Improving IAQ Via Air Filtration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monk, Brian

1999-01-01

Provides tips on using air filtration to control indoor air quality in educational facilities, including dedicated spaces with unique air quality conditions such as in libraries, museums and archival storage areas, kitchens and dining areas, and laboratories. The control of particulate contaminants, gaseous contaminants, and moisture buildup are…

Evaluation of Crops Moisture Provision by Space Remote Sensing Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilienko, Tetiana

2016-08-01

The article is focused on theoretical and experimental rationale for the use of space data to determine the moisture provision of agricultural landscapes and agricultural plants. The improvement of space remote sensing methods to evaluate plant moisture availability is the aim of this research.It was proved the possibility of replacement of satellite imagery of high spatial resolution on medium spatial resolution which are freely available to determine crop moisture content at the local level. The mathematical models to determine the moisture content of winter wheat plants by spectral indices were developed based on the results of experimental field research and satellite (Landsat, MODIS/Terra, RapidEye, SICH-2) data. The maps of the moisture content in winter wheat plants in test sites by obtained models were constructed using modern GIS technology.

Growing season soil moisture following restoration treatments of varying intensity in semi-arid ponderosa pine forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Donnell, F. C.; Springer, A. E.; Sankey, T.; Masek Lopez, S.

2014-12-01

Forest restoration projects are being planned for large areas of overgrown semi-arid ponderosa pine forests of the Southwestern US. Restoration involves the thinning of smaller trees and prescribed or managed fire to reduce tree density, restore a more natural fire regime, and decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfire. The stated goals of these projects generally reduced plant water stress and improvements in hydrologic function. However, little is known about how to design restoration treatments to best meet these goals. As part of a larger project on snow cover, soil moisture, and groundwater recharge, we measured soil moisture, an indicator of plant water status, in four pairs of control and restored sites near Flagstaff, Arizona. The restoration strategies used at the sites range in both amount of open space created and degree of clustering of the remaining trees. We measured soil moisture using 30 cm vertical time domain reflectometry probes installed on 100 m transects at 5 m intervals so it would be possible to analyze the spatial pattern of soil moisture. Soil moisture was higher and more spatially variable in the restored sites than the control sites with differences in spatial pattern among the restoration types. Soil moisture monitoring will continue until the first snow fall, at which point measurements of snow depth and snow water equivalent will be made at the same locations.

Space-time modeling of soil moisture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zijuan; Mohanty, Binayak P.; Rodriguez-Iturbe, Ignacio

2017-11-01

A physically derived space-time mathematical representation of the soil moisture field is carried out via the soil moisture balance equation driven by stochastic rainfall forcing. The model incorporates spatial diffusion and in its original version, it is shown to be unable to reproduce the relative fast decay in the spatial correlation functions observed in empirical data. This decay resulting from variations in local topography as well as in local soil and vegetation conditions is well reproduced via a jitter process acting multiplicatively over the space-time soil moisture field. The jitter is a multiplicative noise acting on the soil moisture dynamics with the objective to deflate its correlation structure at small spatial scales which are not embedded in the probabilistic structure of the rainfall process that drives the dynamics. These scales of order of several meters to several hundred meters are of great importance in ecohydrologic dynamics. Properties of space-time correlation functions and spectral densities of the model with jitter are explored analytically, and the influence of the jitter parameters, reflecting variabilities of soil moisture at different spatial and temporal scales, is investigated. A case study fitting the derived model to a soil moisture dataset is presented in detail.

Statistical Quality Control of Moisture Data in GEOS DAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dee, D. P.; Rukhovets, L.; Todling, R.

1999-01-01

A new statistical quality control algorithm was recently implemented in the Goddard Earth Observing System Data Assimilation System (GEOS DAS). The final step in the algorithm consists of an adaptive buddy check that either accepts or rejects outlier observations based on a local statistical analysis of nearby data. A basic assumption in any such test is that the observed field is spatially coherent, in the sense that nearby data can be expected to confirm each other. However, the buddy check resulted in excessive rejection of moisture data, especially during the Northern Hemisphere summer. The analysis moisture variable in GEOS DAS is water vapor mixing ratio. Observational evidence shows that the distribution of mixing ratio errors is far from normal. Furthermore, spatial correlations among mixing ratio errors are highly anisotropic and difficult to identify. Both factors contribute to the poor performance of the statistical quality control algorithm. To alleviate the problem, we applied the buddy check to relative humidity data instead. This variable explicitly depends on temperature and therefore exhibits a much greater spatial coherence. As a result, reject rates of moisture data are much more reasonable and homogeneous in time and space.

A Round Robin evaluation of AMSR-E soil moisture retrievals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mittelbach, Heidi; Hirschi, Martin; Nicolai-Shaw, Nadine; Gruber, Alexander; Dorigo, Wouter; de Jeu, Richard; Parinussa, Robert; Jones, Lucas A.; Wagner, Wolfgang; Seneviratne, Sonia I.

2014-05-01

Large-scale and long-term soil moisture observations based on remote sensing are promising data sets to investigate and understand various processes of the climate system including the water and biochemical cycles. Currently, the ESA Climate Change Initiative for soil moisture develops and evaluates a consistent global long-term soil moisture data set, which is based on merging passive and active remotely sensed soil moisture. Within this project an inter-comparison of algorithms for AMSR-E and ASCAT Level 2 products was conducted separately to assess the performance of different retrieval algorithms. Here we present the inter-comparison of AMSR-E Level 2 soil moisture products. These include the public data sets from University of Montana (UMT), Japan Aerospace and Space Exploration Agency (JAXA), VU University of Amsterdam (VUA; two algorithms) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). All participating algorithms are applied to the same AMSR-E Level 1 data set. Ascending and descending paths of scaled surface soil moisture are considered and evaluated separately in daily and monthly resolution over the 2007-2011 time period. Absolute values of soil moisture as well as their long-term anomalies (i.e. removing the mean seasonal cycle) and short-term anomalies (i.e. removing a five weeks moving average) are evaluated. The evaluation is based on conventional measures like correlation and unbiased root-mean-square differences as well as on the application of the triple collocation method. As reference data set, surface soil moisture of 75 quality controlled soil moisture sites from the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) are used, which cover a wide range of vegetation density and climate conditions. For the application of the triple collocation method, surface soil moisture estimates from the Global Land Data Assimilation System are used as third independent data set. We find that the participating algorithms generally display a better performance for the descending compared to the ascending paths. A first classification of the sites defined by geographical locations show that the algorithms have a very similar average performance. Further classifications of the sites by land cover types and climate regions will be conducted which might result in a more diverse performance of the algorithms.

Multiscale soil moisture estimates using static and roving cosmic-ray soil moisture sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McJannet, David; Hawdon, Aaron; Baker, Brett; Renzullo, Luigi; Searle, Ross

2017-12-01

Soil moisture plays a critical role in land surface processes and as such there has been a recent increase in the number and resolution of satellite soil moisture observations and the development of land surface process models with ever increasing resolution. Despite these developments, validation and calibration of these products has been limited because of a lack of observations on corresponding scales. A recently developed mobile soil moisture monitoring platform, known as the rover, offers opportunities to overcome this scale issue. This paper describes methods, results and testing of soil moisture estimates produced using rover surveys on a range of scales that are commensurate with model and satellite retrievals. Our investigation involved static cosmic-ray neutron sensors and rover surveys across both broad (36 × 36 km at 9 km resolution) and intensive (10 × 10 km at 1 km resolution) scales in a cropping district in the Mallee region of Victoria, Australia. We describe approaches for converting rover survey neutron counts to soil moisture and discuss the factors controlling soil moisture variability. We use independent gravimetric and modelled soil moisture estimates collected across both space and time to validate rover soil moisture products. Measurements revealed that temporal patterns in soil moisture were preserved through time and regression modelling approaches were utilised to produce time series of property-scale soil moisture which may also have applications in calibration and validation studies or local farm management. Intensive-scale rover surveys produced reliable soil moisture estimates at 1 km resolution while broad-scale surveys produced soil moisture estimates at 9 km resolution. We conclude that the multiscale soil moisture products produced in this study are well suited to future analysis of satellite soil moisture retrievals and finer-scale soil moisture models.

Integration of GIS, Geostatistics, and 3-D Technology to Assess the Spatial Distribution of Soil Moisture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Betts, M.; Tsegaye, T.; Tadesse, W.; Coleman, T. L.; Fahsi, A.

1998-01-01

The spatial and temporal distribution of near surface soil moisture is of fundamental importance to many physical, biological, biogeochemical, and hydrological processes. However, knowledge of these space-time dynamics and the processes which control them remains unclear. The integration of geographic information systems (GIS) and geostatistics together promise a simple mechanism to evaluate and display the spatial and temporal distribution of this vital hydrologic and physical variable. Therefore, this research demonstrates the use of geostatistics and GIS to predict and display soil moisture distribution under vegetated and non-vegetated plots. The research was conducted at the Winfred Thomas Agricultural Experiment Station (WTAES), Hazel Green, Alabama. Soil moisture measurement were done on a 10 by 10 m grid from tall fescue grass (GR), alfalfa (AA), bare rough (BR), and bare smooth (BS) plots. Results indicated that variance associated with soil moisture was higher for vegetated plots than non-vegetated plots. The presence of vegetation in general contributed to the spatial variability of soil moisture. Integration of geostatistics and GIS can improve the productivity of farm lands and the precision of farming.

Technology Solutions Case Study: Innovative Retrofit Foundation Insulation Strategies, Minneapolis, Minnesota

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

None

Basements in climates 6 & 7 can account for a fraction of a home's total heat loss when fully conditioned. These foundations are a source of moisture, with convection in open block cavities redistributing water from the wall base, usually when heating. Even when block cavities are capped, the cold foundation concrete can act as a moisture source for wood rim joist components that are in contact with the wall. As below-grade basements are increasingly retrofitted for habitable space, cold foundation walls pose increased challenges for moisture durability, energy use, and occupant comfort. To address this challenge, the NorthernSTAR Buildingmore » America Partnership evaluated a retrofit insulation strategy for foundations that is designed for use with open-core concrete block foundation walls. The three main goals were to improve moisture control, improve occupant comfort, and reduce heat loss.« less

Thermal expansion of composites: Methods and results. [large space structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowles, D. E.; Tenney, D. R.

1981-01-01

The factors controlling the dimensional stability of various components of large space structures were investigated. Cyclic, thermal and mechanical loading were identified as the primary controlling factors of the dimensional stability of cables. For organic matrix composites, such as graphite-epoxy, it was found that these factors include moisture desorption in the space environment, thermal expansion as the structure moves from the sunlight to shadow in its orbit, mechanical loading, and microyielding of the material caused by microcracking of the matrix material. The major focus was placed on the thermal expansion of composites and in particular the development and testing of a method for its measurement.

SoilNet - A Zigbee based soil moisture sensor network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogena, H. R.; Weuthen, A.; Rosenbaum, U.; Huisman, J. A.; Vereecken, H.

2007-12-01

Soil moisture plays a key role in partitioning water and energy fluxes, in providing moisture to the atmosphere for precipitation, and controlling the pattern of groundwater recharge. Large-scale soil moisture variability is driven by variation of precipitation and radiation in space and time. At local scales, land cover, soil conditions, and topography act to redistribute soil moisture. Despite the importance of soil moisture, it is not yet measured in an operational way, e.g. for a better prediction of hydrological and surface energy fluxes (e.g. runoff, latent heat) at larger scales and in the framework of the development of early warning systems (e.g. flood forecasting) and the management of irrigation systems. The SoilNet project aims to develop a sensor network for the near real-time monitoring of soil moisture changes at high spatial and temporal resolution on the basis of the new low-cost ZigBee radio network that operates on top of the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The sensor network consists of soil moisture sensors attached to end devices by cables, router devices and a coordinator device. The end devices are buried in the soil and linked wirelessly with nearby aboveground router devices. This ZigBee wireless sensor network design considers channel errors, delays, packet losses, and power and topology constraints. In order to conserve battery power, a reactive routing protocol is used that determines a new route only when it is required. The sensor network is also able to react to external influences, e.g. such as rainfall occurrences. The SoilNet communicator, routing and end devices have been developed by the Forschungszentrum Juelich and will be marketed through external companies. We will present first results of experiments to verify network stability and the accuracy of the soil moisture sensors. Simultaneously, we have developed a data management and visualisation system. We tested the wireless network on a 100 by 100 meter forest plot equipped with 25 end devices each consisting of 6 vertically arranged soil moisture sensors. The next step will be the instrumentation of two small catchments (~30 ha) with a 30 m spacing of the end devices. juelich.de/icg/icg-4/index.php?index=739

Ecology and thermal inactivation of microbes in and on interplanetary space vehicle components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, J. E.

1971-01-01

Data showing that 90 C was a more effective temperature than 125 C for the destruction of Bacillus subtilis var. niger when the head-space moisture was fixed at 474 micrograms H2O/ml have been confirmed and are summarized. The influence of head-space moisture at 90 C was investigated and it was observed that as the head-space moisture was increased 474 micrograms H2O/ml, there was a corresponding increase in lethality of the system. This moisture level corresponded to 100% relative humidity at 90 C, and additional water in the cans should have had no effect. A profound descrease was observed in the destruction of the organisms when additional water was added. The discontinuity observed in these data is troublesome and must be resolved as the first step in an orderly exploration of low temperature inactivation of B. subtilis var. niger.

Analysis of heat and mass transfer during condensation over a porous substrate.

PubMed

Balasubramaniam, R; Nayagam, V; Hasan, M M; Khan, L

2006-09-01

Condensing heat exchangers are important in many space applications for thermal and humidity control systems. The International Space Station uses a cooled fin surface to condense moisture from humid air that is blown over it. The condensate and the air are "slurped" into a system that separates air and water by centrifugal forces. The use of a cooled porous substrate is an attractive alternative to the fin where condensation and liquid/gas separation can be achieved in a single step. We analyze the heat and mass transfer during condensation of moisture from flowing air over such a cooled, flat, porous substrate. A fully developed regime is investigated for coupled mass, momentum and energy transport in the gas phase, and momentum and energy transport in the condensate layer on the porous substrate and through the porous medium.

SMOS soil moisture validation with U.S. in situ newworks

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Estimation of soil moisture at large scale has been performed using several satellite-based passive microwave sensors using a variety of retrieval methods. The most recent source of soil moisture is the European Space Agency Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. Since it is a new sensor u...

Assessing the uncertainty of soil moisture impacts on convective precipitation using a new ensemble approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henneberg, Olga; Ament, Felix; Grützun, Verena

2018-05-01

Soil moisture amount and distribution control evapotranspiration and thus impact the occurrence of convective precipitation. Many recent model studies demonstrate that changes in initial soil moisture content result in modified convective precipitation. However, to quantify the resulting precipitation changes, the chaotic behavior of the atmospheric system needs to be considered. Slight changes in the simulation setup, such as the chosen model domain, also result in modifications to the simulated precipitation field. This causes an uncertainty due to stochastic variability, which can be large compared to effects caused by soil moisture variations. By shifting the model domain, we estimate the uncertainty of the model results. Our novel uncertainty estimate includes 10 simulations with shifted model boundaries and is compared to the effects on precipitation caused by variations in soil moisture amount and local distribution. With this approach, the influence of soil moisture amount and distribution on convective precipitation is quantified. Deviations in simulated precipitation can only be attributed to soil moisture impacts if the systematic effects of soil moisture modifications are larger than the inherent simulation uncertainty at the convection-resolving scale. We performed seven experiments with modified soil moisture amount or distribution to address the effect of soil moisture on precipitation. Each of the experiments consists of 10 ensemble members using the deep convection-resolving COSMO model with a grid spacing of 2.8 km. Only in experiments with very strong modification in soil moisture do precipitation changes exceed the model spread in amplitude, location or structure. These changes are caused by a 50 % soil moisture increase in either the whole or part of the model domain or by drying the whole model domain. Increasing or decreasing soil moisture both predominantly results in reduced precipitation rates. Replacing the soil moisture with realistic fields from different days has an insignificant influence on precipitation. The findings of this study underline the need for uncertainty estimates in soil moisture studies based on convection-resolving models.

Gravitropism interferes with hydrotropism via counteracting auxin dynamics in cucumber roots: clinorotation and spaceflight experiments.

PubMed

Morohashi, Keita; Okamoto, Miki; Yamazaki, Chiaki; Fujii, Nobuharu; Miyazawa, Yutaka; Kamada, Motoshi; Kasahara, Haruo; Osada, Ikuko; Shimazu, Toru; Fusejima, Yasuo; Higashibata, Akira; Yamazaki, Takashi; Ishioka, Noriaki; Kobayashi, Akie; Takahashi, Hideyuki

2017-09-01

Roots of land plants show gravitropism and hydrotropism in response to gravity and moisture gradients, respectively, for controlling their growth orientation. Gravitropism interferes with hydrotropism, although the mechanistic aspects are poorly understood. Here, we differentiated hydrotropism from gravitropism in cucumber roots by conducting clinorotation and spaceflight experiments. We also compared mechanisms regulating hydrotropism and auxin-regulated gravitropism. Clinorotated or microgravity (μG)-grown cucumber seedling roots hydrotropically bent toward wet substrate in the presence of moisture gradients, but they grew straight in the direction of normal gravitational force at the Earth's surface (1G) on the ground or centrifuge-generated 1G in space. The roots appeared to become hydrotropically more sensitive to moisture gradients under μG conditions in space. Auxin transport inhibitors significantly reduced the hydrotropic response of clinorotated seedling roots. The auxin efflux protein CsPIN5 was differentially expressed in roots of both clinorotated and μG-grown seedlings; with higher expression in the high-humidity (concave) side than the low-humidity (convex) side of hydrotropically responding roots. Our results suggest that roots become hydrotropically sensitive in μG, and CsPIN5-mediated auxin transport has an important role in inducing root hydrotropism. Thus, hydrotropic and gravitropic responses in cucumber roots may compete via differential auxin dynamics established in response to moisture gradients and gravity. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Topographic, edaphic, and vegetative controls on plant-available water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dymond, Salli F.; Bradford, John B.; Bolstad, Paul V.; Kolka, Randall K.; Sebestyen, Stephen D.; DeSutter, Thomas S.

2017-01-01

Soil moisture varies within landscapes in response to vegetative, physiographic, and climatic drivers, which makes quantifying soil moisture over time and space difficult. Nevertheless, understanding soil moisture dynamics for different ecosystems is critical, as the amount of water in a soil determines a myriad ecosystem services and processes such as net primary productivity, runoff, microbial decomposition, and soil fertility. We investigated the patterns and variability in in situ soil moisture measurements converted to plant-available water across time and space under different vegetative cover types and topographic positions at the Marcell Experimental Forest (Minnesota, USA). From 0 – 228.6 cm soil depth, plant-available water was significantly higher under the hardwoods (12%), followed by the aspen (8%) and red pine (5%) cover types. Across the same soil depth, toeslopes were wetter (mean plant-available water = 10%) than ridges and backslopes (mean plant-available water was 8%), although these differences were not statistically significant (p < 0.05). Using a mixed model of fixed and random effects, we found that cover type, soil texture, and time were related to plant-available water and that topography was not significantly related to plant-available water within this low-relief landscape. Additionally, during the three-year monitoring period, red pine and quaking aspen sites experienced plant-available water levels that may be considered limiting to plant growth and function. Given that increasing temperatures and more erratic precipitation patterns associated with climate change may result in decreased soil moisture in this region, these species may be sensitive and vulnerable to future shifts in climate.

Rainfall estimation by inverting SMOS soil moisture estimates: a comparison of different methods over Australia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Remote sensing of soil moisture has reached a level of maturity and accuracy for which the retrieved products can be used to improve hydrological and meteorological applications. In this study, the soil moisture product from the European Space Agency’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) is used...

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Surface Soil Moisture in Evaluating Ground Truth Monitoring Sites for Remotely Sensed Observations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil moisture is an intrinsic state variable that varies considerably in space and time. Although soil moisture is highly variable, repeated measurements of soil moisture at the field or small watershed scale can often reveal certain locations as being temporally stable and representative of the are...

COSMOS: COsmic-ray Soil Moisture Observing System planned for the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zweck, C.; Zreda, M.; Shuttleworth, J.; Zeng, X.

2008-12-01

Because soil water exerts a critical control on weather, climate, ecosystem, and water cycle, understanding soil moisture changes in time and space is crucial for many fields within natural sciences. A serious handicap in soil moisture measurements is the mismatch between limited point measurements using contact methods and remote sensing estimates over large areas. We present a novel method to measure soil moisture non- invasively at an intermediate spatial scale that will alleviate this problem. The method takes advantage of the dependence of cosmic-ray neutron intensity on the hydrogen content of soils (Zreda et al., Geophysical Research Letters, accepted). Low-energy cosmic-ray neutrons are produced and moderated in the soil, transported from the soil into the atmosphere where they are measured with a cosmic-ray neutron probe to provide integrated soil moisture content over a footprint of several hundred meters and a depth of a few decimeters. The method and the instrument are intended for deployment in the continental-scale COSMOS network that is designed to cover the contiguous region of the USA. Fully deployed, the COSMOS network will consist of up to 500 probes, and will provide continuous soil moisture content (together with atmospheric pressure, temperature and relative humidity) measured and reported hourly. These data will be used for initialization and assimilation of soil moisture conditions in weather and short-term (seasonal) climate forecasting, and for other land-surface applications.

KSC-2015-1258

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-31

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The two-stage Delta II launch vehicle lifts off Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, on a mission to study global coverage of soil moisture and freeze/thaw measurements. Launch was at 9:22 a.m. EST. SMAP is designed to produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

On the non-uniqueness of the hydro-geomorphic responses in a zero-order catchment with respect to soil moisture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jongho; Dwelle, M. Chase; Kampf, Stephanie K.; Fatichi, Simone; Ivanov, Valeriy Y.

2016-06-01

This study advances mechanistic interpretation of predictability challenges in hydro-geomorphology related to the role of soil moisture spatial variability. Using model formulations describing the physics of overland flow, variably saturated subsurface flow, and erosion and sediment transport, this study explores (1) why a basin with the same mean soil moisture can exhibit distinctly different spatial moisture distributions, (2) whether these varying distributions lead to non-unique hydro-geomorphic responses, and (3) what controls non-uniqueness in relation to the response type. Two sets of numerical experiments are carried out with two physically-based models, HYDRUS and tRIBS+VEGGIE+FEaST, and their outputs are analyzed with respect to pre-storm moisture state. The results demonstrate that distinct spatial moisture distributions for the same mean wetness arise because near-surface soil moisture dynamics exhibit different degrees of coupling with deeper-soil moisture and the process of subsurface drainage. The consequences of such variations are different depending on the type of hydrological response. Specifically, if the predominant runoff response is of infiltration excess type, the degree of non-uniqueness is related to the spatial distribution of near-surface moisture. If runoff is governed by subsurface stormflow, the extent of deep moisture contributing area and its "readiness to drain" determine the response characteristics. Because the processes of erosion and sediment transport superimpose additional controls over factors governing runoff generation and overland flow, non-uniqueness of the geomorphic response can be highly dampened or enhanced. The explanation is sediment composed by multi-size particles can alternate states of mobilization or surface shielding and the transient behavior is inherently intertwined with the availability of mobile particles. We conclude that complex nonlinear dynamics of hydro-geomorphic processes are inherent expressions of physical interactions. As complete knowledge of watershed properties, states, or forcings will always present the ultimate, if ever resolvable, challenge, deterministic predictability will remain handicapped. Coupling of uncertainty quantification methods and space-time physics-based approaches will need to evolve to facilitate mechanistic interpretations and informed practical applications.

Transpiration-driven aridification of the American West in 21st-Century model projections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mankin, J. S.; Smerdon, J. E.; Cook, B.; Williams, P.; Seager, R.

2016-12-01

Climate models project significant 21st-Century declines in soil moisture and runoff over the American West from anthropogenic climate change, but the associated physical mechanisms are poorly characterized. In particular, there are significant uncertainties regarding the modulation of evaporative losses by vegetation and how the physical determinants (i.e., changes in moisture supply and demand) of future surface moisture balance will vary in time, space, and depth in the soil. Using 35-members of the NCAR CESM large ensemble (LENS) and 1800 years of its pre-industrial control simulation, we examine the response of Western surface moisture balance (soil moisture and runoff) to anthropogenic forcing. Declines in runoff and soil moisture are forced primarily by robust increases in evapotranspiration (from increased plant transpiration and canopy evaporation from leaf area index increases), rather than more uncertain changes in total precipitation. This increased water loss occurs even with significant and widespread increases in plant water-use efficiency. Additionally, snowpack reductions in the Rockies and the Pacific Northwest contribute to reductions in summer-season deep soil moisture, while increased transpiration dries out near surface soil moisture even in regions where total precipitation increases. When coupled with a warming- and CO2-induced shift in phenology and increase in net primary production, these vegetation changes reduce peak summer soil moisture and runoff considerably. Our results thus point to a large role for simulated vegetation responses in determining future Western aridity, highlighting the importance of reducing the substantial extant uncertainties in vegetation processes simulated within climate models.

Bio-inspired, Moisture-Powered Hybrid Carbon Nanotube Yarn Muscles

PubMed Central

Kim, Shi Hyeong; Kwon, Cheong Hoon; Park, Karam; Mun, Tae Jin; Lepró, Xavier; Baughman, Ray H.; Spinks, Geoffrey M.; Kim, Seon Jeong

2016-01-01

Hygromorph artificial muscles are attractive as self-powered actuators driven by moisture from the ambient environment. Previously reported hygromorph muscles have been largely limited to bending or torsional motions or as tensile actuators with low work and energy densities. Herein, we developed a hybrid yarn artificial muscle with a unique coiled and wrinkled structure, which can be actuated by either changing relative humidity or contact with water. The muscle provides a large tensile stroke (up to 78%) and a high maximum gravimetric work capacity during contraction (2.17 kJ kg−1), which is over 50 times that of the same weight human muscle and 5.5 times higher than for the same weight spider silk, which is the previous record holder for a moisture driven muscle. We demonstrate an automatic ventilation system that is operated by the tensile actuation of the hybrid muscles caused by dew condensing on the hybrid yarn. This self-powered humidity-controlled ventilation system could be adapted to automatically control the desired relative humidity of an enclosed space. PMID:26973137

Advances in Assimilation of Satellite-Based Passive Microwave Observations for Soil-Moisture Estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

De Lannoy, Gabrielle J. M.; Pauwels, Valentijn; Reichle, Rolf H.; Draper, Clara; Koster, Randy; Liu, Qing

2012-01-01

Satellite-based microwave measurements have long shown potential to provide global information about soil moisture. The European Space Agency (ESA) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS, [1]) mission as well as the future National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP, [2]) mission measure passive microwave emission at L-band frequencies, at a relatively coarse (40 km) spatial resolution. In addition, SMAP will measure active microwave signals at a higher spatial resolution (3 km). These new L-band missions have a greater sensing depth (of -5cm) compared with past and present C- and X-band microwave sensors. ESA currently also disseminates retrievals of SMOS surface soil moisture that are derived from SMOS brightness temperature observations and ancillary data. In this research, we address two major challenges with the assimilation of recent/future satellite-based microwave measurements: (i) assimilation of soil moisture retrievals versus brightness temperatures for surface and root-zone soil moisture estimation and (ii) scale-mismatches between satellite observations, models and in situ validation data.

The Planned Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission L-Band Radar/Radiometer Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spencer, Michael; Wheeler, Kevin; Chan, Samuel; Piepmeier, Jeffrey; Hudson, Derek; Medeiros, James

2011-01-01

The Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) mission is a NASA mission identified by the NRC 'decadal survey' to measure both soil moisture and freeze/thaw state from space. The mission will use both active radar and passive radiometer instruments at L-Band. In order to achieve a wide swath at sufficiently high resolution for both active and passive channels, an instrument architecture that uses a large rotating reflector is employed. The instrument system has completed the preliminary design review (PDR) stage, and detailed instrument design has begun. In addition to providing an overview of the instrument design, two recent design modifications are discussed: 1) The addition of active thermal control to the instrument spun side to provide a more stable, settable thermal environment for the radiometer electronics, and 2) A 'sequential transmit' strategy for the two radar polarization channels which allows a single high-power amplifier to be used.

Space-Time Dynamics of Soil Moisture and Temperature: Scale issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mohanty, Binayak P.; Miller, Douglas A.; Th.vanGenuchten, M.

2003-01-01

The goal of this project is to gain further understanding of soil moisture/temperature dynamics at different spatio-temporal scales and physical controls/parameters.We created a comprehensive GIS database, which has been accessed extensively by NASA Land Surface Hydrology investigators (and others), is located at the following URL: http://www.essc.psu.edu/nasalsh. For soil moisture field experiments such as SGP97, SGP99, SMEX02, and SMEX03, cartographic products were designed for multiple applications, both pre- and post-mission. Premission applications included flight line planning and field operations logistics, as well as general insight into the extent and distribution of soil, vegetation, and topographic properties for the study areas. The cartographic products were created from original spatial information resources that were imported into Adobe Illustrator, where the maps were created and PDF versions were made for distribution and download.

Soil moisture variability across different scales in an Indian watershed for satellite soil moisture product validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Gurjeet; Panda, Rabindra K.; Mohanty, Binayak P.; Jana, Raghavendra B.

2016-05-01

Strategic ground-based sampling of soil moisture across multiple scales is necessary to validate remotely sensed quantities such as NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) product. In the present study, in-situ soil moisture data were collected at two nested scale extents (0.5 km and 3 km) to understand the trend of soil moisture variability across these scales. This ground-based soil moisture sampling was conducted in the 500 km2 Rana watershed situated in eastern India. The study area is characterized as sub-humid, sub-tropical climate with average annual rainfall of about 1456 mm. Three 3x3 km square grids were sampled intensively once a day at 49 locations each, at a spacing of 0.5 km. These intensive sampling locations were selected on the basis of different topography, soil properties and vegetation characteristics. In addition, measurements were also made at 9 locations around each intensive sampling grid at 3 km spacing to cover a 9x9 km square grid. Intensive fine scale soil moisture sampling as well as coarser scale samplings were made using both impedance probes and gravimetric analyses in the study watershed. The ground-based soil moisture samplings were conducted during the day, concurrent with the SMAP descending overpass. Analysis of soil moisture spatial variability in terms of areal mean soil moisture and the statistics of higher-order moments, i.e., the standard deviation, and the coefficient of variation are presented. Results showed that the standard deviation and coefficient of variation of measured soil moisture decreased with extent scale by increasing mean soil moisture.

The microwave radiometer spacecraft: A design study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, R. L. (Editor)

1981-01-01

A large passive microwave radiometer spacecraft with near all weather capability of monitoring soil moisture for global crop forecasting was designed. The design, emphasizing large space structures technology, characterized the mission hardware at the conceptual level in sufficient detail to identify enabling and pacing technologies. Mission and spacecraft requirements, design and structural concepts, electromagnetic concepts, and control concepts are addressed.

KSC-2015-1259

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-31

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – An exhaust cloud builds around the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket as it lifts off Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, on a mission to study global coverage of soil moisture and freeze/thaw measurements. Launch was at 9:22 a.m. EST. SMAP is designed to produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Debris control design achievements of the booster separation motors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, G. W.; Chase, C. A.

1985-01-01

The stringent debris control requirements imposed on the design of the Space Shuttle booster separation motor are described along with the verification program implemented to ensure compliance with debris control objectives. The principal areas emphasized in the design and development of the Booster Separation Motor (BSM) relative to debris control were the propellant formulation and nozzle closures which protect the motors from aerodynamic heating and moisture. A description of the motor design requirements, the propellant formulation and verification program, and the nozzle closures design and verification are presented.

Smos Land Product Validation Activities at the Valencia Anchor Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez-Baeza, Ernesto

ABSTRACT Soil moisture is a key parameter controlling the exchanges between the land surface and the atmosphere. In spite of being important for weather and climate modeling, this parameter is not well observed at a global scale. The SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) Mission was designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) to measure soil moisture over continental surfaces as well as surface salinity over the oceans. Since 2001, the Valencia Anchor Station is currently being prepared for the validation of SMOS land products, namely soil moisture content and vegetation water content. The site has recently been selected by the Mission as a core validation site, mainly due to the reasonable homogeneous characteristics of the area which make it appropriate to undertake the validation of SMOS Level 2 land products during the Mission Commissioning Phase, before attempting more complex areas. Close to SMOS launch, ESA has defined and designed a SMOS V alidation Rehearsal C ampaign P lan which purpose is to repeat the Commissioning Phase execution with all centers, all tools, all participants, all structures, all data available, assuming all tools and structures are ready and trying to produce as close as possible the post-launch conditions. The aim is to test the readiness, the ensemble coordination and the speed of operations, and to avoid as far as possible any unexpected deficiencies of the plan and procedure during the real C ommissioning P hase campaigns. For the rehearsal activity, a control area of 10 x 10 km2 has been chosen at the Valencia Anchor Station study area where a network of ground soil moisture measuring stations is being set up based on the definition of homogeneous physio-hydrological units, attending to climatic, soil type, lithology, geology, elevation, slope and vegetation cover conditions. These stations are linked via a wireless communication system to a master post accessible via internet. The ground soil moisture stations will also be used to study the correlation between soil moisture and the Temperature-Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI), obtained from remote sensing data, which will allow us to produce soil moisture maps for the whole control area. These soil moisture fields will then be compared to those obtained from HIRLAM (HIgh Resolution Limited Area Model ). Complementary to the ground measurements, flight operations will also be performed over the control area using the Helsinki University of Technology TKK Short Skyvan research aircraft. The payload for the SMOS Validation Rehearsal Campaign will consist of the following instruments: (i) L-band radiometer EMIRAD provided by the Technical University of Denmark (TUD), (ii) HUT-2D L-band imaging interferometric radiometer provided by TKK, (iii) PARIS GPS reflectrometry system provided by Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), (iv) IR sensor provided by the Finnish Institute of Maritime Research (FIMR), (v) a low resolution digital video camera Together with the ground soil moisture measurements, other ground and meteorological measurements obtained from the Valencia Anchor Station site will be used to simulate passive microwave brightness temperature so as to have satellite "match ups" for validation purposes and to test retrieval algorithms. The spatialization of the ground measurements up to a SMOS pixel will be carried out by using a Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere-Transfer (SVAT) model (SUR- FEX) from Mátéo France. Output data, particularly soil moisture, will then used to simulate ee the L-band surface emission through the use of the L-MEB (L-band Microwave Emission of the Biosphere) model. This paper will present an overview of the whole Valencia Anchor Station Experimental Plan making more emphasis on the development of the ground activities which are considered a key element for the performance of the different validation components.

The role of rock moisture on regulating hydrologic and solute fluxes in the critical zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rempe, D. M.; Druhan, J. L.; Hahm, W. J.; Wang, J.; Murphy, C.; Cargill, S.; Dietrich, W. E.; Tune, A. K.

2017-12-01

In environments where the vadose zone extends below the soil layer into underlying weathered bedrock, the water held in the weathering -generated pores can be an important source of moisture to vegetation. The heterogeneous distribution of pore space in weathered bedrock, furthermore, controls the subsurface water flowpaths that dictate how water is partitioned in the critical zone (CZ) and evolves geochemically. Here, we present the results of direct monitoring of the fluxes of water and solutes through the deep CZ using a novel vadose zone monitoring system (VMS) as well as geophysical logging and sampling in a network of deep wells across a steep hillslope in Northern California. At our study site (Eel River CZO), multi-year monitoring reveals that a significant fraction of incoming rainfall (up to 30%) is seasonally stored in the fractures and matrix of the upper 12 m of weathered bedrock as rock moisture. Intensive geochemical and geophysical observations distributed from the surface to the depth of unweathered bedrock indicate that the seasonal addition and depletion of rock moisture has key implications for hydrologic and geochemical processes. First, rock moisture storage provides an annually consistent water storage reservoir for use by vegetation during the summer, which buffers transpiration fluxes against variability in seasonal precipitation. Second, because the timing and magnitude of groundwater recharge and streamflow are controlled by the annual filling and drainage of the rock moisture, rock moisture regulates the partitioning of hydrologic fluxes. Third, we find that rock moisture dynamics—which influence the myriad geochemical and microbial processes that weather bedrock—strongly correspond with the observed vertical weathering profile. As a result of the coupling between chemical weathering reactions and hydrologic fluxes, the geochemical composition of groundwater and streamflow is influenced by the temporal dynamics of rock moisture. Our findings highlight the strong influence of water transport and storage dynamics in the weathered bedrock beneath the soil layer on catchment-scale hydrologic and geochemical fluxes, and underscore the need for further exploration of the fractured bedrock vadose zones common to many upland landscapes.

Evaluating Remotely-Sensed Soil Moisture Retrievals Using Triple Collocation Techniques

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The validation is footprint-scale (~40 km) surface soil moisture retrievals from space is complicated by a lack of ground-based soil moisture instrumentation and challenges associated with up-scaling point-scale measurements from such instrumentation. Recent work has demonstrated the potential of e...

Effect of moisture content on fed batch composting reactor of vegetable and fruit wastes.

PubMed

Jolanun, B; Tripetchkul, S; Chiemchaisri, C; Chaiprasert, P; Towprayoon, S

2005-03-01

Vegetable and fruit wastes mixed with sawdust were composted in a laboratory scale reactor by controlling the waste feeding rate at 21 kg m(-3) day(-1) and aeration rate at 10.6 l m(-3) min(-1). The effects of initial moisture content on organic matter degradation and process performance of fed batch composting were investigated. The absolute amount of removal, removal percentage, and removal rate of dry mass obtained were substantially different among the initial moisture contents. The rapid rise of moisture content and the lowest absolute amount of removal observed were achieved in the 50% condition. The initial moisture content yielding the largest absolute amount of removal in both feeding and curing stage was 30% whereas the removal percentage and rate constant of waste decomposition were highest in the 50% condition. Examined by traditional soil physics method, the moisture content at 50-55% was suitable for satisfying the degree of free air space (65-70%) of compost during the fed batch composting. Most degradable organic matter was mainly consumed in the feeding stage as indicated by a higher removal rate of dry mass in all cases. It is recommended that the initial moisture content of 30% and mode of aeration and agitation should be adopted for achieving practical fed batch composting of vegetable and fruit wastes. The study also demonstrated that the composting kinetics of vegetable and fruit wastes mixed with sawdust can be described by a first order model.

Human Effects and Soil Surface CO2 fluxes in Tropical Urban Green Areas, Singapore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, Bernard; Gandois, Laure; Kai, Fuu Ming; Chua, Amy; Cobb, Alex; Harvey, Charles; Hutyra, Lucy

2013-04-01

Urban green spaces are appreciated for their amenity value, with increasing interest in the ecosystem services they could provide (e.g. climate amelioration and increasingly as possible sites for carbon sequestration). In Singapore, turfgrass occupies approximately 20% of the total land area and is readily found on both planned and residual spaces. This project aims at understanding carbon fluxes in tropical urban green areas, including controls of soil environmental factors and the effect of urban management techniques. Given the large pool of potentially labile carbon, management regimes are recognised to have an influence on soil environmental factors (temperature and moisture), this would affect soil respiration and feedbacks to the greenhouse effect. A modified closed dynamic chamber method was employed to measure total soil respiration fluxes. In addition to soil respiration rates, environmental factors such as soil moisture and temperature, and ambient air temperature were monitored for the site in an attempt to evaluate their control on the observed fluxes. Measurements of soil-atmosphere CO2 exchanges are reported for four experimental plots within the Singtel-Kranji Radio Transmission Station (103o43'49E, 1o25'53N), an area dominated by Axonopus compressus. Different treatments such as the removal of turf, and application of clippings were effected as a means to determine the fluxes from the various components (respiration of soil and turf, and decomposition of clippings), and to explore the effects of human intervention on observed effluxes. The soil surface CO2 fluxes observed during the daylight hours ranges from 2.835 + 0.772 umol m-2 s-1 for the bare plot as compared to 6.654 + 1.134 umol m-2 s-1 for the turfed plot; this could be attributed to both autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration. Strong controls of both soil temperature and soil moisture are observed on measured soil fluxes. On the base soils, fluxes were positively correlated to soil temperature and negatively to soil moisture. Above the grass, fluxes are negatively correlated soil temperature and positively to soil moisture. The measured values will be combined to carbon stock evaluation in the different compartments to assess carbon budget for green area under different grass management in Singapore.

Towards soil property retrieval from space: Proof of concept using in situ observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandara, Ranmalee; Walker, Jeffrey P.; Rüdiger, Christoph

2014-05-01

Soil moisture is a key variable that controls the exchange of water and energy fluxes between the land surface and the atmosphere. However, the temporal evolution of soil moisture is neither easy to measure nor monitor at large scales because of its high spatial variability. This is mainly a result of the local variation in soil properties and vegetation cover. Thus, land surface models are normally used to predict the evolution of soil moisture and yet, despite their importance, these models are based on low-resolution soil property information or typical values. Therefore, the availability of more accurate and detailed soil parameter data than are currently available is vital, if regional or global soil moisture predictions are to be made with the accuracy required for environmental applications. The proposed solution is to estimate the soil hydraulic properties via model calibration to remotely sensed soil moisture observation, with in situ observations used as a proxy in this proof of concept study. Consequently, the feasibility is assessed, and the level of accuracy that can be expected determined, for soil hydraulic property estimation of duplex soil profiles in a semi-arid environment using near-surface soil moisture observations under naturally occurring conditions. The retrieved soil hydraulic parameters were then assessed by their reliability to predict the root zone soil moisture using the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator model. When using parameters that were retrieved using soil moisture observations, the root zone soil moisture was predicted to within an accuracy of 0.04 m3/m3, which is an improvement of ∼0.025 m3/m3 on predictions that used published values or pedo-transfer functions.

Fostering Application Opportunites for the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moran, M. Susan; O'Neill, Peggy E.; Entekhabi, Dara; Njoku, Eni G.; Kellogg, Kent H.

2010-01-01

The NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission will provide global observations of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state from space. We outline how priority applications contributed to the SMAP mission measurement requirements and how the SMAP mission plans to foster applications and applied science.

Development and assessment of the SMAP enhanced passive soil moisture product

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Launched in January 2015, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory was designed to provide frequent global mapping of high-resolution soil moisture and freeze-thaw state every two to three days using a radar and a radiometer operating a...

Microwave Soil Moisture Retrieval Under Trees

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Neill, P.; Lang, R.; Kurum, M.; Joseph, A.; Jackson, T.; Cosh, M.

2008-01-01

Soil moisture is recognized as an important component of the water, energy, and carbon cycles at the interface between the Earth's surface and atmosphere. Current baseline soil moisture retrieval algorithms for microwave space missions have been developed and validated only over grasslands, agricultural crops, and generally light to moderate vegetation. Tree areas have commonly been excluded from operational soil moisture retrieval plans due to the large expected impact of trees on masking the microwave response to the underlying soil moisture. Our understanding of the microwave properties of trees of various sizes and their effect on soil moisture retrieval algorithms at L band is presently limited, although research efforts are ongoing in Europe, the United States, and elsewhere to remedy this situation. As part of this research, a coordinated sequence of field measurements involving the ComRAD (for Combined Radar/Radiometer) active/passive microwave truck instrument system has been undertaken. Jointly developed and operated by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and George Washington University, ComRAD consists of dual-polarized 1.4 GHz total-power radiometers (LH, LV) and a quad-polarized 1.25 GHz L band radar sharing a single parabolic dish antenna with a novel broadband stacked patch dual-polarized feed, a quad-polarized 4.75 GHz C band radar, and a single channel 10 GHz XHH radar. The instruments are deployed on a mobile truck with an 19-m hydraulic boom and share common control software; real-time calibrated signals, and the capability for automated data collection for unattended operation. Most microwave soil moisture retrieval algorithms developed for use at L band frequencies are based on the tau-omega model, a simplified zero-order radiative transfer approach where scattering is largely ignored and vegetation canopies are generally treated as a bulk attenuating layer. In this approach, vegetation effects are parameterized by tau and omega, the microwave vegetation opacity and single scattering albedo. One goal of our current research is to determine whether the tau-omega model can work for tree canopies given the increased scatter from trees compared to grasses and crops, and. if so, what are effective values for tau and omega for trees.

Global Soil Moisture from the Aquarius/SAC-D Satellite: Description and Initial Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bindlish, Rajat; Jackson, Thomas; Cosh, Michael; Zhao, Tianjie; O'Neil, Peggy

2015-01-01

Aquarius satellite observations over land offer a new resource for measuring soil moisture from space. Although Aquarius was designed for ocean salinity mapping, our objective in this investigation is to exploit the large amount of land observations that Aquarius acquires and extend the mission scope to include the retrieval of surface soil moisture. The soil moisture retrieval algorithm development focused on using only the radiometer data because of the extensive heritage of passive microwave retrieval of soil moisture. The single channel algorithm (SCA) was implemented using the Aquarius observations to estimate surface soil moisture. Aquarius radiometer observations from three beams (after bias/gain modification) along with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction model forecast surface temperatures were then used to retrieve soil moisture. Ancillary data inputs required for using the SCA are vegetation water content, land surface temperature, and several soil and vegetation parameters based on land cover classes. The resulting global spatial patterns of soil moisture were consistent with the precipitation climatology and with soil moisture from other satellite missions (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System and Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity). Initial assessments were performed using in situ observations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Little Washita and Little River watershed soil moisture networks. Results showed good performance by the algorithm for these land surface conditions for the period of August 2011-June 2013 (rmse = 0.031 m(exp 3)/m(exp 3), Bias = -0.007 m(exp 3)/m(exp 3), and R = 0.855). This radiometer-only soil moisture product will serve as a baseline for continuing research on both active and combined passive-active soil moisture algorithms. The products are routinely available through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration data archive at the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

Thermal Materials Drive Professional Apparel Line

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2014-01-01

Johnson Space Center investigated phase change materials (PCMs) to use in spacesuit gloves to help maintain comfortable temperatures. Years later, Boston-based Ministry of Supply developed a dress shirt that incorporated the NASA-derived PCMs, could wick away moisture, and also control odors and bacterial growth. Deemed Apollo, the shirt performs like active wear and is available in white and oxford blue.

Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture: A Comparison of Optical and Thermal Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foroughi, H.; Naseri, A. A.; Boroomandnasab, S.; Sadeghi, M.; Jones, S. B.; Tuller, M.; Babaeian, E.

2017-12-01

Recent technological advances in satellite and airborne remote sensing have provided new means for large-scale soil moisture monitoring. Traditional methods for soil moisture retrieval require thermal and optical RS observations. In this study we compared the traditional trapezoid model parameterized based on the land surface temperature - normalized difference vegetation index (LST-NDVI) space with the recently developed optical trapezoid model OPTRAM parameterized based on the shortwave infrared transformed reflectance (STR)-NDVI space for an extensive sugarcane field located in Southwestern Iran. Twelve Landsat-8 satellite images were acquired during the sugarcane growth season (April to October 2016). Reference in situ soil moisture data were obtained at 22 locations at different depths via core sampling and oven-drying. The obtained results indicate that the thermal/optical and optical prediction methods are comparable, both with volumetric moisture content estimation errors of about 0.04 cm3 cm-3. However, the OPTRAM model is more efficient because it does not require thermal data and can be universally parameterized for a specific location, because unlike the LST-soil moisture relationship, the reflectance-soil moisture relationship does not significantly vary with environmental variables (e.g., air temperature, wind speed, etc.).

Implementation of Sensor and Control Designs for Bioregenerative Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriguez, Pedro R. (Editor)

1990-01-01

The goal of the Spring 1990 EGM 4001 Design class was to design, fabricate, and test sensors and control systems for a closed loop life support system (CLLSS). The designs investigated were to contribute to the development of NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Designs included a seed moisture content sensor, a porous medium wetness sensor, a plant health sensor, and a neural network control system. The seed group focused on the design and implementation of a sensor that could detect the moisture content of a seed batch. The porous medium wetness group concentrated on the development of a sensor to monitor the amount of nutrient solution within a porous plate incorporating either infrared reflectance or thermal conductance properties. The plant health group examined the possibility of remotely monitoring the health of the plants within the Biomass Production Chamber (BPC) using infrared reflectance properties. Finally, the neural network group concentrated on the ability to use parallel processing in order to control a robot arm and analyze the data from the health sensor to detect regions of a plant.

Experimental evaluation of three leak detection and location concepts for space stations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scherb, M. V.; Kazokas, G. P.; Zelik, J. A.; Mastandrea, J. R.; Mackallor, D. C.

1972-01-01

Three leak (or precursor damage modes) detection and location concepts for space station overboard leakage were evaluated experimentally. The techniques are: (1) static and dynamic seal leak detector sensing of moisture or all gases in space cabin atmosphere, (2) active ultrasonic Lamb-wave detection of flaws or cracks in cabin wall, and (3) impact gage detection of stress waves induced in cabin pressure wall by meteoroid or orbital impact. The experimental results obtained in the program demonstrated that all three leak detection and location concepts are feasible. With further development, the methods can be integrated into an effective damage control system for advanced manned earth-orbital systems.

Impact of Infiltration and Ventilation on Measured Space Conditioning Energy and Moisture Levels in the Hot-Humid Climate, Cocoa, Florida (Fact Sheet)

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

None, None

Air infiltration and ventilation in residential buildings is a very large part of the heating loads, but empirical data regarding the impact on space cooling has been lacking. Moreover, there has been little data on how building tightness might relate to building interior moisture levels in homes in a hot and humid climate. To address this need, BA-PIRC has conducted research to assess the moisture and cooling load impacts of airtightness and mechanical ventilation in two identical laboratory homes in the hot-humid climate over the cooling season.

Technology Solutions Case Study: Impact of Infiltration and Ventilation on Measured Space Conditioning Energy and Moisture Levels in the Hot-Humid Climate

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

None

Air infiltration and ventilation in residential buildings is a very large part of the heating loads, but empirical data regarding the impact on space cooling has been lacking. Moreover, there has been little data on how building tightness might relate to building interior moisture levels in homes in a hot and humid climate. To address this need, BA-PIRC conducted research to assess the moisture and cooling load impacts of airtightness and mechanical ventilation in two identical laboratory homes in the hot-humid climate over the cooling season.

Effect of a Spaced Thinning in Mature Lodgepole Pine on Within-Stand Microclimate and Fine Fuel Moisture Content

Treesearch

R. J. Whitehead; G. L. Russo; B. C. Hawkes; S. W. Taylor; B. N. Brown; H. J. Barclay; R. A. Benton

2006-01-01

Thinning mature forest stands to wide spacing is prescribed to reduce crown bulk density and likelihood of severe crown fire behaviour. However, it may adversely affect surface fuel load, moisture content and within-stand wind, which influence surface fire behaviour and crowning potential. Comparison of a mature lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl....

Subepidermal moisture surrounding pressure ulcers in persons with a spinal cord injury: A pilot study

PubMed Central

Harrow, Jeffrey John; Mayrovitz, Harvey N.

2014-01-01

Objective Characterization of a non-invasive method of quantifying subepidermal moisture (SEM) surrounding stages III and IV pressure ulcers (PrUs) in spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Prospective, single-visit, single-rater, observational study, using repeated-measures analysis. Method Setting-inpatient units of one VA SCI Center. Participants Convenience sample of 16 subjects with SCI with stage III or IV PrUs over sacrum or ischium. Interventions Measurement with the MoistureMeter-D, a hand-held device using 300 MHz electromagnetic waves. Outcome measures Dielectric constant, a dimensionless number which increases with the moisture content. Each subject had a PrU site and a control site. Measurements were made at each site, on intact skin, at four points spaced angularly around the site, in triplicate. Results (1) Short-term, single-rater relative error was 2.5%. (2) Order effect: first readings were higher than second readings in 55 of 64 measurement sets. Order effect was significant for control sites (P < 0.0001) but not for PrU sites. (3) Angular effect: SEM varied by angle at the PrU sites (P < 0.01); 12 o'clock position the highest and 6 o'clock the lowest. (4) Ability to differentiate PrUs from intact skin: SEM at PrU sites was greater by 9.0% than control sites (P < 0.05). (5) Site effect: SEM was higher at sacral locations than ischial at control sites by 20% (P < 0.005). Conclusions SEM differentiates PrUs from intact skin. Future study designs must take into account order, angular, and site effects on this measure. This information will inform designers of future studies of SEM in healing of PrUs. PMID:25398030

Representing soil moisture - precipitation feedbacks in the Sahel: spatial scale and parameterisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, C.; Birch, C.; Parker, D.; Guichard, F.; Nikulin, G.; Dixon, N.

2013-12-01

Land surface properties influence the life cycle of convective systems across West Africa via space-time variability in sensible and latent heat fluxes. Previous observational and modelling studies have shown that areas with strong mesoscale variability in vegetation cover or soil moisture induce coherent structures in the daytime planetary boundary layer. In particular, horizontal gradients in sensible heat flux can induce convergence zones which favour the initiation of deep convection. A recent study based on satellite data (Taylor et al. 2011), illustrated the climatological importance of soil moisture gradients in the initiation of long-lived Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) in the Sahel. Here we provide a unique assessment of how models of different spatial resolutions represent soil moisture - precipitation feedbacks in the region, and compare their behaviour to observations. Specifically we examine whether the inability of large-scale models to capture the observed preference for afternoon rain over drier soil in semi-arid regions [Taylor et al., 2012] is due to inadequate spatial resolution and/or systematic bias in convective parameterisations. Firstly, we use a convection-permitting simulation at 4km resolution to explore the underlying mechanisms responsible for soil moisture controls on daytime convective initiation in the Sahel. The model reproduces very similar spatial structure as the observations in terms of antecedent soil moisture in the vicinity of a large sample of convective initiations. We then examine how this same model, run at coarser resolution, simulates the feedback of soil moisture on daily rainfall. In particular we examine the impact of switching on the convective parameterisation on rainfall persistence, and compare the findings with 10 regional climate models (RCMs). Finally, we quantify the impact of the feedback on dry-spell return times using a simple statistical model. The results highlight important weaknesses in convective parameterisations which are likely to impact land surface sensitivity studies and hydroclimatic variability on certain time and space scales. Taylor, C.M., Gounou, A., Guichard, F., Harris, P.P., Ellis, R.J.,Couvreux, F., and M. De Kauwe. 2011, Frequency of Sahelian storm initiation enhanced over mesoscale soil-moisture patterns, Nature Geoscience, 4, 430-433, doi:10.1038/ngeo1173 Taylor, C.M., de Jeu, R.A.M., Guichard, F., Harris, P.P, and W.A. Dorigo. 2012, Afternoon rain more likely over drier soils, Nature, 489, 423-426, doi:10.1038/nature11377

NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission and opportunities for applications users

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission is one of four first-tier missions recommended by the National Research Council's Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space. Set to launch in 2014, SMAP soil moisture and freeze/thaw measurements will have an accuracy, resolution, and glob...

Effect of residential air-to-air heat and moisture exchangers on indoor humidity

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

Barringer, C.G.; McGugan, C.A.

1989-01-01

A project was undertaken to develop guidelines for the selection of residential heat and moisture recovery ventilation systems (HRVs) in order to maintain an acceptable indoor humidity for various climatic conditions. These guidelines were developed from reviews on ventilation requirements, HRV performance specifications, and from computer modeling. Space conditions within three house/occupancy models for several types of HRV were simulated for three climatic conditions (Lake Charles, LA; Seattle, WA; and Winnipeg, MB) in order to determine the impact of the HRVs on indoor relative humidity and space-conditioning loads. Results show that when reduction of cooling cost is the main consideration,more » exchangers with moisture recovery are preferable to sensible HRVs. For reduction of heating costs, moisture recovery should be done for ventilation rates greater than about 15 L/s and average winter temperatures less than about (minus) 10{degrees}C if internal moisture generation rates are low. For houses with higher ventilation rates and colder average winter temperatures, exchangers with moisture recovery should be used.« less

Evaluating Moisture Control of Variable-Capacity Heat Pumps in Mechanically Ventilated, Low-Load Homes in Climate Zone 2A

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

Martin, Eric; Withers, Chuck; McIlvaine, Janet

The well-sealed, highly insulated building enclosures constructed by today's home building industry coupled with efficient lighting and appliances are achieving significantly reduced heating and cooling loads. These low-load homes can present a challenge when selecting appropriate space-conditioning equipment. Conventional, fixed-capacity heating and cooling equipment is often oversized for small homes, causing increased first costs and operating costs. Even if fixed-capacity equipment can be properly specified for peak loads, it remains oversized for use during much of the year. During these part-load cooling hours, oversized equipment meets the target dry-bulb temperatures very quickly, often without sufficient opportunity for moisture control. Themore » problem becomes more acute for high-performance houses in humid climates when meeting ASHRAE Standard 62.2 recommendations for wholehouse mechanical ventilation.« less

Global navigation satellite sounding of the atmosphere and GNSS altimetry : prospects for geosciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yunck, Tom P.; Hajj, George A.

2003-01-01

The vast illuminating power of the Global Positioning System (GPS), which transformed space geodesy in the 199Os, is now serving to probe the earth's fluid envelope in unique ways. Three distinct techniques have emerged: ground-based sensing of the integrated atmospheric moisture; space-based profiling of atmospheric refractivity, pressure, temperature, moisture, and other properties by active limb sounding; and surface (ocean and ice) altimetry and scatterometry with reflected signals detected from space. Ground-based GPS moisture sensing is already in provisional use for numerical weather prediction. Limb sounding, while less mature, offers a bevy of attractions, including high accuracy, stability, and vertical resolution; all-weather operation; and exceptionally low cost. GPS bistatic radar, r 'reflectometry,' is the least advanced but shows promise for a number of niche applications.

Interactions between soil thermal and hydrological dynamics in the response of Alaska ecosystems to fire disturbance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yi, Shuhua; McGuire, A. David; Harden, Jennifer; Kasischke, Eric; Manies, Kristen L.; Hinzman, Larry; Liljedahl, Anna K.; Randerson, J.; Liu, Heping; Romanovsky, Vladimir E.; Marchenko, Sergey S.; Kim, Yongwon

2009-01-01

Soil temperature and moisture are important factors that control many ecosystem processes. However, interactions between soil thermal and hydrological processes are not adequately understood in cold regions, where the frozen soil, fire disturbance, and soil drainage play important roles in controlling interactions among these processes. These interactions were investigated with a new ecosystem model framework, the dynamic organic soil version of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model, that incorporates an efficient and stable numerical scheme for simulating soil thermal and hydrological dynamics within soil profiles that contain a live moss horizon, fibrous and amorphous organic horizons, and mineral soil horizons. The performance of the model was evaluated for a tundra burn site that had both preburn and postburn measurements, two black spruce fire chronosequences (representing space-for-time substitutions in well and intermediately drained conditions), and a poorly drained black spruce site. Although space-for-time substitutions present challenges in model-data comparison, the model demonstrates substantial ability in simulating the dynamics of evapotranspiration, soil temperature, active layer depth, soil moisture, and water table depth in response to both climate variability and fire disturbance. Several differences between model simulations and field measurements identified key challenges for evaluating/improving model performance that include (1) proper representation of discrepancies between air temperature and ground surface temperature; (2) minimization of precipitation biases in the driving data sets; (3) improvement of the measurement accuracy of soil moisture in surface organic horizons; and (4) proper specification of organic horizon depth/properties, and soil thermal conductivity.

Field Testing Unvented Roofs with Asphalt Shingles in Cold and Hot-Humid Climates

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

Ueno, Kohta; Lstiburek, Joseph W.

2015-09-01

Insulating roofs with dense-pack cellulose (instead of spray foam) has moisture risks, but is a lower cost approach. If moisture risks could be addressed, buildings could benefit from retrofit options, and the ability to bring HVAC systems within the conditioned space. Test houses with unvented roof assemblies were built to measure long-term moisture performance, in the Chicago area (5A) and the Houston area (2A). The Chicago-area test bed had seven experimental rafter bays, including a control vented compact roof, and six unvented roof variants with cellulose or fiberglass insulation. The interior was run at 50% RH. All roofs except themore » vented cathedral assembly experienced wood moisture contents and RH levels high enough to constitute failure. Disassembly at the end of the experiment showed that the unvented fiberglass roofs had wet sheathing and mold growth. In contrast, the cellulose roofs only had slight issues, such as rusted fasteners and sheathing grain raise. The Houston-area roof was an unvented attic insulated with spray-applied fiberglass. Most ridges and hips were built with a diffusion vent detail, capped with vapor permeable roof membrane. Some ridge sections were built as a conventional unvented roof, as a control. In the control unvented roofs, roof peak RHs reached high levels in the first winter; as exterior conditions warmed, RHs quickly fell. In contrast, the diffusion vent roofs had drier conditions at the roof peak in wintertime, but during the summer, RHs and MCs were higher than the unvented roof (albeit in the safe range).« less

Building America Case Study: Field Testing an Unvented Roof with Asphalt Shingles in a Cold Climate, Boilingbrook, Illinois

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

2015-09-01

Insulating roofs with dense-pack cellulose (instead of spray foam) has moisture risks, but is a lower cost approach. If moisture risks could be addressed, buildings could benefit from retrofit options, and the ability to bring HVAC systems within the conditioned space. Test houses with unvented roof assemblies were built to measure long-term moisture performance, in the Chicago area (5A) and the Houston area (2A). The Chicago-area test bed had seven experimental rafter bays, including a 'control' vented compact roof, and six unvented roof variants with cellulose or fiberglass insulation. The interior was run at 50% RH. All roofs except themore » vented cathedral assembly experienced wood moisture contents and RH levels high enough to constitute failure. Disassembly at the end of the experiment showed that the unvented fiberglass roofs had wet sheathing and mold growth. In contrast, the cellulose roofs only had slight issues, such as rusted fasteners and sheathing grain raise. The Houston-area roof was an unvented attic insulated with spray-applied fiberglass. Most ridges and hips were built with a 'diffusion vent' detail, capped with vapor permeable roof membrane. Some ridge sections were built as a conventional unvented roof, as a control. In the control unvented roofs, roof peak RHs reached high levels in the first winter; as exterior conditions warmed, RHs quickly fell. In contrast, the diffusion vent roofs had drier conditions at the roof peak in wintertime, but during the summer, RHs and MCs were higher than the unvented roof (albeit in the safe range).« less

Drying and control of moisture content and dimensional changes

Treesearch

Richard Bergman

2010-01-01

The discussion in this chapter is concerned with moisture content determination, recommended moisture content values, drying methods, methods of calculating dimensional changes, design factors affecting such changes in structures, and moisture content control during transit, storage, and construction. Data on green moisture content, fiber saturation point, shrinkage,...

The use of remotely sensed soil moisture data in large-scale models of the hydrological cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salomonson, V. V.; Gurney, R. J.; Schmugge, T. J.

1985-01-01

Manabe (1982) has reviewed numerical simulations of the atmosphere which provided a framework within which an examination of the dynamics of the hydrological cycle could be conducted. It was found that the climate is sensitive to soil moisture variability in space and time. The challenge arises now to improve the observations of soil moisture so as to provide up-dated boundary condition inputs to large scale models including the hydrological cycle. Attention is given to details regarding the significance of understanding soil moisture variations, soil moisture estimation using remote sensing, and energy and moisture balance modeling.

Modeling Elevation and Aspect Controls on Emerging Ecohydrologic Processes and Ecosystem Patterns Using the Component-based Landlab Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nudurupati, S. S.; Istanbulluoglu, E.; Adams, J. M.; Hobley, D. E. J.; Gasparini, N. M.; Tucker, G. E.; Hutton, E. W. H.

