, Jianyu

2017-03-01

Previous studies have shown that regional sea level exhibits interannual and decadal variations associated with the modes of climate variability. A better understanding of those low-frequency sea level variations benefits the detection and attribution of climate change signals. Nonetheless, the contributions of thermosteric, halosteric, and mass sea level components to sea level variability and trend patterns remain unclear. By focusing on signals associated with dominant climate modes in the Indo-Pacific region, we estimate the interannual and decadal fingerprints and trend of each sea level component utilizing a multivariate linear regression of two adjoint-based ocean reanalyses. Sea level interannual, decadal, and trend patterns primarily come from thermosteric sea level (TSSL). Halosteric sea level (HSSL) is of regional importance in the Pacific Ocean on decadal time scale and dominates sea level trends in the northeast subtropical Pacific. The compensation between TSSL and HSSL is identified in their decadal variability and trends. The interannual and decadal variability of temperature generally peak at subsurface around 100 m but that of salinity tend to be surface-intensified. Decadal temperature and salinity signals extend deeper into the ocean in some regions than their interannual equivalents. Mass sea level (MassSL) is critical for the interannual and decadal variability of sea level over shelf seas. Inconsistencies exist in MassSL trend patterns among various estimates. This study highlights regions where multiple processes work together to control sea level variability and change. Further work is required to better understand the interaction of different processes in those regions.

Two-dimensional Numerical Models of Accretionary Wedges Deformation in Response to Subduction and Obduction: Evidence from the Middle Part of the Manila Trench

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, L.; Ding, W.; Chen, L.; Gerya, T.

2016-12-01

The Manila Trench is located at the eastern boundary of the South China Sea (SCS). It was created by the subduction of the South China Sea Plate beneath the Philippine Sea Plate since the early Neogene, and also influenced by the northwestern movement of the Philippine Sea Plate. There is wide discussion whether the dual-subduction and widespread seamounts in the South China Sea would have play important roles in the 'S-shaped' geometry and the different diving angle along the Manila Trench. Multi-beam tectono-geomorphological studies on the accretionary wedges have suggested that: (1) the stress direction of the subduction along the middle part of the Manila Trench, between 17o and 18 o N, is NW55 o; (2) The Manila Trench is actually caused by obduction due to the northwestern movement of the Philippine Sea Plate. Although the NW 55 o stress direction has been supported by detailed analysis on the trend of the folds, thrust faults, extension fractures and large sea-floor canyon, its obduction-origin is purely based on regional structure. Here we use 2D numerical modeling experiments to investigate the deformation style of accretionary wedge in response to the seamounts subduction and obduction, and provide new insights into the mechanism responsible for the Luzon obduction along the Manila Trench. Our preliminary results show that: (1) the accretionary wedge is eroded faster in subduction model; (2) the velocity field direction of the slab differs in two models at the beginning of seamount subduction, which is vertical in obduction model, but oblique in subduction model; (3) both sides of the accretionary wedge deform strongly in subduction model, whereas in obduction model only the leading edge shows intensive deformation. Further modelling will focus on other parts of the Manila Trench with different slab age and subduction velocity to see their tectonic influences on the accretionary wedges.

Preliminary performance of a vertical-attitude takeoff and landing, supersonic cruise aircraft concept having thrust vectoring integrated into the flight control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robins, A. W.; Beissner, F. L., Jr.; Domack, C. S.; Swanson, E. E.

1985-01-01

A performance study was made of a vertical attitude takeoff and landing (VATOL), supersonic cruise aircraft concept having thrust vectoring integrated into the flight control system. Those characteristics considered were aerodynamics, weight, balance, and performance. Preliminary results indicate that high levels of supersonic aerodynamic performance can be achieved. Further, with the assumption of an advanced (1985 technology readiness) low bypass ratio turbofan engine and advanced structures, excellent mission performance capability is indicated.

Preliminary Investigation on Battery Sizing Investigation for Thrust Vector Control on Ares I and Ares V Launch Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Thomas B.

2011-01-01

An investigation into the merits of battery powered Electro Hydrostatic Actuation (EHA) for Thrust Vector Control (TVC) of the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles is described. A top level trade study was conducted to ascertain the technical merits of lithium-ion (Li-ion) and thermal battery performance to determine the preferred choice of an energy storage system chemistry that provides high power discharge capability for a relatively short duration.

Nonlinear feedback control for high alpha flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stalford, Harold

1990-01-01

Analytical aerodynamic models are derived from a high alpha 6 DOF wind tunnel model. One detail model requires some interpolation between nonlinear functions of alpha. One analytical model requires no interpolation and as such is a completely continuous model. Flight path optimization is conducted on the basic maneuvers: half-loop, 90 degree pitch-up, and level turn. The optimal control analysis uses the derived analytical model in the equations of motion and is based on both moment and force equations. The maximum principle solution for the half-loop is poststall trajectory performing the half-loop in 13.6 seconds. The agility induced by thrust vectoring capability provided a minimum effect on reducing the maneuver time. By means of thrust vectoring control the 90 degrees pitch-up maneuver can be executed in a small place over a short time interval. The agility capability of thrust vectoring is quite beneficial for pitch-up maneuvers. The level turn results are based currently on only outer layer solutions of singular perturbation. Poststall solutions provide high turn rates but generate higher losses of energy than that of classical sustained solutions.

Current state and future perspectives on coupled ice-sheet - sea-level modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Boer, Bas; Stocchi, Paolo; Whitehouse, Pippa L.; van de Wal, Roderik S. W.

2017-08-01

The interaction between ice-sheet growth and retreat and sea-level change has been an established field of research for many years. However, recent advances in numerical modelling have shed new light on the precise interaction of marine ice sheets with the change in near-field sea level, and the related stability of the grounding line position. Studies using fully coupled ice-sheet - sea-level models have shown that accounting for gravitationally self-consistent sea-level change will act to slow down the retreat and advance of marine ice-sheet grounding lines. Moreover, by simultaneously solving the 'sea-level equation' and modelling ice-sheet flow, coupled models provide a global field of relative sea-level change that is consistent with dynamic changes in ice-sheet extent. In this paper we present an overview of recent advances, possible caveats, methodologies and challenges involved in coupled ice-sheet - sea-level modelling. We conclude by presenting a first-order comparison between a suite of relative sea-level data and output from a coupled ice-sheet - sea-level model.

Robustness of observation-based decadal sea level variability in the Indo-Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nidheesh, A. G.; Lengaigne, M.; Vialard, J.; Izumo, T.; Unnikrishnan, A. S.; Meyssignac, B.; Hamlington, B.; de Boyer Montegut, C.

2017-07-01

We examine the consistency of Indo-Pacific decadal sea level variability in 10 gridded, observation-based sea level products for the 1960-2010 period. Decadal sea level variations are robust in the Pacific, with more than 50% of variance explained by decadal modulation of two flavors of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (classical ENSO and Modoki). Amplitude of decadal sea level variability is weaker in the Indian Ocean than in the Pacific. All data sets indicate a transmission of decadal sea level signals from the western Pacific to the northwest Australian coast through the Indonesian throughflow. The southern tropical Indian Ocean sea level variability is associated with decadal modulations of ENSO in reconstructions but not in reanalyses or in situ data set. The Pacific-independent Indian Ocean decadal sea level variability is not robust but tends to be maximum in the southwestern tropical Indian Ocean. The inconsistency of Indian Ocean decadal variability across the sea level products calls for caution in making definitive conclusions on decadal sea level variability in this basin.

Hydrogeological characterisation of a glacially affected barrier island - the North Frisian Island of Föhr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burschil, T.; Scheer, W.; Kirsch, R.; Wiederhold, H.

2012-04-01

We present the application of geophysical investigations to characterise and improve the geological/hydrogeological model through the estimation of petrophysical parameters for groundwater modelling. Seismic reflection and airborne electromagnetic surveys in combination with borehole information enhance the 3-D geological model and allow a petrophysical interpretation of the subsurface. The North Sea Island of Föhr has a very complex underground structure what was already known from boreholes. The local waterworks use a freshwater body embedded in saline groundwater. Several glaciations disordered the Youngest Tertiary and Quaternary sediments by glaciotectonic thrust-faulting as well as incision and refill of glacial valleys. Both underground structures have a strong impact on the distribution of freshwater bearing aquifers. An initial hydrogeological model of Föhr was built from borehole data alone and was restricted to the southern part of the island where in the sandy areas of the Geest a large freshwater body was formed. We improved the geological/hydrogeological model by adding data from different geophysical methods, e.g. airborne electromagnetics (EM) for mapping the resistivity of the entire island, seismic reflections for detailed cross sections in the groundwater catchment area, and geophysical borehole logging for calibration of these measurements. An integrated evaluation of the results from the different geophysical methods yields reliable data. To determinate petrophysical parameter about 18 borehole logs, more than 75 m deep, and nearby airborne EM inversion models were analyzed concerning resistivity. We establish an empirical relation between measured resistivity and hydraulic conductivity for the specific area - the North Sea island of Föhr. Five boreholes concerning seismic interval velocities discriminate sand and till. The interpretation of these data was the basis for building the geological/hydrogeological 3-D model. We fitted the relevant model layers to all geophysical and geological data and created a consistent 3-D model. This model is the fundament for groundwater simulations considering forecasted changes in precipitation and sea level rise due to climate change.

Variscan orogeny in the Black Sea region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okay, Aral I.; Topuz, Gültekin

2017-03-01

Two Gondwana-derived Paleozoic belts rim the Archean/Paleoproterozoic nucleus of the East European Platform in the Black Sea region. In the north is a belt of Paleozoic passive-margin-type sedimentary rocks, which extends from Moesia to the Istanbul Zone and to parts of the Scythian Platform (the MOIS Block). This belt constituted the south-facing continental margin of the Laurussia during the Late Paleozoic. This margin was deformed during the Carboniferous by folding and thrusting and forms the Variscan foreland. In the south is a belt of metamorphic and granitic rocks, which extends from the Balkanides through Strandja, Sakarya to the Caucasus (BASSAC Block). The protoliths of the metamorphic rocks are predominantly late Neoproterozoic granites and Paleozoic sedimentary and igneous rocks, which were deformed and metamorphosed during the Early Carboniferous. There are also minor eclogites and serpentinites, mostly confined to the northern margin of the BASSAC Block. Typical metamorphism is of low pressure-high temperature type and occurred during the Early Carboniferous (Visean, 340-330 Ma) coevally with that observed in the Central Europe. Volumetrically, more than half of the crystalline belt is made up of Carboniferous-earliest Permian (335-294 Ma) granites. The type of metamorphism, its concurrent nature over 1800 km length of the BASSAC Block and voluminous acidic magmatism suggest that the thermal event probably occurred in the deep levels of a continental magmatic arc. The BASSAC arc collided with Laurussia in the mid-Carboniferous leading to the foreland deformation. The ensuing uplift in the Permian resulted in the deposition of continental red beds, which are associated with acidic magmatic rocks observed over the foreland as well as over the BASSAC Block. In the Black Sea region, there was no terminal collision of Laurussia with Gondwana during the Late Paleozoic and the Laurussia margin continued to face the Paleo-Tethyan ocean in the south.

New evidence for "far-field" Holocene sea level oscillations and links to global climate records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leonard, N. D.; Welsh, K. J.; Clark, T. R.; Feng, Y.-x.; Pandolfi, J. M.; Zhao, J.-x.

2018-04-01

Rising sea level in the coming century is of significant concern, yet predicting relative sea level change in response to eustatic sea level variability is complex. Potential analogues are provided by the recent geological past but, until recently, many sea level reconstructions have been limited to millennial scale interpretations due to age uncertainties and paucity in proxy derived records. Here we present a sea level history for the tectonically stable "far-field" Great Barrier Reef, Australia, derived from 94 high precision uranium-thorium dates of sub-fossil coral microatolls. Our results provide evidence for at least two periods of relative sea level instability during the Holocene. These sea level oscillations are broadly synchronous with Indo-Pacific negative sea surface temperature anomalies, rapid global cooling events and glacial advances. We propose that the pace and magnitude of these oscillations are suggestive of eustatic/thermosteric processes operating in conjunction with regional climatic controls.

Internal performance of a nonaxisymmetric nozzle with a rotating upper flap and a center-pivoted lower flap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wing, David J.; Leavitt, Laurence D.; Re, Richard J.

1993-01-01

An investigation was conducted at wind-off conditions in the static-test facility of the Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel to determine the internal performance characteristics of a single expansion-ramp nozzle with thrust-vectoring capability to 105 degrees. Thrust vectoring was accomplished by the downward rotation of an upper flap with adaptive capability for internal contouring and a corresponding rotation of a center-pivoted lower flap. The static internal performance of configurations with pitch thrust-vector angles of 0 degrees, 60 degrees, and 105 degrees each with two throat areas, was investigated. The nozzle pressure ratio was varied from 1.5 to approximately 8.0 (5.0 for the maximum throat area configurations). Results of this study indicated that the nozzle configuration of the present investigation, when vectored, provided excellent flow-turning capability with relatively high levels of internal performance. In all cases, the thrust vector angle was a function of the nozzle pressure ratio. This result is expected because the flow is bounded by a single expansion surface on both vectored- and unvectored-nozzle geometries.

Estimating Thruster Impulses From IMU and Doppler Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lisano, Michael E.; Kruizinga, Gerhard L.

2009-01-01

A computer program implements a thrust impulse measurement (TIM) filter, which processes data on changes in velocity and attitude of a spacecraft to estimate the small impulsive forces and torques exerted by the thrusters of the spacecraft reaction control system (RCS). The velocity-change data are obtained from line-of-sight-velocity data from Doppler measurements made from the Earth. The attitude-change data are the telemetered from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) aboard the spacecraft. The TIM filter estimates the threeaxis thrust vector for each RCS thruster, thereby enabling reduction of cumulative navigation error attributable to inaccurate prediction of thrust vectors. The filter has been augmented with a simple mathematical model to compensate for large temperature fluctuations in the spacecraft thruster catalyst bed in order to estimate thrust more accurately at deadbanding cold-firing levels. Also, rigorous consider-covariance estimation is applied in the TIM to account for the expected uncertainty in the moment of inertia and the location of the center of gravity of the spacecraft. The TIM filter was built with, and depends upon, a sigma-point consider-filter algorithm implemented in a Python-language computer program.

Nuclear Thermal Rocket Simulation in NPSS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belair, Michael L.; Sarmiento, Charles J.; Lavelle, Thomas M.

2013-01-01

Four nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) models have been created in the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) framework. The models are divided into two categories. One set is based upon the ZrC-graphite composite fuel element and tie tube-style reactor developed during the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application (NERVA) project in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The other reactor set is based upon a W-UO2 ceramic-metallic (CERMET) fuel element. Within each category, a small and a large thrust engine are modeled. The small engine models utilize RL-10 turbomachinery performance maps and have a thrust of approximately 33.4 kN (7,500 lbf ). The large engine models utilize scaled RL-60 turbomachinery performance maps and have a thrust of approximately 111.2 kN (25,000 lbf ). Power deposition profiles for each reactor were obtained from a detailed Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP5) model of the reactor cores. Performance factors such as thermodynamic state points, thrust, specific impulse, reactor power level, and maximum fuel temperature are analyzed for each engine design.

Nuclear Thermal Rocket Simulation in NPSS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belair, Michael L.; Sarmiento, Charles J.; Lavelle, Thomas L.

2013-01-01

Four nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) models have been created in the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) framework. The models are divided into two categories. One set is based upon the ZrC-graphite composite fuel element and tie tube-style reactor developed during the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application (NERVA) project in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The other reactor set is based upon a W-UO2 ceramic- metallic (CERMET) fuel element. Within each category, a small and a large thrust engine are modeled. The small engine models utilize RL-10 turbomachinery performance maps and have a thrust of approximately 33.4 kN (7,500 lbf ). The large engine models utilize scaled RL-60 turbomachinery performance maps and have a thrust of approximately 111.2 kN (25,000 lbf ). Power deposition profiles for each reactor were obtained from a detailed Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP5) model of the reactor cores. Performance factors such as thermodynamic state points, thrust, specific impulse, reactor power level, and maximum fuel temperature are analyzed for each engine design.

Directed energy deflection laboratory measurements of common space based targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brashears, Travis; Lubin, Philip; Hughes, Gary B.; Meinhold, Peter; Batliner, Payton; Motta, Caio; Madajian, Jonathan; Mercer, Whitaker; Knowles, Patrick

2016-09-01

We report on laboratory studies of the effectiveness of directed energy planetary defense as a part of the DE-STAR (Directed Energy System for Targeting of Asteroids and exploRation) program. DE-STAR and DE-STARLITE are directed energy "stand-off" and "stand-on" programs, respectively. These systems consist of a modular array of kilowatt-class lasers powered by photovoltaics, and are capable of heating a spot on the surface of an asteroid to the point of vaporization. Mass ejection, as a plume of evaporated material, creates a reactionary thrust capable of diverting the asteroid's orbit. In a series of papers, we have developed a theoretical basis and described numerical simulations for determining the thrust produced by material evaporating from the surface of an asteroid. In the DESTAR concept, the asteroid itself is used as the deflection "propellant". This study presents results of experiments designed to measure the thrust created by evaporation from a laser directed energy spot. We constructed a vacuum chamber to simulate space conditions, and installed a torsion balance that holds a common space target sample. The sample is illuminated with a fiber array laser with flux levels up to 60 MW/m2 , which allows us to simulate a mission level flux but on a small scale. We use a separate laser as well as a position sensitive centroid detector to readout the angular motion of the torsion balance and can thus determine the thrust. We compare the measured thrust to the models. Our theoretical models indicate a coupling coefficient well in excess of 100 μN/Woptical, though we assume a more conservative value of 80 μN/Woptical and then degrade this with an optical "encircled energy" efficiency of 0.75 to 60 μN/Woptical in our deflection modeling. Our measurements discussed here yield about 45 μN/Wabsorbed as a reasonable lower limit to the thrust per optical watt absorbed. Results vary depending on the material tested and are limited to measurements of 1 axis, so further tests must be performed.

Directed Energy Deflection Laboratory Measurements of Asteroids and Space Debris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brashears, T.; Lubin, P. M.

2016-12-01

We report on laboratory studies of the effectiveness of directed energy planetary and space defense as a part of the DE-STAR (Directed Energy System for Targeting of Asteroids and exploRation) program. DE-STAR [1][5][6] and DE-STARLITE [2][5][6] are directed energy "stand-off" and "stand-on" programs, respectively. These systems consist of a modular array of kilowatt-class lasers powered by photovoltaics, and are capable of heating a spot on the surface of an asteroid to the point of vaporization. Mass ejection, as a plume of evaporated material, creates a reactionary thrust capable of diverting the asteroid's orbit. In a series of papers, we have developed a theoretical basis and described numerical simulations for determining the thrust produced by material evaporating from the surface of an asteroid [1][2][3][4][5][6]. In the DE-STAR concept, the asteroid itself is used as the deflection "propellant". This study presents results of experiments designed to measure the thrust created by evaporation from a laser directed energy spot. We constructed a vacuum chamber to simulate space conditions, and installed a torsion balance that holds an "asteroid" or a space debris sample. The sample is illuminated with a fiber array laser with flux levels up to 60 MW/m2 which allows us to simulate a mission level flux but on a small scale. We use a separate laser as well as a position sensitive centroid detector to readout the angular motion of the torsion balance and can thus determine the thrust. We compare the measured thrust to the models. Our theoretical models indicate a coupling coefficient well in excess of 100 µN/Woptical, though we assume a more conservative value of 80 µN/Woptical and then degrade this with an optical "encircled energy" efficiency of 0.75 to 60 µN/Woptical in our deflection modeling. Our measurements discussed here yield about 60 µN/Wabsorbed as a reasonable lower limit to the thrust per optical watt absorbed.

Particle and gaseous emissions from commercial aircraft at each stage of the landing and takeoff cycle.

PubMed

Mazaheri, M; Johnson, G R; Morawska, L

2009-01-15

A novel technique was used to measure emission factors for commonly used commercial aircraft including a range of Boeing and Airbus airframes under real world conditions. Engine exhaust emission factors for particles in terms of particle number and mass (PM2.5), along with those for CO2 and NOx, were measured for over 280 individual aircraft during the various modes of landing/takeoff (LTO) cycle. Results from this study show that particle number, and NOx emission factors are dependent on aircraft engine thrust level. Minimum and maximum emissions factors for particle number, PM2.5, and NOx emissions were found to be in the range of 4.16 x 10(15)-5.42 x 10(16) kg(-1), 0.03-0.72 g.kg(-1), and 3.25-37.94 g.kg(-1), respectively, for all measured airframes and LTO cycle modes. Number size distributions of emitted particles for the naturally diluted aircraft plumes in each mode of LTO cycle showed that particles were predominantly in the range of 4-100 nm in diameter in all cases. In general, size distributions exhibit similar modality during all phases of the LTO cycle. A very distinct nucleation mode was observed in all particle size distributions, except for taxiing and landing of A320 aircraft. Accumulation modes were also observed in all particle size distributions. Analysis of aircraft engine emissions during LTO cycle showed that aircraft thrust level is considerably higher during taxiing than idling suggesting that International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards need to be modified as the thrust levels for taxi and idle are considered to be the same (7% of total thrust) (Environmental Protection, Annex 16, Vol. II, Aircraft Engine Emissions, 2nd ed.; ICAO--International Civil Aviation Organization: Montreal, 1993).

Integrating Thematic Web Portal Capabilities into the NASA Earthdata Web Infrastructure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wong, Minnie; Baynes, Kathleen E.; Huang, Thomas; McLaughlin, Brett

2015-01-01

This poster will present the process of integrating thematic web portal capabilities into the NASA Earth data web infrastructure, with examples from the Sea Level Change Portal. The Sea Level Change Portal will be a source of current NASA research, data and information regarding sea level change. The portal will provide sea level change information through articles, graphics, videos and animations, an interactive tool to view and access sea level change data and a dashboard showing sea level change indicators.

A new Arctic 25-year Altimetric Sea-level Record (1992-2016) and Initial look at Arctic Sea Level Budget Closure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersen, O. B.; Passaro, M.; Benveniste, J.; Piccioni, G.

2016-12-01

A new initiative within the ESA Sea Level Climate Change initiative (SL-cci) framework to improve the Arctic sea level record has been initiated as a combined effort to reprocess and retrack past altimetry to create a 25-year combined sea level record for sea level research studies. One of the objectives is to retracked ERS-2 dataset for the high latitudes based on the ALES retracking algorithm through adapting the ALES retracker for retracking of specular surfaces (leads). Secondly a reprocessing using tailored editing to Arctic Conditions will be carried out also focusing on the merging of the multi-mission data. Finally an effort is to combine physical and empirical retracked sea surface height information to derive an experimental spatio-temporal enhanced sea level product for high latitude. The first results in analysing Arctic Sea level variations on annual inter-annual scales for the 1992-2015 from a preliminar version of this dataset is presented. By including the GRACE water storage estimates and NOAA halo- and thermo-steric sea level variatios since 2002 a preliminary attempt to close the Arctic Sea level budget is presented here. Closing the Arctic sea level budget is by no mean trivial as both steric data and satellite altimetry is both sparse temporally and limited geographically.

Evaluation of various thrust calculation techniques on an F404 engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Ronald J.

1990-01-01

In support of performance testing of the X-29A aircraft at the NASA-Ames, various thrust calculation techniques were developed and evaluated for use on the F404-GE-400 engine. The engine was thrust calibrated at NASA-Lewis. Results from these tests were used to correct the manufacturer's in-flight thrust program to more accurately calculate thrust for the specific test engine. Data from these tests were also used to develop an independent, simplified thrust calculation technique for real-time thrust calculation. Comparisons were also made to thrust values predicted by the engine specification model. Results indicate uninstalled gross thrust accuracies on the order of 1 to 4 percent for the various in-flight thrust methods. The various thrust calculations are described and their usage, uncertainty, and measured accuracies are explained. In addition, the advantages of a real-time thrust algorithm for flight test use and the importance of an accurate thrust calculation to the aircraft performance analysis are described. Finally, actual data obtained from flight test are presented.

The complex reality of sea-level rise in an atoll nation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donner, S. D.

2012-12-01

Sea-level rise famously poses an existential threat to island nations like Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Maldives. Yet as the global mean sea-level rises, the response of any one location at any given time will depend on the natural variability in regional sea-level and other impact of local human activities on coastal processes. As with climate warming, the state of an individual shoreline or the extent of flooding on a given day is not proof of a sea-level trend, nor is a global sea-level trend a good predictor of individual flooding or erosion events. Failure to consider the effect of natural variability and local human activity on coastal processes often leads to misattribution of flooding events and even some long-term shoreline changes to global sea level rise. Moreover, unverified attribution of individual events or changes to specific islets to sea level rise can inflame or invite scepticism of the strong scientific evidence for an accelerating increase in the global sea level due to the impacts of human activity on the climate system. This is particularly important in developing nations like Kiribati, which are depending on international financial support to adapt to rising sea levels. In this presentation, I use gauge data and examples from seven years of field work in Tarawa Atoll, the densely populated capital of Kiribati, to examine the complexity of local sea level and shoreline change in one of the world's most vulnerable countries. First, I discuss how the combination of El Nino-driven variability in sea-level and the astronomical tidal cycle leads to flooding and erosion events which can be mistaken for evidence of sea-level rise. Second, I show that human modification to shorelines has redirected sediment supply, leading, in some cases, to expansion of islets despite rising sea levels. Taken together, the analysis demonstrates the challenge of attributing particular coastal events to global mean sea-level rise and the impact on decision-making. The presentation concludes with a discussion of the implications for attribution research, discourse about sea-level rise, and adaptation planning.

Argon behaviour in an inverted Barrovian sequence, Sikkim Himalaya: The consequences of temperature and timescale on 40Ar/39Ar mica geochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mottram, Catherine M.; Warren, Clare J.; Halton, Alison M.; Kelley, Simon P.; Harris, Nigel B. W.

2015-12-01

40Ar/39Ar dating of metamorphic rocks sometimes yields complicated datasets which are difficult to interpret in terms of timescales of the metamorphic cycle. Single-grain fusion and step-heating data were obtained for rocks sampled through a major thrust-sense shear zone (the Main Central Thrust) and the associated inverted metamorphic zone in the Sikkim region of the eastern Himalaya. This transect provides a natural laboratory to explore factors influencing apparent 40Ar/39Ar ages in similar lithologies at a variety of metamorphic pressure and temperature (P-T) conditions. The 40Ar/39Ar dataset records progressively younger apparent age populations and a decrease in within-sample dispersion with increasing temperature through the sequence. The white mica populations span 2-9 Ma within each sample in the structurally lower levels (garnet grade) but only 0-3 Ma at structurally higher levels (kyanite-sillimanite grade). Mean white mica single-grain fusion population ages vary from 16.2 ± 3.9 Ma (2σ) to 13.2 ± 1.3 Ma (2σ) from lowest to highest levels. White mica step-heating data from the same samples yields plateau ages from 14.27 ± 0.13 Ma to 12.96 ± 0.05 Ma. Biotite yield older apparent age populations with mean single-grain fusion dates varying from 74.7 ± 11.8 Ma (2σ) at the lowest structural levels to 18.6 ± 4.7 Ma (2σ) at the highest structural levels; the step-heating plateaux are commonly disturbed. Temperatures > 600 °C at pressures of 0.4-0.8 GPa sustained over > 5 Ma, appear to be required for white mica and biotite ages to be consistent with diffusive, open-system cooling. At lower temperatures, and/or over shorter metamorphic timescales, more 40Ar is retained than results from simple diffusion models suggest. Diffusion modelling of Ar in white mica from the highest structural levels suggests that the high-temperature rocks cooled at a rate of 50-80 °C Ma- 1, consistent with rapid thrusting, extrusion and exhumation along the Main Central Thrust during the mid-Miocene.

Contribution of atmospheric circulation to recent off-shore sea-level variations in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karabil, Sitar; Zorita, Eduardo; Hünicke, Birgit

2018-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to quantify the contribution of atmospheric factors to recent off-shore sea-level variability in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea on interannual timescales. For this purpose, we statistically analysed sea-level records from tide gauges and satellite altimetry and several climatic data sets covering the last century. Previous studies had concluded that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the main pattern of atmospheric variability affecting sea level in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea in wintertime. However, we identify a different atmospheric circulation pattern that is more closely connected to sea-level variability than the NAO. This circulation pattern displays a link to sea level that remains stable through the 20th century, in contrast to the much more variable link between sea level and the NAO. We denote this atmospheric variability mode as the Baltic Sea and North Sea Oscillation (BANOS) index. The sea-level pressure (SLP) BANOS pattern displays an SLP dipole with centres of action located over (5° W, 45° N) and (20° E, 70° N) and this is distinct from the standard NAO SLP pattern in wintertime. In summertime, the discrepancy between the SLP BANOS and NAO patterns becomes clearer, with centres of action of the former located over (30° E, 45° N) and (20° E, 60° N). This index has a stronger connection to off-shore sea-level variability in the study area than the NAO in wintertime for the period 1993-2013, explaining locally up to 90 % of the interannual sea-level variance in winter and up to 79 % in summer. The eastern part of the Gulf of Finland is the area where the BANOS index is most sensitive to sea level in wintertime, whereas the Gulf of Riga is the most sensitive region in summertime. In the North Sea region, the maximum sea-level sensitivity to the BANOS pattern is located in the German Bight for both winter and summer seasons. We investigated, and when possible quantified, the contribution of several physical mechanisms which may explain the link between the sea-level variability and the atmospheric pattern described by the BANOS index. These mechanisms include the inverse barometer effect (IBE), freshwater balance, net energy surface flux and wind-induced water transport. We found that the most important mechanism is the IBE in both wintertime and summertime. Assuming a complete equilibration of seasonal sea level to the SLP gradients over this region, the IBE can explain up to 88 % of the sea-level variability attributed to the BANOS index in wintertime and 34 % in summertime. The net energy flux at the surface is found to be an important factor for the variation of sea level, explaining 35 % of sea-level variance in wintertime and a very small amount in summer. The freshwater flux could only explain 27 % of the variability in summertime and a negligible part in winter. In contrast to the NAO, the direct wind forcing associated with the SLP BANOS pattern does not lead to transport of water from the North Sea into the Baltic Sea in wintertime.

Multi-linear regression of sea level in the south west Pacific as a first step towards local sea level projections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Vandhna; Meyssignac, Benoit; Melet, Angélique; Ganachaud, Alexandre

2017-04-01

Rising sea levels are a critical concern in small island nations. The problem is especially serious in the western south Pacific, where the total sea level rise over the last 60 years is up to 3 times the global average. In this study, we attempt to reconstruct sea levels at selected sites in the region (Suva, Lautoka, Noumea - Fiji and New Caledonia) as a mutiple-linear regression of atmospheric and oceanic variables. We focus on interannual-to-decadal scale variability, and lower (including the global mean sea level rise) over the 1979-2014 period. Sea levels are taken from tide gauge records and the ORAS4 reanalysis dataset, and are expressed as a sum of steric and mass changes as a preliminary step. The key development in our methodology is using leading wind stress curl as a proxy for the thermosteric component. This is based on the knowledge that wind stress curl anomalies can modulate the thermocline depth and resultant sea levels via Rossby wave propagation. The analysis is primarily based on correlation between local sea level and selected predictors, the dominant one being wind stress curl. In the first step, proxy boxes for wind stress curl are determined via regions of highest correlation. The proportion of sea level explained via linear regression is then removed, leaving a residual. This residual is then correlated with other locally acting potential predictors: halosteric sea level, the zonal and meridional wind stress components, and sea surface temperature. The statistically significant predictors are used in a multi-linear regression function to simulate the observed sea level. The method is able to reproduce between 40 to 80% of the variance in observed sea level. Based on the skill of the model, it has high potential in sea level projection and downscaling studies.

The Adriatic Sea: A Long-Standing Laboratory for Sea Level Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilibić, Ivica; Šepić, Jadranka; Pasarić, Mira; Orlić, Mirko

2017-10-01

The paper provides a comprehensive review of all aspects of Adriatic Sea level research covered by the literature. It discusses changes occurring over millennial timescales and documented by a variety of natural and man-made proxies and post-glacial rebound models; mean sea level changes occurring over centennial to annual timescales and measured by modern instruments; and daily and higher-frequency changes (with periods ranging from minutes to a day) that are contributing to sea level extremes and are relevant for present-day flooding of coastal areas. Special tribute is paid to the historic sea level studies that shaped modern sea level research in the Adriatic, followed by a discussion of existing in situ and remote sensing observing systems operating in the Adriatic area, operational forecasting systems for Adriatic storm surges, as well as warning systems for tsunamis and meteotsunamis. Projections and predictions of sea level and related hazards are also included in the review. Based on this review, open issues and research gaps in the Adriatic Sea level studies are identified, as well as the additional research efforts needed to fill the gaps. The Adriatic Sea, thus, remains a laboratory for coastal sea level studies for semi-enclosed, coastal and marginal seas in the world ocean.

The impact of half-a-degree Celsius upon the spatial pattern of future sea-level change.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Luke

2017-04-01

It has been shown that the global thermal expansion of sea level and ocean dynamics are linearly related to global temperature change. On this basis one can estimate the difference in local sea-level change between a 1.5°C and 2.0°C world. The mitigation scenario RCP 2.6 shows an end-of-century global temperature range of 0.9 to 2.3°C (median 1.6°C). Additional sea-level components, such as mass changes in ice sheets, glaciers and land-water storage have unique spatial patterns that contribute to sea-level change and will be indirectly affected by global temperature change. We project local sea-level change for RCP 2.6 using sub-sets of models in the CMIP5 archive that follow different global temperature pathways. The method used to calculate local sea-level change is probabilistic and combines the normalised spatial patterns of sea-level components with global average projections of individual sea-level components.

Sea-level rise caused by climate change and its implications for society

PubMed Central

MIMURA, Nobuo

2013-01-01

Sea-level rise is a major effect of climate change. It has drawn international attention, because higher sea levels in the future would cause serious impacts in various parts of the world. There are questions associated with sea-level rise which science needs to answer. To what extent did climate change contribute to sea-level rise in the past? How much will global mean sea level increase in the future? How serious are the impacts of the anticipated sea-level rise likely to be, and can human society respond to them? This paper aims to answer these questions through a comprehensive review of the relevant literature. First, the present status of observed sea-level rise, analyses of its causes, and future projections are summarized. Then the impacts are examined along with other consequences of climate change, from both global and Japanese perspectives. Finally, responses to adverse impacts will be discussed in order to clarify the implications of the sea-level rise issue for human society. PMID:23883609

Incorporating Sediment Compaction Into a Gravitationally Self-consistent Model for Global Sea-level Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrier, K.; Mitrovica, J. X.

2015-12-01

In sedimentary deltas and fans, sea-level changes are strongly modulated by the deposition and compaction of marine sediment. The deposition of sediment and incorporation of water into the sedimentary pore space reduces sea level by increasing the elevation of the seafloor, which reduces the thickness of sea-water above the bed. In a similar manner, the compaction of sediment and purging of water out of the sedimentary pore space increases sea level by reducing the elevation of the seafloor, which increases the thickness of sea water above the bed. Here we show how one can incorporate the effects of sediment deposition and compaction into the global, gravitationally self-consistent sea-level model of Dalca et al. (2013). Incorporating sediment compaction requires accounting for only one additional quantity that had not been accounted for in Dalca et al. (2013): the mean porosity in the sediment column. We provide a general analytic framework for global sea-level changes including sediment deposition and compaction, and we demonstrate how sea level responds to deposition and compaction under one simple parameterization for compaction. The compaction of sediment generates changes in sea level only by changing the elevation of the seafloor. That is, sediment compaction does not affect the mass load on the crust, and therefore does not generate perturbations in crustal elevation or the gravity field that would further perturb sea level. These results have implications for understanding sedimentary effects on sea-level changes and thus for disentangling the various drivers of sea-level change. ReferencesDalca A.V., Ferrier K.L., Mitrovica J.X., Perron J.T., Milne G.A., Creveling J.R., 2013. On postglacial sea level - III. Incorporating sediment redistribution. Geophysical Journal International, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggt089.

Reef productivity and preservation during the Late Neogene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husson, Laurent; Pastier, Anne-Morwenn; Schmitt, Anais; Sarr, Anta-Clarisse; Elliot, Mary; Pedoja, Kevin; Bezos, Antoine

2016-04-01

During the glacial-interglacials cycles that prevailed during Plio-Pleistocence times, the pace of sea level oscillations exerts a major control on coral reef growth and expansion. We designed a numerical model to quantify reef productivity and carbonate preservation that accounts for sea level oscillations, reef growth, erosion and subsequent geomorphological carving. We carried out a parametric study of a variety of processes (reef growth, erosion, local slope, uplift and subsidence, relative sea level, etc) towards a probabilistic analysis of reef productivity and carbonate production. We further test the effect of the frequency and amplitude of sea level oscillations using sea level curves derived from both the 18O isotope record of past sea level change and synthetic sinusoidal sea level curves. Over a typical climate cycle, our model simulations confirm that the rate of sea level change is the primary controlling factor of reef production, as it modifies the productivity by several orders of magnitude. Most importantly, reef productivity increases during periods of sea level rise, and decreases during sea level stands, while conversely, the morphology records the opposite in a misleading fashion: Reef terraces expand during sea level stands due to the joint effects of erosion and patient reef growth at a stationary level until the accommodation space is filled up. On the long-term, over the Plio-Pleistocene period, vertical ground motion also significantly alters the production: moderate uplift or subsidence can boost reef productivity up to tenfold with respect to a stationary coastline. Last, the amplitude and frequency of the sea level oscillations (typically 40 kyrs vs. 100 kyrs periods) moderately impact reef productivity. These results can be ultimately converted into estimates of carbonate production and carbon sequestration during the Late Neogene, provided relative sea level is documented in the tectonically agitated intertropical zone.

A near uniform basin-wide sea level fluctuation over the Japan/East Sea: A semienclosed sea with multiple straits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seung-Bum; Fukumori, Ichiro

2008-06-01

Sea level of the Japan/East Sea observed by the TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) satellite altimeter is analyzed using a 1/4°-resolution ocean general circulation model. A significant fraction of the Japan/East Sea sea level variability is found to be spatially uniform with periods ranging from 20 d to a year. The model simulation is consistent with T/P records in terms of the basin-wide sea level fluctuation's spectral energy and coherence. The simulation indicates that the changes are barotropic in nature and controlled, notably at high frequencies, by the net mass transport through the straits of the Japan/East Sea driven by winds in the vicinity of the Korea/Tsushima and Soya Straits. A series of barotropic simulations suggest that the sea level fluctuations are the result of a dynamic balance at the straits among near-strait winds, friction, and geostrophic control. The basin-wide sea level response is a linear superposition of changes due to winds near the individual straits. In particular, a basin-wide sea level response can be established by winds near either one of the straits alone. For the specific geometry and winds, winds near the Soya Strait have a larger impact on the Japan/East Sea mean sea level than those near the Korea/Tsushima Strait.

Studies of fluid flow indicators, Pacific margin of Costa Rica

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Silver, E.; McAdoo, B.; Langseth, M.

Seismic reflection profiles off Costa Rica image a decrease in thickness of the underthrust sedimentary section from the Middle America Trench, implying a significant reduction of porosity in the outer 3-5 km from the trench and a source of vent water through the wedge. We encountered no evidence of discrete fluid venting over the outer 3-5 km of this margin from dives using the ALVIN submersible or from heat flow measurements (based on absence of chemosynthetic vent communities and heat flow anomalies in this zone). Vent communities occur farther upslope, associated with a series of out-of-sequence thrusts, with two mudmore » diapirs, and a mid-slope canyon. We infer that fracture permeability dominates in the out-of-sequence thrusts, upflow of fluid-rich muds in the diapir, and focusing of fluid flow in the canyon. Over 100 heat flow observations on the wedge and incoming COCOS plate showed a broad area of anomalously low heat flow (13 mW/m{sup 2}) seaward of the frontal thrust, whereas the expected heat flow for ocean crust of early Miocene age is seven times greater. The very low regional heat flow may reflect refrigeration by vigorous sea water flow through the upper crust pillow basalts. Heat flow increases to about 30 mW/m{sup 2} throughout the lower slope to mid-slope, implying a combination of widespread fluid venting, reheating of the cooled crust and frictional heating at the base of the wedge. The lack of discrete vents over the outer 3-5 km of the margin indicates diffuse flow and likely temporal episodicity, as this region has been aseismic since 1950.« less

Studies of fluid flow indicators, Pacific margin of Costa Rica

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Silver, E.; McAdoo, B.; Langseth, M.

Seismic reflection profiles off Costa Rica image a decrease in thickness of the underthrust sedimentary section from the Middle America Trench, implying a significant reduction of porosity in the outer 3-5 km from the trench and a source of vent water through the wedge. We encountered no evidence of discrete fluid venting over the outer 3-5 km of this margin from dives using the ALVIN submersible or from heat flow measurements (based on absence of chemosynthetic vent communities and heat flow anomalies in this zone). Vent communities occur farther upslope, associated with a series of out-of-sequence thrusts, with two mudmore » diapirs, and a mid-slope canyon. We infer that fracture permeability dominates in the out-of-sequence thrusts, upflow of fluid-rich muds in the diapir, and focusing of fluid flow in the canyon. Over 100 heat flow observations on the wedge and incoming COCOS plate showed a broad area of anomalously low heat flow (13 mW/m[sup 2]) seaward of the frontal thrust, whereas the expected heat flow for ocean crust of early Miocene age is seven times greater. The very low regional heat flow may reflect refrigeration by vigorous sea water flow through the upper crust pillow basalts. Heat flow increases to about 30 mW/m[sup 2] throughout the lower slope to mid-slope, implying a combination of widespread fluid venting, reheating of the cooled crust and frictional heating at the base of the wedge. The lack of discrete vents over the outer 3-5 km of the margin indicates diffuse flow and likely temporal episodicity, as this region has been aseismic since 1950.« less

Numerical Elasto-Plastic Models on the Faulting development in Southwest Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, F. Y.; Tan, E.; Chang, E. T. Y.

2016-12-01

We use 3D numerical elasto-plastic model to simulate the development of faults and the surface deformation in Southwest Taiwan, which is under oblique collision between Eurasian plate and Philippine Sea plate. The study area is bounded by the Central Range and the Peikang basement high, comprising the southernmost part of the fold-and-thrust belt joint with the coastal plain (mainly the Pingtung Plain). Our goal is to model the deformation mechanism under oblique collision of plates in and around the Taiwan Island. The Cenozoic sediment isopach is taken to form our experimental domain. The Chaochou fault locates at the eastern boundary, serving as a bulldozer moving westward in a velocity of 5 cm/yr. The Peikang high is the backstop at western boundary with material in various friction angle attached to supply friction. The northern boundary striking in E-W direction is at the northern end of the Chaochou fault as a frictional boundary. The southern boundary is in the offshore area of the Pingtung Plain with an open boundary, which allows material free to flow out. A thin layer with variable frictions is at the bottom. Our results show a significant correlation with the tectonic structures observed in the SW Taiwan. The motion velocity increases from north to south, which is similar to the GPS observation. Additionally, two longitudinal thrusts are generated at east. They correspond to the Chaochou fault and Koaping fault, the latter of which is reported as a thrust with sinistral motion. Furthermore, several sinistral strike-slip faults are emergent in the southeast in our experiment. In fact, the bathymetry in the SW offshore Taiwan reveals a lateral motion within the strata in the accretionary prism.

Sea Level Trend and Variability in the Straits of Singapore and Malacca

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luu, Q.; Tkalich, P.

2013-12-01

The Straits of Singapore and Malacca (SSM) connect the Andaman Sea located northeast of the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea, the largest marginal sea situated in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Consequently, sea level in the SSM is assumed to be governed by various regional phenomena associated with the adjacent parts of Indian and Pacific Oceans. At annual scale sea level variability is dominant by the Asian monsoon. Interannual sea level signals are modulated by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). In the long term, regional sea level is driven by the global climate change. However, relative impacts of these multi-scale phenomena on regional sea level in the SSM are yet to be quantified. In present study, publicly available tide gauge records and satellite altimetry data are used to derive long-term sea level trend and variability in SSM. We used the data from research-quality stations, including four located in the Singapore Strait (Tanjong Pagar, Raffles Lighthouse, Sultan Shoal and Sembawang) and seven situated in the Malacca Strait (Kelang, Keling, Kukup, Langkawji, Lumut, Penang and Ko Taphao Noi), each one having 25-39 year data up to the year 2011. Harmonic analysis is performed to filter out astronomic tides from the tide gauge records when necessary; and missing data are reconstructed using identified relationships between sea level and the governing phenomena. The obtained sea level anomalies (SLAs) and reconstructed mean sea level are then validated against satellite altimetry data from AVISO. At multi-decadal scale, annual measured sea level in the SSM is varying with global mean sea level, rising for the period 1984-2009 at the rate 1.8-2.3 mm/year in the Singapore Strait and 1.1-2.8 mm/year in the Malacca Strait. Interannual regional sea level drops are associated with El Niño events, while the rises are correlated with La Niña episodes; both variations are in the range of ×5 cm with correlation coefficient of -0.7 (in correspondence with the Multivariate ENSO Index). The IOD modulates interannual sea level variability only in the Malacca Strait in the range of ×3 cm with a correlation coefficient of -0.6 (with respect to the Dipole Mode Index). At annual scale, SLAs in the SSM are mainly monsoon-driven; of the order of 20 cm. Mean sea level in the Singapore Strait reach the peak during northeast monsoon and trough during southwest monsoon; while these in the Malacca Strait are highest at middle of both monsoons and lowest during their transitional monsoonal seasons. Global and regional signals are quantitatively captured in the SSM. In comparison with the global sea level trends, SSM sea level rise are larger for recent decades 1984-2009. Taking into account the rough estimate of land subsidence rates in Singapore (2006-2011) and Peninsular Malaysia (1994-2004), the trend of absolute sea level rise in SSM follows regional tendency. At interannual scale, ENSO modulates sea level variabilities in the entire SSM region, while IOD affects the Malacca Strait only. At annual scale, sea level responds differently to the Asian monsoon: quasi-periodic cycles are observed twice a year in the Malacca Strait, but once a year in the Singapore Strait. Such behavior implies that the narrow channel constriction between the Singapore and Malacca Straits may be a reason of different variability of sea level in the domains.

Studies of Operating Frequency Effects On Ejector-based Thrust Augmentation in a Pulse Detonation Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landry, K.

2005-01-01

Studies were performed in order to characterize the thrust augmentation potential of an ejector in a Pulse Detonation Engine application. A 49-mm diameter tube of 0.914-m length was constructed with one open end and one closed end. Ethylene, oxygen, and nitrogen were introduced into the tube at the closed end through the implementation of a fast mixing injector. The tube was completely filled with a stoichiometric mixture containing a one to one molar ratio of nitrogen to oxygen. Ethylene was selected as the fuel due to its detonation sensitivity and the molar ratio of the oxidizer was chosen for heat transfer purposes. Detonations were initiated in the tube through the use of a spark ignition system. The PDE was operated in a multi-cycle mode at frequencies ranging from 20-Hz to 50-Hz. Baseline thrust measurements with no ejector present were performed while operating the engine at various frequencies and compared to theoretical estimates. The baseline values were observed to agree with the theoretical model at low operating frequencies and proved to be increasingly lower than the predicted values as the operating frequency was increased. The baseline thrust measurements were observed to agree within 15 percent of the model for all operating frequencies. A straight 152-mm diameter ejector was installed and thrust augmentation percentages were measured. The length of the ejector was varied while the overlap percentage (percent of the ejector length which overlapped the tube) was maintained at 25 percent for all tests. In addition, the effect of ejector inlet geometry was investigated by comparing results with a straight inlet to those of a 38-mm inlet diameter. The thrust augmentation of the straight inlet ejector proved to be independent of engine operating frequency, augmenting thrust by 40 percent for the 0.914-m length ejector. In contrast, the rounded lip ejector of the same length seemed to be highly dependent on the engine operating frequency. An optimum operating frequency observed with the rounded inlet occurred at an operating frequency of 30-Hz, resulting in thrust augmentation percentages greater than 100 percent. The effect that the engine operating frequency had on thrust augmentation levels attained with an ejector was characterized and optimum performance parameters were established. Insight into the frequency dependent nature of the ejector performance was pursued. Suggestions for future experiments which are needed to fully understand the means in which thrust augmentation is achieved in a PDE-ejector configuration were noted.

Comparison of Far-Field Noise for Three Significantly Different Model Turbofans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodward, Richard P.

2008-01-01

Far-field noise sound power level (PWL) spectra and overall sound pressure level (OASPL) directivities were compared for three significantly different model fan stages which were tested in the NASA Glenn 9x15 Low Speed Wind Tunnel. The test fans included the Advanced Ducted Propulsor (ADP) Fan1, the baseline Source Diagnostic Test (SDT) fan, and the Quiet High Speed Fan2 (QHSF2) These fans had design rotor tangential tip speeds from 840 to 1474 ft/s and stage pressure ratios from 1.29 to 1.82. Additional parameters included rotor-stator spacing, stator sweep, and downstream support struts. Acoustic comparison points were selected on the basis of stage thrust. Acoustic results for the low tip speed/low pressure ratio fan (ADP Fan1) were thrust-adjusted to show how a geometrically-scaled version of this fan might compare at the higher design thrust levels of the other two fans. Lowest noise levels were typically observed for ADP Fan1 (which had a radial stator) and for the intermediate tip speed fan (Source Diagnostics Test, SDT, R4 rotor) with a swept stator. Projected noise levels for the ADP fan to the SDT swept stator configuration at design point conditions showed the fans to have similar noise levels. However, it is possible that the ADP fan could be 2 to 3 dB quieter with incorporation of a swept stator. Benefits of a scaled ADP fan include avoidance of multiple pure tones associated with transonic and higher blade tip speeds. Penalties of a larger size ADP fan would include increased nacelle size and drag.

Comparison of Far-field Noise for Three Significantly Different Model Turbofans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodward, Richard P.