2014-12-01

Topography plays a commanding role on the organization of ecohydrologic processes and resulting vegetation patterns. In southwestern United States, climate conditions lead to terrain aspect- and elevation-controlled ecosystems, with mesic north-facing and xeric south-facing vegetation types; and changes in biodiversity as a function of elevation from shrublands in low desert elevations, to mixed grass/shrublands in mid elevations, and forests at high elevations and ridge tops. These observed patterns have been attributed to differences in topography-mediated local soil moisture availability, micro-climatology, and life history processes of plants that control chances of plant establishment and survival. While ecohydrologic models represent local vegetation dynamics in sufficient detail up to sub-hourly time scales, plant life history and competition for space and resources has not been adequately represented in models. In this study we develop an ecohydrologic cellular automata model within the Landlab component-based modeling framework. This model couples local vegetation dynamics (biomass production, death) and plant establishment and competition processes for resources and space. This model is used to study the vegetation organization in a semiarid New Mexico catchment where elevation and hillslope aspect play a defining role on plant types. Processes that lead to observed plant types across the landscape are examined by initializing the domain with randomly assigned plant types and systematically changing model parameters that couple plant response with soil moisture dynamics. Climate perturbation experiments are conducted to examine the plant response in space and time. Understanding the inherently transient ecohydrologic systems is critical to improve predictions of climate change impacts on ecosystems.

A comparison of soil moisture sensors for space flight applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norikane, J. H.; Prenger, J. J.; Rouzan-Wheeldon, D. T.; Levine, H. G.

2005-01-01

Plants will be an important part of future long-term space missions. Automated plant growth systems require accurate and reliable methods of monitoring soil moisture levels. There are a number of different methods to accomplish this task. This study evaluated sensors using the capacitance method (ECH2O), the heat-pulse method (TMAS), and tensiometers, compared to soil water loss measured gravimetrically in a side-by-side test. The experiment monitored evaporative losses from substrate compartments filled with 1- to 2-mm baked calcinated clay media. The ECH2O data correlated well with the gravimetric measurements, but over a limited range of soil moisture. The averaged TMAS sensor data overstated soil moisture content levels. The tensiometer data appeared to track evaporative losses in the 0.5- to 2.5-kPa range of matric potential that corresponds to the water content needed to grow plants. This small range is characteristic of large particle media, and thus high-resolution tensiometers are required to distinguish changing moisture contents in this range.

Condensing Heat Exchanger Concept Developed for Space Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hasan, Mohammad M.; Nayagam, Vedha

2005-01-01

The current system for moisture removal and humidity control for the space shuttles and the International Space Station uses a two-stage process. Water first condenses onto fins and is pulled through "slurper bars." These bars take in a two-phase mixture of air and water that is then separated by the rotary separator. A more efficient design would remove the water directly from the air without the need of an additional water separator downstream. For the Condensing Heat Exchanger for Space Systems (CHESS) project, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center in collaboration with NASA Johnson Space Center are designing a condensing heat exchanger that utilizes capillary forces to collect and remove water and that can operate in varying gravitational conditions including microgravity, lunar gravity, and Martian gravity.

Field-scale soil moisture space-time geostatistical modeling for complex Palouse landscapes in the inland Pacific Northwest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chahal, M. K.; Brown, D. J.; Brooks, E. S.; Campbell, C.; Cobos, D. R.; Vierling, L. A.

2012-12-01

Estimating soil moisture content continuously over space and time using geo-statistical techniques supports the refinement of process-based watershed hydrology models and the application of soil process models (e.g. biogeochemical models predicting greenhouse gas fluxes) to complex landscapes. In this study, we model soil profile volumetric moisture content for five agricultural fields with loess soils in the Palouse region of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. Using a combination of stratification and space-filling techniques, we selected 42 representative and distributed measurement locations in the Cook Agronomy Farm (Pullman, WA) and 12 locations each in four additional grower fields that span the precipitation gradient across the Palouse. At each measurement location, soil moisture was measured on an hourly basis at five different depths (30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 cm) using Decagon 5-TE/5-TM soil moisture sensors (Decagon Devices, Pullman, WA, USA). This data was collected over three years for the Cook Agronomy Farm and one year for each of the grower fields. In addition to ordinary kriging, we explored the correlation of volumetric water content with external, spatially exhaustive indices derived from terrain models, optical remote sensing imagery, and proximal soil sensing data (electromagnetic induction and VisNIR penetrometer)

Soil-Moisture Retention Curves, Capillary Pressure Curves, and Mercury Porosimetry: A Theoretical and Computational Investigation of the Determination of the Geometric Properties of the Pore Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strand, T. E.; Wang, H. F.

2003-12-01

Immiscible displacement protocols have long been used to infer the geometric properties of the void space in granular porous media. The three most commonly used experimental techniques are the measurement of soil-moisture retention curves and relative permeability-capillary pressure-saturation relations, as well as mercury intrusion porosimetry experiments. A coupled theoretical and computational investigation was performed that provides insight into the limitations associated with each technique and quantifies the relationship between experimental observations and the geometric properties of the void space. It is demonstrated that the inference of the pore space geometry from both mercury porosimetry experiments and measurements of capillary pressure curves is influenced by trapping/mobilization phenomena and subject to scaling behavior. In addition, both techniques also assume that the capillary pressure at a location on the meniscus can be approximated by a pressure difference across a region or sample. For example, when performing capillary pressure measurements, the capillary pressure, taken to be the difference between the injected fluid pressure at the inlet and the defending fluid pressure at the outlet, is increased in a series of small steps and the fluid saturation is measured each time the system reaches steady. Regions of defending fluid that become entrapped by the invading fluid can be subsequently mobilized at higher flow rates (capillary pressures), contributing to a scale-dependence of the capillary pressure-saturation curve that complicates the determination of the properties of the pore space. This scale-dependence is particularly problematic for measurements performed at the core scale. Mercury porosimetry experiments are subject to similar limitations. Trapped regions of defending fluid are also present during the measurement of soil-moisture retention curves, but the effects of scaling behavior on the evaluation of the pore space properties from the immiscible displacement structure are much simpler to account for due to the control of mobilization phenomena. Some mobilization may occur due to film flow, but this can be limited by keeping time scales relatively small or exploited at longer time scales in order to quantify the rate of film flow. Computer simulations of gradient-stabilized drainage and imbibition to the (respective) equilibrium positions were performed using a pore-scale modified invasion percolation (MIP) model in order to quantify the relationship between the saturation profile and the geometric properties of the void space. These simulations are similar to the experimental measurement of soil-moisture retention curves. Results show that the equilibrium height and the width of the equilibrium fringe depend on two length scale distributions, one controlling the imbibition equilibrium structure and the other controlling the drainage structure. The equilibrium height is related to the mean value of the appropriate distribution as described by Jurin's law, and the width of the equilibrium fringe scales as a function of a combined parameter, the Bond number, Bo, divided by the coefficient of variation (cov). Simulations also demonstrate that the apparent radius distribution obtained from saturation profiles using direct inversion by Jurin's law is a subset of the actual distribution in the porous medium. The relationship between the apparent and actual radius distributions is quantified in terms of the combined parameter, Bo/cov, and the mean coordination number of the porous medium.

Design and Test of a Soil Profile Moisture Sensor Based on Sensitive Soil Layers

PubMed Central

Liu, Cheng; Qian, Hongzhou; Cao, Weixing; Ni, Jun

2018-01-01

To meet the demand of intelligent irrigation for accurate moisture sensing in the soil vertical profile, a soil profile moisture sensor was designed based on the principle of high-frequency capacitance. The sensor consists of five groups of sensing probes, a data processor, and some accessory components. Low-resistivity copper rings were used as components of the sensing probes. Composable simulation of the sensor’s sensing probes was carried out using a high-frequency structure simulator. According to the effective radiation range of electric field intensity, width and spacing of copper ring were set to 30 mm and 40 mm, respectively. A parallel resonance circuit of voltage-controlled oscillator and high-frequency inductance-capacitance (LC) was designed for signal frequency division and conditioning. A data processor was used to process moisture-related frequency signals for soil profile moisture sensing. The sensor was able to detect real-time soil moisture at the depths of 20, 30, and 50 cm and conduct online inversion of moisture in the soil layer between 0–100 cm. According to the calibration results, the degree of fitting (R2) between the sensor’s measuring frequency and the volumetric moisture content of soil sample was 0.99 and the relative error of the sensor consistency test was 0–1.17%. Field tests in different loam soils showed that measured soil moisture from our sensor reproduced the observed soil moisture dynamic well, with an R2 of 0.96 and a root mean square error of 0.04. In a sensor accuracy test, the R2 between the measured value of the proposed sensor and that of the Diviner2000 portable soil moisture monitoring system was higher than 0.85, with a relative error smaller than 5%. The R2 between measured values and inversed soil moisture values for other soil layers were consistently higher than 0.8. According to calibration test and field test, this sensor, which features low cost, good operability, and high integration, is qualified for precise agricultural irrigation with stable performance and high accuracy. PMID:29883420

Design and Test of a Soil Profile Moisture Sensor Based on Sensitive Soil Layers.

PubMed

Gao, Zhenran; Zhu, Yan; Liu, Cheng; Qian, Hongzhou; Cao, Weixing; Ni, Jun

2018-05-21

To meet the demand of intelligent irrigation for accurate moisture sensing in the soil vertical profile, a soil profile moisture sensor was designed based on the principle of high-frequency capacitance. The sensor consists of five groups of sensing probes, a data processor, and some accessory components. Low-resistivity copper rings were used as components of the sensing probes. Composable simulation of the sensor’s sensing probes was carried out using a high-frequency structure simulator. According to the effective radiation range of electric field intensity, width and spacing of copper ring were set to 30 mm and 40 mm, respectively. A parallel resonance circuit of voltage-controlled oscillator and high-frequency inductance-capacitance (LC) was designed for signal frequency division and conditioning. A data processor was used to process moisture-related frequency signals for soil profile moisture sensing. The sensor was able to detect real-time soil moisture at the depths of 20, 30, and 50 cm and conduct online inversion of moisture in the soil layer between 0⁻100 cm. According to the calibration results, the degree of fitting ( R ²) between the sensor’s measuring frequency and the volumetric moisture content of soil sample was 0.99 and the relative error of the sensor consistency test was 0⁻1.17%. Field tests in different loam soils showed that measured soil moisture from our sensor reproduced the observed soil moisture dynamic well, with an R ² of 0.96 and a root mean square error of 0.04. In a sensor accuracy test, the R ² between the measured value of the proposed sensor and that of the Diviner2000 portable soil moisture monitoring system was higher than 0.85, with a relative error smaller than 5%. The R ² between measured values and inversed soil moisture values for other soil layers were consistently higher than 0.8. According to calibration test and field test, this sensor, which features low cost, good operability, and high integration, is qualified for precise agricultural irrigation with stable performance and high accuracy.

Effects of Recent Regional Soil Moisture Variability on Global Net Ecosystem CO2 Exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, L. A.; Madani, N.; Kimball, J. S.; Reichle, R. H.; Colliander, A.

2017-12-01

Soil moisture exerts a major regional control on the inter-annual variability of the global land sink for atmospheric CO2. In semi-arid regions, annual biomass production is closely coupled to variability in soil moisture availability, while in cold-season-affected regions, summer drought offsets the effects of advancing spring phenology. Availability of satellite solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) observations and improvements in atmospheric inversions has led to unprecedented ability to monitor atmospheric sink strength. However, discrepancies still exist between such top-down estimates as atmospheric inversion and bottom-up process and satellite driven models, indicating that relative strength, mechanisms, and interaction of driving factors remain poorly understood. We use soil moisture fields informed by Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission (SMAP) observations to compare recent (2015-2017) and historic (2000-2014) variability in net ecosystem land-atmosphere CO2 exchange (NEE). The operational SMAP Level 4 Carbon (L4C) product relates ground-based flux tower measurements to other bottom-up and global top-down estimates to underlying soil moisture and other driving conditions using data-assimilation-based SMAP Level 4 Soil Moisture (L4SM). Droughts in coastal Brazil, South Africa, Eastern Africa, and an anomalous wet period in Eastern Australia were observed by L4C. A seasonal seesaw pattern of below-normal sink strength at high latitudes relative to slightly above-normal sink strength for mid-latitudes was also observed. Whereas SMAP-based soil moisture is relatively informative for short-term temporal variability, soil moisture biases that vary in space and with season constrain the ability of the L4C estimates to accurately resolve NEE. Such biases might be caused by irrigation and plant-accessible ground-water. Nevertheless, SMAP L4C daily NEE estimates connect top-down estimates to variability of effective driving factors for accurate estimates of regional-to-global land-atmosphere CO2 exchange.

On the Choice of Variable for Atmospheric Moisture Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dee, Dick P.; DaSilva, Arlindo M.; Atlas, Robert (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The implications of using different control variables for the analysis of moisture observations in a global atmospheric data assimilation system are investigated. A moisture analysis based on either mixing ratio or specific humidity is prone to large extrapolation errors, due to the high variability in space and time of these parameters and to the difficulties in modeling their error covariances. Using the logarithm of specific humidity does not alleviate these problems, and has the further disadvantage that very dry background estimates cannot be effectively corrected by observations. Relative humidity is a better choice from a statistical point of view, because this field is spatially and temporally more coherent and error statistics are therefore easier to obtain. If, however, the analysis is designed to preserve relative humidity in the absence of moisture observations, then the analyzed specific humidity field depends entirely on analyzed temperature changes. If the model has a cool bias in the stratosphere this will lead to an unstable accumulation of excess moisture there. A pseudo-relative humidity can be defined by scaling the mixing ratio by the background saturation mixing ratio. A univariate pseudo-relative humidity analysis will preserve the specific humidity field in the absence of moisture observations. A pseudorelative humidity analysis is shown to be equivalent to a mixing ratio analysis with flow-dependent covariances. In the presence of multivariate (temperature-moisture) observations it produces analyzed relative humidity values that are nearly identical to those produced by a relative humidity analysis. Based on a time series analysis of radiosonde observed-minus-background differences it appears to be more justifiable to neglect specific humidity-temperature correlations (in a univariate pseudo-relative humidity analysis) than to neglect relative humidity-temperature correlations (in a univariate relative humidity analysis). A pseudo-relative humidity analysis is easily implemented in an existing moisture analysis system, by simply scaling observed-minus background moisture residuals prior to solving the analysis equation, and rescaling the analyzed increments afterward.

Cotton moisture – its importance, measurements and impacts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cotton moisture impacts cotton from field to fabric. The proper control, and measurement to allow for control, of cotton moisture is essential to maintaining and preserving fiber quality. Cotton color, length and strength; as well as other properties, are all impacted by cotton moisture content. ...

A synthetic aperture microwave radiometer to measure soil moisture and ocean salinity from space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Le Vine, D. M.; Hilliard, L. M.; Swift, C. T.; Ruf, C. S.; Garrett, L. B.

1991-01-01

A concept is presented for a microwave radiometer in space to measure soil moisture and ocean salinity as part of an 'Earth Probe' mission. The measurements could be made using an array of stick antennas. The L-band channel (1.4 GHz) would be the primary channel for determining soil moisture, with the S-band (2.65-GHz) and C-band (5.0-GHz) channels providing ancillary information to help correct for the effects of the vegetation canopy and possibly to estimate a moisture profile. A preliminary study indicates that an orbit at 450 km would provide coverage of better than 95 percent of the earth every 3 days. A 10-km resolution cell (at nadir) requires stick antennas about 9.5-m long at L-band. The S-band and C-band sticks would be substantially shorter (5 m and 2.7 m, respectively).

Passive Microwave Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Njoku, Eni G.; Entekhabi, Dara

1996-01-01

Microwave remote sensing provides a unique capability for direct observation of soil moisture. Remote measurements from space afford the possibility of obtaining frequent, global sampling of soil moisture over a large fraction of the Earth's land surface. Microwave measurements have the benefit of being largely unaffected by cloud cover and variable surface solar illumination, but accurate soil moisture estimates are limited to regions that have either bare soil or low to moderate amounts of vegetation cover. A particular advantage of passive microwave sensors is that in the absence of significant vegetation cover soil moisture is the dominant effect on the received signal. The spatial resolutions of passive Microwave soil moisture sensors currently considered for space operation are in the range 10-20 km. The most useful frequency range for soil moisture sensing is 1-5 GHz. System design considerations include optimum choice of frequencies, polarizations, and scanning configurations, based on trade-offs between requirements for high vegetation penetration capability, freedom from electromagnetic interference, manageable antenna size and complexity, and the requirement that a sufficient number of information channels be available to correct for perturbing geophysical effects. This paper outlines the basic principles of the passive microwave technique for soil moisture sensing, and reviews briefly the status of current retrieval methods. Particularly promising are methods for optimally assimilating passive microwave data into hydrologic models. Further studies are needed to investigate the effects on microwave observations of within-footprint spatial heterogeneity of vegetation cover and subsurface soil characteristics, and to assess the limitations imposed by heterogeneity on the retrievability of large-scale soil moisture information from remote observations.

Evaluating Moisture Control of Variable-Capacity Heat Pumps in Mechanically Ventilated, Low-Load Homes in Climate Zone 2A

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

Martin, Eric; Withers, Chuck; McIlvaine, Janet

Low-load homes can present a challenge when selecting appropriate space-conditioning equipment. Conventional, fixed-capacity heating and cooling equipment is often oversized for small homes, causing increased first costs and operating costs. This report evaluates the performance of variable-capacity comfort systems, with a focus on inverter-driven, variable-capacity systems, as well as proposed system enhancements.

Effects of moisture controlled charcoal on indoor thermal and air environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Yokogoshi, Midori; Nabeshima, Yuki

2017-10-01

It is crucial to remove and control indoor moisture in Japan, especially in hot and humid summers, in order to improve thermal comfort and save energy in buildings. Charcoal for moisture control made from the waste of wood material has attracted attention among many control strategies to control indoor moisture, and it is beginning to be used in houses. However, the basic characteristics of the charcoal to control moisture and remove chemical compounds in indoor air have not been investigated sufficiently. The objective of this study is to clarify the effect of moisture control charcoal on indoor thermal and air environments by a long-term field measurement using two housing scale models with/without charcoal in Toyohashi, Japan. The comparative experiments to investigate the effect of the charcoal on air temperature and humidity for two models with/without charcoal were conducted from 2015 to 2016. Also, the removal performance of volatile organic compound (VOCs) was investigated in the summer of 2015. Four bags of packed charcoal were set on the floor in the attic for one model during the experiment. As a result of the experiments, a significant effect of moisture control was observed in hot and humid season, and the efficient effect of moisture adsorption was obtained by the periodic humidification experiment using a humidifier. Furthermore, the charcoal showed a remarkable performance of VOC removal from indoor air by the injection experiment of formaldehyde.

Indoor climate and moisture durability performances of houses with unvented attic roof constructions in a mixed-humid climate.

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

Pallin, Simon B.; Boudreaux, Philip R.; Jackson, Roderick K.

2014-10-01

A sealed or unvented attic is an energy-efficient envelope component that can reduce the amount of energy a house consumes for space conditioning if the air handler and/or ducts are located in the attic. The attic is typically sealed by using spray foam on the underside of the roof deck and covering the soffit, ridge and gable vents to minimize air leakage from the attic to the outside. This approach can save up to 10% in space-conditioning energy when ducts are located in the attic (DOE 2013). Past research done by ORNL and Florida Solar Energy Center suggests that inmore » more hot, humid climates, an unvented attic could potentially create a more humid, uncomfortable living environment than a vented attic (Colon 2011, Boudreaux, Pallin et al. 2013). Research showed that controlling the higher indoor humidity could reduce the energy savings from the sealed, unvented attic, which in turn would decrease the energy savings payback. Research also showed that the roof assembly (5.5 inches of open-cell foam, 1inch of closed-cell foam, OSB, felt paper, and asphalt shingles) stored moisture, thus acting as a moisture buffer. During the fall and winter, the roof assembly stored moisture and during the spring and summer it released moisture. This phenomenon is not seen in a vented attic, in which the air exchange rate to the outside is greater and, in the winter, helps to dehumidify the attic air. It was also seen that in a vented attic, the direction of water vapor diffusion is on average from the attic to the interior of the house. Air leakage from the attic to the interior also occurs during more of the year in a house with an unvented attic than in one with a vented attic. These discoveries show that the moisture dynamics in a house with an unvented attic are much different from those in a house with a vented attic. This study reports on a series of computer model investigations completed to determine the key variables impacting indoor comfort and the durability of roof assemblies against moisture. The key variables investigated were the leakage area from the attic to the outside, leakage area from the attic to the interior, leakage area from the interior to the outside, supply duct leakage in the attic, and interior moisture generation. These investigations are described in this report.« less

Moisture Control Guidance for Commercial and Public Buildings (EPA 402-F-13053)

EPA Science Inventory

This document provides guidance to designers, construction mangers, and building operation/maintenance managers to improve IEQ and reduce risks of encountering IEQ problems due to insufficient moisture control. EPA will be producing a document entitled "Moisture Control Guida...

Analysis of soil moisture extraction algorithm using data from aircraft experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, H. H. K.; Ho, J. H.

1981-01-01

A soil moisture extraction algorithm is developed using a statistical parameter inversion method. Data sets from two aircraft experiments are utilized for the test. Multifrequency microwave radiometric data surface temperature, and soil moisture information are contained in the data sets. The surface and near surface ( or = 5 cm) soil moisture content can be extracted with accuracy of approximately 5% to 6% for bare fields and fields with grass cover by using L, C, and X band radiometer data. This technique is used for handling large amounts of remote sensing data from space.

Effects of vegetation types on soil moisture estimation from the normalized land surface temperature versus vegetation index space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Dianjun; Zhou, Guoqing

2015-12-01

Soil moisture (SM) is a key variable that has been widely used in many environmental studies. Land surface temperature versus vegetation index (LST-VI) space becomes a common way to estimate SM in optical remote sensing applications. Normalized LST-VI space is established by the normalized LST and VI to obtain the comparable SM in Zhang et al. (Validation of a practical normalized soil moisture model with in situ measurements in humid and semiarid regions [J]. International Journal of Remote Sensing, DOI: 10.1080/01431161.2015.1055610). The boundary conditions in the study were set to limit the point A (the driest bare soil) and B (the wettest bare soil) for surface energy closure. However, no limitation was installed for point D (the full vegetation cover). In this paper, many vegetation types are simulated by the land surface model - Noah LSM 3.2 to analyze the effects on soil moisture estimation, such as crop, grass and mixed forest. The locations of point D are changed with vegetation types. The normalized LST of point D for forest is much lower than crop and grass. The location of point D is basically unchanged for crop and grass.

SMAP validation of soil moisture products

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite will be launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in October 2014. SMAP will also incorporate a rigorous calibration and validation program that will support algorithm refinement and provide users with information on the accuracy ...

KSC-2015-1255

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-31

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket roars to life. The liftoff will boost NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, to orbit. Liftoff was at 9:22 a.m. EST. SMAP is designed to produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2015-1257

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-31

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket springs to life. The liftoff will boost NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, to orbit. Liftoff was at 9:22 a.m. EST. SMAP is designed to produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

A Novel Optical Model for Remote Sensing of Near-Surface Soil Moisture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babaeian, E.; Sadeghi, M.; Jones, S. B.; Tuller, M.

2016-12-01

Common triangle and trapezoid methods that are based on both optical and thermal remote sensing (RS) information have been widely applied in the past to estimate near-surface soil moisture from the soil temperature - vegetation index space (e.g., LST-NDVI). For most cases, this approach assumes a linear relationship between soil moisture and temperature. Though this linearity assumption yields reasonable moisture estimates, it is not always justified as evidenced by laboratory and field measurements. Furthermore, this approach requires optical as well as thermal RS data for definition of the land surface temperature (LST) - vegetation index space, therefore, it is not applicable to satellites that do not provide thermal output such as the ESA Sentinel-2. To overcome these limitations, we propose a novel trapezoid model that only relies on optical NIR and SWIR data. The new model was validated using Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 data for the semiarid Walnut Gulch (AZ) and sub humid Little Washita (OK) watersheds that vastly differ in land use and surface cover and provide excellent ground-truth moisture information from extensive sensor networks. Preliminary results for 2015-2016 indicate significant potential of the new model with a RMSE smaller than 4% volumetric near-surface moisture content and also confirm the enhanced utility of the high spatially and temporally resolved Sentinel-2 data.

Statistical process control applied to mechanized peanut sowing as a function of soil texture.

PubMed

Zerbato, Cristiano; Furlani, Carlos Eduardo Angeli; Ormond, Antonio Tassio Santana; Gírio, Lucas Augusto da Silva; Carneiro, Franciele Morlin; da Silva, Rouverson Pereira

2017-01-01

The successful establishment of agricultural crops depends on sowing quality, machinery performance, soil type and conditions, among other factors. This study evaluates the operational quality of mechanized peanut sowing in three soil types (sand, silt, and clay) with variable moisture contents. The experiment was conducted in three locations in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The track-sampling scheme was used for 80 sampling locations of each soil type. Descriptive statistics and statistical process control (SPC) were used to evaluate the quality indicators of mechanized peanut sowing. The variables had normal distributions and were stable from the viewpoint of SPC. The best performance for peanut sowing density, normal spacing, and the initial seedling growing stand was found for clayey soil followed by sandy soil and then silty soil. Sandy or clayey soils displayed similar results regarding sowing depth, which was deeper than in the silty soil. Overall, the texture and the moisture of clayey soil provided the best operational performance for mechanized peanut sowing.

Discussion on fresh air volume in Temperature and Humidity Independent Control of Air-conditioning System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Xiaolong; Liu, Jinxiang; Wang, Yu; Yuan, Xiaolei; Jin, Hui

2018-05-01

The fresh air volume in Temperature and Humidity Independent Control of Air-conditioning System(THIC) of a typical office was comfirmed, under the premise of adopting the refrigeration dehumidifying fresh air unit(7°C/12°C). By detailed calculating the space moisture load and the fresh air volume required for dehumidification in 120 selected major cities in China, it can be inferred that the minimum fresh air volume required for dehumidification in THIC is mainly determined by the local outdoor air moisture and the outdoor wind speed; Then the mathematical fitting software Matlab was used to fit the three parameters, and a simplified formula for calculating the minimum per capita fresh air volume required for dehumidification was obtained; And the indoor relative humidity was simulated by the numerical software Airpak and the results by using the formula data and the data for hygiene were compared to verify the relibility of the simplified formula.

Statistical process control applied to mechanized peanut sowing as a function of soil texture

PubMed Central

Furlani, Carlos Eduardo Angeli; da Silva, Rouverson Pereira

2017-01-01

The successful establishment of agricultural crops depends on sowing quality, machinery performance, soil type and conditions, among other factors. This study evaluates the operational quality of mechanized peanut sowing in three soil types (sand, silt, and clay) with variable moisture contents. The experiment was conducted in three locations in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The track-sampling scheme was used for 80 sampling locations of each soil type. Descriptive statistics and statistical process control (SPC) were used to evaluate the quality indicators of mechanized peanut sowing. The variables had normal distributions and were stable from the viewpoint of SPC. The best performance for peanut sowing density, normal spacing, and the initial seedling growing stand was found for clayey soil followed by sandy soil and then silty soil. Sandy or clayey soils displayed similar results regarding sowing depth, which was deeper than in the silty soil. Overall, the texture and the moisture of clayey soil provided the best operational performance for mechanized peanut sowing. PMID:28742095

Investigating local controls on soil moisture temporal stability using an inverse modeling approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogena, Heye; Qu, Wei; Huisman, Sander; Vereecken, Harry

2013-04-01

A better understanding of the temporal stability of soil moisture and its relation to local and nonlocal controls is a major challenge in modern hydrology. Both local controls, such as soil and vegetation properties, and non-local controls, such as topography and climate variability, affect soil moisture dynamics. Wireless sensor networks are becoming more readily available, which opens up opportunities to investigate spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture with unprecedented resolution. In this study, we employed the wireless sensor network SoilNet developed by the Forschungszentrum Jülich to investigate soil moisture variability of a grassland headwater catchment in Western Germany within the framework of the TERENO initiative. In particular, we investigated the effect of soil hydraulic parameters on the temporal stability of soil moisture. For this, the HYDRUS-1D code coupled with a global optimizer (DREAM) was used to inversely estimate Mualem-van Genuchten parameters from soil moisture observations at three depths under natural (transient) boundary conditions for 83 locations in the headwater catchment. On the basis of the optimized parameter sets, we then evaluated to which extent the variability in soil hydraulic conductivity, pore size distribution, air entry suction and soil depth between these 83 locations controlled the temporal stability of soil moisture, which was independently determined from the observed soil moisture data. It was found that the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) was the most significant attribute to explain temporal stability of soil moisture as expressed by the mean relative difference (MRD).

Impact of the assimilation of satellite soil moisture and LST on the hydrological cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laiolo, Paola; Gabellani, Simone; Delogu, Fabio; Silvestro, Francesco; Rudari, Roberto; Campo, Lorenzo; Boni, Giorgio

2014-05-01

The reliable estimation of hydrological variables (e.g. soil moisture, evapotranspiration, surface temperature) in space and time is of fundamental importance in operational hydrology to improve the forecast of the rainfall-runoff response of catchments and, consequently, flood predictions. Nowadays remote sensing can offer a chance to provide good space-time estimates of several hydrological variables and then improve hydrological model performances especially in environments with scarce ground based data. The aim of this work is to investigate the impacts on the performances of a distributed hydrological model (Continuum) of the assimilation of satellite-derived soil moisture products and Land Surface (LST). In this work three different soil moisture (SM) products, derived by ASCAT sensor, are used. These data are provided by the EUMETSAT's H-SAF (Satellite Application Facility on Support to Operational Hydrology and Water Management) program. The considered soil moisture products are: large scale surface soil moisture (SM OBS 1 - H07), small scale surface soil moisture (SM OBS 2 - H08) and profile index in the roots region (SM DAS 2 - H14). These data are compared with soil moisture estimated by Continuum model on the Orba catchment (800 km2), in the northern part of Italy, for the period July 2012-June 2013. Different assimilation experiments have been performed. The first experiment consists in the assimilation of the SM products by using a simple Nudging technique; the second one is the assimilation of only LST data, derived from MSG satellite, and the third is the assimilation of both SM products and LST. The benefits on the model predictions of discharge, LST and soil moisture dynamics were tested.

Effect of feeding a corn hybrid selected for leafiness as silage or grain to lactating dairy cattle.

PubMed

Clark, P W; Kelm, S; Endres, M I

2002-03-01

A leafy corn hybrid was compared to a grain corn hybrid as silage and high moisture grain to evaluate dry matter intake, milk yield, and milk composition. Sixteen multiparous Holstein cows averaging 97 DIM were used in a feeding trial based on 4 x 4 Latin squares with 21-d periods. Each of four diets contained (dry basis) 8% chopped hay, 42% corn silage, 11% high moisture corn grain, 10% whole, fuzzy cottonseed, and 29% protein concentrate. One diet used leafy corn as both high moisture grain and silage. A second diet contained grain corn hybrid (control) as both high moisture grain and silage. A third diet contained leafy corn for high moisture grain and control corn for silage and the fourth diet used control corn for high moisture grain and leafy corn for silage. Cows fed diets containing leafy silage produced more milk and milk protein and ate more DM than cows fed control silage. The corn hybrid used for high moisture grain did not influence milk yield or composition. Dry matter intake was greater for cows fed the diet containing both leafy high moisture grain and leafy silage than for cows fed both control high moisture grain and control silage, but milk yield and composition were not different. When fed as silage, the leafy corn hybrid used in this experiment supported greater DMI as well as higher milk and protein yields when compared to the grain corn hybrid.

Optimization of moisture content for wheat seedling germination in a cellulose acetate medium for a space flight experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, C. F.; Dreschel, T. W.; Brown, C. S.; Wheeler, R. M.

1996-01-01

The Porous Tube Plant Nutrient Delivery System (PTPNDS), a hydrophilic, microporous ceramic tube hydroponic system designed for microgravity, will be tested in a middeck locker of the Space Shuttle. The flight experiment will focus on hardware operation and assess its ability to support seed germination and early seedling growth in microgravity. The water controlling system of the PTPNDS hardware has been successfully tested during the parabolic flight of the KC-135. One challenge to the development of the space flight experiment was to devise a method of holding seeds to the cylindrical porous tube. The seed-holder must provide water and air to the seed, absorb water from the porous tube, withstand sterilization, provide a clear path for shoots and roots to emerge, and be composed of flight qualified materials. In preparation for the flight experiment, a wheat seed-holder has been designed that utilizes a cellulose acetate plug to facilitate imbibition and to hold the wheat seeds in contact with the porous tube in the correct orientation during the vibration of launch and the microgravity environment of orbit. Germination and growth studies with wheat at a range of temperatures showed that optimal moisture was 78% (by weight) in the cellulose acetate seed holders. These and other design considerations are discussed.

46 CFR 154.1715 - Moisture control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Moisture control. 154.1715 Section 154.1715 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CERTAIN BULK DANGEROUS CARGOES SAFETY STANDARDS... § 154.1715 Moisture control. When a vessel is carrying sulfur dioxide, the master shall ensure that: (a...

46 CFR 154.1715 - Moisture control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Moisture control. 154.1715 Section 154.1715 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CERTAIN BULK DANGEROUS CARGOES SAFETY STANDARDS... § 154.1715 Moisture control. When a vessel is carrying sulfur dioxide, the master shall ensure that: (a...

46 CFR 154.1715 - Moisture control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Moisture control. 154.1715 Section 154.1715 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CERTAIN BULK DANGEROUS CARGOES SAFETY STANDARDS... § 154.1715 Moisture control. When a vessel is carrying sulfur dioxide, the master shall ensure that: (a...

46 CFR 154.1715 - Moisture control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Moisture control. 154.1715 Section 154.1715 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CERTAIN BULK DANGEROUS CARGOES SAFETY STANDARDS... § 154.1715 Moisture control. When a vessel is carrying sulfur dioxide, the master shall ensure that: (a...

46 CFR 154.1715 - Moisture control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Moisture control. 154.1715 Section 154.1715 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CERTAIN BULK DANGEROUS CARGOES SAFETY STANDARDS... § 154.1715 Moisture control. When a vessel is carrying sulfur dioxide, the master shall ensure that: (a...

CFRP composite mirrors for space telescopes and their micro-dimensional stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utsunomiya, Shin; Kamiya, Tomohiro; Shimizu, Ryuzo

2010-07-01

Ultra-lightweight and high-accuracy CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastics) mirrors for space telescopes were fabricated to demonstrate their feasibility for light wavelength applications. The CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) of the all- CFRP sandwich panels was tailored to be smaller than 1×10-7/K. The surface accuracy of mirrors of 150 mm in diameter was 1.8 um RMS as fabricated and the surface smoothness was improved to 20 nm RMS by using a replica technique. Moisture expansion was considered the largest in un-predictable surface preciseness errors. The moisture expansion affected not only homologous shape change but also out-of-plane distortion especially in unsymmetrical compositions. Dimensional stability due to the moisture expansion was compared with a structural mathematical model.

Using Whole-House Field Tests to Empirically Derive Moisture Buffering Model Inputs

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

Woods, J.; Winkler, J.; Christensen, D.

2014-08-01

Building energy simulations can be used to predict a building's interior conditions, along with the energy use associated with keeping these conditions comfortable. These models simulate the loads on the building (e.g., internal gains, envelope heat transfer), determine the operation of the space conditioning equipment, and then calculate the building's temperature and humidity throughout the year. The indoor temperature and humidity are affected not only by the loads and the space conditioning equipment, but also by the capacitance of the building materials, which buffer changes in temperature and humidity. This research developed an empirical method to extract whole-house model inputsmore » for use with a more accurate moisture capacitance model (the effective moisture penetration depth model). The experimental approach was to subject the materials in the house to a square-wave relative humidity profile, measure all of the moisture transfer terms (e.g., infiltration, air conditioner condensate) and calculate the only unmeasured term: the moisture absorption into the materials. After validating the method with laboratory measurements, we performed the tests in a field house. A least-squares fit of an analytical solution to the measured moisture absorption curves was used to determine the three independent model parameters representing the moisture buffering potential of this house and its furnishings. Follow on tests with realistic latent and sensible loads showed good agreement with the derived parameters, especially compared to the commonly-used effective capacitance approach. These results show that the EMPD model, once the inputs are known, is an accurate moisture buffering model.« less

Soil moisture ground truth, Lafayette, Indiana, site; St. Charles Missouri, site; Centralia, Missouri, site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, E. B.

1975-01-01

The soil moisture ground-truth measurements and ground-cover descriptions taken at three soil moisture survey sites located near Lafayette, Indiana; St. Charles, Missouri; and Centralia, Missouri are given. The data were taken on November 10, 1975, in connection with airborne remote sensing missions being flown by the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan under the auspices of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Emphasis was placed on the soil moisture in bare fields. Soil moisture was sampled in the top 0 to 1 in. and 0 to 6 in. by means of a soil sampling push tube. These samples were then placed in plastic bags and awaited gravimetric analysis.

Effective control parameters in a deep convection scheme for improved simulation of the Madden-Julian oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Jin-Ho; Seo, Kyong-Hwan

2017-06-01

This work seeks to find the most effective parameters in a deep convection scheme (relaxed Arakawa-Schubert scheme) of the National Centers of Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System model for improved simulation of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). A suite of sensitivity experiments are performed by changing physical components such as the relaxation parameter of mass flux for adjustment of the environment, the evaporation rate from large-scale precipitation, the moisture trigger threshold using relative humidity of the boundary layer, and the fraction of re-evaporation of convective (subgrid-scale) rainfall. Among them, the last two parameters are found to produce a significant improvement. Increasing the strength of these two parameters reduces light rainfall that inhibits complete formation of the tropical convective system or supplies more moisture that help increase a potential energy to large-scale environment in the lower troposphere (especially at 700 hPa), leading to moisture preconditioning favorable for further development and eastward propagation of the MJO. In a more humid environment, more organized MJO structure (i.e., space-time spectral signal, eastward propagation, and tilted vertical structure) is produced.

Advanced Plant Habitat

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-12

The first growth test of crops in the Advanced Plant Habitat aboard the International Space Station yielded great results. Arabidopsis seeds – small flowering plants related to cabbage and mustard – grew for about six weeks and the dwarf wheat for five weeks. The APH is now ready to support large plant testing on ISS. APH is a fully enclosed, closed-loop system with an environmentally controlled growth chamber. It uses red, blue and green LED lights, and broad spectrum white LED lights. The system's more than 180 sensors will relay real-time information, including temperature, oxygen content and moisture levels back to the team at Kennedy Space Center.

IRIS - A concept for microwave sensing of soil moisture and ocean salinity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moghaddam, M.; Njoku, E.

1997-01-01

A concept is described for passive microwave sensing of soil moisture and ocean salinity from space. The Inflatable Radiometric Imaging System (IRIS) makes use of a large-diameter, offset-fed, parabolic-torus antenna with multiple feeds, in a conical pushbroom configuration.

Triple collocation based merging of satellite soil moisture retrievals

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We propose a method for merging soil moisture retrievals from space borne active and passive microwave instruments based on weighted averaging taking into account the error characteristics of the individual data sets. The merging scheme is parameterized using error variance estimates obtained from u...

Identification and diagnosis of spatiotemporal hydrometeorological structure of heavy precipitation induced floods in Southeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, M.; Hao, X.; Devineni, N.

2017-12-01

Extreme floods have a long history of being an important cause of death and destruction worldwide. It is estimated by Munich RE and Swiss RE that floods and severe storms dominate all other natural hazards globally in terms of average annual property loss and human fatalities. The top 5 most disastrous floods in the period from 1900 to 2015, ranked by economic damage, are all in the Asian monsoon region. This study presents an interdisciplinary approach integrating hydrometeorology, atmospheric science and state-of-the-art space-time statistics and modeling to investigate the association between the space-time characteristics of floods, precipitation and atmospheric moisture transport in a statistical and physical framework, using tropical moisture export dataset and curve clustering algorithm to study the source-to-destination features; explore the teleconnected climate regulations on the moisture formation process at different timescales (PDO, ENSO and MJO), and study the role of the synoptic-to-large atmospheric steering on the moisture transport and convergence.

Experimental study of moisture uptake of polyurethane foam subjected to a heat sink below 30 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X. B.; Chen, J. Y.; Gan, Z. H.; Qiu, L. M.; Zhang, K. H.; Yang, R. P.; Ma, X. J.; Liu, Z. H.

2014-01-01

Rigid closed-cell foam is widely used to thermally insulate liquid hydrogen and oxygen tanks of space launch vehicles due to its lightweight, mechanical strength and thermal-insulating performance. Up to now, little information is available on the intrusion of moisture into the foam that subjects one side to liquid hydrogen temperatures and the other side to room temperatures and high relative humidity. A novel cryogenic moisture uptake apparatus has been designed and fabricated to measure the moisture uptake into the polyurethane foam. For safety and convenience, two identical single-stage pulse tube cryocoolers instead of liquid hydrogen are used to cool one side of the foam specimen to the lowest temperature of 26 K. Total of eight specimens in three groups, according to whether there is a butt-joint or weathering period, are tested respectively for both 5 h and 9 h. The additional weight due to moisture uptake of the foam for the 26 K cases is compared to previous measurements at 79 K. The results are instructive for the applications of foam to the insulation of liquid hydrogen tanks in space launch vehicles.

On-line moisture determination of ore concentrates 'a review of traditional methods and introduction of a novel solution'.

PubMed

Cancilla, P A; Barrette, P; Rosenblum, F

2002-12-01

The manual gravimetric drying moisture determination methods currently employed by most mineral processing plants fail to provide timely and accurate information required for automatic control. The costs associated with transporting and handling concentrates still represent a major portion of the overall treatment price. When considering the cash flow of a mining operation that is governed by both the smelter contract, with moisture penalties and the quantity and quality of the concentrates shipped, an efficient method of on-line moisture content would be a welcome tool. A novel on-line determination system for ore concentrate moisture content would replace the tedious manual procedure. Since the introduction of microelectronic-based control systems, operators have strived to reduce the treatment costs to the minimum. Therefore, a representative and timely determination of on-line moisture content becomes vital for control set points and timely feedback. Reliable sensors have long been on the 'wish list' of mineral processors since the problem has always been that you can only control what you can measure. Today, the task of moisture determination is still done by the classical technique of loss in weight utilizing uncontrolled procedures. These same methods were introduced in the earliest base metal concentrators. Generally, it is acceptable to have ore concentrate moisture content vary within a range of 7-9%, but controlling the moisture content below 8% is a difficult task with a manually controlled system. Many times, delays in manually achieving reliable feedback of the moisture content results in the moisture varying from 5-12% before corrective actions can be made. This paper first reviews the traditional and widely available methods for determining moisture content in granular materials by applying physical principles and properties to measure moisture content. All methods are in some form affected when employed on mineral ore concentrates. This paper introduces and describes a novel on-line moisture sensor employed for mineral processing de-watering applications, which not only automates the tedious tasks but also results in reliable moisture feedback that can be used in the optimization of the de-watering process equipment such as pressure or vacuum filters and fuel-fired driers. Finally, two measurement applications will be presented which indicate the usefulness and summarizes the measurement requirements for the proposed method of employing drag force and mechanical properties of the material itself to determine the moisture content. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Soil moisture status estimation over Three Gorges area with Landsat TM data based on temperature vegetation dryness index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lina; Niu, Ruiqing; Li, Jiong; Dong, Yanfang

2011-12-01

Soil moisture is the important indicator of climate, hydrology, ecology, agriculture and other parameters of the land surface and atmospheric interface. Soil moisture plays an important role on the water and energy exchange at the land surface/atmosphere interface. Remote sensing can provide information on large area quickly and easily, so it is significant to do research on how to monitor soil moisture by remote sensing. This paper presents a method to assess soil moisture status using Landsat TM data over Three Gorges area in China based on TVDI. The potential of Temperature- Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) from Landsat TM data in assessing soil moisture was investigated in this region. After retrieving land surface temperature and vegetation index a TVDI model based on the features of Ts-NDVI space is established. And finally, soil moisture status is estimated according to TVDI. It shows that TVDI has the advantages of stability and high accuracy to estimating the soil moisture status.

Effect of Root-Zone Moisture Variations on Growth of Lettuce and Pea Plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilieva, Iliana; Ivanova, Tania

2008-06-01

Variations in substrate moisture lead to changes in water and oxygen availability to plant roots. Ground experiments were carried out in the laboratory prototype of SVET-2 Space Greenhouse to study the effect of variation of root-zone moisture conditions on growth of lettuce and pea plants. The effect of transient increase (for 1 day) and drastic increase (waterlogging for 10 days) of substrate moisture was studied with 16-day old pea and 21-day old lettuce plants respectively. Pea height and fresh biomass accumulation were not affected by transient substrate moisture increase. Net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of pea plants showed fast response to substrate moisture variation, while chlorophyll content did not change. Drastic change of substrate moisture suppressed lettuce Pn, chlorophyll biosynthesis and plant growth. These parameters slowly recovered after termination of waterlogging treatment but lettuce yield was greatly affected. The results showed that the most sensitive physiological parameter to substrate moisture variations is photosynthesis.

WaterSense Soil Moisture-Based Control Technologies Notice of Intent (NOI)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

By directly measuring the amount of moisture in the soil, soil moisture-based control technologies tailor irrigation schedules to meet landscape water needs based on seasonal patterns, as well as prevailing conditions in the landscape.

Experimental study on cryogenic moisture uptake in polyurethane foam insulation material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X. B.; Yao, L.; Qiu, L. M.; Gan, Z. H.; Yang, R. P.; Ma, X. J.; Liu, Z. H.

2012-12-01

Rigid foam is widely used to insulate cryogenic tanks, in particular for space launch vehicles due to its lightweight, mechanical strength and thermal-insulating performance. Up to now, little information is available on the intrusion of moisture into the material under cryogenic conditions, which will bring substantial additional weight for the space vehicles at lift-off. A cryogenic moisture uptake apparatus has been designed and fabricated to measure the amount of water uptake into the polyurethane foam. One side of the specimen is exposed to an environment with high humidity and ambient temperature, while the other with cryogenic temperature at approximately 78 K. A total of 16 specimens were tested for up to 24 h to explore the effects of the surface thermal protection layer, the foam thickness, exposed time, the butt joints, and the material density on water uptake of the foam. The results are constructive for the applications of the foam to the cryogenic insulation system in space launch vehicles.

Space environmental effects on spacecraft: LEO materials selection guide, part 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverman, Edward M.

1995-08-01

This document provides performance properties on major spacecraft materials and subsystems that have been exposed to the low-Earth orbit (LEO) space environment. Spacecraft materials include metals, polymers, composites, white and black paints, thermal-control blankets, adhesives, and lubricants. Spacecraft subsystems include optical components, solar cells, and electronics. Information has been compiled from LEO short-term spaceflight experiments (e.g., space shuttle) and from retrieved satellites of longer mission durations (e.g., Long Duration Exposure Facility). Major space environment effects include atomic oxygen (AO), ultraviolet radiation, micrometeoroids and debris, contamination, and particle radiation. The main objective of this document is to provide a decision tool to designers for designing spacecraft and structures. This document identifies the space environments that will affect the performance of materials and components, e.g., thermal-optical property changes of paints due to UV exposures, AO-induced surface erosion of composites, dimensional changes due to thermal cycling, vacuum-induced moisture outgassing, and surface optical changes due to AO/UV exposures. Where appropriate, relationships between the space environment and the attendant material/system effects are identified. Part 2 covers thermal control systems, power systems, optical components, electronic systems, and applications.

Space environmental effects on spacecraft: LEO materials selection guide, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silverman, Edward M.

1995-01-01

This document provides performance properties on major spacecraft materials and subsystems that have been exposed to the low-Earth orbit (LEO) space environment. Spacecraft materials include metals, polymers, composites, white and black paints, thermal-control blankets, adhesives, and lubricants. Spacecraft subsystems include optical components, solar cells, and electronics. Information has been compiled from LEO short-term spaceflight experiments (e.g., space shuttle) and from retrieved satellites of longer mission durations (e.g., Long Duration Exposure Facility). Major space environment effects include atomic oxygen (AO), ultraviolet radiation, micrometeoroids and debris, contamination, and particle radiation. The main objective of this document is to provide a decision tool to designers for designing spacecraft and structures. This document identifies the space environments that will affect the performance of materials and components, e.g., thermal-optical property changes of paints due to UV exposures, AO-induced surface erosion of composites, dimensional changes due to thermal cycling, vacuum-induced moisture outgassing, and surface optical changes due to AO/UV exposures. Where appropriate, relationships between the space environment and the attendant material/system effects are identified. Part 2 covers thermal control systems, power systems, optical components, electronic systems, and applications.

VHF SoOp (Signal of Opportunity) Technology Demonstration for Soil Moisture Measurement Using Microwave Hydraulic Boom Truck Platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joseph, A. T.; Deshpande, M.; O'Neill, P. E.; Miles, L.

2017-01-01

A goal of this research is to test deployable VHF antennas for 6U Cubesat platforms to enable validation of root zone soil moisture (RZSM) estimation algorithms for signal of opportunity (SoOp) remote sensing over the 240-270 MHz frequency band. The proposed work provides a strong foundation for establishing a technology development path for maturing a global direct surface soil moisture (SM) and RZSM measurement system over a variety of land covers. Knowledge of RZSM up to a depth of 1 meter and surface SM up to a depth of 0.05 meter on a global scale, at a spatial resolution of 1-10 km through moderate-to-heavy vegetation, is critical to understanding global water resources and the vertical moisture gradient in the Earths surface layer which controls moisture interactions between the soil, vegetation, and atmosphere. Current observations of surface SM from space by L-band radiometers (1.4 GHz) and radars (1.26 GHz) are limited to measurements of surface SM up to a depth of 0.05 meter through moderate amounts of vegetation. This limitation is mainly due to the inability of L-band signals to penetrate through dense vegetation and deep into the soil column. Satellite observations of the surface moisture conditions are coupled to sophisticated models which extrapolate the surface SM into the root zone, thus providing an indirect estimate rather than a direct measurement of RZSM. To overcome this limitation, low-frequency airborne radars operating at 435 MHz and 118 MHz have been investigated, since these lower frequencies should penetrate denser vegetation and respond to conditions deeper in the soil.

Observing the atmosphere in moisture space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, Hauke; Stevens, Bjorn

2017-04-01

Processes behind convective aggregation have mostly been analysed and identified on the basis of relatively idealized cloud resolving model studies. Relatively little effort has been spent on using observations to test or quantify the findings coming from the models. In 2010 the Barbados Cloud Observatory (BCO) was established on Barbados, which is on the edge of the ITCZ, in part to test hypotheses such as those emerging form the analysis of cloud resolving models. To better test ideas related to the driving forces of convective aggregation, we analyse BCO measurements to identify the processes changing the moist static energy flux, in moisture space, i.e., as a function of rank column water vapour. Similar approaches are used to analyse cloud resolving models. We composite five years of cloud- and water-vapor profiles, from a cloud radar, and Raman water vapour lidar to construct the structure of the observed atmosphere in moisture space. The data show both agreement and disagreement with the models: radiative transfer calculations of the cross-section reveal a strong anomalous radiative cooling in the boundary layer at the dry end of the moisture space. We show that the radiation, mainly in the long-wave, implies a shallow circulation. This circulation agrees generally with supplementary used reanalysis datasets, but the strength and extent vary more markedly across the analyses. Consistent with the modelling, the implied radiative driven circulation supports the aggregation process by importing net moist static energy into the moist regimes.

Accomplishments of the NASA Johnson Space Center portion of the soil moisture project in fiscal year 1981

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paris, J. F.; Arya, L. M.; Davidson, S. A.; Hildreth, W. W.; Richter, J. C.; Rosenkranz, W. A.

1982-01-01

The NASA/JSC ground scatterometer system was used in a row structure and row direction effects experiment to understand these effects on radar remote sensing of soil moisture. Also, a modification of the scatterometer system was begun and is continuing, to allow cross-polarization experiments to be conducted in fiscal years 1982 and 1983. Preprocessing of the 1978 agricultural soil moisture experiment (ASME) data was completed. Preparations for analysis of the ASME data is fiscal year 1982 were completed. A radar image simulation procedure developed by the University of Kansas is being improved. Profile soil moisture model outputs were compared quantitatively for the same soil and climate conditions. A new model was developed and tested to predict the soil moisture characteristic (water tension versus volumetric soil moisture content) from particle-size distribution and bulk density data. Relationships between surface-zone soil moisture, surface flux, and subsurface moisture conditions are being studied as well as the ways in which measured soil moisture (as obtained from remote sensing) can be used for agricultural applications.

Firefighters Integrated Response Equipment System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaplan, H.; Abeles, F.

1978-01-01

The Firefighters Integrated Response Equipment System (Project FIRES) is a joint National Fire Prevention and Control Administration (NFPCA)/National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) program for the development of an 'ultimate' firefighter's protective ensemble. The overall aim of Project FIRES is to improve firefighter protection against hazards, such as heat, flame, smoke, toxic fumes, moisture, impact penetration, and electricity and, at the same time, improve firefighter performance by increasing maneuverability, lowering weight, and improving human engineering design of his protective ensemble.

Testing a Regenerative Carbon Dioxide and Moisture Removal Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.; Button, Amy; Sweterlitsch, Jeffrey J.; Curley, Suzanne

2010-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration supported the development of a new vacuum-desorbed regenerative carbon dioxide and humidity control technology for use in short duration human spacecraft. The technology was baselined for use in the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle s Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). Termed the Carbon Dioxide And Moisture Removal Amine Swing-bed (CAMRAS), the unit was developed by Hamilton Sundstrand and has undergone extensive testing at Johnson Space Center. The tests were performed to evaluate performance characteristics under range of operating conditions and human loads expected in future spacecraft applications, as part of maturation to increase its readiness for flight. Early tests, conducted at nominal atmospheric pressure, used human metabolic simulators to generate loads, with later tests making us of human test subjects. During these tests many different test cases were performed, involving from 1 to 6 test subjects, with different activity profiles (sleep, nominal and exercise). These tests were conducted within the airlock portion of a human rated test chamber sized to simulate the Orion cabin free air volume. More recently, a test was completed that integrated the CAMRAS with a simulated suit loop using prototype umbilicals and was conducted at reduced atmospheric pressure and elevated oxygen levels. This paper will describe the facilities and procedures used to conduct these and future tests, and provide a summary of findings.

Plant Habitat (PH)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Onate, Bryan

2016-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) will soon have a platform for conducting fundamental research of Large Plants. Plant Habitat (PH) is designed to be a fully controllable environment for high-quality plant physiological research. PH will control light quality, level, and timing, temperature, CO2, relative humidity, and irrigation, while scrubbing ethylene. Additional capabilities include leaf temperature and root zone moisture and oxygen sensing. The light cap will have red (630 nm), blue (450 nm), green (525 nm), far red (730 nm) and broad spectrum white LEDs. There will be several internal cameras (visible and IR) to monitor and record plant growth and operations.

Spatial variability of soil moisture retrieved by SMOS satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukowski, Mateusz; Marczewski, Wojciech; Usowicz, Boguslaw; Rojek, Edyta; Slominski, Jan; Lipiec, Jerzy

2015-04-01

Standard statistical methods assume that the analysed variables are independent. Since the majority of the processes observed in the nature are continuous in space and time, this assumption introduces a significant limitation for understanding the examined phenomena. In classical approach, valuable information about the locations of examined observations is completely lost. However, there is a branch of statistics, called geostatistics, which is the study of random variables, but taking into account the space where they occur. A common example of so-called "regionalized variable" is soil moisture. Using in situ methods it is difficult to estimate soil moisture distribution because it is often significantly diversified. Thanks to the geostatistical methods, by employing semivariance analysis, it is possible to get the information about the nature of spatial dependences and their lengths. Since the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity mission launch in 2009, the estimation of soil moisture spatial distribution for regional up to continental scale started to be much easier. In this study, the SMOS L2 data for Central and Eastern Europe were examined. The statistical and geostatistical features of moisture distributions of this area were studied for selected natural soil phenomena for 2010-2014 including: freezing, thawing, rainfalls (wetting), drying and drought. Those soil water "states" were recognized employing ground data from the agro-meteorological network of ground-based stations SWEX and SMUDP2 data from SMOS. After pixel regularization, without any upscaling, the geostatistical methods were applied directly on Discrete Global Grid (15-km resolution) in ISEA 4H9 projection, on which SMOS observations are reported. Analysis of spatial distribution of SMOS soil moisture, carried out for each data set, in most cases did not show significant trends. It was therefore assumed that each of the examined distributions of soil moisture in the adopted scale satisfies ergodicity and quasi-stationarity assumptions, required for geostatistical analysis. The semivariograms examinations revealed that spatial dependences occurring in the surface soil moisture distributions for the selected area were more or less 200 km. The exception was the driest of the studied days, when the spatial correlations of soil moisture were not disturbed for a long time by any rainfall. Spatial correlation length on that day was about 400 km. Because of zonal character of frost, the spatial dependences in the examined surface soil moisture distributions during freezing/thawing found to be disturbed. Probably, the amount of water remains the same, but it is not detected by SMOS, hence analysing dielectric constant instead of soil moisture would be more appropriate. Some spatial relations of soil moisture and freezing distribution with existing maps of soil granulometric fractions and soil specific surface area for Poland have also been found. The work was partially funded under the ELBARA_PD (Penetration Depth) project No. 4000107897/13/NL/KML. ELBARA_PD project is funded by the Government of Poland through an ESA (European Space Agency) Contract under the PECS (Plan for European Cooperating States).

Humidity data for 9975 shipping packages with cane fiberboard

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

Daugherty, W. L.

The 9975 surveillance program is developing a technical basis to support extending the storage period of 9975 packages in K-Area Complex beyond the currently approved 15 years. A key element of this effort is developing a better understanding of degradation of the fiberboard assembly under storage conditions. This degradation is influenced greatly by the moisture content of the fiberboard, which is not well characterized on an individual package basis. Direct measurements of humidity and fiberboard moisture content have been made on two test packages with cane fiberboard and varying internal heat levels from 0 up to 19W. With an internalmore » heat load, a temperature gradient in the fiberboard assembly leads to varying relative humidity in the air around the fiberboard. However, the absolute humidity tends to remain approximately constant throughout the package. The moisture content of fiberboard varies under the influence of several phenomena. Changes in local fiberboard temperature (from an internal heat load) can cause fiberboard moisture changes through absorption or evaporation. Fiberboard degradation at elevated temperature will produce water as a byproduct. And the moisture level within the package is constantly seeking equilibrium with that of the surrounding room air, which varies on a daily and seasonal basis. One indicator of the moisture condition within a 9975 package might be obtained by measuring the relative humidity in the upper air space, by inserting a humidity probe through a caplug hole. However, the data indicate that for the higher internal heat loads (15 and 19 watts), a large variation in internal moisture conditions produces little or no variation in the air space relative humidity. Therefore, this approach does not appear to be sensitive to fiberboard moisture variations at the higher heat loads which are of most interest to maintaining fiberboard integrity.« less

Heat and moisture exchanger: importance of humidification in anaesthesia and ventilatory breathing system.

PubMed

Parmar, Vandana

2008-08-01

Adequate humidification is vital to maintain homeostasis of the airway. Heat and moisture exchangers conserve some of the exhaled water, heat and return them to inspired gases. Many heat and moisture exchangers also perfom bacterial/viral filtration and prevent inhalation of small particles. Heat and moisture exchangers are also called condenser humidifier, artificial nose, etc. Most of them are disposable devices with exchanging medium enclosed in a plastic housing. For adult and paediatric age group different dead space types are available. Heat and moisture exchangers are helpful during anaesthesia and ventilatory breathing system. To reduce the damage of the upper respiratory tract through cooling and dehydration inspiratory air can be heated and humidified, thus preventing the serious complications.

Soil moisture and evapotranspiration predictions using Skylab data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, V. I. (Principal Investigator); Moore, D. G.; Horton, M. L.; Russell, M. J.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Multispectral reflectance and emittance data from the Skylab workshop were evaluated for prediction of evapotranspiration and soil moisture for an irrigated region of southern Texas. Wavelengths greater than 2.1 microns were required to spectrally distinguish between wet and dry fallow surfaces. Thermal data provided a better estimate of soil moisture than did data from the reflective bands. Thermal data were dependent on soil moisture but not on the type of agricultural land use. The emittance map, when used in conjunction with existing models, did provide an estimate of evapotranspiration rates. Surveys of areas of high soil moisture can be accomplished with space altitude thermal data. Thermal data will provide a reliable input into irrigation scheduling.

Measuring Water in Bioreactor Landfills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, B.; Gallagher, V. N.; Imhoff, P. T.; Yazdani, R.; Chiu, P.

2004-12-01

Methane is an important greenhouse gas, and landfills are the largest anthropogenic source in many developed countries. Bioreactor landfills have been proposed as one means of abating greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. Here, the decomposition of organic wastes is enhanced by the controlled addition of water or leachate to maintain optimal conditions for waste decomposition. Greenhouse gas abatement is accomplished by sequestration of photosynthetically derived carbon in wastes, CO2 offsets from energy use of waste derived gas, and mitigation of methane emission from the wastes. Maintaining optimal moisture conditions for waste degradation is perhaps the most important operational parameter in bioreactor landfills. To determine how much water is needed and where to add it, methods are required to measure water within solid waste. However, there is no reliable method that can measure moisture content simply and accurately in the heterogeneous environment typical of landfills. While well drilling and analysis of solid waste samples is sometimes used to determine moisture content, this is an expensive, time-consuming, and destructive procedure. To overcome these problems, a new technology recently developed by hydrologists for measuring water in the vadose zone --- the partitioning tracer test (PTT) --- was evaluated for measuring water in solid waste in a full-scale bioreactor landfill in Yolo County, CA. Two field tests were conducted in different regions of an aerobic bioreactor landfill, with each test measuring water in ≈ 250 ft3 of solid waste. Tracers were injected through existing tubes inserted in the landfill, and tracer breakthrough curves were measured through time from the landfill's gas collection system. Gas samples were analyzed on site using a field-portable gas chromatograph and shipped offsite for more accurate laboratory analysis. In the center of the landfill, PTT measurements indicated that the fraction of the pore space filled with water was 29%, while the moisture content, the mass of water divided by total wet mass of solid waste, was 28%. Near the sloped sides of the landfill, PTT results indicated that only 7.1% of the pore space was filled with water, while the moisture content was estimated to be 6.9%. These measurements are in close agreement with gravimetric measurements made on solid waste samples collected after each PTT: moisture content of 27% in the center of the landfill and only 6% near the edge of the landfill. We discuss these measurements in detail, the limitations of the PTT method for landfills, and operational guidelines for achieving unbiased measurements of moisture content in landfills using the PTT method.

Temporal changes of spatial soil moisture patterns: controlling factors explained with a multidisciplinary approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martini, Edoardo; Wollschläger, Ute; Kögler, Simon; Behrens, Thorsten; Dietrich, Peter; Reinstorf, Frido; Schmidt, Karsten; Weiler, Markus; Werban, Ulrike; Zacharias, Steffen

2016-04-01

Characterizing the spatial patterns of soil moisture is critical for hydrological and meteorological models, as soil moisture is a key variable that controls matter and energy fluxes and soil-vegetation-atmosphere exchange processes. Deriving detailed process understanding at the hillslope scale is not trivial, because of the temporal variability of local soil moisture dynamics. Nevertheless, it remains a challenge to provide adequate information on the temporal variability of soil moisture and its controlling factors. Recent advances in wireless sensor technology allow monitoring of soil moisture dynamics with high temporal resolution at varying scales. In addition, mobile geophysical methods such as electromagnetic induction (EMI) have been widely used for mapping soil water content at the field scale with high spatial resolution, as being related to soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa). The objective of this study was to characterize the spatial and temporal pattern of soil moisture at the hillslope scale and to infer the controlling hydrological processes, integrating well established and innovative sensing techniques, as well as new statistical methods. We combined soil hydrological and pedological expertise with geophysical measurements and methods from digital soil mapping for designing a wireless soil moisture monitoring network. For a hillslope site within the Schäfertal catchment (Central Germany), soil water dynamics were observed during 14 months, and soil ECa was mapped on seven occasions whithin this period of time using an EM38-DD device. Using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient, we described the temporal persistence of a dry and a wet characteristic state of soil moisture as well as the switching mechanisms, inferring the local properties that control the observed spatial patterns and the hydrological processes driving the transitions. Based on this, we evaluated the use of EMI for mapping the spatial pattern of soil moisture under different hydrologic conditions and the factors controlling the temporal variability of the ECa-soil moisture relationship. The approach provided valuable insight into the time-varying contribution of local and nonlocal factors to the characteristic spatial patterns of soil moisture and the transition mechanisms. The spatial organization of soil moisture was controlled by different processes in different soil horizons, and the topsoil's moisture did not mirror processes that take place within the soil profile. Results show that, for the Schäfertal hillslope site which is presumed to be representative for non-intensively managed soils with moderate clay content, local soil properties (e.g., soil texture and porosity) are the major control on the spatial pattern of ECa. In contrast, the ECa-soil moisture relationship is small and varies over time indicating that ECa is not a good proxy for soil moisture estimation at the investigated site.Occasionally observed stronger correlations between ECa and soil moisture may be explained by background dependencies of ECa to other state variables such as pore water electrical conductivity. The results will help to improve conceptual understanding for hydrological model studies at similar or smaller scales, and to transfer observation concepts and process understanding to larger or less instrumented sites, as well as to constrain the use of EMI-based ECa data for hydrological applications.

Two randomized, controlled, comparative studies of the stratum corneum integrity benefits of two cosmetic niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers vs. conventional body moisturizers.

PubMed

Christman, Jeremy C; Fix, Deborah K; Lucus, Sawanna C; Watson, Debrah; Desmier, Emma; Wilkerson, Rolanda J Johnson; Fixler, Charles

2012-01-01

Despite numerous body moisturizers being available, cosmetic xerosis continues to be a leading skin problem for consumers. We performed two 35-day studies to evaluate the ability of a variety of body moisturizers containing various levels of oils/lipids, humectants, as well as other ingredients (e.g., niacinamide) to improve stratum corneum integrity. 63 and 58 female subjects were enrolled and randomized in an incomplete block design to six of nine products (eight moisturizers or no treatment control) in studies 1 and 2, respectively. The primary endpoints included visual dryness by a qualified skin grader, skin hydration as measured by Corneometer, and barrier integrity as measured by transepidermal water loss (TEWL). The primary comparisons for the two niacinamide/glycerin moisturizers were to the other six moisturizers and to the no treatment control for each endpoint. The two niacinamide/glycerin moisturizers demonstrated an overall better solution towards rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis due to functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and the other moisturizers tested. These studies establish the benefit of including niacinamide in a body moisturizer to improve the integrity of the stratum corneum and thus reduce cosmetic xerosis over time.

Global soil moisture from the aquarius satellite: Description and initial assessment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aquarius satellite observations over land offer a new resource for measuring soil moisture from space. Although Aquarius was designed for ocean salinity mapping, our objective in this investigation is to exploit the large amount of land observations that Aquarius acquires and extend the mission scop...

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) applications activity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission is one of the first-tier satellite missions recommended by the U.S. National Research Council Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space. The SMAP mission 1 is under development by NASA and is scheduled for launch late in 2014. The SMAP mea...

46 CFR 194.10-10 - Integral magazine construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... spaces suitable approved incombustible thermal insulation shall be provided to prevent condensation of moisture. (c) Where a tank top forms the magazine deck it shall be insulated with an approved deck covering to prevent condensation of moisture. Tank top manholes shall not be installed in magazines. (d) Light...

Automated Quality Control of in Situ Soil Moisture from the North American Soil Moisture Database Using NLDAS-2 Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ek, M. B.; Xia, Y.; Ford, T.; Wu, Y.; Quiring, S. M.

2015-12-01

The North American Soil Moisture Database (NASMD) was initiated in 2011 to provide support for developing climate forecasting tools, calibrating land surface models and validating satellite-derived soil moisture algorithms. The NASMD has collected data from over 30 soil moisture observation networks providing millions of in situ soil moisture observations in all 50 states as well as Canada and Mexico. It is recognized that the quality of measured soil moisture in NASMD is highly variable due to the diversity of climatological conditions, land cover, soil texture, and topographies of the stations and differences in measurement devices (e.g., sensors) and installation. It is also recognized that error, inaccuracy and imprecision in the data set can have significant impacts on practical operations and scientific studies. Therefore, developing an appropriate quality control procedure is essential to ensure the data is of the best quality. In this study, an automated quality control approach is developed using the North American Land Data Assimilation System phase 2 (NLDAS-2) Noah soil porosity, soil temperature, and fraction of liquid and total soil moisture to flag erroneous and/or spurious measurements. Overall results show that this approach is able to flag unreasonable values when the soil is partially frozen. A validation example using NLDAS-2 multiple model soil moisture products at the 20 cm soil layer showed that the quality control procedure had a significant positive impact in Alabama, North Carolina, and West Texas. It had a greater impact in colder regions, particularly during spring and autumn. Over 433 NASMD stations have been quality controlled using the methodology proposed in this study, and the algorithm will be implemented to control data quality from the other ~1,200 NASMD stations in the near future.

Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) Radiometer Subband Calibration and Calibration Drift

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peng, Jinzheng; Piepmeier, Jeffrey R.; De Amici, Giovanni; Mohammed, Priscilla

2016-01-01

The SMAP is one of four first-tier missions recommended by the US National Research Council's Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space (Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond, Space Studies Board, National Academies Press, 2007)]. The observatory was launched on Jan 31, 2015. The goal of the SMAP is to measure the global soil moisture and freeze/thaw from space. The L-band radiometer is the passive portion of the spaceborne instrument. It measures all four Stokes antenna temperatures and outputs counts. The Level 1B Brightness Temperature (L1B_TB) science algorithm converts radiometer counts to the Earths surface brightness temperature. The results are reported in the radiometer level 1B data product together with the calibrated antenna temperature (TA) and all of the corrections to the unwanted sources contribution. The calibrated L1B data product are required to satisfy the overall radiometer error budget of 1.3 K needed to meet the soil moisture requirement of 0.04 volumetric fraction uncertainty and the calibration drift requirement of no larger than 0.4 K per month.

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Radiometer Subband Calibration and Calibration Drift

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peng, Jinzheng; Piepmeier, Jeffrey R.; De Amici, Giovanni; Mohammed, Priscilla N.

2016-01-01

The SMAP is one of four first-tier missions recommended by the US National Research Council's Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space (Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond, Space Studies Board, National Academies Press, 2007). The observatory was launched on Jan 31, 2015. The goal of the SMAP is to measure the global soil moisture and freeze/thaw from space. The L-band radiometer is the passive portion of the spaceborne instrument. It measures all four Stokes antenna temperatures and outputs counts. The Level 1B Brightness Temperature (L1B_TB) science algorithm converts radiometer counts to the Earths surface brightness temperature. The results are reported in the radiometer level 1B data product together with the calibrated antenna temperature (TA) and all of the corrections to the unwanted sources contribution. The calibrated L1B data product are required to satisfy the overall radiometer error budget of 1.3 K needed to meet the soil moisture requirement of 0.04 volumetric fraction uncertainty and the calibration drift requirement of no larger than 0.4 K per month.

Remote sensing monitoring the spatio-temporal changes of aridification in the Mongolian Plateau based on the general Ts-NDVI space, 1981-2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Xiaoming; Feng, Yiming; Wang, Juanle

2017-06-01

This paper has developed a general Ts-NDVI triangle space with vegetation index time-series data from AVHRR and MODIS to monitor soil moisture in the Mongolian Plateau during 1981-2012, and studied the spatio-temporal variations of drought based on the temperature vegetation dryness index (TVDI). The results indicated that (1) the developed general Ts-NDVI space extracted from the AVHRR and MODIS remote sensing data would be an effective method to monitor regional drought, moreover, it would be more meaningful if the single time Ts-NDVI space showed an unstable condition; (2) the inverted TVDI was expected to reflect the water deficit in the study area. It was found to be in close negative agreement with precipitation and 10 cm soil moisture; (3) in the Mongolian Plateau, TVDI presented a zonal distribution with changes in land use/land cover types, vegetation cover and latitude. The soil moisture is low in bare land, construction land and grassland. During 1981-2012, drought was widely spread throughout the plateau, and aridification was obvious in the study period. Vegetation degradation, overgrazing, and climate warming could be considered as the main reasons.

Validation of soil moisture ocean salinity (SMOS) satellite soil moisture products

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The surface soil moisture state controls the partitioning of precipitation into infiltration and runoff. High-resolution observations of soil moisture will lead to improved flood forecasts, especially for intermediate to large watersheds where most flood damage occurs. Soil moisture is also key in d...

KSC-2015-1248

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-29

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The mobile service tower rolls toward the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Aboard the rocket is NOAA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, designed to produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space. Launch was postponed today due to violation of upper-level wind shear constraints. Launch now is targeted for Jan. 31. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

KSC-2015-1245

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-29

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Operations are underway at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to enclose the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in the launch gantry. Aboard the rocket is NOAA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, designed to produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space. Launch was postponed today due to violation of upper-level wind shear constraints. Launch now is targeted for Jan. 31. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

KSC-2015-1247

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-29

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The mobile service tower rolls toward the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Aboard the rocket is NOAA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, designed to produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space. Launch was postponed today due to violation of upper-level wind shear constraints. Launch now is targeted for Jan. 31. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

KSC-2015-1246

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-29

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Operations are underway at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to enclose the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in the launch gantry. Aboard the rocket is NOAA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, designed to produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space. Launch was postponed today due to violation of upper-level wind shear constraints. Launch now is targeted for Jan. 31. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

KSC-2015-1256

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-31

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A Delta II rocket lifts off Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, to Earth orbit. Liftoff was at 9:22 a.m. EST. SMAP's measurements will be invaluable across many science and applications disciplines including hydrology, climate, carbon cycle, and the meteorological, environmental and ecology applications communities. SMAP is designed to produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

A geometrical multi-scale numerical method for coupled hygro-thermo-mechanical problems in photovoltaic laminates.

PubMed

Lenarda, P; Paggi, M

A comprehensive computational framework based on the finite element method for the simulation of coupled hygro-thermo-mechanical problems in photovoltaic laminates is herein proposed. While the thermo-mechanical problem takes place in the three-dimensional space of the laminate, moisture diffusion occurs in a two-dimensional domain represented by the polymeric layers and by the vertical channel cracks in the solar cells. Therefore, a geometrical multi-scale solution strategy is pursued by solving the partial differential equations governing heat transfer and thermo-elasticity in the three-dimensional space, and the partial differential equation for moisture diffusion in the two dimensional domains. By exploiting a staggered scheme, the thermo-mechanical problem is solved first via a fully implicit solution scheme in space and time, with a specific treatment of the polymeric layers as zero-thickness interfaces whose constitutive response is governed by a novel thermo-visco-elastic cohesive zone model based on fractional calculus. Temperature and relative displacements along the domains where moisture diffusion takes place are then projected to the finite element model of diffusion, coupled with the thermo-mechanical problem by the temperature and crack opening dependent diffusion coefficient. The application of the proposed method to photovoltaic modules pinpoints two important physical aspects: (i) moisture diffusion in humidity freeze tests with a temperature dependent diffusivity is a much slower process than in the case of a constant diffusion coefficient; (ii) channel cracks through Silicon solar cells significantly enhance moisture diffusion and electric degradation, as confirmed by experimental tests.

Linking the soil moisture distribution pattern to dynamic processes along slope transects in the Loess Plateau, China.

PubMed

Wang, Shuai; Fu, Bojie; Gao, Guangyao; Zhou, Ji; Jiao, Lei; Liu, Jianbo

2015-12-01

Soil moisture pulses are a prerequisite for other land surface pulses at various spatiotemporal scales in arid and semi-arid areas. The temporal dynamics and profile variability of soil moisture in relation to land cover combinations were studied along five slopes transect on the Loess Plateau during the rainy season of 2011. Within the 3 months of the growing season coupled with the rainy season, all of the soil moisture was replenished in the area, proving that a type stability exists between different land cover soil moisture levels. Land cover combinations disturbed the trend determined by topography and increased soil moisture variability in space and time. The stability of soil moisture resulting from the dynamic processes could produce stable patterns on the slopes. The relationships between the mean soil moisture and vertical standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV) were more complex, largely due to the fact that different land cover types had distinctive vertical patterns of soil moisture. The spatial SD of each layer had a positive correlation and the spatial CV exhibited a negative correlation with the increase in mean soil moisture. The soil moisture stability implies that sampling comparisons in this area can be conducted at different times to accurately compare different land use types.

SMAP Validation Experiment 2015 (SMAPVEX15)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colliander, A.; Jackson, T. J.; Cosh, M. H.; Misra, S.; Crow, W. T.; Chae, C. S.; Moghaddam, M.; O'Neill, P. E.; Entekhabi, D.; Yueh, S. H.

2015-12-01

NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission was launched in January 2015. The objective of the mission is global mapping of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state. For soil moisture algorithm validation, the SMAP project and NASA coordinated SMAPVEX15 around the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) in Tombstone, Arizona on August 1-19, 2015. The main goals of SMAPVEX15 are to understand the effects and contribution of heterogeneity on the soil moisture retrievals, evaluate the impact of known RFI sources on retrieval, and analyze the brightness temperature product calibration and heterogeneity effects. Additionally, the campaign aims to contribute to the validation of GPM (Global Precipitation Mission) data products. The campaign will feature three airborne microwave instruments: PALS (Passive Active L-band System), UAVSAR (Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar) and AirMOSS (Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface). PALS has L-band radiometer and radar, and UAVSAR and AirMOSS have L- and P-band synthetic aperture radars, respectively. The PALS instrument will map the area on seven days coincident with SMAP overpasses; UAVSAR and AirMOSS on four days. WGEW was selected as the experiment site due to the rainfall patterns in August and existing dense networks of precipitation gages and soil moisture sensors. An additional temporary network of approximately 80 soil moisture stations was deployed in the region. Rainfall observations were supplemented with two X-band mobile scanning radars, approximately 25 tipping bucket rain gauges, three laser disdrometers, and three vertically-profiling K-band radars. Teams were on the field to take soil moisture samples for gravimetric soil moisture, bulk density and rock fraction determination as well as to measure surface roughness and vegetation water content. In this talk we will present preliminary results from the experiment including comparisons between SMAP and PALS soil moisture retrievals with respect to the in situ measurements. Acknowledgement: This work was carried out in part at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under contract with National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Exploiting Soil Moisture, Precipitation, and Streamflow Observations to Evaluate Soil Moisture/Runoff Coupling in Land Surface Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crow, W. T.; Chen, F.; Reichle, R. H.; Xia, Y.; Liu, Q.

2018-05-01

Accurate partitioning of precipitation into infiltration and runoff is a fundamental objective of land surface models tasked with characterizing the surface water and energy balance. Temporal variability in this partitioning is due, in part, to changes in prestorm soil moisture, which determine soil infiltration capacity and unsaturated storage. Utilizing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Soil Moisture Active Passive Level-4 soil moisture product in combination with streamflow and precipitation observations, we demonstrate that land surface models (LSMs) generally underestimate the strength of the positive rank correlation between prestorm soil moisture and event runoff coefficients (i.e., the fraction of rainfall accumulation volume converted into stormflow runoff during a storm event). Underestimation is largest for LSMs employing an infiltration-excess approach for stormflow runoff generation. More accurate coupling strength is found in LSMs that explicitly represent subsurface stormflow or saturation-excess runoff generation processes.

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

Miller, William A; Railkar, Sudhir; Shiao, Ming C

Field studies in a hot, humid climate were conducted to investigate the thermal and hygrothermal performance of ventilated attics and non-ventilated semi-conditioned attics sealed with open-cell and with closed-cell spray polyurethane foam insulation. Moisture pin measurements made in the sheathing and absolute humidity sensor data from inside the foam and from the attic air show that moisture is being stored in the foam. The moisture in the foam diffuses to and from the sheathing dependent on the pressure gradient at the foam-sheathing interface which is driven by the irradiance and night-sky radiation. Ventilated attics in the same hot, humid climatemore » showed less moisture movement in the sheathing than those sealed with either open- or closed-cell spray foam. In the ventilated attics the relative humidity drops as the attic air warms; however, the opposite was observed in the sealed attics. Peaks in measured relative humidity in excess of 80 90% and occasionally near saturation (i.e., 100%) were observed from solar noon till about 8 PM on hot, humid days. The conditioned space of the test facility is heated and cooled by an air-to-air heat pump. Therefore the partial pressure of the indoor air during peak irradiance is almost always less than that observed in the sealed attics. Field data will be presented to bring to light the critical humidity control issues in sealed attics exposed to hot, humid climates.« less

A method for the imbibition and germination of wheat seeds in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, H. G.; Piastuch, W. C.; Sager, J. C. (Principal Investigator)

1999-01-01

A method was developed for the reliable germination in space of wheat seeds on porous tube nutrient delivery systems. Germination paper strips were loosely rolled into cylinders and two seeds inserted close to the outer edges of each cylinder. This configuration: 1) directed the emerging shoots upward and roots downward, 2) was efficient in wicking moisture from the porous tubes, and 3) provided open areas for oxygen diffusion. Cotton tufts were inserted into the bottom crevices of the cylinders to fix the seeds in a mid-level position and cylinders were then storable (indefinitely) prior to the preprogrammed (on-orbit) initiation of imbibition. This method extends both the upper and lower ends of acceptable moisture levels for successful seed germination, increasing the probability of success for spaceflight applications where moisture availability is more variable than on Earth.

The SMAP Level 4 Surface and Root-zone Soil Moisture (L4_SM) Product

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reichle, Rolf; Crow, Wade; Koster, Randal; Kimball, John

2010-01-01

The Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) mission is being developed by NASA for launch in 2013 as one of four first-tier missions recommended by the U.S. National Research Council Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space in 2007. The primary science objectives of SMAP are to enhance understanding of land surface controls on the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to determine their linkages. Moreover, the high resolution soil moisture mapping provided by SMAP has practical applications in weather and seasonal climate prediction, agriculture, human health, drought and flood decision support. In this paper we describe the assimilation of SMAP observations for the generation of the planned SMAP Level 4 Surface and Root-zone Soil Moisture (L4_SM) product. The SMAP mission makes simultaneous active (radar) and passive (radiometer) measurements in the 1.26-1.43 GHz range (L-band) from a sun-synchronous low-earth orbit. Measurements will be obtained across a 1000 km wide swath using conical scanning at a constant incidence angle (40 deg). The radar resolution varies from 1-3 km over the outer 70% of the swath to about 30 km near the center of the swath. The radiometer resolution is 40 km across the entire swath. The radiometer measurements will allow high-accuracy but coarse resolution (40 km) measurements. The radar measurements will add significantly higher resolution information. The radar is however very sensitive to surface roughness and vegetation structure. The combination of the two measurements allows optimal blending of the advantages of each instrument. SMAP directly observes only surface soil moisture (in the top 5 cm of the soil column). Several of the key applications targeted by SMAP, however, require knowledge of root zone soil moisture (approximately top 1 m of the soil column), which is not directly measured by SMAP. The foremost objective of the SMAP L4_SM product is to fill this gap and provide estimates of root zone soil moisture that are informed by and consistent with SMAP observations. Such estimates are obtained by merging SMAP observations with estimates from a land surface model in a soil moisture data assimilation system. The land surface model component of the assimilation system is driven with observations-based surface meteorological forcing data, including precipitation, which is the most important driver for soil moisture. The model also encapsulates knowledge of key land surface processes, including the vertical transfer of soil moisture between the surface and root zone reservoirs. Finally, the model interpolates and extrapolates SMAP observations in time and in space. The L4_SM product thus provides a comprehensive and consistent picture of land surface hydrological conditions based on SMAP observations and complementary information from a variety of sources. The assimilation algorithm considers the respective uncertainties of each component and yields a product that is superior to satellite or model data alone. Error estimates for the L4_SM product are generated as a by-product of the data assimilation system.

Estimation of Soil Moisture Profile using a Simple Hydrology Model and Passive Microwave Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soman, Vishwas V.; Crosson, William L.; Laymon, Charles; Tsegaye, Teferi

1998-01-01

Soil moisture is an important component of analysis in many Earth science disciplines. Soil moisture information can be obtained either by using microwave remote sensing or by using a hydrologic model. In this study, we combined these two approaches to increase the accuracy of profile soil moisture estimation. A hydrologic model was used to analyze the errors in the estimation of soil moisture using the data collected during Huntsville '96 microwave remote sensing experiment in Huntsville, Alabama. Root mean square errors (RMSE) in soil moisture estimation increase by 22% with increase in the model input interval from 6 hr to 12 hr for the grass-covered plot. RMSEs were reduced for given model time step by 20-50% when model soil moisture estimates were updated using remotely-sensed data. This methodology has a potential to be employed in soil moisture estimation using rainfall data collected by a space-borne sensor, such as the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, if remotely-sensed data are available to update the model estimates.

Fail-Safe Pressure Plug

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Svejkovsky, Paul A.

1993-01-01

Protective plug resists slowly built-up pressure or automatically releases itself if pressure rises suddenly. Seals out moisture at pressures ranging from 50 micrometers of mercury to 200 pounds per square inch. Designed to seal throat of 38 Reaction Control Thrusters on Space Shuttle protecting internal components from corrosion. Plug conforms to contour of nozzle throat, where O-ring forms pressure seal. After plug inserted, cover attached by use of cover-fitting assembly. Modified versions useful in protecting engines, pumps, reaction vessels, and other industrial equipment during shipment and maintenance.

[Some peculiar features of liquid supply to the root medium of plants growing in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podol'skii, I. G.; Sychev, V. N.; Levinskikh, M. A.; Strugov, O. M.; Bingham, G. E.; Salisbury, F. B. (Principal Investigator)

1998-01-01

Sixteen point probes monitored moisture level in the root medium of the wheat plants grown in greenhouse SVET on the MIR/NASA space science program. The article outlines types of water migration in the absence of gravity. Hydrophysical characteristics of perspective root media have been explored. Results of the water supply monitoring and control in the course of experiment are reported. The authors put forward porous root media to facilitate water migration and aeration.

Thermal-vacuum response of polymer matrix composites in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tennyson, R. C.; Matthews, R.

1993-01-01

This report describes a thermal-vacuum outgassing model and test protocol for predicting outgassing times and dimensional changes for polymer matrix composites. Experimental results derived from 'control' samples are used to provide the basis for analytical predictions to compare with the outgassing response of Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) flight samples. Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) data are also presented. In addition, an example is given illustrating the dimensional change of a 'zero' CTE laminate due to moisture outgassing.

Uncertainty Assessment of Space-Borne Passive Soil Moisture Retrievals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quets, Jan; De Lannoy, Gabrielle; Reichle, Rolf; Cosh, Michael; van der Schalie, Robin; Wigneron, Jean-Pierre

2017-01-01

The uncertainty associated with passive soil moisture retrieval is hard to quantify, and known to be underlain by various, diverse, and complex causes. Factors affecting space-borne retrieved soil moisture estimation include: (i) the optimization or inversion method applied to the radiative transfer model (RTM), such as e.g. the Single Channel Algorithm (SCA), or the Land Parameter Retrieval Model (LPRM), (ii) the selection of the observed brightness temperatures (Tbs), e.g. polarization and incidence angle, (iii) the definition of the cost function and the impact of prior information in it, and (iv) the RTM parameterization (e.g. parameterizations officially used by the SMOS L2 and SMAP L2 retrieval products, ECMWF-based SMOS assimilation product, SMAP L4 assimilation product, and perturbations from those configurations). This study aims at disentangling the relative importance of the above-mentioned sources of uncertainty, by carrying out soil moisture retrieval experiments, using SMOS Tb observations in different settings, of which some are mentioned above. The ensemble uncertainties are evaluated at 11 reference CalVal sites, over a time period of more than 5 years. These experimental retrievals were inter-compared, and further confronted with in situ soil moisture measurements and operational SMOS L2 retrievals, using commonly used skill metrics to quantify the temporal uncertainty in the retrievals.

Antifungal effect of essential oils on southern yellow pine

Treesearch

Vina W. Yang; Carol A. Clausen

2007-01-01

Moisture management remains the most critical factor for controlling mold growth on wood and wood products during storage, construction, and while in service. When moisture management practices fail to adequately control moisture, plant extracts demonstrating antifungal properties may provide protection for these applications. The objective of this study was to...

Observations of a two-layer soil moisture influence on surface energy dynamics and planetary boundary layer characteristics in a semiarid shrubland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Mejia, Zulia Mayari; Papuga, Shirley A.

2014-01-01

We present an observational analysis examining soil moisture control on surface energy dynamics and planetary boundary layer characteristics. Understanding soil moisture control on land-atmosphere interactions will become increasingly important as climate change continues to alter water availability. In this study, we analyzed 4 years of data from the Santa Rita Creosote Ameriflux site. We categorized our data independently in two ways: (1) wet or dry seasons and (2) one of the four cases within a two-layer soil moisture framework for the root zone based on the presence or absence of moisture in shallow (0-20 cm) and deep (20-60 cm) soil layers. Using these categorizations, we quantified the soil moisture control on surface energy dynamics and planetary boundary layer characteristics using both average responses and linear regression. Our results highlight the importance of deep soil moisture in land-atmosphere interactions. The presence of deep soil moisture decreased albedo by about 10%, and significant differences were observed in evaporative fraction even in the absence of shallow moisture. The planetary boundary layer height (PBLh) was largest when the whole soil profile was dry, decreasing by about 1 km when the whole profile was wet. Even when shallow moisture was absent but deep moisture was present the PBLh was significantly lower than when the entire profile was dry. The importance of deep moisture is likely site-specific and modulated through vegetation. Therefore, understanding these relationships also provides important insights into feedbacks between vegetation and the hydrologic cycle and their consequent influence on the climate system.

FOSTERING APPLICATIONS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NASA SOIL MOISTURE ACTIVE PASSIVE (SMAP) MISSION

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission is one of the first Earth observation satellites being developed by NASA in response to the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Decadal Survey, Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond. SMAP will ma...

Moisture-barrier performance of ground covers in basementless homes

Treesearch

Jesse D. Diller

1958-01-01

The use of ground covers in crawl-space under houses is now widely accepted by builders, maintenance men, and home owners. Such covers are practical for reducing decay in subfloor timbers. They also effectively prevent soil moisture from moving upward into the house, and thus aid in preventing swelling and buckling of floors.

An assessment of the differences between spatial resolution and grid size for the SMAP enhanced soil moisture product over homogeneous sites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Satellite-based passive microwave remote sensing typically involves a scanning antenna that makes measurements at irregularly spaced locations. These locations can change on a day to day basis. Soil moisture products derived from satellite-based passive microwave remote sensing are usually resampled...

Multispectral Passive Microwave Correlations with an Antecedent Precipitation Index Using the Nimbus 7 SMMR.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-08-01

M.D. Smallwood , 1981: An evaluation of the spatial resolution of soil moisture information. NASA CR-166724, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD...Thesis, Dept of Meteor- ology, Univ. of Okla., Norman , 59 pp. Theis, S.W., 1979: Surface soil moisture estimation with the Electri- cally Scanning

Cryogenic Moisture Uptake in Foam Insulation for Space Launch Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fesmire, James E.; ScholtensCoffman, Brekke E.; Sass, Jared P.; Williams, Martha K.; Smith, Trent M.; Meneghelli, Barrry J.

2008-01-01

Rigid polyurethane foams and rigid polyisocyanurate foams (spray-on foam insulation), like those flown on Shuttle, Delta IV, and will be flown on Ares-I and Ares-V, can gain an extraordinary amount of water when under cryogenic conditions for several hours. These foams, when exposed for eight hours to launch pad environments on one side and cryogenic temperature on the other, increase their weight from 35 to 80 percent depending on the duration of weathering or aging. This effect translates into several thousand pounds of additional weight for space vehicles at lift-off. A new cryogenic moisture uptake apparatus was designed to determine the amount of water/ice taken into the specimen under actual-use propellant loading conditions. This experimental study included the measurement of the amount of moisture uptake within different foam materials. Results of testing using both aged specimens and weathered specimens are presented. To better understand cryogenic foam insulation performance, cryogenic moisture testing is shown to be essential. The implications for future launch vehicle thermal protection system design and flight performance are discussed.

Neutron Scattering Studies of Nano-Scale Wood-Water Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaza Rodriguez, Nayomi Z.

Understanding and controlling water in wood is critical to both improving forest products moisture durability and developing new sustainable forest products-based technologies. While wood is known to be hygroscopic, there is still a lack of understanding on the nanoscale wood-water interactions necessary for increased moisture-durability and dimensional stability. My PhD thesis focuses on the development and implementation of neutron scattering methods that can provide insight on both the structural and dynamical changes associated with these interactions so that products with improved moisture durability can be developed efficiently. Using small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and a custom-built in situ relative humidity chamber I studied the anisotropic moisture-induced swelling of wood nanostructure. First, I studied the effects of sample preparation by comparing SANS patterns of wiley milled wood and intact latewood cell walls, and found that scattering from intact wood provide more information about the spatial arrangement of the wood nanostructures inside the cell wall. Comparisons between SANS patterns from earlywood and latewood, also showed that the higher cell wall density of latewood cell walls results in patterns with more pronounced anisotropic features. Then, by measuring latewood loblolly pine sections obtained from the same growth ring and prepared in each of the primary wood planes, I tracked the cellulose elementary fibril spacing as a function of humidity in both intact and partially cut cell walls. These studies showed that even though swelling at the elementary fibril spacing is responsible for the majority of the transverse swelling observed at the S2 level, it is not primary plane dependent. Additionally, there were no differences in the elementary fibril spacing between partially-cut and intact cell walls, except at high humidity where the spacing in partially-cut cells was higher. SANS was also used to study the effects of two chemical modifications, namely, adhesive infiltration and acetylation, on the wood nanostructure as well as its moisture-induced swelling. Tangential-longitudinal latewood loblolly pine 0.5 mm thick sections were acetylated or treated with an adhesive (Phenol-formaldehyde (PF) or polymeric methylene diisocyanate (pMDI)) using deuterated or hydrogenated chemicals. Contrast variation experiments on wood modified with deuterated chemicals revealed that PF can infiltrate the regions between the elementary fibrils, while acetylation does not. The moisture-induced swelling of the chemically modified wood was studied, by studying the samples modified with hydrogenated chemicals using SANS and the previously built humidity chamber. These studies revealed that while both PF and pMDI can infiltrate the microfibrils, only PF reduced significantly the swelling at both the elementary fibril and bulk levels. In acetylated samples, the elementary fibril spacing was proportional to the moisture-content of the sample, which was reduced with increasing acetylation. This suggested that the acetylation treatment did not reduce the swelling at the elementary fibril but prevented water from entering the microfibril by modifying the regions surrounding the elementary fibrils. Using quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) and a custom-built in situ relative humidity sample environment I measured experimentally the (5 - 400 ps) water dynamics inside wood cell walls for the first time and found that there are two types of bound water in the cell wall, namely, slow and fast water. The motion of both water types is well described by a jump-diffusion model, which corresponds to water molecules whose movement follows a stop and go process. Here, the slow water corresponds to water molecules that are highly associated to the wood polymers, whereas the fast water corresponds to water confined inside nanopores within the wood cell wall.

Unsaturated soil moisture drying and wetting diffusion coefficient measurements in the laboratory.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

ABSTRACTTransient moisture flow in an unsaturated soil in response to suction changes is controlled by the unsaturated moisture diffusion coefficient. The moisture diffusion coefficient can be determined by measuring suction profiles over time. The l...

Assessing topographic patterns in moisture use and stress using a water balance approach

Treesearch

James M. Dyer

2009-01-01

Through its control on soil moisture patterns, topography's role in influencing forest composition is widely recognized. This study addresses shortcomings in traditional moisture indices by employing a water balance approach, incorporating topographic and edaphic variability to assess fine-scale moisture demand and moisture availability. Using GIS and readily...

Coal thickness guage using RRAS techniques, parts 2 and 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, J. D.; Rollwitz, W. L.

1980-01-01

Electron magnetic resonance was investigated as a sensing technique for use in measuring the thickness of the layer of coal overlying the rock substrate. The goal is development of a thickness gauge which will be usable for control of mining machinery to maintain the coal thickness within selected bounds. A sensor must be noncontracting, have a measurement range of 6 inches or more, and an accuracy of 1/2 inch or better. The sensor should be insensitive to variations in spacing between the sensor and the surface, the response speed should be adequate to permit use on continuous mining equipment, and the device should be rugged and otherwise suited for operation under conditions of high vibration, moisture, and dust. Finally, the sensor measurement must not be adversely affected by the natural effects occurring in coal such as impurities, voids, cracks, layering, high moisture level, and other conditions that are likely to be encountered.

Plant Growth During the Greenhouse II Experiment on the MIR Orbital Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salisbury, F. B.; Campbell, W. F.; Carman, J. G.; Bingham, G. E.; Bubenheim, D. L.; Yendler, B.; Sytchev, V.; Levinskikh, M. A.; Ivanova, I.; Chernova, L.;

The hydrodynamics of plant spacing distance: Optimizing consumptive and non-consumptive water use in water-limited environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trautz, A.; Illangasekare, T. H.; Rodriguez-Iturbe, I.; Howington, S. E.

2017-12-01

The availability of soil moisture in water-stressed environments is one of the primary factors controlling plant performance and overall plant community productivity and structure. The minimization of non-consumptive water loss, or water not utilized by plants (i.e. consumptive use), to bare soil evaporation is a key plant survival strategy and important agricultural consideration. Competitive (negative) and facilitative (positive) interactions between individual plants play a pivotal role in controlling the local coupled soil-plant-atmosphere hydrodynamics that affect both consumptive and non-consumptive water use. The strength of these two types of interactions vary with spacing distance between individuals. In a recent PNAS publication, we hypothesized that there exists a quantifiable spacing distance between plants that optimizes the balance between competition and facilitation, and hence maximizes water conservation. This study expands upon on our previous work, for which only a subset of the data generated was used, through the development and testing of a numerical model that can test a conceptual model we presented. The model simulates soil-plant-atmosphere continuum heat and mass transfer hydrodynamics, taking into account the complex feedbacks that exist between the near-surface atmosphere, subsurface, and plants. This model has been developed to explore the combined effects of subsurface competition and micro-climatic amelioration (i.e., facilitation) on local soil moisture redistribution and fluxes in the context of water-stressed environments that experienced sustained winds. We believe the results have the potential to provide new insights into climatological, ecohydrological, and hydrological problems pertaining to: the extensively used and much debated stress-gradient hypothesis, plant community population self-organization, agricultural best practices (e.g., water management), and spatial heterogeneity of land-atmosphere fluxes.

Impact of the initial specification of moisture and vertical motion on precipitation forecasts with a mesoscale model Implications for a satellite mesoscale data base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mlynczak, Pamela E.; Houghton, David D.; Diak, George R.

1986-01-01

Using a numerical mesoscale model, four simulations were performed to determine the effects of suppressing the initial mesoscale information in the moisture and wind fields on the precipitation forecasts. The simulations included a control forecast 12-h simulation that began at 1200 GMT March 1982 and three experiment simulations with modifications to the moisture and vertical motion fields incorporated at 1800 GMT. The forecasts from 1800 GMT were compared to the second half of the control forecast. It was found that, compared to the control forecast, suppression of the moisture and/or wind initial field(s) produces a drier forecast. However, the characteristics of the precipitation forecasts of the experiments were not different enough to conclude that either mesoscale moisture or mesoscale vertical velocity at the initial time are more important for producing a forecast closer to that of the control.

Interactions Between Structure and Processing that Control Moisture Uptake in High-Performance Polycyanurates (Briefing Charts)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-24

distribution is unlimited.  . Interactions Between Structure and Processing that Control Moisture Uptake in High-Performance Polycyanurates Presenter: Dr...Edwards AFB, CA 4 California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840 2 Outline: Basic Studies of Moisture Uptake in Cyanate Ester Networks • Background...Motivation • SOTA Theories of Moisture Uptake in Thermosetting Networks • New Tools and New Discoveries • Unresolved Issues and Ways to Address Them

Innovative Retrofit Insulation Strategies for Concrete Masonry Foundations

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

Huelman, P.; Goldberg, L.; Jacobson, R.

This study was designed to test a new approach for foundation insulation retrofits, with the goal of demonstrating improved moisture control, improved occupant comfort, and reduced heat loss. Because conducting experimental research on existing below-grade assemblies is very difficult, most of the results are based on simulations. The retrofit approach consists of filling open concrete block cores with an insulating material and adding R-10 exterior insulation that extends 1 ft below grade. The core fill is designed to improve the R-value of the foundation wall and increase the interior wall surface temperature, but more importantly to block convection currents thatmore » could otherwise increase moisture loads on the foundation wall and interior space. The exterior insulation significantly reduces heat loss through the most exposed part of the foundation and further increases the interior wall surface temperature. This improves occupant comfort and decreases the risk of condensation. Such an insulation package avoids the full-depth excavation necessary for exterior insulation retrofits, reduces costs, and eliminates the moisture and indoor air quality risks associated with interior insulation retrofits. Retrofit costs for the proposed approach were estimated at roughly half those of a full-depth exterior insulation retrofit.« less

Soil moisture gradients and controls on a southern Appalachian hillslope from drought through recharge

Treesearch

J.A. Yeakley; W.T. Swank; L.W. Swift; G.M. Hornberger; H.H. Shugart

1998-01-01

Soil moisture gradients along hillslopes in humid watersheds, although indicated by vegetation gradients and by studies using models, have been difficult to confirm empirically. While soil properties and topographic features are the two general physiographic factors controlling soil moisture on hillslopes, studies have shown conflicting results regarding which factor...

Developing a model for moisture in saltcake waste tanks: Progress report

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

Simmons, C.S.; Aimo, N.; Fayer, M.J.

1997-07-01

This report describes a modeling effort to provide a computer simulation capability for estimating the distribution and movement of moisture in the saltcake-type waste contained in Hanford`s single-shell radioactive waste storage tanks. This moisture model goes beyond an earlier version because it describes water vapor movement as well as the interstitial liquid held in a saltcake waste. The work was performed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to assist Duke Engineering and Services Hanford with the Organic Tank Safety Program. The Organic Tank Safety Program is concerned whether saltcake waste, when stabilized by jet pumping, will retain sufficient moisture near themore » surface to preclude any possibility of an accidental ignition and propagation of burning. The nitrate/nitrite saltcake, which might also potentially include combustible organic chemicals might not always retain enough moisture near the surface to preclude any such accident. Draining liquid from a tank by pumping, coupled with moisture evaporating into a tank`s head space, may cause a dry waste surface that is not inherently safe. The moisture model was devised to help examine this safety question. The model accounts for water being continually cycled by evaporation into the head space and returned to the waste by condensation or partly lost through venting to the external atmosphere. Water evaporation occurs even in a closed tank, because it is driven by the transfer to the outside of the heat load generated by radioactivity within the waste. How dry a waste may become over time depends on the particular hydraulic properties of a saltcake, and the model uses those properties to describe the capillary flow of interstitial liquid as well as the water vapor flow caused by thermal differences within the porous waste.« less

A new methodology for determination of macroscopic transport parameters in drying porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attari Moghaddam, A.; Kharaghani, A.; Tsotsas, E.; Prat, M.

2015-12-01

Two main approaches have been used to model the drying process: The first approach considers the partially saturated porous medium as a continuum and partial differential equations are used to describe the mass, momentum and energy balances of the fluid phases. The continuum-scale models (CM) obtained by this approach involve constitutive laws which require effective material properties, such as the diffusivity, permeability, and thermal conductivity which are often determined by experiments. The second approach considers the material at the pore scale, where the void space is represented by a network of pores (PN). Micro- or nanofluidics models used in each pore give rise to a large system of ordinary differential equations with degrees of freedom at each node of the pore network. In this work, the moisture transport coefficient (D), the pseudo desorption isotherm inside the network and at the evaporative surface are estimated from the post-processing of the three-dimensional pore network drying simulations for fifteen realizations of the pore space geometry from a given probability distribution. A slice sampling method is used in order to extract these parameters from PN simulations. The moisture transport coefficient obtained in this way is shown in Fig. 1a. The minimum of average D values demonstrates the transition between liquid dominated moisture transport region and vapor dominated moisture transport region; a similar behavior has been observed in previous experimental findings. A function is fitted to the average D values and then is fed into the non-linear moisture diffusion equation. The saturation profiles obtained from PN and CM simulations are shown in Fig. 1b. Figure 1: (a) extracted moisture transport coefficient during drying for fifteen realizations of the pore network, (b) average moisture profiles during drying obtained from PN and CM simulations.

Relation Between the Rainfall and Soil Moisture During Different Phases of Indian Monsoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varikoden, Hamza; Revadekar, J. V.

2018-03-01

Soil moisture is a key parameter in the prediction of southwest monsoon rainfall, hydrological modelling, and many other environmental studies. The studies on relationship between the soil moisture and rainfall in the Indian subcontinent are very limited; hence, the present study focuses the association between rainfall and soil moisture during different monsoon seasons. The soil moisture data used for this study are the ESA (European Space Agency) merged product derived from four passive and two active microwave sensors spanning over the period 1979-2013. The rainfall data used are India Meteorological Department gridded daily data. Both of these data sets are having a spatial resolution of 0.25° latitude-longitude grid. The study revealed that the soil moisture is higher during the southwest monsoon period similar to rainfall and during the pre-monsoon period, the soil moisture is lower. The annual cycle of both the soil moisture and rainfall has the similitude of monomodal variation with a peak during the month of August. The interannual variability of soil moisture and rainfall shows that they are linearly related with each other, even though they are not matched exactly for individual years. The study of extremes also exhibits the surplus amount of soil moisture during wet monsoon years and also the regions of surplus soil moisture are well coherent with the areas of high rainfall.

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Media Briefing

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-09

Dara Entekhabi, SMAP science team lead, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, center, speaks during a briefing about the upcoming launch of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, Thursday, Jan. 08, 2015, at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. The mission is scheduled for a Jan. 29 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and will provide the most accurate, highest-resolution global measurements of soil moisture ever obtained from space. The data will be used to enhance scientists' understanding of the processes that link Earth's water, energy and carbon cycles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Media Briefing

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-09

Dara Entekhabi, SMAP science team lead, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, speaks during a briefing about the upcoming launch of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, Thursday, Jan. 08, 2015, at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. The mission is scheduled for a Jan. 29 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and will provide the most accurate, highest-resolution global measurements of soil moisture ever obtained from space. The data will be used to enhance scientists' understanding of the processes that link Earth's water, energy and carbon cycles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Innovative Retrofit Insulation Strategies for Concrete Masonry Foundations

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

Huelman, P.; Goldberg, L.; Jacobson, R.

Basements in climates 6 and 7 can account for a fraction of a home's total heat loss when fully conditioned. Such foundations are a source of moisture, with convection in open block cavities redistributing water from the wall base, usually when heating. Even when block cavities are capped, the cold foundation concrete can act as a moisture source for wood rim joist components that are in contact with it. Because below-grade basements are increasingly used for habitable space, cold foundation walls pose challenges for moisture contribution, energy use, and occupant comfort.

Attic and crawlspace ventilation : implications for homes located in the urban-wildland interface

Treesearch

Stephen L. Quarles; Anton TenWolde

2004-01-01

Roof (attic and cathedral ceiling) and crawlspace ventilation has commonly been used as a moisture management tool to minimize performance problems associated with excessive moisture accumulation in these spaces. However, for homes located in the urban wildland interface, roof vents in particular provide an entry point into the attic for flame and burning embers....

A quasi-global approach to improve day-time satellite surface soil moisture anomalies through land surface temperature input

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Passive microwave observations from various space borne sensors have been linked to soil moisture of the Earth’s surface layer. The new generation passive microwave sensors are dedicated to retrieving this variable and make observations in the single, theoretically optimal L-band frequency (1-2 GHz)...

The microcomputer scientific software series 8: the SYCOOR users manual.

Treesearch

Edgar E. Gutierrez-Espeleta; Gary J. Brand

1993-01-01

Describes how to use SYCOOR, an interactive Macintosh program written in BASIC for computing and adjusting synecological coordinates. Site synecological coordinates are indices of moisture, nutrients, heat, and light computed from lists of plant species present at the site. Graphs of a species` distribution in moisture-nutrient and heat-light space are also displayed...

Evaluating Land-Atmosphere Interactions with the North American Soil Moisture Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giles, S. M.; Quiring, S. M.; Ford, T.; Chavez, N.; Galvan, J.

2015-12-01

The North American Soil Moisture Database (NASMD) is a high-quality observational soil moisture database that was developed to study land-atmosphere interactions. It includes over 1,800 monitoring stations the United States, Canada and Mexico. Soil moisture data are collected from multiple sources, quality controlled and integrated into an online database (soilmoisture.tamu.edu). The period of record varies substantially and only a few of these stations have an observation record extending back into the 1990s. Daily soil moisture observations have been quality controlled using the North American Soil Moisture Database QAQC algorithm. The database is designed to facilitate observationally-driven investigations of land-atmosphere interactions, validation of the accuracy of soil moisture simulations in global land surface models, satellite calibration/validation for SMOS and SMAP, and an improved understanding of how soil moisture influences climate on seasonal to interannual timescales. This paper provides some examples of how the NASMD has been utilized to enhance understanding of land-atmosphere interactions in the U.S. Great Plains.

Moisture and shelf life in sugar confections.

PubMed

Ergun, R; Lietha, R; Hartel, R W

2010-02-01

From hardening of marshmallow to graining of hard candies, moisture plays a critical role in determining the quality and shelf life of sugar-based confections. Water is important during the manufacturing of confections, is an important factor in governing texture, and is often the limiting parameter during storage that controls shelf life. Thus, an understanding of water relations in confections is critical to controlling quality. Water content, which is controlled during candy manufacturing through an understanding of boiling point elevation, is one of the most important parameters that governs the texture of candies. For example, the texture of caramel progresses from soft and runny to hard and brittle as the moisture content decreases. However, knowledge of water content by itself is insufficient to controlling stability and shelf life. Understanding water activity, or the ratio of vapor pressures, is necessary to control shelf life. A difference in water activity, either between candy and air or between two domains within the candy, is the driving force for moisture migration in confections. When the difference in water activity is large, moisture migration is rapid, although the rate of moisture migration depends on the nature of resistances to water diffusion. Barrier packaging films protect the candy from air whereas edible films inhibit moisture migration between different moisture domains within a confection. More recently, the concept of glass transition, or the polymer science approach, has supplemented water activity as a critical parameter related to candy stability. Confections with low moisture content, such as hard candy, cotton candy, and some caramels and toffees, may contain sugars in the amorphous or glassy state. As long as these products remain below their glass transition temperature, they remain stable for very long times. However, certain glassy sugars tend to be hygroscopic, rapidly picking up moisture from the air, which causes significant changes that lead to the end of shelf life. These products need to be protected from moisture uptake during storage. This review summarizes the concepts of water content, water activity, and glass transition and documents their importance to quality and shelf life of confections.

The Australian National Airborne Field Experiment 2005: Soil Moisture Remote Sensing at 60 Meter Resolution and Up

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, E. J.; Walker, J. P.; Panciera, R.; Kalma, J. D.

2006-01-01

Spatially-distributed soil moisture observations have applications spanning a wide range of spatial resolutions from the very local needs of individual farmers to the progressively larger areas of interest to weather forecasters, water resource managers, and global climate modelers. To date, the most promising approach for space-based remote sensing of soil moisture makes use of passive microwave emission radiometers at L-band frequencies (1-2 GHz). Several soil moisture-sensing satellites have been proposed in recent years, with the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission scheduled to be launched first in a couple years. While such a microwave-based approach has the advantage of essentially allweather operation, satellite size limits spatial resolution to 10's of km. Whether used at this native resolution or in conjunction with some type of downscaling technique to generate soil moisture estimates on a finer-scale grid, the effects of subpixel spatial variability play a critical role. The soil moisture variability is typically affected by factors such as vegetation, topography, surface roughness, and soil texture. Understanding and these factors is the key to achieving accurate soil moisture retrievals at any scale. Indeed, the ability to compensate for these factors ultimately limits the achievable spatial resolution and/or accuracy of the retrieval. Over the last 20 years, a series of airborne campaigns in the USA have supported the development of algorithms for spaceborne soil moisture retrieval. The most important observations involved imagery from passive microwave radiometers. The early campaigns proved that the retrieval worked for larger and larger footprints, up to satellite-scale footprints. These provided the solid basis for proposing the satellite missions. More recent campaigns have explored other aspects such as retrieval performance through greater amounts of vegetation. All of these campaigns featured extensive ground truth collection over a range of grid spacings, to provide a basis for examining the effects of subpixel variability. However, the native footprint size of the airborne L-band radiometers was always a few hundred meters. During the recently completed (November, 2005) National Airborne Field Experiment (NAFE) campaign in Australia, a compact L-band radiometer was deployed on a small aircraft. This new combination permitted routine observations at native resolutions as high as 60 meters, substantially finer than in previous airborne soil moisture campaigns, as well as satellite footprint areal coverage. The radiometer, the Polarimetric L-band Microwave Radiometer (PLMR) performed extremely well and operations included extensive calibration-related observations. Thus, along with the extensive fine-scale ground truth, the NAFE dataset includes all the ingredients for the first scaling studies involving very-high-native resolution soil moisture observations and the effects of vegetation, roughness, etc. A brief overview of the NAFE will be presented, then examples of the airborne observations with resolutions from 60 m to 1 km will be shown, and early results from scaling studies will be discussed.

Influence of quality control variables on failure of graphite/epoxy under extreme moisture conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clements, L. L.; Lee, P. R.

1980-01-01

Tension tests on graphite/epoxy composites were performed to determine the influence of various quality control variables on failure strength as a function of moisture and moderate temperatures. The extremely high and low moisture contents investigated were found to have less effect upon properties than did temperature or the quality control variables of specimen flaws and prepreg batch to batch variations. In particular, specimen flaws were found to drastically reduce the predicted strength of the composite, whereas specimens from different batches of prepreg displayed differences in strength as a function of temperature and extreme moisture exposure. The findings illustrate the need for careful specimen preparation, studies of flaw sensitivity, and careful quality control in any study of composite materials.

Thermal management of advanced fuel cell power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanderborgh, N. E.; Hedstrom, J.; Huff, J.

1990-01-01

It is shown that fuel cell devices are particularly attractive for the high-efficiency, high-reliability space hardware necessary to support upcoming space missions. These low-temperature hydrogen-oxygen systems necessarily operate with two-phase water. In either PEMFCs (proton exchange membrane fuel cells) or AFCs (alkaline fuel cells), engineering design must be critically focused on both stack temperature control and on the relative humidity control necessary to sustain appropriate conductivity within the ionic conductor. Water must also be removed promptly from the hardware. Present designs for AFC space hardware accomplish thermal management through two coupled cooling loops, both driven by a heat transfer fluid, and involve a recirculation fan to remove water and heat from the stack. There appears to be a certain advantage in using product water for these purposes within PEM hardware, because in that case a single fluid can serve both to control stack temperature, operating simultaneously as a heat transfer medium and through evaporation, and to provide the gas-phase moisture levels necessary to set the ionic conductor at appropriate performance levels. Moreover, the humidification cooling process automatically follows current loads. This design may remove the necessity for recirculation gas fans, thus demonstrating the long-term reliability essential for future space power hardware.

Why is SMOS Drier than the South Fork In-situ Soil Moisture Network?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, V. A.; Hornbuckle, B. K.; Cosh, M. H.

2014-12-01

Global maps of near-surface soil moisture are currently being produced by the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite mission at 40 km. Within the next few months NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite mission will begin producing observations of near-surface soil moisture at 10 km. Near-surface soil moisture is the water content of the first 3 to 5 cm of the soil. Observations of near-surface soil moisture are expected to improve weather and climate forecasts. These satellite observations must be validated. We define validation as determining the space/time statistical characteristics of the uncertainty. A standard that has been used for satellite validation is in-situ measurements of near-surface soil moisture made with a network of sensors spanning the extent of a satellite footprint. Such a network of sensors has been established in the South Fork of the Iowa River in Central Iowa by the USDA ARS. Our analysis of data in 2013 indicates that SMOS has a dry bias: SMOS near-surface soil moisture is between 0.05 to 0.10 m^3m^{-3} lower than what is observed by the South Fork network. A dry bias in SMOS observations has also been observed in other regions of North America. There are many possible explanations for this difference: underestimation of vegetation, or soil surface roughness; undetected radio frequency interference (RFI); a retrieval model that is not appropriate for agricultural areas; or the use of an incorrect surface temperature in the retrieval process. We will begin our investigation by testing this last possibility: that SMOS is using a surface temperature that is too low which results in a drier soil moisture that compensates for this error. We will present a comparison of surface temperatures from the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) used to retrieve near-surface soil moisture from SMOS measurements of brightness temperature, and surface temperatures in the South Fork obtained from both tower and in-situ sensors. We will also use a long-term data set of tower and in-situ sensors collected in agricultural fields to develop a relationship between air temperature and the surface temperature relevant to the terrestrial microwave emission that is detected by SMOS.

Effect of soil moisture on diurnal convection and precipitation in Large-Eddy Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cioni, Guido; Hohenegger, Cathy

2017-04-01

Soil moisture and convective precipitation are generally thought to be strongly coupled, although limitations in the modeling set-up of past studies due to coarse resolutions, and thus poorly resolved convective processes, have prevented a trustful determination of the strength and sign of this coupling. In this work the soil moisture-precipitation feedback is investigated by means of high-resolution simulations where convection is explicitly resolved. To that aim we use the LES (Large Eddy Simulation) version of the ICON model with a grid spacing of 250 m, coupled to the TERRA-ML soil model. We use homogeneous initial soil moisture conditions and focus on the precipitation response to increase/decrease of the initial soil moisture for various atmospheric profiles. The experimental framework proposed by Findell and Eltahir (2003) is revisited by using the same atmospheric soundings as initial condition but allowing a full interaction of the atmosphere with the land-surface over a complete diurnal cycle. In agreement with Findell and Eltahir (2003) the triggering of convection can be favoured over dry soils or over wet soils depending on the initial atmospheric sounding. However, total accumulated precipitation is found to always decrease over dry soils regardless of the employed sounding, thus highlighting a positive soil moisture-precipitation feedback (more rain over wetter soils) for the considered cases. To understand these differences and to infer under which conditions a negative feedback may occur, the total accumulated precipitation is split into its magnitude and duration component. While the latter can exhibit a dry soil advantage, the precipitation magnitude strongly correlates with the surface latent heat flux and thus always exhibits a wet soil advantage. The dependency is so strong that changes in duration cannot offset it. This simple argument shows that, in our idealised setup, a negative feedback is unlikely to be observed. The effects of other factors on the soil moisture-precipitation coupling, namely cloud radiative effects, large-scale forcing, winds, and plants are investigated by conducting further sensitivity experiments. All the experiments support a positive soil moisture-precipitation feedback. References: -Findell, K. L., and E. A. Eltahir, 2003: Atmospheric controls on soil moisture-boundary layer interactions. part I: Framework development. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 4 (3), 552-569.

Parameterization of L-, C- and X-band Radiometer-based Soil Moisture Retrieval Algorithm Using In-situ Validation Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Y.; Colliander, A.; Burgin, M. S.; Walker, J. P.; Chae, C. S.; Dinnat, E.; Cosh, M. H.; Caldwell, T. G.

2017-12-01

Passive microwave remote sensing has become an important technique for global soil moisture estimation over the past three decades. A number of missions carrying sensors at different frequencies that are capable for soil moisture retrieval have been launched. Among them, there are Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA's) Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E) launched in May 2002 on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aqua satellite (ceased operation in October 2011), European Space Agency's (ESA's) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission launched in November 2009, JAXA's Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) onboard the GCOM-W satellite launched in May 2012, and NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission launched in January 2015. Therefore, there is an opportunity to develop a consistent inter-calibrated long-term soil moisture data record based on the availability of these four missions. This study focuses on the parametrization of the tau-omega model at L-, C- and X-band using the brightness temperature (TB) observations from the four missions and the in-situ soil moisture and soil temperature data from core validation sites across various landcover types. The same ancillary data sets as the SMAP baseline algorithm are applied for retrieval at different frequencies. Preliminary comparison of SMAP and AMSR2 TB observations against forward-simulated TB at the Yanco site in Australia showed a generally good agreement with each other and higher correlation for the vertical polarization (R=0.96 for L-band and 0.93 for C- and X-band). Simultaneous calibrations of the vegetation parameter b and roughness parameter h at both horizontal and vertical polarizations are also performed. Finally, a set of model parameters for successfully retrieving soil moisture at different validation sites at L-, C- and X-band respectively are presented. The research described in this paper is supported by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

Assessing five evolving microbial enzyme models against field measurements from a semiarid savannah—What are the mechanisms of soil respiration pulses?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xia; Niu, Guo-Yue; Elshall, Ahmed S.; Ye, Ming; Barron-Gafford, Greg A.; Pavao-Zuckerman, Mitch

2014-09-01

Soil microbial respiration pulses in response to episodic rainfall pulses (the "Birch effect") are poorly understood. We developed and assessed five evolving microbial enzyme models against field measurements from a semiarid savannah characterized by pulsed precipitation to understand the mechanisms to generate the Birch pulses. The five models evolve from an existing four-carbon (C) pool model to models with additional C pools and explicit representations of soil moisture controls on C degradation and microbial uptake rates. Assessing the models using techniques of model selection and model averaging suggests that models with additional C pools for accumulation of degraded C in the dry zone of the soil pore space result in a higher probability of reproducing the observed Birch pulses. Degraded C accumulated in dry soil pores during dry periods becomes immediately accessible to microbes in response to rainstorms, providing a major mechanism to generate respiration pulses. Explicitly representing the transition of degraded C and enzymes between dry and wet soil pores in response to soil moisture changes and soil moisture controls on C degradation and microbial uptake rates improve the models' efficiency and robustness in simulating the Birch effect. Assuming that enzymes in the dry soil pores facilitate degradation of complex C during dry periods (though at a lower rate) results in a greater accumulation of degraded C and thus further improves the models' performance. However, the actual mechanism inducing the greater accumulation of labile C needs further experimental studies.

Estimating Surface Soil Moisture in Simulated AVIRIS Spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whiting, Michael L.; Li, Lin; Ustin, Susan L.

2004-01-01

Soil albedo is influenced by many physical and chemical constituents, with moisture being the most influential on the spectra general shape and albedo (Stoner and Baumgardner, 1981). Without moisture, the intrinsic or matrix reflectance of dissimilar soils varies widely due to differences in surface roughness, particle and aggregate sizes, mineral types, including salts, and organic matter contents. The influence of moisture on soil reflectance can be isolated by comparing similar soils in a study of the effects that small differences in moisture content have on reflectance. However, without prior knowledge of the soil physical and chemical constituents within every pixel, it is nearly impossible to accurately attribute the reflectance variability in an image to moisture or to differences in the physical and chemical constituents in the soil. The effect of moisture on the spectra must be eliminated to use hyperspectral imagery for determining minerals and organic matter abundances of bare agricultural soils. Accurate soil mineral and organic matter abundance maps from air- and space-borne imagery can improve GIS models for precision farming prescription, and managing irrigation and salinity. Better models of soil moisture and reflectance will also improve the selection of soil endmembers for spectral mixture analysis.

Enhancement of the Automated Quality Control Procedures for the International Soil Moisture Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heer, Elsa; Xaver, Angelika; Dorigo, Wouter; Messner, Romina

2017-04-01

In-situ soil moisture observations are still trusted to be the most reliable data to validate remotely sensed soil moisture products. Thus, the quality of in-situ soil moisture observations is of high importance. The International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN; http://ismn.geo.tuwien.ac.at/) provides in-situ soil moisture data from all around the world. The data is collected from individual networks and data providers, measured by different sensors in various depths. The data sets which are delivered in different units, time zones and data formats are then transformed into homogeneous data sets. An erroneous behavior of soil moisture data is very difficult to detect, due to annual and daily changes and most significantly the high influence of precipitation and snow melting processes. Only few of the network providers have a quality assessment for their data sets. Therefore, advanced quality control procedures have been developed for the ISMN (Dorigo et al. 2013). Three categories of quality checks were introduced: exceeding boundary values, geophysical consistency checks and a spectrum based approach. The spectrum based quality control algorithms aim to detect erroneous measurements which occur within plausible geophysical ranges, e.g. a sudden drop in soil moisture caused by a sensor malfunction. By defining several conditions which have to be met by the original soil moisture time series and their first and second derivative, such error types can be detected. Since the development of these sophisticated methods many more data providers shared their data with the ISMN and new types of erroneous measurements were identified. Thus, an enhancement of the automated quality control procedures became necessary. In the present work, we introduce enhancements of the existing quality control algorithms. Additionally, six completely new quality checks have been developed, e.g. detection of suspicious values before or after NAN-values, constant values and values that lie in a spectrum where a high majority of values before and after is flagged and therefore a sensor malfunction is certain. For the evaluation of the enhanced automated quality control system many test data sets were chosen, and manually validated to be compared to the existing quality control procedures and the new algorithms. Improvements will be shown that assure an appropriate assessment of the ISMN data sets, which are used for validations of soil moisture data retrieved by satellite data and are the foundation many other scientific publications.

Improvements in and actual performance of the Plant Experiment Unit onboard Kibo, the Japanese experiment module on the international space station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yano, Sachiko; Kasahara, Haruo; Masuda, Daisuke; Tanigaki, Fumiaki; Shimazu, Toru; Suzuki, Hiromi; Karahara, Ichirou; Soga, Kouichi; Hoson, Takayuki; Tayama, Ichiro; Tsuchiya, Yoshikazu; Kamisaka, Seiichiro

2013-03-01

In 2004, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency developed the engineered model of the Plant Experiment Unit and the Cell Biology Experiment Facility. The Plant Experiment Unit was designed to be installed in the Cell Biology Experiment Facility and to support the seed-to-seed life cycle experiment of Arabidopsis plants in space in the project named Space Seed. Ground-based experiments to test the Plant Experiment Unit showed that the unit needed further improvement of a system to control the water content of a seedbed using an infrared moisture analyzer and that it was difficult to keep the relative humidity inside the Plant Experiment Unit between 70 and 80% because the Cell Biology Experiment Facility had neither a ventilation system nor a dehumidifying system. Therefore, excess moisture inside the Cell Biology Experiment Facility was removed with desiccant bags containing calcium chloride. Eight flight models of the Plant Experiment Unit in which dry Arabidopsis seeds were fixed to the seedbed with gum arabic were launched to the International Space Station in the space shuttle STS-128 (17A) on August 28, 2009. Plant Experiment Unit were installed in the Cell Biology Experiment Facility with desiccant boxes, and then the Space Seed experiment was started in the Japanese Experiment Module, named Kibo, which was part of the International Space Station, on September 10, 2009 by watering the seedbed and terminated 2 months later on November 11, 2009. On April 19, 2010, the Arabidopsis plants harvested in Kibo were retrieved and brought back to Earth by the space shuttle mission STS-131 (19A). The present paper describes the Space Seed experiment with particular reference to the development of the Plant Experiment Unit and its actual performance in Kibo onboard the International Space Station. Downlinked images from Kibo showed that the seeds had started germinating 3 days after the initial watering. The plants continued growing, producing rosette leaves, inflorescence stems, flowers, and fruits in the Plant Experiment Unit. In addition, the senescence of rosette leaves was found to be delayed in microgravity.

Real-time data acquisition and telemetry based irrigation control system

DOEpatents

Slater, John M.; Svoboda, John M.