2008-01-01

Far-field noise sound power level (PWL) spectra and overall sound pressure level (OASPL) directivities were compared for three significantly different model fan stages which were tested in the NASA Glenn 9 15 Low Speed Wind Tunnel. The test fans included the Advanced Ducted Propulsor (ADP) Fan1, the baseline Source Diagnostic Test (SDT) fan, and the Quiet High Speed Fan2 (QHSF2). These fans had design rotor tangential tip speeds from 840 to 1474 ft/s and stage pressure ratios from 1.29 to 1.82. Additional parameters included rotor-stator spacing, stator sweep, and downstream support struts. Acoustic comparison points were selected on the basis of stage thrust. Acoustic results for the low tip speed/low pressure ratio fan (ADP Fan1) were thrust-adjusted to show how a geometrically-scaled version of this fan might compare at the higher design thrust levels of the other two fans. Lowest noise levels were typically observed for ADP Fan1 (which had a radial stator) and for the intermediate tip speed fan (Source Diagnostics Test, SDT, R4 rotor) with a swept stator. Projected noise levels for the ADP fan to the SDT swept stator configuration at design point conditions showed the fans to have similar noise levels. However, it is possible that the ADP fan could be 2 to 3 dB quieter with incorporation of a swept stator. Benefits of a scaled ADP fan include avoidance of multiple pure tones associated with transonic and higher blade tip speeds. Penalties of a larger size ADP fan would include increased nacelle size and drag.

Upper cervical and upper thoracic thrust manipulation versus nonthrust mobilization in patients with mechanical neck pain: a multicenter randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Dunning, James R; Cleland, Joshua A; Waldrop, Mark A; Arnot, Cathy F; Young, Ian A; Turner, Michael; Sigurdsson, Gisli

2012-01-01

Randomized clinical trial. To compare the short-term effects of upper cervical and upper thoracic high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) thrust manipulation to nonthrust mobilization in patients with neck pain. Although upper cervical and upper thoracic HVLA thrust manipulation and nonthrust mobilization are common interventions for the management of neck pain, no studies have directly compared the effects of both upper cervical and upper thoracic HVLA thrust manipulation to nonthrust mobilization in patients with neck pain. Patients completed the Neck Disability Index, the numeric pain rating scale, the flexion-rotation test for measurement of C1-2 passive rotation range of motion, and the craniocervical flexion test for measurement of deep cervical flexor motor performance. Following the baseline evaluation, patients were randomized to receive either HVLA thrust manipulation or nonthrust mobilization to the upper cervical (C1-2) and upper thoracic (T1-2) spines. Patients were reexamined 48-hours after the initial examination and again completed the outcome measures. The effects of treatment on disability, pain, C1-2 passive rotation range of motion, and motor performance of the deep cervical flexors were examined with a 2-by-2 mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA). One hundred seven patients satisfied the eligibility criteria, agreed to participate, and were randomized into the HVLA thrust manipulation (n = 56) and nonthrust mobilization (n = 51) groups. The 2-by-2 ANOVA demonstrated that patients with mechanical neck pain who received the combination of upper cervical and upper thoracic HVLA thrust manipulation experienced significantly (P<.001) greater reductions in disability (50.5%) and pain (58.5%) than those of the nonthrust mobilization group (12.8% and 12.6%, respectively) following treatment. In addition, the HVLA thrust manipulation group had significantly (P<.001) greater improvement in both passive C1-2 rotation range of motion and motor performance of the deep cervical flexor muscles as compared to the group that received nonthrust mobilization. The number needed to treat to avoid an unsuccessful outcome was 1.8 and 2.3 at 48-hour follow-up, using the global rating of change and Neck Disability Index cut scores, respectively. The combination of upper cervical and upper thoracic HVLA thrust manipulation is appreciably more effective in the short term than nonthrust mobilization in patients with mechanical neck pain. Therapy, level 1b.

The flooding of the San Matías Gulf: The Northern Patagonia sea-level curve

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isla, Federico Ignacio

2013-12-01

Northern Patagonia is characterised by tectonic depressions below present sea level. Some of them are today flooded by the sea; others remain emerged although they are at altitudes of - 50 m (Bajo del Gualicho), - 35 m (Salinas Grandes) and - 7 m (Salina La Piedra). San Matías Gulf also was such an emerged depression below contemporary mean sea level during the Late Pleistocene. It flooded between 11,500 and 11,000 years ago, when the sea level surpassed the sill of the gulf (today 50 m below mean sea level) during postglacial sea-level rise. In those days, shrublands extended on the slopes of the tectonic depression. In-situ pieces of woods dredged from the bottom of the gulf at depths of 70 m gave a conventional age of 11,310 ± 150 years BP. We used the wood, together with dated shells from the continental shelf, and shells and organic matter dated from the San Blas, Negro and Chubut coastal plains to construct a sea-level curve. Sea level rise surpassed the present level somewhat before 6000 years BP, reaching a maximum stand of + 6 m. It has since gently diminished towards present sea level.

Implications of sediment redistribution on modeled sea-level changes over millennial timescales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrier, Ken

2016-04-01

Sea level is a critical link in feedbacks among topography, tectonics, and climate. Over millennial timescales, changes in sea level reshape river networks, regulate organic carbon burial, influence sediment deposition, and set moving boundary conditions for landscape evolution. Sea-level changes influence tectonics by regulating rates and patterns of erosion and deposition, which perturb the surface loads that drive geodynamic processes at depth. These interactions are complex because sea-level changes are influenced by the geomorphic processes that they themselves modify, since sediment redistribution deforms the gravitational and crustal elevation fields that define sea level. A recent advance in understanding the coupling between sea level, tectonics, and topography was the incorporation of sediment redistribution into a gravitationally self-consistent sea-level model, which permits the computation of sea-level responses to erosion and deposition (Dalca et al., 2013, Geophysical Journal International). Here I use this model to quantify changes in sea level resulting from the erosion of some of the most rapidly eroding sites on Earth and the deposition of sediment offshore. These model results show that the sea-level fingerprints of sediment redistribution are strongly variable in space, and that they can represent a significant component of the total sea level change since the last interglacial. This work provides a basis for understanding a fundamental driver of landscape evolution at some of Earth's most geomorphically dynamic sites, and thus aids investigation of the couplings among tectonics, climate, and topography. References Dalca A.V., Ferrier K.L., Mitrovica J.X., Perron J.T., Milne G.A., Creveling J.R., 2013. On postglacial sea level - III. Incorporating sediment redistribution. Geophysical Journal International, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggt089.

Experiments on a repetitively pulsed electrothermal thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burton, R. L.; Fleischer, D.; Goldstein, S. A.; Tidman, D. A.

1987-01-01

This paper presents experimental results from an investigation of a pulsed electrothermal (PET) thruster using water propellant. The PET thruster is operated on a calibrated thrust stand, and produces a thrust to power ratio of T/P = 0.07 + or - 0.01 N/kW. The discharge conditions are inferred from a numerical model which predicts pressure and temperature levels of 300-500 atm and 20,000 K, respectively. These values in turn correctly predict the measured values of impulse bit and discharge resistance. The inferred ideal exhaust velocity from these conditions is 17 km/sec, but the injection of water propellant produces a test tank background pressure of 10-20 Torr, which reduces the exhaust velocity to 14 km/sec. This value corresponds to a thrust efficiency of 54 + or - 7 percent when all experimental errors are taken into account.

Hovering Dual-Spin Vehicle Groundwork for Bias Momentum Sizing Validation Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothhaar, Paul M.; Moerder, Daniel D.; Lim, Kyong B.

2008-01-01

Angular bias momentum offers significant stability augmentation for hovering flight vehicles. The reliance of the vehicle on thrust vectoring for agility and disturbance rejection is greatly reduced with significant levels of stored angular momentum in the system. A methodical procedure for bias momentum sizing has been developed in previous studies. This current study provides groundwork for experimental validation of that method using an experimental vehicle called the Dual-Spin Test Device, a thrust-levitated platform. Using measured data the vehicle's thrust vectoring units are modeled and a gust environment is designed and characterized. Control design is discussed. Preliminary experimental results of the vehicle constrained to three rotational degrees of freedom are compared to simulation for a case containing no bias momentum to validate the simulation. A simulation of a bias momentum dominant case is presented.

Lubrication of optimized-design tapered-roller bearings to 2.4 million DN

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, R. J.; Pinel, S. I.; Signer, Hans R.

1980-01-01

The performance of 120.65 mm (4.75 in.) bore high speed design, tapered roller bearings was investigated at shaft speeds to 20,000 rpm (2.4 million DN) under combined thrust and radial load. The test bearing design was computer optimized for high speed operation. Temperature distribution bearing heat generation were determined as a function of shaft speed, radial and thrust loads, lubricant flow rates, and lubricant inlet temperature. The high speed design, tapered roller bearing operated successfully at shaft speeds up to 20,000 rpm under heavy thrust and radial loads. Bearing temperatures and heat generation with the high speed design bearing were significantly less than those of a modified standard bearing tested previously. Cup cooling was effective in decreasing the high cup temperatures to levels equal to the cone temperature.

Thrust Augmented Nozzle for a Hybrid Rocket with a Helical Fuel Port

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Joel H.

A thrust augmented nozzle for hybrid rocket systems is investigated. The design lever-ages 3-D additive manufacturing to embed a helical fuel port into the thrust chamber of a hybrid rocket burning gaseous oxygen and ABS plastic as propellants. The helical port significantly increases how quickly the fuel burns, resulting in a fuel-rich exhaust exiting the nozzle. When a secondary gaseous oxygen flow is injected into the nozzle downstream of the throat, all of the remaining unburned fuel in the plume spontaneously ignites. This secondary reaction produces additional high pressure gases that are captured by the nozzle and significantly increases the motor's performance. Secondary injection and combustion allows a high expansion ratio (area of the nozzle exit divided by area of the throat) to be effective at low altitudes where there would normally be significantly flow separation and possibly an embedded shock wave due. The result is a 15 percent increase in produced thrust level with no loss in engine efficiency due to secondary injection. Core flow efficiency was increased significantly. Control tests performed using cylindrical fuel ports with secondary injection, and helical fuel ports without secondary injection did not exhibit this performance increase. Clearly, both the fuel-rich plume and secondary injection are essential features allowing the hybrid thrust augmentation to occur. Techniques for better design optimization are discussed.

Spatial-temporal analysis of sea level changes in China seas and neighboring oceans by merged altimeter data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yao; Zhou, Bin; Yu, Zhifeng; Lei, Hui; Sun, Jiamin; Zhu, Xingrui; Liu, Congjin

2017-01-01

The knowledge of sea level changes is critical important for social, economic and scientific development in coastal areas. Satellite altimeter makes it possible to observe long term and large scale dynamic changes in the ocean, contiguous shelf seas and coastal zone. In this paper, 1993-2015 altimeter data of Topex/Poseidon and its follow-on missions is used to get a time serious of continuous and homogeneous sea level anomaly gridding product. The sea level rising rate is 0.39 cm/yr in China Seas and the neighboring oceans, 0.37 cm/yr in the Bo and Yellow Sea, 0.29 cm/yr in the East China Sea and 0.40 cm/yr in the South China Sea. The mean sea level and its rising rate are spatial-temporal non-homogeneous. The mean sea level shows opposite characteristics in coastal seas versus open oceans. The Bo and Yellow Sea has the most significant seasonal variability. The results are consistent with in situ data observation by the Nation Ocean Agency of China. The coefficient of variability model is introduced to describe the spatial-temporal variability. Results show that the variability in coastal seas is stronger than that in open oceans, especially the seas off the entrance area of the river, indicating that the validation of altimeter data is less reasonable in these seas.

Understanding extreme sea levels for coastal impact and adaptation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahl, T.; Haigh, I. D.; Nicholls, R. J.; Arns, A.; Hinkel, J.; Dangendorf, S.; Slangen, A.

2016-12-01

Coastal impact and adaptation assessments require detailed knowledge on extreme sea levels, because increasing damage due to extreme events, such as storm surges and tropical cyclones, is one of the major consequences of sea level rise and climate change. In fact, the IPCC has highlighted in its AR4 report that "societal impacts of sea level change primarily occur via the extreme levels rather than as a direct consequence of mean sea level changes". Over the last few decades, substantial research efforts have been directed towards improved understanding of past and future mean sea level; different scenarios were developed with process-based or semi-empirical models and used for coastal impact assessments at various spatial scales to guide coastal management and adaptation efforts. The uncertainties in future sea level rise are typically accounted for by analyzing the impacts associated with a range of scenarios leading to a vertical displacement of the distribution of extreme sea-levels. And indeed most regional and global studies find little or no evidence for changes in storminess with climate change, although there is still low confidence in the results. However, and much more importantly, there is still a limited understanding of present-day extreme sea-levels which is largely ignored in most impact and adaptation analyses. The two key uncertainties stem from: (1) numerical models that are used to generate long time series of extreme sea-levels. The bias of these models varies spatially and can reach values much larger than the expected sea level rise; but it can be accounted for in most regions making use of in-situ measurements; (2) Statistical models used for determining present-day extreme sea-level exceedance probabilities. There is no universally accepted approach to obtain such values for flood risk assessments and while substantial research has explored inter-model uncertainties for mean sea level, we explore here, for the first time, inter-model uncertainties for extreme sea-levels at large spatial scales and compare them to the uncertainties in mean sea level projections.

Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma Actuators Thrust-Measurement Methodology Incorporating New Anti-Thrust Hypothesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashpis, David E.; Laun, Matthew C.

2014-01-01

We discuss thrust measurements of Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma actuators devices used for aerodynamic active flow control. After a review of our experience with conventional thrust measurement and significant non-repeatability of the results, we devised a suspended actuator test setup, and now present a methodology of thrust measurements with decreased uncertainty. The methodology consists of frequency scans at constant voltages. The procedure consists of increasing the frequency in a step-wise fashion from several Hz to the maximum frequency of several kHz, followed by frequency decrease back down to the start frequency of several Hz. This sequence is performed first at the highest voltage of interest, then repeated at lower voltages. The data in the descending frequency direction is more consistent and selected for reporting. Sample results show strong dependence of thrust on humidity which also affects the consistency and fluctuations of the measurements. We also observed negative values of thrust or "anti-thrust", at low frequencies between 4 Hz and up to 64 Hz. The anti-thrust is proportional to the mean-squared voltage and is frequency independent. Departures from the parabolic anti-thrust curve are correlated with appearance of visible plasma discharges. We propose the anti-thrust hypothesis. It states that the measured thrust is a sum of plasma thrust and anti-thrust, and assumes that the anti-thrust exists at all frequencies and voltages. The anti-thrust depends on actuator geometry and materials and on the test installation. It enables the separation of the plasma thrust from the measured total thrust. This approach enables more meaningful comparisons between actuators at different installations and laboratories. The dependence on test installation was validated by surrounding the actuator with a large diameter, grounded, metal sleeve.

A Poor Relationship Between Sea Level and Deep-Water Sand Delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Ashley D.; Baumgardner, Sarah E.; Sun, Tao; Granjeon, Didier

2018-08-01

The most commonly cited control on delivery of sand to deep water is the rate of relative sea-level fall. The rapid rate of accommodation loss on the shelf causes sedimentation to shift basinward. Field and experimental numerical modeling studies have shown that deep-water sand delivery can occur during any stage of relative sea level position and across a large range of values of rate of relative sea-level change. However, these studies did not investigate the impact of sediment transport efficiency on the relationship between rate of relative sea-level change and deep-water sand delivery rate. We explore this relationship using a deterministic nonlinear diffusion-based numerical stratigraphic forward model. We vary across three orders of magnitude the diffusion coefficient value for marine settings, which controls sediment transport efficiency. We find that the rate of relative sea-level change can explain no more than 1% of the variability in deep-water sand delivery rates, regardless of sediment transport efficiency. Model results show a better correlation with relative sea level, with up to 55% of the variability in deep water sand delivery rates explained. The results presented here are consistent with studies of natural settings which suggest stochastic processes such as avulsion and slope failure, and interactions among such processes, may explain the remaining variance. Relative sea level is a better predictor of deep-water sand delivery than rate of relative sea-level change because it is the sea-level fall itself which promotes sand delivery, not the rate of the fall. We conclude that the poor relationship between sea level and sand delivery is not an artifact of the modeling parameters but is instead due to the inadequacy of relative sea level and the rate of relative sea-level change to fully describe the dimensional space in which depositional systems reside. Subsequently, sea level itself is unable to account for the interaction of multiple processes that contribute to sand delivery to deep water.

Flooded! An Investigation of Sea-Level Rise in a Changing Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillette, Brandon; Hamilton, Cheri

2011-01-01

Explore how melting ice sheets affect global sea levels. Sea-level rise (SLR) is a rise in the water level of the Earth's oceans. There are two major kinds of ice in the polar regions: sea ice and land ice. Land ice contributes to SLR and sea ice does not. This article explores the characteristics of sea ice and land ice and provides some hands-on…

Grain-size based sea-level reconstruction in the south Bohai Sea during the past 135 kyr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Liang; Chen, Yanping

2013-04-01

Future anthropogenic sea-level rise and its impact on coastal regions is an important issue facing human civilizations. Due to the short nature of the instrumental record of sea-level change, development of proxies for sea-level change prior to the advent of instrumental records is essential to reconstruct long-term background sea-level changes on local, regional and global scales. Two of the most widely used approaches for past sea-level changes are: (1) exploitation of dated geomorphologic features such as coastal sands (e.g. Mauz and Hassler, 2000), salt marsh (e.g. Madsen et al., 2007), terraces (e.g. Chappell et al., 1996), and other coastal sediments (e.g. Zong et al., 2003); and (2) sea-level transfer functions based on faunal assemblages such as testate amoebae (e.g. Charman et al., 2002), foraminifera (e.g. Chappell and Shackleton, 1986; Horton, 1997), and diatoms (e.g. Horton et al., 2006). While a variety of methods has been developed to reconstruct palaeo-changes in sea level, many regions, including the Bohai Sea, China, still lack detailed relative sea-level curves extending back to the Pleistocene (Yi et al., 2012). For example, coral terraces are absent in the Bohai Sea, and the poor preservation of faunal assemblages makes development of a transfer function for a relative sea-level reconstruction unfeasible. In contrast, frequent alternations between transgression and regression has presumably imprinted sea-level change on the grain size distribution of Bohai Sea sediments, which varies from medium silt to coarse sand during the late Quaternary (IOCAS, 1985). Advantages of grainsize-based relative sea-level transfer function approaches are that they require smaller sample sizes, allowing for replication, faster measurement and higher spatial or temporal resolution at a fraction of the cost of detail micro-palaeontological analysis (Yi et al., 2012). Here, we employ numerical methods to partition sediment grain size using a combined database of marine surface and core samples, and to quantitatively reconstruct sea-level variation since the late Pleistocene in the south Bohai Sea, China. New insights into regional relative sea-level changes since the late Pleistocene are obtained (Yi et al., 2012): (1) The grain size of surface and core samples can be mathematically partitioned using the Weibull distribution into four components. These four components with differing modal sizes and percentages could be interpreted as a long-term suspension component, which only settles under low turbulence conditions, sortable silt and very fine sand components transported by suspension during greater turbulence and bedload transport component, respectively. (2) Through regression and rigorous verification techniques, the reference water level could be reconstructed from sediment grain size. The reconstruction quantitatively extends the regional relative sea-level history to the late Pleistocene, providing a comparatively long dataset to evaluate regional sea-level variability. (3) We find no evidence of a sea-level high stand during MIS3 but rather a substantial regression during 70-30 cal kyr BP and potentially exposed land during 38-20 cal kyr BP. These results for the south Bohai Sea are in good agreement with published global sea-level records for the late Pleistocene, implying similarities between local and global sea-level patterns. Therefore, it is concluded that grain-size based sea-level reconstruction provide results that are comparable to other reconstruction methods and demonstrates great potential application for future works. (The data was shared on http://hurricane.ncdc.noaa.gov/) References Chappell, J., Omura, A., Esat, T., McCulloch, M., Pandolfi, J., Ota, Y., Pillans, B., 1996. Reconciliation of late Quaternary sea levels derived from coral terraces at Huon Peninsula with deep sea oxygen isotope records. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 141, 227-236. Chappell, J., Shackleton, N.J., 1986. Oxygen isotopes and sea level. Nature 324, 137-140. Charman, D.J., Roe, H.M., Roland Gehrels, W., 2002. Modern distribution of saltmarsh testate amoebae: regional variability of zonation and response to environmental variables. Journal of Quaternary Science 17, 387-409. Horton, B.P., 1997. Quantification of the indicative meaning of a range of Holocene sea-level index points from the western North Sea, Department of Geography. University of Durham, Durham City, UK, p. 509. Horton, B.P., Corbett, R., Culver, S.J., Edwards, R.J., Hillier, C., 2006. Modern saltmarsh diatom distributions of the Outer Banks, North Carolina, and the development of a transfer function for high resolution reconstructions of sea level. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 69, 381-394. IOCAS (Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences), 1985. Bohai Sea Geology. Science Press, Beijing, China. Madsen, A.T., Murray, A.S., Andersen, T.J., Pejrup, M., 2007. Temporal changes of accretion rates on an estuarine salt marsh during the late Holocene -Reflection of local sea level changes? The Wadden Sea, Denmark. Marine Geology 242, 221-233. Mauz, B., Hassler, U., 2000. Luminescence chronology of Late Pleistocene raised beaches in southern Italy: new data of relative sea-level changes. Marine Geology 170, 187-203. Yi, L., Yu, H.J., Ortiz, J.D., Xu, X.Y., Qiang, X.K., Huang, H.J., Shi, X., Deng, C.L., 2012. A reconstruction of late Pleistocene relative sea level in the south Bohai Sea, China, based on sediment grain-size analysis. Sedimentary Geology 281, 88-100. Zong, Y., Shennan, I., Combellick, R.A., Hamilton, S.L., Rutherford, M.M., 2003. Microfossil evidence for land movements associated with the AD 1964 Alaska earthquake. The Holocene 13, 7-20.

Climate related sea-level variations over the past two millennia

PubMed Central

Kemp, Andrew C.; Horton, Benjamin P.; Donnelly, Jeffrey P.; Mann, Michael E.; Vermeer, Martin; Rahmstorf, Stefan

2011-01-01

We present new sea-level reconstructions for the past 2100 y based on salt-marsh sedimentary sequences from the US Atlantic coast. The data from North Carolina reveal four phases of persistent sea-level change after correction for glacial isostatic adjustment. Sea level was stable from at least BC 100 until AD 950. Sea level then increased for 400 y at a rate of 0.6 mm/y, followed by a further period of stable, or slightly falling, sea level that persisted until the late 19th century. Since then, sea level has risen at an average rate of 2.1 mm/y, representing the steepest century-scale increase of the past two millennia. This rate was initiated between AD 1865 and 1892. Using an extended semiempirical modeling approach, we show that these sea-level changes are consistent with global temperature for at least the past millennium. PMID:21690367

Long-term sea level trends: Natural or anthropogenic?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, M.; Karpytchev, M.; Lennartz-Sassinek, S.

2014-08-01

Detection and attribution of human influence on sea level rise are important topics that have not yet been explored in depth. We question whether the sea level changes (SLC) over the past century were natural in origin. SLC exhibit power law long-term correlations. By estimating Hurst exponent through Detrended Fluctuation Analysis and by applying statistics of Lennartz and Bunde, we search the lower bounds of statistically significant external sea level trends in longest tidal records worldwide. We provide statistical evidences that the observed SLC, at global and regional scales, is beyond its natural internal variability. The minimum anthropogenic sea level trend (MASLT) contributes to the observed sea level rise more than 50% in New York, Baltimore, San Diego, Marseille, and Mumbai. A MASLT is about 1 mm/yr in global sea level reconstructions that is more than half of the total observed sea level trend during the XXth century.

Quantitative analysis of Paratethys sea level change during the Messinian Salinity Crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de la Vara, Alba; Meijer, Paul; van Baak, Christiaan; Marzocchi, Alice; Grothe, Arjen

2016-04-01

At the time of the Messinian Salinity Crisis in the Mediterranean Sea (i.e., the Pontian stage of the Paratethys), the Paratethys sea level dropped also. Evidence found in the sedimentary record of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea has been interpreted to indicate that a sea level fall occurred between 5.6 and 5.5 Ma. Estimates for the magnitude of the fall range between tens of meters to more than 1500 m. The purpose of this study is to provide quantitative insight into the sensitivity of the water level of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea to the hydrologic budget, for the case that the Paratethys is disconnected from the Mediterranean. Using a Late Miocene bathymetry based on a palaeographic map by Popov et al. (2004) we quantify the fall in sea level, the mean salinity, and the time to reach equilibrium for a wide range of negative hydrologic budgets. By combining our results with (i) estimates derived from a recent global Late Miocene climate simulation and (ii) reconstructed basin salinities, we are able to rule out a drop in sea level of the order of 1000 m in the Caspian Sea during this time period. In the Black Sea, however, such a large sea level fall cannot be fully discarded.

Development and application of marine gamma-ray measurements: a review.

PubMed

Jones, D G

2001-01-01

The development of instruments to measure gamma radiation in the marine environment, particularly on the sea floor, and the range of uses to which they have been put is reviewed. Since the first steps in the late 1950s, systems have been developed in at least 10 countries with the main thrust occurring in the 1970s. Development has continued up to the present, primarily in Europe and the USA. Marine gamma-ray spectrometers have been used for a range of applications including the mapping of rocks and unconsolidated sediments, mineral exploration (mainly for heavy minerals and phosphorites), sediment transport studies and investigations in relation to discharged and dumped nuclear wastes and at nuclear weapon test sites.