2005-12-13

A data acquisition and telemetry based control system for use in facilitating substantially real time management of an agricultural irrigation system. The soil moisture sensor includes a reader and a plurality of probes. The probes each include an electronic circuit having a moisture sensing capacitor in operative communication with the soil whose moisture is to be measured. Each probe also includes a receive/transmit antenna and the reader includes a transmit/receive antenna, so that as the reader passes near the probe, the reader transmits a digital excitation signal to the electronic circuit of the biodegradable probe via an inductive couple formed between the transmit/receive antenna of the reader and the receive/transmit coil of the probe. The electronic circuit uses an energy component of the excitation signal to generate a digital data signal which indicates the moisture content of the soil adjacent to the moisture sensing capacitor. The probe sends the data signal to the reader which then uses the data signal to develop a corresponding set of watering instructions which are then transmitted to a control module in communication with the irrigation system. The control module sends corresponding control signals to nozzles of the irrigation system causing the irrigation system to disperse water in a manner consistent with the moisture content data transmitted by the probes to the reader. Because the irrigation system moves continuously through the field to be irrigated, the moisture content data acquisition and resultant water dispersal by the irrigation system occur substantially in real time.

Bulk Moisture and Salinity Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nurge, Mark; Monje, Oscar; Prenger, Jessica; Catechis, John

2013-01-01

Measurement and feedback control of nutrient solutions in plant root zones is critical to the development of healthy plants in both terrestrial and reduced-gravity environments. In addition to the water content, the amount of fertilizer in the nutrient solution is important to plant health. This typically requires a separate set of sensors to accomplish. A combination bulk moisture and salinity sensor has been designed, built, and tested with different nutrient solutions in several substrates. The substrates include glass beads, a clay-like substrate, and a nutrient-enriched substrate with the presence of plant roots. By measuring two key parameters, the sensor is able to monitor both the volumetric water content and salinity of the nutrient solution in bulk media. Many commercially available moisture sensors are point sensors, making localized measurements over a small volume at the point of insertion. Consequently, they are more prone to suffer from interferences with air bubbles, contact area of media, and root growth. This makes it difficult to get an accurate representation of true moisture content and distribution in the bulk media. Additionally, a network of point sensors is required, increasing the cabling, data acquisition, and calibration requirements. measure the dielectric properties of a material in the annular space of the vessel. Because the pore water in the media often has high salinity, a method to measure the media moisture content and salinity simultaneously was devised. Characterization of the frequency response for capacitance and conductance across the electrodes was completed for 2-mm glass bead media, 1- to 2-mm Turface (a clay like media), and 1- to 2-mm fertilized Turface with the presence of root mass. These measurements were then used to find empirical relationships among capacitance (C), the dissipation factor (D), the volumetric water content, and the pore water salinity.

SMERGE: A multi-decadal root-zone soil moisture product for CONUS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crow, W. T.; Dong, J.; Tobin, K. J.; Torres, R.

2017-12-01

Multi-decadal root-zone soil moisture products are of value for a range of water resource and climate applications. The NASA-funded root-zone soil moisture merging project (SMERGE) seeks to develop such products through the optimal merging of land surface model predictions with surface soil moisture retrievals acquired from multi-sensor remote sensing products. This presentation will describe the creation and validation of a daily, multi-decadal (1979-2015), vertically-integrated (both surface to 40 cm and surface to 100 cm), 0.125-degree root-zone product over the contiguous United States (CONUS). The modeling backbone of the system is based on hourly root-zone soil moisture simulations generated by the Noah model (v3.2) operating within the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS-2). Remotely-sensed surface soil moisture retrievals are taken from the multi-sensor European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative soil moisture data set (ESA CCI SM). In particular, the talk will detail: 1) the exponential smoothing approach used to convert surface ESA CCI SM retrievals into root-zone soil moisture estimates, 2) the averaging technique applied to merge (temporally-sporadic) remotely-sensed with (continuous) NLDAS-2 land surface model estimates of root-zone soil moisture into the unified SMERGE product, and 3) the validation of the SMERGE product using long-term, ground-based soil moisture datasets available within CONUS.

Controlling moisture content of wood samples using a modified soil-pan decay method

Treesearch

Jerrold E. Winandy; Simon F. Curling; Patricia K. Lebow

2005-01-01

In wood, the threshold level below which decay cannot occur varies with species or type of wood product and other factors such as temperature, humidity, and propensity of exposure or service-use to allow rain-induced wetting and subsequent drying. The ability to control wood moisture content (MC) during laboratory decay testing could allow research on the moisture...

Smap Soil Moisture Data Assimilation for the Continental United States and Eastern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blankenship, C. B.; Case, J.; Zavodsky, B.; Crosson, W. L.

2016-12-01

The NASA Short-Term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center at Marshall Space Flight Center manages near-real-time runs of the Noah Land Surface Model within the NASA Land Information System (LIS) over Continental U.S. (CONUS) and Eastern Africa domains. Soil moisture products from the CONUS model run are used by several NOAA/National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices for flood and drought situational awareness. The baseline LIS configuration is the Noah model driven by atmospheric and combined radar/gauge precipitation analyses, and input satellite-derived real-time green vegetation fraction on a 3-km grid for the CONUS. This configuration is being enhanced by adding the assimilation of Level 2 Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) soil moisture retrievals in a parallel run beginning on 1 April 2015. Our implementation of SMAP assimilation includes a cumulative distribution function (CDF) matching approach that aggregates points with similar soil types. This method allows creation of robust CDFs with a short data record, and also permits the correction of local anomalies that may arise from poor forcing data (e.g., quality-control problems with rain gauges). Validation results using in situ soil monitoring networks in the CONUS are shown, with comparisons to the baseline SPoRT-LIS run. Initial results are also presented from a modeling run in eastern Africa, forced by Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) precipitation data. Strategies for spatial downscaling and for dealing with effective depth of the retrieval product are also discussed.

Towards SMOS: The 2006 National Airborne Field Experiment Plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, J. P.; Merlin, O.; Panciera, R.; Kalma, J. D.

2006-05-01

The 2006 National Airborne Field Experiment (NAFE) is the second in a series of two intensive experiments to be conducted in different parts of Australia. The NAFE'05 experiment was undertaken in the Goulburn River catchment during November 2005, with the objective to provide high resolution data for process level understanding of soil moisture retrieval, scaling and data assimilation. The NAFE'06 experiment will be undertaken in the Murrumbidgee catchment during November 2006, with the objective to provide data for SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) level soil moisture retrieval, downscaling and data assimilation. To meet this objective, PLMR (Polarimetric L-band Multibeam Radiometer) and supporting instruments (TIR and NDVI) will be flown at an altitude of 10,000 ft AGL to provide 1km resolution passive microwave data (and 20m TIR) across a 50km x 50km area every 2-3 days. This will both simulate a SMOS pixel and provide the 1km soil moisture data required for downscale verification, allowing downscaling and near-surface soil moisture assimilation techniques to be tested with remote sensing data which is consistent with that from current (MODIS) and planned (SMOS) satellite sensors.. Additionally, two transects will be flown across the area to provide both 1km multi-angular passive microwave data for SMOS algorithm development, and on the same day, 50m resolution passive microwave data for algorithm verification. The study area contains a total of 13 soil moisture profile and rainfall monitoring sites for assimilation verification, and the transect fight lines are planned to go through 5 of these. Ground monitoring of surface soil moisture and vegetation for algorithm verification will be targeted at these 5 focus farms, with soil moisture measurements made at 250m spacing for 1km resolution flights and 50m spacing for 50m resolution flights. While this experiment has a particular emphasis on the remote sensing of soil moisture, it is open for collaboration from interested scientists from all disciplines of environmental remote sensing and its application. See www.nafe.unimelb.edu.au for more detailed information on these experiments.

Comparison of airborne passive and active L-band System (PALS) brightness temperature measurements to SMOS observations during the SMAP validation experiment 2012 (SMAPVEX12)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The purpose of SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) Validation Experiment 2012 (SMAPVEX12) campaign was to collect data for the pre-launch development and validation of SMAP soil moisture algorithms. SMAP is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) satellite mission designed for the m...

Heat and moisture exchangers and breathing system filters: their use in anaesthesia and intensive care. Part 2 - practical use, including problems, and their use with paediatric patients.

PubMed

Wilkes, A R

2011-01-01

Heat and moisture exchangers and breathing system filters are intended to replace the normal warming, humidifying and filtering functions of the upper airways. The first part of this review considered the history, principles of operation and efficiency of these devices. The aim of this part of the review is to summarise recent guidelines on the use of these devices and outline the problems that can occur. In particular, the effect of these devices on gas analysis, dead space, resistance to gas flow and blockage of the breathing system is considered. In children, it is important to consider the addition of dead space and resistance to gas flow. A body weight of 2.5 kg is probably the lower weight limit for use with heat and moisture exchangers, and 3 kg for filters. The resistance to gas flow of a heat- and moisture-exchanging filter added to a Mapleson F breathing system can cause a delay in the induction of anaesthesia. © 2010 The Author. Anaesthesia © 2010 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.

ELBARA II, an L-band radiometer system for soil moisture research.

PubMed

Schwank, Mike; Wiesmann, Andreas; Werner, Charles; Mätzler, Christian; Weber, Daniel; Murk, Axel; Völksch, Ingo; Wegmüller, Urs

2010-01-01

L-band (1-2 GHz) microwave radiometry is a remote sensing technique that can be used to monitor soil moisture, and is deployed in the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) Mission of the European Space Agency (ESA). Performing ground-based radiometer campaigns before launch, during the commissioning phase and during the operative SMOS mission is important for validating the satellite data and for the further improvement of the radiative transfer models used in the soil-moisture retrieval algorithms. To address these needs, three identical L-band radiometer systems were ordered by ESA. They rely on the proven architecture of the ETH L-Band radiometer for soil moisture research (ELBARA) with major improvements in the microwave electronics, the internal calibration sources, the data acquisition, the user interface, and the mechanics. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design of the instruments and the main characteristics that are relevant for the user.

ELBARA II, an L-Band Radiometer System for Soil Moisture Research

PubMed Central

Schwank, Mike; Wiesmann, Andreas; Werner, Charles; Mätzler, Christian; Weber, Daniel; Murk, Axel; Völksch, Ingo; Wegmüller, Urs

2010-01-01

L-band (1–2 GHz) microwave radiometry is a remote sensing technique that can be used to monitor soil moisture, and is deployed in the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) Mission of the European Space Agency (ESA). Performing ground-based radiometer campaigns before launch, during the commissioning phase and during the operative SMOS mission is important for validating the satellite data and for the further improvement of the radiative transfer models used in the soil-moisture retrieval algorithms. To address these needs, three identical L-band radiometer systems were ordered by ESA. They rely on the proven architecture of the ETH L-Band radiometer for soil moisture research (ELBARA) with major improvements in the microwave electronics, the internal calibration sources, the data acquisition, the user interface, and the mechanics. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design of the instruments and the main characteristics that are relevant for the user. PMID:22315556

Validation/Calibration of SMOS L2 Soil Moisture in Crop Area, Eastern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Huizhen; Jiang, Lingmei; Yang, Na; Lu, Zheng

2016-08-01

The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) is the worldwide satellite dedicated to retrieve soil moisture information at the global scale, with a high temporal resolution, and from space borne L-band 2-D interferometry radiometer. Product validation for the accuracy of data and utilization is a crucial step. At present, the validation work carried out in China was mainly concentrated in the Tibetan Plateau. The study of this paper mainly focused on the validation of SMOS L2 soil moisture data products in the north of Henan province plain region. This region is in front of Taihang Mountains. Results from the average-average and node- site comparison show that the correlation coefficients (R) between 0.20 and 0.40, also the existence of dry bias mainly concentrated in the 0.07 0.11m3m-3. Finally, this paper analysed the influence factors on the quality of SMOS soil moisture products.

Water content estimated from point scale to plot scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akyurek, Z.; Binley, A. M.; Demir, G.; Abgarmi, B.

2017-12-01

Soil moisture controls the portioning of rainfall into infiltration and runoff. Here we investigate measurements of soil moisture using a range of techniques spanning different spatial scales. In order to understand soil water content in a test basin, 512 km2 in area, in the south of Turkey, a Cosmic Ray CRS200B soil moisture probe was installed at elevation of 1459 m and an ML3 ThetaProbe (CS 616) soil moisture sensor was established at 5cm depth used to get continuous soil moisture. Neutron count measurements were corrected for the changes in atmospheric pressure, atmospheric water vapour and intensity of incoming neutron flux. The calibration of the volumetric soil moisture was performed, from the laboratory analysis, the bulk density varies between 1.719 (g/cm3) -1.390 (g/cm3), and the dominant soil texture is silty clay loam and silt loamThe water content reflectometer was calibrated for soil-specific conditions and soil moisture estimates were also corrected with respect to soil temperature. In order to characterize the subsurface, soil electrical resistivity tomography was used. Wenner and Schlumberger array geometries were used with electrode spacing varied from 1m- 5 m along 40 m and 200 m profiles. From the inversions of ERT data it is apparent that within 50 m distance from the CRS200B, the soil is moderately resistive to a depth of 2m and more conductive at greater depths. At greater distances from the CRS200B, the ERT results indicate more resistive soils. In addition to the ERT surveys, ground penetrating radar surveys using a common mid-point configuration was used with 200MHz antennas. The volumetric soil moisture obtained from GPR appears to overestimate those based on TDR observations. The values obtained from CS616 (at a point scale) and CRS200B (at a mesoscale) are compared with the values obtained at a plot scale. For the field study dates (20-22.06.2017) the volumetric moisture content obtained from CS616 were 25.14%, 25.22% and 25.96% respectively. The values obtained from CRS200B were 23.23%, 22.81% and 23.26% for the same dates. Whereas the values obtained from GPR were between 32%-44%. Soil moisture observed by CRS200B is promising to monitor the water content in the soil at the mesoscale and ERT surveys help to understand the spatial variability of the soil water content within the footprint of CRS200B.

Radiocarbon in Ecosystem Respiration and Soil Pore-Space CO2 with Surface Gas Flux, Air Temperature, and Soil Temperature and Moisture, Barrow, Alaska, 2012-2014

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

Lydia Vaughn; Margaret Torn; Rachel Porras

Dataset includes Delta14C measurements made from CO2 that was collected and purified in 2012-2014 from surface soil chambers, soil pore space, and background atmosphere. In addition to 14CO2 data, dataset includes co-located measurements of CO2 and CH4 flux, soil and air temperature, and soil moisture. Measurements and field samples were taken from intensive study site 1 areas A, B, and C, and the site 0 and AB transects, from specified positions in high-centered, flat-centered, and low centered polygons.

Microwave Brightness Of Land Surfaces From Outer Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerr, Yann H.; Njoku, Eni G.

1991-01-01

Mathematical model approximates microwave radiation emitted by land surfaces traveling to microwave radiometer in outer space. Applied to measurements made by Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR). Developed for interpretation of microwave imagery of Earth to obtain distributions of various chemical, physical, and biological characteristics across its surface. Intended primarily for use in mapping moisture content of soil and fraction of Earth covered by vegetation. Advanced Very-High-Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), provides additional information on vegetative cover, thereby making possible retrieval of soil-moisture values from SMMR measurements. Possible to monitor changes of land surface during intervals of 5 to 10 years, providing significant data for mathematical models of evolution of climate.

Interior moisture design loads for residences

Treesearch

Anton TenWolde; Iain S. Walker

2001-01-01

This paper outlines a methodology to obtain design values for indoor boundary conditions for moisture design calculations for residences. This is part of a larger effort by ASHRAE Standard Project Committee 160P, Design Criteria for Moisture Control in Buildings, to formulate criteria for moisture design loads, analysis techniques, and material and building performance...

Responses of dead forest fuel moisture to climate change

Treesearch

Yongqiang Liu

2016-01-01

Forest fuel moisture is an important factor for wildland fire behavior. Predicting future wildfire trends and controlled burned conditions is essential to effective natural resource management, but the associated effects of forest fuel moisture remain uncertain. This study investigates the responses of dead forest fuel moisture to climate change in the...

Research on lettuce growth technology onboard Chinese Tiangong II Spacelab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yunze; Guo, Shuangsheng; Zhao, Pisheng; Wang, Longji; Wang, Xiaoxia; Li, Jian; Bian, Qiang

2018-03-01

Lettuce was grown in a space vegetable cultivation facility onboard the Tiangong Ⅱ Spacelab during October 18 to November 15, 2016, in order to testify the key cultivating technology in CELSS under spaceflight microgravity condition. Potable water was used for irrigation of rooting substrate and the SRF (slowly released fertilizer) offered mineral nutrition for plant growth. Water content and electric conductivity in rooting substrate were measured based on FDR(frequency domain reflectometry) principle applied first in spaceflight. Lettuce germinated with comparative growth vigor as the ground control, showing that the plants appeared to be not stressed by the spaceflight environment. Under microgravity, lettuce grew taller and showed deeper green color than the ground control. In addition, the phototropism of the on-orbit plants was more remarkable. The nearly 30-d spaceflight test verified the seed fixation technology and water& nutrition management technology, which manifests the feasibility of FDR being used for measuring moisture content and electric conductivity in rooting zone under microgravity. Furthermore, the edibility of the space-grown vegetable was proved, providing theoretical support for astronaut to consume the space vegetable in future manned spaceflight.

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Media Briefing

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-09

Brad Doorn, SMAP applications lead, Science Mission Directorate’s Applied Sciences Program at NASA Headquarters speaks during a briefing about the upcoming launch of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, Thursday, Jan. 08, 2015, at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. The mission is scheduled for a Jan. 29 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and will provide the most accurate, highest-resolution global measurements of soil moisture ever obtained from space. The data will be used to enhance scientists' understanding of the processes that link Earth's water, energy and carbon cycles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Media Briefing

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-09

Christine Bonniksen, SMAP program executive with the Science Mission Directorate’s Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters speaks during a briefing about the upcoming launch of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, Thursday, Jan. 08, 2015, at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. The mission is scheduled for a Jan. 29 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and will provide the most accurate, highest-resolution global measurements of soil moisture ever obtained from space. The data will be used to enhance scientists' understanding of the processes that link Earth's water, energy and carbon cycles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Media Briefing

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-09

Kent Kellogg, SMAP project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA, speaks during a briefing about the upcoming launch of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, Thursday, Jan. 08, 2015, at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. The mission is scheduled for a Jan. 29 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and will provide the most accurate, highest-resolution global measurements of soil moisture ever obtained from space. The data will be used to enhance scientists' understanding of the processes that link Earth's water, energy and carbon cycles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Flexible Residential Test Facility: Impact of Infiltration and Ventilation on Measured Cooling Season Energy and Moisture Levels

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

Parker, Danny S.; Cummings, Jamie E.; Vieira, Robin K.

Air infiltration and ventilation in residential buildings is a very large part of the heating loads, but empirical data regarding the impact on space cooling has been lacking. Moreover, there has been little data on how building tightness might relate to building interior moisture levels in homes in a hot and humid climate. To address this need, BA-PIRC has conducted research to assess the moisture and cooling load impacts of airtightness and mechanical ventilation in two identical laboratory homes in the hot-humid climate over the cooling season.

Root Water Uptake and Soil Moisture Pattern Dynamics - Capturing Connections, Controls and Causalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blume, T.; Heidbuechel, I.; Hassler, S. K.; Simard, S.; Guntner, A.; Stewart, R. D.; Weiler, M.

2015-12-01

We hypothesize that there is a shift in controls on landscape scale soil moisture patterns when plants become active during the growing season. Especially during the summer soil moisture patterns are not only controlled by soils, topography and related abiotic site characteristics but also by root water uptake. Root water uptake influences soil moisture patterns both in the lateral and vertical direction. Plant water uptake from different soil depths is estimated based on diurnal fluctuations in soil moisture content and was investigated with a unique setup of 46 field sites in Luxemburg and 15 field sites in Germany. These sites cover a range of geologies, soils, topographic positions and types of vegetation. Vegetation types include pasture, pine forest (young and old) and different deciduous forest stands. Available data at all sites includes information at high temporal resolution from 3-5 soil moisture and soil temperature profiles, matrix potential, piezometers and sapflow sensors as well as standard climate data. At sites with access to a stream, discharge or water level is also recorded. The analysis of soil moisture patterns over time indicates a shift in regime depending on season. Depth profiles of root water uptake show strong differences between different forest stands, with maximum depths ranging between 50 and 200 cm. Temporal dynamics of signal strength within the profile furthermore suggest a locally shifting spatial distribution of root water uptake depending on water availability. We will investigate temporal thresholds (under which conditions spatial patterns of root water uptake become most distinct) as well as landscape controls on soil moisture and root water uptake dynamics.

Optimization of moisture content for wheat seedling germination in a cellulose acetate medium for a space flight experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Corinne F.; Dreschel, Thomas W.; Brown, Christopher S.; Wheeler, Raymond M.

1994-01-01

The Porous Tube Plant Nutrient Delivery System (PTPNDS), a hydrophilic, microporous ceramic tube hydroponic system designed for microgravity, will be tested in a middeck locker of the Space Shuttle. The flight experiment will focus on hardware operation and assess its ability to support seed germination and early seedling growth in microgravity. The water controlling system of the PTPNDS hardware has been successfully tested during the parabolic flight of the KC-135. One challenge to the development of the spaceflight experiment was to devise a method of holding seeds to the cylindrical porous tube. The seed holder must provide water and air to the seed, absorb water from the porous tube, withstand sterilization, provide a clear path for shoots and roots to emerge, and be composed of flight qualified materials. In preparation for the flight experiment, a wheat seed-holder has been designed that utilizes a cellulose acetate plug to facilitate imbibition and to hold the wheat seeds in contact with the porous tube in the correct orientation during the vibration of launch and the microgravity environment of orbit. Germination and growth studies with wheat at a range of temperatures showed that optimal moisture was 78% (by weight) in the cellulose acetate seed holders. These and other design considerations are discussed.

The influence of temperature and moisture contents regimes on the aerobic microbial activity of a biosolids composting blend.

PubMed

Liang, C; Das, K C; McClendon, R W

2003-01-01

To understand the relationships between temperature, moisture content, and microbial activity during the composting of biosolids (municipal wastewater treatment sludge), well-controlled incubation experiments were conducted using a 2-factor factorial design with six temperatures (22, 29, 36, 43, 50, and 57 degrees C) and five moisture contents (30, 40, 50, 60, and 70%). The microbial activity was measured as O2 uptake rate (mg g(-1) h(-1)) using a computer controlled respirometer. In this study, moisture content proved to be a dominant factor impacting aerobic microbial activity of the composting blend. Fifty percent moisture content appeared to be the minimal requirement for obtaining activities greater than 1.0 mg g(-1) h(-1). Temperature was also documented to be an important factor for biosolids composting. However, its effect was less influential than moisture content. Particularly, the enhancement of composting activities induced by temperature increment could be realized by increasing moisture content alone.

Empirical Soil Moisture Estimation with Spaceborne L-band Polarimetric Radars: Aquarius, SMAP, and PALSAR-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgin, M. S.; van Zyl, J. J.

2017-12-01

Traditionally, substantial ancillary data is needed to parametrize complex electromagnetic models to estimate soil moisture from polarimetric radar data. The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) baseline radar soil moisture retrieval algorithm uses a data cube approach, where a cube of radar backscatter values is calculated using sophisticated models. In this work, we utilize the empirical approach by Kim and van Zyl (2009) which is an optional SMAP radar soil moisture retrieval algorithm; it expresses radar backscatter of a vegetated scene as a linear function of soil moisture, hence eliminating the need for ancillary data. We use 2.5 years of L-band Aquarius radar and radiometer derived soil moisture data to determine two coefficients of a linear model function on a global scale. These coefficients are used to estimate soil moisture with 2.5 months of L-band SMAP and L-band PALSAR-2 data. The estimated soil moisture is compared with the SMAP Level 2 radiometer-only soil moisture product; the global unbiased RMSE of the SMAP derived soil moisture corresponds to 0.06-0.07 cm3/cm3. In this study, we leverage the three diverse L-band radar data sets to investigate the impact of pixel size and pixel heterogeneity on soil moisture estimation performance. Pixel sizes range from 100 km for Aquarius, over 3, 9, 36 km for SMAP, to 10m for PALSAR-2. Furthermore, we observe seasonal variation in the radar sensitivity to soil moisture which allows the identification and quantification of seasonally changing vegetation. Utilizing this information, we further improve the estimation performance. The research described in this paper is supported by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

Patterns and scaling properties of surface soil moisture in an agricultural landscape: An ecohydrological modeling study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korres, W.; Reichenau, T. G.; Schneider, K.

2013-08-01

Soil moisture is a key variable in hydrology, meteorology and agriculture. Soil moisture, and surface soil moisture in particular, is highly variable in space and time. Its spatial and temporal patterns in agricultural landscapes are affected by multiple natural (precipitation, soil, topography, etc.) and agro-economic (soil management, fertilization, etc.) factors, making it difficult to identify unequivocal cause and effect relationships between soil moisture and its driving variables. The goal of this study is to characterize and analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of surface soil moisture (top 20 cm) in an intensively used agricultural landscape (1100 km2 northern part of the Rur catchment, Western Germany) and to determine the dominant factors and underlying processes controlling these patterns. A second goal is to analyze the scaling behavior of surface soil moisture patterns in order to investigate how spatial scale affects spatial patterns. To achieve these goals, a dynamically coupled, process-based and spatially distributed ecohydrological model was used to analyze the key processes as well as their interactions and feedbacks. The model was validated for two growing seasons for the three main crops in the investigation area: Winter wheat, sugar beet, and maize. This yielded RMSE values for surface soil moisture between 1.8 and 7.8 vol.% and average RMSE values for all three crops of 0.27 kg m-2 for total aboveground biomass and 0.93 for green LAI. Large deviations of measured and modeled soil moisture can be explained by a change of the infiltration properties towards the end of the growing season, especially in maize fields. The validated model was used to generate daily surface soil moisture maps, serving as a basis for an autocorrelation analysis of spatial patterns and scale. Outside of the growing season, surface soil moisture patterns at all spatial scales depend mainly upon soil properties. Within the main growing season, larger scale patterns that are induced by soil properties are superimposed by the small scale land use pattern and the resulting small scale variability of evapotranspiration. However, this influence decreases at larger spatial scales. Most precipitation events cause temporarily higher surface soil moisture autocorrelation lengths at all spatial scales for a short time even beyond the autocorrelation lengths induced by soil properties. The relation of daily spatial variance to the spatial scale of the analysis fits a power law scaling function, with negative values of the scaling exponent, indicating a decrease in spatial variability with increasing spatial resolution. High evapotranspiration rates cause an increase in the small scale soil moisture variability, thus leading to large negative values of the scaling exponent. Utilizing a multiple regression analysis, we found that 53% of the variance of the scaling exponent can be explained by a combination of an independent LAI parameter and the antecedent precipitation.

Soil moisture variations in remotely sensed and reanalysis datasets during weak monsoon conditions over central India and central Myanmar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrivastava, Sourabh; Kar, Sarat C.; Sharma, Anu Rani

2017-07-01

Variation of soil moisture during active and weak phases of summer monsoon JJAS (June, July, August, and September) is very important for sustenance of the crop and subsequent crop yield. As in situ observations of soil moisture are few or not available, researchers use data derived from remote sensing satellites or global reanalysis. This study documents the intercomparison of soil moisture from remotely sensed and reanalyses during dry spells within monsoon seasons in central India and central Myanmar. Soil moisture data from the European Space Agency (ESA)—Climate Change Initiative (CCI) has been treated as observed data and was compared against soil moisture data from the ECMWF reanalysis-Interim (ERA-I) and the climate forecast system reanalysis (CFSR) for the period of 2002-2011. The ESA soil moisture correlates rather well with observed gridded rainfall. The ESA data indicates that soil moisture increases over India from west to east and from north to south during monsoon season. The ERA-I overestimates the soil moisture over India, while the CFSR soil moisture agrees well with the remotely sensed observation (ESA). Over Myanmar, both the reanalysis overestimate soil moisture values and the ERA-I soil moisture does not show much variability from year to year. Day-to-day variations of soil moisture in central India and central Myanmar during weak monsoon conditions indicate that, because of the rainfall deficiency, the observed (ESA) and the CFSR soil moisture values are reduced up to 0.1 m3/m3 compared to climatological values of more than 0.35 m3/m3. This reduction is not seen in the ERA-I data. Therefore, soil moisture from the CFSR is closer to the ESA observed soil moisture than that from the ERA-I during weak phases of monsoon in the study region.

Impact of soil moisture on regional spectral model simulations for South America

Treesearch

Shyh-Chin Chen; John Roads

2005-01-01

A regional simulation using the regional spectral model (RSM) with 50-km grid space increment over South America is described. NCEP/NCAR 28 vertical levels T62 spectral resolution reanalyses were used to initialize and force the regional model for a two-year period from March 1997 through March 1999. Initially, the RSM had a severe drying trend in the soil moisture...

Characterization of Micron-Scale Nanotublar Super Dielectric Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

has been removed). ..................................128  Figure 98.  NTSDM capacitor with Grafoil “ buffer ” and no excess moisture prior to...by arrows) after accumulation of moisture within the capacitor and the appearance of rust on the Grafoil “ buffer ...26]. Nonetheless, the foundational concept of such a device is the storage of charge via an electric field in the space between two conducting

An Overview of Production and Validation of the SMAP Passive Soil Moisture Product

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, S.; O'Neill, P.; Njoku, E.; Jackson, T.; Bindlish, R.

2015-01-01

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission is an L-band mission scheduled for launch in Jan. 2015. The SMAP instruments consist of a radar and a radiometer to obtain complementary information from space for soil moisture and freeze/thaw state research and applications. By utilizing novel designs in antenna construction, retrieval algorithms, and acquisition hardware, SMAP provides a capability for global mapping of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state with unprecedented accuracy, resolution, and coverage. This improvement in hydrosphere state measurement is expected to advance our understanding of the processes that link the terrestrial water, energy and carbon cycles, improve our capability in flood prediction and drought monitoring, and enhance our skills in weather and climate forecast. For swath-based soil moisture measurement, SMAP generates three operational geophysical data products: (1) the radiometer-only soil moisture product (L2_SM_P) posted at 36-kilometer resolution, (2) the radar-only soil moisture product (L2_SM_A) posted at 3-kilometers resolution, and (3) the radar-radiometer combined soil moisture product (L2_SM_AP) posted at 9-kilometers resolution. Each product draws on the strengths of the underlying sensor(s) and plays a unique role in hydroclimatological and hydrometeorological applications. A full suite of SMAP data products is given in Table 1.

On the assimilation of satellite derived soil moisture in numerical weather prediction models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drusch, M.

2006-12-01

Satellite derived surface soil moisture data sets are readily available and have been used successfully in hydrological applications. In many operational numerical weather prediction systems the initial soil moisture conditions are analysed from the modelled background and 2 m temperature and relative humidity. This approach has proven its efficiency to improve surface latent and sensible heat fluxes and consequently the forecast on large geographical domains. However, since soil moisture is not always related to screen level variables, model errors and uncertainties in the forcing data can accumulate in root zone soil moisture. Remotely sensed surface soil moisture is directly linked to the model's uppermost soil layer and therefore is a stronger constraint for the soil moisture analysis. Three data assimilation experiments with the Integrated Forecast System (IFS) of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) have been performed for the two months period of June and July 2002: A control run based on the operational soil moisture analysis, an open loop run with freely evolving soil moisture, and an experimental run incorporating bias corrected TMI (TRMM Microwave Imager) derived soil moisture over the southern United States through a nudging scheme using 6-hourly departures. Apart from the soil moisture analysis, the system setup reflects the operational forecast configuration including the atmospheric 4D-Var analysis. Soil moisture analysed in the nudging experiment is the most accurate estimate when compared against in-situ observations from the Oklahoma Mesonet. The corresponding forecast for 2 m temperature and relative humidity is almost as accurate as in the control experiment. Furthermore, it is shown that the soil moisture analysis influences local weather parameters including the planetary boundary layer height and cloud coverage. The transferability of the results to other satellite derived soil moisture data sets will be discussed.

Development and Validation of The SMAP Enhanced Passive Soil Moisture Product

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, S.; Bindlish, R.; O'Neill, P.; Jackson, T.; Chaubell, J.; Piepmeier, J.; Dunbar, S.; Colliander, A.; Chen, F.; Entekhabi, D.;

Evaluating ESA CCI soil moisture in East Africa.

PubMed

McNally, Amy; Shukla, Shraddhanand; Arsenault, Kristi R; Wang, Shugong; Peters-Lidard, Christa D; Verdin, James P

2016-06-01

To assess growing season conditions where ground based observations are limited or unavailable, food security and agricultural drought monitoring analysts rely on publicly available remotely sensed rainfall and vegetation greenness. There are also remotely sensed soil moisture observations from missions like the European Space Agency (ESA) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), however these time series are still too short to conduct studies that demonstrate the utility of these data for operational applications, or to provide historical context for extreme wet or dry events. To promote the use of remotely sensed soil moisture in agricultural drought and food security monitoring, we use East Africa as a case study to evaluate the quality of a 30+ year time series of merged active-passive microwave soil moisture from the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI-SM). Compared to the Normalized Difference Vegetation index (NDVI) and modeled soil moisture products, we found substantial spatial and temporal gaps in the early part of the CCI-SM record, with adequate data coverage beginning in 1992. From this point forward, growing season CCI-SM anomalies were well correlated (R>0.5) with modeled, seasonal soil moisture, and in some regions, NDVI. We use correlation analysis and qualitative comparisons at seasonal time scales to show that remotely sensed soil moisture can add information to a convergence of evidence framework that traditionally relies on rainfall and NDVI in moderately vegetated regions.

Fuzzy logic control of rotating drum bioreactor for improved production of amylase and protease enzymes by Aspergillus oryzae in solid-state fermentation.

PubMed

Sukumprasertsri, Monton; Unrean, Pornkamol; Pimsamarn, Jindarat; Kitsubun, Panit; Tongta, Anan

2013-03-01

In this study, we compared the performance of two control systems, fuzzy logic control (FLC) and conventional control (CC). The control systems were applied for controlling temperature and substrate moisture content in a solidstate fermentation for the biosynthesis of amylase and protease enzymes by Aspergillus oryzae. The fermentation process was achieved in a 200 L rotating drum bioreactor. Three factors affecting temperature and moisture content in the solid-state fermentation were considered. They were inlet air velocity, speed of the rotating drum bioreactor, and spray water addition. The fuzzy logic control system was designed using four input variables: air velocity, substrate temperature, fermentation time, and rotation speed. The temperature was controlled by two variables, inlet air velocity and rotational speed of bioreactor, while the moisture content was controlled by spray water. Experimental results confirmed that the FLC system could effectively control the temperature and moisture content of substrate better than the CC system, resulting in an increased enzyme production by A. oryzae. Thus, the fuzzy logic control is a promising control system that can be applied for enhanced production of enzymes in solidstate fermentation.

Elevation Control on Vegetation Organization in a Semiarid Ecosystem in Central New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nudurupati, S. S.; Istanbulluoglu, E.; Adams, J. M.; Hobley, D. E. J.; Gasparini, N. M.; Tucker, G. E.; Hutton, E. W. H.

2015-12-01

Many semiarid and desert ecosystems are characterized by patchy and dynamic vegetation. Topography plays a commanding role on vegetation patterns. It is observed that plant biomes and biodiversity vary systematically with slope and aspect, from shrublands in low desert elevations, to mixed grass/shrublands in mid elevations, and forests at high elevations. In this study, we investigate the role of elevation dependent climatology on vegetation organization in a semiarid New Mexico catchment where elevation and hillslope aspect play a defining role on plant types. An ecohydrologic cellular automaton model developed within Landlab (component based modeling framework) is used. The model couples local vegetation dynamics (that simulate biomass production based on local soil moisture and potential evapotranspiration) and plant establishment and mortality based on competition for resources and space. This model is driven by elevation dependent rainfall pulses and solar radiation. The domain is initialized with randomly assigned plant types and the model parameters that couple plant response with soil moisture are systematically changed. Climate perturbation experiments are conducted to examine spatial vegetation organization and associated timescales. Model results reproduce elevation and aspect controls on observed vegetation patterns indicating that this model captures necessary and sufficient conditions that explain these observed ecohydrological patterns.

A Citizen Science Soil Moisture Sensor to Support SMAP Calibration/Validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podest, E.; Das, N. N.

2016-12-01

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite mission was launched in Jan. 2015 and is currently acquiring global measurements of soil moisture in the top 5 cm of the soil every 3 days. SMAP has partnered with the GLOBE program to engage students from around the world to collect in situ soil moisture and help validate SMAP measurements. The current GLOBE SMAP soil moisture protocol consists in collecting a soil sample, weighing, drying and weighing it again in order to determine the amount of water in the soil. Preparation and soil sample collection can take up to 20 minutes and drying can take up to 3 days. We have hence developed a soil moisture measurement device based on Arduino-like microcontrollers along with off-the-shelf and homemade sensors that are accurate, robust, inexpensive and quick and easy to use so that they can be implemented by the GLOBE community and citizen scientists alike. This talk will discuss building, calibration and validation of the soil moisture measuring device and assessing the quality of the measurements collected. This work was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Evaluation of Optimum Moisture Content for Composting of Beef Manure and Bedding Material Mixtures Using Oxygen Uptake Measurement

PubMed Central

Kim, Eunjong; Lee, Dong-Hyun; Won, Seunggun; Ahn, Heekwon

2016-01-01

Moisture content influences physiological characteristics of microbes and physical structure of solid matrices during composting of animal manure. If moisture content is maintained at a proper level, aerobic microorganisms show more active oxygen consumption during composting due to increased microbial activity. In this study, optimum moisture levels for composting of two bedding materials (sawdust, rice hull) and two different mixtures of bedding and beef manure (BS, Beef cattle manure+sawdust; BR, Beef cattle manure+rice hull) were determined based on oxygen uptake rate measured by a pressure sensor method. A broad range of oxygen uptake rates (0.3 to 33.3 mg O2/g VS d) were monitored as a function of moisture level and composting feedstock type. The maximum oxygen consumption of each material was observed near the saturated condition, which ranged from 75% to 98% of water holding capacity. The optimum moisture content of BS and BR were 70% and 57% on a wet basis, respectively. Although BS’s optimum moisture content was near saturated state, its free air space kept a favorable level (above 30%) for aerobic composting due to the sawdust’s coarse particle size and bulking effect. PMID:26954138

Evaluation of Optimum Moisture Content for Composting of Beef Manure and Bedding Material Mixtures Using Oxygen Uptake Measurement.

PubMed

Kim, Eunjong; Lee, Dong-Hyun; Won, Seunggun; Ahn, Heekwon

2016-05-01

Moisture content influences physiological characteristics of microbes and physical structure of solid matrices during composting of animal manure. If moisture content is maintained at a proper level, aerobic microorganisms show more active oxygen consumption during composting due to increased microbial activity. In this study, optimum moisture levels for composting of two bedding materials (sawdust, rice hull) and two different mixtures of bedding and beef manure (BS, Beef cattle manure+sawdust; BR, Beef cattle manure+rice hull) were determined based on oxygen uptake rate measured by a pressure sensor method. A broad range of oxygen uptake rates (0.3 to 33.3 mg O2/g VS d) were monitored as a function of moisture level and composting feedstock type. The maximum oxygen consumption of each material was observed near the saturated condition, which ranged from 75% to 98% of water holding capacity. The optimum moisture content of BS and BR were 70% and 57% on a wet basis, respectively. Although BS's optimum moisture content was near saturated state, its free air space kept a favorable level (above 30%) for aerobic composting due to the sawdust's coarse particle size and bulking effect.

Spatiotemporal Variability of Hillslope Soil Moisture Across Steep, Highly Dissected Topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarecke, K. M.; Wondzell, S. M.; Bladon, K. D.

2016-12-01

Hillslope ecohydrological processes, including subsurface water flow and plant water uptake, are strongly influenced by soil moisture. However, the factors controlling spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture in steep, mountainous terrain are poorly understood. We asked: How do topography and soils interact to control the spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture in steep, Douglas-fir dominated hillslopes in the western Cascades? We will present a preliminary analysis of bimonthly soil moisture variability from July-November 2016 at 0-30 and 0-60 cm depth across spatially extensive convergent and divergent topographic positions in Watershed 1 of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in central Oregon. Soil moisture monitoring locations were selected following a 5 m LIDAR analysis of topographic position, aspect, and slope. Topographic position index (TPI) was calculated as the difference in elevation to the mean elevation within a 30 m radius. Convergent (negative TPI values) and divergent (positive TPI values) monitoring locations were established along northwest to northeast-facing aspects and within 25-55 degree slopes. We hypothesized that topographic position (convergent vs. divergent), as well as soil physical properties (e.g., texture, bulk density), control variation in hillslope soil moisture at the sub-watershed scale. In addition, we expected the relative importance of hillslope topography to the spatial variability in soil moisture to differ seasonally. By comparing the spatiotemporal variability of hillslope soil moisture across topographic positions, our research provides a foundation for additional understanding of subsurface flow processes and plant-available soil-water in forests with steep, highly dissected terrain.

Moisture Control Guidance for Commercial and Public ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document provides guidance to designers, construction mangers, and building operation/maintenance managers to improve IEQ and reduce risks of encountering IEQ problems due to insufficient moisture control. EPA will be producing a document entitled

Use of soil moisture dynamics and patterns for the investigation of runoff generation processes with emphasis on preferential flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blume, T.; Zehe, E.; Bronstert, A.

2007-08-01

Spatial patterns as well as temporal dynamics of soil moisture have a major influence on runoff generation. The investigation of these dynamics and patterns can thus yield valuable information on hydrological processes, especially in data scarce or previously ungauged catchments. The combination of spatially scarce but temporally high resolution soil moisture profiles with episodic and thus temporally scarce moisture profiles at additional locations provides information on spatial as well as temporal patterns of soil moisture at the hillslope transect scale. This approach is better suited to difficult terrain (dense forest, steep slopes) than geophysical techniques and at the same time less cost-intensive than a high resolution grid of continuously measuring sensors. Rainfall simulation experiments with dye tracers while continuously monitoring soil moisture response allows for visualization of flow processes in the unsaturated zone at these locations. Data was analyzed at different spacio-temporal scales using various graphical methods, such as space-time colour maps (for the event and plot scale) and indicator maps (for the long-term and hillslope scale). Annual dynamics of soil moisture and decimeter-scale variability were also investigated. The proposed approach proved to be successful in the investigation of flow processes in the unsaturated zone and showed the importance of preferential flow in the Malalcahuello Catchment, a data-scarce catchment in the Andes of Southern Chile. Fast response times of stream flow indicate that preferential flow observed at the plot scale might also be of importance at the hillslope or catchment scale. Flow patterns were highly variable in space but persistent in time. The most likely explanation for preferential flow in this catchment is a combination of hydrophobicity, small scale heterogeneity in rainfall due to redistribution in the canopy and strong gradients in unsaturated conductivities leading to self-reinforcing flow paths.

Use of soil moisture dynamics and patterns at different spatio-temporal scales for the investigation of subsurface flow processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blume, T.; Zehe, E.; Bronstert, A.

2009-07-01

Spatial patterns as well as temporal dynamics of soil moisture have a major influence on runoff generation. The investigation of these dynamics and patterns can thus yield valuable information on hydrological processes, especially in data scarce or previously ungauged catchments. The combination of spatially scarce but temporally high resolution soil moisture profiles with episodic and thus temporally scarce moisture profiles at additional locations provides information on spatial as well as temporal patterns of soil moisture at the hillslope transect scale. This approach is better suited to difficult terrain (dense forest, steep slopes) than geophysical techniques and at the same time less cost-intensive than a high resolution grid of continuously measuring sensors. Rainfall simulation experiments with dye tracers while continuously monitoring soil moisture response allows for visualization of flow processes in the unsaturated zone at these locations. Data was analyzed at different spacio-temporal scales using various graphical methods, such as space-time colour maps (for the event and plot scale) and binary indicator maps (for the long-term and hillslope scale). Annual dynamics of soil moisture and decimeter-scale variability were also investigated. The proposed approach proved to be successful in the investigation of flow processes in the unsaturated zone and showed the importance of preferential flow in the Malalcahuello Catchment, a data-scarce catchment in the Andes of Southern Chile. Fast response times of stream flow indicate that preferential flow observed at the plot scale might also be of importance at the hillslope or catchment scale. Flow patterns were highly variable in space but persistent in time. The most likely explanation for preferential flow in this catchment is a combination of hydrophobicity, small scale heterogeneity in rainfall due to redistribution in the canopy and strong gradients in unsaturated conductivities leading to self-reinforcing flow paths.

Hazardous gases and oxygen depletion in a wet paddy pile: an experimental study in a simulating underground rice mill pit, Thailand.

PubMed

Yenjai, Pornthip; Chaiear, Naesinee; Charerntanyarak, Lertchai; Boonmee, Mallika

2012-01-01

During the rice harvesting season in Thailand, large amounts of fresh paddy are sent to rice mills immediately after harvesting due to a lack of proper farm storage space. At certain levels of moisture content, rice grains may generate hazardous gases, which can replace oxygen (O(2)) in the confined spaces of underground rice mill pits. This phenomenon has been observed in a fatal accident in Thailand. Our study aimed to investigate the type of gases and their air concentrations emitted from the paddy piles at different levels of moisture content and duration of piling time. Four levels of moisture content in the paddy piles were investigated, including dry paddy group (< 14% wet basis (wb)), wet paddy groups (22-24, 25-27 and 28-30%wb). Our measurements were conducted in 16 experimental concrete pits 80 × 80 cm wide by 60 cm high. Gases emitted were measured with an infrared spectrophotometer and a multi-gas detector every 12 h for 5 days throughout the experiment. The results revealed high levels of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) (range 5,864-8,419 ppm) in all wet paddy groups, which gradually increased over time. The concentration of carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH(4)), nitromethane (CH(3)NO(2)) and nitrous oxide (N(2)O) in all wet paddy groups increased with piling time and with moisture content, with ranges of 11-289; 2-8; 36-374; and 4-26 ppm, respectively. The highest levels of moisture content in the paddy piles were in the range 28-30%wb. Nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) concentrations were low in all paddy groups. The percentage of O(2) in the wet paddy groups decreased with piling time and moisture content (from 18.7% to 4.1%). This study suggested that hazardous gases could be emitted in moist paddy piles, and their concentrations could increase with increasing moisture content and piling time period.

The effect of coherent stirring on the advection–condensation of water vapour

PubMed Central

Vanneste, Jacques

2017-01-01

Atmospheric water vapour is an essential ingredient of weather and climate. The key features of its distribution can be represented by kinematic models which treat it as a passive scalar advected by a prescribed flow and reacting through condensation. Condensation acts as a sink that maintains specific humidity below a prescribed, space-dependent saturation value. To investigate how the interplay between large-scale advection, small-scale turbulence and condensation controls moisture distribution, we develop simple kinematic models which combine a single circulating flow with a Brownian-motion representation of turbulence. We first study the drying mechanism of a water-vapour anomaly released inside a vortex at an initial time. Next, we consider a cellular flow with a moisture source at a boundary. The statistically steady state attained shows features reminiscent of the Hadley cell such as boundary layers, a region of intense precipitation and a relative humidity minimum. Explicit results provide a detailed characterization of these features in the limit of strong flow. PMID:28690417

The effect of coherent stirring on the advection-condensation of water vapour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsang, Yue-Kin; Vanneste, Jacques

2017-06-01

Atmospheric water vapour is an essential ingredient of weather and climate. The key features of its distribution can be represented by kinematic models which treat it as a passive scalar advected by a prescribed flow and reacting through condensation. Condensation acts as a sink that maintains specific humidity below a prescribed, space-dependent saturation value. To investigate how the interplay between large-scale advection, small-scale turbulence and condensation controls moisture distribution, we develop simple kinematic models which combine a single circulating flow with a Brownian-motion representation of turbulence. We first study the drying mechanism of a water-vapour anomaly released inside a vortex at an initial time. Next, we consider a cellular flow with a moisture source at a boundary. The statistically steady state attained shows features reminiscent of the Hadley cell such as boundary layers, a region of intense precipitation and a relative humidity minimum. Explicit results provide a detailed characterization of these features in the limit of strong flow.

The effect of coherent stirring on the advection-condensation of water vapour.

PubMed

Tsang, Yue-Kin; Vanneste, Jacques

2017-06-01

Atmospheric water vapour is an essential ingredient of weather and climate. The key features of its distribution can be represented by kinematic models which treat it as a passive scalar advected by a prescribed flow and reacting through condensation. Condensation acts as a sink that maintains specific humidity below a prescribed, space-dependent saturation value. To investigate how the interplay between large-scale advection, small-scale turbulence and condensation controls moisture distribution, we develop simple kinematic models which combine a single circulating flow with a Brownian-motion representation of turbulence. We first study the drying mechanism of a water-vapour anomaly released inside a vortex at an initial time. Next, we consider a cellular flow with a moisture source at a boundary. The statistically steady state attained shows features reminiscent of the Hadley cell such as boundary layers, a region of intense precipitation and a relative humidity minimum. Explicit results provide a detailed characterization of these features in the limit of strong flow.

Is the Pearl River basin, China, drying or wetting? Seasonal variations, causes and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiang; Li, Jianfeng; Gu, Xihui; Shi, Peijun

2018-07-01

Soil moisture plays crucial roles in the hydrological cycle and is also a critical link between land surface and atmosphere. The Pearl River basin (PRb) is climatically subtropical and tropical and is highly sensitive to climate changes. In this study, seasonal soil moisture changes across the PRb were analyzed using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model forced by the gridded 0.5° × 0.5° climatic observations. Seasonal changes of soil moisture in both space and time were investigated using the Mann-Kendall trend test method. Potential influencing factors behind seasonal soil moisture changes such as precipitation and temperature were identified using the Maximum Covariance Analysis (MCA) technique. The results indicated that: (1) VIC model performs well in describing changing properties of soil moisture across the PRb; (2) Distinctly different seasonal features of soil moisture can be observed. Soil moisture in spring decreased from east to west parts of the PRb. In summer however, soil moisture was higher in east and west parts but was lower in central parts of the PRb; (3) A significant drying trend was identified over the PRb in autumn, while no significant drying trends can be detected in other seasons; (4) The increase/decrease in precipitation can generally explain the wetting/drying tendency of soil moisture. However, warming temperature contributed significantly to the drying trends and these drying trends were particularly evident during autumn and winter; (5) Significant decreasing precipitation and increasing temperature combined to trigger substantially decreasing soil moisture in autumn. In winter, warming temperature is the major reason behind decreased soil moisture although precipitation is in slightly decreasing tendency. Season variations of soil moisture and related implications for hydro-meteorological processes in the subtropical and tropical river basins over the globe should arouse considerable human concerns.

Space environmental effects on spacecraft: LEO materials selection guide, part 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverman, Edward M.

1995-08-01

This document provides performance properties on major spacecraft materials and subsystems that have been exposed to the low-Earth orbit (LEO) space environment. Spacecraft materials include metals, polymers, composites, white and black paints, thermal-control blankets, adhesives, and lubricants. Spacecraft subsystems include optical components, solar cells, and electronics. Information has been compiled from LEO short-term spaceflight experiments (e.g., space shuttle) and from retrieved satellites of longer mission durations (e.g., Long Duration Exposure Facility). Major space environment effects include atomic oxygen (AO), ultraviolet radiation, micrometeoroids and debris, contamination, and particle radiation. The main objective of this document is to provide a decision tool to designers for designing spacecraft and structures. This document identifies the space environments that will affect the performance of materials and components, e.g., thermal-optical property changes of paints due to UV exposures, AO-induced surface erosion of composites, dimensional changes due to thermal cycling, vacuum-induced moisture outgassing, and surface optical changes due to AO/UV exposures. Where appropriate, relationships between the space environment and the attendant material/system effects are identified. Part 1 covers spacecraft design considerations for the space environment; advanced composites; polymers; adhesives; metals; ceramics; protective coatings; and lubricants, greases, and seals.

Space environmental effects on spacecraft: LEO materials selection guide, part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silverman, Edward M.

1995-01-01

This document provides performance properties on major spacecraft materials and subsystems that have been exposed to the low-Earth orbit (LEO) space environment. Spacecraft materials include metals, polymers, composites, white and black paints, thermal-control blankets, adhesives, and lubricants. Spacecraft subsystems include optical components, solar cells, and electronics. Information has been compiled from LEO short-term spaceflight experiments (e.g., space shuttle) and from retrieved satellites of longer mission durations (e.g., Long Duration Exposure Facility). Major space environment effects include atomic oxygen (AO), ultraviolet radiation, micrometeoroids and debris, contamination, and particle radiation. The main objective of this document is to provide a decision tool to designers for designing spacecraft and structures. This document identifies the space environments that will affect the performance of materials and components, e.g., thermal-optical property changes of paints due to UV exposures, AO-induced surface erosion of composites, dimensional changes due to thermal cycling, vacuum-induced moisture outgassing, and surface optical changes due to AO/UV exposures. Where appropriate, relationships between the space environment and the attendant material/system effects are identified. Part 1 covers spacecraft design considerations for the space environment; advanced composites; polymers; adhesives; metals; ceramics; protective coatings; and lubricants, greases, and seals.

Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensor for Plant Watering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maier, Thomas; Kamm, Lukas

2016-04-01

How can you realize a water saving and demand-driven plant watering device? To achieve this you need a sensor, which precisely detects the soil moisture. Designing such a sensor is the topic of this poster. We approached this subject with comparing several physical properties of water, e.g. the conductivity, permittivity, heat capacity and the soil water potential, which are suitable to detect the soil moisture via an electronic device. For our project we have developed a sensor device, which measures the soil moisture and provides the measured values for a plant watering system via a wireless bluetooth 4.0 network. Different sensor setups have been analyzed and the final sensor is the result of many iterative steps of improvement. In the end we tested the precision of our sensor and compared the results with theoretical values. The sensor is currently being used in the Botanical Garden of the Friedrich-Alexander-University in a long-term test. This will show how good the usability in the real field is. On the basis of these findings a marketable sensor will soon be available. Furthermore a more specific type of this sensor has been designed for the EU:CROPIS Space Project, where tomato plants will grow at different gravitational forces. Due to a very small (15mm x 85mm x 1.5mm) and light (5 gramm) realisation, our sensor has been selected for the space program. Now the scientists can monitor the water content of the substrate of the tomato plants in outer space and water the plants on demand.

Estimating the fuel moisture content of indicator sticks from selected weather variables

Treesearch

Theodore G. Storey

1965-01-01

Equations were developed to predict the fuel moisture content of indicator sticks from the controlling weather variables. Moisture content of ⅛-inch thick basswood slats used in the South and East could be determined with about equal precision by equation in the critical low moisture range or by weighing at fire danger stations. The most useful equation...

Corrosion of Embedded Metals in Wood: An Overview of Recent Research with Implications for building moisture design

Treesearch

Samuel L. Zelinka

2013-01-01

ASHRAE Standard 160, Criteria for Moisture-Control Design Analysis in Buildings, specifies moisture design criteria in buildings to prevent moisture damage such as fungal activity and corrosion. While there has been much research on mold and decay fungi in wood buildings, it is often overlooked that wet wood is corrosive to the metal screws...

Predicting moisture content: fuel moisture indicator sticks in the Pacific Northwest.

Treesearch

Owen P. Cramer

1961-01-01

Successful day-to-day planning of presuppression activities requires accurate prediction of burning index. In the Pacific Northwest, forecasts of burning index are prepared by the fire-control man and are based on predictions of windspeed and fuel moisture. Although fuel moisture is affected by a number of weather elements and is consequently difficult to predict, the...

Moisture variation inferred from a nebkha profile correlates with vegetation changes in the southwestern Mu Us Desert of China over one century.

PubMed

Li, Jinchang; Zhao, Yanfang; Han, Liuyan; Zhang, Guoming; Liu, Rentao

2017-11-15

We inferred moisture variations from the early 1930s to the early 2010s in the southwestern Mu Us Desert of China using Rb/Sr ratio, chemical index of alteration (CIA), and organic matter (OM) content in a nebkha profile. Our results showed that the variations in moisture may have been the main factor that controlled vegetation recovery or degradation, and we believe that gradual vegetation recovery was notable throughout the study area during the past 80years, despite two notable degradation stages during the mid-1950s and the mid-1980s. The Rb/Sr ratio, CIA, and OM content revealed that moisture levels increased during the study period, though with large interannual variations. During the early stage of nebkha formation, the moisture variations were controlled by unusually low precipitation. Thereafter, the precipitation, pan evaporation and temperature determined together moisture variations, but the key factor determining moisture variations was different during different periods. The moisture variations trend revealed in this study may not be restricted to this region as it was similar with the adjacent Mongolian Plateau. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soil Moisture Data Assimilation in the NASA Land Information System for Local Modeling Applications and Improved Situational Awareness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, Jonathan L.; Blakenship, Clay B.; Zavodsky, Bradley T.

2014-01-01

As part of the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Early Adopter (EA) program, the NASA Shortterm Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center has implemented a data assimilation (DA) routine into the NASA Land Information System (LIS) for soil moisture retrievals from the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite. The SMAP EA program promotes application-driven research to provide a fundamental understanding of how SMAP data products will be used to improve decision-making at operational agencies. SPoRT has partnered with select NOAA/NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) that use output from a real-time regional configuration of LIS, without soil moisture DA, to initialize local numerical weather prediction (NWP) models and enhance situational awareness. Improvements to local NWP with the current LIS have been demonstrated; however, a better representation of the land surface through assimilation of SMOS (and eventually SMAP) retrievals is expected to lead to further model improvement, particularly during warm-season months. SPoRT will collaborate with select WFOs to assess the impact of soil moisture DA on operational forecast situations. Assimilation of the legacy SMOS instrument data provides an opportunity to develop expertise in preparation for using SMAP data products shortly after the scheduled launch on 5 November 2014. SMOS contains a passive L-band radiometer that is used to retrieve surface soil moisture at 35-km resolution with an accuracy of 0.04 cu cm cm (exp -3). SMAP will feature a comparable passive L-band instrument in conjunction with a 3-km resolution active radar component of slightly degraded accuracy. A combined radar-radiometer product will offer unprecedented global coverage of soil moisture at high spatial resolution (9 km) for hydrometeorological applications, balancing the resolution and accuracy of the active and passive instruments, respectively. The LIS software framework manages land surface model (LSM) simulations and includes an Ensemble Kalman Filter for conducting land surface DA. SPoRT has added a module to read, quality-control and bias-correct swaths of Level II SMOS soil moisture retrievals prior to assimilation within LIS. The impact of SMOS DA is being tested using the Noah LSM. Experiments are being conducted to examine the impacts of SMOS soil moisture DA on the resulting LISNoah fields and subsequent NWP simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model initialized with LIS-Noah output. LIS-Noah soil moisture will be validated against in situ observations from Texas A&M's North American Soil Moisture Database to reveal the impact and possible improvement in soil moisture trends through DA. WRF model NWP case studies will test the impacts of DA on the simulated near-surface and boundary-layer environments, and precipitation during both quiescent and disturbed weather scenarios. Emphasis will be placed on cases with large analysis increments, especially due to contributions from regional irrigation patterns that are not represented by precipitation input in the baseline LIS-Noah run. This poster presentation will describe the soil moisture DA methodology and highlight LIS-Noah and WRF simulation results with and without assimilation.

Non-Venting Thermal and Humidity Control for EVA Suits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Izenson, Mike; Chen, Weibo; Bue, Grant

2011-01-01

Future EVA suits need processes and systems to control internal temperature and humidity without venting water to the environment. This paper describes an absorption-based cooling and dehumidification system as well as laboratory demonstrations of the key processes. There are two main components in the system: an evaporation cooling and dehumidification garment (ECDG) that removes both sensible heat and latent heat from the pressure garment, and an absorber radiator that absorbs moisture and rejects heat to space by thermal radiation. This paper discusses the overall design of both components, and presents recent data demonstrating their operation. We developed a design and fabrication approach to produce prototypical heat/water absorbing elements for the ECDG, and demonstrated by test that these elements could absorb heat and moisture at a high flux. Proof-of-concept tests showed that an ECDG prototype absorbs heat and moisture at a rate of 85 W/ft under conditions that simulate operation in an EVA suit. The heat absorption was primarily due to direct absorption of water vapor. It is possible to construct large, flexible, durable cooling patches that can be incorporated into a cooling garment with this system. The proof-of-concept test data was scaled to calculate area needed for full metabolic loads, thus showing that it is feasible to use this technology in an EVA suit. Full-scale, lightweight absorber/radiator modules have also been built and tested. They can reject heat at a flux of 33 W/ft while maintaining ECDG operation at conditions that will provide a cool and dry environment inside the EVA suit.

The advanced qualtiy control techniques planned for the Internation Soil Moisture Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xaver, A.; Gruber, A.; Hegiova, A.; Sanchis-Dufau, A. D.; Dorigo, W. A.

2012-04-01

In situ soil moisture observations are essential to evaluate and calibrate modeled and remotely sensed soil moisture products. Although a number of meteorological networks and field campaigns measuring soil moisture exist on a global and long-term scale, their observations are not easily accessible and lack standardization of both technique and protocol. Thus, handling and especially comparing these datasets with satellite products or land surface models is a demanding issue. To overcome these limitations the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN; http://www.ipf.tuwien.ac.at/insitu/) has been initiated to act as a centralized data hosting facility. One advantage of the ISMN is that users are able to access the harmonized datasets easily through a web portal. Another advantage is the fully automated processing chain including the data harmonization in terms of units and sampling interval, but even more important is the advanced quality control system each measurement has to run through. The quality of in situ soil moisture measurements is crucial for the validation of satellite- and model-based soil moisture retrievals; therefore a sophisticated quality control system was developed. After a check for plausibility and geophysical limits a quality flag is added to each measurement. An enhanced flagging mechanism was recently defined using a spectrum based approach to detect spurious spikes, jumps and plateaus. The International Soil Moisture Network has already evolved to one of the most important distribution platforms for in situ soil moisture observations and is still growing. Currently, data from 27 networks in total covering more than 800 stations in Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and Africa is hosted by the ISMN. Available datasets also include historical datasets as well as near real-time measurements. The improved quality control system will provide important information for satellite-based as well as land surface model-based validation studies.

Assimilation of Passive and Active Microwave Soil Moisture Retrievals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Draper, C. S.; Reichle, R. H.; DeLannoy, G. J. M.; Liu, Q.

2012-01-01

Root-zone soil moisture is an important control over the partition of land surface energy and moisture, and the assimilation of remotely sensed near-surface soil moisture has been shown to improve model profile soil moisture [1]. To date, efforts to assimilate remotely sensed near-surface soil moisture at large scales have focused on soil moisture derived from the passive microwave Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) and the active Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT; together with its predecessor on the European Remote Sensing satellites (ERS. The assimilation of passive and active microwave soil moisture observations has not yet been directly compared, and so this study compares the impact of assimilating ASCAT and AMSR-E soil moisture data, both separately and together. Since the soil moisture retrieval skill from active and passive microwave data is thought to differ according to surface characteristics [2], the impact of each assimilation on the model soil moisture skill is assessed according to land cover type, by comparison to in situ soil moisture observations.

The impact of moisture sources on the oxygen isotope composition of precipitation at a continental site in central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krklec, Kristina; Domínguez-Villar, David; Lojen, Sonja

2018-06-01

The stable isotope composition of precipitation records processes taking place within the hydrological cycle. Potentially, moisture sources are important controls on the stable isotope composition of precipitation, but studies focused on this topic are still scarce. We studied the moisture sources contributing to precipitation at Postojna (Slovenia) from 2009 to 2013. Back trajectory analyses were computed for the days with precipitation at Postojna. The moisture uptake locations were identified along these trajectories using standard hydrometeorological formulation. The moisture uptake locations were integrated in eight source regions to facilitate its comparison to the monthly oxygen isotope composition (δ18O values) of precipitation. Nearly half of the precipitation originated from continental sources (recycled moisture), and >40% was from central and western Mediterranean. Results show that moisture sources do not have a significant impact on the oxygen isotope composition at this site. We suggest that the large proportion of recycled moisture originated from transpiration rather than evaporation, which produced water vapour with less negative δ18O values. Thus the difference between the oceanic and local vapour source was reduced, which prevented the distinction of the moisture sources based on their oxygen isotope signature. Nevertheless, δ18O values of precipitation are partially controlled by climate parameters, which is of major importance for paleoclimate studies. We found that the main climate control on Postojna δ18O values of precipitation is the surface temperature. Amount effect was not recorded at this site, and the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) does not impact the δ18O values of precipitation. The Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO) was correlated to oxygen stable isotope composition, although this atmospheric pattern was not a control. Instead we found that the link to δ18O values results from synoptic scenarios affecting WeMO index as well as temperature. Therefore, interpretation of δ18O values of precipitation in terms of climate is limited to surface temperature, although at least half of the variability observed still depends on unknown controls of the hydrological cycle.

Environmental control and life support - Partially closed system will save big money

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guy, W. W.

1983-01-01

Although the NASA space station has not yet been completely defined, realistic estimates may be made of the environmental control and life support system requirements entailed by a crew of eight, a resupply interval of 90 days, an initial launch which includes expendables for the first resupply interval, 7.86 lb/day of water per person, etc. An appraisal of these requirements is presented which strongly suggests the utility of a partially closed life support system. Such a scheme would give the crew high quality water to drink, and recycle nonpotable water from hand washing, bathing, clothes and dish washing, and urinal flushing. The excess recovery process water is electrolyzed to provide metabolic and leakage oxygen. The crew would drink electrolysis water and atmospheric humidity control moisture-derived water.

Compact Radiometers Expand Climate Knowledge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2010-01-01

To gain a better understanding of Earth's water, energy, and carbon cycles, NASA plans to embark on the Soil Moisture Active and Passive mission in 2015. To prepare, Goddard Space Flight Center provided Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding to ProSensing Inc., of Amherst, Massachusetts, to develop a compact ultrastable radiometer for sea surface salinity and soil moisture mapping. ProSensing incorporated small, low-cost, high-performance elements into just a few circuit boards and now offers two lightweight radiometers commercially. Government research agencies, university research groups, and large corporations around the world are using the devices for mapping soil moisture, ocean salinity, and wind speed.

Terrestrial Ecosystem Science 2017 ECRP Annual Report: Tropical Forest Response to a Drier Future: Turnover Times of Soil Organic Matter, Roots, Respired CO 2, and CH 4 Across Moisture Gradients in Time and Space

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

McFarlane, Karis J.

The overall goal of my Early Career research is to constrain belowground carbon turnover times for tropical forests across a broad range in moisture regimes. My group is using 14C analysis and modeling to address two major objectives: quantify age and belowground carbon turnover times across tropical forests spanning a moisture gradient from wetlands to dry forest; and identify specific areas for focused model improvement and data needs through site-specific model-data comparison and belowground carbon modeling for tropic forests.

A moisture and electric coupling stimulated ionic polymer-metal composite actuator with controllable deformation behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ru, Jie; Zhu, Zicai; Wang, Yanjie; Chen, Hualing; Bian, Changsheng; Luo, Bin; Li, Dichen

2018-02-01

Ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuator can generate large and rapid deformation based on ion migration under a relatively low driving voltage. Under full hydrated conditions, the deformation is always prone to relaxation. At room humidity conditions, the deformation increases substantially at the early stage of actuation, and then decreases gradually. Generally, most researchers considered that the change of water content or relative humidity mainly leads to the deformation instabilities, which severely limits the practical applications of IPMC. In this Letter, a novel actuation mode is proposed to control the deformation behavior of IPMC by employing moisture as an independent or collaborative incentive source together with the electric field. The deformation response is continuously measured under electric field, electric field-moisture coupling stimulus and moisture stimulus. The result shows that moisture can be a favorable driving factor for IPMC actuation. Such an electric field-moisture coupling stimulus can avoid the occurrence of deformation instabilities and guarantee a superior controllable deformation in IPMC actuation. This research provides a new method to obtain stable and large deformation of IPMC, which is of great significance for the guidance of material design and application for IPMC and IPMC-type iEAP materials.

Initializing numerical weather prediction models with satellite-derived surface soil moisture: Data assimilation experiments with ECMWF's Integrated Forecast System and the TMI soil moisture data set

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drusch, M.

2007-02-01

Satellite-derived surface soil moisture data sets are readily available and have been used successfully in hydrological applications. In many operational numerical weather prediction systems the initial soil moisture conditions are analyzed from the modeled background and 2 m temperature and relative humidity. This approach has proven its efficiency to improve surface latent and sensible heat fluxes and consequently the forecast on large geographical domains. However, since soil moisture is not always related to screen level variables, model errors and uncertainties in the forcing data can accumulate in root zone soil moisture. Remotely sensed surface soil moisture is directly linked to the model's uppermost soil layer and therefore is a stronger constraint for the soil moisture analysis. For this study, three data assimilation experiments with the Integrated Forecast System (IFS) of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) have been performed for the 2-month period of June and July 2002: a control run based on the operational soil moisture analysis, an open loop run with freely evolving soil moisture, and an experimental run incorporating TMI (TRMM Microwave Imager) derived soil moisture over the southern United States. In this experimental run the satellite-derived soil moisture product is introduced through a nudging scheme using 6-hourly increments. Apart from the soil moisture analysis, the system setup reflects the operational forecast configuration including the atmospheric 4D-Var analysis. Soil moisture analyzed in the nudging experiment is the most accurate estimate when compared against in situ observations from the Oklahoma Mesonet. The corresponding forecast for 2 m temperature and relative humidity is almost as accurate as in the control experiment. Furthermore, it is shown that the soil moisture analysis influences local weather parameters including the planetary boundary layer height and cloud coverage.

Embankment quality and assessment of moisture control implementation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-02-01

A specification for contractor moisture quality control (QC) in roadway embankment construction has been in use for approximately 10 : years in Iowa on about 190 projects. The use of this QC specification and the development of the soils certificatio...

Embankment quality and assessment of moisture control implementation : tech transfer summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-02-01

The motivation for this project was based on work by : Iowa State University (ISU) researchers at a few recent : grading projects that demonstrated embankments were : being constructed outside moisture control limits, even : though the contractor QC ...

Soil moisture transport in arid site vadose zones. [Evaluation of Hanford as national site for radioactive waste storage

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

Brownell, L.E.; Backer, J.G.; Isaacson, R.E.

1975-07-01

Data are presented from measurements of soil moisture at the Hanford Reservation. Possible mechanisms for moisture transport in arid and semi-arid climates were studied. Measurements for the lysimeter experiment and the thermocouple psychrometer experiment were continued with a new series of measurements using closely spaced sensors installed to a depth of 1.52 meters. During the 1973-1974 water year the percolation envelope of higher moisture content penetrated to a depth of four meters in the closed-bottom lysimeter and then was eliminated by upward transport of water in late summer. Precipitation during the 1973-1974 water year percolated to a depth of aboutmore » six meters in the open-bottom lysimeter and remains as a residual perched envelope. The increase over normal percolation was due in part to a residual envelope of higher moisture content from the previous water year. Results obtained indicate the advantages of Hanford as a site for a national repository for radioactive waste. (CH)« less

Evaluating ESA CCI Soil Moisture in East Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McNally, Amy; Shukla, Shraddhanand; Arsenault, Kristi R.; Wang, Shugong; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Verdin, James P.

2016-01-01

To assess growing season conditions where ground based observations are limited or unavailable, food security and agricultural drought monitoring analysts rely on publicly available remotely sensed rainfall and vegetation greenness. There are also remotely sensed soil moisture observations from missions like the European Space Agency (ESA) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and NASAs Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), however these time series are still too short to conduct studies that demonstrate the utility of these data for operational applications, or to provide historical context for extreme wet or dry events. To promote the use of remotely sensed soil moisture in agricultural drought and food security monitoring, we use East Africa as a case study to evaluate the quality of a 30+ year time series of merged active-passive microwave soil moisture from the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI-SM). Compared to the Normalized Difference Vegetation index (NDVI) and modeled soil moisture products, we found substantial spatial and temporal gaps in the early part of the CCI-SM record, with adequate data coverage beginning in 1992. From this point forward, growing season CCI-SM anomalies were well correlated (R greater than 0.5) with modeled, seasonal soil moisture, and in some regions, NDVI. We use correlation analysis and qualitative comparisons at seasonal time scales to show that remotely sensed soil moisture can add information to a convergence of evidence framework that traditionally relies on rainfall and NDVI in moderately vegetated regions.

Advances in Land Data Assimilation at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reichle, Rolf

2009-01-01

Research in land surface data assimilation has grown rapidly over the last decade. In this presentation we provide a brief overview of key research contributions by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The GSFC contributions to land assimilation primarily include the continued development and application of the Land Information System (US) and the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF). In particular, we have developed a method to generate perturbation fields that are correlated in space, time, and across variables and that permit the flexible modeling of errors in land surface models and observations, along with an adaptive filtering approach that estimates observation and model error input parameters. A percentile-based scaling method that addresses soil moisture biases in model and observational estimates opened the path to the successful application of land data assimilation to satellite retrievals of surface soil moisture. Assimilation of AMSR-E surface soil moisture retrievals into the NASA Catchment model provided superior surface and root zone assimilation products (when validated against in situ measurements and compared to the model estimates or satellite observations alone). The multi-model capabilities of US were used to investigate the role of subsurface physics in the assimilation of surface soil moisture observations. Results indicate that the potential of surface soil moisture assimilation to improve root zone information is higher when the surface to root zone coupling is stronger. Building on this experience, GSFC leads the development of the Level 4 Surface and Root-Zone Soil Moisture (L4_SM) product for the planned NASA Soil-Moisture-Active-Passive (SMAP) mission. A key milestone was the design and execution of an Observing System Simulation Experiment that quantified the contribution of soil moisture retrievals to land data assimilation products as a function of retrieval and land model skill and yielded an estimate of the error budget for the SMAP L4_SM product. Terrestrial water storage observations from GRACE satellite system were also successfully assimilated into the NASA Catchment model and provided improved estimates of groundwater variability when compared to the model estimates alone. Moreover, satellite-based land surface temperature (LST) observations from the ISCCP archive were assimilated using a bias estimation module that was specifically designed for LST assimilation. As with soil moisture, LST assimilation provides modest yet statistically significant improvements when compared to the model or satellite observations alone. To achieve the improvement, however, the LST assimilation algorithm must be adapted to the specific formulation of LST in the land model. An improved method for the assimilation of snow cover observations was also developed. Finally, the coupling of LIS to the mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model enabled investigations into how the sensitivity of land-atmosphere interactions to the specific choice of planetary boundary layer scheme and land surface model varies across surface moisture regimes, and how it can be quantified and evaluated against observations. The on-going development and integration of land assimilation modules into the Land Information System will enable the use of GSFC software with a variety of land models and make it accessible to the research community.

The Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Entekhabi, Dara; Nijoku, Eni G.; ONeill, Peggy E.; Kellogg, Kent H.; Crow, Wade T.; Edelstein, Wendy N.; Entin, Jared K.; Goodman, Shawn D.; Jackson, Thomas J.; Johnson, Joel;

Soil moisture downscaling using a simple thermal based proxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Jian; Loew, Alexander; Niesel, Jonathan

2016-04-01

Microwave remote sensing has been largely applied to retrieve soil moisture (SM) from active and passive sensors. The obvious advantage of microwave sensor is that SM can be obtained regardless of atmospheric conditions. However, existing global SM products only provide observations at coarse spatial resolutions, which often hamper their applications in regional hydrological studies. Therefore, various downscaling methods have been proposed to enhance the spatial resolution of satellite soil moisture products. The aim of this study is to investigate the validity and robustness of a simple Vegetation Temperature Condition Index (VTCI) downscaling scheme over different climates and regions. Both polar orbiting (MODIS) and geostationary (MSG SEVIRI) satellite data are used to improve the spatial resolution of the European Space Agency's Water Cycle Multi-mission Observation Strategy and Climate Change Initiative (ESA CCI) soil moisture, which is a merged product based on both active and passive microwave observations. The results from direct validation against soil moisture in-situ measurements, spatial pattern comparison, as well as seasonal and land use analyses show that the downscaling method can significantly improve the spatial details of CCI soil moisture while maintain the accuracy of CCI soil moisture. The application of the scheme with different satellite platforms and over different regions further demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed method. Therefore, the VTCI downscaling method has the potential to facilitate relevant hydrological applications that require high spatial and temporal resolution soil moisture.

Moisture damage and asthma: a birth cohort study.

PubMed

Karvonen, Anne M; Hyvärinen, Anne; Korppi, Matti; Haverinen-Shaughnessy, Ulla; Renz, Harald; Pfefferle, Petra I; Remes, Sami; Genuneit, Jon; Pekkanen, Juha

2015-03-01

Excess moisture and visible mold are associated with increased risk of asthma. Only a few studies have performed detailed home visits to characterize the extent and location of moisture damage and mold growth. Structured home inspections were performed in a birth cohort study when the children were 5 months old (on average). Children (N = 398) were followed up to the age of 6 years. Specific immunoglobulin E concentrations were determined at 6 years. Moisture damage and mold at an early age in the child's main living areas (but not in bathrooms or other interior spaces) were associated with the risk of developing physician-diagnosed asthma ever, persistent asthma, and respiratory symptoms during the first 6 years. Associations with asthma ever were strongest for moisture damage with visible mold in the child's bedroom (adjusted odds ratio: 4.82 [95% confidence interval: 1.29-18.02]) and in the living room (adjusted odds ratio: 7.51 [95% confidence interval: 1.49-37.83]). Associations with asthma ever were stronger in the earlier part of the follow-up and among atopic children. No consistent associations were found between moisture damage with or without visible mold and atopic sensitization. Moisture damage and mold in early infancy in the child's main living areas were associated with asthma development. Atopic children may be more susceptible to the effects of moisture damage and mold. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

9 CFR 3.28 - Primary enclosures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... constructed of smooth material substantially impervious to liquids and moisture. (2) Primary enclosures shall... shall be so constructed as to allow feces to pass through the spaces of the mesh or wire: Provided...) Space requirements for primary enclosures acquired before August 15, 1990—(1) Guinea pigs and hamsters...

9 CFR 3.28 - Primary enclosures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... constructed of smooth material substantially impervious to liquids and moisture. (2) Primary enclosures shall... shall be so constructed as to allow feces to pass through the spaces of the mesh or wire: Provided...) Space requirements for primary enclosures acquired before August 15, 1990—(1) Guinea pigs and hamsters...

Plant growth during the Greenhouse II experiment on the Mir orbital station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salisbury, F. B.; Campbell, W. F.; Carman, J. G.; Bingham, G. E.; Bubenheim, D. L.; Yendler, B.; Sytchev, V.; Levinskikh, M. A.; Ivanova, I.; Chernova, L.;

High-Resolution Soil Moisture Retrieval using SMAP-L Band Radiometer and RISAT-C band Radar Data for the Indian Subcontinent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, G.; Das, N. N.; Panda, R. K.; Mohanty, B.; Entekhabi, D.; Bhattacharya, B. K.

2016-12-01

Soil moisture status at high resolution (1-10 km) is vital for hydrological, agricultural and hydro-metrological applications. The NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission had potential to provide reliable soil moisture estimate at finer spatial resolutions (3 km and 9 km) at the global extent, but suffered a malfunction of its radar, consequently making the SMAP mission observations only from radiometer that are of coarse spatial resolution. At present, the availability of high-resolution soil moisture product is limited, especially in developing countries like India, which greatly depends on agriculture for sustaining a huge population. Therefore, an attempt has been made in the reported study to combine the C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) with the SMAP mission L-band radiometer data to obtain high-resolution (1 km and 3 km) soil moisture estimates. In this study, a downscaling approach (Active-Passive Algorithm) implemented for the SMAP mission was used to disaggregate the SMAP radiometer brightness temperature (Tb) using the fine resolution SAR backscatter (σ0) from RISAT. The downscaled high-resolution Tb was then subjected to tau-omega model in conjunction with high-resolution ancillary data to retrieve soil moisture at 1 and 3 km scale. The retrieved high-resolution soil moisture estimates were then validated with ground based soil moisture measurement under different hydro-climatic regions of India. Initial results show tremendous potential and reasonable accuracy for the retrieved soil moisture at 1 km and 3 km. It is expected that ISRO will implement this approach to produce high-resolution soil moisture estimates for the Indian subcontinent.

Design of modular control system for grain dryers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Gaoqing; Liu, Yanhua; Zu, Yuan

In order to effectively control the temperature of grain drying bin, grain ,air outlet as well as the grain moisture, it designed the control system of 5HCY-35 which is based on MCU to adapt to all grains drying conditions, high drying efficiency, long life usage and less manually. The system includes: the control module of the constant temperature and the temperature difference control in drying bin, the constant temperature control of heating furnace, on-line testing of moisture, variety of grain-circulation speed control and human-computer interaction interface. Spatial curve simulation, which takes moisture as control objectives, controls the constant temperature and the temperature difference in drying bin according to preset parameter by the user or a list to reduce the grains explosive to ensure the seed germination percentage. The system can realize the intelligent control of high efficiency and various drying, the good scalability and the high quality.

Preoperational test report, recirculation ventilation systems

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

Clifton, F.T.

1997-11-11

This represents a preoperational test report for Recirculation Ventilation Systems, Project W-030. Project W-030 provides a ventilation upgrade for the four Aging Waste Facility tanks. The system provides vapor space cooling of tanks AY1O1, AY102, AZ1O1, AZ102 and supports the ability to exhaust air from each tank. Each system consists of a valved piping loop, a fan, condenser, and moisture separator; equipment is located inside each respective tank farm in its own hardened building. The tests verify correct system operation and correct indications displayed by the central Monitor and Control System.

Dampness and Moisture Problems in Norwegian Homes

PubMed Central

Becher, Rune; Høie, Anja Hortemo; Bakke, Jan Vilhelm; Holøs, Sverre Bjørn; Øvrevik, Johan

2017-01-01

The occurrence of dampness and mold in the indoor environment is associated with respiratory-related disease outcomes. Thus, it is pertinent to know the magnitude of such indoor environment problems to be able to estimate the potential health impact in the population. In the present study, the moisture damage in 10,112 Norwegian dwellings was recorded based on building inspection reports. The levels of moisture damage were graded based on a condition class (CC), where CC0 is immaculate and CC1 acceptable (actions not required), while CC2 and CC3 indicate increased levels of damage that requires action. Of the 10,112 dwellings investigated, 3125 had verified moisture or mold damage. This amounts to 31% of the surveyed dwellings. Of these, 27% had CC2 as the worst grade, whereas 4% had CC3 as the worst grade level. The room types and building structures most prone to moisture damage were (in rank order) crawl spaces, basements, un-insulated attics, cooling rooms, and bathrooms. The high proportion of homes with moisture damage indicate a possible risk for respiratory diseases in a relatively large number of individuals, even if only the more extensive moisture damages and those located in rooms where occupants spend the majority of their time would have a significant influence on adverse health effects. PMID:29039816

On the Concept of Hydrologic Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellison, D.

2017-12-01

Forests provide a number of important water-related ecosystem services including water purification and flood mitigation. We illustrate that the forest role in precipitation recycling and the regulation of the hydrologic cycle must also be clearly recognized as an ecosystem service. Deforestation leads to more local runoff and reduced precipitation. However, the importance of afforestation in contributing to the flow of atmospheric moisture and thus promoting precipitation recycling is underappreciated. Since much of the evapotranspiration from forests falls again as precipitation, the terrestrial, forest-based production of atmospheric moisture has important consequences, both for local and downwind precipitation and water availability. We emphasize the importance of inter-basin connectivity: what happens in one basin cannot be separated from what happens in others. This spatial interconnectedness is poorly reflected in the study of land-atmosphere interactions and the contribution of forests to the hydrologic regime. Focusing on the supply-side characteristics of rainfall, we define and develop the concept of hydrologic space and apply the concept to the derivation of the catchment basin water balance. Conventional approaches to the c-basin water balance typically fail to consider the import and export of atmospheric moisture as a principal determinant of locally and regionally available water supply. Land use modification has important implications for the availability of atmospheric moisture, the production of precipitation, the re-export of available moisture and the availability of runoff: the total amount of water available for productive and consumptive purposes. These consequences are not adequately recognized in most policy efforts at multiple scales and levels of governance.

Improving the accuracy of electronic moisture meters for runner-type peanuts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Runner-type peanut kernel moisture content (MC) is measured periodically during curing and post harvest processing with electronic moisture meters for marketing and quality control. MC is predicted for 250 g samples of kernels with a mathematical function from measurements of various physical prope...

Long term observation and validation of windsat soil moisture data

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The surface soil moisture controls surface energy budget. It is a key environmental variable in the coupled atmospheric and hydrological processes that are related to drought, heat waves and monsoon formation. Satellite remote sensing of soil moisture provides information that can contribute to unde...

Extending the soil moisture record of the climate reference network with machine learning

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil moisture estimation is crucial for agricultural decision-support and a key component of hydrological and climatic research. Unfortunately, quality-controlled soil moisture time series data are uncommon before the most recent decade. However, time series data for precipitation are accessible at ...

Processing and properties of a solid energy fuel from municipal solid waste (MSW) and recycled plastics.

PubMed

Gug, JeongIn; Cacciola, David; Sobkowicz, Margaret J

2015-01-01

Diversion of waste streams such as plastics, woods, papers and other solid trash from municipal landfills and extraction of useful materials from landfills is an area of increasing interest especially in densely populated areas. One promising technology for recycling municipal solid waste (MSW) is to burn the high-energy-content components in standard coal power plant. This research aims to reform wastes into briquettes that are compatible with typical coal combustion processes. In order to comply with the standards of coal-fired power plants, the feedstock must be mechanically robust, free of hazardous contaminants, and moisture resistant, while retaining high fuel value. This study aims to investigate the effects of processing conditions and added recyclable plastics on the properties of MSW solid fuels. A well-sorted waste stream high in paper and fiber content was combined with controlled levels of recyclable plastics PE, PP, PET and PS and formed into briquettes using a compression molding technique. The effect of added plastics and moisture content on binding attraction and energy efficiency were investigated. The stability of the briquettes to moisture exposure, the fuel composition by proximate analysis, briquette mechanical strength, and burning efficiency were evaluated. It was found that high processing temperature ensures better properties of the product addition of milled mixed plastic waste leads to better encapsulation as well as to greater calorific value. Also some moisture removal (but not complete) improves the compacting process and results in higher heating value. Analysis of the post-processing water uptake and compressive strength showed a correlation between density and stability to both mechanical stress and humid environment. Proximate analysis indicated heating values comparable to coal. The results showed that mechanical and moisture uptake stability were improved when the moisture and air contents were optimized. Moreover, the briquette sample composition was similar to biomass fuels but had significant advantages due to addition of waste plastics that have high energy content compared to other waste types. Addition of PP and HDPE presented better benefits than addition of PET due to lower softening temperature and lower oxygen content. It should be noted that while harmful emissions such as dioxins, furans and mercury can result from burning plastics, WTE facilities have been able to control these emissions to meet US EPA standards. This research provides a drop-in coal replacement that reduces demand on landfill space and replaces a significant fraction of fossil-derived fuel with a renewable alternative. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Moisture-Mediated Interactions Between Amorphous Maltodextrins and Crystalline Fructose.

PubMed

Thorat, Alpana; Marrs, Krystin N; Ghorab, Mohamed K; Meunier, Vincent; Forny, Laurent; Taylor, Lynne S; Mauer, Lisa J

2017-05-01

The effects of coformulating amorphous maltodextrins (MDs) and crystalline fructose, a deliquescent solid, on the moisture sorption, deliquescence point (RH 0 ), and glass transition temperature (T g ) behaviors were determined. Moisture sorption profiles of binary fructose:MD mixtures and individual ingredients were generated using controlled relative humidity (RH) desiccators and by dynamic vapor sorption techniques. Blends exhibited synergistic moisture uptake at RHs below the RH 0 of fructose, attributed to partial dissolution of fructose in plasticized MD matrices without a significant reduction in the RH 0 of the undissolved fructose. Increasing storage temperature decreased the onset RH for moisture sorption synergy. At all storage RHs, the measured T g (2nd scan) was significantly reduced in fructose:MD mixtures compared to individual MDs, and was related to both the synergistic moisture uptake in the blends and heat-induced ternary fructose-MD-water interactions in the differential scanning calorimeter. Differences were found between the behavior of fructose:MD blends and previous reports of sucrose:MD and NaCl:MD blends, caused in part by the lower RH 0 of fructose. The enhanced moisture sorption in blends of deliquescent and amorphous ingredients could lead to problematic moisture-induced changes if storage conditions are not controlled. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Spaceborne Microwave Instrument for High Resolution Remote Sensing of the Earth's Surface Using a Large-Aperture Mesh Antenna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Njoku, E.; Wilson, W.; Yueh, S.; Freeland, R.; Helms, R.; Edelstein, W.; Sadowy, G.; Farra, D.; West, R.; Oxnevad, K.

2001-01-01

This report describes a two-year study of a large-aperture, lightweight, deployable mesh antenna system for radiometer and radar remote sensing of the Earth from space. The study focused specifically on an instrument to measure ocean salinity and Soil moisture. Measurements of ocean salinity and soil moisture are of critical . importance in improving knowledge and prediction of key ocean and land surface processes, but are not currently obtainable from space. A mission using this instrument would be the first demonstration of deployable mesh antenna technology for remote sensing and could lead to potential applications in other remote sensing disciplines that require high spatial resolution measurements. The study concept features a rotating 6-m-diameter deployable mesh antenna, with radiometer and radar sensors, to measure microwave emission and backscatter from the Earth's surface. The sensors operate at L and S bands, with multiple polarizations and a constant look angle, scanning across a wide swath. The study included detailed analyses of science requirements, reflector and feedhorn design and performance, microwave emissivity measurements of mesh samples, design and test of lightweight radar electronic., launch vehicle accommodations, rotational dynamics simulations, and an analysis of attitude control issues associated with the antenna and spacecraft, The goal of the study was to advance the technology readiness of the overall concept to a level appropriate for an Earth science emission.

Controls on vegetation – soil moisture coupling in arid shrublands during drought elicited through long-term data

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Our goal was to quantify variation in ecological responses to sustained period of moisture limitation (ecological drought) across a semiarid ecological landscape in northern Chihuahuan Desert, USA. We obtained long-term meteorological, ecological site, soil moisture and aboveground net primary prod...

Integrating an embedded system in a microwave moisture meter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The conversion of a PC- or laptop-controlled microwave moisture meter to a stand-alone meter hosting its own embedded system is discussed. The moisture meter measures the attenuation and phase shift of low power microwaves traversing the sample, from which the dielectric properties are calculated. T...

Integrating an Embedded System within a Microwave Moisture Meter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this paper, the conversion of a PC or laptop-controlled microwave moisture meter to a stand-alone meter hosting its own embedded system is discussed. The moisture meter uses low-power microwaves to measure the attenuation and phase shift of the sample, from which the dielectric properties are cal...

Role of subsurface physics in the assimilation of surface soil moisture observations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil moisture controls the exchange of water and energy between the land surface and the atmosphere and exhibits memory that may be useful for climate prediction at monthly time scales. Though spatially distributed observations of soil moisture are increasingly becoming available from remotely sense...

The impact of compaction, moisture content, particle size and type of bulking agent on initial physical properties of sludge-bulking agent mixtures before composting.

PubMed

Huet, J; Druilhe, C; Trémier, A; Benoist, J C; Debenest, G

2012-06-01

This study aimed to experimentally acquire evolution profiles between depth, bulk density, Free Air Space (FAS), air permeability and thermal conductivity in initial composting materials. The impact of two different moisture content, two particle size and two types of bulking agent on these four parameters was also evaluated. Bulk density and thermal conductivity both increased with depth while FAS and air permeability both decreased with it. Moreover, depth and moisture content had a significant impact on almost all the four physical parameters contrary to particle size and the type of bulking agent. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cryogenic Moisture Analysis of Spray-On Foam Insulation (SOFI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

The NASA Cryogenics Test Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center conducted long-term testing of SOFI materials under actual-use cryogenic conditions. The lab tested NCFI 24-124 (acreage foam), BX-265 (close-out foam, including intertank flange and bipod areas), and a potential alternate material, NCFI 27-68 (acreage foam with the flame retardant removed). Specimens of all three materials were placed at a site that simulated aging (the Vehicle Assembly Building [VAB]) and a site that simulated weathering (Atmospheric Exposure Test Site [beach site]). After aging/ weathering intervals of 3, 6, and 12 months, the samples were retrieved and tested for their ability to absorb moisture under conditions similar to those experienced by the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) during the loading of cryogenic propellants.

Soil Fumigation: Principles and Application Technology

PubMed Central

Lembright, H. W.

1990-01-01

The principal soil fumigants and their order of discovery are carbon disulfide, chloropicrin, methyl bromide, 1,3-dichloropropene, ethylene dibromide, 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, and methyl isothiocyanate. Biological activity of soil fumigants ranges from limited to broad spectrum. Fumigants diffuse through the continuous soil air space as gases. Physical and chemical characteristics determine diffusion rates, distribution between the soil air and moisture, and sorption onto and into the soil particles. The principal soil factors affecting the efficacy of each treatment are the size and continuity of air space, moisture, temperature, organic matter, and depth of placement. Application can be made overall with tractor injection or plow-sole, or as a row or bed treatment. Treatment for trees is best made in conjunction with tree site backhoeing. PMID:19287772

Historical climate controls soil respiration responses to current soil moisture.

PubMed

Hawkes, Christine V; Waring, Bonnie G; Rocca, Jennifer D; Kivlin, Stephanie N

2017-06-13

Ecosystem carbon losses from soil microbial respiration are a key component of global carbon cycling, resulting in the transfer of 40-70 Pg carbon from soil to the atmosphere each year. Because these microbial processes can feed back to climate change, understanding respiration responses to environmental factors is necessary for improved projections. We focus on respiration responses to soil moisture, which remain unresolved in ecosystem models. A common assumption of large-scale models is that soil microorganisms respond to moisture in the same way, regardless of location or climate. Here, we show that soil respiration is constrained by historical climate. We find that historical rainfall controls both the moisture dependence and sensitivity of respiration. Moisture sensitivity, defined as the slope of respiration vs. moisture, increased fourfold across a 480-mm rainfall gradient, resulting in twofold greater carbon loss on average in historically wetter soils compared with historically drier soils. The respiration-moisture relationship was resistant to environmental change in field common gardens and field rainfall manipulations, supporting a persistent effect of historical climate on microbial respiration. Based on these results, predicting future carbon cycling with climate change will require an understanding of the spatial variation and temporal lags in microbial responses created by historical rainfall.

Effect of chitosan coatings enriched with cinnamon oil on proximate composition of rainbow trout fillets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yıldız, Pınar Oǧuzhan

2017-04-01

The effects of chitosan coating enriched with cinnamon oil on proximate composition of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) during storage at 4°C was investigated. The treatments included the following: C1 (control samples), C2 (chitosan coating) and C3 (chitosan + 1 % [v/w] cinnamon EO added). The control and the coated fish samples were analysed for chemical (moisture, protein, lipid and ash) composition. The mean of moisture, protein, lipid and ash in the control samples (C1) were 70.3%, 20.1%, 2.6% and 1.2%, in coated samples (C2) 69.70%, 24.21%, 2.4% and 2.2% and coated+cinnamon oil samples (C3) 69.70%, 25.05%, 2.5% and 2.2%, respectively. Moisture and lipid contents in control groups were higher than other groups, but protein and ash contents were lower. Significant increases (p<0.05) in protein content were observed between samples, which subsequently decreased the moisture content of these samples.

A plant culture system for producing food and recycling materials with sweetpotato in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitaya, Yoshiaki; Yano, Sachiko; Hirai, Hiroaki

2016-07-01

The long term human life support in space is greatly dependent on the amounts of food, atmospheric O2 and clean water produced by plants. Therefore, the bio-regenerative life support system such as space farming with scheduling of crop production, obtaining high yields with a rapid turnover rate, converting atmospheric CO2 to O2 and purifying water should be established with employing suitable plant species and varieties and precisely controlling environmental variables around plants grown at a high density in a limited space. We are developing a sweetpotato culture system for producing tuberous roots as a high-calorie food and fresh edible leaves and stems as a nutritive functional vegetable food in space. In this study, we investigated the ability of food production, CO2 to O2 conversion through photosynthesis, and clean water production through transpiration in the sweetpotato production system. The biomass of edible parts in the whole plant was almost 100%. The proportion of the top (leaves and stems) and tuberous roots was strongly affected by environmental variables even when the total biomass production was mostly the same. The production of biomass and clean water was controllable especially by light, atmospheric CO2 and moisture and gas regimes in the root zone. It was confirmed that sweetpotato can be utilized for the vegetable crop as well as the root crop allowing a little waste and is a promising functional crop for supporting long-duration human activity in space.

Combining SAR with LANDSAT for Change Detection of Riparian Buffer Zone in a Semi-arid River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, N.

2006-12-01

A combination of RADARSAT-1 and Landsat 5 TM satellite images linking the soil moisture variation with Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) measurements were used to accomplish remotely sensed change detection of riparian buffer zone in the Choke Canyon Reservoir Watershed (CCRW), South Texas. The CCRW was selected as the study area contributing to the reservoir, which is mostly agricultural and range land in a semi-arid coastal environment. This makes the study significant due to the interception capability of non-point source impact within the riparian buffer zone and the maintenance of ecosystem integrity region wide. First of all, an estimation of soil moisture using RADARSAT-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery was conducted. With its all-weather capability, the RADARSAT-1 is a promising tool for measuring the surface soil moisture over seasons. The time constraint is almost negligible since the RADARSAT-1 is able to capture surface soil moisture over a large area in a matter of seconds, if the area is within its swath. RADARSAT-1 images presented at here were captured in two acquisitions, including April and September 2004. With the aid of five corner reflectors deployed by Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF), essential radiometric and geometric calibrations were performed to improve the accuracy of the SAR imagery. The horizontal errors were reduced from initially 560 meter down to less than 5 meter at the best try. Then two Landsat 5 TM satellite images were summarized based on its NDVI. The combination of and NDVI and SAR data obviously show that soil moisture and vegetation biomass wholly varies in space and time in the CCRW leading to identify the riparian buffer zone evolution over seasons. It is found that the seasonal soil moisture variation is highly tied with the NDVI values and the change detection of buffer zone is technically feasible. It will contribute to develop more effective management strategies for non-point source pollution control, bird habitat monitoring, and grazing and live stock handlings in the future. Future research focuses on comparison of soil moisture variability within RADARSAT-1 footprints and NDVI variations against interferometric SAR for studying riparian ecosystem functioning on a seasonal basis.

Comparing Stable Water Isotope Variation in Atmospheric Moisture Observed over Coastal Water and Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, C. T.; Rambo, J. P.; Welp, L. R.; Bible, K.; Hollinger, D. Y.

2014-12-01

Stable oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δD) isotopologues of atmospheric moisture are strongly influenced by large-scale synoptic weather cycles, surface evapotranspiration and boundary layer mixing. Atmospheric water isotope variation has been shown to empirically relate to relative humidity (Rh) of near surface moisture, and to a less degree, air temperature. Continuous δ18O and δD measurements are becoming more available, providing new opportunities to investigate processes that control isotope variability. This study shows the comparison of δ18O and δD measured at a continental location and over coastal waters for 3 seasons (spring to fall, 2014). The surface moisture isotope measurements were made using two LGR spectroscopy water vapor isotope analyzers (Los Gatos Research Inc.), one operated in an old-growth coniferous forest at Wind River field station, WA (45.8205°N, 121.9519°W), and another sampling marine air over seawater at the Scripps Pier in San Diego, CA (32.8654°N, 117.2536°W), USA. Isotope variations were measured at 1Hz and data were reported as hourly averages with an overall accuracy of ±0.1‰ for δ18O, ±0.5‰ for δ2H. Day-to-day variations in δ18O and δD are shown strongly influenced by synoptic weather events at both locations. Boundary layer mixing between surface moisture and the dry air entrained from the free troposphere exerts a midday maximum and a consistent diel pattern in deuterium excess (dx). At the forest site, surface moisture also interacts with leaf water through transpiration during the day and re-equilibration at night. The latter occurs by retro-diffusion of atmospheric H2O molecules into leaf intercellular space, which becomes intensified as Rh increaes after nightfall, and continues until sunrise, to counter-balance the evaporative isotopic enrichment in leaf water on a daily basis. These vegetation effects lead to negative dx values consistently observed at nighttime in this continental location that were not seen in marine air. This study shows strong evidence suggesting the utility of applying these isotope tracers and, provides data to quantify atmospheric moisture variability in land surface models.

NASA Sees Post-Patricia Moisture, Winds Stalking the Mid-Atlantic

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

The remnant moisture from what was once Hurricane Patricia and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico were being transported north by a trough of low pressure over Wisconsin. The clouds and moisture were streaming into the Eastern third of the U.S. on October 28, 2015. The hybrid system was generating windy conditions which were seen from NASA's RapidScat instrument, while NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured an image of the impressive and sizeable cloud cover. Read more: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/patricia-eastern-pacific-2015 Credit: NOAA/NASA GOES Project NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Innovative application of the moisture analyzer for determination of dry mass content of processed cheese

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowalska, Małgorzata; Janas, Sławomir; Woźniak, Magdalena

2018-04-01

The aim of this work was the presentation of an alternative method of determination of the total dry mass content in processed cheese. The authors claim that the presented method can be used in industry's quality control laboratories for routine testing and for quick in-process control. For the test purposes both reference method of determination of dry mass in processed cheese and moisture analyzer method were used. The tests were carried out for three different kinds of processed cheese. In accordance with the reference method, the sample was placed on a layer of silica sand and dried at the temperature of 102 °C for about 4 h. The moisture analyzer test required method validation, with regard to drying temperature range and mass of the analyzed sample. Optimum drying temperature of 110 °C was determined experimentally. For Hochland cream processed cheese sample, the total dry mass content, obtained using the reference method, was 38.92%, whereas using the moisture analyzer method, it was 38.74%. An average analysis time in case of the moisture analyzer method was 9 min. For the sample of processed cheese with tomatoes, the reference method result was 40.37%, and the alternative method result was 40.67%. For the sample of cream processed cheese with garlic the reference method gave value of 36.88%, and the alternative method, of 37.02%. An average time of those determinations was 16 min. Obtained results confirmed that use of moisture analyzer is effective. Compliant values of dry mass content were obtained for both of the used methods. According to the authors, the fact that the measurement took incomparably less time for moisture analyzer method, is a key criterion of in-process control and final quality control method selection.

Evaluation of the soil moisture prediction accuracy of a space radar using simulation techniques. [Kansas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulaby, F. T. (Principal Investigator); Dobson, M. C.; Stiles, J. A.; Moore, R. K.; Holtzman, J. C.

1981-01-01

Image simulation techniques were employed to generate synthetic aperture radar images of a 17.7 km x 19.3 km test site located east of Lawrence, Kansas. The simulations were performed for a space SAR at an orbital altitude of 600 km, with the following sensor parameters: frequency = 4.75 GHz, polarization = HH, and angle of incidence range = 7 deg to 22 deg from nadir. Three sets of images were produced corresponding to three different spatial resolutions; 20 m x 20 m with 12 looks, 100 m x 100 m with 23 looks, and 1 km x 1 km with 1000 looks. Each set consisted of images for four different soil moisture distributions across the test site. Results indicate that, for the agricultural portion of the test site, the soil moisture in about 90% of the pixels can be predicted with an accuracy of = + or - 20% of field capacity. Among the three spatial resolutions, the 1 km x 1 km resolution gave the best results for most cases, however, for very dry soil conditions, the 100 m x 100 m resolution was slightly superior.

The Impact of Rainfall on Soil Moisture Dynamics in a Foggy Desert.

PubMed

Li, Bonan; Wang, Lixin; Kaseke, Kudzai F; Li, Lin; Seely, Mary K

2016-01-01

Soil moisture is a key variable in dryland ecosystems since it determines the occurrence and duration of vegetation water stress and affects the development of weather patterns including rainfall. However, the lack of ground observations of soil moisture and rainfall dynamics in many drylands has long been a major obstacle in understanding ecohydrological processes in these ecosystems. It is also uncertain to what extent rainfall controls soil moisture dynamics in fog dominated dryland systems. To this end, in this study, twelve to nineteen months' continuous daily records of rainfall and soil moisture (from January 2014 to August 2015) obtained from three sites (one sand dune site and two gravel plain sites) in the Namib Desert are reported. A process-based model simulating the stochastic soil moisture dynamics in water-limited systems was used to study the relationships between soil moisture and rainfall dynamics. Model sensitivity in response to different soil and vegetation parameters under diverse soil textures was also investigated. Our field observations showed that surface soil moisture dynamics generally follow rainfall patterns at the two gravel plain sites, whereas soil moisture dynamics in the sand dune site did not show a significant relationship with rainfall pattern. The modeling results suggested that most of the soil moisture dynamics can be simulated except the daily fluctuations, which may require a modification of the model structure to include non-rainfall components. Sensitivity analyses suggested that soil hygroscopic point (sh) and field capacity (sfc) were two main parameters controlling soil moisture output, though permanent wilting point (sw) was also very sensitive under the parameter setting of sand dune (Gobabeb) and gravel plain (Kleinberg). Overall, the modeling results were not sensitive to the parameters in non-bounded group (e.g., soil hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and soil porosity (n)). Field observations, stochastic modeling results as well as sensitivity analyses provide soil moisture baseline information for future monitoring and the prediction of soil moisture patterns in the Namib Desert.

The Impact of Rainfall on Soil Moisture Dynamics in a Foggy Desert

PubMed Central

Li, Bonan; Wang, Lixin; Kaseke, Kudzai F.; Li, Lin; Seely, Mary K.

2016-01-01

Soil moisture is a key variable in dryland ecosystems since it determines the occurrence and duration of vegetation water stress and affects the development of weather patterns including rainfall. However, the lack of ground observations of soil moisture and rainfall dynamics in many drylands has long been a major obstacle in understanding ecohydrological processes in these ecosystems. It is also uncertain to what extent rainfall controls soil moisture dynamics in fog dominated dryland systems. To this end, in this study, twelve to nineteen months’ continuous daily records of rainfall and soil moisture (from January 2014 to August 2015) obtained from three sites (one sand dune site and two gravel plain sites) in the Namib Desert are reported. A process-based model simulating the stochastic soil moisture dynamics in water-limited systems was used to study the relationships between soil moisture and rainfall dynamics. Model sensitivity in response to different soil and vegetation parameters under diverse soil textures was also investigated. Our field observations showed that surface soil moisture dynamics generally follow rainfall patterns at the two gravel plain sites, whereas soil moisture dynamics in the sand dune site did not show a significant relationship with rainfall pattern. The modeling results suggested that most of the soil moisture dynamics can be simulated except the daily fluctuations, which may require a modification of the model structure to include non-rainfall components. Sensitivity analyses suggested that soil hygroscopic point (sh) and field capacity (sfc) were two main parameters controlling soil moisture output, though permanent wilting point (sw) was also very sensitive under the parameter setting of sand dune (Gobabeb) and gravel plain (Kleinberg). Overall, the modeling results were not sensitive to the parameters in non-bounded group (e.g., soil hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and soil porosity (n)). Field observations, stochastic modeling results as well as sensitivity analyses provide soil moisture baseline information for future monitoring and the prediction of soil moisture patterns in the Namib Desert. PMID:27764203

Data documentation for the bare soil experiment at the University of Arkansas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waite, W. P.; Scott, H. D. (Principal Investigator); Hancock, G. D.

1980-01-01

The reflectivities of several controlled moisture test plots were investigated. These test plots were of a similar soil texture which was clay loam and were prepared to give a desired initial soil moisture and density profile. Measurements were conducted on the plots as the soil water redistributed for both long term and diurnal cycles. These measurements included reflectivity, gravimetric and volumetric soil moisture, soil moisture potential, and soil temperature.

The Effects of the Heat and Moisture Exchanger on Humidity, Airway Temperature, and Core Body Temperature

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-10-01

was added to the experimental group. Three more measurements were recorded at 10, 30 and 60 minutes after the insertion of the heat and moisture...heat and moisture exchanger provided adequate humidification of the inspired gases. In the experimental group, there was no difference in...exchanger incorporated in the ventilator Heat and Moisture Exchangers 16 circuit (the experimental group) and 10 did not (the control group

Soil microbial community responses to antibiotic-contaminated manure under different soil moisture regimes.

PubMed

Reichel, Rüdiger; Radl, Viviane; Rosendahl, Ingrid; Albert, Andreas; Amelung, Wulf; Schloter, Michael; Thiele-Bruhn, Sören

2014-01-01

Sulfadiazine (SDZ) is an antibiotic frequently administered to livestock, and it alters microbial communities when entering soils with animal manure, but understanding the interactions of these effects to the prevailing climatic regime has eluded researchers. A climatic factor that strongly controls microbial activity is soil moisture. Here, we hypothesized that the effects of SDZ on soil microbial communities will be modulated depending on the soil moisture conditions. To test this hypothesis, we performed a 49-day fully controlled climate chamber pot experiments with soil grown with Dactylis glomerata (L.). Manure-amended pots without or with SDZ contamination were incubated under a dynamic moisture regime (DMR) with repeated drying and rewetting changes of >20 % maximum water holding capacity (WHCmax) in comparison to a control moisture regime (CMR) at an average soil moisture of 38 % WHCmax. We then monitored changes in SDZ concentration as well as in the phenotypic phospholipid fatty acid and genotypic 16S rRNA gene fragment patterns of the microbial community after 7, 20, 27, 34, and 49 days of incubation. The results showed that strongly changing water supply made SDZ accessible to mild extraction in the short term. As a result, and despite rather small SDZ effects on community structures, the PLFA-derived microbial biomass was suppressed in the SDZ-contaminated DMR soils relative to the CMR ones, indicating that dynamic moisture changes accelerate the susceptibility of the soil microbial community to antibiotics.

Manipulative experiments demonstrate how long-term soil moisture changes alter controls of plant water use

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

Grossiord, Charlotte; Sevanto, Sanna Annika; Limousin, Jean -Marc

Tree transpiration depends on biotic and abiotic factors that might change in the future, including precipitation and soil moisture status. Although short-term sap flux responses to soil moisture and evaporative demand have been the subject of attention before, the relative sensitivity of sap flux to these two factors under long-term changes in soil moisture conditions has rarely been determined experimentally. We tested how long-term artificial change in soil moisture affects the sensitivity of tree-level sap flux to daily atmospheric vapor pressure deficit ( VPD) and soil moisture variations, and the generality of these effects across forest types and environments usingmore » four manipulative sites in mature forests. Exposure to relatively long-term (two to six years) soil moisture reduction decreases tree sap flux sensitivity to daily VPD and relative extractable water ( REW) variations, leading to lower sap flux even under high soil moisture and optimal VPD. Inversely, trees subjected to long-term irrigation showed a significant increase in their sensitivity to daily VPD and REW, but only at the most water-limited site. The ratio between the relative change in soil moisture manipulation and the relative change in sap flux sensitivity to VPD and REW variations was similar across sites suggesting common adjustment mechanisms to long-term soil moisture status across environments for evergreen tree species. Altogether, our results show that long-term changes in soil water availability, and subsequent adjustments to these novel conditions, could play a critical and increasingly important role in controlling forest water use in the future.« less

Manipulative experiments demonstrate how long-term soil moisture changes alter controls of plant water use

DOE PAGES

Grossiord, Charlotte; Sevanto, Sanna Annika; Limousin, Jean -Marc; ...

2017-12-14

Tree transpiration depends on biotic and abiotic factors that might change in the future, including precipitation and soil moisture status. Although short-term sap flux responses to soil moisture and evaporative demand have been the subject of attention before, the relative sensitivity of sap flux to these two factors under long-term changes in soil moisture conditions has rarely been determined experimentally. We tested how long-term artificial change in soil moisture affects the sensitivity of tree-level sap flux to daily atmospheric vapor pressure deficit ( VPD) and soil moisture variations, and the generality of these effects across forest types and environments usingmore » four manipulative sites in mature forests. Exposure to relatively long-term (two to six years) soil moisture reduction decreases tree sap flux sensitivity to daily VPD and relative extractable water ( REW) variations, leading to lower sap flux even under high soil moisture and optimal VPD. Inversely, trees subjected to long-term irrigation showed a significant increase in their sensitivity to daily VPD and REW, but only at the most water-limited site. The ratio between the relative change in soil moisture manipulation and the relative change in sap flux sensitivity to VPD and REW variations was similar across sites suggesting common adjustment mechanisms to long-term soil moisture status across environments for evergreen tree species. Altogether, our results show that long-term changes in soil water availability, and subsequent adjustments to these novel conditions, could play a critical and increasingly important role in controlling forest water use in the future.« less

Manipulative experiments demonstrate how long-term soil moisture changes alter controls of plant water use

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

Grossiord, Charlotte; Sevanto, Sanna; Limousin, Jean-Marc

Tree transpiration depends on biotic and abiotic factors that might change in the future, including precipitation and soil moisture status. Although short-term sap flux responses to soil moisture and evaporative demand have been the subject of attention before, the relative sensitivity of sap flux to these two factors under long-term changes in soil moisture conditions has rarely been determined experimentally. We tested how long-term artificial change in soil moisture affects the sensitivity of tree-level sap flux to daily atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and soil moisture variations, and the generality of these effects across forest types and environments using fourmore » manipulative sites in mature forests. Exposure to relatively long-term (two to six years) soil moisture reduction decreases tree sap flux sensitivity to daily VPD and relative extractable water (REW) variations, leading to lower sap flux even under high soil moisture and optimal VPD. Inversely, trees subjected to long-term irrigation showed a significant increase in their sensitivity to daily VPD and REW, but only at the most water-limited site. The ratio between the relative change in soil moisture manipulation and the relative change in sap flux sensitivity to VPD and REW variations was similar across sites suggesting common adjustment mechanisms to long-term soil moisture status across environments for evergreen tree species. Overall, our results show that long-term changes in soil water availability, and subsequent adjustments to these novel conditions, could play a critical and increasingly important role in controlling forest water use in the future.« less

Disaggregation of remotely sensed soil moisture under all sky condition using machine learning approach in Northeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, S.; Kim, H.; Choi, M.; Kim, K.

2016-12-01

Estimating spatiotemporal variation of soil moisture is crucial to hydrological applications such as flood, drought, and near real-time climate forecasting. Recent advances in space-based passive microwave measurements allow the frequent monitoring of the surface soil moisture at a global scale and downscaling approaches have been applied to improve the spatial resolution of passive microwave products available at local scale applications. However, most downscaling methods using optical and thermal dataset, are valid only in cloud-free conditions; thus renewed downscaling method under all sky condition is necessary for the establishment of spatiotemporal continuity of datasets at fine resolution. In present study Support Vector Machine (SVM) technique was utilized to downscale a satellite-based soil moisture retrievals. The 0.1 and 0.25-degree resolution of daily Land Parameter Retrieval Model (LPRM) L3 soil moisture datasets from Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) were disaggregated over Northeast Asia in 2015. Optically derived estimates of surface temperature (LST), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and its cloud products were obtained from MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) for the purpose of downscaling soil moisture in finer resolution under all sky condition. Furthermore, a comparison analysis between in situ and downscaled soil moisture products was also conducted for quantitatively assessing its accuracy. Results showed that downscaled soil moisture under all sky condition not only preserves the quality of AMSR2 LPRM soil moisture at 1km resolution, but also attains higher spatial data coverage. From this research we expect that time continuous monitoring of soil moisture at fine scale regardless of weather conditions would be available.

MODIS-based spatiotemporal patterns of soil moisture and evapotranspiration interactions in Tampa Bay urban watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Ni-Bin; Xuan, Zhemin; Wimberly, Brent

2011-09-01

Soil moisture and evapotranspiration (ET) is affected by both water and energy balances in the soilvegetation- atmosphere system, it involves many complex processes in the nexus of water and thermal cycles at the surface of the Earth. These impacts may affect the recharge of the upper Floridian aquifer. The advent of urban hydrology and remote sensing technologies opens new and innovative means to undertake eventbased assessment of ecohydrological effects in urban regions. For assessing these landfalls, the multispectral Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) remote sensing images can be used for the estimation of such soil moisture change in connection with two other MODIS products - Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Land Surface Temperature (LST). Supervised classification for soil moisture retrieval was performed for Tampa Bay area on the 2 kmx2km grid with MODIS images. Machine learning with genetic programming model for soil moisture estimation shows advances in image processing, feature extraction, and change detection of soil moisture. ET data that were derived by Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) data and hydrologic models can be retrieved from the USGS web site directly. Overall, the derived soil moisture in comparison with ET time series changes on a seasonal basis shows that spatial and temporal variations of soil moisture and ET that are confined within a defined region for each type of surfaces, showing clustered patterns and featuring space scatter plot in association with the land use and cover map. These concomitant soil moisture patterns and ET fluctuations vary among patches, plant species, and, especially, location on the urban gradient. Time series plots of LST in association with ET, soil moisture and EVI reveals unique ecohydrological trends. Such ecohydrological assessment can be applied for supporting the urban landscape management in hurricane-stricken regions.

KSC-2015-1262

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-31

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Scott Higginbotham, NASA mission manager for Educational Launch of Nanosatellites, or ELaNa-X, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, participates in a news conference at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, following NASA's successful launch of the Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, or SMAP, on its mission to study the Earth's soil moisture. To learn more about ELaNa, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/elana. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Fiberboard humidity data for 9975 shipping packages

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

Daugherty, W. L.

2015-07-31

The 9975 surveillance program is identifying a technical basis to support extending the storage period of 9975 packages in KAC beyond the currently approved 15 years. A key element of this effort is developing a better understanding of degradation of the fiberboard assembly under storage conditions. This degradation is influenced greatly by the moisture content of the fiberboard, which is not well characterized on an individual package basis.Two efforts have been undertaken to better understand the levels and behavior of moisture within the fiberboard assemblies of the 9975 shipping package. In the first effort, an initial survey of humidity andmore » temperature in the upper air space of 26 packages stored in KAC was made. The data collected within this first effort help to illustrate how the upper air space humidity varies with the local ambient temperature and package heat load. In the second effort, direct measurements of two test packages are providing a correlation between humidity and fiberboard moisture levels within the package, and variations in moisture throughout the fiberboard assembly. This effort has examined packages with cane fiberboard and internal heat levels of 5 and 10W to date. Additional testing is expected to include 15 and 19W heat levels, and then repeat the same four heat levels with softwood fiberboard assemblies. This report documents the data collected to date within these two efforts.« less

Fiberboard Humidity Data for 9975 Shipping Packages

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

Daugherty, W.

The 9975 surveillance program is identifying a technical basis to support extending the storage period of 9975 packages in KAC beyond the currently approved 15 years. A key element of this effort is developing a better understanding of degradation of the fiberboard assembly under storage conditions. This degradation is influenced greatly by the moisture content of the fiberboard, which is not well characterized on an individual package basis. Two efforts have been undertaken to better understand the levels and behavior of moisture within the fiberboard assemblies of the 9975 shipping package. In the first effort, an initial survey of humiditymore » and temperature in the upper air space of 26 packages stored in KAC was made. The data collected within this first effort help to illustrate how the upper air space humidity varies with the local ambient temperature and package heat load. In the second effort, direct measurements of two test packages are providing a correlation between humidity and fiberboard moisture levels within the package, and variations in moisture throughout the fiberboard assembly. This effort has examined packages with cane fiberboard and internal heat levels of 5 and 10W to date. Additional testing is expected to include 15 and 19W heat levels, and then repeat the same four heat levels with softwood fiberboard assemblies. This report documents the data collected to date within these two efforts« less

Fiberboard humidity data for 9975 shipping packages

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

Daugherty, W. L.

The 9975 surveillance program is identifying a technical basis to support extending the storage period of 9975 packages in KAC beyond the currently approved 15 years. A key element of this effort is developing a better understanding of degradation of the fiberboard assembly under storage conditions. This degradation is influenced greatly by the moisture content of the fiberboard, which is not well characterized on an individual package basis.Two efforts have been undertaken to better understand the levels and behavior of moisture within the fiberboard assemblies of the 9975 shipping package. In the first effort, an initial survey of humidity andmore » temperature in the upper air space of 26 packages stored in KAC was made. The data collected within this first effort help to illustrate how the upper air space humidity varies with the local ambient temperature and package heat load. In the second effort, direct measurements of two test packages are providing a correlation between humidity and fiberboard moisture levels within the package, and variations in moisture throughout the fiberboard assembly. This effort has examined packages with cane fiberboard and internal heat levels of 5 and 10W to date. Additional testing is expected to include 15 and 19W heat levels, and then repeat the same four heat levels with softwood fiberboard assemblies. This report documents the data collected to date within these two efforts.« less

Impacts of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration patterns on downscaling soil moisture in regions with large topographic relief

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cowley, Garret S.; Niemann, Jeffrey D.; Green, Timothy R.; Seyfried, Mark S.; Jones, Andrew S.; Grazaitis, Peter J.

2017-02-01

Soil moisture can be estimated at coarse resolutions (>1 km) using satellite remote sensing, but that resolution is poorly suited for many applications. The Equilibrium Moisture from Topography, Vegetation, and Soil (EMT+VS) model downscales coarse-resolution soil moisture using fine-resolution topographic, vegetation, and soil data to produce fine-resolution (10-30 m) estimates of soil moisture. The EMT+VS model performs well at catchments with low topographic relief (≤124 m), but it has not been applied to regions with larger ranges of elevation. Large relief can produce substantial variations in precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (PET), which might affect the fine-resolution patterns of soil moisture. In this research, simple methods to downscale temporal average precipitation and PET are developed and included in the EMT+VS model, and the effects of spatial variations in these variables on the surface soil moisture estimates are investigated. The methods are tested against ground truth data at the 239 km2 Reynolds Creek watershed in southern Idaho, which has 1145 m of relief. The precipitation and PET downscaling methods are able to capture the main features in the spatial patterns of both variables. The space-time Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients of efficiency of the fine-resolution soil moisture estimates improve from 0.33 to 0.36 and 0.41 when the precipitation and PET downscaling methods are included, respectively. PET downscaling provides a larger improvement in the soil moisture estimates than precipitation downscaling likely because the PET pattern is more persistent through time, and thus more predictable, than the precipitation pattern.

Calculating crop water requirement satisfaction in the West Africa Sahel with remotely sensed soil moisture

USGS Publications Warehouse

McNally, Amy; Gregory J. Husak,; Molly Brown,; Carroll, Mark L.; Funk, Christopher C.; Soni Yatheendradas,; Kristi Arsenault,; Christa Peters-Lidard,; Verdin, James

2015-01-01

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission will provide soil moisture data with unprecedented accuracy, resolution, and coverage, enabling models to better track agricultural drought and estimate yields. In turn, this information can be used to shape policy related to food and water from commodity markets to humanitarian relief efforts. New data alone, however, do not translate to improvements in drought and yield forecasts. New tools will be needed to transform SMAP data into agriculturally meaningful products. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possibility and efficiency of replacing the rainfall-derived soil moisture component of a crop water stress index with SMAP data. The approach is demonstrated with 0.1°-resolution, ~10-day microwave soil moisture from the European Space Agency and simulated soil moisture from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network Land Data Assimilation System. Over a West Africa domain, the approach is evaluated by comparing the different soil moisture estimates and their resulting Water Requirement Satisfaction Index values from 2000 to 2010. This study highlights how the ensemble of indices performs during wet versus dry years, over different land-cover types, and the correlation with national-level millet yields. The new approach is a feasible and useful way to quantitatively assess how satellite-derived rainfall and soil moisture track agricultural water deficits. Given the importance of soil moisture in many applications, ranging from agriculture to public health to fire, this study should inspire other modeling communities to reformulate existing tools to take advantage of SMAP data.

Preservation Methods Utilized for Space Food

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vodovotz, Yael; Bourland, Charles

2000-01-01

Food for manned space flight has been provided by NASA-Johnson Space Center since 1962. The various mission scenarios and space craft designs dictated the type of food preservation methodologies required to meet mission objectives. The preservation techniques used in space flight include freeze-dehydration, thermostabilization, irradiation, freezing and moisture adjustment. Innovative packaging material and techniques enhanced the shelf-stability of the food items. Future space voyages may include extended duration exploration missions requiring new packaging materials and advanced preservation techniques to meet mission goals of up to 5-year shelf-life foods.

Spatiotemporal surface moisture dynamics on a coastal beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smit, Y.; Donker, J.; Ruessink, G.

2017-12-01

Surface moisture strongly controls aeolian transport on a beach and, accordingly, understanding its spatiotemporal variability will aid in developing a predictive model for the aeolian input of wind-blown beach sand into the foredune. In our earlier work (Smit et al., 2017, Aeolian Research) we have illustrated that the reflectance signal of a near-infrared Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) corresponds well to gravimetric surface moisture content (in %) over its full range. Here, we analyze TLS-derived surface moisture maps with a 1x1 m spatial and a 15-min temporal resolution and concurrent groundwater measurements collected during a falling and rising tide at Egmond beach, the Netherlands. The maps show that the beach can be conceptualized into three surface moisture zones. First, the swash zone: 18% - 25%. Second, the intertidal zone: 5% - 25% (large fluctuations). A striking result for this zone is that surface moisture can decrease with a rate varying between 2.5% - 4% per hour, and cumulatively 16% during a single falling tide. And third, the back beach zone: 3% - 7%. During falling tide surface moisture fluctuations are strongly linked to the behavior of groundwater depth. A clear `Van Genuchten-type' retention curve can describe the relation between the two. Furthermore, no anticipated processes by capillary forces were observed in advance of the rising tide and no hysteresis was observed over de complete tidal cycle. Concluding, the TLS-derived moisture maps and the groundwater measurements clearly show that groundwater depth is the key control on spatiotemporal surface moisture variations.

Sweat Rates During Continuous and Interval Aerobic Exercise: Implications for NASA Multipurpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryder, Jeffrey W.; Scott, Jessica; Ploutz-Snyder, Robert; Ploutz-Snyder, Lori L.

2016-01-01

Aerobic deconditioning is one of the effects spaceflight. Impaired crewmember performance due to loss of aerobic conditioning is one of the risks identified for mitigation by the NASA Human Research Program. Missions longer than 8 days will involve exercise countermeasures including those aimed at preventing the loss of aerobic capacity. The NASA Multipurpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) will be NASA's centerpiece architecture for human space exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Aerobic exercise within the small habitable volume of the MPCV is expected to challenge the ability of the environmental control systems, especially in terms of moisture control. Exercising humans contribute moisture to the environment by increased respiratory rate (exhaling air at 100% humidity) and sweat. Current acceptable values are based on theoretical models that rely on an "average" crew member working continuously at 75% of their aerobic capacity (Human Systems Integration Requirements Document). Evidence suggests that high intensity interval exercise for much shorter durations are equally effective or better in building and maintaining aerobic capacity. This investigation will examine sweat and respiratory rates for operationally relevant continuous and interval aerobic exercise protocols using a variety of different individuals. The results will directly inform what types of aerobic exercise countermeasures will be feasible to prescribe for crewmembers aboard the MPCV.

Evapotranspiration Controls Imposed by Soil Moisture: A Spatial Analysis across the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigden, A. J.; Tuttle, S. E.; Salvucci, G.

2014-12-01

We spatially analyze the control over evapotranspiration (ET) imposed by soil moisture across the United States using daily estimates of satellite-derived soil moisture and data-driven ET over a nine-year period (June 2002-June 2011) at 305 locations. The soil moisture data are developed using 0.25-degree resolution satellite observations from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), where the 9-year time series for each 0.25-degree pixel was selected from three potential algorithms (VUA-NASA, U. Montana, & NASA) based on the maximum mutual information between soil moisture and precipitation (Tuttle & Salvucci (2014), Remote Sens Environ, 114: 207-222). The ET data are developed independent of soil moisture using an emergent relationship between the diurnal cycle of the relative humidity profile and ET. The emergent relation is that the vertical variance of the relative humidity profile is less than what would occur for increased or decreased ET rates, suggesting that land-atmosphere feedback processes minimize this variance (Salvucci and Gentine (2013), PNAS, 110(16): 6287-6291). The key advantage of using this approach to estimate ET is that no measurements of surface limiting factors (soil moisture, leaf area, canopy conductance) are required; instead, ET is estimated from meteorological data measured at 305 common weather stations that are approximately uniformly distributed across the United States. The combination of these two independent datasets allows for a unique spatial analysis of the control on ET imposed by the availability of soil moisture. We fit evaporation efficiency curves across the United States at each of the 305 sites during the summertime (May-June-July-August-September). Spatial patterns are visualized by mapping optimal curve fitting coefficients across the Unites States. An analysis of efficiency curves and their spatial patterns will be presented.