Relationship between Biomechanical Characteristics of Spinal Manipulation and Neural Responses in an Animal Model: Effect of Linear Control of Thrust Displacement versus Force, Thrust Amplitude, Thrust Duration, and Thrust Rate

PubMed Central

Reed, William R.; Cao, Dong-Yuan; Long, Cynthia R.; Kawchuk, Gregory N.; Pickar, Joel G.

2013-01-01

High velocity low amplitude spinal manipulation (HVLA-SM) is used frequently to treat musculoskeletal complaints. Little is known about the intervention's biomechanical characteristics that determine its clinical benefit. Using an animal preparation, we determined how neural activity from lumbar muscle spindles during a lumbar HVLA-SM is affected by the type of thrust control and by the thrust's amplitude, duration, and rate. A mechanical device was used to apply a linear increase in thrust displacement or force and to control thrust duration. Under displacement control, neural responses during the HVLA-SM increased in a fashion graded with thrust amplitude. Under force control neural responses were similar regardless of the thrust amplitude. Decreasing thrust durations at all thrust amplitudes except the smallest thrust displacement had an overall significant effect on increasing muscle spindle activity during the HVLA-SMs. Under force control, spindle responses specifically and significantly increased between thrust durations of 75 and 150 ms suggesting the presence of a threshold value. Thrust velocities greater than 20–30 mm/s and thrust rates greater than 300 N/s tended to maximize the spindle responses. This study provides a basis for considering biomechanical characteristics of an HVLA-SM that should be measured and reported in clinical efficacy studies to help define effective clinical dosages. PMID:23401713

Sea level budget in the Arctic during the satellite altimetry era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carret, Alice; Cazenave, Anny; Meyssignac, Benoît; Prandi, Pierre; Ablain, Michael; Andersen, Ole; Blazquez, Alejandro

2016-04-01

Studying sea level variations in the Arctic region is challenging because of data scarcity. Here we present results of the sea level budget in the Arctic (up to 82°N) during the altimetry era. We first investigate closure of the sea level budget since 2002 using altimetry data from Envisat and Cryosat for estimating sea level, temperature and salinity data from the ORAP5 reanalysis and GRACE space gravimetry to estimate the steric and mass components. Two altimetry sea level data sets are considered (from DTU and CLS), based on Envisat waveforms retracking. Regional sea level trends seen in the altimetric map, in particular over the Beaufort Gyre and along the eastern coast of Greenland are of steric origin. However, in terms of regional average, the steric component contributes very little to the observed sea level trend, suggesting a dominant mass contribution in the Arctic region. This is confirmed by GRACE-based ocean mass time series that agree very well with the altimetry-based sea level time series. Direct estimate of the mass component is not possible prior to GRACE. Thus we estimated the mass contribution over the whole altimetry era from the difference between altimetry-based sea level and the ORAP5 steric component. Finally we compared altimetry-based coastal sea level with tide gauge records available along Norwegian, Greenland and Siberian coastlines and investigated whether the Arctic Oscillation that was the main driver of coastal sea level in the Arctic during the past decades still plays a dominant role or if other factors (e.g., of anthropogenic origin) become detectable.

Generalized Cauchy model of sea level fluctuations with long-range dependence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ming; Li, Jia-Yue

2017-10-01

This article suggests the contributions with two highlights. One is to propose a novel model of sea level fluctuations (sea level for short), which is called the generalized Cauchy (GC) process. It provides a new outlook for the description of local and global behaviors of sea level from a view of fractal in that the fractal dimension D that measures the local behavior of sea level and the Hurst parameter H which characterizes the global behavior of sea level are independent of each other. The other is to show that sea level appears multi-fractal in both spatial and time. Such a meaning of multi-fractal is new in the sense that a pair of fractal parameters (D, H) of sea level is varying with measurement sites and time. This research exhibits that the ranges of D and H of sea level, in general, are 1 ≤ D < 2 and 0 . 5 < H < 1, respectively but D is independent of H. With respect to the global behavior of sea level, we shall show that H > 0 . 96 for all data records at all measurement sites, implying that strong LRD may be a general phenomenon of sea level. On the other side, regarding with the local behavior, we will reveal that there appears D = 1 or D ≈ 1 for data records at a few stations and at some time, but D > 0 . 96 at most stations and at most time, meaning that sea level may appear highly local irregularity more frequently than weak local one.

Inception of a global atlas of Holocene sea levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Nicole; Rovere, Alessio; Engelhart, Simon; Horton, Benjamin

2017-04-01

Determining the rates, mechanisms and geographic variability of sea-level change is a priority science question for the next decade of ocean research. To address these research priorities, the HOLocene SEA-level variability (HOLSEA) working group is developing the first standardized global synthesis of Holocene relative sea-level data to: (1) estimate the magnitudes and rates of global mean sea-level change during the Holocene; and (2) identify trends in spatial variability and decipher the processes responsible for geographic differences in relative sea-level change. Here we present the preliminary efforts of the working group to compile the database, which includes sea-level index points and limiting data from a range of different indicators across seven continents from the Last Glacial Maximum to present. We follow a standard protocol that incorporates full consideration of vertical and temporal uncertainty for each sea-level index point, including uncertainties associated with the relationship of each indicator to past sea-level and the methods used to date each indicator. We describe the composition of the global database, identify gaps in data availability, and highlight our effort to create an online platform to access the data. These data will be made available in a special issue of Quaternary Science Reviews and archived on NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) in early 2018. We also invite researchers who collect or model Holocene sea-level data to participate. Long-term, this effort will enhance predictions of 21st century sea-level rise, and provide a vital contribution to the assessment of natural hazards with respect to sea-level rise and coastal response.

Sea-level and deep-sea-temperature variability over the past 5.3 million years.

PubMed

Rohling, E J; Foster, G L; Grant, K M; Marino, G; Roberts, A P; Tamisiea, M E; Williams, F

2014-04-24

Ice volume (and hence sea level) and deep-sea temperature are key measures of global climate change. Sea level has been documented using several independent methods over the past 0.5 million years (Myr). Older periods, however, lack such independent validation; all existing records are related to deep-sea oxygen isotope (δ(18)O) data that are influenced by processes unrelated to sea level. For deep-sea temperature, only one continuous high-resolution (Mg/Ca-based) record exists, with related sea-level estimates, spanning the past 1.5 Myr. Here we present a novel sea-level reconstruction, with associated estimates of deep-sea temperature, which independently validates the previous 0-1.5 Myr reconstruction and extends it back to 5.3 Myr ago. We find that deep-sea temperature and sea level generally decreased through time, but distinctly out of synchrony, which is remarkable given the importance of ice-albedo feedbacks on the radiative forcing of climate. In particular, we observe a large temporal offset during the onset of Plio-Pleistocene ice ages, between a marked cooling step at 2.73 Myr ago and the first major glaciation at 2.15 Myr ago. Last, we tentatively infer that ice sheets may have grown largest during glacials with more modest reductions in deep-sea temperature.

The role of atmospheric circulation patterns on short-term sea-level fluctuations along the eastern seaboard of the US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheridan, S. C.; Lee, C. C.; Pirhalla, D.; Ransi, V.

2017-12-01

Sea-level fluctuations over time are a product of short-term weather events, as well as long-term secular trends in sea-level rise. With sea-levl rise, these fluctuations increasingly have substantial impacts upon coastal ecosystems and impact society through coastal flooding events. In this research, we assess the impact of short-term events, combined with sea-level rise, through synoptic climatological analysis, exploring whether circulation pattern identification can be used to enhance probabilistic forecasts of flood likelihood. Self-organizing maps (SOMs) were created for two discrete atmospheric variables: 700-hPa geopotential height (700z) and sea-level pressure (SLP). For each variable, a SOM array of patterns was created based on data spanning 25°-50°N and 60°-90°W for the period 1979-2014. Sea-level values were derived from tidal gauges between Cape May, New Jersey and Charleston, South Carolina, along the mid-Atlantic coast of the US. Both anomalous sea-level values, as well as nuisance flood occurrence (defined using the local gauge threshold), were assessed. Results show the impacts of both the inverted barometer effect as well as surface wind forcing on sea levels. With SLP, higher sea levels are associated with either patterns that were indicative of on-shore flow or cyclones. At 700z, ridges situated along the east coast are associated with higher sea levels. As the SOM matrix arranges atmospheric patterns in a continuum, the nodes of each SOM show a clear spatial pattern in terms of anomalous sea level, including some significant sea-level anomalies associated with relatively ambiguous pressure patterns. Further, multi-day transitions are also analyzed, showing rapidly deepening cyclones, or persistent onshore flow, can be associated with the greatest likelihood of nuisance floods. Results are weaker with 700z than SLP; however, in some cases, it is clear that the mid-tropospheric circulation can modulate the connection between sea-level anomalies and surface circulation.

Improving sea level simulation in Mediterranean regional climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adloff, Fanny; Jordà, Gabriel; Somot, Samuel; Sevault, Florence; Arsouze, Thomas; Meyssignac, Benoit; Li, Laurent; Planton, Serge

2017-08-01

For now, the question about future sea level change in the Mediterranean remains a challenge. Previous climate modelling attempts to estimate future sea level change in the Mediterranean did not meet a consensus. The low resolution of CMIP-type models prevents an accurate representation of important small scales processes acting over the Mediterranean region. For this reason among others, the use of high resolution regional ocean modelling has been recommended in literature to address the question of ongoing and future Mediterranean sea level change in response to climate change or greenhouse gases emissions. Also, it has been shown that east Atlantic sea level variability is the dominant driver of the Mediterranean variability at interannual and interdecadal scales. However, up to now, long-term regional simulations of the Mediterranean Sea do not integrate the full sea level information from the Atlantic, which is a substantial shortcoming when analysing Mediterranean sea level response. In the present study we analyse different approaches followed by state-of-the-art regional climate models to simulate Mediterranean sea level variability. Additionally we present a new simulation which incorporates improved information of Atlantic sea level forcing at the lateral boundary. We evaluate the skills of the different simulations in the frame of long-term hindcast simulations spanning from 1980 to 2012 analysing sea level variability from seasonal to multidecadal scales. Results from the new simulation show a substantial improvement in the modelled Mediterranean sea level signal. This confirms that Mediterranean mean sea level is strongly influenced by the Atlantic conditions, and thus suggests that the quality of the information in the lateral boundary conditions (LBCs) is crucial for the good modelling of Mediterranean sea level. We also found that the regional differences inside the basin, that are induced by circulation changes, are model-dependent and thus not affected by the LBCs. Finally, we argue that a correct configuration of LBCs in the Atlantic should be used for future Mediterranean simulations, which cover hindcast period, but also for scenarios.

Sea-level rise caused by climate change and its implications for society.

PubMed

Mimura, Nobuo

2013-01-01

Sea-level rise is a major effect of climate change. It has drawn international attention, because higher sea levels in the future would cause serious impacts in various parts of the world. There are questions associated with sea-level rise which science needs to answer. To what extent did climate change contribute to sea-level rise in the past? How much will global mean sea level increase in the future? How serious are the impacts of the anticipated sea-level rise likely to be, and can human society respond to them? This paper aims to answer these questions through a comprehensive review of the relevant literature. First, the present status of observed sea-level rise, analyses of its causes, and future projections are summarized. Then the impacts are examined along with other consequences of climate change, from both global and Japanese perspectives. Finally, responses to adverse impacts will be discussed in order to clarify the implications of the sea-level rise issue for human society.(Communicated by Kiyoshi HORIKAWA, M.J.A.).

Regional characteristics of the effects of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation on the sea level in the China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hui; Liu, Kexiu; Wang, Aimei; Feng, Jianlong; Fan, Wenjing; Liu, Qiulin; Xu, Yao; Zhang, Zengjian

2018-05-01

Based on coastal tide level, satellite altimetry, and sea surface temperature (SST) data of offshore areas of China's coast and the equatorial Pacific Ocean, the regional characteristics of the effects of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the sea level in the China Sea were investigated. Singular value decomposition results show a significant teleconnection between the sea level in the China Sea and the SST of the tropical Pacific Ocean; the correlation coefficient decreases from south to north. Data from tide gauges along China's coast show that the seasonal sea-level variations are significantly correlated with the ENSO. In addition, China's coast was divided into three regions based on distinctive regional characteristics. Results obtained show that the annual amplitude of sea level was low during El Niño developing years, and especially so during the El Niño year. The ENSO intensity determined the response intensity of the annual amplitude of the sea level. The response region (amplitude) was relatively large for strong ENSO intensities. Significant oscillation periods at a timescale of 4-7 years existed in the sea level of the three regions. The largest amplitude of oscillation was 1.5 cm, which was the fluctuation with the 7-year period in the South China Sea. The largest amplitude of oscillation in the East China Sea was about 1.3 cm. The amplitude of oscillation with the 6-year period in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea was the smallest (less than 1 cm).

Uncertainty of in-flight thrust determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abernethy, Robert B.; Adams, Gary R.; Steurer, John W.; Ascough, John C.; Baer-Riedhart, Jennifer L.; Balkcom, George H.; Biesiadny, Thomas

1986-01-01

Methods for estimating the measurement error or uncertainty of in-flight thrust determination in aircraft employing conventional turbofan/turbojet engines are reviewed. While the term 'in-flight thrust determination' is used synonymously with 'in-flight thrust measurement', in-flight thrust is not directly measured but is determined or calculated using mathematical modeling relationships between in-flight thrust and various direct measurements of physical quantities. The in-flight thrust determination process incorporates both ground testing and flight testing. The present text is divided into the following categories: measurement uncertainty methodoogy and in-flight thrust measurent processes.

Quantifying and Projecting Relative Sea-Level Rise At The Regional Scale: The Bangladesh Sea-Level Project (BanD-AID)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shum, C. K.; Kuo, C. Y.; Guo, J.; Shang, K.; Tseng, K. H.; Wan, J.; Calmant, S.; Ballu, V.; Valty, P.; Kusche, J.; Hossain, F.; Khan, Z. H.; Rietbroek, R.; Uebbing, B.

2014-12-01

The potential for accelerated sea-level rise under anthropogenic warming is a significant societal problem, in particular in world's coastal deltaic regions where about half of the world's population resides. Quantifying geophysical sources of sea-level rise with the goal of improved projection at local scales remains a complex and challenging interdisciplinary research problem. These processes include ice-sheet/glacier ablations, steric sea-level, solid Earth uplift or subsidence due to GIA, tectonics, sediment loading or anthropogenic causes, hydrologic imbalance, and human processes including water retention in reservoirs and aquifer extraction. The 2013 IPCC AR5 concluded that the observed and explained geophysical causes of global geocentric sea-level rise, 1993-2010, is closer towards closure. However, the discrepancy reveals that circa 1.3→37.5% of the observed sea-level rise remains unexplained. This relatively large discrepancy is primarily attributable to the wide range of estimates of respective contributions of Greenland and Antarctic ice-sheets and mountain/peripheral glaciers to sea-level rise. Understanding and quantifying the natural and anthropogenic processes governing solid Earth (land, islands and sea-floor) uplift or subsidence at the regional and local scales remain elusive to enable addressing coastal vulnerability due to relative sea-level rise hazards, such as the Bangladesh Delta. This study focuses on addressing coastal vulnerability of Bangladesh, a Belmont Forum/IGFA project, BanD-AID (http://Belmont-SeaLevel.org). Sea-level rise, along with tectonic, sediment load and groundwater extraction induced land uplift/subsidence, have exacerbated Bangladesh's coastal vulnerability, affecting 150 million people in one of the world's most densely populated regions. Here we present preliminary results using space geodetic observations, including satellite radar and laser altimetry, GRACE gravity, tide gauge, hydrographic, and GPS/InSAR observed land subsidence, and via fingerprint sea-level adjustment and reconstructed sea-level approaches, for improved quantification of major contributions to, and the projection of relative sea-level rise at the Bangladesh delta, towards addressing its coastal vulnerability and sustainability.

Design and Demonstration of Emergency Control Modes for Enhanced Engine Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Yuan; Litt, Jonathan S.; Guo, Ten-Huei

2013-01-01

A design concept is presented for developing control modes that enhance aircraft engine performance during emergency flight scenarios. The benefits of increased engine performance to overall vehicle survivability during these situations may outweigh the accompanied elevated risk of engine failure. The objective involves building control logic that can consistently increase engine performance beyond designed maximum levels based on an allowable heightened probability of failure. This concept is applied to two previously developed control modes: an overthrust mode that increases maximum engine thrust output and a faster response mode that improves thrust response to dynamic throttle commands. This paper describes the redesign of these control modes and presents simulation results demonstrating both enhanced engine performance and robust maintenance of the desired elevated risk level.

Evaluation of a pulsed quasi-steady MPD thruster and associated subsystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lien, H.; Garrison, R. L.; Libby, D. R.

1972-01-01

The performance of quasi-steady magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thrusters at high power levels is discussed. An axisymmetric configuration is used for the MPD thruster, with various cathode and anode sizes, over a wide range of experimental conditions. Thrust is determined from impulse measurements with current waveforms, while instantaneous measurements are made for all other variables. It is demonstrated that the thrust produced has a predominately self-magnetic origin and is directly proportional to the square of the current. The complete set of impulse measurement data is presented.

Orbit Transfer Vehicle Engine Study. Phase A, extension 1: Advanced expander cycle engine optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mellish, J. A.

1979-01-01

The performance optimization of expander cycle engines at vacuum thrust levels of 10K, 15K, and 20K lb is discussed. The optimization is conducted for a maximum engine length with an extendible nozzle in the retracted position of 60 inches and an engine mixture ratio of 6.0:1. The thrust chamber geometry and cycle analyses are documented. In addition, the sensitivity of a recommended baseline expander cycle to component performance variations is determined and chilldown/start propellant consumptions are estimated.

Hybrid Propulsion Demonstration Program 250K Hybrid Motor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Story, George; Zoladz, Tom; Arves, Joe; Kearney, Darren; Abel, Terry; Park, O.

2003-01-01

The Hybrid Propulsion Demonstration Program (HPDP) program was formed to mature hybrid propulsion technology to a readiness level sufficient to enable commercialization for various space launch applications. The goal of the HPDP was to develop and test a 250,000 pound vacuum thrust hybrid booster in order to demonstrate hybrid propulsion technology and enable manufacturing of large hybrid boosters for current and future space launch vehicles. The HPDP has successfully conducted four tests of the 250,000 pound thrust hybrid rocket motor at NASA's Stennis Space Center. This paper documents the test series.

Performance and acoustic prediction of counterrotating propeller configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Denner, B. W.; Korkan, K. D.

1989-01-01

The Davidson (1981) numerical method is used to predict the performance of a counterrotating propeller configuration over a range of different front and back disk rotation speeds with constant-speed propellers; this has yielded such overall performance parameters as integrated thrust, torque, and power, as well as the radial variation of blade torque and thrust. Since the unsteady component of the noise from a counterrotating propeller configuration is minimal in the plane of the propeller disk, this approach is restricted to noise-level predictions for observer locations in this region.

Technical Excellence: A Requirement for Good Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Paul S.; Vaughan, William W.

2008-01-01

Technical excellence is a requirement for good engineering. Technical excellence has many different ways of expressing itself within engineering. NASA has initiatives that address the enhancement of the Agency's technical excellence and thrust to maintain the associated high level of performance by the Agency on current programs/projects and as it moves into the Constellation Program and the return to the Moon with plans to visit Mars. This paper addresses some of the key initiatives associated with NASA's technical excellence thrust. Examples are provided to illustrate some results being achieved and plans to enhance these initiatives.

Performance Evaluation of the T6 Ion Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, John Steven; Goebel, Dan M.; Hofer, Richard R.; Polk, James E.; Wallace, Neil C.; Simpson, Huw

2010-01-01

The T6 ion engine is a 22-cm diameter, 4.5-kW Kaufman-type ion thruster produced by QinetiQ, Ltd., and is baselined for the European Space Agency BepiColombo mission to Mercury and is being qualified under ESA sponsorship for the extended range AlphaBus communications satellite platform. The heritage of the T6 includes the T5 ion thruster now successfully operating on the ESA GOCE spacecraft. As a part of the T6 development program, an engineering model thruster was subjected to a suite of performance tests and plume diagnostics at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The engine was mounted on a thrust stand and operated over its nominal throttle range of 2.5 to 4.5 kW. In addition to the typical electrical and flow measurements, an E x B mass analyzer, scanning Faraday probe, thrust vector probe, and several near-field probes were utilized. Thrust, beam divergence, double ion content, and thrust vector movement were all measured at four separate throttle points. The engine performance agreed well with published data on this thruster. At full power the T6 produced 143 mN of thrust at a specific impulse of 4120 seconds and an efficiency of 64%; optimization of the neutralizer for lower flow rates increased the specific impulse to 4300 seconds and the efficiency to nearly 66%. Measured beam divergence was less than, and double ion content was greater than, the ring-cusp-design NSTAR thruster that has flown on NASA missions. The measured thrust vector offset depended slightly on throttle level and was found to increase with time as the thruster approached thermal equilibrium.

Ultrasound analysis of the vertebral artery during non-thrust cervical translatoric spinal manipulation.

PubMed

Creighton, Doug; Kondratek, Melodie; Krauss, John; Huijbregts, Peter; Qu, Harvey

2011-05-01

Cervical translatoric spinal manipulation (TSM) techniques have been suggested as a safer alternative to cervical thrust rotatory techniques. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of three C5-C6 non-thrust TSM techniques on vertebral artery (VA) lumen diameter (LD) and two blood flow velocity parameters. The two-tailed research hypothesis was that the TSM techniques would result in a significant change (increase or decrease) in blood flow velocity and arterial LD at the C5-C6 intertransverse portion of the VA. In a sample of 30 subjects representative of a clinical population, color-coded duplex Doppler diagnostic ultrasound imaging was used to collect data on LD, peak systolic velocity (PSV), and end diastolic velocity with the cervical spine positioned in neutral and in three different manipulation positions. Pair-wise mean differences between measurements at baseline (neutral position) and in all three manipulation positions were analyzed using two-tailed paired t-tests with alpha set at 0·05. Of the 18 paired comparisons, there were four statistically significant differences between measurements in the neutral position and a manipulation position, three concerning LD and one PSV. The three significant differences in LD ranged from 4·6 to 3·2% and were not associated with changes in blood flow velocity. The one significant change in PSV was only 6·6 cm/s. A value that still greatly exceeded the end diastolic velocity. No subject experienced symptoms associated with VA compromise. This study has provided evidence for the safety of the three lower cervical non-thrust TSM techniques on the current population studied. Further study is required on thrust versus non-thrust TSM techniques and on levels other than C5-C6.

Recent and active tectonics of the external zone of the Northern Apennines (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boccaletti, Mario; Corti, Giacomo; Martelli, Luca

2011-08-01

We present a comprehensive study of the recent and active tectonics of the external part of the Northern Apennines (Italy) by using morphotectonic, geological-structural, and stratigraphic analysis, compared with the current seismicity of the region. This analysis suggests that the external part of the Northern Apennines is characterised by presence of three major systems of Quaternary compressive structures corresponding to (1) the Apenninic watershed, (2) the Apennines-Po Plain margin (pede-Apenninic thrust front), and (3) the Emilia, Ferrara, and Adriatic Fold systems buried below the Po Plain. Geological data and interpreted seismic sections indicate a roughly N-S Quaternary deformation direction, with rates <2.5 mm/year. The shortening decreased since the Pliocene, when our data indicate compression in a NNW-SSE direction and rates up to 7 mm/year. The trend and kinematics of the structures affecting the Apennines-Po Plain margin and the Po Plain subsoil fit well the pattern of the current seismicity of the area, as well as recent GPS and geodetic levelling data, pointing to a current activity of these thrust systems controlled by an overall compressive stress field. Close to the Apenninic watershed, earthquake focal mechanisms indicate that shallow extension is associated to deep compression. The extensional events may be related to a secondary extensional stress field developing on the hangingwall of the thrust system affecting the Apenninic watershed; alternatively, this thrust system may have been recently deactivated and overprinted by active normal faulting. Deeper compressive events are related to the activity of both a major basement thrust that connects at surface with the pede-Apenninic thrust front and a major Moho structure.

Courses of change in knee adduction moment and lateral thrust differ up to 1 year after TKA.

PubMed

Shimada, Noboru; Deie, Masataka; Hirata, Kazuhiko; Hiate, Yasuhiko; Orita, Naoya; Iwaki, Daisuke; Ito, Yoshihiro; Kimura, Hiroaki; Pappas, Evangelos; Ochi, Mitsuo

2016-08-01

In total knee arthroplasty (TKA), dynamic knee loading may loosen the artificial joint and bone or cause polyethylene wear after prolonged use. TKA decreases knee adduction moment at 6 months, but this effect is lost by 1 year post-operatively. However, lateral thrust after TKA has not been clarified. We hypothesized that like knee adduction moment, lateral thrust would return to baseline levels by 1 year post-operatively. Participants were 15 patients who underwent TKA for medial knee OA. Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, numeric rating scale, and gait analysis (measurement of peak knee adduction moment, knee varus angle at peak knee adduction moment, lateral thrust, and gait speed) were performed preoperatively (baseline) and 3 weeks, 3 and 6 months, and 1 year post-operatively. JOA score improved from 55 ± 9.8 to 78 ± 12.1 at 1 year post-operatively, and pain decreased significantly from baseline at each follow-up (p < 0.001). Significant increases in gait speed were observed at 6 months and 1 year (p < 0.001). Peak knee adduction moment during stance phase was significantly lower at 3 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months compared to baseline (p < 0.05), but no significant changes were seen at 1 year. Knee varus at peak knee adduction moment did not differ significantly between any measurement points, while lateral thrust was decreased at 6 months and 1 year compared to baseline (p < 0.05). Temporal courses of changes up to 1 year after TKA differed between knee adduction moment and lateral thrust, so our hypothesis was rejected. IV.

Sea-level change during the last 2500 years in New Jersey, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kemp, Andrew C.; Horton, Benjamin P.; Vane, Christopher H.; Bernhardt, Christopher E.; Corbett, D. Reide; Engelhart, Simon E.; Anisfeld, Shimon C.; Parnell, Andrew C.; Cahill, Niamh

2013-01-01

Relative sea-level changes during the last ∼2500 years in New Jersey, USA were reconstructed to test if late Holocene sea level was stable or included persistent and distinctive phases of variability. Foraminifera and bulk-sediment δ13C values were combined to reconstruct paleomarsh elevation with decimeter precision from sequences of salt-marsh sediment at two sites using a multi-proxy approach. The additional paleoenvironmental information provided by bulk-sediment δ13C values reduced vertical uncertainty in the sea-level reconstruction by about one third of that estimated from foraminifera alone using a transfer function. The history of sediment deposition was constrained by a composite chronology. An age–depth model developed for each core enabled reconstruction of sea level with multi-decadal resolution. Following correction for land-level change (1.4 mm/yr), four successive and sustained (multi-centennial) sea-level trends were objectively identified and quantified (95% confidence interval) using error-in-variables change point analysis to account for age and sea-level uncertainties. From at least 500 BC to 250 AD, sea-level fell at 0.11 mm/yr. The second period saw sea-level rise at 0.62 mm/yr from 250 AD to 733 AD. Between 733 AD and 1850 AD, sea level fell at 0.12 mm/yr. The reconstructed rate of sea-level rise since ∼1850 AD was 3.1 mm/yr and represents the most rapid period of change for at least 2500 years. This trend began between 1830 AD and 1873 AD. Since this change point, reconstructed sea-level rise is in agreement with regional tide-gauge records and exceeds the global average estimate for the 20th century. These positive and negative departures from background rates demonstrate that the late Holocene sea level was not stable in New Jersey.

Revolutionizing Space Propulsion Through the Characterization of Iodine as Fuel for Hall-Effect Thrusters

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

for controlled thruster operation at varying conditions. An inverted pendulum was used to take thrust measurements. Thrust to power ratio, anode...for comparison will include thrust, T. Thrust 21 can be measured by a sensitive inverted pendulum thrust stand. Specific impulse would be...to this pressure. III.4 Diagnostic Equipment The instrument used to take thrust measurements was the Busek T8 inverted pendulum thrust stand [13

Paleocene-Eocene and Plio-Pleistocene sea-level changes as "species pumps" in Southeast Asia: Evidence from Althepus spiders.

PubMed

Li, Fengyuan; Li, Shuqiang

2018-05-17

Sea-level change has been viewed as a primary driver in the formation of biodiversity. Early studies confirmed that Plio-Pleistocene sea-level changes led to the isolation and subsequent genetic differentiation of Southeast (SE) Asian organisms over short geological timescales. However, long-time consequences of sea-level fluctuations remain unclear. Herein, we analyze the evolutionary history of Althepus (spiders) whose distribution encompasses Indo-Burma and the Sunda shelf islands to understand how sea-level changes over shallow and deep timescales effected their history. Our integrative analyses, including phylogeny, divergence times, ancestral area reconstruction and diversification dynamics, reveal an intricate pattern of diversification, probably triggered by sea-level fluctuations during the Paleocene-Eocene and Plio-Pleistocene. The timing of one early divergence between the Indo-Burmese and Sundaic species coincides with late Paleocene and early Eocene high global sea levels, which induced the formation of inland seaways in the Thai-Malay Peninsula. Subsequent lowered sea levels could have provided a land bridge for its dispersal colonization across the Isthmus of Kra. Analyses suggest that Plio-Pleistocene sea-level rises contributed to recent divergence of many species. Thus, our findings cannot reject the hypothesis that sea-level changes during the Paleocene-Eocene and Plio-Pleistocene played a major role in generating biodiversity in SE Asia; sea-level changes can act as "species pumps". Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potentiometric surface and water-level difference maps of selected confined aquifers in Southern Maryland and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, 1975-2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Curtin, Stephen E.; Staley, Andrew W.; Andreasen, David C.

2016-01-01

Key Results This report presents potentiometric-surface maps of the Aquia and Magothy aquifers and the Upper Patapsco, Lower Patapsco, and Patuxent aquifer systems using water levels measured during September 2015. Water-level difference maps are also presented for these aquifers. The water-level differences in the Aquia aquifer are shown using groundwater-level data from 1982 and 2015, while the water-level differences are shown for the Magothy aquifer using data from 1975 and 2015. Water-level difference maps for both the Upper Patapsco and Lower Patapsco aquifer systems are shown using data from 1990 and 2015. The water-level differences in the Patuxent aquifer system are shown using groundwater-level data from 2007 and 2015. The potentiometric surface maps show water levels ranging from 53 feet above sea level to 164 feet below sea level in the Aquia aquifer, from 86 feet above sea level to 106 feet below sea level in the Magothy aquifer, from 115 feet above sea level to 115 feet below sea level in the Upper Patapsco aquifer system, from 106 feet above sea level to 194 feet below sea level in the Lower Patapsco aquifer system, and from 165 feet above sea level to 171 feet below sea level in the Patuxent aquifer system. Water levels have declined by as much as 116 feet in the Aquia aquifer since 1982, 99 feet in the Magothy aquifer since 1975, 66 and 83 feet in the Upper Patapsco and Lower Patapsco aquifer systems, respectively, since 1990, and 80 feet in the Patuxent aquifer system since 2007.

Was Himalayan normal faulting triggered by initiation of the Ramgarh-Munsiari Thrust?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, Delores M.; Pearson, Ofori N.

2013-01-01

The Ramgarh–Munsiari thrust is a major orogen-scale fault that extends for more than 1,500 km along strike in the Himalayan fold-thrust belt. The fault can be traced along the Himalayan arc from Himachal Pradesh, India, in the west to eastern Bhutan. The fault is located within the Lesser Himalayan tectonostratigraphic zone, and it translated Paleoproterozoic Lesser Himalayan rocks more than 100 km toward the foreland. The Ramgarh–Munsiari thrust is always located in the proximal footwall of the Main Central thrust. Northern exposures (toward the hinterland) of the thrust sheet occur in the footwall of the Main Central thrust at the base of the high Himalaya, and southern exposures (toward the foreland) occur between the Main Boundary thrust and Greater Himalayan klippen. Although the metamorphic grade of rocks within the Ramgarh–Munsiari thrust sheet is not significantly different from that of Greater Himalayan rock in the hanging wall of the overlying Main Central thrust sheet, the tectonostratigraphic origin of the two different thrust sheets is markedly different. The Ramgarh–Munsiari thrust became active in early Miocene time and acted as the roof thrust for a duplex system within Lesser Himalayan rocks. The process of slip transfer from the Main Central thrust to the Ramgarh–Munsiari thrust in early Miocene time and subsequent development of the Lesser Himalayan duplex may have played a role in triggering normal faulting along the South Tibetan Detachment system.

Sea-Level Projections from the SeaRISE Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nowicki, Sophie; Bindschadler, Robert

2011-01-01

SeaRISE (Sea-level Response to Ice Sheet Evolution) is a community organized modeling effort, whose goal is to inform the fifth IPCC of the potential sea-level contribution from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets in the 21st and 22nd century. SeaRISE seeks to determine the most likely ice sheet response to imposed climatic forcing by initializing an ensemble of models with common datasets and applying the same forcing to each model. Sensitivity experiments were designed to quantify the sea-level rise associated with a change in: 1) surface mass balance, 2) basal lubrication, and 3) ocean induced basal melt. The range of responses, resulting from the multi-model approach, is interpreted as a proxy of uncertainty in our sea-level projections. http://websrv.cs .umt.edu/isis/index.php/SeaRISE_Assessment.

Ignition Characterization Test Results for the LO2/Ethanol Propellant Combination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Popp, Christopher G.; Robinson, Phillip J.; Veith, Eric M.

2006-01-01

A series of contracts were issued by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the auspices of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate to develop and expand the maturity of candidate technologies considered to be important for future space exploration. One such technology was to determine the viability of incorporating non-toxic propellants for Reaction Control Subsystems (RCS). Contract NAS8-01109 was issued to Aerojet to develop a dual thrust Reaction Control Engine (RCE) that utilized liquid oxygen and ethanol as the propellants. The dual thrust RCE incorporated a primary thrust level of 870 lbf, and a vernier thrust level of 10 - 30 lbf. The preferred RCS approach for the dual thrust RCE was to utilize pressure-fed liquid oxygen (LOX) and ethanol propellants; however, previous dual thrust feasibility testing incorporated GOX/Ethanol igniters as opposed to LOX/Ethanol igniters in the design. GOX/Ethanol was easier to ignite, but this combination had system design implications of providing GOX for the igniters. A LOX/Ethanol igniter was desired; however, extensive LOX/Ethanol ignition data over the anticipated operating range for the dual thrust RCE did not exist. Therefore, Aerojet designed and tested a workhorse LOX igniter to determine LOX/Ethanol ignition characteristics as part of a risk mitigation effort for the dual thrust RCE design. LOX, encompassing potential two-phase flow conditions anticipated being present in real mission applications. A workhorse igniter was designed to accommodate the hll LOX design flowrate, as well as a reduced GOX flowrate. It was reasoned that the initial LOX flow through the igniter would flash to GOX due to the latent heat stored in the hardware, causing a reduced oxygen flowrate because of a choked, or sonic, flow condition through the injection elements. As LOX flow continued, the hardware would chill-in, with the injected oxygen flow transitioning from cold GOX through two-phase flow to subcooled LOX. permitted oxygen state points to be determined in the igniter oxidizer manifold, and gas-side igniter chamber thermocouples provided chamber thermal profile characteristics. The cold flow chamber pressure (P(sub c)) for each test was determined and coupled with the igniter chamber diameter (D(sub c)) to calculate the characteristic quench parameter (P(sub c) x D(sub c)), which was plotted as a function of core mixture ratio, m. Ignition limits were determined over a broad range of valve inlet conditions, and ignition was demonstrated with oxygen inlet conditions that ranged from subcooled 210 R LOX to 486 R GOX. Once ignited at cold GOX conditions, combustion was continuous as the hardware chilled in and the core mixture ratio transitioned from values near 1.0 to over 12.5. Pulsing is required in typical RCS engines; therefore, the workhorse igniter was pulse tested to verify the ability to provide the required ignition for a pulsing RCE. The minimum electrical pulse width (EPW) of the dual thrust RCE was 0.080 seconds.

Steric and mass-induced Mediterranean sea level trends from 14 years of altimetry data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Criado-Aldeanueva, Francisco; Del Río Vera, Jorge; García-Lafuente, Jesús

2008-02-01

Long-term series of almost 14 years of altimetry data (1992-2005) have been analysed along with Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and temperature and salinity profiles to investigate sea level trends over the Mediterranean Sea. Although sea level variations are mainly driven by the steric contribution, the mass-induced component plays some role in modulating its oscillation. A spatially averaged positive trend of 2.1 ± 0.6 mm/year has been observed, but a change in sign in 2001 seems to appear. Steric effects (mainly on thermal origin) account for ˜ 55% of sea level trend. Although Mediterranean Sea is a semi-enclosed basin, this value is comparable to that reported for the global ocean. Sea level rise is particularly important in the Levantine basin south of Crete with values up to 10 ± 1 mm/year. Other areas of sea level rise are localised throughout the Levantine basin and in the Adriatic and Alboran Seas, with more moderate values. Sea level drop areas are localised in the Algerian basin, between the Balearic Islands and the African coasts and, particularly, in the Ionian basin. In this area, negative trends as high as - 10 ± 0.8 mm/year are detected mainly due to the mass-induced contribution, which suggests decadal changes of surface circulation. The inferred sea level trends have been correlated with North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices and a low but significant correlation has been detected between sea level in the Levantine and Balearic basins and NAO index.

The sea-level fingerprints of ice-sheet collapse during interglacial periods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hay, Carling; Mitrovica, Jerry X.; Gomez, Natalya; Creveling, Jessica R.; Austermann, Jacqueline; E. Kopp, Robert

2014-03-01

Studies of sea level during previous interglacials provide insight into the stability of polar ice sheets in the face of global climate change. Commonly, these studies correct ancient sea-level highstands for the contaminating effect of isostatic adjustment associated with past ice age cycles, and interpret the residuals as being equivalent to the peak eustatic sea level associated with excess melting, relative to present day, of ancient polar ice sheets. However, the collapse of polar ice sheets produces a distinct geometry, or fingerprint, of sea-level change, which must be accounted for to accurately infer peak eustatic sea level from site-specific residual highstands. To explore this issue, we compute fingerprints associated with the collapse of the Greenland Ice Sheet, West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and marine sectors of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in order to isolate regions that would have been subject to greater-than-eustatic sea-level change for all three cases. These fingerprints are more robust than those associated with modern melting events, when applied to infer eustatic sea level, because: (1) a significant collapse of polar ice sheets reduces the sensitivity of the computed fingerprints to uncertainties in the geometry of the melt regions; and (2) the sea-level signal associated with the collapse will dominate the signal from steric effects. We evaluate these fingerprints at a suite of sites where sea-level records from interglacial marine isotopes stages (MIS) 5e and 11 have been obtained. Using these results, we demonstrate that previously discrepant estimates of peak eustatic sea level during MIS5e based on sea-level markers in Australia and the Seychelles are brought into closer accord.

Sea-level responses to sediment transport over the last ice age cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrier, K.; Mitrovica, J. X.

2013-12-01

Sea-level changes over the last ice age cycle were instrumental in steering Earth's topographic evolution. These sea-level variations were driven by changes in surface mass loads, including not only ice and ocean mass variations but also the transfer of rock from eroding mountains to sedimentary deposits. Here we use an extended numerical model of ice age sea level (Dalca et al., 2013) to explore how sediment erosion and deposition affected global sea-level variations over the last ice age cycle. The model takes histories of ice and sediment loads as inputs, and it computes gravitationally self-consistent sea level responses by accounting for the deformational, gravitational, and rotational perturbations in the Earth's viscoelastic form. In these model simulations, we use published estimates of erosion rates, sedimentation rates, and ice sheet variations to constrain sediment and ice loading since the Last Interglacial. We explore sea-level responses to several erosional and depositional scenarios, and in each we quantify the relative contributions of crustal deformation and gravitational perturbation to the computed sea-level change. We also present a case study to illustrate the effects that sediment transfer can have on sea level at the regional scale. In particular, we focus on the region surrounding the Indus River, where fluvial sediment fluxes are among the highest on Earth. Preliminary model results suggest that sediment fluxes from Asia to the ocean are large enough to produce a significant response in sea level along the northeastern coast of the Arabian Sea. Moreover, they suggest that modeled sea-level histories are sensitive to the timing and spatial distribution of sediment erosion and deposition. For instance, sediment deposition along the continental shelf - which may have been the primary site of Indus River sediment deposition during the Holocene - produces a different sea-level response than sediment deposition on the deep-sea Indus Fan, where most of the Indus sediment may have been deposited during the glacial period preceding the Holocene. These simulations highlight the role that massive continent-to-ocean sediment fluxes can play in driving sea-level patterns over thousands of years. References: Dalca A.V., Ferrier K.L., Mitrovica J.X., Perron J.T., Milne G.A., Creveling J.R., 2013. On postglacial sea level - III: Incorporating sediment redistribution. Geophys. J. Int., doi: 10.1093/gji/ggt089.

Petroleum systems of the Po Basin Province of northern Italy and the northern Adriatic Sea; Porto Garibaldi (biogenic), Meride/Riva di Solto (thermal), and Marnoso Arenacea (thermal)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindquist, Sandra J.

1999-01-01

The Porto Garibaldi total petroleum system dominates the Po Basin Province of onshore northern Italy and offshore Italy and Croatia in the northern Adriatic Sea. Porto Garibaldi contains Pliocene (primarily) and Pleistocene (secondarily) biogenic gas ? approximately 16 TCF (2.66 BBOE) ultimately recoverable ? accumulated in co-eval siliciclastic reservoirs. This area was the northwestern edge of the Gondwanan (African) continental plate in pre-Hercynian time until the assembly of Pangea, a dominantly carbonate passive continental margin during the Mesozoic breakup of Pangea, and a Cenozoic collision zone with siliciclastic foredeep and foreland regions surrounded by thrust belts. At least two other petroleum systems, with Triassic (Meride / Riva di Solto) and Miocene (Marnoso Arenacea) source rocks, contribute oil and thermal gas reserves (nearly 1 BBOE) to the province. The major time of hydrocarbon expulsion of the thermal systems was Late Neogene during the Alpine and Apennine orogenies. Local Mesozoic oil expulsion from Triassic rocks also occurred, but those oils either were not trapped or were leaked from faulty traps through time.

An Ongoing Shift in Pacific Ocean Sea Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheon, S. H.; Hamlington, B.; Thompson, P. R.; Merrifield, M. A.; Nerem, R. S.; Leben, R. R.; Kim, K. Y.

2016-12-01

According to the satellite altimeter data, local sea level trends have shown considerable diversity spatially as well as temporally. In particular, dramatic changes in sea level in the Pacific have been observed throughout the altimeter record, with high trends in the western tropical Pacific (WTP) and comparatively lower trends in the eastern Pacific. In recent years, however, a shift appears to be occurring, with falling trends in the (WTP) and rising trends in the eastern tropical and northeastern Pacific (ETP and NEP). From a planning perspective, it is important to figure out whether these sharp changes are part of a short-term shift or the beginning of a longer-term change in sea level. In this study, we distinguish the origins of the recent shift in Pacific Ocean sea level. Cyclostationary empirical orthogonal function (CSEOF) analysis is applied to separate the properties of the recent sea level change in the Pacific Ocean. From the CSEOF analysis results, we point out two dominant modes of sea level shift in the Pacific Ocean. The first mode is related to the biennial oscillation associated with El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the other is related to lower-frequency variability with a strong signal in the northern Pacific. Considering a relatively high correlation between recent sea level change and the low-frequency mode, we suggest that the low-frequency mode has played a dominant role in the sea level shift in the Pacific Ocean. Using a reconstructed sea level dataset, we examine the variability of this low-frequency mode in the past, and find similar periods of dramatic sea level change in the Pacific. Based on the sea level record of the last five years and according to the analysis, we conclude that in the coming decades, higher sea level trends off the U.S. West Coast should be expected, while reduced trends in the WTP will likely be observed.

Effects of sediment transport and deposition on crustal loading, Earth's gravitational field, and sea level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrier, K.; Mitrovica, J. X.; Perron, T.; Milne, G. A.; Wickert, A. D.

2012-12-01

Spatial patterns in static sea level are controlled by the interplay between the history of ice mass variations and the associated deformational, gravitational and rotational perturbations in the Earth's state. Over the last decade, there has been a renewed effort to extend classic treatments of ice-age sea-level change (Farrell and Clark, 1976) to incorporate effects such as shoreline migration due to the local onlap or offlap of seawater and changes in the extent of grounded, marine-based ice, as well as feedbacks between sea level and the orientation of Earth's rotation axis. To date, the impact of sediment transport - whether in the context of glacial processes, or other processes such as fluvial deposition - has not been incorporated into a gravitationally self-consistent sea-level theory. Here we briefly summarize the main elements of a new sea-level theory that includes sediment transport, and we apply this new theory to investigate crustal deformation and sea-level changes driven by sediment deposition on the Mississippi fan in the Gulf of Mexico. The calculations incorporate sediment transport from the start of the last glacial cycle through to the present and are constrained to conserve sediment and ocean mass. We compare relative sea level histories predicted with and without sediment transport at sites in and around the Gulf of Mexico, and we quantify the relative impacts of gravitational and deformational effects of sediment deposition. We also explore the extent to which sea-level changes associated with sediment transport impact the interpretation of paleo-sea-level records. Our new sea-level formulation provides an important component of a comprehensive coupling between sediment transfer and sea level on local, regional and global spatial scales, and on time scales extending from decades to tens of thousands of years. References: Farrell, W.E., and Clark, J.A., 1976. On postglacial sea level: Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, v. 46, p. 647-667.

A fractal analysis of quaternary, Cenozoic-Mesozoic, and Late Pennsylvanian sea level changes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsui, Albert T.; Rust, Kelly A.; Klein, George D.

1993-01-01

Sea level changes are related to both climatic variations and tectonic movements. The fractal dimensions of several sea level curves were compared to a modern climatic fractal dimension of 1.26 established for annual precipitation records. A similar fractal dimension (1.22) based on delta(O-18/O-16) in deep-sea sediments has been suggested to characterize climatic change during the past 2 m.y. Our analysis indicates that sea level changes over the past 150,000 to 250,000 years also exhibit comparable fractal dimensions. Sea level changes for periods longer than about 30 m.y. are found to produce fractal dimensions closer to unity and Missourian (Late Pennsylvanian) sea level changes yield a fractal dimension of 1.41. The fact that these sea level curves all possess fractal dimensions less than 1.5 indicates that sea level changes exhibit nonperiodic, long-run persistence. The different fractal dimensions calculated for the various time periods could be the result of a characteristic overprinting of the sediment recored by prevailing processes during deposition. For example, during the Quaternary, glacio-eustatic sea level changes correlate well with the present climatic signature. During the Missourian, however, mechanisms such as plate reorganization may have dominated, resulting in a significantly different fractal dimension.

Paleothermal structure of the Nankai inner accretionary wedge estimated from vitrinite reflectance of cuttings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuchi, Rina; Yamaguchi, Asuka; Yamamoto, Yuzuru; Ashi, Juichiro

2017-08-01

The paleothermal structure and tectonic evolution of an accretionary prism is basic information for understanding subduction zone seismogenesis. To evaluate the entire paleotemperature profile of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site C0002 located in the off-Kumano region of the Nankai Trough and penetrate the inner accretionary wedge down to 3058.5 m below the seafloor (mbsf), we performed a vitrinite reflectance analysis for cuttings and core samples during IODP expeditions 338 and 348: Nankai Trough seismogenic zone experiment. Although vitrinite reflectance values (Ro) tend to increase with depth, two reversals of these values suggested the existence of thrust fault zones with sufficient displacements to offset the paleothermal structure. The estimated maximum paleotemperatures are 42-70°C at 1200-1300 mbsf, 44-100°C at 1600-2400 mbsf, and 56-115°C at 2600-3000 mbsf, respectively. These temperatures roughly coincide with estimated modern temperatures; however, at a smaller scale, the reconstructed partial paleogeothermal gradient (˜60-150°C/km) recorded at the hanging- and footwall of the presumed thrust fault zone is higher than the modern geothermal gradient (˜30-40°C/km). This high paleogeothermal gradient was possibly obtained prior to subduction, reflecting the large heat flow of the young Philippine Sea Plate.

Consequences of sea level variability and sea level rise for Cuban territory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández, M.; Martínez, C. A.; Marzo, O.

2015-03-01

The objective of the present paper was to determine a first approximation of coastal zone flooding by 2100, taking into account the more persistent processes of sea level variability and non-accelerated linear sea level rise estimation to assess the main impacts. The annual linear rate of mean sea level rise in the Cuban archipelago, obtained from the longest tide gauge records, has fluctuated between 0.005 cm/year at Casilda and 0.214 cm/year at Siboney. The main sea level rise effects for the Cuban coastal zone due to climate change and global warming are shown. Monthly and annual mean sea level anomalies, some of which are similar to or higher than the mean sea level rise estimated for halfway through the present century, reinforce the inland seawater penetration due to the semi-daily high tide. The combination of these different events will result in the loss of goods and services, and require expensive investments for adaption.

Indo-Pacific sea level variability during recent decades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamanaka, G.; Tsujino, H.; Nakano, H.; Urakawa, S. L.; Sakamoto, K.

2016-12-01

Decadal variability of sea level in the Indo-Pacific region is investigated using a historical OGCM simulation. The OGCM driven by the atmospheric forcing removing long-term trends clearly exhibits decadal sea level variability in the Pacific Ocean, which is associated with eastern tropical Pacific thermal anomalies. During the period of 1977-1987, the sea level anomalies are positive in the eastern equatorial Pacific and show deviations from a north-south symmetric distribution, with strongly negative anomalies in the western tropical South Pacific. During the period of 1996-2006, in contrast, the sea level anomalies are negative in the eastern equatorial Pacific and show a nearly north-south symmetric pattern, with positive anomalies in both hemispheres. Concurrently, sea level anomalies in the south-eastern Indian Ocean vary with those in the western tropical Pacific. These sea level variations are closely related to large-scale wind fields. Indo-Pacific sea level distributions are basically determined by wind anomalies over the equatorial region as well as wind stress curl anomalies over the off-equatorial region.

Regional Sea Level Scenarios for Coastal Risk Management: Managing the Uncertainty of Future Sea Level Change and Extreme Water Levels for Department of Defense Coastal Sites Worldwide

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

SERDP NOAA USACE Ocean MANAGING THE UNCERTAINTY OF FUTURE SEA LEVEL CHANGE AND EXTREME WATER LEVELS FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE COASTAL SITES...WORLDWIDE APRIL 2016 REGIONAL SEA LEVEL SCENARIOS FOR COASTAL RISK MANAGEMENT: COVER PHOTOS, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: - Overwash of the island of Roi-Namur on...J.A., S. Gill, J. Obeysekera, W. Sweet, K. Knuuti, and J. Marburger. 2016. Regional Sea Level Scenarios for Coastal Risk Management: Managing the

GGOS Focus Area 3: Understanding and Forecasting Sea-Level Rise and Variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schöne, Tilo; Shum, Ck; Tamisiea, Mark; Woodworth, Philip

2017-04-01

Sea level and its change have been measured for more than a century. Especially for coastal nations, deltaic regions, and coastal-oriented industries, observations of tides, tidal extremes, storm surges, and sea level rise at the interannual or longer scales have substantial impacts on coastal vulnerability towards resilience and sustainability of world's coastal regions. To date, the observed global sea level rise is largely associated with climate related changes. To find the patterns and fingerprints of those changes, and to e.g., separate the land motion from sea level signals, different monitoring techniques have been developed. Some of them are local, e.g., tide gauges, while others are global, e.g., satellite altimetry. It is well known that sea level change and land vertical motion varies regionally, and both signals need to be measured in order to quantify relative sea level at the local scale. The Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) and its services contribute in many ways to the monitoring of the sea level. These includes tide gauge observations, estimation of gravity changes, satellite altimetry, InSAR/Lidar, GNSS-control of tide gauges, providing ground truth sites for satellite altimetry, and importantly the maintenance of the International Reference Frame. Focus Area 3 (Understanding and Forecasting Sea-Level Rise and Variability) of GGOS establishes a platform and a forum for researchers and authorities dealing with estimating global and local sea level changes in a 10- to 30-year time span, and its project to the next century or beyond. It presents an excellent opportunity to emphasize the global, through to regional and local, importance of GGOS to a wide range of sea-level related science and practical applications. Focus Area 3 works trough demonstration projects to highlight the value of geodetic techniques to sea level science and applications. Contributions under a call for participation (http://www.ggos.org/Applications/theme3_SL.html) are welcome. The present status of GGOS Focus Area 3 will be highlighted. http://www.ggos-portal.org/lang_en/GGOS-Portal/EN/Themes/SeaLevel/seaLevel.html

Climate change impacts on tropical cyclones and extreme sea levels in the South Pacific — A regional assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, Kevin J. E.; McInnes, Kathleen L.; McBride, John L.

2012-01-01

This paper reviews the current understanding of the effect of climate change on extreme sea levels in the South Pacific region. This region contains many locations that are vulnerable to extreme sea levels in the current climate, and projections indicate that this vulnerability will increase in the future. The recent publication of authoritative statements on the relationship between global warming and global sea level rise, tropical cyclones and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon has motivated this review. Confident predictions of global mean sea level rise are modified by regional differences in the steric (density-related) component of sea level rise and changing gravitational interactions between the ocean and the ice sheets which affect the regional distribution of the eustatic (mass-related) contribution to sea level rise. The most extreme sea levels in this region are generated by tropical cyclones. The intensity of the strongest tropical cyclones is likely to increase, but many climate models project a substantial decrease in tropical cyclone numbers in this region, which may lead to an overall decrease in the total number of intense tropical cyclones. This projection, however, needs to be better quantified using improved high-resolution climate model simulations of tropical cyclones. Future changes in ENSO may lead to large regional variations in tropical cyclone incidence and sea level rise, but these impacts are also not well constrained. While storm surges from tropical cyclones give the largest sea level extremes in the parts of this region where they occur, other more frequent high sea level events can arise from swell generated by distant storms. Changes in wave climate are projected for the tropical Pacific due to anthropogenically-forced changes in atmospheric circulation. Future changes in sea level extremes will be caused by a combination of changes in mean sea level, regional sea level trends, tropical cyclone incidence and wave climate. Recommendations are given for research to increase understanding of the response of these factors to climate change. Implications of the results for adaptation research are also discussed.

A new generation of high performance engines for spacecraft propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenberg, Sanders D.; Schoenman, Leonard

1991-01-01

Experimental data validating advanced engine designs at three thrust levels (5, 15, and 100 lbF) is presented. All of the three engine designs considered employ a Moog bipropellant torque motor valve, platelet injector design, and iridium-lined rhenium combustion chamber. Attention is focused on the performance, robustness, duration, and flexibility characteristics of the engines. It is noted that the 5- and 15-lbF thrust engines can deliver a steady state specific impulse in excess of 310 lbF-sec/lbm at an area ratio of 150:1, while the 150-lbF thrust engines deliver a steady state specific impulse of 320 lbF-sec/lbm at an area ratio of 250:1. The hot-fire test results reveal specific impulse improvements of 15 to 25 sec over conventional fuel film cooled columbium chamber designs while operating at maximum chamber temperatures.

Benefits and costs of low thrust propulsion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robertson, R. I.; Rose, L. J.; Maloy, J. E.

1983-01-01

The results of costs/benefits analyses of three chemical propulsion systems that are candidates for transferring high density, low volume STS payloads from LEO to GEO are reported. Separate algorithms were developed for benefits and costs of primary propulsion systems (PPS) as functions of the required thrust levels. The life cycle costs of each system were computed based on the developmental, production, and deployment costs. A weighted criteria rating approach was taken for the benefits, with each benefit assigned a value commensurate to its relative worth to the overall system. Support costs were included in the costs modeling. Reference missions from NASA, commercial, and DoD catalog payloads were examined. The program was concluded reliable and flexible for evaluating benefits and costs of launch and orbit transfer for any catalog mission, with the most beneficial PPS being a dedicated low thrust configuration using the RL-10 system.

Extended Performance 8-cm Mercury Ion Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mantenieks, M. A.

1981-01-01

A slightly modified 8-cm Hg ion thruster demonstrated significant increase in performance. Thrust was increased by almost a factor of five over that of the baseline thruster. Thruster operation with various three grid ion optics configurations; thruster performance as a function of accelerator grid open area, cathode baffle, and cathode orifice size; and a life test of 614 hours at a beam current of 250 mA (17.5 mN thrust) are discussed. Highest thruster efficiency was obtained with the smallest open area accelerator grid. The benefits in efficiency from the low neutral loss grids were mitigated, however, by the limitation such grids place on attainable ion beam current densities. The thruster components suffered negligible weight losses during a life test, which indicated that operation of the 8-cm thruster at extended levels of thrust and power is possible with no significant loss of lifetime.

Moving-base simulation evaluation of thrust margins for vertical landing for the NASA YAV-8B Harrier aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Franklin, James A.; Stortz, Michael W.

1993-01-01

A simulation experiment was conducted on Ames Research Center's Vertical Motion Simulator to evaluate the thrust margin for vertical landing required for the YAV-8B Harrier. Two different levels of ground effect were employed, representing the aircraft with or without lift improvement devices installed. In addition, two different inlet temperature profiles were included to cover a wide range of hot gas ingestion. For each ground effect and hot gas ingestion variant, vertical landings were performed at successively heavier weights, with the pilot assessing the acceptability of the operation in each case. Results are presented as a function of hover weight ratio and a metric of the mean ground effect and ingestion that reflect the increase in thrust margin required to provide acceptable control of sink rate during the descent to touchdown with increasing suck down and hot gas ingestion.

Propellant management for low thrust chemical propulsion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamlyn, K. M.; Dergance, R. H.; Aydelott, J. C.

1981-01-01

Low-thrust chemical propulsion systems (LTPS) will be required for orbital transfer of large space systems (LSS). The work reported in this paper was conducted to determine the propellant requirements, preferred propellant management technique, and propulsion system sizes for the LTPS. Propellants were liquid oxygen (LO2) combined with liquid hydrogen (LH2), liquid methane or kerosene. Thrust levels of 100, 500, and 1000 lbf were combined with 1, 4, and 8 perigee burns for transfer from low earth orbit to geosynchronous earth orbit. This matrix of systems was evaluated with a multilayer insulation (MLI) or a spray-on-foam insulation. Vehicle sizing results indicate that a toroidal tank configuration is needed for the LO2/LH2 system. Multiple perigee burns and MLI allow far superior LSS payload capability. Propellant settling, combined with a single screen device, was found to be the lightest and least complex propellant management technique.

Simulator evaluation of the effects of reduced spoiler and thrust authority on a decoupled longitudinal control system during landings in wind shear

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, G. K., Jr.

1981-01-01

The effect of reduced control authority, both in symmetric spoiler travel and thrust level, on the effectiveness of a decoupled longitudinal control system was examined during the approach and landing of the NASA terminal configured vehicle (TCV) aft flight deck simulator in the presence of wind shear. The evaluation was conducted in a fixed-base simulator that represented the TCV aft cockpit. There were no statistically significant effects of reduced spoiler and thrust authority on pilot performance during approach and landing. Increased wind severity degraded approach and landing performance by an amount that was often significant. However, every attempted landing was completed safely regardless of the wind severity. There were statistically significant differences in performance between subjects, but the differences were generally restricted to the control wheel and control-column activity during the approach.

Eustatic control of turbidites and winnowed turbidites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shanmugam, G.; Moiola, R.J.

1982-05-01

Global changes in sea level, primarily the results of tectonism and glaciation, control deep-sea sedimentation. During periods of low sea level the frequency of turbidity currents is greatly increased. Episodes of low sea level also cause vigorous contour currents, which winnow away the fines of turbidites. In the rock record, the occurrence of most turbidites and winnowed turbidities closely corresponds to global lowstands of paleo-sea level. This observation may be useful in predicting the occurrence of deep-sea reservoir facies in the geologic record.

Design, analysis, and control of large transport aircraft utilizing engine thrust as a backup system for the primary flight controls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerren, Donna S.

1993-01-01

A review of accidents that involved the loss of hydraulic flight control systems serves as an introduction to this project. In each of the accidents--involving transport aircraft such as the DC-10, the C-5A, the L-1011, and the Boeing 747--the flight crew attempted to control the aircraft by means of thrust control. Although these incidents had tragic endings, in the absence of control power due to primary control system failure, control power generated by selective application of engine thrust has proven to be a viable alternative. NASA Dryden has demonstrated the feasibility of controlling an aircraft during level flight, approach, and landing conditions using an augmented throttles-only control system. This system has been successfully flown in the flight test simulator for the B-720 passenger transport and the F-15 air superiority fighter and in actual flight tests for the F-15 aircraft. The Douglas Aircraft Company is developing a similar system for the MD-11 aircraft. The project's ultimate goal is to provide data for the development of thrust control systems for mega-transports (600+ passengers).

CVD Rhenium Engines for Solar-Thermal Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Brian E.; Fortini, Arthur J.; Tuffias, Robert H.; Duffy, Andrew J.; Tucker, Stephen P.

1999-01-01

Solar-thermal upper-stage propulsion systems have the potential to provide specific impulse approaching 900 seconds, with 760 seconds already demonstrated in ground testing. Such performance levels offer a 100% increase in payload capability compared to state-of-the-art chemical upper-stage systems, at lower cost. Although alternatives such as electric propulsion offer even greater performance, the 6- to 18- month orbital transfer time is a far greater deviation from the state of the art than the one to two months required for solar propulsion. Rhenium metal is the only material that is capable of withstanding the predicted thermal, mechanical, and chemical environment of a solar-thermal propulsion device. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is the most well-established and cost-effective process for the fabrication of complex rhenium structures. CVD rhenium engines have been successfully constructed for the Air Force ISUS program (bimodal thrust/electricity) and the NASA Shooting Star program (thrust only), as well as under an Air Force SBIR project (thrust only). The bimodal engine represents a more long-term and versatile approach to solar-thermal propulsion, while the thrust-only engines provide a potentially lower weight/lower cost and more near-term replacement for current upper-stage propulsion systems.

Potentiometric Surface of the Lower Patapsco Aquifer in Southern Maryland, September 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Curtin, Stephen E.; Andreasen, David C.; Staley, Andrew W.

2009-01-01

This report presents a map showing the potentiometric surface of the lower Patapsco aquifer in the Patapsco Formation of Early Cretaceous age in Southern Maryland during September 2007. The map is based on water-level measurements in 65 wells. The highest measured water level was 111 feet above sea level near the northwestern boundary and outcrop area of the aquifer in northern Prince George's County. From this area, the potentiometric surface declined towards well fields at Severndale and Arnold. The measured ground-water levels were 87 feet below sea level at Severndale, and 42 feet below sea level at Arnold. There was also a cone of depression covering a large area in Charles County that includes Waldorf, La Plata, Indian Head, and the Morgantown power plant. The ground-water levels measured were as low as 219 feet below sea level at Waldorf, 187 feet below sea level at La Plata, 106 feet below sea level at Indian Head, and 89 feet below sea level at the Morgantown power plant.

Thrust Measurement of Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma Actuators: New Anti-Thrust Hypothesis, Frequency Sweeps Methodology, Humidity and Enclosure Effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashpis, David E.; Laun, Matthew C.

2014-01-01

We discuss thrust measurements of Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma actuators devices used for aerodynamic active flow control. After a review of our experience with conventional thrust measurement and significant non-repeatability of the results, we devised a suspended actuator test setup, and now present a methodology of thrust measurements with decreased uncertainty. The methodology consists of frequency scans at constant voltages. The procedure consists of increasing the frequency in a step-wise fashion from several Hz to the maximum frequency of several kHz, followed by frequency decrease back down to the start frequency of several Hz. This sequence is performed first at the highest voltage of interest, then repeated at lower voltages. The data in the descending frequency direction is more consistent and selected for reporting. Sample results show strong dependence of thrust on humidity which also affects the consistency and fluctuations of the measurements. We also observed negative values of thrust, or "anti-thrust", at low frequencies between 4 Hz and up to 64 Hz. The anti-thrust is proportional to the mean-squared voltage and is frequency independent. Departures from the parabolic anti-thrust curve are correlated with appearance of visible plasma discharges. We propose the anti-thrust hypothesis. It states that the measured thrust is a sum of plasma thrust and anti-thrust, and assumes that the anti-thrust exists at all frequencies and voltages. The anti-thrust depends on actuator geometry and materials and on the test installation. It enables the separation of the plasma thrust from the measured total thrust. This approach enables more meaningful comparisons between actuators at different installations and laboratories. The dependence on test installation was validated by surrounding the actuator with a grounded large-diameter metal sleeve. Strong dependence on humidity is also shown; the thrust significantly increased with decreasing humidity, e.g., 44 percent increase as relative humidity changed from 18 percent and dew point 33 degF to 50 percent and dew point of 57 degF.

Characterization of Space Shuttle Reusable Rocket Motor Static Test Stand Thrust Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, Mart L.; Gruet, Laurent; Cash, Stephen F. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRM) are static tested at two ATK Thiokol Propulsion facilities in Utah, T-24 and T-97. The newer T-97 static test facility was recently upgraded to allow thrust measurement capability. All previous static test motor thrust measurements have been taken at T-24; data from these tests were used to characterize thrust parameters and requirement limits for flight motors. Validation of the new T-97 thrust measurement system is required prior to use for official RSRM performance assessments. Since thrust cannot be measured on RSRM flight motors, flight motor measured chamber pressure and a nominal thrust-to-pressure relationship (based on static test motor thrust and pressure measurements) are used to reconstruct flight motor performance. Historical static test and flight motor performance data are used in conjunction with production subscale test data to predict RSRM performance. The predicted motor performance is provided to support Space Shuttle trajectory and system loads analyses. Therefore, an accurate nominal thrust-to-pressure (F/P) relationship is critical for accurate RSRM flight motor performance and Space Shuttle analyses. Flight Support Motors (FSM) 7, 8, and 9 provided thrust data for the validation of the T-97 thrust measurement system. The T-97 thrust data were analyzed and compared to thrust previously measured at T-24 to verify measured thrust data and identify any test-stand bias. The T-97 FIP data were consistent and within the T-24 static test statistical family expectation. The FSMs 7-9 thrust data met all NASA contract requirements, and the test stand is now verified for future thrust measurements.

Analysis of noise measured from a propeller in a wake

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Block, P. J. W.

1984-01-01

In this experimental study, the acoustic characteristics of a propeller operating in a wake were studied. The propeller performance and noise were measured from two 0.25 scale propellers operating in an open jet anechoic flow environment with and without a wake. One propeller had NACA 16 series sections; the other, ARA-D. Wake thicknesses of 1 and 3 propeller chords were generated by an airfoil which spanned the full diameter of the propeller. The airfoil wake profiles were measured. Noise measurements were made in and out of the flow. The propellers were operated at 40, 83, and 100 inf of thrust. The acoustic data are analyzed, and the effects on the overall sound pressure level (OASPL) and scaled A weighted sound level L sub A with propeller thrust, wake thickness, and observer location are presented. The analysis showed that, generally, the wake increased the overall noise (OASPL) produced by the propeller; increased the harmonic content of the noise, thus the scaled L sub a; and produced an azimuthal dependence. With few exceptions, both propellers generally produced the same trends in delta OASPL and delta L sub a with thrust and wake thickness.

Summary of LOX/CH4 Thruster Technology Development at NASA/MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, Sandra Elam

2015-01-01

In recent years, a variety of injectors for liquid oxygen (LOX) and methane (CH4) propellant systems have been designed, fabricated, and demonstrated with hot-fire testing at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Successful designs for liquid methane (LCH4) and gaseous methane (GCH4) have been developed. A variety of chambers, including a transpiration cooled design, along with uncooled ablatives and refractory metals, have also been hot-fire tested by MSFC for use with LOX/LCH4 injectors. Hot-fire testing has also demonstrated multiple ignition source options. Heat flux data for selected injectors has been gathered by testing with a calorimeter chamber. High performance and stable combustion have been demonstrated, along with designs for thrust levels ranging from 500 to 7,000 lbf. The newest LOX/CH4 injector and chamber developed by MSFC have been fabricated with additive manufacturing techniques and include unique design features to investigate regenerative cooling with methane. This low cost and versatile hardware offers a design for 4,000 lbf thrust and will be hot-fire tested at MSFC in 2015. Its design and operation can easily be scaled for use in systems with thrust levels up to 25,000 lbf.

Rocket thrust chamber thermal barrier coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batakis, A. P.; Vogan, J. W.

1985-01-01

A research program was conducted to generate data and develop analytical techniques to predict the performance and reliability of ceramic thermal barrier coatings in high heat flux environments. A finite element model was used to analyze the thermomechanical behavior of coating systems in rocket thrust chambers. Candidate coating systems (using a copper substrate, NiCrAlY bond coat and ZrO2.8Y2O3 ceramic overcoat) were selected for detailed study based on photomicrographic evaluations of experimental test specimens. The effects of plasma spray application parameters on the material properties of these coatings were measured and the effects on coating performance evaluated using the finite element model. Coating design curves which define acceptable operating envelopes for seleted coating systems were constructed based on temperature and strain limitations. Spray gun power levels was found to have the most significant effect on coating structure. Three coating systems were selected for study using different power levels. Thermal conductivity, strain tolerance, density, and residual stress were measured for these coatings. Analyses indicated that extremely thin coatings ( 0.02 mm) are required to accommodate the high heat flux of a rocket thrust chamber and ensure structural integrity.

Generation 1.5 High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) Exhaust Nozzle Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thayer, E. B.; Gamble, E. J.; Guthrie, A. R.; Kehret, D. F.; Barber, T. J.; Hendricks, G. J.; Nagaraja, K. S.; Minardi, J. E.

2004-01-01

The objective of this program was to conduct an experimental and analytical evaluation of low noise exhaust nozzles suitable for future High-Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) aircraft. The experimental portion of the program involved parametric subscale performance model tests of mixer/ejector nozzles in the takeoff mode, and high-speed tests of mixer/ejectors converted to two-dimensional convergent-divergent (2-D/C-D), plug, and single expansion ramp nozzles (SERN) in the cruise mode. Mixer/ejector results show measured static thrust coefficients at secondary flow entrainment levels of 70 percent of primary flow. Results of the high-speed performance tests showed that relatively long, straight-wall, C-D nozzles could meet supersonic cruise thrust coefficient goal of 0.982; but the plug, ramp, and shorter C-D nozzles required isentropic contours to reach the same level of performance. The computational fluid dynamic (CFD) study accurately predicted mixer/ejector pressure distributions and shock locations. Heat transfer studies showed that a combination of insulation and convective cooling was more effective than film cooling for nonafterburning, low-noise nozzles. The thrust augmentation study indicated potential benefits for use of ejector nozzles in the subsonic cruise mode if the ejector inlet contains a sonic throat plane.

Observed mean sea level changes around the North Sea coastline from 1800 to present

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahl, T.; Haigh, I. D.; Woodworth, P. L.; Albrecht, F.; Dillingh, D.; Jensen, J.; Nicholls, R. J.; Weisse, R.; Wöppelmann, G.

2013-09-01

This paper assesses historic changes in mean sea level around the coastline of the North Sea, one of the most densely populated coasts in the world. Typically, such analyses have been conducted at a national level, and detailed geographically wider analyses have not been undertaken for about 20 years. We analyse long records (up to 200 years) from 30 tide gauge sites, which are reasonably uniformly distributed along the coastline, and: (1) calculate relative sea level trends; (2) examine the inter-annual and decadal variations; (3) estimate regional geocentric (sometimes also referred to as 'absolute') sea level rise throughout the 20th century; and (4) assess the evidence for regional acceleration of sea-level rise. Relative sea level changes are broadly consistent with known vertical land movement patterns. The inter-annual and decadal variability is partly coherent across the region, but with some differences between the Inner North Sea and the English Channel. Data sets from various sources are used to provide estimates of the geocentric sea level changes. The long-term geocentric mean sea level trend for the 1900 to 2011 period is estimated to be 1.5 ± 0.1 mm/yr for the entire North Sea region. The trend is slightly higher for the Inner North Sea (i.e. 1.6 ± 0.1 mm/yr), and smaller but not significantly different on the 95% confidence level for the English Channel (i.e. 1.2 ± 0.1 mm/yr). The uncertainties in the estimates of vertical land movement rates are still large, and the results from a broad range of approaches for determining these rates are not consistent. Periods of sea level rise acceleration are detected at different times throughout the last 200 years and are to some extent related to air pressure variations. The recent rates of sea level rise (i.e. over the last two to three decades) are high compared to the long-term average, but are comparable to those which have been observed at other times in the late 19th and 20th century.

Sea Level Changes: Determination and Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodworth, P. L.; Pugh, D. T.; DeRonde, J. G.; Warrick, R. G.; Hannah, J.

The measurement of sea level is of fundamental importance to a wide range of research in climatology, oceanography, geology and geodesy. This volume attempts to cover many aspects of the field. The volume opens with a description by Bolduc and Murty of one of the products stemming from the development of tide gauge networks in the northern and tropical Atlantic. This work is relevant to the growth of the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS), the main goal of which is to provide the world with an efficient, coherent sea level monitoring system for océanographie and climatological research. The subsequent four papers present results from the analysis of existing tide gauge data, including those datasets available from the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level and the TOGA Sea Level Center. Two of the four, by Wroblewski and by Pasaric and Orlic, are concerned with European sea level changes, while Yu Jiye et al. discuss inter-annual changes in the Pacific, and Wang Baocan et al. describe variability in the Changjiang estuary in China. The papers by El- Abd and A wad, on Red Sea levels, are the only contributions to the volume from the large research community of geologists concerned with sea level changes.

Seasonal Sea-Level Variations in San Francisco Bay in Response to Atmospheric Forcing, 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Jingyuan; Cheng, R.T.; Smith, P.C.

1997-01-01

The seasonal response of sea level in San Francisco Bay (SFB) to atmospheric forcing during 1980 is investigated. The relations between sea-level data from the Northern Reach, Central Bay and South Bay, and forcing by local wind stresses, sea level pressure (SLP), runoff and the large scale sea level pressure field are examined in detail. The analyses show that the sea-level elevations and slopes respond to the along-shore wind stress T(V) at most times of the year, and to the cross-shore wind stress T(N) during two transition periods in spring and autumn. River runoff raises the sea-level elevation during winter. It is shown that winter precipitation in the SFB area is mainly attributed to the atmospheric circulation associated with the Alcutian Low, which transports the warm, moist air into the Bay area. A multiple linear regression model is employed to estimate the independent contributions of barometric pressure and wind stress to adjusted sea level. These calculations have a simple dynamical interpretation which confirms the importance of along-shore wind to both sea level and north-south slope within the Bay.

Coastal barrier stratigraphy for Holocene high-resolution sea-level reconstruction

PubMed Central

Costas, Susana; Ferreira, Óscar; Plomaritis, Theocharis A.; Leorri, Eduardo

2016-01-01

The uncertainties surrounding present and future sea-level rise have revived the debate around sea-level changes through the deglaciation and mid- to late Holocene, from which arises a need for high-quality reconstructions of regional sea level. Here, we explore the stratigraphy of a sandy barrier to identify the best sea-level indicators and provide a new sea-level reconstruction for the central Portuguese coast over the past 6.5 ka. The selected indicators represent morphological features extracted from coastal barrier stratigraphy, beach berm and dune-beach contact. These features were mapped from high-resolution ground penetrating radar images of the subsurface and transformed into sea-level indicators through comparison with modern analogs and a chronology based on optically stimulated luminescence ages. Our reconstructions document a continuous but slow sea-level rise after 6.5 ka with an accumulated change in elevation of about 2 m. In the context of SW Europe, our results show good agreement with previous studies, including the Tagus isostatic model, with minor discrepancies that demand further improvement of regional models. This work reinforces the potential of barrier indicators to accurately reconstruct high-resolution mid- to late Holocene sea-level changes through simple approaches. PMID:27929122

Separating decadal global water cycle variability from sea level rise.

PubMed

Hamlington, B D; Reager, J T; Lo, M-H; Karnauskas, K B; Leben, R R

2017-04-20

Under a warming climate, amplification of the water cycle and changes in precipitation patterns over land are expected to occur, subsequently impacting the terrestrial water balance. On global scales, such changes in terrestrial water storage (TWS) will be reflected in the water contained in the ocean and can manifest as global sea level variations. Naturally occurring climate-driven TWS variability can temporarily obscure the long-term trend in sea level rise, in addition to modulating the impacts of sea level rise through natural periodic undulation in regional and global sea level. The internal variability of the global water cycle, therefore, confounds both the detection and attribution of sea level rise. Here, we use a suite of observations to quantify and map the contribution of TWS variability to sea level variability on decadal timescales. In particular, we find that decadal sea level variability centered in the Pacific Ocean is closely tied to low frequency variability of TWS in key areas across the globe. The unambiguous identification and clean separation of this component of variability is the missing step in uncovering the anthropogenic trend in sea level and understanding the potential for low-frequency modulation of future TWS impacts including flooding and drought.

Coastal barrier stratigraphy for Holocene high-resolution sea-level reconstruction.

PubMed

Costas, Susana; Ferreira, Óscar; Plomaritis, Theocharis A; Leorri, Eduardo

2016-12-08

The uncertainties surrounding present and future sea-level rise have revived the debate around sea-level changes through the deglaciation and mid- to late Holocene, from which arises a need for high-quality reconstructions of regional sea level. Here, we explore the stratigraphy of a sandy barrier to identify the best sea-level indicators and provide a new sea-level reconstruction for the central Portuguese coast over the past 6.5 ka. The selected indicators represent morphological features extracted from coastal barrier stratigraphy, beach berm and dune-beach contact. These features were mapped from high-resolution ground penetrating radar images of the subsurface and transformed into sea-level indicators through comparison with modern analogs and a chronology based on optically stimulated luminescence ages. Our reconstructions document a continuous but slow sea-level rise after 6.5 ka with an accumulated change in elevation of about 2 m. In the context of SW Europe, our results show good agreement with previous studies, including the Tagus isostatic model, with minor discrepancies that demand further improvement of regional models. This work reinforces the potential of barrier indicators to accurately reconstruct high-resolution mid- to late Holocene sea-level changes through simple approaches.

An improved and homogeneous altimeter sea level record from the ESA Climate Change Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Legeais, Jean-François; Ablain, Michaël; Zawadzki, Lionel; Zuo, Hao; Johannessen, Johnny A.; Scharffenberg, Martin G.; Fenoglio-Marc, Luciana; Joana Fernandes, M.; Baltazar Andersen, Ole; Rudenko, Sergei; Cipollini, Paolo; Quartly, Graham D.; Passaro, Marcello; Cazenave, Anny; Benveniste, Jérôme

2018-02-01

Sea level is a very sensitive index of climate change since it integrates the impacts of ocean warming and ice mass loss from glaciers and the ice sheets. Sea level has been listed as an essential climate variable (ECV) by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). During the past 25 years, the sea level ECV has been measured from space by different altimetry missions that have provided global and regional observations of sea level variations. As part of the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) program of the European Space Agency (ESA) (established in 2010), the Sea Level project (SL_cci) aimed to provide an accurate and homogeneous long-term satellite-based sea level record. At the end of the first phase of the project (2010-2013), an initial version (v1.1) of the sea level ECV was made available to users (Ablain et al., 2015). During the second phase of the project (2014-2017), improved altimeter standards were selected to produce new sea level products (called SL_cci v2.0) based on nine altimeter missions for the period 1993-2015 (https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-sea_level_cci-1993_2015-v_2.0-201612; Legeais and the ESA SL_cci team, 2016c). Corresponding orbit solutions, geophysical corrections and altimeter standards used in this v2.0 dataset are described in detail in Quartly et al. (2017). The present paper focuses on the description of the SL_cci v2.0 ECV and associated uncertainty and discusses how it has been validated. Various approaches have been used for the quality assessment such as internal validation, comparisons with sea level records from other groups and with in situ measurements, sea level budget closure analyses and comparisons with model outputs. Compared with the previous version of the sea level ECV, we show that use of improved geophysical corrections, careful bias reduction between missions and inclusion of new altimeter missions lead to improved sea level products with reduced uncertainties on different spatial and temporal scales. However, there is still room for improvement since the uncertainties remain larger than the GCOS requirements (GCOS, 2011). Perspectives on subsequent evolution are also discussed.

Design and evaluation of thrust vectored nozzles using a multicomponent thrust stand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, Thomas W.; Blattner, Ernest W.; Stagner, Robert E.; Contreras, Juanita; Lencioni, Dennis; Mcintosh, Greg

1990-01-01

Future aircraft with the capability of short takeoff and landing, and improved maneuverability especially in the post-stall flight regime will incorporate exhaust nozzles which can be thrust vectored. In order to conduct thrust vector research in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Cal Poly, a program was planned with two objectives; design and construct a multicomponent thrust stand for the specific purpose of measuring nozzle thrust vectors; and to provide quality low moisture air to the thrust stand for cold flow nozzle tests. The design and fabrication of the six-component thrust stand was completed. Detailed evaluation tests of the thrust stand will continue upon the receipt of one signal conditioning option (-702) for the Fluke Data Acquisition System. Preliminary design of thrust nozzles with air supply plenums were completed. The air supply was analyzed with regard to head loss. Initial flow visualization tests were conducted using dual water jets.

Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Methane Propulsion and Cryogenic Advanced Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klem, Mark D.; Smith, Timothy D.; Wadel, Mary F.; Meyer, Michael L.; Free, James M.; Cikanek, Harry A., III

2011-01-01

Exploration Systems Architecture Study conducted by NASA in 2005 identified the liquid oxygen (LOx)/liquid methane (LCH4) propellant combination as a prime candidate for the Crew Exploration Vehicle Service Module propulsion and for later use for ascent stage propulsion of the lunar lander. Both the Crew Exploration Vehicle and Lunar Lander were part the Constellation architecture, which had the objective to provide global sustained lunar human exploration capability. From late 2005 through the end of 2010, NASA and industry matured advanced development designs for many components that could be employed in relatively high thrust, high delta velocity, pressure fed propulsion systems for these two applications. The major investments were in main engines, reaction control engines, and the devices needed for cryogenic fluid management such as screens, propellant management devices, thermodynamic vents, and mass gauges. Engine and thruster developments also included advanced high reliability low mass igniters. Extensive tests were successfully conducted for all of these elements. For the thrusters and engines, testing included sea level and altitude conditions. This advanced development provides a mature technology base for future liquid oxygen/liquid methane pressure fed space propulsion systems. This paper documents the design and test efforts along with resulting hardware and test results.

Focused RBCC Experiments: Two-Rocket Configuration Experiments and Hydrocarbon/Oxygen Rocket Ejector Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santoro, Robert J.; Pal, Sibtosh

2003-01-01

This addendum report documents the results of two additional efforts for the Rocket Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) rocket-ejector mode research work carried out at the Penn State Propulsion Engineering Research Center in support of NASA s technology development efforts for enabling 3 d generation Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV). The tasks reported here build on an earlier NASA MSFC funded research program on rocket ejector investigations. The first task investigated the improvements of a gaseous hydrogen/oxygen twin thruster RBCC rocket ejector system over a single rocket system. The second task investigated the performance of a hydrocarbon (liquid JP-7)/gaseous oxygen single thruster rocket-ejector system. To gain a systematic understanding of the rocket-ejector s internal fluid mechanic/combustion phenomena, experiments were conducted with both direct-connect and sea-level static diffusion and afterburning (DAB) configurations for a range of rocket operating conditions. For all experimental conditions, overall system performance was obtained through global measurements of wall static pressure profiles, heat flux profiles and engine thrust. Detailed mixing and combustion information was obtained through Raman spectroscopy measurements of major species (gaseous oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and water vapor) for the gaseous hydrogen/oxygen rocket ejector experiments.

Rocket Engine Nozzle Side Load Transient Analysis Methodology: A Practical Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shi, John J.

2005-01-01

At the sea level, a phenomenon common with all rocket engines, especially for a highly over-expanded nozzle, during ignition and shutdown is that of flow separation as the plume fills and empties the nozzle, Since the flow will be separated randomly. it will generate side loads, i.e. non-axial forces. Since rocket engines are designed to produce axial thrust to power the vehicles, it is not desirable to be excited by non-axial input forcing functions, In the past, several engine failures were attributed to side loads. During the development stage, in order to design/size the rocket engine components and to reduce the risks, the local dynamic environments as well as dynamic interface loads have to be defined. The methodology developed here is the way to determine the peak loads and shock environments for new engine components. In the past it is not feasible to predict the shock environments, e.g. shock response spectra, from one engine to the other, because it is not scaleable. Therefore, the problem has been resolved and the shock environments can be defined in the early stage of new engine development. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Potentiometric Surface of the Lower Patapsco Aquifer in Southern Maryland, September 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Curtin, Stephen E.; Andreasin, David C.; Staley, Andrew W.

2010-01-01

This report presents a map showing the potentiometric surface of the lower Patapsco aquifer in the Patapsco Formation of Early Cretaceous age in Southern Maryland during September 2009. The map is based on water-level measurements in 64 wells. The highest measured water level was 110 feet above sea level near the northwestern boundary and outcrop area of the aquifer in northern Prince George's County. From this area, the potentiometric surface declined towards well fields at Severndale, Broad Creek, and Arnold. The measured groundwater levels were 99 feet below sea level at Severndale, 50 feet below sea level at Broad Creek, and 36 feet below sea level at Arnold. There was also a cone of depression in Charles County that includes Waldorf, La Plata, Indian Head, and the Morgantown power plant. The groundwater levels measured were as low as 215 feet below sea level at Waldorf, 149 feet below sea level at La Plata, 121 feet below sea level at Indian Head, and 96 feet below sea level at the Morgantown power plant. The map also shows well yield in gallons per day for 2008 at wells or well fields.

Sea level response to ENSO along the central California coast: How the 1997-1998 event compares with the historic record

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ryan, H.F.; Noble, M.

2002-01-01

Long-term monthly sea level and sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies from central California show that during winter months, positive anomalies are associated with El Nin??o events and the negative ones with La Nin??a events. There is no significant impact on monthly mean anomalies associated with Pacific decadal oscillations, although there is a tendency for more extreme events and greater variance during positive decadal oscillations. The very strong 1997-1998 El Nin??o was analyzed with respect to the long-term historic record to assess the forcing mechanisms for sea level and SST. Beginning in the spring of 1997, we observed several long-period (> 30days) fluctuations in daily sea level with amplitudes of over 10 cm at San Francisco, California. Fluctuations of poleward long-period alongshore wind stress anomalies (AWSA) are coherent with the sea level anomalies. However, the wind stress cannot entirely account for the observed sea level signals. The sea level fluctuations are also correlated with sea level fluctuations observed further south at Los Angeles and Tumaco, Columbia, which showed a poleward phase propagation of the sea level signal. We suggest that the sea level fluctuations were, to a greater degree, forced by the passage of remotely generated and coastally trapped waves that were generated along the equator and propagated to the north along the west coast of North America. However, both local and remote AWSA can significantly modulate the sea level signals. The arrival of coastally trapped waves began in the spring of 1997, which is earlier than previous strong El Nin??o events such as the 1982-1983 event. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Seismicity of the Earth 1900–2010 Middle East and vicinity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenkins, Jennifer; Turner, Bethan; Turner, Rebecca; Hayes, Gavin P.; Davies, Sian; Dart, Richard L.; Tarr, Arthur C.; Villaseñor, Antonio; Benz, Harley M.

2013-01-01

No fewer than four major tectonic plates (Arabia, Eurasia, India, and Africa) and one smaller tectonic block (Anatolia) are responsible for seismicity and tectonics in the Middle East and surrounding region. Geologic development of the region is a consequence of a number of first-order plate tectonic processes that include subduction, large-scale transform faulting, compressional mountain building, and crustal extension. In the east, tectonics are dominated by the collision of the India plate with Eurasia, driving the uplift of the Himalaya, Karakorum, Pamir and Hindu Kush mountain ranges. Beneath the Pamir‒Hindu Kush Mountains of northern Afghanistan, earthquakes occur to depths as great as 200 km as a result of remnant lithospheric subduction. Along the western margin of the India plate, relative motions between India and Eurasia are accommodated by strike-slip, reverse, and oblique-slip faulting, resulting in the complex Sulaiman Range fold and thrust belt, and the major translational Chaman Fault in Afghanistan. Off the south coasts of Pakistan and Iran, the Makran trench is the surface expression of active subduction of the Arabia plate beneath Eurasia. Northwest of this subduction zone, collision between the two plates forms the approximately 1,500-km-long fold and thrust belts of the Zagros Mountains, which cross the whole of western Iran and extend into northeastern Iraq. Tectonics in the eastern Mediterranean region are dominated by complex interactions between the Africa, Arabia, and Eurasia plates, and the Anatolia block. Dominant structures in this region include: the Red Sea Rift, the spreading center between the Africa and Arabia plates; the Dead Sea Transform, a major strike-slip fault, also accommodating Africa-Arabia relative motions; the North Anatolia Fault, a right-lateral strike-slip structure in northern Turkey accommodating much of the translational motion of the Anatolia block westwards with respect to Eurasia and Africa; and the Cyprian Arc, a convergent boundary between the Africa plate to the south, and Anatolia Block to the north.

Coastal marsh response to historical and future sea-level acceleration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirwan, M.; Temmerman, S.

2009-01-01

We consider the response of marshland to accelerations in the rate of sea-level rise by utilizing two previously described numerical models of marsh elevation. In a model designed for the Scheldt Estuary (Belgium-SW Netherlands), a feedback between inundation depth and suspended sediment concentrations allows marshes to quickly adjust their elevation to a change in sea-level rise rate. In a model designed for the North Inlet Estuary (South Carolina), a feedback between inundation and vegetation growth allows similar adjustment. Although the models differ in their approach, we find that they predict surprisingly similar responses to sea-level change. Marsh elevations adjust to a step change in the rate of sea-level rise in about 100 years. In the case of a continuous acceleration in the rate of sea-level rise, modeled accretion rates lag behind sea-level rise rates by about 20 years, and never obtain equilibrium. Regardless of the style of acceleration, the models predict approximately 6-14 cm of marsh submergence in response to historical sea-level acceleration, and 3-4 cm of marsh submergence in response to a projected scenario of sea-level rise over the next century. While marshes already low in the tidal frame would be susceptible to these depth changes, our modeling results suggest that factors other than historical sea-level acceleration are more important for observations of degradation in most marshes today.

Projecting future sea level

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cayan, Daniel R.; Bromirski, Peter; Hayhoe, Katharine; Tyree, Mary; Dettinger, Mike; Flick, Reinhard

2006-01-01

California’s coastal observations and global model projections indicate that California’s open coast and estuaries will experience increasing sea levels over the next century. Sea level rise has affected much of the coast of California, including the Southern California coast, the Central California open coast, and the San Francisco Bay and upper estuary. These trends, quantified from a small set of California tide gages, have ranged from 10–20 centimeters (cm) (3.9–7.9 inches) per century, quite similar to that estimated for global mean sea level. So far, there is little evidence that the rate of rise has accelerated, and the rate of rise at California tide gages has actually flattened since 1980, but projections suggest substantial sea level rise may occur over the next century. Climate change simulations project a substantial rate of global sea level rise over the next century due to thermal expansion as the oceans warm and runoff from melting land-based snow and ice accelerates. Sea level rise projected from the models increases with the amount of warming. Relative to sea levels in 2000, by the 2070–2099 period, sea level rise projections range from 11–54 cm (4.3–21 in) for simulations following the lower (B1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions scenario, from 14–61 cm (5.5–24 in) for the middle-upper (A2) emission scenario, and from 17–72 cm (6.7–28 in) for the highest (A1fi) scenario. In addition to relatively steady secular trends, sea levels along the California coast undergo shorter period variability above or below predicted tide levels and changes associated with long-term trends. These variations are caused by weather events and by seasonal to decadal climate fluctuations over the Pacific Ocean that in turn affect the Pacific coast. Highest coastal sea levels have occurred when winter storms and Pacific climate disturbances, such as El Niño, have coincided with high astronomical tides. This study considers a range of projected future global sea level rises in examining possible impacts at California coastal and estuarine stations. Two climate models and three scenarios considered in this scenarios study provide a set of possible future weather and short-period climate fluctuations, and a range of potential long-term sea level rise values. A range of mean sea level rise was considered in combination with weather and El Niño fluctuations extracted from two global climate models and two GHG emissions scenarios. The mean sea level rise values, determined from a survey of several climate models, range from approximately 10–80 cm (3.9–31 in) between 2000 and 2100. The middle to higher end of this range would substantially exceed the historical rate of sea level rise of 15–20 cm (5.9–7.9 in)per century observed at San Francisco and San Diego during the last 100 years. Gradual sea level rise progressively worsens the impacts of high tides and the surge and waves associated with storms. The potential for impacts of future sea level rise was assessed from the occurrence of hourly sea level extremes. The occurrence of extreme events follows a sharply escalating pattern as the magnitude of future sea level rise increases. The confluence of Low barometric pressures from storms and the presence large waves at the same time substantially increases the likelihood of high, damaging sea levels along the California coast. Similarly, astronomical tides and disturbances in sea level that are caused by weather and climate fluctuations are x transmitted into the San Francisco Bay and Delta, and on into the lower reaches of the Sacramento River. In addition to elevating Bay and Delta sea levels directly through inverse barometer and wind effects, storms may generate heavy precipitation and high fresh water runoff and cause floods in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, increasing the potential for inundation of levees and other structures. There may also be increased risk of levee failure due to the hydraulics and geometry of these structures. Rising sea levels from climate change will increase the frequency and duration of extreme high water levels, causing historical coastal and San Francisco Bay/Delta structure design criteria to be exceeded.

Timescales for detecting a significant acceleration in sea level rise

PubMed Central

Haigh, Ivan D.; Wahl, Thomas; Rohling, Eelco J.; Price, René M.; Pattiaratchi, Charitha B.; Calafat, Francisco M.; Dangendorf, Sönke

2014-01-01

There is observational evidence that global sea level is rising and there is concern that the rate of rise will increase, significantly threatening coastal communities. However, considerable debate remains as to whether the rate of sea level rise is currently increasing and, if so, by how much. Here we provide new insights into sea level accelerations by applying the main methods that have been used previously to search for accelerations in historical data, to identify the timings (with uncertainties) at which accelerations might first be recognized in a statistically significant manner (if not apparent already) in sea level records that we have artificially extended to 2100. We find that the most important approach to earliest possible detection of a significant sea level acceleration lies in improved understanding (and subsequent removal) of interannual to multidecadal variability in sea level records. PMID:24728012

Reconciliation of late Quaternary sea levels derived from coral terraces at Huon Peninsula with deep sea oxygen isotope records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chappell, John; Omura, Akio; Esat, Tezer; McCulloch, Malcolm; Pandolfi, John; Ota, Yoko; Pillans, Brad

1996-06-01

A major discrepancy between the Late Quaternary sea level changes derived from raised coral reef terraces at the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea and from oxygen isotopes in deep sea cores is resolved. The two methods agree closely from 120 ka to 80 ka and from 20 ka to 0 ka (ka = 1000 yr before present), but between 70 and 30 ka the isotopic sea levels are 20-40 m lower than the Huon Peninsula sea levels derived in earlier studies. New, high precision U-series age measurements and revised stratigraphic data for Huon Peninsula terraces aged between 30 and 70 ka now give similar sea levels to those based on deep sea oxygen isotope data planktonic and benthic δ 18O data. Using the sea level and deep sea isotopic data, oxygen isotope ratios are calculated for the northern continental ice sheets through the last glacial cycle and are consistent with results from Greenland ice cores. The record of ice volume changes through the last glacial cycle now appears to be reasonably complete.

A Finite Rate Chemical Analysis of Nitric Oxide Flow Contamination Effects on Scramjet Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cabell, Karen F.; Rock, Kenneth E.

2003-01-01

The level of nitric oxide contamination in the test gas of the Langley Research Center Arc-Heated Scramjet Test Facility and the effect of the contamination on scramjet test engine performance were investigated analytically. A finite rate chemical analysis was performed to determine the levels of nitric oxide produced in the facility at conditions corresponding to Mach 6 to 8 flight simulations. Results indicate that nitric oxide levels range from one to three mole percent, corroborating previously obtained measurements. A three-stream combustor code with finite rate chemistry was used to investigate the effects of nitric oxide on scramjet performance. Results indicate that nitric oxide in the test gas causes a small increase in heat release and thrust performance for the test conditions investigated. However, a rate constant uncertainty analysis suggests that the effect of nitric oxide ranges from no net effect, to an increase of about 10 percent in thrust performance.

Noise levels of operational helicopters of the OH-6 type designed to meet the LOH mission. [acoustic properties for various helicopter configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, R. A.

1973-01-01

Formulas relating overall sound pressure level (OASPL) to parameters such as horsepower required, tip speed, and thrust for main and tail rotors are presented for standard and quieted helicopters. Formulas relating OASPL to engine parameters such as horsepower output and percent power turbine rpm are presented for unmuffled and muffled engines. The linear scale was used in preference to any of the weighted scales because it resulted in more consistent agreement with the test data when the SPL is expressed in the usual parameters of tip speed, thrust generated and power required. It is recognized that the linear scale does not adequately reflect hearing response, and hence is not a good absolute measure for detection by humans. However, linear OASPL is believed to be useful as a relative means of comparing noise level variations of individual components in similar helicopters with reasonably modest design changes.

The thrust belt in Southwest Montana and east-central Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruppel, Edward T.; Lopez, David A.

1984-01-01

The leading edge of the Cordilleran fold and thrust in southwest Montana appears to be a continuation of the edge of the Wyoming thrust belt, projected northward beneath the Snake River Plain. Trces of the thrust faults that form the leading edge of the thrust belts are mostly concealed, but stratigraphic and structural evidence suggests that the belt enters Montana near the middle of the Centennial Mountains, continues west along the Red Rock River valley, and swings north into the Highland Mountains near Butte. The thrust belt in southwest Montana and east-central Idaho includes at least two major plates -- the Medicine Lodge and Grasshopper thrust plates -- each of which contains a distinctive sequence of rocks, different in facies and structural style from those of the cratonic region east of the thrust belt. The thrust plates are characterized by persuasive, open to tight and locally overturned folds, and imbricate thrust faults, structural styles unusual in Phanerozoic cratonic rocks. The basal decollement zones of the plates are composed of intensely sheared, crushed, brecciated, and mylonitized rocks, the decollement at the base of the Medicine Lodge plate is as much as 300 meters thick. The Medicine Lodge and Grasshopper thrust plates are fringed on the east by a 10- to 50-kilometer-wide zone of tightly folded rocks cut by imbricate thrust fauls, a zone that forms the eastern margin of the thrust belt in southwest Montana. The frontal fold and thrust zone includes rocks that are similar to those of the craton, even though they differ in details of thickness, composition, or stratigraphic sequence. The zone is interpreted to be one of terminal folding and thrusting in cratonic rocks overridden by the major thrust plates from farther west. The cratonic rocks were drape-folded over rising basement blocks that formed a foreland bulge in front of the thrust belt. The basement blocks are bounded by steep faults of Proterozoic ancestry, which also moved as tear faults during thrusting, and seem to have controlled the curving patterns of salients and reentrants at the leading edge of the thrust belt. Radiometric and stratiographic evidence shows that the thrust belt was in its present position by about 75 million year go.

Two-Phase Flow Model and Experimental Validation for Bubble Augmented Waterjet Propulsion Nozzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, J.-K.; Hsiao, C.-T.; Wu, X.; Singh, S.; Jayaprakash, A.; Chahine, G.

2011-11-01

The concept of thrust augmentation through bubble injection into a waterjet has been the subject of many patents and publications over the past several decades, and there are simplified computational and experimental evidence of thrust increase. In this work, we present more rigorous numerical and experimental studies which aim at investigating two-phase water jet propulsion systems. The numerical model is based on a Lagrangian-Eulerian method, which considers the bubbly mixture flow both in the microscopic level where individual bubble dynamics are tracked and in the macroscopic level where bubbles are collectively described by the local void fraction of the mixture. DYNAFLOW's unsteady RANS solver, 3DYNAFS-Vis is used to solve the macro level variable density mixture medium, and a fully unsteady two-way coupling between this and the bubble dynamics/tracking code 3DYNAFS-DSM is utilized. Validation studies using measurements in a half 3-D experimental setup composed of divergent and convergent sections are presented. Visualization of the bubbles, PIV measurements of the flow, bubble size and behavior are observed, and the measured flow field data are used to validate the models. Thrust augmentation as high as 50% could be confirmed both by predictions and by experiments. This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research under the contract N00014-07-C-0427, monitored by Dr. Ki-Han Kim.

Interplay between Seismic Fracturing and Aseismic Creep in the Woodroffe Thrust, Central Australia - Inferences for the Rheology of Relatively "Dry" Middle Continental Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wex, S.; Mancktelow, N. S.; Hawemann, F.; Pennacchioni, G.; Camacho, A.

2016-12-01

The over 600 km long mid-crustal Woodroffe Thrust developed during the intraplate Petermann Orogeny around 550 Ma. Ductile shearing was accommodated along a shallowly south-dipping plane with a top-to-north shear sense. Due to late-stage open folding of the thrust plane, a nearly continuous N-S profile of 60 km length in the direction of thrusting is now exposed. Metamorphic conditions of 500 °C - 600 °C at roughly 0.8 GPa and the rare availability of aqueous fluids are well constrained along the entire transect, providing an ideal framework for studying variation in microstructure and texture in the dominantly "dry" felsic middle continental crust. During the ductile thrusting quartz dynamically recrystallized by subgrain rotation and grain boundary migration, whereas plagioclase and K-feldspar underwent fracturing and neocrystallization. Quartz crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) shows progressive variation from dominant prism to mixed rhomb/basal slip, while plagioclase and K-feldspar CPO is random. Flow stresses, estimated from quartz grain size piezometry, decrease towards higher metamorphic grade and deeper structural levels, yielding a strain rate that is up to two orders of magnitude faster than the geological average of 10-13 - 10-15 s-1. On this basis, a qualitative rheological model is developed explaining the observed cyclic interplay between ductile shearing (mylonitization) and brittle fracturing (pseudotachylyte formation) in the relatively "dry" middle continental crust, where the syn-deformational influx of water has not been pervasive.

Differences between opening versus closing high tibial osteotomy on clinical outcomes and gait analysis.

PubMed

Deie, Masataka; Hoso, Takayuki; Shimada, Noboru; Iwaki, Daisuke; Nakamae, Atsuo; Adachi, Nobuo; Ochi, Mitsuo

2014-12-01

High tibial osteotomy (HTO) for medial knee osteoarthritis (OA) is mainly performed via two procedures: closing wedge HTO (CW) and opening wedge HTO (OW). In this study, differences between these procedures were assessed by serial clinical evaluation and gait analysis before and after surgery. Twenty-one patients underwent HTO for medial knee OA in 2011 and 2012, with 12 patients undergoing CW and nine undergoing OW. The severity of OA was classified according to the Kellgren-Lawrence classification. The Japanese Orthopedic Association score for assessment of knee OA (JOA score), the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and the femoral tibial angle (FTA) on X-ray were evaluated. For gait analysis, gait speed, varus moment, varus angle and lateral thrust were calculated. The JOA score and NRS were improved significantly one year postoperatively in both groups. The FTA was maintained in both groups at one year. Varus angle and varus moment were significantly improved in both groups at each postoperative follow-up, when compared preoperatively. Lateral thrust was significantly improved at three months postoperatively in both groups. However, the significant improvement in lateral thrust had disappeared in the CW group six months postoperatively, whereas it was maintained for at least one year in the OW group. This study found that clinical outcomes were well maintained after HTO. OW reduced knee varus moment and lateral thrust, whereas CW had little effect on reducing lateral thrust. Level IV. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Decadal sea level variability in the East China Sea linked to the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, Jae-Hong; Song, Y. Tony

2017-07-01

In view of coastal community's need for adapting to sea level rise (SLR), understanding and predicting regional variability on decadal to longer time scales still remain a challenging issue in SLR research. Here, we have examined the low-frequency sea level signals in the East China Sea (ECS) from the 50-year hindcast of a non-Boussinesq ocean model in comparison with data sets from altimeters, tide-gauges, and steric sea level produced by in-situ profiles. It is shown that the mean sea levels in the ECS represent significant decadal fluctuations over the past 50 years, with a multi-decadal trend shift since the mid-1980s compared to the preceding 30 years. The decadal fluctuations in sea level are more closely linked to the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) rather than the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which reflects the multi-decadal trend shift. A composite analysis indicates that wind patterns associated with the NPGO is shown to control the decadal variability of the western subtropical North Pacific. A positive NPGO corresponds to cyclonic wind stress curl anomaly in the western subtropical regions that results in a higher sea level in the ECS, particularly along the continental shelf, and lower sea levels off the ECS. The reverse occurs in years of negative NPGO.

Development of an Open Rotor Cycle Model in NPSS Using a Multi-Design Point Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendricks, Eric S.

2011-01-01

NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project and Subsonic Fixed Wing Project are focused on developing concepts and technologies which may enable dramatic reductions to the environmental impact of future generation subsonic aircraft (Refs. 1 and 2). The open rotor concept (also referred to as the Unducted Fan or advanced turboprop) may allow the achievement of this objective by reducing engine emissions and fuel consumption. To evaluate its potential impact, an open rotor cycle modeling capability is needed. This paper presents the initial development of an open rotor cycle model in the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) computer program which can then be used to evaluate the potential benefit of this engine. The development of this open rotor model necessitated addressing two modeling needs within NPSS. First, a method for evaluating the performance of counter-rotating propellers was needed. Therefore, a new counter-rotating propeller NPSS component was created. This component uses propeller performance maps developed from historic counter-rotating propeller experiments to determine the thrust delivered and power required. Second, several methods for modeling a counter-rotating power turbine within NPSS were explored. These techniques used several combinations of turbine components within NPSS to provide the necessary power to the propellers. Ultimately, a single turbine component with a conventional turbine map was selected. Using these modeling enhancements, an open rotor cycle model was developed in NPSS using a multi-design point approach. The multi-design point (MDP) approach improves the engine cycle analysis process by making it easier to properly size the engine to meet a variety of thrust targets throughout the flight envelope. A number of design points are considered including an aerodynamic design point, sea-level static, takeoff and top of climb. The development of this MDP model was also enabled by the selection of a simple power management scheme which schedules propeller blade angles with the freestream Mach number. Finally, sample open rotor performance results and areas for further model improvements are presented.

Plio Quaternary tectonic evolution and structure of the Catania foredeep, the northern Hyblean Plateau and the Ionian shelf (SE Sicily)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torelli, Luigi; Grasso, Mario; Mazzoldi, Glauco; Peis, Davide

1998-11-01

Available multi- and single-channel seismic reflection profiles, calibrated by onshore borehole data, have been used for defining the structural styles in the shelf and slope of the Ionian Sea between Catania and Augusta (SE Sicily). The geological and geophysical data suggest that this area represents a segment of the foredeep-foreland system which collapsed after Late Pliocene times. The foundering was controlled by normal faults trending NE-SW, which flank the southern margin of the Catania foredeep. Onland, in outcrop, these faults appear largely to be post-dated by Lower Pleistocene sediments, nearshore carbonates passing laterally into basinal clays, which lie unconformably upon older substrata. Offshore, close to the southern edge of the foredeep, seismic lines allow recognition of two distinct units: a syn-rift wedge (Upper Pliocene submarine tholeiites and sediments), and a post-rift sequence which can be correlated with Lower Pleistocene carbonates, sands and clays recognisable on land, both in outcrop and by borehole data. The true frontal part of the thrust belt, as detected by the seismic lines, occupies the inner part of the area investigated and is buried by Upper Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene sediments. However, the compressive deformation seems to propagate toward the south-southeast by means of growing detachment levels developing at depth within Pleistocene marine clays, for a length of about 10 km, ahead of the present-day thrust front. Offshore, the faults trending NE-SW are dissected towards the east by faults trending NNW-SSE, subparallel to the Malta Escarpment, which flank the edge of the submerged Messina Rise. These faults, originating in a steep scarp which drops eastwards to the deep Ionian basin, have triggered submarine slides and affected the present-day seafloor sediments. As shown by seismic lines and as stressed by the modern seismicity of the area, some of the faults along the Malta Escarpment could be still active.

Postglacial rebound and fault instability in Fennoscandia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Patrick; Johnston, Paul; Lambeck, Kurt

1999-12-01

The best available rebound model is used to investigate the role that postglacial rebound plays in triggering seismicity in Fennoscandia. The salient features of the model include tectonic stress due to spreading at the North Atlantic Ridge, overburden pressure, gravitationally self-consistent ocean loading, and the realistic deglaciation history and compressible earth model which best fits the sea-level and ice data in Fennoscandia. The model predicts the spatio-temporal evolution of the state of stress, the magnitude of fault instability, the timing of the onset of this instability, and the mode of failure of lateglacial and postglacial seismicity. The consistency of the predictions with the observations suggests that postglacial rebound is probably the cause of the large postglacial thrust faults observed in Fennoscandia. The model also predicts a uniform stress field and instability in central Fennoscandia for the present, with thrust faulting as the predicted mode of failure. However, the lack of spatial correlation of the present seismicity with the region of uplift, and the existence of strike-slip and normal modes of current seismicity are inconsistent with this model. Further unmodelled factors such as the presence of high-angle faults in the central region of uplift along the Baltic coast would be required in order to explain the pattern of seismicity today in terms of postglacial rebound stress. The sensitivity of the model predictions to the effects of compressibility, tectonic stress, viscosity and ice model is also investigated. For sites outside the ice margin, it is found that the mode of failure is sensitive to the presence of tectonic stress and that the onset timing is also dependent on compressibility. For sites within the ice margin, the effect of Earth rheology is shown to be small. However, ice load history is shown to have larger effects on the onset time of earthquakes and the magnitude of fault instability.

Small Fast Spectrum Reactor Designs Suitable for Direct Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bruce G. Schnitzler; Stanley K. Borowski

Advancement of U.S. scientific, security, and economic interests through a robust space exploration program requires high performance propulsion systems to support a variety of robotic and crewed missions beyond low Earth orbit. Past studies, in particular those in support of both the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) and Space Exploration Initiative (SEI), have shown nuclear thermal propulsion systems provide superior performance for high mass high propulsive delta-V missions. The recent NASA Design Reference Architecture (DRA) 5.0 Study re-examined mission, payload, and transportation system requirements for a human Mars landing mission in the post-2030 timeframe. Nuclear thermal propulsion was again identified asmore » the preferred in-space transportation system. A common nuclear thermal propulsion stage with three 25,000-lbf thrust engines was used for all primary mission maneuvers. Moderately lower thrust engines may also have important roles. In particular, lower thrust engine designs demonstrating the critical technologies that are directly extensible to other thrust levels are attractive from a ground testing perspective. An extensive nuclear thermal rocket technology development effort was conducted from 1955-1973 under the Rover/NERVA Program. Both graphite and refractory metal alloy fuel types were pursued. Reactors and engines employing graphite based fuels were designed, built and ground tested. A number of fast spectrum reactor and engine designs employing refractory metal alloy fuel types were proposed and designed, but none were built. The Small Nuclear Rocket Engine (SNRE) was the last engine design studied by the Los Alamos National Laboratory during the program. At the time, this engine was a state-of-the-art graphite based fuel design incorporating lessons learned from the very successful technology development program. The SNRE was a nominal 16,000-lbf thrust engine originally intended for unmanned applications with relatively short engine operations and the engine and stage design were constrained to fit within the payload volume of the then planned space shuttle. The SNRE core design utilized hexagonal fuel elements and hexagonal structural support elements. The total number of elements can be varied to achieve engine designs of higher or lower thrust levels. Some variation in the ratio of fuel elements to structural elements is also possible. Options for SNRE-based engine designs in the 25,000-lbf thrust range were described in a recent (2010) Joint Propulsion Conference paper. The reported designs met or exceeded the performance characteristics baselined in the DRA 5.0 Study. Lower thrust SNRE-based designs were also described in a recent (2011) Joint Propulsion Conference paper. Recent activities have included parallel evaluation and design efforts on fast spectrum engines employing refractory metal alloy fuels. These efforts include evaluation of both heritage designs from the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and General Electric Company GE-710 Programs as well as more recent designs. Results are presented for a number of not-yet optimized fast spectrum engine options.« less

Small Fast Spectrum Reactor Designs Suitable for Direct Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnitzler, Bruce G.; Borowski, Stanley K.

2012-01-01

Advancement of U.S. scientific, security, and economic interests through a robust space exploration program requires high performance propulsion systems to support a variety of robotic and crewed missions beyond low Earth orbit. Past studies, in particular those in support of the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI), have shown nuclear thermal propulsion systems provide superior performance for high mass high propulsive delta-V missions. The recent NASA Design Reference Architecture (DRA) 5.0 Study re-examined mission, payload, and transportation system requirements for a human Mars landing mission in the post-2030 timeframe. Nuclear thermal propulsion was again identified as the preferred in-space transportation system. A common nuclear thermal propulsion stage with three 25,000-lbf thrust engines was used for all primary mission maneuvers. Moderately lower thrust engines may also have important roles. In particular, lower thrust engine designs demonstrating the critical technologies that are directly extensible to other thrust levels are attractive from a ground testing perspective. An extensive nuclear thermal rocket technology development effort was conducted from 1955-1973 under the Rover/NERVA Program. Both graphite and refractory metal alloy fuel types were pursued. Reactors and engines employing graphite based fuels were designed, built and ground tested. A number of fast spectrum reactor and engine designs employing refractory metal alloy fuel types were proposed and designed, but none were built. The Small Nuclear Rocket Engine (SNRE) was the last engine design studied by the Los Alamos National Laboratory during the program. At the time, this engine was a state-of-the-art graphite based fuel design incorporating lessons learned from the very successful technology development program. The SNRE was a nominal 16,000-lbf thrust engine originally intended for unmanned applications with relatively short engine operations and the engine and stage design were constrained to fit within the payload volume of the then planned space shuttle. The SNRE core design utilized hexagonal fuel elements and hexagonal structural support elements. The total number of elements can be varied to achieve engine designs of higher or lower thrust levels. Some variation in the ratio of fuel elements to structural elements is also possible. Options for SNRE-based engine designs in the 25,000-lbf thrust range were described in a recent (2010) Joint Propulsion Conference paper. The reported designs met or exceeded the performance characteristics baselined in the DRA 5.0 Study. Lower thrust SNRE-based designs were also described in a recent (2011) Joint Propulsion Conference paper. Recent activities have included parallel evaluation and design efforts on fast spectrum engines employing refractory metal alloy fuels. These efforts include evaluation of both heritage designs from the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and General Electric Company GE-710 Programs as well as more recent designs. Results are presented for a number of not-yet optimized fast spectrum engine options.

MIS 5e sea level: up to what point can we use literature reviews to answer the most pressing questions on the Last Interglacial ice sheets?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rovere, A.; Raymo, M. E.

2014-12-01

During MIS 5e (between ~128 and 116 kyr BP) greenhouse gas concentrations were comparable to pre-industrial levels, summer insolation was higher by ~10% at high latitudes and polar temperatures in both hemispheres were about 3-5 °C warmer than today. Sea level (SL) at this time has been a subject of numerous studies (and some debate) with ~1000 sites with MIS 5e sea level markers recognized worldwide. Recently, Kopp et al. (Nature, 2009) and Dutton & Lambeck (Science, 2012) analyzed worldwide datasets of sea level markers pertaining to the last interglacial. After accounting for GIA, they reached similar conclusions that eustatic (i.e., globally averaged) sea level (ESL) was between +5 and +9.4 m above modern during MIS 5e. Furthermore, Kopp et al. (Nature, 2009; GJI, 2013) suggest that sea level was not uniform during the LIG, but instead underwent at least two rapid oscillations including a rapid late 5e rise first proposed by Hearty et al. (QSR, 2007) and later by O'Leary et al. (Nat. Geo., 2013). Investigating the temporal and geographic variability of MIS 5e sea level opens new lines of research, in particular the possibility to fingerprint (Hay et al., QSR, 2014) the source of the proposed rapid ice sheet collapse near the end of the Last Interglacial. In this presentation we ask: can we use a database of published sea level estimates for this purpose? To answer this question, we built a relative sea level (RSL) database using RSLcalc 2.0; this is a relational database specifically designed to review relative sea level data points while keeping all the relevant information contained in the original publications. RSlcalc allows to estimate the measurement error (on the actual elevation of the SL feature), the error on the indicative range (the elevation range occupied by a sea level indicator) as well as the reference water level (the relationship between the marker and the former sea level). We show that the majority of published data have an accuracy of few meters at best and, in most cases, are not precise enough for sea level fingerprinting. We conclude that the use of topographic-grade survey techniques is paramount in the study of paleo-sea levels and that revisiting known sites using such techniques is a priority for the understanding of polar ice volume and sea level changes during past interglacials

A 6,700 years sea-level record based on French Polynesian coral reefs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallmann, Nadine; Camoin, Gilbert; Eisenhauer, Anton; Vella, Claude; Samankassou, Elias; Botella, Albéric; Milne, Glenn; Fietzke, Jan; Dussouillez, Philippe

2015-04-01

Sea-level change during the Mid- to Late Holocene has a similar amplitude to the sea-level rise that is likely to occur before the end of the 21st century providing a unique opportunity to study the coastal response to sea-level change and to reveal an important baseline of natural climate variability prior to the industrial revolution. Mid- to Late Holocene relative sea-level change in French Polynesia was reconstructed using coral reef records from ten islands, which represent ideal settings for accurate sea-level studies because: 1) they can be regarded as tectonically stable during the relevant period (slow subsidence), 2) they are located far from former ice sheets (far-field), 3) they are characterized by a low tidal amplitude, and 4) they cover a wide range of latitudes which produces significantly improved constraints on GIA (Glacial Isostatic Adjustment) model parameters. Absolute U/Th dating of in situ coral colonies and their accurate positioning via GPS RTK (Real Time Kinematic) measurements is crucial for an accurate reconstruction of sea-level change. We focus mainly on the analysis of coral microatolls, which are sensitive low-tide recorders, as their vertical accretion is limited by the mean low water springs level. Growth pattern analysis allows the reconstruction of low-amplitude, high-frequency sea-level changes on centennial to sub-decadal time scales. A sea-level rise of less than 1 m is recorded between 6 and 3-3.5 ka, and is followed by a gradual fall in sea level that started around 2.5 ka and persisted until the past few centuries. The reconstructed sea-level curve therefore extends the Tahiti sea-level curve [Deschamps et al., 2012, Nature, 483, 559-564], and is in good agreement with a geophysical model tuned to fit far-field deglacial records [Bassett et al., 2005, Science, 309, 925-928].

Sea level and turbidity controls on mangrove soil surface elevation change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lovelock, Catherine E.; Fernanda Adame, Maria; Bennion, Vicki; Hayes, Matthew; Reef, Ruth; Santini, Nadia; Cahoon, Donald R.

2015-01-01

Increases in sea level are a threat to seaward fringing mangrove forests if levels of inundation exceed the physiological tolerance of the trees; however, tidal wetlands can keep pace with sea level rise if soil surface elevations can increase at the same pace as sea level rise. Sediment accretion on the soil surface and belowground production of roots are proposed to increase with increasing sea level, enabling intertidal habitats to maintain their position relative to mean sea level, but there are few tests of these predictions in mangrove forests. Here we used variation in sea level and the availability of sediments caused by seasonal and inter-annual variation in the intensity of La Nina-El Nino to assess the effects of increasing sea level on surface elevation gains and contributing processes (accretion on the surface, subsidence and root growth) in mangrove forests. We found that soil surface elevation increased with mean sea level (which varied over 250 mm during the study) and with turbidity at sites where fine sediment in the water column is abundant. In contrast, where sediments were sandy, rates of surface elevation gain were high, but not significantly related to variation in turbidity, and were likely to be influenced by other factors that deliver sand to the mangrove forest. Root growth was not linked to soil surface elevation gains, although it was associated with reduced shallow subsidence, and therefore may contribute to the capacity of mangroves to keep pace with sea level rise. Our results indicate both surface (sedimentation) and subsurface (root growth) processes can influence mangrove capacity to keep pace with sea level rise within the same geographic location, and that current models of tidal marsh responses to sea level rise capture the major feature of the response of mangroves where fine, but not coarse, sediments are abundant.

CAVITATION SOUNDS DURING CERVICOTHORACIC SPINAL MANIPULATION

PubMed Central

Mourad, Firas; Zingoni, Andrea; Iorio, Raffaele; Perreault, Thomas; Zacharko, Noah; de las Peñas, César Fernández; Butts, Raymond; Cleland, Joshua A.

2017-01-01

Background No study has previously investigated the side, duration or number of audible cavitation sounds during high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) thrust manipulation to the cervicothoracic spine. Purpose The primary purpose was to determine which side of the spine cavitates during cervicothoracic junction (CTJ) HVLA thrust manipulation. Secondary aims were to calculate the average number of cavitations, the duration of cervicothoracic thrust manipulation, and the duration of a single cavitation. Study Design Quasi-experimental study Methods Thirty-two patients with upper trapezius myalgia received two cervicothoracic HVLA thrust manipulations targeting the right and left T1-2 articulation, respectively. Two high sampling rate accelerometers were secured bilaterally 25 mm lateral to midline of the T1-2 interspace. For each manipulation, two audio signals were extracted using Short-Time Fourier Transformation (STFT) and singularly processed via spectrogram calculation in order to evaluate the frequency content and number of instantaneous energy bursts of both signals over time for each side of the CTJ. Result Unilateral cavitation sounds were detected in 53 (91.4%) of 58 cervicothoracic HVLA thrust manipulations and bilateral cavitation sounds were detected in just five (8.6%) of the 58 thrust manipulations; that is, cavitation was significantly (p<0.001) more likely to occur unilaterally than bilaterally. In addition, cavitation was significantly (p<0.0001) more likely to occur on the side contralateral to the clinician's short-lever applicator. The mean number of audible cavitations per manipulation was 4.35 (95% CI 2.88, 5.76). The mean duration of a single manipulation was 60.77 ms (95% CI 28.25, 97.42) and the mean duration of a single audible cavitation was 4.13 ms (95% CI 0.82, 7.46). In addition to single-peak and multi-peak energy bursts, spectrogram analysis also demonstrated high frequency sounds, low frequency sounds, and sounds of multiple frequencies for all 58 manipulations. Discussion Cavitation was significantly more likely to occur unilaterally, and on the side contralateral to the short-lever applicator contact, during cervicothoracic HVLA thrust manipulation. Clinicians should expect multiple cavitation sounds when performing HVLA thrust manipulation to the CTJ. Due to the presence of multi-peak energy bursts and sounds of multiple frequencies, the cavitation hypothesis (i.e. intra-articular gas bubble collapse) alone appears unable to explain all of the audible sounds during HVLA thrust manipulation, and the possibility remains that several phenomena may be occurring simultaneously. Level of Evidence 2b PMID:28900571

Sea level history in Beringia during the past 250,000 years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hopkins, D.M.

1973-01-01

This paper attempts to relate current knowledge of sea-level history in Beringia to the Broecker-van Donk "Termination" concept of climatic and sea-level history. The Einahnuhtan transgression is thought to represent Termination III, which according to Broecker and van Donk, took place about 225,000 y.a. The Kotzebuan transgression is thought to represent a positive fluctuation that modulated the generally falling sea level during the ensuing 100,000 yr. Sea level probably fell to about -135 m in the Bering Sea area during the maximum phase of the penultimate glaciation. The two Pelukian shorelines probably represent Termination II (about 125,000 yr BP in the Broecker-van Donk chronology) and one of the two positive fluctuations that modulated the generally falling sea level of early Wisconsinan time, about 105,000 and 80,000 y.a. according to Broecker and van Donk. Another positive modulation brought sea level to at least -20 m, about 30,000 y.a. Sea level evidently fell to between -90 and -100 m during the late Wisconsinan regression, but a substantial part of the outer Bering shelf remained submerged. Submerged shoreline features at -38m, -30 m, -24 to -20 m, and -12 to -10 m represent stillstands or slight regressions that modulated Termination I, the late Wisconsinan, and early Holocene recovery of sea level. ?? 1973.

Evidence for the timing of sea-level events during MIS 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siddall, M.

2005-12-01

Four large sea-level peaks of millennial-scale duration occur during MIS 3. In addition smaller peaks may exist close to the sensitivity of existing methods to derive sea level during these periods. Millennial-scale changes in temperature during MIS 3 are well documented across much of the planet and are linked in some unknown, yet fundamental way to changes in ice volume / sea level. It is therefore highly likely that the timing of the sea level events during MIS 3 will prove to be a `Rosetta Stone' for understanding millennial scale climate variability. I will review observational and mechanistic arguments for the variation of sea level on Antarctic, Greenland and absolute time scales.