Water vs. carbon: An evaluation of SMAP soil moisture and OCO-2 solar-induced fluorescence to characterize global plant stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purdy, A. J.; Fisher, J.; Goulden, M.; Randerson, J. T.; Famiglietti, J. S.

2017-12-01

Plants link the carbon and water cycles through photosynthesis and evapotranspiration (ET). When plants take in CO2 for photosynthesis, water evaporates to the atmosphere. This exchange of carbon and water is sensitive to a number of environmental variables including: soil water availability, temperature, atmospheric water vapor, and radiation. When the atmospheric demand for water is high, plants avoid hydraulic failure by regulating the amount of water exiting leaves at the expense of inhibiting carbon uptake. Over time, stress caused by this response limits plant growth and can even result in death by carbon starvation. With increasing atmospheric demand for water, impending expansion of arid regions, and more frequent droughts, understanding how vegetation responds to regulate photosynthesis and ET is important to quantify potential feedbacks between the carbon and water cycles. Despite its importance, to what extent plants respond to stressful conditions is an open science question. An important step forward is to characterize the dominant controls in these stress events and identify geographic areas that are vulnerable to climate change. The 2015-2016 El Nino and subsequent 2016-2017 La Nina transition provides an opportunity to quantify the extent and magnitude of vegetation regulation of these carbon and water variables in response to changes in environmental conditions. We present results from a space-based analysis using global observations of solar induced fluorescence (SIF) from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2), soil moisture from Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), and two widely used ET models (PT-JPL and MOD-16) to characterize the dominant controls on gross primary production and ET.

Evapotranspiration and soil moisture dynamics in a temperate grassland ecosystem in Inner Mongolia China

Treesearch

L. Hao; Ge Sun; Yongqiang Liu; G. S. Zhou; J. H.   Wan;  L. B. Zhang; J. L. Niu; Y. H. Sang;  J. J He

2015-01-01

Precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil moisture are the key controls for the productivity and functioning of temperate grassland ecosystems in Inner Mongolia, northern China. Quantifying the soil moisture dynamics and water balances in the grasslands is essential to sustainable grassland management under global climate change. We...

Moisturizers are effective in the treatment of xerosis irrespectively from their particular formulation: results from a prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled trial.

PubMed

Shim, J H; Park, J H; Lee, J H; Lee, D Y; Lee, J H; Yang, J M

2016-02-01

Many companies claim that their moisturizers are superior to others based on their ingredients. To compare the efficacy and safety of the most popular moisturizers in the field. A randomized, double-blind, controlled study was performed on 80 patients with moderate to severe xerosis. The test agents included the newly developed cream containing topical recombinant human epidermal growth factor (EGF), its vehicle without EGF and four additional therapeutic moisturizers. The study subjects applied the test agents on designated skin areas twice daily for 4 weeks. All of the clinical assessments and non-invasive objective measurements were performed at baseline, and on days 14 and 28 of the study. All of the test agents significantly improved the clinical symptoms of xerosis. The biophysical parameters similarly improved from baseline (P < 0.05). None of the test agents performed significantly better than did another. In the treatment of xerosis, consistent and regular moisturizer use is much more important than the moisturizer's particular formulation. © 2015 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

On the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in milk and dairy products.

PubMed

Prandini, A; Tansini, G; Sigolo, S; Filippi, L; Laporta, M; Piva, G

2009-05-01

Aflatoxins are toxic fungal metabolites found in foods and feeds. When ruminants eat AFB(1)-feedstuffs, they metabolise the toxin and excrete AFM(1) in milk. To control AFM(1) in foods it is necessary to reduce AFB(1) contamination of feeds for dairy cattle by preventing fungal growth and AFB(1) formation in agricultural commodities intended for animal use. Corn and corn-based products are one of the most contaminated feedstuffs; therefore risk factor analysis of AFB(1) contamination in corn is necessary to evaluate risk of AFM(1) contamination in milk and milk products. During the corn silage production, the aflatoxins production is mostly influenced by: harvest time; fertilization; irrigation; pest control; silage moisture; and storage practices. Due to the lower moisture at harvest and to the conservation methods, the corn grain is mostly exposed to the contamination by Aspergillus species. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the probability of this contaminant through choice of: hybrids; seeding time and density; suitable ploughing and fertirrigation; and chemical or biological control. Grains harvested with the lowest possible moisture and conservation moisture close to or less than 14% are necessary to reduce contamination risks, as is maintaining mass to homogeneous moisture. Kernel mechanical damage, grain cleaning practices and conservation temperature are also factors which need to be carefully controlled.

Influence of soil properties and soil moisture on the efficacy of indaziflam and flumioxazin on Kochia scoparia L.

PubMed

Sebastian, Derek J; Nissen, Scott J; Westra, Phil; Shaner, Dale L; Butters, Greg

2017-02-01

Kochia (Kochia scoparia L.) is a highly competitive, non-native weed found throughout the western United States. Flumioxazin and indaziflam are two broad-spectrum pre-emergence herbicides that can control kochia in a variety of crop and non-crop situations; however, under dry conditions, these herbicides sometimes fail to control this important weed. There is very little information describing the effect of soil properties and soil moisture on the efficacy of these herbicides. Soil organic matter (SOM) explained the highest proportion of variability in predicting the herbicide dose required for 80% kochia growth reduction (GR 80 ) for flumioxazin and indaziflam (R 2 = 0.72 and 0.79 respectively). SOM had a greater impact on flumioxazin phytotoxicity compared to indaziflam. Flumioxazin and indaziflam kochia phytotoxicity was greatly reduced at soil water potentials below -200 kPa. Kochia can germinate at soil moisture potentials below the moisture required for flumioxazin and indaziflam activation, which means that kochia control is greatly influenced by the complex interaction between soil physical properties and soil moisture. This research can be used to gain a better understanding of how and why some weeds, like kochia, are so difficult to manage even with herbicides that normally provide excellent control. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of realistic soil moisture initialization on the representation of extreme events in the western Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helgert, Sebastian; Khodayar, Samiro

2017-04-01

In a warmer Mediterranean climate an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme events like floods, droughts and extreme heat is expected. The ability to predict such events is still a great challenge and exhibits many uncertainties in the weather forecast and climate predictions. Thereby the missing knowledge about soil moisture-atmosphere interactions and their representation in models is identified as one of the main sources of uncertainty. In this context the soil moisture(SM) plays an important role in the partitioning of sensible and latent heat fluxes on the surface and consequently influences the boundary-layer stability and the precipitation formation. The aim of this research work is to assess the influence of soil moisture-atmosphere interactions on the initiation and development of extreme events in the western Mediterranean (WMED). In this respect the impact of realistic SM initialization on the model representation of extreme events is investigated. High-resolution simulations of different regions in the WMED, including various climate zones from moderate to arid climate, are conducted with the atmospheric COSMO (Consortium for Small-scale Modeling) model in the numerical weather prediction and climate mode. A multiscale temporal and spatial approach is used (days to years, 7km to 2.8km grid spacing). Observational data provided by the framework of the HYdrological cycle in the Mediterranean EXperiment (HyMeX) as well as satellite data such as precipitation from CMORPH (CPC MORPHing technique), evapotranspiration from Land Surface Analysis Satellite Applications Facility (LSA-SAF) and atmospheric moisture from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) are used for process understanding and model validation. To select extreme dry and wet periods the Effective Drought Index (EDI) is calculated. In these periods sensitivity studies of extreme SM initialization scenarios are performed to prove a possible impact of soil moisture on precipitation in the WMED. For the realistic SM initialization different state-of-art high-resolution SM products (25km up to 1km grid spacing) of the Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity mission (SMOS) are examined. A CDF-matching method is applied to reduce the bias between model and SMOS-satellite observation. Moreover, techniques to estimate the initial soil moisture profile from satellite data are tested.

Use of physically-based models and Soil Taxonomy to identify soil moisture classes: Problems and proposals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonfante, A.; Basile, A.; de Mascellis, R.; Manna, P.; Terribile, F.

2009-04-01

Soil classification according to Soil Taxonomy include, as fundamental feature, the estimation of soil moisture regime. The term soil moisture regime refers to the "presence or absence either of ground water or of water held at a tension of less than 1500 kPa in the soil or in specific horizons during periods of the year". In the classification procedure, defining of the soil moisture control section is the primary step in order to obtain the soil moisture regimes classification. Currently, the estimation of soil moisture regimes is carried out through simple calculation schemes, such as Newhall and Billaux models, and only in few cases some authors suggest the use of different more complex models (i.e., EPIC) In fact, in the Soil Taxonomy, the definition of the soil moisture control section is based on the wetting front position in two different conditions: the upper boundary is the depth to which a dry soil will be moistened by 2.5 cm of water within 24 hours and the lower boundary is the depth to which a dry soil will be moistened by 7.5 cm of water within 48 hours. Newhall, Billaux and EPIC models don't use physical laws to describe soil water flows, but they use a simple bucket-like scheme where the soil is divided into several compartments and water moves, instantly, only downward when the field capacity is achieved. On the other side, a large number of one-dimensional hydrological simulation models (SWAP, Cropsyst, Hydrus, MACRO, etc..) are available, tested and successfully used. The flow is simulated according to pressure head gradients through the numerical solution of the Richard's equation. These simulation models can be fruitful used to improve the study of soil moisture regimes. The aims of this work are: (i) analysis of the soil moisture control section concept by a physically based model (SWAP); (ii) comparison of the classification obtained in five different Italian pedoclimatic conditions (Mantova and Lodi in northern Italy; Salerno, Benevento and Caserta in southern Italy) applying the classical models (Newhall e Billaux) and the physically-based models (CropSyst e SWAP), The results have shown that the Soil Taxonomy scheme for the definition of the soil moisture regime is unrealistic for the considered Mediterranean soil hydrological conditions. In fact, the same classifications arise irrespective of the soil type. In this respect some suggestions on how modified the section control boundaries were formulated. Keywords: Soil moisture regimes, Newhall, Swap, Soil Taxonomy

NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission Status and Science Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yueh, Simon H.; Entekhabi, Dara; O'Neill, Peggy; Njoku, Eni; Entin, Jared K.

2016-01-01

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory was launched January 31, 2015, and its L-band radiometer and radar instruments became operational since mid-April 2015. The SMAP radiometer has been operating flawlessly, but the radar transmitter ceased operation on July 7. This paper provides a status summary of the calibration and validation of the SMAP instruments and the quality assessment of its soil moisture and freeze/thaw products. Since the loss of the radar in July, the SMAP project has been conducting two parallel activities to enhance the resolution of soil moisture products. One of them explores the Backus Gilbert optimum interpolation and de-convolution techniques based on the oversampling characteristics of the SMAP radiometer. The other investigates the disaggregation of the SMAP radiometer data using the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 C-band synthetic radar data to obtain soil moisture products at about 1 to 3 kilometers resolution. In addition, SMAP's L-band data have found many new applications, including vegetation opacity, ocean surface salinity and hurricane ocean surface wind mapping. Highlights of these new applications will be provided.

Computer simulation of a space SAR using a range-sequential processor for soil moisture mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fujita, M.; Ulaby, F. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

The ability of a spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to detect soil moisture was evaluated by means of a computer simulation technique. The computer simulation package includes coherent processing of the SAR data using a range-sequential processor, which can be set up through hardware implementations, thereby reducing the amount of telemetry involved. With such a processing approach, it is possible to monitor the earth's surface on a continuous basis, since data storage requirements can be easily met through the use of currently available technology. The Development of the simulation package is described, followed by an examination of the application of the technique to actual environments. The results indicate that in estimating soil moisture content with a four-look processor, the difference between the assumed and estimated values of soil moisture is within + or - 20% of field capacity for 62% of the pixels for agricultural terrain and for 53% of the pixels for hilly terrain. The estimation accuracy for soil moisture may be improved by reducing the effect of fading through non-coherent averaging.

Improving Global Reanalyses and Short Range Forecast Using TRMM and SSM/I-Derived Precipitation and Moisture Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, Arthur Y.; Zhang, Sara Q.; deSilva, Arlindo M.

2000-01-01

Global reanalyses currently contain significant errors in the primary fields of the hydrological cycle such as precipitation, evaporation, moisture, and the related cloud fields, especially in the tropics. The Data Assimilation Office (DAO) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has been exploring the use of tropical rainfall and total precipitable water (TPW) observations from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) and the Special Sensor Microwave/ Imager (SSM/I) instruments to improve short-range forecast and reanalyses. We describe a "1+1"D procedure for assimilating 6-hr averaged rainfall and TPW in the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Data Assimilation System (DAS). The algorithm is based on a 6-hr time integration of a column version of the GEOS DAS, hence the "1+1"D designation. The scheme minimizes the least-square differences between the observed TPW and rain rates and those produced by the column model over the 6-hr analysis window. This 1+lD scheme, in its generalization to four dimensions, is related to the standard 4D variational assimilation but uses analysis increments instead of the initial condition as the control variable. Results show that assimilating the TMI and SSM/I rainfall and TPW observations improves not only the precipitation and moisture fields but also key climate parameters such as clouds, the radiation, the upper-tropospheric moisture, and the large-scale circulation in the tropics. In particular, assimilating these data reduce the state-dependent systematic errors in the assimilated products. The improved analysis also provides better initial conditions for short-range forecasts, but the improvements in forecast are less than improvements in the time-averaged assimilation fields, indicating that using these data types is effective in correcting biases and other errors of the forecast model in data assimilation.

Improving Global Reanalyses and Short-Range Forecast Using TRMM and SSM/I-Derived Precipitation and Moisture Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, Arthur Y.; Zhang, Sara Q.; daSilva, Arlindo M.

1999-01-01

Global reanalyses currently contain significant errors in the primary fields of the hydrological cycle such as precipitation, evaporation, moisture, and the related cloud fields, especially in the tropics. The Data Assimilation Office (DAO) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has been exploring the use of tropical rainfall and total precipitable water (TPW) observations from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) and the Special Sensor Microwave/ Imager (SSM/I) instruments to improve short-range forecast and reanalyses. We describe a 1+1D procedure for assimilating 6-hr averaged rainfall and TPW in the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Data Assimilation System (DAS). The algorithm is based on a 6-hr time integration of a column version of the GEOS DAS, hence the 1+1D designation. The scheme minimizes the least-square differences between the observed TPW and rain rates and those produced by the column model over the 6-hr analysis window. This 1+1D scheme, in its generalization to four dimensions, is related to the standard 4D variational assimilation but uses analysis increments instead of the initial condition as the control variable. Results show that assimilating the TMI and SSW rainfall and TPW observations improves not only the precipitation and moisture fields but also key climate parameters such as clouds, the radiation, the upper-tropospheric moisture, and the large-scale circulation in the tropics. In particular, assimilating these data reduce the state-dependent systematic errors in the assimilated products. The improved analysis also provides better initial conditions for short-range forecasts, but the improvements in forecast are less than improvements in the time-averaged assimilation fields, indicating that using these data types is effective in correcting biases and other errors of the forecast model in data assimilation.

24 CFR 3285.204 - Ground moisture control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Ground moisture control. 3285.204... URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS Site Preparation § 3285.204 Ground... materials, a vapor retarder must be installed to cover the ground under the home, unless the home is...

24 CFR 3285.204 - Ground moisture control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ground moisture control. 3285.204... URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS Site Preparation § 3285.204 Ground... materials, a vapor retarder must be installed to cover the ground under the home, unless the home is...

Current wheeze, asthma, respiratory infections, and rhinitis among adults in relation to inspection data and indoor measurements in single-family houses in Sweden-The BETSI study.

PubMed

Wang, J; Engvall, K; Smedje, G; Nilsson, H; Norbäck, D

2017-07-01

In the Swedish Building Energy, Technical Status and Indoor environment study, a total of 1160 adults from 605 single-family houses answered a questionnaire on respiratory health. Building inspectors investigated the homes and measured temperature, air humidity, air exchange rate, and wood moisture content (in attic and crawl space). Moisture load was calculated as the difference between indoor and outdoor absolute humidity. Totally, 7.3% were smokers, 8.7% had doctor' diagnosed asthma, 11.2% current wheeze, and 9.5% current asthma symptoms. Totally, 50.3% had respiratory infections and 26.0% rhinitis. The mean air exchange rate was 0.36/h, and the mean moisture load 1.70 g/m 3 . Damp foundation (OR=1.79, 95% CI 1.16-2.78) was positively associated while floor constructions with crawl space (OR=0.49, 95% CI 0.29-0.84) was negatively associated with wheeze. Concrete slabs with overlying insulation (OR=2.21, 95% CI 1.24-3.92) and brick façade (OR=1.71, 95% CI 1.07-2.73) were associated with rhinitis. Moisture load was associated with respiratory infections (OR=1.21 per 1 g/m 3 , 95% CI 1.04-1.40) and rhinitis (OR=1.36 per 1 g/m 3 , 95% CI 1.02-1.83). Air exchange rate was associated with current asthma symptoms (OR=0.85 per 0.1/h, 95% CI 0.73-0.99). Living in homes with damp foundation, concrete slabs with overlying insulation, brick façade, low ventilation flow, and high moisture load are risk factors for asthma, rhinitis, and respiratory infections. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Using a spatially-distributed hydrologic biogeochemistry model to study the spatial variation of carbon processes in a Critical Zone Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Y.; Eissenstat, D. M.; Davis, K. J.; He, Y.

2015-12-01

Forest carbon processes are affected by soil moisture, soil temperature and solar radiation. Most of the current biogeochemical models are 1-D and represent one point in space. Therefore they can neither resolve topographically driven hill-slope soil moisture patterns, nor simulate the nonlinear effects of soil moisture on carbon processes. A spatially-distributed biogeochemistry model, Flux-PIHM-BGC, has been developed by coupling the Biome-BGC (BBGC) model with a coupled physically-based land surface hydrologic model, Flux-PIHM. Flux-PIHM incorporates a land-surface scheme (adapted from the Noah land surface model) into the Penn State Integrated Hydrologic Model (PIHM). Because PIHM is capable of simulating lateral water flow and deep groundwater, Flux-PIHM is able to represent the link between groundwater and the surface energy balance, as well as the land surface heterogeneities caused by topography. Flux-PIHM-BGC model was tested at the Susquehanna/Shale Hills critical zone observatory (SSHCZO). The abundant observations at the SSHCZO, including eddy covariance fluxes, soil moisture, groundwater level, sap flux, stream discharge, litterfall, leaf area index, aboveground carbon stock, and soil carbon efflux, provided an ideal test bed for the coupled model. Model results show that when uniform solar radiation is used, vegetation carbon and soil carbon are positively correlated with soil moisture in space, which agrees with the observations within the watershed. When topographically-driven solar radiation is used, however, the wetter valley floor becomes radiation limited, and produces less vegetation and soil carbon than the drier hillslope due to the assumption that canopy height is uniform in the watershed. This contradicts with the observations, and suggests that a tree height model with dynamic allocation model are needed to reproduce the spatial variation of carbon processes within a watershed.

Climatic and Grazing Controls on Biological Soil Crust Nitrogen Fixation in Semi-arid Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwabedissen, S. G.; Reed, S.; Lohse, K. A.; Magnuson, T. S.

2014-12-01

Nitrogen, next to water, is believed to be the main limiting resource in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) -a surface community of mosses, lichens and cyanobacteria-have been found to be the main influx of "new" nitrogen (N) into many dryland ecosystems. Controls on biocrust N fixation rates include climate (temperature and moisture), phosphorus availability, and disturbance factors such as trampling, yet a systematic examination of climatic and disturbance controls on biocrusts communities is lacking. Biocrust samples were collected along an elevation gradient in the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed near Murphy, Idaho. Four sites were selected from a sagebrush steppe ecosystem with precipitation ranging from ≤250mm/yr to ≥1100mm/yr. Each site included 5 grazed plots and one historic exclosure plot that has been free from grazing for more than 40 years. Five samples each were collected from under plants and from interplant spaces from the grazed plots and exclosures and analyzed for potential N fixation using an acetylene reduction assay. We hypothesized that N fixation rates would be the highest in the exclosures of the two middle sites along the elevation gradient, due to the lack of disturbance and optimal temperature and moisture, respectively. As predicted, results showed higher rates of potential N fixation in exclosures than non-exclosures at a mid-elevation 8.4 ± 3.1 kg N/ha/yr in the exclosures compared to 1.8 ± 1.5 kg N/ha/yr indicating that grazing may reduce N fixation activity. Interestingly, rates were 2-5 times lower under plant canopies compared to interplant spaces at all but the highest elevation site. Findings from our study suggest that biocrust N fixation may be a dominant input of N into theses dryland systems and, in line with our hypotheses, that climate, location within the landscape, and disturbance may interact to regulate the rates of this fundamental ecosystem process.

Soil moisture on Polish territory - comparison of satellite and ground-based measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rojek, Edyta; Łukowski, Mateusz; Marczewski, Wojciech; Usowicz, Bogusław

2014-05-01

Assessment of water resources due to changing climatic conditions in time and space is still very uncertain. The territory of Poland has a limited resource of waters, occasionally resulting in small agricultural droughts. From the other side intense rainfalls, floods or run-offs, causing soil erosion are observed. Therefore, it is important to predict and prevent of this adverse phenomena. Huge spatial variability of soil moisture does not allow for accurate estimation of its distribution using ground-based measurements. SMOS soil moisture data are quite much inherently consistent in time and space, but their validation is still a challenge for further use in the climate and hydrology studies. This is the motivation for the research: to examine soil moisture from SMOS and ground based stations of the SWEX network held over eastern Poland. The presented results are related to changes of the soil moisture on regional scales for Poland in the period 2010-2013. Some results with SMOS L2 data are extended on continental scales for Europe. Time series from ground and satellite SMOS data sources were compared by regression methods. The region of Poland indicates clearly some genetic spatial distributions in weekly averaged values. In continental scales, the country territory contrasts evidently to Lithuania and in Polesie, and indicates seasonal cycling observed in archives and well known traditional records. The central part of Poland is repeatedly susceptible on droughts with soil moisture values ranging from about 0.02 to 0.20 m3 m-3. SMOS data allows on creating systematic drought data for Poland and watching annual changes, and differences to other drought services kept on national scales for agricultural purposes. We bound that drought susceptibility to the content of sand clay components and the land use there. Lack of rainfall in the late 2011 summer, caused a significant deficit of water in soil moisture content (below 0.05 m3 m-3) throughout the entire country except the estuaries of great rivers Odra and Vistula. Like other authors, we have noted significant biases in SMOS soil moisture. However, general trends and their dynamics in SM values are in good agreements of SMOS to SWEX_Poland network stations. It was shown that the SMOS satellite measurements are consistent and reliable, so can be used to detect areas of dry and moist soil. In Poland, the trends indicating the agricultural droughts and floods are depicted by SMOS L2 very well. In near future, SMOS L2 (and further products) are going to be used on regional studies related to the ELBARA Penetration Depth experiment and planed a Sentinel 1 supersite in Poland, with special focus on Polesie, which is unique wetland in Poland and Ukraine. The work was partially funded under the ELBARA_PD (Penetration Depth) project No. 4000107897/13/NL/KML. ELBARA_PD project is funded by the Government of Poland through an ESA (European Space Agency) Contract under the PECS (Plan for European Cooperating States).

In situ spectroradiometric quantification of ERTS data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yost, E. (Principal Investigator)

1972-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Additive color photographic analysis of ERTS-1 multispectral imagery indicates that the presence of soil moisture in playas (desert dry lakes) can be readily detected from space. Time sequence additive color presentations in which 600-700 nm bands taken at three successive 18-day cycles show that changes in soil moisture of playas with time can be detected as unique color signatures and can probably be quantitatively measured using photographic images of multispectral scanner data.

Field Evaluation of Four Novel Roof Designs for Energy-Efficient Manufactured Homes

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

Levy, E.; Dentz, J.; Ansanelli, E.

2015-12-03

"9A five-bay roof test structure was built, instrumented and monitored in an effort to determine through field testing and analysis the relative contributions of select technologies toward reducing energy use in new manufactured homes. The roof structure in Jamestown, California was designed to examine how differences in roof construction impact space conditioning loads, wood moisture content and attic humidity levels. Conclusions are drawn from the data on the relative energy and moisture performance of various configurations of vented and sealed attics.

Field Evaluation of Four Novel Roof Designs for Energy-Efficient Manufactured Homes

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

Levy, E.; Dentz, J.; Ansanelli, E.

2015-12-01

A five-bay roof test structure was built, instrumented and monitored in an effort to determine through field testing and analysis the relative contributions of select technologies toward reducing energy use in new manufactured homes. The roof structure in Jamestown, California was designed to examine how differences in roof construction impact space conditioning loads, wood moisture content and attic humidity levels. Conclusions are drawn from the data on the relative energy and moisture performance of various configurations of vented and sealed attics.

Real-time monitoring of moisture levels in wound dressings in vitro: an experimental study.

PubMed

McColl, David; Cartlidge, Brian; Connolly, Patricia

2007-10-01

Retaining an appropriate level of moisture at the interface between a healing wound and an applied dressing is considered to be critical for effective wound healing. Failure to control exudate at this interface can result in maceration or drying out of the wound surface. The ability to control moisture balance at the wound interface is therefore a key aspect of wound dressing performance. To date it has not been possible to monitor in any effective manner the distribution of moisture within dressings or how this varies with time. A new measurement system is presented based on sensors placed at the wound/dressing interface which are capable of monitoring moisture levels in real time. The system comprises a model wound bed and sensor array complete with fluid injection path to mimic exudate flow. Eight monitoring points, situated beneath the test dressing, allow the moisture profile across the complete dressing to be measured both during and after fluid injection. The system has been used to evaluate the performance of four foam dressings, a composite hydrofibre dressing and a film dressing. Stark contrasts in the performance of the wound contact layer were found between the different wound dressing types. The composite hydrofibre dressing retained moisture at the wound interface throughout the experiments while areas of the foam dressing quickly became dry, even during constant injection of fluid. The abundance of sensors allowed a moisture map of the surface of the wound dressing to be constructed, illustrating that the moisture profile was not uniform across several of the dressings tested during absorption and evaporation of liquid. These results raise questions as to how the dressings behave on a wound in vivo and indicate the need for a similar clinical monitoring system for tracking wound moisture levels.

Historical climate controls soil respiration responses to current soil moisture

PubMed Central

Waring, Bonnie G.; Rocca, Jennifer D.; Kivlin, Stephanie N.

2017-01-01

Ecosystem carbon losses from soil microbial respiration are a key component of global carbon cycling, resulting in the transfer of 40–70 Pg carbon from soil to the atmosphere each year. Because these microbial processes can feed back to climate change, understanding respiration responses to environmental factors is necessary for improved projections. We focus on respiration responses to soil moisture, which remain unresolved in ecosystem models. A common assumption of large-scale models is that soil microorganisms respond to moisture in the same way, regardless of location or climate. Here, we show that soil respiration is constrained by historical climate. We find that historical rainfall controls both the moisture dependence and sensitivity of respiration. Moisture sensitivity, defined as the slope of respiration vs. moisture, increased fourfold across a 480-mm rainfall gradient, resulting in twofold greater carbon loss on average in historically wetter soils compared with historically drier soils. The respiration–moisture relationship was resistant to environmental change in field common gardens and field rainfall manipulations, supporting a persistent effect of historical climate on microbial respiration. Based on these results, predicting future carbon cycling with climate change will require an understanding of the spatial variation and temporal lags in microbial responses created by historical rainfall. PMID:28559315

Sunset at Vandenberg

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-21

The sun sets behind Space Launch Complex 2, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, where NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive SMAP mission satellite is being prepared for liftoff. Launch is scheduled for Jan. 29.

Analysis of improved criteria for mold growth in ASHRAE standard 160 by comparison with field observations

Treesearch

Samuel V. Glass; Stanley D. Gatland II; Kohta Ueno; Christopher J. Schumacher

2017-01-01

ASHRAE Standard 160, Criteria for Moisture-Control Design Analysis in Buildings, was published in 2009. The standard sets criteria for moisture design loads, hygrothermal analysis methods, and satisfactory moisture performance of the building envelope. One of the evaluation criteria specifies conditions necessary to avoid mold growth. The current standard requires that...

Formulation and evaluation of herbal anti-acne moisturizer.

PubMed

Rasheed, Arun; Shama, Shaik Neelufar; Joy, Jyothi Mulanjananiyil; Reddy, Bobbu Sravya; Roja, Chirra

2012-10-01

The moisture content present in human skin makes it look young and the use of moisturizer results in fastening the moisture with a surface film of oil. Acne vulgaris is one of the most commonly seen diseases among the youth. The present study is focused on the use of herbs as moisturizer for acne treatment. The anti-acne moisturizer was formulated from herbal crude extracts and investigated the physico-chemical parameters as well as antibacterial activity of the formulation. The study revealed that ethanol extract of Andrographis paniculata, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Ocimum sanctum, Azadiracta indica and Green tea possessed the potential for inhibiting acne. It was observed that the optimal formula of anti-acne moisturizer was satisfactorily effective to control acne inducing bacteria i.e., Staphylococcus epidermis and Propionibacterium. The physico-chemical parameters of the formulation were also optimal with no signs of irritation.

Soil Moisture Memory in Climate Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koster, Randal D.; Suarez, Max J.; Zukor, Dorothy J. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Water balance considerations at the soil surface lead to an equation that relates the autocorrelation of soil moisture in climate models to (1) seasonality in the statistics of the atmospheric forcing, (2) the variation of evaporation with soil moisture, (3) the variation of runoff with soil moisture, and (4) persistence in the atmospheric forcing, as perhaps induced by land atmosphere feedback. Geographical variations in the relative strengths of these factors, which can be established through analysis of model diagnostics and which can be validated to a certain extent against observations, lead to geographical variations in simulated soil moisture memory and thus, in effect, to geographical variations in seasonal precipitation predictability associated with soil moisture. The use of the equation to characterize controls on soil moisture memory is demonstrated with data from the modeling system of the NASA Seasonal-to-Interannual Prediction Project.

Drought monitoring with soil moisture active passive (SMAP) measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Ashok; Vu, Tue; Veettil, Anoop Valiya; Entekhabi, Dara

2017-09-01

Recent launch of space-borne systems to estimate surface soil moisture may expand the capability to map soil moisture deficit and drought with global coverage. In this study, we use Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) soil moisture geophysical retrieval products from passive L-band radiometer to evaluate its applicability to forming agricultural drought indices. Agricultural drought is quantified using the Soil Water Deficit Index (SWDI) based on SMAP and soil properties (field capacity and available water content) information. The soil properties are computed using pedo-transfer function with soil characteristics derived from Harmonized World Soil Database. The SMAP soil moisture product needs to be rescaled to be compatible with the soil parameters derived from the in situ stations. In most locations, the rescaled SMAP information captured the dynamics of in situ soil moisture well and shows the expected lag between accumulations of precipitation and delayed increased in surface soil moisture. However, the SMAP soil moisture itself does not reveal the drought information. Therefore, the SMAP based SWDI (SMAP_SWDI) was computed to improve agriculture drought monitoring by using the latest soil moisture retrieval satellite technology. The formulation of SWDI does not depend on longer data and it will overcome the limited (short) length of SMAP data for agricultural drought studies. The SMAP_SWDI is further compared with in situ Atmospheric Water Deficit (AWD) Index. The comparison shows close agreement between SMAP_SWDI and AWD in drought monitoring over Contiguous United States (CONUS), especially in terms of drought characteristics. The SMAP_SWDI was used to construct drought maps for CONUS and compared with well-known drought indices, such as, AWD, Palmer Z-Index, sc-PDSI and SPEI. Overall the SMAP_SWDI is an effective agricultural drought indicator and it provides continuity and introduces new spatial mapping capability for drought monitoring. As an agricultural drought index, SMAP_SWDI has potential to capture short term moisture information similar to AWD and related drought indices.

Temporal and spatial variabilities in the surface moisture content of a fine-grained beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namikas, S. L.; Edwards, B. L.; Bitton, M. C. A.; Booth, J. L.; Zhu, Y.

2010-01-01

This study examined spatial and temporal variations in the surface moisture content of a fine-grained beach at Padre Island, Texas, USA. Surface moisture measurements were collected on a 27 × 24 m grid that extended from the dune toe to the upper foreshore. The grid was surveyed at 2 to 4 h intervals for two tidal cycles, generating 17 maps of the spatial distribution of surface moisture. Simultaneous measurements of air temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction, tidal elevation, and water table elevation were used to interpret observed changes in surface moisture. It was found that the spatial distribution of surface moisture was broadly characterized by a cross-shore gradient of high to low content moving landward from the swash zone. The distribution of surface moisture was conceptualized in terms of three zones: saturated (> 25%), intermediate or transitional (5-25%), and dry (< 5%). The position of the saturated zone corresponded to the uppermost swash zone and therefore shifted in accordance with tidal elevation. Moisture contents in the intermediate and dry zones were primarily related to variation in water table depth (which was in turn controlled by tidal elevation) and to a lesser extent by evaporation. Signals associated with atmospheric processes such as evaporation were muted by the minimal degree of variation in atmospheric parameters experienced during most of the study period, but were apparent for the last few hours. The observed spatial and temporal variations in moisture content correspond reasonably well with observations of key controlling processes, but more work is needed to fully characterize this process suite.

Cryogenic Moisture Apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fesmire, James; Smith, Trent; Breakfield, Robert; Baughner, Kevin; Heckle, Kenneth; Meneghelli, Barry

2010-01-01

The Cryogenic Moisture Apparatus (CMA) is designed for quantifying the amount of moisture from the surrounding air that is taken up by cryogenic-tank-insulating material specimens while under typical conditions of use. More specifically, the CMA holds one face of the specimen at a desired low temperature (e.g., the typical liquid-nitrogen temperature of 77 K) while the opposite face remains exposed to humid air at ambient or near-ambient temperature. The specimen is weighed before and after exposure in the CMA. The difference between the "after" and "before" weights is determined to be the weight of moisture absorbed by the specimen. Notwithstanding the term "cryogenic," the CMA is not limited to cryogenic applications: the low test temperature can be any temperature below ambient, and the specimen can be made of any material affected by moisture in air. The CMA is especially well suited for testing a variety of foam insulating materials, including those on the space-shuttle external cryogenic tanks, on other cryogenic vessels, and in refrigerators used for transporting foods, medicines, and other perishables. Testing is important because absorbed moisture not only adds weight but also, in combination with thermal cycling, can contribute to damage that degrades insulating performance. Materials are changed internally when subjected to large sub-ambient temperature gradients.

Land surface controls on afternoon precipitation diagnosed from observational data: Uncertainties and confounding factors

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The feedback between soil moisture and precipitation has long been a topic of interest due to its potential for improving weather and seasonal forecasts. The generally proposed mechanism assumes a control of soil moisture on precipitation via the partitioning of the surface fluxes (the Evaporative F...

Hydrologic dynamics and ecosystem structure.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Iturbe, I

2003-01-01

Ecohydrology is the science that studies the mutual interaction between the hydrological cycle and ecosystems. Such an interaction is especially intense in water-controlled ecosystems, where water may be a limiting factor, not only because of its scarcity, but also because of its intermittent and unpredictable appearance. Hydrologic dynamics is shown to be a crucial factor for ecological patterns and processes. The probabilistic structure of soil moisture in time and space is presented as the key linkage between soil, climate and vegetation dynamics. Nutrient cycles, vegetation coexistence and plant response to environmental conditions are all intimately linked to the stochastic fluctuation of the hydrologic inputs driving an ecosystem.

46 CFR 194.10-10 - Integral magazine construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... spaces suitable approved incombustible thermal insulation shall be provided to prevent condensation of... to prevent condensation of moisture. Tank top manholes shall not be installed in magazines. (d) Light...

46 CFR 194.10-10 - Integral magazine construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... spaces suitable approved incombustible thermal insulation shall be provided to prevent condensation of... to prevent condensation of moisture. Tank top manholes shall not be installed in magazines. (d) Light...

46 CFR 194.10-10 - Integral magazine construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... spaces suitable approved incombustible thermal insulation shall be provided to prevent condensation of... to prevent condensation of moisture. Tank top manholes shall not be installed in magazines. (d) Light...

46 CFR 194.10-10 - Integral magazine construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... spaces suitable approved incombustible thermal insulation shall be provided to prevent condensation of... to prevent condensation of moisture. Tank top manholes shall not be installed in magazines. (d) Light...

Application of Microwave Moisture Sensor for Determination of Oil Palm Fruit Ripeness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeow, You Kok; Abbas, Zulkifly; Khalid, Kaida

2010-01-01

This paper describes the development of a low cost coaxial moisture sensor for the determination of moisture content (30 % to 80 % wet-weight basis) of the oil palm fruits of various degree of fruit ripeness. The sensor operating between 1 GHz and 5 GHz was fabricated from an inexpensive 4.1 mm outer diameter SMA coaxial stub contact panel which is suitable for single fruit measurement. The measurement system consists of the sensor and a PC-controlled vector network analyzer (VNA). The actual moisture content was determined by standard oven drying method and compared with predicted value of fruit moisture content obtained using the studied sensor. The sensor was used to monitor fruit ripeness based on the measurement of the phase or magnitude of reflection coefficient and the dielectric measurement software was developed to control and acquire data from the VNA using Agilent VEE. This software was used to calculate the complex relative permittivity from the measured reflection coefficient between 1GHz and 5 GHz.

Impact of Different Elastomer Formulations on Moisture Permeation through Stoppers Used for Lyophilized Products Stored under Humid Conditions.

PubMed

Sasaki, Hitoshi; Kikuchi, Jun; Maeda, Terutoshi; Kuboniwa, Hitoshi

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of moisture permeability of different elastomer formulation stoppers, which had different moisture absorption abilities, on the increase of moisture content inside lyophilized vials during long-term storage under humid conditions. Two different elastomer formulation stoppers (high-moisture and low-moisture uptake stoppers) were compared. The increased amount of moisture content inside lyophilized vials fitted with high-moisture stoppers was higher than those fitted with low-moisture stoppers during the early stage of storage. However, this trend was reversed during the later stage of storage. Our data show that the moisture increase inside the lyophilized vials at the early stage was caused by moisture transfer from the stoppers, whereas the later moisture increase was caused by external moisture permeation through the stoppers. Results indicate that the difference in the moisture uptake profile inside the lyophilized vials at each period of storage was caused by the moisture absorption ability and moisture permeation ability of the two elastomer formulation stoppers. In terms of long-term storage stability under humid conditions, our data indicate that external moisture permeating through the stopper into the lyophilized vial during the late stage was the more important factor. In addition, the increase in moisture content at the early stage was controlled by stopper drying time. Furthermore, stopper drying time did not have an effect on moisture permeation at the late stage. Moisture permeation during the storage period appears to be dependent on the different elastomer formulations of the stoppers. The moisture permeation of different elastomer stoppers was an important factor in terms of the increased moisture content inside the lyophilized vials during the late stage of long-term storage under humid conditions. For lyophilized products stored at room temperature, the moisture permeation ability of the stopper is one of the most important factors for long-term storage stability.

Spatial variability and its main controlling factors of the permafrost soil-moisture on the northern-slope of Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, W.; Sheng, Y.

2017-12-01

The soil moisture movement is an important carrier of material cycle and energy flow among the various geo-spheres in the cold regions. It is very critical to protect the alpine ecology and hydrologic cycle in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Especially, it becomes one of the key problems to reveal the spatial-temporal variability of soil moisture movement and its main influence factors in earth system science. Thus, this research takes the north slope of Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as a case study. The present study firstly investigates the change of permafrost moisture in different slope positions and depths. Based on this investigation, this article attempts to investigate the spatial variability of permafrost moisture and identifies the key influence factors in different terrain conditions. The method of classification and regression tree (CART) is adopted to identify the main controlling factors influencing the soil moisture movement. And the relationships between soil moisture and environmental factors are revealed by the use of the method of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The results show that: 1) the change of the soil moisture on the permafrost slope is divided into 4 stages, including the freezing stability phase, the rapid thawing phase, the thawing stability phase and the fast freezing phase; 2) this greatly enhances the horizontal flow in the freezing period due to the terrain slope and the freezing-thawing process. Vertical migration is the mainly form of the soil moisture movement. It leads to that the soil-moisture content in the up-slope is higher than that in the down-slope. On the contrary, the soil-moisture content in the up-slope is lower than that in the down-slope during the melting period; 3) the main environmental factors which affect the slope-permafrost soil-moisture are elevation, soil texture, soil temperature and vegetation coverage. But there are differences in the impact factors of the soil moisture in different freezing-thawing stages; 4) the main factors that affect the slope-permafrost soil-moisture at the shallow depth of 0-20cm are slope, elevation and vegetation coverage. And the main factors influencing the soil moisture at the middle and lower depth are complex.

Comparing charcoal and zeolite reflection filters for volatile anaesthetics: A laboratory evaluation.

PubMed

Sturesson, Louise W; Frennström, Jan O; Ilardi, Marcella; Reinstrup, Peter

2015-08-01

A modified heat-moisture exchanger that incorporates a reflecting filter for use with partial rebreathing of exhaled volatile anaesthetics has been commercially available since the 1990 s. The main advantages of the device are efficient delivery of inhaled sedation to intensive care patients and reduced anaesthetic consumption during anaesthesia. However, elevated arterial CO2 values have been observed with an anaesthetic conserving device compared with a conventional heat and moisture exchanger, despite compensation for larger apparatus dead space. The objective of this study is to thoroughly explore the properties of two reflecting materials (charcoal and zeolites). A controlled, prospective, observational laboratory study. Lund University Hospital, Sweden, from December 2011 to December 2012. None. Three filters, with identical volumes, were compared using different volatile anaesthetics at different conditions of temperature and moisture. The filtering materials were charcoal or zeolite. Glass spheres were used as an inert control. Consumption of volatile anaesthetics using different reflecting materials in filters at different conditions regarding temperature and moisture. CO2 reflection by the filtering materials: glass spheres, charcoal or zeolite. Isoflurane consumption in an open system was 60.8 g h(-1). The isoflurane consumption in dry, warm air was 39.8 g h(-1) with glass spheres. Changing to charcoal and zeolite had a profound effect on isoflurane consumption, 11.8 and 10.7 g h(-1), respectively. Heating and humidifying the air as well as the addition of N2O created only minor changes in consumption. The percentage of isoflurane conserved by the charcoal filter was independent of the isoflurane concentration (0.5 to 4.5%). Reflection of sevoflurane, desflurane and halothane by the charcoal filter was similar to reflection of isoflurane. Both charcoal and zeolite filters had CO2 reflecting properties and end-tidal CO2 increased by 3 to 3.7% compared with glass spheres. This increase was attenuated to 1 to 1.4% when the air was heated and humidified, and isoflurane was added. Charcoal and zeolite possess gas-reflecting properties, which can be used to conserve volatile anaesthetics. They also reflect CO2. The degree of CO2 reflection was reduced by heating and humidifying the air.

49 CFR 192.461 - External corrosion control: Protective coating.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... to effectively resist underfilm migration of moisture; (3) Be sufficiently ductile to resist cracking... is an electrically insulating type must also have low moisture absorption and high electrical...

Investigation of the proposed solar-driven moisture phenomenon in asphalt shingle roofs

DOE PAGES

Boudreaux, Philip; Pallin, Simon; Jackson, Roderick

2016-01-19

We report that unvented, sealed or conditioned attics are an energy efficiency measure to reduce the thermal load of the home and decrease the space conditioning energy consumption. This retrofit is usually done by using spray polyurethane foam underneath the roof sheathing and on the gables and soffits of an attic to provide a thermal and air barrier. Unvented attics perform well from this perspective but from a moisture perspective sometimes the unvented attic homes have high interior humidity or moisture damage to the roof. As homes become more air tight and energy efficient, an understanding of the hygrothermal dynamicsmore » of the home become more important. One proposed reason for high unvented attic humidity has been that moisture can come through the asphalt shingle roof system and increase the moisture content of the roof sheathing and attic air. This has been called solar driven moisture. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) investigated this proposed phenomenon by examining the physical properties of a roof and the physics required for the phenomenon. Results showed that there are not favorable conditions for solar driven moisture to occur. ORNL also conducted an experimental study on an unvented attic home and compared the humidity below the roof sheathing before and after a vapor impermeable underlayment was installed. There was no statistically significant difference in absolute humidity before and after the vapor barrier was installed. Finally, the outcome of the theoretical and experimental study both suggest that solar driven moisture does not occur in any significant amount.« less

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

Rudd, A.

This document covers a description of the need and applied solutions for supplemental dehumidification in warm-humid climates, especially for energy efficient homes where the sensible cooling load has been dramatically reduced. In older homes in warm-humid climates, cooling loads are typically high and cooling equipment runs a lot to cool the air. The cooling process also removes indoor moisture, reducing indoor relative humidity. However, at current residential code levels, and especially for above-code programs, sensible cooling loads have been so dramatically reduced that the cooling system does not run a lot to cool the air, resulting in much less moisturemore » being removed. In these new homes, cooling equipment is off for much longer periods of time especially during spring/fall seasons, summer shoulder months, rainy periods, some summer nights, and some winter days. In warm-humid climates, those long off periods allow indoor humidity to become elevated due to internally generated moisture and ventilation air change. Elevated indoor relative humidity impacts comfort, indoor air quality, and building material durability. Industry is responding with supplemental dehumidification options, but that effort is really in its infancy regarding year-round humidity control in low-energy homes. Available supplemental humidity control options are discussed. Some options are less expensive but may not control indoor humidity as well as more expensive and comprehensive options. The best performing option is one that avoids overcooling and avoids adding unnecessary heat to the space by using waste heat from the cooling system to reheat the cooled and dehumidified air to room-neutral temperature.« less

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

Rudd, Armin

This document covers a description of the need and applied solutions for supplemental dehumidification in warm-humid climates, especially for energy efficient homes where the sensible cooling load has been dramatically reduced. Cooling loads are typically high and cooling equipment runs a lot to cool the air in older homes in warm-humid climates. The cooling process also removes indoor moisture, reducing indoor relative humidity. However, at current residential code levels, and especially for above-code programs, sensible cooling loads have been so dramatically reduced that the cooling system does not run a lot to cool the air, resulting in much less moisturemore » being removed. In these new homes, cooling equipment is off for much longer periods of time especially during spring/fall seasons, summer shoulder months, rainy periods, some summer nights, and winter days. In warm-humid climates, those long-off periods allow indoor humidity to become elevated due to internally generated moisture and ventilation air change. Elevated indoor relative humidity impacts comfort, indoor air quality, and building material durability. Industry is responding with supplemental dehumidification options, but that effort is really in its infancy regarding year-round humidity control in low-energy homes. Available supplemental humidity control options are discussed. Some options are less expensive but may not control indoor humidity as well as more expensive and comprehensive options. The best performing option is one that avoids overcooling and adding unnecessary heat to the space by using waste heat from the cooling system to reheat the cooled and dehumidified air to room-neutral temperature.« less

Investigation of Historic Equilibrium Moisture Content Data from the Forest Products Laboratory

Treesearch

Samuel V. Glass; Samuel L. Zelinka; Jay A. Johnson

2014-01-01

The Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) has provided equilibrium moisture content (EMC) values of wood for given temperature and relative humidity (RH) conditions in various forms over the course of its history, primarily for practical purposes related to drying lumber and controlling moisture content. The FPL EMC data have been widely cited and reprinted, not only in...

Drying and control of moisture content and dimensional changes

Treesearch

William T. Simpson

1999-01-01

In the living tree, wood contains large quantities of water. As green wood dries, most of the water is removed. The moisture remaining in the wood tends to come to equilibrium with the relative humidity of the surrounding air. Correct drying, handling, and storage of wood will minimize moisture content changes that might occur after drying when the wood is in service...

The influence of fuelbed properties on moisture drying rates and timelags of longleaf pine litter

Treesearch

Ralph M. Nelson; J. Kevin Hiers

2008-01-01

Fire managers often model pine needles as 1 h timelag fuels, but fuelbed properties may significantly change the rate at which needles exchange moisture with the atmosphere. The problem of determining whether moisture loss from fine fuels is being controlled by individual particles or by the fuelbed remains unresolved. Results from this laboratory experiment indicate...

Influence of moisture on the apical seal of root canal fillings with five different types of sealer.

PubMed

Roggendorf, Matthias Johannes; Ebert, Johannes; Petschelt, Anselm; Frankenberger, Roland

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of moisture on apical leakage using five different types of sealer. There were 120 single-rooted teeth instrumented to .02/#60 and randomly assigned to 10 experimental groups, one control group (AH Plus, lateral condensation) (n = 10) or positive/negative controls (n = 5). Before obturation teeth were dried thoroughly, followed by recontamination with moisture in a wet chamber (moist groups; 37 degrees C for 7 days). The teeth of the experimental groups (a, dry; b, moist) were obturated with sealer (groups 1, AH Plus; 2, Apexit; 3, Ketac-Endo; 4, RoekoSeal; 5, Tubli-Seal) and a single gutta-percha cone .02/#55. Teeth were centrifuged (30 x g for 3 minutes) in 5% methylene blue. Linear dye penetration was measured under a stereomicroscope. Moisture led to less microleakage for Apexit, RoekoSeal, and Tubli-Seal and higher values for AH Plus and Ketac-Endo. Multifactorial ANOVA displayed a significant dependence of leakage on sealer (p < 0.001) and the combination sealer or moisture (p < 0.01). It depends on the sealer type in which way moisture affects the apical seal.

Mechanisms of survival, responses and sources of Salmonella in low-moisture environments

PubMed Central

Finn, Sarah; Condell, Orla; McClure, Peter; Amézquita, Alejandro; Fanning, Séamus

2013-01-01

Some Enterobacteriaceae possess the ability to survive in low-moisture environments for extended periods of time. Many of the reported food-borne outbreaks associated with low-moisture foods involve Salmonella contamination. The control of Salmonella in low-moisture foods and their production environments represents a significant challenge for all food manufacturers. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge with respect to Salmonella survival in intermediate- and low-moisture food matrices and their production environments. The mechanisms utilized by this bacterium to ensure their survival in these dry conditions remain to be fully elucidated, however, in depth transcriptomic data is now beginning to emerge regarding this observation. Earlier research work described the effect(s) that low-moisture can exert on the long-term persistence and heat tolerance of Salmonella, however, data are also now available highlighting the potential cross-tolerance to other stressors including commonly used microbicidal agents. Sources and potential control measures to reduce the risk of contamination will be explored. By extending our understanding of these geno- and phenotypes, we may be able to exploit them to improve food safety and protect public health. PMID:24294212

SMAP Radar Processing and Calibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

West, R.; Jaruwatanadilok, S.; Kwoun, O.; Chaubell, M.

2013-01-01

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission is part of the NASA space-based Earth observation program, and consists of an L-band radar and radiometer scheduled for launch into sun synchronous orbit in late 2014. A joint effort of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the SMAP mission draws heavily on the design and risk reduction heritage of the Hydrosphere State (Hydros) mission [1], [2]. The SMAP science and applications objectives are to: 1) understand processes that link the terrestrial water, energy and carbon cycles, 2) estimate global water and energy fluxes at the land surface, 3) quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes, 4) enhance weather and climate forecast skill, and 5) develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capability. To meet these science objectives, SMAP ground processing will combine the attributes of the radar and radiometer observations (in terms of their spatial resolution and sensitivity to soil moisture, surface roughness, and vegetation) to estimate soil moisture with 4% volumetric accuracy at a resolution of 10 km, and freeze-thaw state at a resolution of 1-3 km. Model sensitivities translate the soil moisture accuracy to a radar backscatter accuracy of 1 dB (1 sigma) at 3 km resolution and a brightness temperature accuracy of 1.3 K at 40 km resolution. This paper will describe the level 1 radar processing and calibration challenges and the choices made so far for the algorithms and software implementation.

Elevated moisture stimulates carbon loss from mineral soils by releasing protected organic matter.

PubMed

Huang, Wenjuan; Hall, Steven J

2017-11-24

Moisture response functions for soil microbial carbon (C) mineralization remain a critical uncertainty for predicting ecosystem-climate feedbacks. Theory and models posit that C mineralization declines under elevated moisture and associated anaerobic conditions, leading to soil C accumulation. Yet, iron (Fe) reduction potentially releases protected C, providing an under-appreciated mechanism for C destabilization under elevated moisture. Here we incubate Mollisols from ecosystems under C 3 /C 4 plant rotations at moisture levels at and above field capacity over 5 months. Increased moisture and anaerobiosis initially suppress soil C mineralization, consistent with theory. However, after 25 days, elevated moisture stimulates cumulative gaseous C-loss as CO 2 and CH 4 to >150% of the control. Stable C isotopes show that mineralization of older C 3 -derived C released following Fe reduction dominates C losses. Counter to theory, elevated moisture may significantly accelerate C losses from mineral soils over weeks to months-a critical mechanistic deficiency of current Earth system models.

Assimilation of remote sensing observations into a continuous distributed hydrological model: impacts on the hydrologic cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laiolo, Paola; Gabellani, Simone; Campo, Lorenzo; Cenci, Luca; Silvestro, Francesco; Delogu, Fabio; Boni, Giorgio; Rudari, Roberto

2015-04-01

The reliable estimation of hydrological variables (e.g. soil moisture, evapotranspiration, surface temperature) in space and time is of fundamental importance in operational hydrology to improve the forecast of the rainfall-runoff response of catchments and, consequently, flood predictions. Nowadays remote sensing can offer a chance to provide good space-time estimates of several hydrological variables and then improve hydrological model performances especially in environments with scarce in-situ data. This work investigates the impact of the assimilation of different remote sensing products on the hydrological cycle by using a continuous physically based distributed hydrological model. Three soil moisture products derived by ASCAT (Advanced SCATterometer) are used to update the model state variables. The satellite-derived products are assimilated into the hydrological model using different assimilation techniques: a simple nudging and the Ensemble Kalman Filter. Moreover two assimilation strategies are evaluated to assess the impact of assimilating the satellite products at model spatial resolution or at the satellite scale. The experiments are carried out for three Italian catchments on multi year period. The benefits on the model predictions of discharge, LST, evapotranspiration and soil moisture dynamics are tested and discussed.

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

Gug, JeongIn, E-mail: Jeongin_gug@student.uml.edu; Cacciola, David, E-mail: david_cacciola@student.uml.edu; Sobkowicz, Margaret J., E-mail: Margaret_sobkowiczkline@uml.edu

Highlights: • Briquetting was used to produce solid fuels from municipal solid waste and recycled plastics. • Optimal drying, processing temperature and pressure were found to produce stable briquettes. • Addition of waste plastics yielded heating values comparable with typical coal feedstocks. • This processing method improves utilization of paper and plastic diverted from landfills. - Abstract: Diversion of waste streams such as plastics, woods, papers and other solid trash from municipal landfills and extraction of useful materials from landfills is an area of increasing interest especially in densely populated areas. One promising technology for recycling municipal solid waste (MSW)more » is to burn the high-energy-content components in standard coal power plant. This research aims to reform wastes into briquettes that are compatible with typical coal combustion processes. In order to comply with the standards of coal-fired power plants, the feedstock must be mechanically robust, free of hazardous contaminants, and moisture resistant, while retaining high fuel value. This study aims to investigate the effects of processing conditions and added recyclable plastics on the properties of MSW solid fuels. A well-sorted waste stream high in paper and fiber content was combined with controlled levels of recyclable plastics PE, PP, PET and PS and formed into briquettes using a compression molding technique. The effect of added plastics and moisture content on binding attraction and energy efficiency were investigated. The stability of the briquettes to moisture exposure, the fuel composition by proximate analysis, briquette mechanical strength, and burning efficiency were evaluated. It was found that high processing temperature ensures better properties of the product addition of milled mixed plastic waste leads to better encapsulation as well as to greater calorific value. Also some moisture removal (but not complete) improves the compacting process and results in higher heating value. Analysis of the post-processing water uptake and compressive strength showed a correlation between density and stability to both mechanical stress and humid environment. Proximate analysis indicated heating values comparable to coal. The results showed that mechanical and moisture uptake stability were improved when the moisture and air contents were optimized. Moreover, the briquette sample composition was similar to biomass fuels but had significant advantages due to addition of waste plastics that have high energy content compared to other waste types. Addition of PP and HDPE presented better benefits than addition of PET due to lower softening temperature and lower oxygen content. It should be noted that while harmful emissions such as dioxins, furans and mercury can result from burning plastics, WTE facilities have been able to control these emissions to meet US EPA standards. This research provides a drop-in coal replacement that reduces demand on landfill space and replaces a significant fraction of fossil-derived fuel with a renewable alternative.« less

The NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission Formulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Entekhabi, Dara; Njoku, Eni; ONeill, Peggy; Kellogg, Kent; Entin, Jared

2011-01-01

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission is one of the first-tier projects recommended by the U.S. National Research Council Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space. The SMAP mission is in formulation phase and it is scheduled for launch in 2014. The SMAP mission is designed to produce high-resolution and accurate global mapping of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state using an instrument architecture that incorporates an L-band (1.26 GHz) radar and an L-band (1.41 GHz) radiometer. The simultaneous radar and radiometer measurements will be combined to derive global soil moisture mapping at 9 [km] resolution with a 2 to 3 days revisit and 0.04 [cm3 cm-3] (1 sigma) soil water content accuracy. The radar measurements also allow the binary detection of surface freeze/thaw state. The project science goals address in water, energy and carbon cycle science as well as provide improved capabilities in natural hazards applications.

A computer program for the simulation of heat and moisture flow in soils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Camillo, P.; Schmugge, T. J.

1981-01-01

A computer program that simulates the flow of heat and moisture in soils is described. The space-time dependence of temperature and moisture content is described by a set of diffusion-type partial differential equations. The simulator uses a predictor/corrector to numerically integrate them, giving wetness and temperature profiles as a function of time. The simulator was used to generate solutions to diffusion-type partial differential equations for which analytical solutions are known. These equations include both constant and variable diffusivities, and both flux and constant concentration boundary conditions. In all cases, the simulated and analytic solutions agreed to within the error bounds which were imposed on the integrator. Simulations of heat and moisture flow under actual field conditions were also performed. Ground truth data were used for the boundary conditions and soil transport properties. The qualitative agreement between simulated and measured profiles is an indication that the model equations are reasonably accurate representations of the physical processes involved.

Initial substrate moisture content and storage temperature affects chemical properties of bagged substrates containing controlled release fertilizer at two different temperatures

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bagged potting mixes can be stored for weeks or months before being used by consumers. Some bagged potting mixes are amended with controlled release fertilizers (CRF). The objective of this research was to observe how initial substrate moisture content and storage temperature affect the chemical p...

Going Up

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-21

At Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive SMAP mission satellite is lifted up the side of a mobile service tower for mating to its Delta II rocket.

Large scale meteorological patterns and moisture sources during precipitation extremes over South Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehmood, S.; Ashfaq, M.; Evans, K. J.; Black, R. X.; Hsu, H. H.

2017-12-01

Extreme precipitation during summer season has shown an increasing trend across South Asia in recent decades, causing an exponential increase in weather related losses. Here we combine a cluster analyses technique (Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering) with a Lagrangian based moisture analyses technique to investigate potential commonalities in the characteristics of the large scale meteorological patterns (LSMP) and moisture anomalies associated with the observed extreme precipitation events, and their representation in the Department of Energy model ACME. Using precipitation observations from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and Asian Precipitation Highly Resolved Observational Data Integration Towards Evaluation (APHRODITE), and atmospheric variables from Era-Interim Reanalysis, we first identify LSMP both in upper and lower troposphere that are responsible for wide spread precipitation extreme events during 1980-2015 period. For each of the selected extreme event, we perform moisture source analyses to identify major evaporative sources that sustain anomalous moisture supply during the course of the event, with a particular focus on local terrestrial moisture recycling. Further, we perform similar analyses on two sets of five-member ensemble of ACME model (1-degree and ¼ degree) to investigate the ability of ACME model in simulating precipitation extremes associated with each of the LSMP patterns and associated anomalous moisture sourcing from each of the terrestrial and oceanic evaporative region. Comparison of low and high-resolution model configurations provides insight about the influence of horizontal grid spacing in the simulation of extreme precipitation and the governing mechanisms.

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

Boudreaux, Philip; Pallin, Simon; Jackson, Roderick

We report that unvented, sealed or conditioned attics are an energy efficiency measure to reduce the thermal load of the home and decrease the space conditioning energy consumption. This retrofit is usually done by using spray polyurethane foam underneath the roof sheathing and on the gables and soffits of an attic to provide a thermal and air barrier. Unvented attics perform well from this perspective but from a moisture perspective sometimes the unvented attic homes have high interior humidity or moisture damage to the roof. As homes become more air tight and energy efficient, an understanding of the hygrothermal dynamicsmore » of the home become more important. One proposed reason for high unvented attic humidity has been that moisture can come through the asphalt shingle roof system and increase the moisture content of the roof sheathing and attic air. This has been called solar driven moisture. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) investigated this proposed phenomenon by examining the physical properties of a roof and the physics required for the phenomenon. Results showed that there are not favorable conditions for solar driven moisture to occur. ORNL also conducted an experimental study on an unvented attic home and compared the humidity below the roof sheathing before and after a vapor impermeable underlayment was installed. There was no statistically significant difference in absolute humidity before and after the vapor barrier was installed. Finally, the outcome of the theoretical and experimental study both suggest that solar driven moisture does not occur in any significant amount.« less

[Effects of thinning on Calligonum arborescens growth and soil water-salt distribution in Tarim Desert Highway shelterbelt, Xinjiang of Northwest China].

PubMed

Zhang, Jian-Guo; Li, Ying-Gang; Xu, Xin-Wen; Lei, Jia-Qiang; Li, Sheng-Yu

2012-09-01

In order to understand the effects of thinning on the growth of Calligonum arborescens and the soil water-salt distribution in Tarim Desert Highway shelterbelt, a thinning experiment was conducted on an aged and declined C. arborescens woodland in a demonstration section of the shelterbelt, with the growth of C. arborescens and the soil water-salt distribution monitored. Thinning had no effects on the phenophase of C. arborescens, but after thinning, the growth of the current year plant height, crown width, ground diameter, and new branch length of reserved trees was larger than that of the control, and the increment was in the order of planting space 2 mx 1 m > 1 m x 1 m > the control, with significant differences among the treatments. The assimilation branch surface area in treatments 2 mx 1 m and 1 m x 1 m were 5.97 m2 and 5.22 m2 per plant, respectively, being significantly larger than the control (3.1 m2 per plant). The soil moisture content in 0-160 cm layer was significantly higher in treatments 2 m x 1 m and 1 mx 1 m than in the control, and increased obviously with thinning intensity. The soil salt content was in the order of control > planting space 1 m x 1 m > 2 m x 1 m, and the differences among the treatments were significant. It was suggested that the best reserved plant density after thinning was planting space 2 m x 1 m.

Soil respiration in the cold desert environment of the Colorado Plateau (USA): Abiotic regulators and thresholds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fernandez, D.P.; Neff, J.C.; Belnap, J.; Reynolds, R.L.

2006-01-01

Decomposition is central to understanding ecosystem carbon exchange and nutrient-release processes. Unlike mesic ecosystems, which have been extensively studied, xeric landscapes have received little attention; as a result, abiotic soil-respiration regulatory processes are poorly understood in xeric environments. To provide a more complete and quantitative understanding about how abiotic factors influence soil respiration in xeric ecosystems, we conducted soil- respiration and decomposition-cloth measurements in the cold desert of southeast Utah. Our study evaluated when and to what extent soil texture, moisture, temperature, organic carbon, and nitrogen influence soil respiration and examined whether the inverse-texture hypothesis applies to decomposition. Within our study site, the effect of texture on moisture, as described by the inverse texture hypothesis, was evident, but its effect on decomposition was not. Our results show temperature and moisture to be the dominant abiotic controls of soil respiration. Specifically, temporal offsets in temperature and moisture conditions appear to have a strong control on soil respiration, with the highest fluxes occurring in spring when temperature and moisture were favorable. These temporal offsets resulted in decomposition rates that were controlled by soil moisture and temperature thresholds. The highest fluxes of CO2 occurred when soil temperature was between 10 and 16??C and volumetric soil moisture was greater than 10%. Decomposition-cloth results, which integrate decomposition processes across several months, support the soil-respiration results and further illustrate the seasonal patterns of high respiration rates during spring and low rates during summer and fall. Results from this study suggest that the parameters used to predict soil respiration in mesic ecosystems likely do not apply in cold-desert environments. ?? Springer 2006.

Soil Moisture (SMAP) and Vapor Pressure Deficit Controls on Evaporative Fraction over the Continental U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvucci, G.; Rigden, A. J.; Gianotti, D.; Entekhabi, D.

2017-12-01

We analyze the control over evapotranspiration (ET) imposed by soil moisture limitations and stomatal closure due to vapor pressure deficit (VPD) across the United States using estimates of satellite-derived soil moisture from SMAP and a meteorological, data-driven ET estimate over a two year period at over 1000 locations. The ET data are developed independent of soil moisture using the emergent relationship between the diurnal cycle of the relative humidity profile and ET based on ETRHEQ (Salvucci and Gentine (2013), PNAS, 110(16): 6287-6291, Rigden and Salvucci, 2015, WRR, 51(4): 2951-2973; Rigden and Salvucci, 2017, GCB, 23(3) 1140-1151). The key advantage of using this approach to estimate ET is that no measurements of surface limiting factors (soil moisture, leaf area, canopy conductance) are required; instead, ET is estimated from only meteorological data. The combination of these two independent datasets allows for a unique spatial analysis of the control on ET imposed by the availability of soil moisture vs. VPD. Spatial patterns of limitations are inferred by fitting the ETRHEQ-inferred surface conductance to a weighted sum of a Jarvis type stomatal conductance model and bare soil evaporation conductance model, with separate moisture-dependent evaporation efficiency relations for bare soil and vegetation. Spatial patterns are visualized by mapping the optimal curve fitting coefficients and by conducting sensitivity analyses of the resulting fitted model across the Unites States. Results indicate regional variations in rate-limiting factors, and suggest that in some areas the VPD effect on stomatal closure is strong enough to induce a decrease in ET under projected climate change, despite an increase in atmospheric drying (and thus evaporative demand).

Design of Moisture Content Detection System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W. C.; Wang, L.

In this paper, a method for measuring the moisture content of grain was presented based on single chip microcomputer and capacitive sensor. The working principle of measuring moisture content is introduced and a concentric cylinder type of capacitive sensor is designed, the signal processing circuits of system are described in details. System is tested in practice and discussions are made on the various factors affecting the capacitive measuring of grain moisture based on the practical experiments, experiment results showed that the system has high measuring accuracy and good controlling capacity.

Moisture sorption isotherms and thermodynamic properties of mexican mennonite-style cheese.

PubMed

Martinez-Monteagudo, Sergio I; Salais-Fierro, Fabiola

2014-10-01

Moisture adsorption isotherms of fresh and ripened Mexican Mennonite-style cheese were investigated using the static gravimetric method at 4, 8, and 12 °C in a water activity range (aw) of 0.08-0.96. These isotherms were modeled using GAB, BET, Oswin and Halsey equations through weighed non-linear regression. All isotherms were sigmoid in shape, showing a type II BET isotherm, and the data were best described by GAB model. GAB model coefficients revealed that water adsorption by cheese matrix is a multilayer process characterized by molecules that are strongly bound in the monolayer and molecules that are slightly structured in a multilayer. Using the GAB model, it was possible to estimate thermodynamic functions (net isosteric heat, differential entropy, integral enthalpy and entropy, and enthalpy-entropy compensation) as function of moisture content. For both samples, the isosteric heat and differential entropy decreased with moisture content in exponential fashion. The integral enthalpy gradually decreased with increasing moisture content after reached a maximum value, while the integral entropy decreased with increasing moisture content after reached a minimum value. A linear compensation was found between integral enthalpy and entropy suggesting enthalpy controlled adsorption. Determination of moisture content and aw relationship yields to important information of controlling the ripening, drying and storage operations as well as understanding of the water state within a cheese matrix.

The Importance of Moisture in Hybrid Lead Halide Perovskite Thin Film Fabrication.

PubMed

Eperon, Giles E; Habisreutinger, Severin N; Leijtens, Tomas; Bruijnaers, Bardo J; van Franeker, Jacobus J; deQuilettes, Dane W; Pathak, Sandeep; Sutton, Rebecca J; Grancini, Giulia; Ginger, David S; Janssen, Rene A J; Petrozza, Annamaria; Snaith, Henry J

2015-09-22

Moisture, in the form of ambient humidity, has a significant impact on methylammonium lead halide perovskite films. In particular, due to the hygroscopic nature of the methylammonium component, moisture plays a significant role during film formation. This issue has so far not been well understood and neither has the impact of moisture on the physical properties of resultant films. Herein, we carry out a comprehensive and well-controlled study of the effect of moisture exposure on methylammonium lead halide perovskite film formation and properties. We find that films formed in higher humidity atmospheres have a less continuous morphology but significantly improved photoluminescence, and that film formation is faster. In photovoltaic devices, we find that exposure to moisture, either in the precursor solution or in the atmosphere during formation, results in significantly improved open-circuit voltages and hence overall device performance. We then find that by post-treating dry films with moisture exposure, we can enhance photovoltaic performance and photoluminescence in a similar way. The enhanced photoluminescence and open-circuit voltage imply that the material quality is improved in films that have been exposed to moisture. We determine that this improvement stems from a reduction in trap density in the films, which we postulate to be due to the partial solvation of the methylammonium component and "self-healing" of the perovskite lattice. This work highlights the importance of controlled moisture exposure when fabricating high-performance perovskite devices and provides guidelines for the optimum environment for fabrication. Moreover, we note that often an unintentional water exposure is likely responsible for the high performance of solar cells produced in some laboratories, whereas careful synthesis and fabrication in a dry environment will lead to lower-performing devices.

Four decades of microwave satellite soil moisture observations: Part 2. Product validation and inter-satellite comparisons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karthikeyan, L.; Pan, Ming; Wanders, Niko; Kumar, D. Nagesh; Wood, Eric F.

2017-11-01

Soil moisture is widely recognized as an important land surface variable that provides a deeper knowledge of land-atmosphere interactions and climate change. Space-borne passive and active microwave sensors have become valuable and essential sources of soil moisture observations at global scales. Over the past four decades, several active and passive microwave sensors have been deployed, along with the recent launch of two fully dedicated missions (SMOS and SMAP). Signifying the four decades of microwave remote sensing of soil moisture, this Part 2 of the two-part review series aims to present an overview of how our knowledge in this field has improved in terms of the design of sensors and their accuracy for retrieving soil moisture. The first part discusses the developments made in active and passive microwave soil moisture retrieval algorithms. We assess the evolution of the products of various sensors over the last four decades, in terms of daily coverage, temporal performance, and spatial performance, by comparing the products of eight passive sensors (SMMR, SSM/I, TMI, AMSR-E, WindSAT, AMSR2, SMOS and SMAP), two active sensors (ERS-Scatterometer, MetOp-ASCAT), and one active/passive merged soil moisture product (ESA-CCI combined product) with the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) in-situ stations and the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) land surface model simulations over the Contiguous United States (CONUS). In the process, the regional impacts of vegetation conditions on the spatial and temporal performance of soil moisture products are investigated. We also carried out inter-satellite comparisons to study the roles of sensor design and algorithms on the retrieval accuracy. We find that substantial improvements have been made over recent years in this field in terms of daily coverage, retrieval accuracy, and temporal dynamics. We conclude that the microwave soil moisture products have significantly evolved in the last four decades and will continue to make key contributions to the progress of hydro-meteorological and climate sciences.

The Utility of the Real-Time NASA Land Information System Data for Drought Monitoring Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Kristopher D.; Case, Jonathan L.

2013-01-01

Measurements of soil moisture are a crucial component for the proper monitoring of drought conditions. The large spatial variability of soil moisture complicates the problem. Unfortunately, in situ soil moisture observing networks typically consist of sparse point observations, and conventional numerical model analyses of soil moisture used to diagnose drought are of coarse spatial resolution. Decision support systems such as the U.S. Drought Monitor contain drought impact resolution on sub-county scales, which may not be supported by the existing soil moisture networks or analyses. The NASA Land Information System, which is run with 3 km grid spacing over the eastern United States, has demonstrated utility for monitoring soil moisture. Some of the more useful output fields from the Land Information System are volumetric soil moisture in the 0-10 cm and 40-100 cm layers, column-integrated relative soil moisture, and the real-time green vegetation fraction derived from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) swath data that are run within the Land Information System in place of the monthly climatological vegetation fraction. While these and other variables have primarily been used in local weather models and other operational forecasting applications at National Weather Service offices, the use of the Land Information System for drought monitoring has demonstrated utility for feedback to the Drought Monitor. Output from the Land Information System is currently being used at NWS Huntsville to assess soil moisture, and to provide input to the Drought Monitor. Since feedback to the Drought Monitor takes place on a weekly basis, weekly difference plots of column-integrated relative soil moisture are being produced by the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center and analyzed to facilitate the process. In addition to the Drought Monitor, these data are used to assess drought conditions for monthly feedback to the Alabama Drought Monitoring and Impact Group and the Tennessee Drought Task Force, which are comprised of federal, state, and local agencies and other water resources professionals.

Reduction of Moisture Effects During the Cure of Epoxy Adhesives Used in Composite Repair

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Augl, J. M.; Sivy, G. T.

1985-01-01

The requirements for repair work on Naval aircraft composite wing skins that can be performed under depot conditions (or still worse, under field conditions) are quite restrictive. Equipment that can be used is rather limited as are the available repair space and time. The procedures must be simple enough so that they can be performed satisfactorily by personnel without special knowledge in composite materials technology. Repairs of small holes should not require more than perhaps a short predrying cycle (with heat guns) and a subsequent patch bonding using a heating blanket, held in place by applying a vacuum. However, it has been observed during simulated experimental repair work that the glue lines frequently show a high content of pores and bubbles which are attributed to evaporation of moisture during the curing cycle. (Of course, other volatile materials such as residual solvent would act similarly). The purpose of this paper is to give some detailed analysis of the problem of moisture transport as a function of repair conditions, and to discuss some preliminary work to reduce the effect of moisture by removing moisture chemically with carbodiimides before it reaches a critical level for bubble formations.

InSAR constraints on soil moisture evolution after the March 2015 extreme precipitation event in Chile.

PubMed

Scott, C P; Lohman, R B; Jordan, T E

2017-07-07

Constraints on soil moisture can guide agricultural practices, act as input into weather, flooding and climate models and inform water resource policies. Space-based interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) observations provide near-global coverage, even in the presence of clouds, of proxies for soil moisture derived from the amplitude and phase content of radar imagery. We describe results from a 1.5 year-long InSAR time series spanning the March, 2015 extreme precipitation event in the hyperarid Atacama desert of Chile, constraining the immediate increase in soil moisture and drying out over the following months, as well as the response to a later, smaller precipitation event. The inferred temporal evolution of soil moisture is remarkably consistent between independent, overlapping SAR tracks covering a region ~100 km in extent. The unusually large rain event, combined with the extensive spatial and temporal coverage of the SAR dataset, present an unprecedented opportunity to image the time-evolution of soil characteristics over different surface types. Constraints on the timescale of shallow water storage after precipitation events are increasingly valuable as global water resources continue to be stretched to their limits and communities continue to develop in flood-prone areas.

Remote sensing of soil moisture with microwave radiometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmugge, T.; Wilheit, T.; Webster, W., Jr.; Gloerson, P.

1976-01-01

Results are presented that were derived from measurements made by microwave radiometers during the March 1972 and February 1973 flights of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Convair-9900 aircraft over agricultural test sites in the southwestern part of United States. The purpose of the missions was to study the use of microwave radiometers for the remote sensing of soil moisture. The microwave radiometers covered the 0.8- to 21-cm wavelength range. The results show a good linear correlation between the observed microwave brightness temperature and moisture content of the 0- to 1-cm layer of the soil. The results at the largest wavelength (21 cm) show the greatest sensitivity to soil moisture variations and indicate the possibility of sensing these variations through a vegetative canopy. The effect of soil texture on the emission from the soil was also studied and it was found that this effect can be compensated for by expressing soil moisture as a percent of field capacity for the soil. The results were compared with calculations based on a radiative transfer model for layered dielectrics and the agreement is very good at the longer wavelengths. At the shorter wavelengths, surface roughness effects are larger and the agreement becomes poorer.

Saline nasal washes

MedlinePlus

... nasal wash helps flush pollen, dust, and other debris from your nasal passages. It also helps remove excess mucus (snot) and adds moisture. Your nasal passages are open spaces behind your nose. Air passes through your nasal ...

Satellite in a Can

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-21

NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive SMAP satellite is transported across Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to Space Launch Complex 2, where it will be mated to a Delta II rocket for launch, targeted for Jan. 29.

Teaching Ideas Notebook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Aerospace Education, 1975

1975-01-01

Presents directions for constructing a hair hygrometer for detecting moisture in the air, outlines factors related to human space flight and reaction time, and explains the construction and use of a visual aid for map work. (GS)

SMAP Flys over Earth Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-12

This image, created at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL, shows the Soil Moisture Active Passive SMAP mission, specifically depicting how the scanning antenna will fly in space and the swath coverage over the Earth.

MoisturEC: an R application for geostatistical estimation of moisture content from electrical conductivity data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terry, N.; Day-Lewis, F. D.; Werkema, D. D.; Lane, J. W., Jr.

2017-12-01

Soil moisture is a critical parameter for agriculture, water supply, and management of landfills. Whereas direct data (as from TDR or soil moisture probes) provide localized point scale information, it is often more desirable to produce 2D and/or 3D estimates of soil moisture from noninvasive measurements. To this end, geophysical methods for indirectly assessing soil moisture have great potential, yet are limited in terms of quantitative interpretation due to uncertainty in petrophysical transformations and inherent limitations in resolution. Simple tools to produce soil moisture estimates from geophysical data are lacking. We present a new standalone program, MoisturEC, for estimating moisture content distributions from electrical conductivity data. The program uses an indicator kriging method within a geostatistical framework to incorporate hard data (as from moisture probes) and soft data (as from electrical resistivity imaging or electromagnetic induction) to produce estimates of moisture content and uncertainty. The program features data visualization and output options as well as a module for calibrating electrical conductivity with moisture content to improve estimates. The user-friendly program is written in R - a widely used, cross-platform, open source programming language that lends itself to further development and customization. We demonstrate use of the program with a numerical experiment as well as a controlled field irrigation experiment. Results produced from the combined geostatistical framework of MoisturEC show improved estimates of moisture content compared to those generated from individual datasets. This application provides a convenient and efficient means for integrating various data types and has broad utility to soil moisture monitoring in landfills, agriculture, and other problems.

KSC-2014-3324

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-23

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The first stage of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, is transported from the Building 836 hangar to the Horizontal Processing Facility at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force 30th Space Wing

KSC-2014-3325

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-23

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The first stage of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, makes its way along the roadways on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California from the Building 836 hangar to the Horizontal Processing Facility at Space Launch Complex 2. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force 30th Space Wing

Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing for Analysis of Landscape Ecological Processes: Current Insights and Trends. Chapter 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale A.; Luvall, Jeffrey C.

2014-01-01

NASA or NOAA Earth-observing satellites are not the only space-based TIR platforms. The European Space Agency (ESA), the Chinese, and other countries have in orbit or plan to launch TIR remote sensing systems. Satellite remote sensing provides an excellent opportunity to study land-atmosphere energy exchanges at the regional scale. A predominant application of TIR data has been in inferring evaporation, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil moisture. In addition to using TIR data for ET and soil moisture analysis over vegetated surfaces, there is also a need for using these data for assessment of drought conditions. The concept of ecological thermodynamics provides a quantification of surface energy fluxes for landscape characterization in relation to the overall amount of energy input and output from specific land cover types.

Effects of moisture content of food waste on residue separation, larval growth and larval survival in black soldier fly bioconversion.

PubMed

Cheng, Jack Y K; Chiu, Sam L H; Lo, Irene M C

2017-09-01

In order to foster sustainable management of food waste, innovations in food waste valorization technologies are crucial. Black soldier fly (BSF) bioconversion is an emerging technology that can turn food waste into high-protein fish feed through the use of BSF larvae. The conventional method of BSF bioconversion is to feed BSF larvae with food waste directly without any moisture adjustment. However, it was reported that difficulty has been experienced in the separation of the residue (larval excreta and undigested material) from the insect biomass due to excessive moisture. In addition to the residue separation problem, the moisture content of the food waste may also affect the growth and survival aspects of BSF larvae. This study aims to determine the most suitable moisture content of food waste that can improve residue separation as well as evaluate the effects of the moisture content of food waste on larval growth and survival. In this study, pre-consumer and post-consumer food waste with different moisture content (70%, 75% and 80%) was fed to BSF larvae in a temperature-controlled rotary drum reactor. The results show that the residue can be effectively separated from the insect biomass by sieving using a 2.36mm sieve, for both types of food waste at 70% and 75% moisture content. However, sieving of the residue was not feasible for food waste at 80% moisture content. On the other hand, reduced moisture content of food waste was found to slow down larval growth. Hence, there is a trade-off between the sieving efficiency of the residue and the larval growth rate. Furthermore, the larval survival rate was not affected by the moisture content of food waste. A high larval survival rate of at least 95% was achieved using a temperature-controlled rotary drum reactor for all treatment groups. The study provides valuable insights for the waste management industry on understanding the effects of moisture content when employing BSF bioconversion for food waste recycling. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Moisture Function of Soil Heterotrophic Respiration Derived from Pore-scale Mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Z.; Todd-Brown, K. E.; Bond-Lamberty, B. P.; Bailey, V.; Liu, C.

2017-12-01

Soil heterotrophic respiration (HR) is an important process controlling carbon (C) flux, but its response to changes in soil water content (θ) is poorly understood. Earth system models (ESMs) use empirical moisture functions developed from specific sites to describe the HR-θ relationship in soils, introducing significant uncertainty. Generalized models derived from mechanisms that control substrate availability and microbial respiration are thus urgently needed. Here we derive, present, and test a novel moisture function fp developed from pore-scale mechanisms. This fp encapsulates primary physicochemical and biological processes controlling HR response to moisture variation in soils. We tested fp against a wide range of published data for different soil types, and found that fp reliably predicted diverse HR- relationships. The mathematical relationship between the parameters in fp and macroscopic soil properties such as porosity and organic C content was also established, enabling to estimate fp using soil properties. Compared with empirical moisture functions used in ESMs, this derived fp could reduce uncertainty in predicting the response of soil organic C stock to climate changes. In addition, this work is one of the first studies to upscale a mechanistic soil HR model based on pore-scale processes, thus linking the pore-scale mechanisms with macroscale observations.

The contribution of space observations to water resources management; Proceedings of the Symposium, Bangalore, India, May 29-June 9, 1979

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salomonson, V. V. (Editor); Bhavsar, P. D.

1980-01-01

The symposium focused on hydrology, soil moisture estimation and ground water exploration, wetlands monitoring and water quality estimation, hydrometeorology, snow and ice monitoring, and evapotranspiration estimation. Other problems discussed include surface water and flood mapping, watershed runoff estimation and prediction, and new space systems contributing to water resources management.

ESTAR: The Electronically Scanned Thinned Array Radiometer for remote sensing measurement of soil moisture and ocean salinity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swift, C. T.

1993-01-01

The product of a working group assembled to help define the science objectives and measurement requirements of a spaceborne L-band microwave radiometer devoted to remote sensing of surface soil moisture and sea surface salinity is presented. Remote sensing in this long-wavelength portion of the microwave spectrum requires large antennas in low-Earth orbit to achieve acceptable spatial resolution. The proposed radiometer, ESTAR, is unique in that it employs aperture synthesis to reduce the antenna area requirements for a space system.

Control of nonenzymatic browning in intermediate-moisture foods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buckle, K. A.; Labruza, T. P.; Warmbier, H. C.

1975-01-01

Series of compounds called humectants were found to decrease rate of browning when added to intermediate-moisture foods. Twenty percent level of humectant can increase shelf life of foods by factor of 5 or 6.

Topographic Controls on Spatial Patterns of Soil Texture and Moisture in a Semi-arid Montane Catchment with Aspect-Dependent Vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehman, B. M.; Niemann, J. D.

2008-12-01

Soil moisture exerts significant control over the partitioning of latent and sensible energy fluxes, the magnitude of both vertical and lateral water fluxes, the physiological and water-use characteristics of vegetation, and nutrient cycling. Considerable progress has been made in determining how soil characteristics, topography, and vegetation influence spatial patterns of soil moisture in humid environments at the catchment, hillslope, and plant scales. However, understanding of the controls on soil moisture patterns beyond the plant scale in semi-arid environments remains more limited. This study examines the relationships between the spatial patterns of near surface soil moisture (upper 5 cm), terrain indices, and soil properties in a small, semi-arid, montane catchment. The 8 ha catchment, located in the Cache La Poudre River Canyon in north-central Colorado, has a total relief of 115 m and an average elevation of 2193 m. It is characterized by steep slopes and shallow, gravelly/sandy soils with scattered granite outcroppings. Depth to bedrock ranges from 0 m to greater than 1 m. Vegetation in the catchment is highly correlated with topographic aspect. In particular, north-facing hillslopes are predominately vegetated by ponderosa pines, while south-facing slopes are mostly vegetated by several shrub species. Soil samples were collected at a 30 m resolution to characterize soil texture and bulk density, and several datasets consisting of more than 300 point measurements of soil moisture were collected using time domain reflectometry (TDR) between Fall 2007 and Summer 2008 at a 15 m resolution. Results from soil textural analysis performed with sieving and the ASTM standard hydrometer method show that soil texture is finer on the north-facing hillslope than on the south-facing hillslope. Cos(aspect) is the best univariate predictor of silts, while slope is the best predictor of coarser fractions up to fine gravel. Bulk density increases with depth but shows no significant relationship with topographic indices. When the catchment average soil moisture is low, the variance of soil moisture increases with the average. When the average is high, the variance remains relatively constant. Little of the variation in soil moisture is explained by topographic indices when the catchment is either very wet or dry; however, when the average soil moisture takes on intermediate values, cos(aspect) is consistently the best predictor among the terrain indices considered.

How To Recycle Water in Space

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-13

Nature has been recycling water on Earth for eons, and NASA is perfecting how to do it in space right now on the International Space Station. In constant operation for several years already, the Water Recovery System draws moisture from a number of sources to continuously provide astronauts with safe, clean drinking water. Follow the entire process in this video and learn how engineers are successfully turning yesterday’s coffee into tomorrow’s for these brave explorers! _______________________________________ FOLLOW THE SPACE STATION! Twitter: https://twitter.com/Space_Station Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ISS Instagram: https://instagram.com/iss/

Phase Sensitiveness to Soil Moisture in Controlled Anechoic Chamber: Measurements and First Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Khadhra, K.; Nolan, M.; Hounam, D.; Boerner, T.

2005-12-01

To date many radar methods and models have been reported for the estimation of soil moisture, such as the Oh-model or the Dubois model. Those models, which use only the magnitude of the backscattered signal, show results with 5 to 10 % accuracy. In the last two decades SAR Interferometry (InSAR) and differential InSAR (DInSAR), which uses the phase of the backscattered signal, has been shown to be a useful tool for the creation of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), and temporal changes due to earthquakes, subsidence, and other ground motions. Nolan (2003) also suggested the possibility to use DINSAR penetration depth as a proxy to estimate the soil moisture. The principal is based on the relationship between the penetration depth and the permittivity, which varies as a function of soil moisture. In this paper we will present new interferometric X-band laboratory measurements, which have been carried out in the Bistatic Measurement Facility at the DLR Oberpfaffenhofen, Microwaves and Radar Institute in Germany. The bistatic geometry enables us to have interferometric pairs with different baseline and different soil moistures controlled by a TDR (Time Domain Reflectivity) system. After calibration of the measuring system using a large metal plate, the sensitivity of phase and reflectivity with regard to moisture variation and therefore the penetration depth was evaluated. The effect of the surface roughness has been also reported. Current results demonstrate a non-linear relationship between the signal phase and the soil moisture, as expected, confirming the possibility of using DInSAR to measure variations in soil moisture.

Evaluation of the Hamburg Rut Tester and Moisture Induced Stress Test (MIST) for field control of hot mix asphalt (HMA) in Oklahoma : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

This report covers the evaluation of the Hamburg Loaded Wheel Rut Tester (OHD L-55) and the : Moisture Induced Stress Tester (MIST) for field control of Oklahoma HMA mixtures. OHD L-55 : was evaluated as a possible replacement for AASHTO T 283 and fo...

Effect of site treatments on soil temperature and moisture and oak and pine growth and nutrient concentrations

Treesearch

Felix, Jr. Ponder

2003-01-01

Five years after planting, measurements of soil moisture and temperature, leaf nutrient concentrations and growth, were compared for plots of northern red oak, white oak, and shortleaf pine for treatment combinations that included two levels each of harvesting intensity (organic matter removal), site disturbance (soil compaction), and weed control (control of the...

What limits evaporation from Mediterranean oak woodlands The supply of moisture in the soil, physiological control by plants or the demand by the atmosphere?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldocchi, Dennis D.; Xu, Liukang

2007-10-01

The prediction of evaporation from Mediterranean woodland ecosystems is complicated by an array of climate, soil and plant factors. To provide a mechanistic and process-oriented understanding, we evaluate theoretical and experimental information on water loss of Mediterranean oaks at three scales, the leaf, tree and woodland. We use this knowledge to address: what limits evaporation from Mediterranean oak woodlands - the supply of moisture in the soil, physiological control by plants or the demand by the atmosphere? The Mediterranean climate is highly seasonal with wet winters and hot, dry summers. Consequently, available sunlight is in surplus, causing potential evaporation to far exceed available rainfall on an annual basis. Because the amount of precipitation to support woody plants is marginal, Mediterranean oaks must meet their limited water supply by a variety of means. They do so by: (1) constraining the leaf area index of the landscape by establishing a canopy with widely spaced trees; (2) reducing the size of individual leaves; (3) by adopting physiological characteristics that meter the use of water (e.g. regulating stomatal, leaf nitrogen/photosynthetic capacity and/or hydraulic conductance); (4), by tapping deep supplies of water in the soil; (5) and/or by adopting a deciduous life form, which reduces the time interval that the vegetation transpires.

Moisture variation associated with water input and evaporation during sewage sludge bio-drying.

PubMed

Cai, Lu; Gao, Ding; Chen, Tong-Bin; Liu, Hong-Tao; Zheng, Guo-Di; Yang, Qi-Wei

2012-08-01

The variation of moisture during sewage sludge bio-drying was investigated. In situ measurements were conducted to monitor the bulk moisture and water vapor, while the moisture content, water generation, water evaporation and aeration water input of the bio-drying bulk were calculated based on the water mass balance. The moisture in the sewage sludge bio-drying material decreased from 66% to 54% in response to control technology for bio-drying. During the temperature increasing and thermophilic phases of sewage sludge bio-drying, the moisture content, water generation and water evaporation of the bulk initially increased and then decreased. The peak water generation and evaporation occurred during the thermophilic phase. During the bio-drying, water evaporation was much greater than water generation, and aeration facilitated the water evaporation. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The influence of moisture content variation on fungal pigment formation in spalted wood

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Eight fungal species known to produce wood pigmentation were tested for reaction to various moisture contents in two hardwood species. Fungal pigmentation by Trametes versicolor and Xylaria polymorpha was stimulated at low water concentrations in both Acer saccharum (sugar maple) and Fagus grandifolia (American beech), while Inonotus hispidus and Polyporus squamosus were stimulated above 22-28% and 34-38% moisture content in beech and in sugar maple respectively. Fomes fomentarius and Polyporus brumalis produced maximum pigmentation in beech at 26 - 41% and in sugar maple at 59 - 96% moisture content. The pink staining Scytalidium cuboideum pigmented both wood species at above 35% moisture content. This research indicates that controlling the moisture content values of wood substrates can stimulate the intensity of pigmentation of specific fungi when spalting wood for decorative and commercial purpose. PMID:23245292

Subsurface Flow and Moisture Dynamics in Response to Swash Motions: Effects of Beach Hydraulic Conductivity and Capillarity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Xiaolong; Heiss, James W.; Michael, Holly A.; Boufadel, Michel C.

2017-12-01

A combined field and numerical study was conducted to investigate dynamics of subsurface flow and moisture response to waves in the swash zone of a sandy beach located on Cape Henlopen, DE. A density-dependent variably saturated flow model MARUN was used to simulate subsurface flow beneath the swash zone. Values of hydraulic conductivity (K) and characteristic pore size (α, a capillary fringe property) were varied to evaluate their effects on subsurface flow and moisture dynamics in response to swash motions in beach aquifers. The site-specific modeling results were validated against spatiotemporal measurements of moisture and pore pressure in the beach. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the hydraulic conductivity and capillary fringe thickness of the beach greatly influenced groundwater flow pathways and associated transit times in the swash zone. A higher value of K enhanced swash-induced seawater infiltration into the beach, thereby resulting in a faster expansion of a wedge of high moisture content induced by swash cycles, and a flatter water table mound beneath the swash zone. In contrast, a thicker capillary fringe retained higher moisture content near the beach surface, and thus, significantly reduced the available pore space for infiltration of seawater. This attenuated wave effects on pore water flow in the unsaturated zone of the beach. Also, a thicker capillary fringe enhanced horizontal flow driven by the larger-scale hydraulic gradient caused by tides.

Assessment of the SMAP Passive Soil Moisture Product

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, Steven K.; Bindlish, Rajat; O'Neill, Peggy E.; Njoku, Eni; Jackson, Tom; Colliander, Andreas; Chen, Fan; Burgin, Mariko; Dunbar, Scott; Piepmeier, Jeffrey;

The Integration of SMOS Soil Moisture in a Consistent Soil Moisture Climate Record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Jeu, Richard; Kerr, Yann; Wigneron, Jean Pierre; Rodriguez-Fernandez, Nemesio; Al-Yaari, Amen; van der Schalie, Robin; Dolman, Han; Drusch, Matthias; Mecklenburg, Susanne

2015-04-01

Recently, a study funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) was set up to provide guidelines for the development of a global soil moisture climate record with a special emphasis on the integration of SMOS. Three different data fusion approaches were designed and implemented on 10 year passive microwave data (2003-2013) from two different satellite sensors; the ESA Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity Mission (SMOS) and the NASA/JAXA Advanced Scanning Microwave Radiometer (AMSR-E). The AMSR-E data covered the period from January 2003 until Oct 2011 and SMOS data covered the period from June 2010 until the end of 2013. The fusion approaches included a neural network approach (Rodriguez-Fernandez et al., this conference session HS6.4), a regression approach (Wigneron et al., 2004), and an approach based on the baseline algorithm of ESAs current Climate Change Initiative soil moisture program, the Land Parameter Retrieval Model (Van der Schalie et al., this conference session HS6.4). With this presentation we will show the first results from this study including a description of the different approaches and the validation activities using both globally covered modeled datasets and ground observations from the international soil moisture network. The statistical validation analyses will give us information on the temporal and spatial performance of the three different approaches. Based on these results we will then discuss the next steps towards a seamless integration of SMOS in a consistent soil moisture climate record. References Wigneron J.-P., J.-C. Calvet, P. de Rosnay, Y. Kerr, P. Waldteufel, K. Saleh, M. J. Escorihuela, A. Kruszewski, 'Soil Moisture Retrievals from Bi-Angular L-band Passive Microwave Observations', IEEE Trans. Geosc. Remote Sens. Let., vol 1, no. 4, 277-281, 2004.

Integrating Multi-Sensor Remote Sensing and In-situ Measurements for Africa Drought Monitoring and Food Security Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, X.; Qu, J. J.; Motha, R. P.; Stefanski, R.; Malherbe, J.

2014-12-01

Drought is one of the most complicated natural hazards, and causes serious environmental, economic and social consequences. Agricultural production systems, which are highly susceptible to weather and climate extremes, are often the first and most vulnerable sector to be affected by drought events. In Africa, crop yield potential and grazing quality are already nearing their limit of temperature sensitivity, and, rapid population growth and frequent drought episodes pose serious complications for food security. It is critical to promote sustainable agriculture development in Africa under conditions of climate extremes. Soil moisture is one of the most important indicators for agriculture drought, and is a fundamentally critical parameter for decision support in crop management, including planting, water use efficiency and irrigation. While very significant technological advances have been introduced for remote sensing of surface soil moisture from space, in-situ measurements are still critical for calibration and validation of soil moisture estimation algorithms. For operational applications, synergistic collaboration is needed to integrate measurements from different sensors at different spatial and temporal scales. In this presentation, a collaborative effort is demonstrated for drought monitoring in Africa, supported and coordinated by WMO, including surface soil moisture and crop status monitoring. In-situ measurements of soil moisture, precipitation and temperature at selected sites are provided by local partners in Africa. Measurements from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are integrated with in-situ observations to derive surface soil moisture at high spatial resolution. Crop status is estimated through temporal analysis of current and historical MODIS measurements. Integrated analysis of soil moisture data and crop status provides both in-depth understanding of drought conditions and potential impacts on crop yield. This information is extremely useful in local decision support for agricultural management.

Integrating Multi-Sensor Remote Sensing and In-situ Measurements for Africa Drought Monitoring and Food Security Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, X.; Qu, J. J.; Motha, R. P.; Stefanski, R.; Malherbe, J.

2015-12-01

Drought is one of the most complicated natural hazards, and causes serious environmental, economic and social consequences. Agricultural production systems, which are highly susceptible to weather and climate extremes, are often the first and most vulnerable sector to be affected by drought events. In Africa, crop yield potential and grazing quality are already nearing their limit of temperature sensitivity, and, rapid population growth and frequent drought episodes pose serious complications for food security. It is critical to promote sustainable agriculture development in Africa under conditions of climate extremes. Soil moisture is one of the most important indicators for agriculture drought, and is a fundamentally critical parameter for decision support in crop management, including planting, water use efficiency and irrigation. While very significant technological advances have been introduced for remote sensing of surface soil moisture from space, in-situ measurements are still critical for calibration and validation of soil moisture estimation algorithms. For operational applications, synergistic collaboration is needed to integrate measurements from different sensors at different spatial and temporal scales. In this presentation, a collaborative effort is demonstrated for drought monitoring in Africa, supported and coordinated by WMO, including surface soil moisture and crop status monitoring. In-situ measurements of soil moisture, precipitation and temperature at selected sites are provided by local partners in Africa. Measurements from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are integrated with in-situ observations to derive surface soil moisture at high spatial resolution. Crop status is estimated through temporal analysis of current and historical MODIS measurements. Integrated analysis of soil moisture data and crop status provides both in-depth understanding of drought conditions and potential impacts on crop yield. This information is extremely useful in local decision support for agricultural management.

An Arduino Based Citizen Science Soil Moisture Sensor in Support of SMAP and GLOBE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podest, E.; Das, N. N.; Rajasekaran, E.; Jeyaram, R.; Lohrli, C.; Hovhannesian, H.; Fairbanks, G.

2017-12-01

Citizen science allows individuals anywhere in the world to engage in science by collecting environmental variables. One of the longest running platforms for the collection of in situ variables is the GLOBE program, which is international in scope and encourages students and citizen scientists alike to collect in situ measurements. NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite mission, which has been acquiring global soil moisture measurements every 3 days of the top 5 cm of the soil since 2015, has partnered with the GLOBE program to engage students from around the world to collect in situ soil moisture and help validate SMAP measurements. The current GLOBE SMAP soil moisture protocol consists in collecting a soil sample, weighing, drying and weighing it again in order to determine the amount of water in the soil. Preparation and soil sample collection can take up to 20 minutes and drying can take up to 3 days. We have hence developed a soil moisture measurement device based on Arduino- microcontrollers along with off-the-shelf and homemade sensors that are accurate, robust, inexpensive and quick and easy to use so that they can be implemented by the GLOBE community and citizen scientists alike. In addition, we have developed a phone app, which interfaces with the Arduino, displays the soil moisture value and send the measurement to the GLOBE database. This talk will discuss building, calibration and validation of the soil moisture measuring device and assessing the quality of the measurements collected. This work was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Assimilation of the ESA CCI Soil Moisture ACTIVE and PASSIVE Product into the SURFEX Land Surface Model using the Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blyverket, J.; Hamer, P.; Bertino, L.; Lahoz, W. A.

2017-12-01

The European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative for soil moisture (ESA CCI SM) was initiated in 2012 for a period of six years, the objective for this period was to produce the most complete and consistent global soil moisture data record based on both active and passive sensors. The ESA CCI SM products consist of three surface soil moisture datasets: The ACTIVE product and the PASSIVE product were created by fusing scatterometer and radiometer soil moisture data, respectively. The COMBINED product is a blended product based on the former two datasets. In this study we assimilate globally both the ACTIVE and PASSIVE product at a 25 km spatial resolution. The different satellite platforms have different overpass times, an observation is mapped to the hours 00.00, 06.00, 12.00 or 18.00 if it falls within a 3 hour window centred at these times. We use the SURFEX land surface model with the ISBA diffusion scheme for the soil hydrology. For the assimilation routine we apply the Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (ETKF). The land surface model is driven by perturbed MERRA-2 atmospheric forcing data, which has a temporal resolution of one hour and is mapped to the SURFEX model grid. Bias between the land surface model and the ESA CCI product is removed by cumulative distribution function (CDF) matching. This work is a step towards creating a global root zone soil moisture product from the most comprehensive satellite surface soil moisture product available. As a first step we consider the period from 2010 - 2016. This allows for comparison against other global root zone soil moisture products (SMAP Level 4, which is independent of the ESA CCI SM product).

Forecasting the forest and the trees: consequences of drought in competitive forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, J. S.

2015-12-01

Models that translate individual tree responses to distribution and abundance of competing populations are needed to understand forest vulnerability to drought. Currently, biodiversity predictions rely on one scale or the other, but do not combine them. Synthesis is accomplished here by modeling data together, each with their respective scale-dependent connections to the scale needed for prediction—landscape to regional biodiversity. The approach we summarize integrates three scales, i) individual growth, reproduction, and survival, ii) size-species structure of stands, and iii) regional forest biomass. Data include 24,347 USDA Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots and 135 Long-term Forest Demography plots. Climate, soil moisture, and competitive interactions are predictors. We infer and predict the four-dimensional size/species/space/time (SSST) structure of forests, where all demographic rates respond to winter temperature, growing season length, moisture deficits, local moisture status, and competition. Responses to soil moisture are highly non-linear and not strongly related to responses to climatic moisture deficits over time. In the Southeast the species that are most sensitive to drought on dry sites are not the same as those that are most sensitive on moist sites. Those that respond most to spatial moisture gradients are not the same as those that respond most to regional moisture deficits. There is little evidence of simple tradeoffs in responses. Direct responses to climate constrain the ranges of few tree species, north or south; there is little evidence that range limits are defined by fecundity or survival responses to climate. By contrast, recruitment and the interactions between competition and drought that affect growth and survival are predicted to limit ranges of many species. Taken together, results suggest a rich interaction involving demographic responses at all size classes to neighbors, landscape variation in moisture, and regional climate change.

Measuring and Modeling the Effect of Surface Moisture on the Spectral Reflectance of Coastal Beach Sand

PubMed Central

Nolet, Corjan; Poortinga, Ate; Roosjen, Peter; Bartholomeus, Harm; Ruessink, Gerben

2014-01-01

Surface moisture is an important supply limiting factor for aeolian sand transport, which is the primary driver of coastal dune development. As such, it is critical to account for the control of surface moisture on available sand for dune building. Optical remote sensing has the potential to measure surface moisture at a high spatio-temporal resolution. It is based on the principle that wet sand appears darker than dry sand: it is less reflective. The goals of this study are (1) to measure and model reflectance under controlled laboratory conditions as function of wavelength () and surface moisture () over the optical domain of 350–2500 nm, and (2) to explore the implications of our laboratory findings for accurately mapping the distribution of surface moisture under natural conditions. A laboratory spectroscopy experiment was conducted to measure spectral reflectance (1 nm interval) under different surface moisture conditions using beach sand. A non-linear increase of reflectance upon drying was observed over the full range of wavelengths. Two models were developed and tested. The first model is grounded in optics and describes the proportional contribution of scattering and absorption of light by pore water in an unsaturated sand matrix. The second model is grounded in soil physics and links the hydraulic behaviour of pore water in an unsaturated sand matrix to its optical properties. The optical model performed well for volumetric moisture content 24% ( 0.97), but underestimated reflectance for between 24–30% ( 0.92), most notable around the 1940 nm water absorption peak. The soil-physical model performed very well ( 0.99) but is limited to 4% 24%. Results from a field experiment show that a short-wave infrared terrestrial laser scanner ( = 1550 nm) can accurately relate surface moisture to reflectance (standard error 2.6%), demonstrating its potential to derive spatially extensive surface moisture maps of a natural coastal beach. PMID:25383709

[Co-composting high moisture vegetable waste and flower waste in a sequential fed operation].

PubMed

Zhang, Xiangfeng; Wang, Hongtao; Nie, Yongfeng

2003-11-01

Co-composting of high moisture vegetable wastes (celery and cabbage) and flower wastes (carnation) were studied in a sequential fed bed. The preliminary materials of composting were celery and carnation wastes. The sequential fed materials of composting were cabbage wastes and were fed every 4 days. Moisture content of mixture materials was between 60% and 70%. Composting was done in an aerobic static bed of composting based temperature feedback and control via aeration rate regulation. Aeration was ended when temperature of the pile was about 40 degrees C. Changes of composting of temperature, aeration rate, water content, organic matter, ash, pH, volume, NH4(+)-N, and NO3(-)-N were studied. Results show that co-composting of high moisture vegetable wastes and flower wastes, in a sequential fed aerobic static bed based temperature feedback and control via aeration rate regulation, can stabilize organic matter and removal water rapidly. The sequential fed operation are effective to overcome the difficult which traditional composting cannot applied successfully where high moisture vegetable wastes in more excess of flower wastes, such as Dianchi coastal.

Nitric and nitrous oxide emissions from N-saturated subtropical forest in Southwest China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Ronghua; Mulder, Jan; Behrendt, Thomas; Yu, Longfei; Dörsch, Peter

2017-04-01

Acidic subtropical forest soils, receiving high atmogenic nitrogen (N) deposition, are characterized by fast N turnover and are potential "hot spots" for NO emissions. Moreover, soils in monsoonal climate are expose to rapid soil moisture fluctuations and high soil temperatures. We measured in situ fluxes in different landscape positions of the Tieshanping forest, Chongqing, SW China, in the summers of 2015 and 2016 and conducted controlled dry-out experiments using a dynamic chamber system in the laboratory. In the wet summer of 2015, the monthly mean NO flux from Acrisols on hill slopes was 44.3 µg N m-2 h-1 with the highest flux (231.5 µg N m-2 h-1) observed at the foot of the hill slope (HS). Significantly larger NO fluxes (88.4 µg N m-2 h-1) were observed in the drier summer of 2016 than the wetter summer of 2015. Monthly mean NO flux in a groundwater discharge zone (GDZ) near the stream (26.4 µg N m-2 h-1) was lower than on the hillslope. In both summers, the NO fluxes were negatively correlated with soil moistures (P < 0.001). In the laboratory experiment (30 0C), maximum NO production rates in hill slope soils (7.7 - 32.0 ng N kg-1 s-1) were observed at 21% WFPS (water filled pore space), while soils from the groundwater discharge zone had their maximum NO emission at 15% WFPS ( 5.6 ng N kg-1 s-1). Whereas NO emission response to dry-out showed one maximum in the dry soil moisture range, N2O release from HS soils showed two distinct maxima, one (1.3 - 4.5 ng N kg-1 s-1) at high and one (0.5 - 2.8 ng N kg-1 s-1) at low soil moisture, attributable to denitrification and nitrification, respectively. For GDZ soils, maximum N2O release rates ( 22 ng N kg-1 s-1) were observed at 150% WFPS, reflecting the high denitrification potentials in these riparian soils. Results from a short-term in situ labelling experiment with 15NH414NO3 and 14NH415NO3 indicated that more than 80% of the NO emitted on the hillslope originates from nitrification. In conclusion, our results support the notion that N-saturated subtropical forest soils are an important source for NO and N2O, mainly controlled by soil moisture fluctuations in a warm humid climate.

Meals in orbit. [Space Shuttle food service planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Space foods which will be available to the Space Shuttle crew are discussed in view of the research and development of proper nutrition in space that began with the pastelike tube meals of the Mercury and Gemini astronauts. The variety of food types proposed for the Space Shuttle crew which include thermostabilized, intermediate moisture, rehydratable, irradiated, freeze-dried and natural forms are shown to be a result of the successive improvements in the Apollo, Skylab and Apollo Soyuz test project flights. The Space Shuttle crew will also benefit from an increase of caloric content (3,000 cal./day), the convenience of a real oven and a comfortable dining and kitchen area.

A GNC Perspective of the Launch and Commissioning of NASA's SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Todd S.

2016-01-01

The NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) spacecraft was designed to use radar and radiometer measurements to produce global soil moisture measurements every 2-3 days. The SMAP spacecraft is a complicated dual-spinning design with a large 6 meter deployable mesh reflector mounted on a platform that spins at 14.6 rpm while the Guidance Navigation and Control algorithms maintain precise nadir pointing for the de-spun portion of the spacecraft. After launching in early 2015, the Guidance Navigation and Control software and hardware aboard the SMAP spacecraft underwent an intensive spacecraft checkout and commissioning period. This paper describes the activities performed by the Guidance Navigation and Control team to confirm the health and phasing of subsystem hardware and the functionality of the guidance and control modes and algorithms. The operations tasks performed, as well as anomalies that were encountered during the commissioning, are explained and results are summarized.

Effects of biotic and abiotic indices on long term soil moisture data in a grassland biodiversity experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Christine; Hohenbrink, Tobias; Leimer, Sophia; Roscher, Christiane; Ravenek, Janneke; de Kroon, Hans; Kreutziger, Yvonne; Wirth, Christian; Eisenhauer, Nico; Gleixner, Gerd; Weigelt, Alexandra; Mommer, Liesje; Beßler, Holger; Schröder, Boris; Hildebrandt, Anke

2015-04-01

Soil moisture is the dynamic link between climate, soil and vegetation and the dynamics and variation are affected by several often interrelated factors such as soil texture, soil structural parameters (soil organic carbon) and vegetation parameters (belowground- and aboveground biomass). For the characterization and estimation of soil moisture and its variability and the resulting water fluxes and solute transports, the knowledge of the relative importance of these factors is of major challenge for hydrology and bioclimatology. Because of the heterogeneity of these factors, soil moisture varies strongly over time and space. Our objective was to assess the spatio-temporal variability of soil moisture and factors which could explain that variability, like soil properties and vegetation cover, in in a long term biodiversity experiment (Jena Experiment). The Jena Experiment consist 86 plots on which plant species richness (0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 60) and functional groups (legumes, grasses, tall herbs, and small herbs) were manipulated in a factorial design Soil moisture measurements were performed weekly April to September 2003-2005 and 2008-2013 using Delta T theta probe. Measurements were integrated to three depth intervals: 0.0 - 0.20, 0.20 - 0.40 and 0.40 - 0.70 m. We analyze the spatio-temporal patterns of soil water content on (i) the normalized time series and (ii) the first components obtained from a principal component analysis (PCA). Both were correlated with the design variables of the Jena Experiment (plant species richness and plant functional groups) and other influencing factors such as soil texture, soil structural variables and vegetation parameters. For the time stability of soil water content, the analysis showed that plots containing grasses was consistently drier than average at the soil surface in all observed years while plots containing legumes comparatively moister, but only up to the year 2008. In 0.40 - 0.70 m soil deep plots presence of small herbs led to higher than average soil moisture in some years (2008, 2012, 2013). Interestingly, plant species richness led to moister than average subsoil at the beginning of the experiment (2003 and 2004), which changed to lower than average up to the year 2010 in all depths. There was no effect of species diversity in the years since 2010, although species diversity generally increases leaf area index and aboveground biomass. The first component from the PCA analysis described the mean behavior in time of all soil moisture time series. The second component reflected the impact of soil depth. The first two components explained 76% of the data set total variance. The third component is linked to plant species richness and explained about 4 % of the total variance of soil moisture data. The fourth component, which explained 2.4 %, showed a high correlation to soil texture. Within this study we investigate the dominant factors controlling spatio-temporal patterns of soil moisture at several soil depths. Although climate and soil depths were the most important drivers, other factors like plant species richness and soil texture affected the temporal variation while certain plant functional groups were important for the spatial variability.

Effects of hot boning and moisture enhancement on the eating quality of cull cow beef.

PubMed

Pivotto, L M; Campbell, C P; Swanson, K; Mandell, I B

2014-01-01

The effects of chilling method and moisture enhancement were examined for improving eating quality of semimembranosus (SM) and longissimus lumborum (LL) from 62 cull beef cows. Chilling method included hot boning muscles after 45 to 60 min postmortem or conventional chilling for 24 h. Moisture enhancement included 1) a non-injected control (CONT) or injection processing (10% of product weight) using 2) Sodium Tripolyphosphate/salt (Na/STP), 3) Sodium Citrate (NaCIT), 4) Calcium Ascorbate (CaASC), or 5) Citrus Juices (CITRUS). Chilling method by moisture enhancement treatment interactions (P<0.09) were due to decreased hue, chroma and sarcomere length values in hot boned vs. conventionally chilled product (SM and LL) for CaASC vs. other moisture enhancement treatments. Chilling method by moisture enhancement treatment interactions (P<0.05) were due to decreased shear force and increased tenderness in conventionally chilled vs. hot boned LL using CaASC vs. Na/STP. Moisture enhancement can improve tenderness of cull cow beef depending on combinations of chilling method and moisture enhancement treatments used. © 2013.

Correlation between near infrared spectroscopy and electrical techniques in measuring skin moisture content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamad, M.; Sabbri, A. R. M.; Mat Jafri, M. Z.; Omar, A. F.

2014-11-01

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy technique serves as an important tool for the measurement of moisture content of skin owing to the advantages it has over the other techniques. The purpose of the study is to develop a correlation between NIR spectrometer with electrical conventional techniques for skin moisture measurement. A non-invasive measurement of moisture content of skin was performed on different part of human face and hand under control environment (temperature 21 ± 1 °C, relative humidity 45 ± 5 %). Ten healthy volunteers age between 21-25 (male and female) participated in this study. The moisture content of skin was measured using DermaLab® USB Moisture Module, Scalar Moisture Checker and NIR spectroscopy (NIRQuest). Higher correlation was observed between NIRQuest and Dermalab moisture probe with a coefficient of determination (R2) above 70 % for all the subjects. However, the value of R2 between NIRQuest and Moisture Checker was observed to be lower with the R2 values ranges from 51.6 to 94.4 %. The correlation of NIR spectroscopy technique successfully developed for measuring moisture content of the skin. The analysis of this correlation can help to establish novel instruments based on an optical system in clinical used especially in the dermatology field.

Effects of pretreatment with a urea-containing emollient on nickel allergic skin reactions.

PubMed

Kuzmina, Natalia; Nyrén, Miruna; Lodén, Marie; Edlund, Fredrik; Emtestam, Lennart

2005-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a moisturizer containing urea on allergic contact dermatitis. Twenty-five nickel-sensitized patients and five controls (non-sensitized volunteers) applied such a moisturizer on the volar side of one forearm twice daily for 20 days, while the other forearm served as the control. After treatment with the moisturizer, patch tests with 0%, 0.5% and 2% NiSO4 in petrolatum were applied in a randomized manner on each arm. After 72 h, the skin reactions were blindly evaluated by clinical scoring and by measuring transepidermal water loss and electrical impedance. After treatment, the baseline transepidermal water loss values were lower and the baseline magnitude impedance index values were higher on the pretreated forearm. According to clinical scoring and measurements with the two physical measurement techniques, the degree of the patch test reactions was equal. All control subjects had negative nickel tests. We concluded that the skin reactivity to nickel in nickel-sensitized patients is not significantly affected by use of the urea-containing moisturizer.

Moisture content measurements of moss (Sphagnum spp.) using commercial sensors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yoshikawa, K.; Overduin, P.P.; Harden, J.W.

2004-01-01

Sphagnum (spp.) is widely distributed in permafrost regions around the arctic and subarctic. The moisture content of the moss layer affects the thermal insulative capacity and preservation of permafrost. It also controls the growth and collapse history of palsas and other peat mounds, and is relevant, in general terms, to permafrost thaw (thermokarst). In this study, we test and calibrate seven different soil moisture sensors for measuring the moisture content of Sphagnum moss under laboratory conditions. The soil volume to which each probe is sensitive is one of the important parameters influencing moisture measurement, particularly in a heterogeneous medium such as moss. Each sensor has a unique response to changing moisture content levels, solution salinity, moss bulk density and to the orientation (structure) of the Sphagnum relative to the sensor. All of the probes examined here require unique polynomial calibration equations to obtain moisture content from probe output. We provide polynomial equations for dead and live Sphagnum moss (R2 > 0.99. Copyright ?? 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evaluating Soil Moisture Retrievals from ESA's SMOS and NASA's SMAP Brightness Temperature Datasets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Al-Yaari, A.; Wigernon, J.-P.; Kerr, Y.; Rodriguez-Fernandez, N.; O'Neill, P. E.; Jackson, T. J.; De Lannoy, G. J. M.; Al Bitar, A.; Mialon, A.; Richaume, P.;

Evaluating soil moisture retrievals from ESA’s SMOS and NASA’s SMAP brightness temperature datasets

PubMed Central

Al-Yaari, A.; Wigneron, J.-P.; Kerr, Y.; Rodriguez-Fernandez, N.; O’Neill, P. E.; Jackson, T. J.; De Lannoy, G.J.M.; Al Bitar, A; Mialon, A.; Richaume, P.; Walker, JP; Mahmoodi, A.; Yueh, S.

2018-01-01

Two satellites are currently monitoring surface soil moisture (SM) using L-band observations: SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity), a joint ESA (European Space Agency), CNES (Centre national d’études spatiales), and CDTI (the Spanish government agency with responsibility for space) satellite launched on November 2, 2009 and SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive), a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite successfully launched in January 2015. In this study, we used a multilinear regression approach to retrieve SM from SMAP data to create a global dataset of SM, which is consistent with SM data retrieved from SMOS. This was achieved by calibrating coefficients of the regression model using the CATDS (Centre Aval de Traitement des Données) SMOS Level 3 SM and the horizontally and vertically polarized brightness temperatures (TB) at 40° incidence angle, over the 2013 – 2014 period. Next, this model was applied to SMAP L3 TB data from Apr 2015 to Jul 2016. The retrieved SM from SMAP (referred to here as SMAP_Reg) was compared to: (i) the operational SMAP L3 SM (SMAP_SCA), retrieved using the baseline Single Channel retrieval Algorithm (SCA); and (ii) the operational SMOSL3 SM, derived from the multiangular inversion of the L-MEB model (L-MEB algorithm) (SMOSL3). This inter-comparison was made against in situ soil moisture measurements from more than 400 sites spread over the globe, which are used here as a reference soil moisture dataset. The in situ observations were obtained from the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN; https://ismn.geo.tuwien.ac.at/) in North of America (PBO_H2O, SCAN, SNOTEL, iRON, and USCRN), in Australia (Oznet), Africa (DAHRA), and in Europe (REMEDHUS, SMOSMANIA, FMI, and RSMN). The agreement was analyzed in terms of four classical statistical criteria: Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Bias, Unbiased RMSE (UnbRMSE), and correlation coefficient (R). Results of the comparison of these various products with in situ observations show that the performance of both SMAP products i.e. SMAP_SCA and SMAP_Reg is similar and marginally better to that of the SMOSL3 product particularly over the PBO_H2O, SCAN, and USCRN sites. However, SMOSL3 SM was closer to the in situ observations over the DAHRA and Oznet sites. We found that the correlation between all three datasets and in situ measurements is best (R > 0.80) over the Oznet sites and worst (R = 0.58) over the SNOTEL sites for SMAP_SCA and over the DAHRA and SMOSMANIA sites (R= 0.51 and R= 0.45 for SMAP_Reg and SMOSL3, respectively). The Bias values showed that all products are generally dry, except over RSMN, DAHRA, and Oznet (and FMI for SMAP_SCA). Finally, our analysis provided interesting insights that can be useful to improve the consistency between SMAP and SMOS datasets. PMID:29743730

Evaluating soil moisture retrievals from ESA's SMOS and NASA's SMAP brightness temperature datasets.

PubMed

Al-Yaari, A; Wigneron, J-P; Kerr, Y; Rodriguez-Fernandez, N; O'Neill, P E; Jackson, T J; De Lannoy, G J M; Al Bitar, A; Mialon, A; Richaume, P; Walker, J P; Mahmoodi, A; Yueh, S

2017-05-01

Two satellites are currently monitoring surface soil moisture (SM) using L-band observations: SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity), a joint ESA (European Space Agency), CNES (Centre national d'études spatiales), and CDTI (the Spanish government agency with responsibility for space) satellite launched on November 2, 2009 and SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive), a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite successfully launched in January 2015. In this study, we used a multilinear regression approach to retrieve SM from SMAP data to create a global dataset of SM, which is consistent with SM data retrieved from SMOS. This was achieved by calibrating coefficients of the regression model using the CATDS (Centre Aval de Traitement des Données) SMOS Level 3 SM and the horizontally and vertically polarized brightness temperatures (TB) at 40° incidence angle, over the 2013 - 2014 period. Next, this model was applied to SMAP L3 TB data from Apr 2015 to Jul 2016. The retrieved SM from SMAP (referred to here as SMAP_Reg) was compared to: (i) the operational SMAP L3 SM (SMAP_SCA), retrieved using the baseline Single Channel retrieval Algorithm (SCA); and (ii) the operational SMOSL3 SM, derived from the multiangular inversion of the L-MEB model (L-MEB algorithm) (SMOSL3). This inter-comparison was made against in situ soil moisture measurements from more than 400 sites spread over the globe, which are used here as a reference soil moisture dataset. The in situ observations were obtained from the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN; https://ismn.geo.tuwien.ac.at/) in North of America (PBO_H2O, SCAN, SNOTEL, iRON, and USCRN), in Australia (Oznet), Africa (DAHRA), and in Europe (REMEDHUS, SMOSMANIA, FMI, and RSMN). The agreement was analyzed in terms of four classical statistical criteria: Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Bias, Unbiased RMSE (UnbRMSE), and correlation coefficient (R). Results of the comparison of these various products with in situ observations show that the performance of both SMAP products i.e. SMAP_SCA and SMAP_Reg is similar and marginally better to that of the SMOSL3 product particularly over the PBO_H2O, SCAN, and USCRN sites. However, SMOSL3 SM was closer to the in situ observations over the DAHRA and Oznet sites. We found that the correlation between all three datasets and in situ measurements is best (R > 0.80) over the Oznet sites and worst (R = 0.58) over the SNOTEL sites for SMAP_SCA and over the DAHRA and SMOSMANIA sites (R= 0.51 and R= 0.45 for SMAP_Reg and SMOSL3, respectively). The Bias values showed that all products are generally dry, except over RSMN, DAHRA, and Oznet (and FMI for SMAP_SCA). Finally, our analysis provided interesting insights that can be useful to improve the consistency between SMAP and SMOS datasets.

Eco-hydrological Controls on Litter Moisture Dynamics in Complex Terrain: Implications for Fuel Moisture and Fire Regimes in Temperate Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyman, P.; Duff, T. J.; Sheridan, G. J.

2016-12-01

Moisture content in litter on the forest floor can control ignition and spread of forest fires. The micrometeorological factors driving variation in litter moisture at the landscape scale are poorly understood, particularly in areas with heterogeneous vegetation and complex terrain. In this research we seek to quantify how climate, vegetation and eco-hydrological feedbacks contribute to variation in net radiation and potential evaporation at the forest floor. Research sites were established at 12 locations in southeast Australia with variable precipitation, solar exposure, and drainage areas. Forests ranged from open woodland to tall temperate forests. We measured solar radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, litter moisture, soil moisture, and litter temperature. Forest structure was characterised using hemispherical photos and LIDAR. Using these data on microclimate and vegetation structure we parameterise a model of daily potential evaporation at the forest floor. Results show that variation in evaporation rates from litter is driven by net radiation and the role of vapour pressure deficit is almost negligible due to high aerodynamic resistance. In open woodlands the net radiation is directly related to short-wave radiation and evaporation remains high despite low temperatures. In the tall wet forests, commonly found along drainage lines and on slopes with polar-facing aspects, the long-wave radiation was just as important as the shortwave radiation. Air temperature is therefore important in determining the flammability of these more productive forests. By implication, in complex terrain with heterogeneous forests, the temperature in the wet parts of the landscape is important in controlling connectivity of fuels and large-scale fire activity.

Effect of hydrogen on the strength and microstructure of selected ceramics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herbell, Thomas P.; Eckel, Andrew J.; Hull, David R.; Misra, Ajay K.

1990-01-01

Ceramics in monolithic form and as composite constituents in the form of fibers, matrices, and coatings are currently being considered for a variety of high-temperature applications in aeronautics and space. Many of these applications involve exposure to a hydrogen-containing environment. The compatibility of selected ceramics in gaseous high-temperature hydrogen is assessed. Environmental stability regimes for the long term use of ceramic materials are defined by the parameters of temperature, pressure, and moisture content. Thermodynamically predicted reactions between hydrogen and several monolithic ceramics are compared with actual performance in a controlled environment. Morphology of hydrogen attack and the corresponding strength degradation is reported for silicon carbide, silicon nitride, alumina, magnesia, and mullite.

Assessing Temporal Stability for Coarse Scale Satellite Moisture Validation in the Maqu Area, Tibet

PubMed Central

Bhatti, Haris Akram; Rientjes, Tom; Verhoef, Wouter; Yaseen, Muhammad

2013-01-01

This study evaluates if the temporal stability concept is applicable to a time series of satellite soil moisture images so to extend the common procedure of satellite image validation. The area of study is the Maqu area, which is located in the northeastern part of the Tibetan plateau. The network serves validation purposes of coarse scale (25–50 km) satellite soil moisture products and comprises 20 stations with probes installed at depths of 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 cm. The study period is 2009. The temporal stability concept is applied to all five depths of the soil moisture measuring network and to a time series of satellite-based moisture products from the Advance Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E). The in-situ network is also assessed by Pearsons's correlation analysis. Assessments by the temporal stability concept proved to be useful and results suggest that probe measurements at 10 cm depth best match to the satellite observations. The Mean Relative Difference plot for satellite pixels shows that a RMSM pixel can be identified but in our case this pixel does not overlay any in-situ station. Also, the RMSM pixel does not overlay any of the Representative Mean Soil Moisture (RMSM) stations of the five probe depths. Pearson's correlation analysis on in-situ measurements suggests that moisture patterns over time are more persistent than over space. Since this study presents first results on the application of the temporal stability concept to a series of satellite images, we recommend further tests to become more conclusive on effectiveness to broaden the procedure of satellite validation. PMID:23959237

Assimilation of SMOS Retrieved Soil Moisture into the Land Information System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blankenship, Clay B.; Case, Jonathan L.; Zavodsky, Bradley T.

2014-01-01

Soil moisture is a crucial variable for weather prediction because of its influence on evaporation and surface heat fluxes. It is also of critical importance for drought and flood monitoring and prediction and for public health applications such as monitoring vector-borne diseases. Land surface modeling benefits greatly from regular updates with soil moisture observations via data assimilation. Satellite remote sensing is the only practical observation type for this purpose in most areas due to its worldwide coverage. The newest operational satellite sensor for soil moisture is the Microwave Imaging Radiometer using Aperture Synthesis (MIRAS) instrument aboard the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite. The NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) has implemented the assimilation of SMOS soil moisture observations into the NASA Land Information System (LIS), an integrated modeling and data assimilation software platform. We present results from assimilating SMOS observations into the Noah 3.2 land surface model within LIS. The SMOS MIRAS is an L-band radiometer launched by the European Space Agency in 2009, from which we assimilate Level 2 retrievals [1] into LIS-Noah. The measurements are sensitive to soil moisture concentration in roughly the top 2.5 cm of soil. The retrievals have a target volumetric accuracy of 4% at a resolution of 35-50 km. Sensitivity is reduced where precipitation, snowcover, frozen soil, or dense vegetation is present. Due to the satellite's polar orbit, the instrument achieves global coverage twice daily at most mid- and low-latitude locations, with only small gaps between swaths.

Large Scale Processes and Extreme Floods in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro Lima, C. H.; AghaKouchak, A.; Lall, U.

2016-12-01

Persistent large scale anomalies in the atmospheric circulation and ocean state have been associated with heavy rainfall and extreme floods in water basins of different sizes across the world. Such studies have emerged in the last years as a new tool to improve the traditional, stationary based approach in flood frequency analysis and flood prediction. Here we seek to advance previous studies by evaluating the dominance of large scale processes (e.g. atmospheric rivers/moisture transport) over local processes (e.g. local convection) in producing floods. We consider flood-prone regions in Brazil as case studies and the role of large scale climate processes in generating extreme floods in such regions is explored by means of observed streamflow, reanalysis data and machine learning methods. The dynamics of the large scale atmospheric circulation in the days prior to the flood events are evaluated based on the vertically integrated moisture flux and its divergence field, which are interpreted in a low-dimensional space as obtained by machine learning techniques, particularly supervised kernel principal component analysis. In such reduced dimensional space, clusters are obtained in order to better understand the role of regional moisture recycling or teleconnected moisture in producing floods of a given magnitude. The convective available potential energy (CAPE) is also used as a measure of local convection activities. We investigate for individual sites the exceedance probability in which large scale atmospheric fluxes dominate the flood process. Finally, we analyze regional patterns of floods and how the scaling law of floods with drainage area responds to changes in the climate forcing mechanisms (e.g. local vs large scale).

Direct and indirect effects of atmospheric conditions and soil moisture on surface energy partitioning revealed by a prolonged drought at a temperate forest site

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

Gu, Lianhong; Meyers, T. P.; Pallardy, Stephen G.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the mechanism that controls the variation of surface energy partitioning between latent and sensible heat fluxes at a temperate deciduous forest site in central Missouri, USA. Taking advantage of multiple micrometeorological and ecophysiological measurements and a prolonged drought in the middle of the 2005 growing season at this site, we studied how soil moisture, atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and net radiation affected surface energy partitioning. We stratified these factors to minimize potential confounding effects of correlation among them. We found that all three factors had direct effects on surface energy partitioning,more » but more important, all three factors also had crucial indirect effects. The direct effect of soil moisture was characterized by a rapid decrease in Bowen ratio with increasing soil moisture when the soil was dry and by insensitivity of Bowen ratio to variations in soil moisture when the soil was wet. However, the rate of decrease in Bowen ratio when the soil was dry and the level of soil moisture above which Bowen ratio became insensitive to changes in soil moisture depended on atmospheric conditions. The direct effect of increased net radiation was to increase Bowen ratio. The direct effect of VPD was very nonlinear: Increased VPD decreased Bowen ratio at low VPD but increased Bowen ratio at high VPD. The indirect effects were much more complicated. Reduced soil moisture weakened the influence of VPD but enhanced the influence of net adiation on surface energy partitioning. Soil moisture also controlled how net radiation influenced the relationship between surface energy partitioning and VPD and how VPD affected the relationship between surface energy partitioning and net radiation. Furthermore, both increased VPD and increased net radiation enhanced the sensitivity of Bowen ratio to changes in soil moisture and the effect of drought on surface energy partitioning. The direct and indirect effects of atmospheric conditions and soil moisture on surface energy partitioning identified in this paper provide a target for testing atmospheric general circulation models in their representation of land-atmosphere coupling.« less

Variability of Moisture Retention and Hydrophobicity Among Biochars

EPA Science Inventory

This research identifies factors and mechanisms that control changes in moisture retention when biochars produced from different feedstocks and under different heat treatment temperatures are mixed with fine sand. While substantial experimental research has been conducted on the ...

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Media Briefing

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-09

Christine Bonniksen, SMAP program executive with the Science Mission Directorate’s Earth Science Division, NASA Headquarters, left, Kent Kellogg, SMAP project manager, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), second from left, Dara Entekhabi, SMAP science team lead, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, second from right, and Brad Doorn, SMAP applications lead, Science Mission Directorate’s Applied Sciences Program, NASA Headquarters, right, are seen during a briefing about the upcoming launch of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, Thursday, Jan. 08, 2015, at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. The mission is scheduled for a Jan. 29 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and will provide the most accurate, highest-resolution global measurements of soil moisture ever obtained from space. The data will be used to enhance scientists' understanding of the processes that link Earth's water, energy and carbon cycles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Advanced microwave soil moisture studies. [Big Sioux River Basin, Iowa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dalsted, K. J.; Harlan, J. C.

1983-01-01

Comparisons of low level L-band brightness temperature (TB) and thermal infrared (TIR) data as well as the following data sets: soil map and land cover data; direct soil moisture measurement; and a computer generated contour map were statistically evaluated using regression analysis and linear discriminant analysis. Regression analysis of footprint data shows that statistical groupings of ground variables (soil features and land cover) hold promise for qualitative assessment of soil moisture and for reducing variance within the sampling space. Dry conditions appear to be more conductive to producing meaningful statistics than wet conditions. Regression analysis using field averaged TB and TIR data did not approach the higher sq R values obtained using within-field variations. The linear discriminant analysis indicates some capacity to distinguish categories with the results being somewhat better on a field basis than a footprint basis.

Ecology and thermal inactivation of microbes in and on interplanetary space vehicle components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, J. E.

1972-01-01

A set of conditions in which 90 C was a more lethal temperature than 125 C for the destruction of Bacillus subtilis var. niger was identified as a function of relative humidity, with maximum effectiveness at 100% R.H. A systematic study of the influence of head-space moisture and temperature on the destruction of B. subtilis var. niger is reported.

[Preparation of a manual treatment of pressure ulcers which draws attention to moisture of the affected part].

PubMed

Nohara, Yohko; Mizuno, Masako; Kamei, Harue; Yamadaz, Misao; Fujii, Keiko; Satoh, Noriko; Nitao, Naoe; Renda, Akiyoshi; Yuasa, Takashi; Hamazaki, Mitsuaki; Shimauchi, Atsushi; Hirai, Yutaka; Yasui, Hisakatsu; Muramatsu, Shuichi; Noda, Yasuhiro; Furuta, Katsunori

2003-12-01

As for pressure ulcers care, prevention is the most important approach. However, pressure ulcers, might develop despite enough care, depending on each person's physical condition. As for the treatment of pressure ulcers, maintenance of a moderately moist environment (60-70%) is quite important. We propose the use of ointment to control the moisture of a pressure ulcer environment. One ointment base absorbs moisture, while another provides moisture. We have prepared a manual that allows the user to select the medicine according to the degree of moisture of the affected part. When the moisture cannot be regulated with one ointment, it can be adjusted by mixing two or more ointments. In choosing a drug for external use, it is important to pay attention not only to the effect of the main ingredient but also to the physicochemical properties of the ointment base that serves as vehicle for that active component.

In-line moisture monitoring in fluidized bed granulation using a novel multi-resonance microwave sensor.

PubMed

Peters, Johanna; Bartscher, Kathrin; Döscher, Claas; Taute, Wolfgang; Höft, Michael; Knöchel, Reinhard; Breitkreutz, Jörg

2017-08-01

Microwave resonance technology (MRT) is known as a process analytical technology (PAT) tool for moisture measurements in fluid-bed granulation. It offers a great potential for wet granulation processes even where the suitability of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is limited, e.g. colored granules, large variations in bulk density. However, previous sensor systems operating around a single resonance frequency showed limitations above approx. 7.5% granule moisture. This paper describes the application of a novel sensor working with four resonance frequencies. In-line data of all four resonance frequencies were collected and further processed. Based on calculation of density-independent microwave moisture values multiple linear regression (MLR) models using Karl-Fischer titration (KF) as well as loss on drying (LOD) as reference methods were build. Rapid, reliable in-process moisture control (RMSEP≤0.5%) even at higher moisture contents was achieved. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improved Assimilation of Streamflow and Satellite Soil Moisture with the Evolutionary Particle Filter and Geostatistical Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Hongxiang; Moradkhani, Hamid; Abbaszadeh, Peyman

2017-04-01

Assimilation of satellite soil moisture and streamflow data into hydrologic models using has received increasing attention over the past few years. Currently, these observations are increasingly used to improve the model streamflow and soil moisture predictions. However, the performance of this land data assimilation (DA) system still suffers from two limitations: 1) satellite data scarcity and quality; and 2) particle weight degeneration. In order to overcome these two limitations, we propose two possible solutions in this study. First, the general Gaussian geostatistical approach is proposed to overcome the limitation in the space/time resolution of satellite soil moisture products thus improving their accuracy at uncovered/biased grid cells. Secondly, an evolutionary PF approach based on Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), the so-called EPF-MCMC, is developed to further reduce weight degeneration and improve the robustness of the land DA system. This study provides a detailed analysis of the joint and separate assimilation of streamflow and satellite soil moisture into a distributed Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SAC-SMA) model, with the use of recently developed EPF-MCMC and the general Gaussian geostatistical approach. Performance is assessed over several basins in the USA selected from Model Parameter Estimation Experiment (MOPEX) and located in different climate regions. The results indicate that: 1) the general Gaussian approach can predict the soil moisture at uncovered grid cells within the expected satellite data quality threshold; 2) assimilation of satellite soil moisture inferred from the general Gaussian model can significantly improve the soil moisture predictions; and 3) in terms of both deterministic and probabilistic measures, the EPF-MCMC can achieve better streamflow predictions. These results recommend that the geostatistical model is a helpful tool to aid the remote sensing technique and the EPF-MCMC is a reliable and effective DA approach in hydrologic applications.

KSC-2014-3326

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-23

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The first stage of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, crosses a railroad bridge on its move from the Building 836 hangar to the Horizontal Processing Facility at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force 30th Space Wing

Short-term thermal stability of transformer and motor oils at wide range of moisture contents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volosnikov, D. V.; Povolotskiy, I. I.; Skripov, P. V.

2018-01-01

Method of controlled pulse heating of a wire probe was used for studying heat transfer and thermal stability of energy oils and motor oils in the presence of low quantities of moisture. The technique of two-pulse heating is the most suitable method for monitoring the actual state of oils. A distinct signal-response accompanying the appearance of moisture in the tested sample has been revealed.

Identifying multiple timescale rainfall controls on Mojave Desert ecohydrology using an integrated data and modeling approach for Larrea tridentata

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ng, Gene-Hua Crystal; Bedford, David R.; Miller, David M.

2015-01-01

The perennial shrub Larrea tridentata is widely successful in North American warm deserts but is also susceptible to climatic perturbations. Understanding its response to rainfall variability requires consideration of multiple timescales. We examine intra-annual to multi-year relationships using model simulations of soil moisture and vegetation growth over 50 years in the Mojave National Preserve in southeastern California (USA). Ecohydrological model parameters are conditioned on field and remote sensing data using an ensemble Kalman filter. Although no specific periodicities were detected in the rainfall record, simulated leaf-area-index exhibits multi-year dynamics that are driven by multi-year (∼3-years) rains, but with up to a 1-year delay in peak response. Within a multi-year period, Larrea tridentata is more sensitive to winter rains than summer. In the most active part of the root zone (above ∼80 cm), >1-year average soil moisture drives vegetation growth, but monthly average soil moisture is controlled by root uptake. Moisture inputs reach the lower part of the root zone (below ∼80 cm) infrequently, but once there they can persist over a year to help sustain plant growth. Parameter estimates highlight efficient plant physiological properties facilitating persistent growth and high soil hydraulic conductivity allowing deep soil moisture stores. We show that soil moisture as an ecological indicator is complicated by bidirectional interactions with vegetation that depend on timescale and depth. Under changing climate, Larrea tridentata will likely be relatively resilient to shorter-term moisture variability but will exhibit higher sensitivity to shifts in seasonal to multi-year moisture inputs.

Should precipitation influence dust emission in global dust models?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okin, Gregory

2016-04-01

Soil moisture modulates the threshold shear stress required to initiate aeolian transport and dust emission. Most of the theoretical and laboratory work that has confirmed the impact of soil moisture has appropriately acknowledged that it is the soil moisture of a surface layer a few grain diameters thick that truly controls threshold shear velocity. Global and regional models of dust emission include the effect of soil moisture on transport threshold, but most ignore the fact that only the moisture of the very topmost "active layer" matters. The soil moisture in the active layer can differ greatly from that integrated through the top 2, 5, 10, or 100 cm (surface layers used by various global models) because the top 2 mm of heavy texture soils dries within ~1/2 day while sandy soils dry within less than 2 hours. Thus, in drylands where dust emission occurs, it is likely that this top layer is drier than the underlying soil in the days and weeks after rain. This paper explores, globally, the time between rain events in relation to the time for the active layer to dry and the timing of high wind events. This analysis is carried out using the same coarse reanalyses used in global dust models and is intended to inform the soil moisture controls in these models. The results of this analysis indicate that the timing between events is, in almost all dust-producing areas, significantly longer than the drying time of the active layer, even when considering soil texture differences. Further, the analysis shows that the probability of a high wind event during the period after a rain where the surface is wet is small. Therefore, in coarse global models, there is little reason to include rain-derived soil moisture in the modeling scheme.

Direction of unsaturated flow in a homogeneous and isotropic hillslope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lu, Ning; Kaya, Basak Sener; Godt, Jonathan W.

2011-01-01

The distribution of soil moisture in a homogeneous and isotropic hillslope is a transient, variably saturated physical process controlled by rainfall characteristics, hillslope geometry, and the hydrological properties of the hillslope materials. The major driving mechanisms for moisture movement are gravity and gradients in matric potential. The latter is solely controlled by gradients of moisture content. In a homogeneous and isotropic saturated hillslope, absent a gradient in moisture content and under the driving force of gravity with a constant pressure boundary at the slope surface, flow is always in the lateral downslope direction, under either transient or steady state conditions. However, under variably saturated conditions, both gravity and moisture content gradients drive fluid motion, leading to complex flow patterns. In general, the flow field near the ground surface is variably saturated and transient, and the direction of flow could be laterally downslope, laterally upslope, or vertically downward. Previous work has suggested that prevailing rainfall conditions are sufficient to completely control these flow regimes. This work, however, shows that under time-varying rainfall conditions, vertical, downslope, and upslope lateral flow can concurrently occur at different depths and locations within the hillslope. More importantly, we show that the state of wetting or drying in a hillslope defines the temporal and spatial regimes of flow and when and where laterally downslope and/or laterally upslope flow occurs.

The effect of water harvesting techniques on runoff, sedimentation, and soil properties.

PubMed

Al-Seekh, Saleh H; Mohammad, Ayed G

2009-07-01

This study addressed the hydrological processes of runoff and sedimentation, soil moisture content, and properties under the effect of different water harvesting techniques (treatments). The study was conducted at three sites, representing environmental condition gradients, located in the southern part of the West Bank. For each treatment, the study evaluated soil chemical and physical properties, soil moisture at 30 cm depth, surface runoff and sedimentation at each site. Results showed that runoff is reduced by 65-85% and sedimentation by 58-69% in stone terraces and semi-circle bunds compared to the control at the semi-humid site. In addition, stone terraces and contour ridges significantly reduced the amount of total runoff by 80% and 73%, respectively, at the arid site. Soil moisture content was significantly increased by water harvesting techniques compared to the control in all treatments at the three study sites. In addition, the difference between the control and the water harvesting structures were higher in the arid and semi-arid areas than in the semi-humid area. Soil and water conservation, via utilization of water harvesting structures, is an effective principle for reducing the negative impact of high runoff intensity and subsequently increasing soil moisture storage from rainfall. Jessour systems in the valley and stone terraces were effective in increasing soil moisture storage, prolonging the growing season for natural vegetation, and decreasing the amount of supplemental irrigation required for growing fruit trees.

Direction of unsaturated flow in a homogeneous and isotropic hillslope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lu, N.; Kaya, B.S.; Godt, J.W.

2011-01-01

The distribution of soil moisture in a homogeneous and isotropic hillslope is a transient, variably saturated physical process controlled by rainfall characteristics, hillslope geometry, and the hydrological properties of the hillslope materials. The major driving mechanisms for moisture movement are gravity and gradients in matric potential. The latter is solely controlled by gradients of moisture content. In a homogeneous and isotropic saturated hillslope, absent a gradient in moisture content and under the driving force of gravity with a constant pressure boundary at the slope surface, flow is always in the lateral downslope direction, under either transient or steady state conditions. However, under variably saturated conditions, both gravity and moisture content gradients drive fluid motion, leading to complex flow patterns. In general, the flow field near the ground surface is variably saturated and transient, and the direction of flow could be laterally downslope, laterally upslope, or vertically downward. Previous work has suggested that prevailing rainfall conditions are sufficient to completely control these flow regimes. This work, however, shows that under time-varying rainfall conditions, vertical, downslope, and upslope lateral flow can concurrently occur at different depths and locations within the hillslope. More importantly, we show that the state of wetting or drying in a hillslope defines the temporal and spatial regimes of flow and when and where laterally downslope and/or laterally upslope flow occurs. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

The Effect of Water Harvesting Techniques on Runoff, Sedimentation, and Soil Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Seekh, Saleh H.; Mohammad, Ayed G.

2009-07-01

This study addressed the hydrological processes of runoff and sedimentation, soil moisture content, and properties under the effect of different water harvesting techniques (treatments). The study was conducted at three sites, representing environmental condition gradients, located in the southern part of the West Bank. For each treatment, the study evaluated soil chemical and physical properties, soil moisture at 30 cm depth, surface runoff and sedimentation at each site. Results showed that runoff is reduced by 65-85% and sedimentation by 58-69% in stone terraces and semi-circle bunds compared to the control at the semi-humid site. In addition, stone terraces and contour ridges significantly reduced the amount of total runoff by 80% and 73%, respectively, at the arid site. Soil moisture content was significantly increased by water harvesting techniques compared to the control in all treatments at the three study sites. In addition, the difference between the control and the water harvesting structures were higher in the arid and semi-arid areas than in the semi-humid area. Soil and water conservation, via utilization of water harvesting structures, is an effective principle for reducing the negative impact of high runoff intensity and subsequently increasing soil moisture storage from rainfall. Jessour systems in the valley and stone terraces were effective in increasing soil moisture storage, prolonging the growing season for natural vegetation, and decreasing the amount of supplemental irrigation required for growing fruit trees.

The Combined Effects of Moss-Dominated Biocrusts and Vegetation on Erosion and Soil Moisture and Implications for Disturbance on the Loess Plateau, China

PubMed Central

Bu, Chongfeng; Wu, Shufang; Han, Fengpeng; Yang, Yongsheng; Meng, Jie

2015-01-01

Biological soil crusts (BSCs, or biocrusts) have important positive ecological functions such as erosion control and soil fertility improvement, and they may also have negative effects on soil moisture in some cases. Simultaneous discussions of the two-sided impacts of BSCs are key to the rational use of this resource. This study focused on the contribution of BSCs while combining with specific types of vegetation to erosion reduction and their effects on soil moisture, and it addressed the feasibility of removal or raking disturbance. Twelve plots measuring 4 m × 2 m and six treatments (two plots for each) were established on a 15° slope in a small watershed in the Loess Plateau using BSCs, bare land (as a control, BL), Stipa bungeana Trin. (STBU), Caragana korshinskii Kom. (CAKO), STBU planted with BSCs (STBU+BSCs) and CAKO planted with BSCs (CAKO+BSCs). The runoff, soil loss and soil moisture to a depth of 3 m were measured throughout the rainy season (from June to September) of 2010. The results showed that BSCs significantly reduced runoff by 37.3% and soil loss by 81.0% and increased infiltration by 12.4% in comparison with BL. However, when combined with STBU or CAKO, BSCs only made negligible contributions to erosion control (a runoff reduction of 7.4% and 5.7% and a soil loss reduction of 0.7% and 0.3%). Generally, the soil moisture of the vegetation plots was lower in the upper layer than that of the BL plots, although when accompanied with a higher amount of infiltration, this soil moisture consumption phenomenon was much clearer when combining vegetation with BSCs. Because of the trivial contributions from BSCs to erosion control and the remaining exacerbated consumption of soil water, moderate disturbance by BSCs should be considered in plots with adequate vegetation cover to improve soil moisture levels without a significant erosion increase, which was implied to be necessary and feasible. PMID:25993431

The combined effects of moss-dominated biocrusts and vegetation on erosion and soil moisture and implications for disturbance on the Loess Plateau, China.

PubMed

Bu, Chongfeng; Wu, Shufang; Han, Fengpeng; Yang, Yongsheng; Meng, Jie

2015-01-01

Biological soil crusts (BSCs, or biocrusts) have important positive ecological functions such as erosion control and soil fertility improvement, and they may also have negative effects on soil moisture in some cases. Simultaneous discussions of the two-sided impacts of BSCs are key to the rational use of this resource. This study focused on the contribution of BSCs while combining with specific types of vegetation to erosion reduction and their effects on soil moisture, and it addressed the feasibility of removal or raking disturbance. Twelve plots measuring 4 m × 2 m and six treatments (two plots for each) were established on a 15° slope in a small watershed in the Loess Plateau using BSCs, bare land (as a control, BL), Stipa bungeana Trin. (STBU), Caragana korshinskii Kom. (CAKO), STBU planted with BSCs (STBU+BSCs) and CAKO planted with BSCs (CAKO+BSCs). The runoff, soil loss and soil moisture to a depth of 3 m were measured throughout the rainy season (from June to September) of 2010. The results showed that BSCs significantly reduced runoff by 37.3% and soil loss by 81.0% and increased infiltration by 12.4% in comparison with BL. However, when combined with STBU or CAKO, BSCs only made negligible contributions to erosion control (a runoff reduction of 7.4% and 5.7% and a soil loss reduction of 0.7% and 0.3%). Generally, the soil moisture of the vegetation plots was lower in the upper layer than that of the BL plots, although when accompanied with a higher amount of infiltration, this soil moisture consumption phenomenon was much clearer when combining vegetation with BSCs. Because of the trivial contributions from BSCs to erosion control and the remaining exacerbated consumption of soil water, moderate disturbance by BSCs should be considered in plots with adequate vegetation cover to improve soil moisture levels without a significant erosion increase, which was implied to be necessary and feasible.

Impact of TRMM and SSM/I-derived Precipitation and Moisture Data on the GEOS Global Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, Arthur Y.; Zhang, Sara Q.; daSilva, Arlindo M.; Olson, William S.

1999-01-01

Current global analyses contain significant errors in primary hydrological fields such as precipitation, evaporation, and related cloud and moisture in the tropics. The Data Assimilation Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has been exploring the use of space-based rainfall and total precipitable water (TPW) estimates to constrain these hydrological parameters in the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) global data assimilation system. We present results showing that assimilating the 6-hour averaged rain rates and TPW estimates from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) instruments improves not only the precipitation and moisture estimates but also reduce state-dependent systematic errors in key climate parameters directly linked to convection such as the outgoing longwave radiation, clouds, and the large-scale circulation. The improved analysis also improves short-range forecasts beyond 1 day, but the impact is relatively modest compared with improvements in the time-averaged analysis. The study shows that, in the presence of biases and other errors of the forecast model, improving the short-range forecast is not necessarily prerequisite for improving the assimilation as a climate data set. The full impact of a given type of observation on the assimilated data set should not be measured solely in terms of forecast skills.

Development of in-orbit refocusing mechanism for SpaceEye-1 electro-optical payload

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Minwoo; Kim, Jongun; Chang, Jin-Soo; Kang, Myung-Seok

2016-09-01

SpaceEye-1 earth observation satellite, developed by Satrec Initiative Co. Ltd., is a 300 kg scale spacecraft with high resolution electro-optical payload (EOS-D) which performs 1 m GSD, 12 km swath in low earth orbit. Metering structure of EOS-D is manufactured with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP). Due to the moisture emission from CFRP metering structure, this spaceborne electro-optical payload undergoes shrinkage after orbit insertion. The shrinkage of metering structure causes change of the distance between primary and secondary mirror. In order to compensate the moisture shrinkage effect, two types of thermal refocusing mechanism were developed, analyzed and applied to EOS-D. Thermal analysis simulating in-orbit thermal condition and thermo-elastic displacement analysis was conducted to calculate the performance of refocusing mechanism. For each EOS-D telescope, analytical refocusing range (displacement change between primary and secondary mirror) was 2.5 um and 3.6 um. Thus, the refocusing mechanism can compensate the dimensional instability of metering structure caused by moisture emission. Furthermore, modal, static and wavefront error analysis was conducted in order to evaluate natural frequency, structural stability and optical performance. As a result, it can be concluded that the refocusing system of EOS-D payload can perform its function in orbit.

Soil moisture sensing via swept frequency based microwave sensors

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Accurate measurement of moisture content is a prime requirement in hydrological, geophysical, and biogeochemical research as well as for material characterization, process control, and irrigation efficiency in water limited regions. Within these areas, consideration of the surface area and associate...

Use of typical moisture : density curves.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1965-05-01

One of the many problems associated with compaction control on any construction project is the time consuming task of obtaining maximum density and optimum moisture content of soils both in the laboratory and in the field. In addition to the time ele...

Operational Evaluation of the Root Modules of the Advanced Plant Habitat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monje, O.

2014-01-01

Photosynthetic and growth data were collected on APH Root Module. Described Stand pipe system for active moisture control. Tested germination in wicks. Evaluated EC-5 moisture sensors. Demonstrated that Wheat plants can grow in the APH Root Module.

An Extended Kriging Method to Interpolate Near-Surface Soil Moisture Data Measured by Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jialin; Li, Xiuhong; Yang, Rongjin; Liu, Qiang; Zhao, Long; Dou, Baocheng

2017-01-01

In the practice of interpolating near-surface soil moisture measured by a wireless sensor network (WSN) grid, traditional Kriging methods with auxiliary variables, such as Co-kriging and Kriging with external drift (KED), cannot achieve satisfactory results because of the heterogeneity of soil moisture and its low correlation with the auxiliary variables. This study developed an Extended Kriging method to interpolate with the aid of remote sensing images. The underlying idea is to extend the traditional Kriging by introducing spectral variables, and operating on spatial and spectral combined space. The algorithm has been applied to WSN-measured soil moisture data in HiWATER campaign to generate daily maps from 10 June to 15 July 2012. For comparison, three traditional Kriging methods are applied: Ordinary Kriging (OK), which used WSN data only, Co-kriging and KED, both of which integrated remote sensing data as covariate. Visual inspections indicate that the result from Extended Kriging shows more spatial details than that of OK, Co-kriging, and KED. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of Extended Kriging was found to be the smallest among the four interpolation results. This indicates that the proposed method has advantages in combining remote sensing information and ground measurements in soil moisture interpolation. PMID:28617351

Estimating Surface Soil Moisture in a Mixed-Landscape using SMAP and MODIS/VIIRS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, J.; Di, L.; Xiao, J.

2017-12-01

Soil moisture, a critical parameter of earth ecosystem linking land surface and atmosphere, has been widely applied in many application (Di, 1991; Njoku et al. 2003; Western 2002; Zhao et al. 2014; McColl et al. 2017) from regional to continental or even global scale. The advent of satellite-based remote sensing, particular in the last two decades, has proven successful for mapping the surface soil moisture (SSM) from space (Petropoulos et al. 2015; Kim et al. 2015; Molero et al. 2016). The current soil moisture products, however, is not able to fully characterize the spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture at mixed landscape types (Albergel et al. 2013; Zeng et al. 2015). In this research, we derived the SSM at 1-km spatial resolution by using sensor observation and high-level products from SMAP and MODIS/VIIRS as well as metrorological, landcover, and soil data. Specifically, we proposed a practicable method to produce the originally planned SMAP L3_SM_A with comparable quality by downscaling the SMAP L3_SM_P product through a proved method, the geographically weighted regression method at mixed landscape in southern New Hampshire. This estimated SSM was validated using the Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) from Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Numerical Investigations of Moisture Distribution in a Selected Anisotropic Soil Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwanek, M.

2018-01-01

The moisture of soil profile changes both in time and space and depends on many factors. Changes of the quantity of water in soil can be determined on the basis of in situ measurements, but numerical methods are increasingly used for this purpose. The quality of the results obtained using pertinent software packages depends on appropriate description and parameterization of soil medium. Thus, the issue of providing for the soil anisotropy phenomenon gains a big importance. Although anisotropy can be taken into account in many numerical models, isotopic soil is often assumed in the research process. However, this assumption can be a reason for incorrect results in the simulations of water changes in soil medium. In this article, results of numerical simulations of moisture distribution in the selected soil profile were presented. The calculations were conducted assuming isotropic and anisotropic conditions. Empirical verification of the results obtained in the numerical investigations indicated statistical essential discrepancies for the both analyzed conditions. However, better fitting measured and calculated moisture values was obtained for the case of providing for anisotropy in the simulation model.

The SIR-B observations of microwave backscatter dependence on soil moisture, surface roughness, and vegetation covers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, J. R.; Shiue, J. C.; Engman, E. T.; Rusek, M.; Steinmeier, C.

1986-01-01

An experiment was conducted from an L-band SAR aboard Space Shuttle Challenger in October 1984 to study the microwave backscatter dependence on soil moisture, surface roughness, and vegetation cover. The results based on the analyses of an image obtained at 21-deg incidence angle show a positive correlatlion between scattering coefficient and soil moisture content, with a sensitivity comparable to that derived from the ground radar measurements reported by Ulaby et al. (1978). The surface roughness strongly affects the microwave backscatter. A factor of two change in the standard deviation of surface roughness height gives a corresponding change of about 8 dB in the scattering coefficient. The microwave backscatter also depends on the vegetation types. Under the dry soil conditions, the scattering coefficient is observed to change from about -24 dB for an alfalfa or lettuce field to about -17 dB for a mature corn field. These results suggest that observations with a SAR system of multiple frequencies and polarizations are required to unravel the effects of soil moisture, surface roughness, and vegetation cover.

Satellite microwave observations of soil moisture variations. [by the microwave radiometer on the Nimbus 5 satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmugge, T. J.; Rango, A.; Neff, R.

1975-01-01

The electrically scanning microwave radiometer (ESMR) on the Nimbus 5 satellite was used to observe microwave emissions from vegetated and soil surfaces over an Illinois-Indiana study area, the Mississippi Valley, and the Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah. Analysis of microwave brightness temperatures (T sub B) and antecedent rainfall over these areas provided a way to monitor variations of near-surface soil moisture. Because vegetation absorbs microwave emission from the soil at the 1.55 cm wavelength of ESMR, relative soil moisture measurements can only be obtained over bare or sparsely vegetated soil. In general T sub B increased during rainfree periods as evaporation of water and drying of the surface soil occurs, and drops in T sub B are experienced after significant rainfall events wet the soil. Microwave observations from space are limited to coarse resolutions (10-25 km), but it may be possible in regions with sparse vegetation cover to estimate soil moisture conditions on a watershed or agricultural district basis, particularly since daily observations can be obtained.

SMAP Data Assimilation at the GMAO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reichle, R.; De Lannoy, G.; Liu, Q.; Ardizzone, J.

2016-01-01

The NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission has been providing L-band (1.4 GHz) passive microwave brightness temperature (Tb) observations since April 2015. These observations are sensitive to surface(0-5 cm) soil moisture. Several of the key applications targeted by SMAP, however, require knowledge of deeper-layer, root zone (0-100 cm) soil moisture, which is not directly measured by SMAP. The NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) contributes to SMAP by providing Level 4 data, including the Level 4 Surface and Root Zone Soil Moisture(L4_SM) product, which is based on the assimilation of SMAP Tb observations in the ensemble-based NASA GEOS-5 land surface data assimilation system. The L4_SM product offers global data every three hours at 9 km resolution, thereby interpolating and extrapolating the coarser- scale (40 km) SMAP observations in time and in space (both horizontally and vertically). Since October 31, 2015, beta-version L4_SM data have been available to the public from the National Snow and Ice Data Center for the period March 31, 2015, to near present, with a mean latency of approx. 2.5 days.

Quantifying the effects of soil temperature, moisture and sterilization on elemental mercury formation in boreal soils.

PubMed

Pannu, Ravinder; Siciliano, Steven D; O'Driscoll, Nelson J

2014-10-01

Soils are a source of elemental mercury (Hg(0)) to the atmosphere, however the effects of soil temperature and moisture on Hg(0) formation is not well defined. This research quantifies the effect of varying soil temperature (278-303 K), moisture (15-80% water filled pore space (WFPS)) and sterilization on the kinetics of Hg(0) formation in forested soils of Nova Scotia, Canada. Both, the logarithm of cumulative mass of Hg(0) formed in soils and the reduction rate constants (k values) increased with temperature and moisture respectively. Sterilizing soils significantly (p < 0.05, n = 10) decreased the percent of total Hg reduced to Hg(0). We describe the fundamentals of Hg(0) formation in soils and our results highlight two key processes: (i) a fast abiotic process that peaks at 45% WFPS and depletes a small pool of Hg(0) and; (ii) a slower, rate limiting biotic process that generates a large pool of reducible Hg(II). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Along the Rainfall-Runoff Chain: From Scaling of Greatest Point Rainfall to Global Change Attribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraedrich, K.

2014-12-01

Processes along the continental rainfall-runoff chain cover a wide range of time and space scales which are presented here combining observations (ranging from minutes to decades) and minimalist concepts. (i) Rainfall, which can be simulated by a censored first-order autoregressive process (vertical moisture fluxes), exhibits 1/f-spectra if presented as binary events (tropics), while extrema world wide increase with duration according to Jennings' scaling law. (ii) Runoff volatility (Yangtze) shows data collapse which, linked to an intra-annual 1/f-spectrum, is represented by a single function not unlike physical systems at criticality and the short and long return times of extremes are Weibull-distributed. Atmospheric and soil moisture variabilities are also discussed. (iii) Soil moisture (in a bucket), whose variability is interpreted by a biased coinflip Ansatz for rainfall events, adds an equation of state to energy and water flux balances comprising Budyko's frame work for quasi-stationary watershed analysis. Eco-hydrologic state space presentations in terms of surface flux ratios of energy excess (loss by sensible heat over supply by net radiation) versus water excess (loss by discharge over gain by precipitation) allow attributions of state change to external (or climate) and internal (or anthropogenic) causes. Including the vegetation-greenness index (NDVI) as an active tracer extends the eco-hydrologic state space analysis to supplement the common geographical presentations. Two examples demonstrate the approach combining ERA and MODIS data sets: (a) global geobotanic classification by combining first and second moments of the dryness ratio (net radiation over precipitation) and (b) regional attributions (Tibetan Plateau) of vegetation changes.

Topographical controls on soil moisture distribution and runoff response in a first order alpine catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penna, Daniele; Gobbi, Alberto; Mantese, Nicola; Borga, Marco

2010-05-01

Hydrological processes driving runoff generation in mountain basins depend on a wide number of factors which are often strictly interconnected. Among them, topography is widely recognized as one of the dominant controls influencing soil moisture distribution in the root zone, depth to water table and location and extent of saturated areas possibly prone to runoff production. Morphological properties of catchments are responsible for the alternation between steep slopes and relatively flat areas which have the potentials to control the storage/release of water and hence the hydrological response of the whole watershed. This work aims to: i) identify the role of topography as the main factor controlling the spatial distribution of near-surface soil moisture; ii) evaluate the possible switch in soil moisture spatial organization between wet and relatively dry periods and the stability of patterns during triggering of surface/subsurface runoff; iii) assess the possible connection between the develop of an ephemeral river network and the groundwater variations, examining the influence of the catchment topographical properties on the hydrological response. Hydro-meteorological data were collected in a small subcatchment (Larch Creek Catchment, 0.033 km²) of Rio Vauz basin (1.9 km²), in the eastern Italian Alps. Precipitation, discharge, water table level over a net of 14 piezometric wells and volumetric soil moisture at 0-30 cm depth were monitored continuously during the late spring-early autumn months in 2007 and 2008. Soil water content at 0-6 and 0-20 cm depth was measured manually during 22 field surveys in summer 2007 over a 44-sampling point experimental plot (approximately 3000 m²). In summer 2008 the sampling grid was extended to 64 points (approximately 4500 m²) and 28 field surveys were carried out. The length of the ephemeral stream network developed during rainfall events was assessed by a net of 24 Overland Flow Detectors (OFDs), which are able to detect the presence/absence of surface runoff. Results show a significant correlation between plot-averaged soil moisture at 0-20 cm depth, local slope and local curvature, while poor correlations were found with aspect and solar radiation: this suggests a sharp control of the catchment topological architecture (likely coupled with soil properties) on soil moisture distribution. This was also confirmed by the visual inspection of interpolated maps which reveal the persistence of high values of soil moisture in hollow areas and, conversely, of low values over the hillslopes. Moreover, a strong correlation between plot-averaged soil moisture patterns over time, with no decline after rainfall events, indicates a good temporal stability of water content distribution and its independence from the triggering of surface flow and transient lateral subsurface flow during wet conditions. The analysis of the time lag between storm centroid and piezometric peak shows an increasing delay of water table reaction with increasing distance from the stream, revealing different groundwater dynamics between the near-stream and the hillslope zone. Furthermore, the significant correlation between groundwater time lag monitored for the net of piezometers and the local slope suggests a topographical influence on the temporal and spatial variability of subsurface runoff. Finally, the extent of the ephemeral stream network was clearly dependent on the amount of precipitation but a different percentage of active OFDs and piezometers for the same rainfall event suggests a decoupling between patterns of surface and subsurface flows in the study area. Key words: topographical controls, soil moisture patterns, groundwater level, overland flow.

Calibration of Cosmic Ray Neutron Probes in complex systems: open research issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piussi, Laura; Tomelleri, Enrico; Bertoldi, Giacomo; Zebisch, Marc; Niedrist, Georg; Tonon, Giustino

2017-04-01

Soil moisture is a key variable for environmental monitoring, hydrological and climate change research as it controls mass and energy fluxes in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Actual soil moisture monitoring methods are capable of providing observations either at a very big spatial scale and timely spotty satellite observations or at a very small scale and timely continuous point measurements. In this framework, meso-scale timely continuous measurements appear of key relevance, thus, recently, Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensing (CRNS) is gaining more and more importance, because of its capacity to deliver long time-series of observations within a footprint of 500m of diameter. Even if during the last years a remarkable number of papers have been published, the calibration of Cosmic Ray Neutron Probes (CRPs) in heterogeneous ecosystems is still an open issue. The CRP is sensitive to all the Hydrogen species and their distribution within the footprint, thus in environments that can be assumed as homogeneous a good accordance between the CRNS data and observed soil moisture can be reached, but, where Hydrogen distributions are complex, different calibration campaigns lead to different results. In order to improve the efficiency of the method, a better understanding of the effects of combined spatial and temporal variability has to be reached. The aim of the actual work is to better understand the effects of multiple Hydrogen sources that vary in time and space and evaluate different approaches in calibration over complex terrain in a mountain area. We present different calibration approaches used for an alpine pasture, which is a research site of the LTER network in South-Tyrol (Italy). In the study site long-term soil moisture observations are present and are used for remote-sensing data validation. For this specific and highly heterogeneous site, the effects of heterogeneous land-cover and topography on CRP calibration are evaluated and some hypotheses on the major sources of uncertainty are formulated.

A Hierarchical Approach Embedding Hydrologic and Population Modeling for a West Nile Virus Vector Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jian, Y.; Silvestri, S.; Marani, M.; Saltarin, A.; Chillemi, G.

2012-12-01

We applied a hierarchical state space model to predict the abundance of Cx.pipiens (a West Nile Virus vector) in the Po River Delta Region, Northeastern Italy. The study area has large mosquito abundance, due to a favorable environment and climate as well as dense human population. Mosquito data were collected on a weekly basis at more than 20 sites from May to September in 2010 and 2011. Cx.pipiens was the dominant species in our samples, accounting for about 90% of the more than 300,000 total captures. The hydrological component of the model accounted for evapotranspiration, infiltration and deep percolation to infer, in a 0D context, the local dynamics of soil moisture as a direct exogenous forcing of mosquito dynamics. The population model had a Gompertz structure, which included exogenous meteorological forcings and delayed internal dynamics. The models were coupled within a hierarchical statistical structure to overcome the relatively short length of the samples by exploiting the large number of concurrent observations available. The results indicated that Cx.pipiens abundance had significant density dependence at 1 week lag, which approximately matched its development time from larvae to adult. Among the exogenous controls, temperature, daylight hours, and soil moisture explained most of the dynamics. Longer daylight hours and lower soil moisture values resulted in higher abundance. The negative correlation of soil moisture and mosquito population can be explained with the abundance of water in the region (e.g. due to irrigation) and the preference for eutrophic habitats by Cx.pipien. Variations among sites were explained by land use factors as represented by distance to the nearest rice field and NDVI values: the carrying capacity decreased with increased distance to the nearest rice filed, while the maximum growth rate was positively related with NDVI. The model shows a satisfactory performance in predicting (potentially one week in advance) mosquito abundance and particularly its peak timing and magnitude.

A pore-size classification for peat bogs derived from unsaturated hydraulic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Tobias Karl David; Iden, Sascha Christian; Durner, Wolfgang

2017-12-01

In ombrotrophic peatlands, the moisture content of the acrotelm (vadoze zone) controls oxygen diffusion rates, redox state, and the turnover of organic matter. Thus, variably saturated flow processes determine whether peatlands act as sinks or sources of atmospheric carbon, and modelling these processes is crucial to assess effects of changed environmental conditions on the future development of these ecosystems. We show that the Richards equation can be used to accurately describe the moisture dynamics under evaporative conditions in variably saturated peat soil, encompassing the transition from the topmost living moss layer to the decomposed peat as part of the vadose zone. Soil hydraulic properties (SHP) were identified by inverse simulation of evaporation experiments on samples from the entire acrotelm. To obtain consistent descriptions of the observations, the traditional van Genuchten-Mualem model was extended to account for non-capillary water storage and flow. We found that the SHP of the uppermost moss layer reflect a pore-size distribution (PSD) that combines three distinct pore systems of the Sphagnum moss. For deeper samples, acrotelm pedogenesis changes the shape of the SHP due to the collapse of inter-plant pores and an infill with smaller particles. This leads to gradually more homogeneous and bi-modal PSDs with increasing depth, which in turn can serve as a proxy for increasing state of pedogenesis in peatlands. From this, we derive a nomenclature and size classification for the pore spaces of Sphagnum mosses and define inter-, intra-, and inner-plant pore spaces, with effective pore diameters of > 300, 300-30, and 30-10 µm, respectively.

Exploratory Study of Basement Moisture During Operation of Active Soil Depressurization Radon Control Systems

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

As part of an exploratory study, three houses were monitored for moisture indicators, radon levels, building operations, and other environmental parameters while ASD systems were cycled on and off. December 6, 2007, Revised 3/10/08.

Predicting macropores in space and time by earthworms and abiotic controls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hohenbrink, Tobias Ludwig; Schneider, Anne-Kathrin; Zangerlé, Anne; Reck, Arne; Schröder, Boris; van Schaik, Loes

2017-04-01

Macropore flow increases infiltration and solute leaching. The macropore density and connectivity, and thereby the hydrological effectiveness, vary in space and time due to earthworms' burrowing activity and their ability to refill their burrows in order to survive drought periods. The aim of our study was to predict the spatiotemporal variability of macropore distributions by a set of potentially controlling abiotic variables and abundances of different earthworm species. We measured earthworm abundances and effective macropore distributions using tracer rainfall infiltration experiments in six measurement campaigns during one year at six field sites in Luxembourg. Hydrologically effective macropores were counted in three soil depths (3, 10, 30 cm) and distinguished into three diameter classes (<2, 2-6, >6 mm). Earthworms were sampled and determined to species-level. In a generalized linear modelling framework, we related macropores to potential spatial and temporal controlling factors. Earthworm species such as Lumbricus terrestris and Aporrectodea longa, local abiotic site conditions (land use, TWI, slope), temporally varying weather conditions (temperature, humidity, precipitation) and soil moisture affected the number of effective macropores. Main controlling factors and explanatory power of the models (uncertainty and model performance) varied depending on the depth and diameter class of macropores. We present spatiotemporal predictions of macropore density by daily-resolved, one year time series of macropore numbers and maps of macropore distributions at specific dates in a small-scale catchment with 5 m resolution.

Moisture uptake of polyoxyethylene glycol glycerides used as matrices for drug delivery: kinetic modelling and practical implications.

PubMed

Qi, Sheng; Belton, Peter; McAuley, William; Codoni, Doroty; Darji, Neerav

2013-04-01

Gelucire 50/13, a polyoxyethylene glycol glyceride mixture, has been widely used in drug delivery, but its moisture uptake behaviour is still poorly understood. In this study, the effects of relative humidity, temperature, and drug incorporation on the moisture uptake of Gelucire are reported in relation to their practical implications for preparation of solid dispersions using this material. DVS combined with kinetics modelling was used as the main experimental method to study the moisture uptake behaviour of Gelucire. Thermal and microscopic methods were employed to investigate the effect of moisture uptake on the physical properties of the material and drug loaded solid dispersions. The moisture uptake by Gelucire 50/13 is temperature and relative humidity dependent. At low temperatures and low relative humidities, moisture sorption follows a GAB model. The model fitting indicated that at high relative humidities the sorption is a complex process, potentially involving PEG being dissolved and the PEG solution acting as solvent to dissolve other components. Careful control of the storage and processing environmental conditions are required when using Gelucire 50/13. The incorporation of model drugs not only influences the moisture uptake capacity of Gelucire 50/13 but also the solidification behaviour.

Development of low cost, high reliability sealing techniques for hybrid microcircuit packages. Phase 2, supplement 1: Moisture permeation of adhesive-sealed hybrid microcircuit packages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perkins, K. L.; Licari, J. J.

1978-01-01

The susceptibility of adhesive-sealed ceramic packages to moisture permeation was investigated. The two adhesives, Ablebond 789-1 and Epo-Tek H77, were evaluated as package sealants. These adhesives were previously selected as the most promising candidates for this application from a group of ten adhesives. Ceramic packages sealed with these adhesives were exposed to temperature-humidity conditions of 25 C/98 percent RH, 50 C/60 percent RH, 50 C/98 percent RH, and 85 C/85 percent RH and their moisture contents using were monitored solid state moisture sensors sealed inside them. Five packages were tested at each of these exposures - two ceramic packages sealed with each of the two adhesives and one seam-sealed gold-plated Kovar package. This latter package was included to serve as a control. The results showed that the adhesive-sealed packages were not hermetic to moisture. The rates at which moisture entered the packages increased with the severity of the exposure environments (i.e., higher temperatures and higher moisture vapor pressures) with greater dependence on temperature than on moisture vapor pressure.

Ecohydrology of the wetland-forestland interface: hydrophobicity in leaf litter and its potential effect on surface evaporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Probert, Samantha; Kettridge, Nicholas; Devito, Kevin; Hurley, Alexander

2017-04-01

Riparian wetlands represent an important ecotone at the interface of peatlands and forests within the Western Boreal Plain of Canada. Water storage and negative feedbacks to evaporation in these systems is crucial for the conservation and redistribution of water during dry periods and providing ecosystem resilience to disturbance. Litter cover can alter the relative importance of the physical processes that drive soil evaporation. Negative feedbacks to drying are created as the hydrophysical properties of the litter and soil override atmospheric controls on evaporation in dry conditions, subsequently dampening the effects of external forcings on the wetland moisture balance. In this study, water repellency in leaf litter has been shown to significantly correlate with surface-atmosphere interactions, whereby severely hydrophobic leaf litter is linked to the highest surface resistances to evaporation, and therefore lowest instantaneous evaporation. Decreasing moisture is associated with increasing hydrophobicity, which may reduce the evaporative flux further as the dry hydrophobic litter creates a hydrological disconnect between soil moisture and the atmosphere. In contrast, hydrophilic litter layers exhibited higher litter moistures, which is associated with reduced resistances to evaporation and enhanced evaporative fluxes. Water repellency of the litter layer has a greater control on evaporation than the presence or absence of litter itself. Litter removal had no significant effect on instantaneous evaporation or surface resistance to evaporation except under the highest evaporation conditions, where litter layers produced higher resistance values than bare peat soils. However, litter removal modified the dominant physical controls on evaporation: moisture loss in plots with leaf litter was driven by leaf and soil hydrophysical properties. Contrastingly, bare peat soils following litter removal exhibited cooler, wetter surfaces and were more strongly correlated to atmospheric controls. The interaction between evaporation, hydrophobicity and moisture of the soil surface, or litter, presents a potentially significant negative feedback to drying across wetland-forestland interfaces.

The Implementation and Evaluation of the Emergency Response Dose Assessment System (ERDAS) at Cape Canaveral Air Station/Kennedy Space Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Randolph J.; Tremback, Craig J.; Lyons, Walter A.

1996-01-01

The Emergency Response Dose Assessment System (ERDAS) is a system which combines the mesoscale meteorological prediction model RAMS with the diffusion models REEDM and HYPACT. Operators use a graphical user interface to run the models for emergency response and toxic hazard planning at CCAS/KCS. The Applied Meteorology Unit has been evaluating the ERDAS meteorological and diffusion models and obtained the following results: (1) RAMS adequately predicts the occurrence of the daily sea breeze during non-cloudy conditions for several cases. (2) RAMS shows a tendency to predict the sea breeze to occur slightly earlier and to move it further inland than observed. The sea breeze predictions could most likely be improved by better parameterizing the soil moisture and/or sea surface temperatures. (3) The HYPACT/REEDM/RAMS models accurately predict launch plume locations when RAMS winds are accurate and when the correct plume layer is modeled. (4) HYPACT does not adequately handle plume buoyancy for heated plumes since all plumes are presently treated as passive tracers. Enhancements should be incorporated into the ERDAS as it moves toward being a fully operational system and as computer workstations continue to increase in power and decrease in cost. These enhancements include the following: activate RAMS moisture physics; use finer RAMS grid resolution; add RAMS input parameters (e.g. soil moisture, radar, and/or satellite data); automate data quality control; implement four-dimensional data assimilation; modify HYPACT plume rise and deposition physics; and add cumulative dosage calculations in HYPACT.

Atmospheric and ocean sensing with GNSS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yunck, Thomas P.; Hajj, George A.

2003-01-01

The 1980s and 1990s saw the Global Positioning System (GPS) transform space geodesy from an elite national enterprise to one open to the individual researcher. By adapting the tools from that endeavor we are learning to probe the atmosphere and the ocean surface in novel ways, including ground-based sensing of atmospheric moisture; space-based profiling of atmospheric refractivity by active limb sounding; and global ocean altimetry with reflected signals.

Weather and climate needs for Lidar observations from space and concepts for their realization. [wind, temperature, moisture, and pressure data needs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atlas, D.; Korb, C. L.

1980-01-01

The spectrum of weather and climate needs for Lidar observations from space is discussed with emphasis on the requirements for wind, temperature, moisture, and pressure data. It is shown that winds are required to realistically depict all atmospheric scales in the tropics and the smaller scales at higher latitudes, where both temperature and wind profiles are necessary. The need for means to estimate air-sea exchanges of sensible and latent heat also is noted. A concept for achieving this through a combination of Lidar cloud top heights and IR cloud top temperatures of cloud streets formed during cold air outbreaks over the warmer ocean is outlined. Recent theoretical feasibility studies concerning the profiling of temperatures, pressure, and humidity by differential absorption Lidar (DIAL) from space and expected accuracies are reviewed. An alternative approach to Doppler Lidar wind measurements also is presented. The concept involves the measurement of the displacement of the aerosol backscatter pattern, at constant heights, between two successive scans of the same area, one ahead of the spacecraft and the other behind it a few minutes later. Finally, an integrated space Lidar system capable of measuring temperature, pressure, humidity, and winds which combines the DIAL methods with the aerosol pattern displacement concept is described.

Calibration of non-contact ultrasound as an online sensor for wood characterization: Effects of temperature, moisture, and scanning direction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vun, R. Y.; Hoover, K.; Janowiak, J.; Bhardwaj, M.

2008-01-01

Numerous handheld moisture meters are available for measuring moisture levels of wood and building materials for a vast range of quality control and moisture diagnosis applications. However, many methods currently available require physical contact of a probe with the test material to operate. The contact requirement of such devices has limited applications for these purposes. There is a tremendous demand for dynamic online quality assessment of in-process materials for moisture content (MC) measurements. In this paper, a non-destructive non-contact ultrasound technology was used to evaluate the effects of increasing temperature in two MC levels and of increasing MC in lumber. The results show that the ultrasonic absolute transmittance and velocity parameters are directly correlated very well (R2≥0.87) with temperature for the two moisture levels in wood. At constant temperature, however, the velocity is inversely correlated with MC. It was also found that the distribution of MC along the length is marginally insignificant to both ultrasonic measurements. The transmittance measurement along the orthogonal thickness direction is insignificant above the fiber saturation MC; similarly, the velocity measurement is marginally insignificant. The study concludes a positive correlation and a good fit for this technology to advance into the development of an automated device for determining wood moisture levels, which will in turn be used to control the dynamics of wood drying/sterilization processes. Further calibration research is recommended to ascertain the constraints and limitations of the technology to specific wood species and dimension.

Effect of different types of plastic packaging films on the moisture and aflatoxin contents of pistachio nuts during storage.

PubMed

Shakerardekani, Ahmad; Karim, Roselina

2013-04-01

Pistachio nut (Pistacia vera L.) is one of the popular tree nuts in the world. Proper selection of packaging materials is necessary to prevent absorption of moisture and aflatoxin formation which will influence the overall product quality and safety. This research is undertaken to study the effect of different type of flexible packaging films on the moisture and aflatoxin contents of whole pistachio nuts during storage at ambient temperature (22-28 °C) and relative humidity of 85-100%. Five types of plastic films tested were low density polyethylene (LDPE) which serves as the control, food-grade polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon (LDPE/PA), polyamide/polypropylene (PA/PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The moisture content and aflatoxin content of pistachio nuts were measured using oven drying method and HPLC, respectively. Sample were analysed at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 months during the storage period. Results showed that there was an increase in moisture content with the increase in storage time of pistachio nuts. The increase in moisture content was associated with the aflatoxin level of pistachio nuts during storage time. All the packaging materials except LDPE delayed the moisture absorption and aflatoxin formation of the product. The most suitable packaging materials for maintaining the quality and safety of pistachio nuts is PET films followed by nylon, PA/PP and PVC. The shelf-life of pistachio can be extended from 2 months (Control) to 5 months when PET is used as the packaging material.

Treatment with a barrier-strengthening moisturizer prevents relapse of hand-eczema. An open, randomized, prospective, parallel group study.

PubMed

Lodén, Marie; Wirén, Karin; Smerud, Knut; Meland, Nils; Hønnås, Helge; Mørk, Gro; Lützow-Holm, Claus; Funk, Jörgen; Meding, Birgitta

2010-11-01

Hand eczema influences the quality of life. Management strategies include the use of moisturizers. In the present study the time to relapse of eczema during treatment with a barrier-strengthening moisturizer (5% urea) was compared with no treatment (no medical or non-medicated preparations) in 53 randomized patients with successfully treated hand eczema. The median time to relapse was 20 days in the moisturizer group compared with 2 days in the no treatment group (p = 0.04). Eczema relapsed in 90% of the patients within 26 weeks. No difference in severity was noted between the groups at relapse. Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) increased significantly in both groups; from 4.7 to 7.1 in the moisturizer group and from 4.1 to 7.8 in the no treatment group (p < 0.01) at the time of relapse. Hence, the application of moisturizers seems to prolong the disease-free interval in patients with controlled hand eczema. Whether the data is applic-able to moisturizers without barrier-strengthening properties remains to be elucidated.

Field measurement of moisture-buffering model inputs for residential buildings

DOE PAGES

Woods, Jason; Winkler, Jon

2016-02-05

Moisture adsorption and desorption in building materials impact indoor humidity. This effect should be included in building-energy simulations, particularly when humidity is being investigated or controlled. Several models can calculate this moisture-buffering effect, but accurate ones require model inputs that are not always known to the user of the building-energy simulation. This research developed an empirical method to extract whole-house model inputs for the effective moisture penetration depth (EMPD) model. The experimental approach was to subject the materials in the house to a square-wave relative-humidity profile, measure all of the moisture-transfer terms (e.g., infiltration, air-conditioner condensate), and calculate the onlymore » unmeasured term—the moisture sorption into the materials. We validated this method with laboratory measurements, which we used to measure the EMPD model inputs of two houses. After deriving these inputs, we measured the humidity of the same houses during tests with realistic latent and sensible loads and demonstrated the accuracy of this approach. Furthermore, these results show that the EMPD model, when given reasonable inputs, is an accurate moisture-buffering model.« less

Cavitation controlled acoustic probe for fabric spot cleaning and moisture monitoring

DOEpatents

Sheen, Shuh-Haw; Chien, Hual-Te; Raptis, Apostolos C.

1997-01-01

A method and apparatus are provided for monitoring a fabric. An acoustic probe generates acoustic waves relative to the fabric. An acoustic sensor, such as an accelerometer is coupled to the acoustic probe for generating a signal representative of cavitation activity in the fabric. The generated cavitation activity representative signal is processed to indicate moisture content of the fabric. A feature of the invention is a feedback control signal is generated responsive to the generated cavitation activity representative signal. The feedback control signal can be used to control the energy level of the generated acoustic waves and to control the application of a cleaning solution to the fabric.

Fractal scaling of apparent soil moisture estimated from vertical planes of Vertisol pit images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cumbrera, Ramiro; Tarquis, Ana M.; Gascó, Gabriel; Millán, Humberto

2012-07-01

SummaryImage analysis could be a useful tool for investigating the spatial patterns of apparent soil moisture at multiple resolutions. The objectives of the present work were (i) to define apparent soil moisture patterns from vertical planes of Vertisol pit images and (ii) to describe the scaling of apparent soil moisture distribution using fractal parameters. Twelve soil pits (0.70 m long × 0.60 m width × 0.30 m depth) were excavated on a bare Mazic Pellic Vertisol. Six of them were excavated in April/2011 and six pits were established in May/2011 after 3 days of a moderate rainfall event. Digital photographs were taken from each Vertisol pit using a Kodak™ digital camera. The mean image size was 1600 × 945 pixels with one physical pixel ≈373 μm of the photographed soil pit. Each soil image was analyzed using two fractal scaling exponents, box counting (capacity) dimension (DBC) and interface fractal dimension (Di), and three prefractal scaling coefficients, the total number of boxes intercepting the foreground pattern at a unit scale (A), fractal lacunarity at the unit scale (Λ1) and Shannon entropy at the unit scale (S1). All the scaling parameters identified significant differences between both sets of spatial patterns. Fractal lacunarity was the best discriminator between apparent soil moisture patterns. Soil image interpretation with fractal exponents and prefractal coefficients can be incorporated within a site-specific agriculture toolbox. While fractal exponents convey information on space filling characteristics of the pattern, prefractal coefficients represent the investigated soil property as seen through a higher resolution microscope. In spite of some computational and practical limitations, image analysis of apparent soil moisture patterns could be used in connection with traditional soil moisture sampling, which always renders punctual estimates.

Airborne active and passive L-band measurements using PALS instrument in SMAPVEX12 soil moisture field campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colliander, Andreas; Yueh, Simon; Chazanoff, Seth; Dinardo, Steven; O'Dwyer, Ian; Jackson, Thomas; McNairn, Heather; Bullock, Paul; Wiseman, Grant; Berg, Aaron; Magagi, Ramata; Njoku, Eni

2012-10-01

NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission is scheduled for launch in late 2014. The objective of the mission is global mapping of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state. Merging of active and passive L-band observations of the mission will enable unprecedented combination of accuracy, resolution, coverage and revisit-time for soil moisture and freeze/thaw state retrieval. For pre-launch algorithm development and validation the SMAP project and NASA coordinated a field campaign named as SMAPVEX12 (Soil Moisture Active Passive Validation Experiment 2012) together with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and other Canadian and US institutions in the vicinity of Winnipeg, Canada in June-July, 2012. The main objective of SMAPVEX12 was acquisition of a data record that features long time-series with varying soil moisture and vegetation conditions over an aerial domain of multiple parallel flight lines. The coincident active and passive L-band data was acquired with the PALS (Passive Active L-band System) instrument. The measurements were conducted over the experiment domain every 2-3 days on average, over a period of 43 days. The preliminary calibration of the brightness temperatures obtained in the campaign has been performed. Daily lake calibrations were used to adjust the radiometer calibration parameters, and the obtained measurements were compared against the raw in situ soil moisture measurements. The evaluation shows that this preliminary calibration of the data produces already a consistent brightness temperature record over the campaign duration, and only secondary adjustments and cleaning of the data is need before the data can be applied to the development and validation of SMAP algorithms.

KSC-2015-1226

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-28

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The launch gantry is rolled back to reveal the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with the Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, satellite aboard, at the Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. SMAP is a remote sensing mission designed to measure and map the Earth's soil moisture distribution and freeze/thaw stat with unprecedented accuracy, resolution and coverage. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for Jan. 29, 2015. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2015-1236

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-28

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The launch gantry is rolled back to reveal the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with the Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, satellite aboard, at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SMAP is a remote sensing mission designed to measure and map the Earth's soil moisture distribution and freeze/thaw stat with unprecedented accuracy, resolution and coverage. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for Jan. 29, 2015. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

KSC-2015-1227

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-28

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The launch gantry is rolled back to reveal the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with the Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, satellite aboard, at the Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. SMAP is a remote sensing mission designed to measure and map the Earth's soil moisture distribution and freeze/thaw stat with unprecedented accuracy, resolution and coverage. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for Jan. 29, 2015. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2015-1228

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-29

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The launch gantry is rolled back to reveal the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with the Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, satellite aboard, at the Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. SMAP is a remote sensing mission designed to measure and map the Earth's soil moisture distribution and freeze/thaw stat with unprecedented accuracy, resolution and coverage. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for Jan. 29, 2015. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2015-1225

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-28

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The launch gantry is rolled back to reveal the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with the Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, satellite aboard, at the Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. SMAP is a remote sensing mission designed to measure and map the Earth's soil moisture distribution and freeze/thaw stat with unprecedented accuracy, resolution and coverage. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for Jan. 29, 2015. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2015-1235

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-28

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The launch gantry is rolled back to reveal the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with the Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, satellite aboard, at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SMAP is a remote sensing mission designed to measure and map the Earth's soil moisture distribution and freeze/thaw stat with unprecedented accuracy, resolution and coverage. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for Jan. 29, 2015. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

KSC-2015-1238

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-28

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The launch gantry is rolled back to reveal the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with the Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, satellite aboard, at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SMAP is a remote sensing mission designed to measure and map the Earth's soil moisture distribution and freeze/thaw stat with unprecedented accuracy, resolution and coverage. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for Jan. 29, 2015. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

KSC-2015-1234

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-28

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The launch gantry is rolled back to reveal the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with the Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, satellite aboard, at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SMAP is a remote sensing mission designed to measure and map the Earth's soil moisture distribution and freeze/thaw stat with unprecedented accuracy, resolution and coverage. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for Jan. 29, 2015. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/smap. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin