Olivine Weathering in Soil, and Its Effects on Growth and Nutrient Uptake in Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.): A Pot Experiment

PubMed Central

ten Berge, Hein F. M.; van der Meer, Hugo G.; Steenhuizen, Johan W.; Goedhart, Paul W.; Knops, Pol; Verhagen, Jan

2012-01-01

Mineral carbonation of basic silicate minerals regulates atmospheric CO2 on geological time scales by locking up carbon. Mining and spreading onto the earth's surface of fast-weathering silicates, such as olivine, has been proposed to speed up this natural CO2 sequestration (‘enhanced weathering’). While agriculture may offer an existing infrastructure, weathering rate and impacts on soil and plant are largely unknown. Our objectives were to assess weathering of olivine in soil, and its effects on plant growth and nutrient uptake. In a pot experiment with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), weathering during 32 weeks was inferred from bioavailability of magnesium (Mg) in soil and plant. Olivine doses were equivalent to 1630 (OLIV1), 8150, 40700 and 204000 (OLIV4) kg ha−1. Alternatively, the soluble Mg salt kieserite was applied for reference. Olivine increased plant growth (+15.6%) and plant K concentration (+16.5%) in OLIV4. At all doses, olivine increased bioavailability of Mg and Ni in soil, as well as uptake of Mg, Si and Ni in plants. Olivine suppressed Ca uptake. Weathering estimated from a Mg balance was equivalent to 240 kg ha−1 (14.8% of dose, OLIV1) to 2240 kg ha−1 (1.1%, OLIV4). This corresponds to gross CO2 sequestration of 290 to 2690 kg ha−1 (29 103 to 269 103 kg km−2.) Alternatively, weathering estimated from similarity with kieserite treatments ranged from 13% to 58% for OLIV1. The Olsen model for olivine carbonation predicted 4.0% to 9.0% weathering for our case, independent of olivine dose. Our % values observed at high doses were smaller than this, suggesting negative feedbacks in soil. Yet, weathering appears fast enough to support the ‘enhanced weathering’ concept. In agriculture, olivine doses must remain within limits to avoid imbalances in plant nutrition, notably at low Ca availability; and to avoid Ni accumulation in soil and crop. PMID:22912685

An Evaluation of Controller and Pilot Performance, Workload and Acceptability under a NextGen Concept for Dynamic Weather Adapted Arrival Routing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Walter W.; Lachter, Joel; Brandt, Summer; Koteskey, Robert; Dao, Arik-Quang; Kraut, Josh; Ligda, Sarah; Battiste, Vernol

2012-01-01

In todays terminal operations, controller workload increases and throughput decreases when fixed standard terminal arrival routes (STARs) are impacted by storms. To circumvent this operational constraint, Prete, Krozel, Mitchell, Kim and Zou (2008) proposed to use automation to dynamically adapt arrival and departure routing based on weather predictions. The present study examined this proposal in the context of a NextGen trajectory-based operation concept, focusing on the acceptability and its effect on the controllers ability to manage traffic flows. Six controllers and twelve transport pilots participated in a human-in-the-loop simulation of arrival operations into Louisville International Airport with interval management requirements. Three types of routing structures were used: Static STARs (similar to current routing, which require the trajectories of individual aircraft to be modified to avoid the weather), Dynamic routing (automated adaptive routing around weather), and Dynamic Adjusted routing (automated adaptive routing around weather with aircraft entry time adjusted to account for differences in route length). Spacing Responsibility, whether responsibility for interval management resided with the controllers (as today), or resided with the pilot (who used a flight deck based automated spacing algorithm), was also manipulated. Dynamic routing as a whole was rated superior to static routing, especially by pilots, both in terms of workload reduction and flight path safety. A downside of using dynamic routing was that the paths flown in the dynamic conditions tended to be somewhat longer than the paths flown in the static condition.

A Cockpit-Based Application for Traffic Aware Trajectory Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woods, Sharon E.; Vivona, Robert A.; Roscoe, David A.; LeFebvre, Brendan C.; Wing, David J.; Ballin, Mark G.

2013-01-01

The Traffic Aware Planner (TAP) is a cockpit-based advisory tool designed to be hosted on a Class 2 Electronic Flight Bag and developed to enable the concept of Traffic Aware Strategic Aircrew Requests (TASAR). This near-term concept provides pilots with optimized route changes that reduce fuel burn or flight time, avoids interactions with known traffic, weather and restricted airspace, and may be used by the pilots to request a trajectory change from air traffic control. TAP's internal architecture and algorithms are derived from the Autonomous Operations Planner, a flight-deck automation system developed by NASA to support research into aircraft self-separation. This paper reviews the architecture, functionality and operation of TAP.

Automated Conflict Resolution, Arrival Management and Weather Avoidance for ATM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erzberger, H.; Lauderdale, Todd A.; Chu, Yung-Cheng

2010-01-01

The paper describes a unified solution to three types of separation assurance problems that occur in en-route airspace: separation conflicts, arrival sequencing, and weather-cell avoidance. Algorithms for solving these problems play a key role in the design of future air traffic management systems such as NextGen. Because these problems can arise simultaneously in any combination, it is necessary to develop integrated algorithms for solving them. A unified and comprehensive solution to these problems provides the foundation for a future air traffic management system that requires a high level of automation in separation assurance. The paper describes the three algorithms developed for solving each problem and then shows how they are used sequentially to solve any combination of these problems. The first algorithm resolves loss-of-separation conflicts and is an evolution of an algorithm described in an earlier paper. The new version generates multiple resolutions for each conflict and then selects the one giving the least delay. Two new algorithms, one for sequencing and merging of arrival traffic, referred to as the Arrival Manager, and the other for weather-cell avoidance are the major focus of the paper. Because these three problems constitute a substantial fraction of the workload of en-route controllers, integrated algorithms to solve them is a basic requirement for automated separation assurance. The paper also reviews the Advanced Airspace Concept, a proposed design for a ground-based system that postulates redundant systems for separation assurance in order to achieve both high levels of safety and airspace capacity. It is proposed that automated separation assurance be introduced operationally in several steps, each step reducing controller workload further while increasing airspace capacity. A fast time simulation was used to determine performance statistics of the algorithm at up to 3 times current traffic levels.

Allocation of Functions in a Far-Term Air Traffic Control Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Homola, Jeffrey; Martin, Lynne; Mercer, Joey; Cabrall, Christopher; Prevot, Thomas

2011-01-01

A human-in-the-loop exploration of a ground-based automated separation assurance concept was conducted that involved the allocation of certain functions between humans and automation. This exploration included operations that were sustained for prolonged periods of time with high levels of traffic in the presence of convective weather and scheduling constraints. An investigation into the acceptability of the defined roles and performance of tasks was conducted where it was found that the participants rated the concept and allocation of functions with a high level of acceptability. However, issues were encountered with the automation related to the detection of and response to tactical conflicts. Lower ratings were given on account of these concerns, and it was found that a key contributor to the underlying problems was transitioning aircraft and the uncertainty of their trajectories. Stemming from those results, participants responded that they would rather have direct control over aircraft transitions as well as more control over the tactical conflict resolution automation. In contrast, participants responded that they would rather have the automation place aircraft back on trajectory, and perform weather avoidance and scheduling tasks.

Convective Weather Avoidance with Uncertain Weather Forecasts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karahan, Sinan; Windhorst, Robert D.

2009-01-01

Convective weather events have a disruptive impact on air traffic both in terminal area and in en-route airspaces. In order to make sure that the national air transportation system is safe and efficient, it is essential to respond to convective weather events effectively. Traffic flow control initiatives in response to convective weather include ground delay, airborne delay, miles-in-trail restrictions as well as tactical and strategic rerouting. The rerouting initiatives can potentially increase traffic density and complexity in regions neighboring the convective weather activity. There is a need to perform rerouting in an intelligent and efficient way such that the disruptive effects of rerouting are minimized. An important area of research is to study the interaction of in-flight rerouting with traffic congestion or complexity and developing methods that quantitatively measure this interaction. Furthermore, it is necessary to find rerouting solutions that account for uncertainties in weather forecasts. These are important steps toward managing complexity during rerouting operations, and the paper is motivated by these research questions. An automated system is developed for rerouting air traffic in order to avoid convective weather regions during the 20- minute - 2-hour time horizon. Such a system is envisioned to work in concert with separation assurance (0 - 20-minute time horizon), and longer term air traffic management (2-hours and beyond) to provide a more comprehensive solution to complexity and safety management. In this study, weather is dynamic and uncertain; it is represented as regions of airspace that pilots are likely to avoid. Algorithms are implemented in an air traffic simulation environment to support the research study. The algorithms used are deterministic but periodically revise reroutes to account for weather forecast updates. In contrast to previous studies, in this study convective weather is represented as regions of airspace that pilots are likely to avoid. The automated system periodically updates forecasts and reassesses rerouting decisions in order to account for changing weather predictions. The main objectives are to reroute flights to avoid convective weather regions and determine the resulting complexity due to rerouting. The eventual goal is to control and reduce complexity while rerouting flights during the 20 minute - 2 hour planning period. A three-hour simulation is conducted using 4800 flights in the national airspace. The study compares several metrics against a baseline scenario using the same traffic and weather but with rerouting disabled. The results show that rerouting can have a negative impact on congestion in some sectors, as expected. The rerouting system provides accurate measurements of the resulting complexity in the congested sectors. Furthermore, although rerouting is performed only in the 20-minute - 2-hour range, it results in a 30% reduction in encounters with nowcast weather polygons (100% being the ideal for perfectly predictable and accurate weather). In the simulations, rerouting was performed for the 20-minute - 2-hour flight time horizon, and for the en-route segment of air traffic. The implementation uses CWAM, a set of polygons that represent probabilities of pilot deviation around weather. The algorithms were implemented in a software-based air traffic simulation system. Initial results of the system's performance and effectiveness were encouraging. Simulation results showed that when flights were rerouted in the 20-minute - 2-hour flight time horizon of air traffic, there were fewer weather encounters in the first 20 minutes than for flights that were not rerouted. Some preliminary results were also obtained that showed that rerouting will also increase complexity. More simulations will be conducted in order to report conclusive results on the effects of rerouting on complexity. Thus, the use of the 20-minute - 2-hour flight time horizon weather avoidance teniques performed in the simulation is expected to provide benefits for short-term weather avoidance.

Autonomous Operations Planner: A Flexible Platform for Research in Flight-Deck Support for Airborne Self-Separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karr, David A.; Vivona, Robert A.; DePascale, Stephen M.; Wing, David J.

2012-01-01

The Autonomous Operations Planner (AOP), developed by NASA, is a flexible and powerful prototype of a flight-deck automation system to support self-separation of aircraft. The AOP incorporates a variety of algorithms to detect and resolve conflicts between the trajectories of its own aircraft and traffic aircraft while meeting route constraints such as required times of arrival and avoiding airspace hazards such as convective weather and restricted airspace. This integrated suite of algorithms provides flight crew support for strategic and tactical conflict resolutions and conflict-free trajectory planning while en route. The AOP has supported an extensive set of experiments covering various conditions and variations on the self-separation concept, yielding insight into the system s design and resolving various challenges encountered in the exploration of the concept. The design of the AOP will enable it to continue to evolve and support experimentation as the self-separation concept is refined.

Greek Children's Alternative Conceptions on Weather and Climate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spiropoulou, D.; Kostopoulos, D.; Jacovides, C. P.

1999-01-01

Describes a survey of Greek schoolchildren's alternative conceptions about weather and climate. Finds that misconceptions exist, including confusion between the meanings of the terms "weather" and "climate", inflated estimates of temperature, and a belief that yearly weather data define climate. Suggests ways to help students…

Federal Aviation Administration weather program to improve aviation safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wedan, R. W.

1983-01-01

The implementation of the National Airspace System (NAS) will improve safety services to aviation. These services include collision avoidance, improved landing systems and better weather data acquisition and dissemination. The program to improve the quality of weather information includes the following: Radar Remote Weather Display System; Flight Service Automation System; Automatic Weather Observation System; Center Weather Processor, and Next Generation Weather Radar Development.

A survey of of uses and value of space weather information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrijver, C. J.; Rabanal, J.

2013-12-01

We analyze some 2,800 responses to a survey among subscribers of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center email services. Interest in, anticipated impacts from, and responses to solar flares, energetic particle events, and geomagnetic storms are quite uniform across societal sectors. Approximately 40% of the respondents expect serious to very serious impacts from space weather events if no action were taken to mitigate or in the absence of adequate space weather information. The impacts of space weather are deemed to be substantially reduced because of the availability of, and the response to, space-weather forecasts and alerts. Space weather information is primarily used as aid to understand anomalies, to implement mitigating strategies designed to avoid impacts on operations, and to prepare for potential contingencies related directly or indirectly to space weather. Current and near-future space-weather conditions are generally highly valued, considered useful, and generally, though not fully, adequate to avoid or mitigate societal impacts (related most frequently to human safety and reliability of operations). We conclude that even among those receiving space weather information, there is considerable uncertainty about how to act on the information provided.

Benefits Analysis of Multi-Center Dynamic Weather Routes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheth, Kapil; McNally, David; Morando, Alexander; Clymer, Alexis; Lock, Jennifer; Petersen, Julien

2014-01-01

Dynamic weather routes are flight plan corrections that can provide airborne flights more than user-specified minutes of flying-time savings, compared to their current flight plan. These routes are computed from the aircraft's current location to a flight plan fix downstream (within a predefined limit region), while avoiding forecasted convective weather regions. The Dynamic Weather Routes automation has been continuously running with live air traffic data for a field evaluation at the American Airlines Integrated Operations Center in Fort Worth, TX since July 31, 2012, where flights within the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center are evaluated for time savings. This paper extends the methodology to all Centers in United States and presents benefits analysis of Dynamic Weather Routes automation, if it was implemented in multiple airspace Centers individually and concurrently. The current computation of dynamic weather routes requires a limit rectangle so that a downstream capture fix can be selected, preventing very large route changes spanning several Centers. In this paper, first, a method of computing a limit polygon (as opposed to a rectangle used for Fort Worth Center) is described for each of the 20 Centers in the National Airspace System. The Future ATM Concepts Evaluation Tool, a nationwide simulation and analysis tool, is used for this purpose. After a comparison of results with the Center-based Dynamic Weather Routes automation in Fort Worth Center, results are presented for 11 Centers in the contiguous United States. These Centers are generally most impacted by convective weather. A breakdown of individual Center and airline savings is presented and the results indicate an overall average savings of about 10 minutes of flying time are obtained per flight.

Evaluation of a Dispatcher's Route Optimization Decision Aid to Avoid Aviation Weather Hazards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorneich, Michael C.; Olofinboba, Olu; Pratt, Steve; Osborne, Dannielle; Feyereisen, Thea; Latorella, Kara

2003-01-01

This document describes the results and analysis of the formal evaluation plan for the Honeywell software tool developed under the NASA AWIN (Aviation Weather Information) 'Weather Avoidance using Route Optimization as a Decision Aid' project. The software tool aims to provide airline dispatchers with a decision aid for selecting optimal routes that avoid weather and other hazards. This evaluation compares and contrasts route selection performance with the AWIN tool to that of subjects using a more traditional dispatcher environment. The evaluation assesses gains in safety, in fuel efficiency of planned routes, and in time efficiency in the pre-flight dispatch process through the use of the AWIN decision aid. In addition, we are interested in how this AWIN tool affects constructs that can be related to performance. The construct of Situation Awareness (SA), workload, trust in an information system, and operator acceptance are assessed using established scales, where these exist, as well as through the evaluation of questionnaire responses and subject comments. The intention of the experiment is to set up a simulated operations area for the dispatchers to work in. They will be given scenarios in which they are presented with stored company routes for a particular city-pair and aircraft type. A diverse set of external weather information sources is represented by a stand-alone display (MOCK), containing the actual historical weather data typically used by dispatchers. There is also the possibility of presenting selected weather data on the route visualization tool. The company routes have not been modified to avoid the weather except in the case of one additional route generated by the Honeywell prototype flight planning system. The dispatcher will be required to choose the most appropriate and efficient flight plan route in the displayed weather conditions. The route may be modified manually or may be chosen from those automatically displayed.

Enabling Civilian Low-Altitude Airspace and Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kopardekar, Parimal

2014-01-01

UAS operations will be safer if a UTM system is available to support the functions associated with Airspace management and geo-fencing (reduce risk of accidents, impact to other operations, and community concerns); Weather and severe wind integration (avoid severe weather areas based on prediction); Predict and manage congestion (mission safety);Terrain and man-made objects database and avoidance; Maintain safe separation (mission safety and assurance of other assets); Allow only authenticated operations (avoid unauthorized airspace use).

The Traffic-Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) in the glass cockpit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chappell, Sheryl L.

1988-01-01

This volume contains the contributions of the participants in the NASA Ames Research Center workshop on the traffic-alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) implementation for aircraft with cathode ray tube (CRT) or flat panel displays. To take advantage of the display capability of the advanced-technology aircraft, NASA sponsored this workshop with the intent of bringing together industry personnel, pilots, and researchers so that pertinent issues in the area could be identified. During the 2-day workshop participants addressed a number of issues including: What is the optimum format for TCAS advisories. Where and how should maneuver advisories be presented to the crew. Should the maneuver advisories be presented on the primary flight display. Is it appropriate to have the autopilot perform the avoidance maneuver. Where and how should traffic information be presented to the crew. Should traffic information be combined with weather and navigation information. How much traffic should be shown and what ranges should be used. Contained in the document are the concepts and suggestions produced by the workshop participants.

The NASA Aircraft VOrtex Spacing System (AVOSS): Concept Demonstration Results and Future Direction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rutishauser, David K.; OConnor, Cornelius J.

2004-01-01

Since the late 1990s the national airspace system has been recognized as approaching a capacity crisis. In the light of this condition, industry, government, user organizations, and educational institutions have been working on procedural and technological solutions to the problem. One aspect of system operations that holds potential for improvement is the separation criteria applied to aircraft for wake vortex avoidance. These criteria, applied when operations are conducted under instrument flight rules (IFR), were designed to represent safe spacing under weather conditions conducive to the longest wake hazards. It is well understood that wake behavior is dependent on meteorological conditions as well as the physical parameters of the generating aircraft. Under many ambient conditions, such as moderate crosswinds or turbulence, wake hazard durations are substantially reduced. To realize this reduction NASA has developed a proof-of-concept Aircraft VOrtex Spacing System (AVOSS). Successfully demonstrated in a realtime field demonstration during July 2000 at the Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW), AVOSS is a novel integration of weather sensors, wake sensors, and analytical wake prediction algorithms. AVOSS provides dynamic wake separation criteria that are a function of the ambient weather conditions for a particular airport, and the predicted wake behavior under those conditions. Wake sensing subsystems provide safety checks and validation for the predictions. The AVOSS was demonstrated in shadow mode; no actual spacing changes were applied to aircraft. This paper briefly reviews the system architecture and operation, reports the latest performance results from the DFW deployment, and describes the future direction of the project.

Operationalist Fallacies in Biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahner, Martin

This paper examines - from a realist perspective - the influence of phenomenalism and its offshoot, operationalism, on concept formation in biology, as well as its implications for science education. To this end, the basic tenets of phenomenalism, versus those of realism, are expounded. The influence of phenomenalism and operationalism on current biology is criticized for leading to the confusion of cause with symptom - a mistake known as the operationalist fallacy. This fallacy consists in accepting pseudodefinitions, i.e., the so-called operational definitions such as An acid is a substance that turns litmus paper red, and pseudoexplanations such as The weather got worse because the barometer reading dropped. Many instances of this confusion can be found in science. This analysis, however, focuses on biology; it starts with more or less blatant examples, such as behaviorism and the concepts of genotype and homology, turning then to much less obvious examples, such as the definition of selection in terms of differential reproduction, the concept of a species as a reproductive community, the concept of isolating mechanisms, and thus the relational concept of biospecies. While it is maintained that operationalist fallacies are always to be avoided in science, it is discussed whether at least some of them are permissible in science education.

14 CFR 135.293 - Initial and recurrent pilot testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., high altitude weather; (7) Procedures for— (i) Recognizing and avoiding severe weather situations; (ii) Escaping from severe weather situations, in case of inadvertent encounters, including low-altitude windshear (except that rotorcraft pilots are not required to be tested on escaping from low-altitude...

14 CFR 135.293 - Initial and recurrent pilot testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., high altitude weather; (7) Procedures for— (i) Recognizing and avoiding severe weather situations; (ii) Escaping from severe weather situations, in case of inadvertent encounters, including low-altitude windshear (except that rotorcraft pilots are not required to be tested on escaping from low-altitude...

Use of a Data-Linked Weather Information Display and Effects on Pilot Navigation Decision Making in a Piloted Simulation Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yuchnovicz, Daniel E.; Novacek, Paul F.; Burgess, Malcolm A.; Heck, Michael L.; Stokes, Alan F.

2001-01-01

This study provides recommendations to the FAA and to prospective manufacturers based on an exploration of the effects of data link weather displays upon pilot decision performance. An experiment was conducted with twenty-four current instrument rated pilots who were divided into two equal groups and presented with a challenging but realistic flight scenario involving weather containing significant embedded convective activity. All flights were flown in a full-mission simulation facility within instrument meteorological conditions. The inflight weather display depicted NexRad images, graphical METARs and textual METARs. The objective was to investigate the potential for misuse of a weather display, and incorporate recommendations for the design and use of these displays. The primary conclusion of the study found that the inflight weather display did not improve weather avoidance decision making. Some of the reasons to support this finding include: the pilot's inability to easily perceive their proximity to the storms, increased workload and difficulty in deciphering METAR textual data. The compelling nature of a graphical weather display caused many pilots to reduce their reliance on corroborating weather information from other sources. Minor changes to the weather display could improve the ability of a pilot to make better decisions on hazard avoidance.

Regional input to joint European space weather service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanislawska, I.; Belehaki, A.; Jansen, F.; Heynderickx, D.; Lilensten, J.; Candidi, M.

The basis for elaborating within COST 724 Action Developing the scientific basis for monitoring modeling and predicting Space Weather European space weather service is rich by many national and international activities which provide instruments and tools for global as well as regional monitoring and modeling COST 724 stimulates coordinates and supports Europe s goals of development and global cooperation by providing standards for timely and high quality information and knowledge in space weather Existing local capabilities are taken into account to develop synergies and avoid duplication The enhancement of environment monitoring networks and associated instruments technology yields mutual advantages for European service and regional services specialized for local users needs It structurally increases the integration of limited-area services generates a platform employing the same approach to each task differing mostly in input and output data In doing so it also provides complementary description of the environmental state within issued information A general scheme of regional services concept within COST 724 activity can be the processing chain from measurements trough algorithms to operational knowledge It provides the platform for interaction among the local end users who define what kind of information they need system providers who elaborate tools necessary to obtain required information and local service providers who do the actual processing of data and tailor it to specific user s needs Such initiative creates a unique possibility for small

A survey of customers of space weather information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrijver, C. J.; Rabanal, J. P.

2013-09-01

We present an analysis of the users of space weather information based on 2783 responses to an online survey among subscribers of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center e-mail services. The survey requested information focused on the three NOAA space weather scales: geomagnetic storms, solar radiation storms, and radio blackouts. Space weather information is most commonly obtained for reasons of human safety and continuity or reliability of operations. The information is primarily used for situational awareness, as aid to understand anomalies, to avoid impacts on current and near-future operations by implementing mitigating strategies, and to prepare for potential near-future impacts that might occur in conjunction with contingencies that include electric power outages or GPS perturbations. Interest in, anticipated impacts from, and responses to the three main categories of space weather are quite uniform across societal sectors. Approximately 40% of the respondents expect serious to very serious impacts from space weather events if no action were taken to mitigate or in the absence of adequate space weather information. The impacts of space weather are deemed to be substantially reduced because of the availability of, and their response to, space weather forecasts and alerts. Current and near-future space weather conditions are generally highly valued, considered useful, and generally, though not fully, adequate to avoid or mitigate societal impacts. We conclude that even among those receiving space weather information, there is considerable uncertainty about the possible impacts of space weather and thus about how to act on the space weather information that is provided.

Enhanced Airport Capacity Through Safe, Dynamic Reductions in Aircraft Separation: NASA's Aircraft VOrtex Spacing System (AVOSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

OConnor, Cornelius J.; Rutishauser, David K.

2001-01-01

An aspect of airport terminal operations that holds potential for efficiency improvements is the separation criteria applied to aircraft for wake vortex avoidance. These criteria evolved to represent safe spacing under weather conditions conducive to the longest wake hazards, and are consequently overly conservative during a significant portion of operations. Under many ambient conditions, such as moderate crosswinds or turbulence, wake hazard durations are substantially reduced. To realize this reduction NASA has developed a proof-of-concept Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS). Successfully operated in a real-time field demonstration during July 2000 at the Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport, AVOSS is a novel integration of weather sensors, wake sensors, and analytical wake prediction algorithms. Gains in airport throughput using AVOSS spacing as compared to the current criteria averaged 6%, with peak values approaching the theoretical maximum of 16%. The average throughput gain translates to 15-40% reductions in delay when applied to realistic capacity ratios at major airports.

Real-time piloted simulation of fully automatic guidance and control for rotorcraft nap-of-the-earth (NOE) flight following planned profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, Warren F.; Gorder, Pater J.; Jewell, Wayne F.; Coppenbarger, Richard

1990-01-01

Developing a single-pilot all-weather NOE capability requires fully automatic NOE navigation and flight control. Innovative guidance and control concepts are being investigated to (1) organize the onboard computer-based storage and real-time updating of NOE terrain profiles and obstacles; (2) define a class of automatic anticipative pursuit guidance algorithms to follow the vertical, lateral, and longitudinal guidance commands; (3) automate a decision-making process for unexpected obstacle avoidance; and (4) provide several rapid response maneuvers. Acquired knowledge from the sensed environment is correlated with the recorded environment which is then used to determine an appropriate evasive maneuver if a nonconformity is observed. This research effort has been evaluated in both fixed-base and moving-base real-time piloted simulations thereby evaluating pilot acceptance of the automated concepts, supervisory override, manual operation, and reengagement of the automatic system.

The Early Years: Navigating Natural Disasters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashbrook, Peggy

2016-01-01

Keeping track of the weather is especially important in communities where severe weather endangers property and lives. Science education may mean talking with children about scary or tragic events. Although teachers should not avoid teaching about severe weather events, they can be sensitive to students' fears and stress by first asking families…

Pilot Convective Weather Decision Making in En Route Airspace

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Shu-Chieh; Gooding, Cary L.; Shelley, Alexandra E.; Duong, Constance G.; Johnson, Walter W.

2012-01-01

The present research investigates characteristics exhibited in pilot convective weather decision making in en route airspace. In a part-task study, pilots performed weather avoidance under various encounter scenarios. Results showed that the margins of safety that pilots maintain from storms are as fluid as deviation decisions themselves.

An Overview of Advanced Concepts for Launch

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-09

Loads, System. --- Space Platforms Unfeasible. --- Space Elevator Materials, O, µmeteoroids, weather, vibrations.. Asteroid Mining Breakthrough...Unfeasible. --- Space Elevator Materials, O, µmeteoroids, weather, vibrations.. Asteroid Mining Breakthrough Physics No known feasible concepts

Common Methodology for Efficient Airspace Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sridhar, Banavar

2012-01-01

Topics include: a) Developing a common methodology to model and avoid disturbances affecting airspace. b) Integrated contrails and emission models to a national level airspace simulation. c) Developed capability to visualize, evaluate technology and alternate operational concepts and provide inputs for policy-analysis tools to reduce the impact of aviation on the environment. d) Collaborating with Volpe Research Center, NOAA and DLR to leverage expertise and tools in aircraft emissions and weather/climate modeling. Airspace operations is a trade-off balancing safety, capacity, efficiency and environmental considerations. Ideal flight: Unimpeded wind optimal route with optimal climb and descent. Operations degraded due to reduction in airport and airspace capacity caused by inefficient procedures and disturbances.

Fitness: Stay Safe during Hot-Weather Exercise

MedlinePlus

... you're used to exercising indoors or in cooler weather, take it easy at first when you ... loosefitting clothing helps sweat evaporate and keeps you cooler. Avoid dark colors, which can absorb heat. If ...

All weather collision avoidance for unmanned aircraft systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Contarino, Mark

2010-04-01

For decades, military and other national security agencies have been denied unfettered access to the National Air Space (NAS) because their unmanned aircraft lack a highly reliable and effective collision avoidance capability. The controlling agency, the Federal Aviation Administration, justifiably demands "no harm" to the safety of the NAS. To overcome the constraints imposed on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) use of the NAS, a new, complex, conformable collision avoidance system has been developed - one that will be effective in all flyable weather conditions, overcoming the shortfalls of other sensing systems, including radar, lidar, acoustic, EO/IR, etc., while meeting form factor and cost criteria suitable for Tier II UAS operations. The system also targets Tier I as an ultimate goal, understanding the operational limitations of the smallest UASs may require modification of the design that is suitable for Tier II and higher. The All Weather Sense and Avoid System (AWSAS) takes into account the FAA's plan to incorporate ADS-B (out) for all aircraft by 2020, and it is intended to make collision avoidance capability available for UAS entry into the NAS as early as 2013. When approved, UASs can fly mission or training flights in the NAS free of the constraints presently in place. Upon implementation this system will achieve collision avoidance capability for UASs deployed for national security purposes and will allow expansion of UAS usage for commercial or other civil purposes.

Method and System for Dynamic Automated Corrections to Weather Avoidance Routes for Aircraft in En Route Airspace

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McNally, B. David (Inventor); Erzberger, Heinz (Inventor); Sheth, Kapil (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A dynamic weather route system automatically analyzes routes for in-flight aircraft flying in convective weather regions and attempts to find more time and fuel efficient reroutes around current and predicted weather cells. The dynamic weather route system continuously analyzes all flights and provides reroute advisories that are dynamically updated in real time while the aircraft are in flight. The dynamic weather route system includes a graphical user interface that allows users to visualize, evaluate, modify if necessary, and implement proposed reroutes.

A Analysis of the Development of Weather Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mroz, Paul John

Weather information in all forms is poorly understood and often misinterpreted by the general public. Weather literacy is necessary for everyone if critical weather messages, designed to save lives and protect property, are to be effective. The purpose of this study was to seek content and causal evidence for a developmental concept of Weather Information Processing that was consistent with Piagetian Cognitive Stages of Development. Three ordinal Content Stages Of Weather Information Processing (phenomena, process and mechanism) and three ordinal Causal Explanation Stages Of Weather Information Processing (non-real, natural, and scientifically valid abstract ideas) were explored for their relationship with Piaget's Pre-Operational, Concrete and Formal Stages of Development. One hundred and fifty -five elementary and secondary school students from two school districts were administered a written Piagetian exam. Commonly available television weather programs were categorized, randomly assigned and viewed by 42 randomly selected students who were administered three Piagetian tasks. Students were clinically interviewed for the level of content information and causal explanations (reasoning). Results indicated that content information and causal reasoning of students to televised weather information is significantly related (p <.01) to age, and Piagetian Cognitive Stages of Development. Two Piagetian logic operations (seriation and correlation) were established as significantly different (p <.05) when related to age. These findings support a developmental concept of Weather Information Processing and have implications for teaching and presenting weather information to the public.

DRAW: Dynamic Routes for Arrivals in Weather: Concept and Trial Planning Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gong, Chester

2016-01-01

Presentation for FAA sponsored meeting to discuss time-based metering trial planning. This presentation describes the Dynamic Routes for Arrivals in Weather (DRAW) concept and the associated trial planning functionality.

You Can't See the Real Me: Attachment Avoidance, Self-Verification, and Self-Concept Clarity.

PubMed

Emery, Lydia F; Gardner, Wendi L; Carswell, Kathleen L; Finkel, Eli J

2018-03-01

Attachment shapes people's experiences in their close relationships and their self-views. Although attachment avoidance and anxiety both undermine relationships, past research has primarily emphasized detrimental effects of anxiety on the self-concept. However, as partners can help people maintain stable self-views, avoidant individuals' negative views of others might place them at risk for self-concept confusion. We hypothesized that avoidance would predict lower self-concept clarity and that less self-verification from partners would mediate this association. Attachment avoidance was associated with lower self-concept clarity (Studies 1-5), an effect that was mediated by low self-verification (Studies 2-3). The association between avoidance and self-verification was mediated by less self-disclosure and less trust in partner feedback (Study 4). Longitudinally, avoidance predicted changes in self-verification, which in turn predicted changes in self-concept clarity (Study 5). Thus, avoidant individuals' reluctance to trust or become too close to others may result in hidden costs to the self-concept.

SEASAT economic assessment. Volume 9: Ports and harbors case study and generalization. [economic benefits of SEASAT satellites to harbors and shipping industries through improved weather forecasting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

This case study and generalization quantify benefits made possible through improved weather forecasting resulting from the integration of SEASAT data into local weather forecasts. The major source of avoidable economic losses to shipping from inadequate weather forecasting data is shown to be dependent on local precipitation forecasting. The ports of Philadelphia and Boston were selected for study.

Metapopulation Structure and Dynamics of an Endangered Butterfly

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

the yearly variation of between-generation population change. We utilized weather data from the closest accessible NOAA weather station (43◦56′N/90◦49...patterns in the population dynamic, and tested for density-dependent growth and weather factors as potential explanatory factors of the yearly variation...followed a standard protocol including avoiding inclement weather con- ditions (Wilder 1999) and about 95% of the survey data were collected by a single

Space Environments and Effects Concept: Transitioning Research to Operations and Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, David L.; Spann, James; Burns, Howard D.; Schumacher, Dan

2012-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is embarking on a course to expand human presence beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) while expanding its mission to explore the solar system. Destinations such as Near Earth Asteroids (NEA), Mars and its moons, and the outer planets are but a few of the mission targets. NASA has established numerous offices specializing in specific space environments disciplines that will serve to enable these missions. To complement these existing discipline offices, a concept focusing on the development of space environment and effects application is presented. This includes space climate, space weather, and natural and induced space environments. This space environment and effects application is composed of 4 topic areas; characterization and modeling, engineering effects, prediction and operation, and mitigation and avoidance. These topic areas are briefly described below. Characterization and modeling of space environments will primarily focus on utilization during Program mission concept, planning, and design phases. Engineering effects includes materials testing and flight experiments producing data to be used in mission planning and design phases. Prediction and operation pulls data from existing sources into decision-making tools and empirical data sets to be used during the operational phase of a mission. Mitigation and avoidance will develop techniques and strategies used in the design and operations phases of the mission. The goal of this space environment and effects application is to develop decision-making tools and engineering products to support the mission phases of mission concept through operations by focusing on transitioning research to operations. Products generated by this space environments and effects application are suitable for use in anomaly investigations. This paper will outline the four topic areas, describe the need, and discuss an organizational structure for this space environments and effects application.

Convective Weather Forecast Accuracy Analysis at Center and Sector Levels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Yao; Sridhar, Banavar

2010-01-01

This paper presents a detailed convective forecast accuracy analysis at center and sector levels. The study is aimed to provide more meaningful forecast verification measures to aviation community, as well as to obtain useful information leading to the improvements in the weather translation capacity models. In general, the vast majority of forecast verification efforts over past decades have been on the calculation of traditional standard verification measure scores over forecast and observation data analyses onto grids. These verification measures based on the binary classification have been applied in quality assurance of weather forecast products at the national level for many years. Our research focuses on the forecast at the center and sector levels. We calculate the standard forecast verification measure scores for en-route air traffic centers and sectors first, followed by conducting the forecast validation analysis and related verification measures for weather intensities and locations at centers and sectors levels. An approach to improve the prediction of sector weather coverage by multiple sector forecasts is then developed. The weather severe intensity assessment was carried out by using the correlations between forecast and actual weather observation airspace coverage. The weather forecast accuracy on horizontal location was assessed by examining the forecast errors. The improvement in prediction of weather coverage was determined by the correlation between actual sector weather coverage and prediction. observed and forecasted Convective Weather Avoidance Model (CWAM) data collected from June to September in 2007. CWAM zero-minute forecast data with aircraft avoidance probability of 60% and 80% are used as the actual weather observation. All forecast measurements are based on 30-minute, 60- minute, 90-minute, and 120-minute forecasts with the same avoidance probabilities. The forecast accuracy analysis for times under one-hour showed that the errors in intensity and location for center forecast are relatively low. For example, 1-hour forecast intensity and horizontal location errors for ZDC center were about 0.12 and 0.13. However, the correlation between sector 1-hour forecast and actual weather coverage was weak, for sector ZDC32, about 32% of the total variation of observation weather intensity was unexplained by forecast; the sector horizontal location error was about 0.10. The paper also introduces an approach to estimate the sector three-dimensional actual weather coverage by using multiple sector forecasts, which turned out to produce better predictions. Using Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) model for this approach, the correlations between actual observation and the multiple sector forecast model prediction improved by several percents at 95% confidence level in comparison with single sector forecast.

Advanced Concepts: Enabling Future AF Missions Through the Discovery and Demonstration of Emerging Revolutionary Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-03

µmeteoroids, weather, vibrations... Asteroid Mining Breakthrough Physics No known feasible concepts. --- Concept NTF NMS NCA Primary Challenges for Launch...weather, vibrations... Asteroid Mining Breakthrough Physics No known feasible concepts. --- 8 2.2 Microwave Augmentation of Solid Rocket Motors16,17 As...Astronautica, Vol. 52, 1, pp. 49-75, 30 May, 2002. 7. Sonter, M.J., “The Technical and Economic Feasibility of Mining the Near-Earth Asteroids ,” Acta

Traffic Aware Planner for Cockpit-Based Trajectory Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woods, Sharon E.; Vivona, Robert A.; Henderson, Jeffrey; Wing, David J.; Burke, Kelly A.

2016-01-01

The Traffic Aware Planner (TAP) software application is a cockpit-based advisory tool designed to be hosted on an Electronic Flight Bag and to enable and test the NASA concept of Traffic Aware Strategic Aircrew Requests (TASAR). The TASAR concept provides pilots with optimized route changes (including altitude) that reduce fuel burn and/or flight time, avoid interactions with known traffic, weather and restricted airspace, and may be used by the pilots to request a route and/or altitude change from Air Traffic Control. Developed using an iterative process, TAP's latest improvements include human-machine interface design upgrades and added functionality based on the results of human-in-the-loop simulation experiments and flight trials. Architectural improvements have been implemented to prepare the system for operational-use trials with partner commercial airlines. Future iterations will enhance coordination with airline dispatch and add functionality to improve the acceptability of TAP-generated route-change requests to pilots, dispatchers, and air traffic controllers.

14 CFR Appendix B to Part 141 - Private Pilot Certification Course

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight, windshear avoidance, and the... aircraft, including collision avoidance, and recognition and avoidance of wake turbulence; (8) Effects of... takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an...

14 CFR Appendix B to Part 141 - Private Pilot Certification Course

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...) Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight, windshear avoidance, and the... aircraft, including collision avoidance, and recognition and avoidance of wake turbulence; (8) Effects of... takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an...

Air Pollution and Weather: Activities and Demonstrations for Science Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Henry S.

1973-01-01

Discusses a number of concepts (turbulence, dispersion, vertical temperature distribution, atmospheric stability and instability, and inversions) which are prerequisite to understanding how weather affects air quality. Describes classroom demonstrations effective in introducing these concepts to students at the elementary, secondary and college…

Models of Weather Impact on Air Traffic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, Deepak; Wang, Yao

2017-01-01

Flight delays have been a serious problem in the national airspace system costing about $30B per year. About 70 of the delays are attributed to weather and upto two thirds of these are avoidable. Better decision support tools would reduce these delays and improve air traffic management tools. Such tools would benefit from models of weather impacts on the airspace operations. This presentation discusses use of machine learning methods to mine various types of weather and traffic data to develop such models.

Using rock art as an alternative science pedagogy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Casey D.

College-level and seventh-grade science students were studied to understand the power of a field index, the Rock Art Stability Index (RASI), for student learning about complex biophysical environmental processes. In order to determine if the studied population was representative, 584 college and seventh-grade students undertook a concept mapping exercise after they had learned basic weathering science via in-class lecture. Of this large group, a subset of 322 college students and 13 seventh-grade students also learned RASI through a field experience involving the analysis of rock weathering associated with petroglyphs. After learning weathering through RASI, students completed another concept map. This was a college population where roughly 46% had never taken a "lab science" course and nearly 22% were from minority (non-white) populations. Analysis of student learning through the lens of actor-network theory revealed that when landscape is viewed as process (i.e. many practices), science education embodies both an alternative science philosophy and an alternative materialistic worldview. When RASI components were analyzed after only lecture, student understanding of weathering displayed little connection between weathering form and weathering process. After using RASI in the field however, nearly all students made illustrative concept maps rich in connections between weathering form and weathering process for all subcomponents of RASI. When taken as an aggregate, and measured by an average concept map score, learning increased by almost 14%, Among college minority students, the average score increase approached 23%. Among female students, the average score increase was 16%. For seventh-grade students, scores increased by nearly 36%. After testing for normalcy with Kolmogorov-Smirnov, t-tests reveal that all of these increases were highly statistically significant at p<0.001. The growth in learning weathering science by minority students, as compared to non-minority students, was also statistically significant at p<0.01. These findings reveal the power of field work through RASI to strengthen cognitive linkages between complex biophysical processes and the corresponding rock weathering forms.

Aircraft Weather Mitigation for the Next Generation Air Transportation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stough, H. Paul, III

2007-01-01

Atmospheric effects on aviation are described by Mahapatra (1999) as including (1) atmospheric phenomena involving air motion - wind shear and turbulence; (2) hydrometeorological phenomena - rain, snow and hail; (3) aircraft icing; (4) low visibility; and (5) atmospheric electrical phenomena. Aircraft Weather Mitigation includes aircraft systems (e.g. airframe, propulsion, avionics, controls) that can be enacted (by a pilot, automation or hybrid systems) to suppress and/or prepare for the effects of encountered or unavoidable weather or to facilitate a crew operational decision-making process relative to weather. Aircraft weather mitigation can be thought of as a continuum (Figure 1) with the need to avoid all adverse weather at one extreme and the ability to safely operate in all weather conditions at the other extreme. Realistic aircraft capabilities fall somewhere between these two extremes. The capabilities of small general aviation aircraft would be expected to fall closer to the "Avoid All Adverse Weather" point, and the capabilities of large commercial jet transports would fall closer to the "Operate in All Weather Conditions" point. The ability to safely operate in adverse weather conditions is dependent upon the pilot s capabilities (training, total experience and recent experience), the airspace in which the operation is taking place (terrain, navigational aids, traffic separation), the capabilities of the airport (approach guidance, runway and taxiway lighting, availability of air traffic control), as well as the capabilities of the airplane. The level of mitigation may vary depending upon the type of adverse weather. For example, a small general aviation airplane may be equipped to operate "in the clouds" without outside visual references, but not be equipped to prevent airframe ice that could be accreted in those clouds.

Zimbabwe's success story in education and health: will it weather economic structural adjustment?

PubMed

Tumwine, J K

1992-12-01

The beginning of the 1980s saw the birth of Zimbabwe as a result of a protracted liberation war. It coincided with global interest in primary health care, the concept of universal primary school education and, unfortunately, moves towards economic stabilization and structural adjustment programmes. Economic structural adjustment was adopted by several sub Saharan African countries with dire consequences for the poor and vulnerable. Zimbabwe's commitment to social justice and to equitable distribution of resources demonstrated a practical move away from the culture of rhetoric so characteristic of many governments and non-governmental organisations and agencies. This commitment has been translated into impressive improvements in health and education. Current evidence shows that education has had a positive impact on health and related areas like contraceptive use, child mortality and the nutrition status of children. Conversely nutrition and health conditions among school children are important determinants of educational outcomes. Hitherto Zimbabwe's economy has been sufficiently strong to avoid excessive dependence on the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other foreign financial institutions. Unfortunately, however, the current economic recession together with economic structural adjustment programmes are beginning to have a negative impact on health and education. Will true synergism between health and education weather these structural problems? It seems that the people and government of Zimbabwe have the capacity and resolve to weather such a storm.

Concept of operations for road weather connected vehicle applications.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-02-01

Weather has a significant impact on the operations of the nations roadway system year round. These weather events translate into changes in traffic conditions, roadway safety, travel reliability, operational effectiveness, and productivity. It is,...

The Early Years: The Wonders of Weather

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashbrook, Peggy

2013-01-01

This article reports on the wonders of winter weather, as it often inspires teachers' and students' interest in collecting weather data, especially if snow falls. Beginning weather data collection in preschool will introduce children to the concepts of making regular observations of natural phenomena, recording the observations (data),…

Pilot and Controller Workload and Situation Awareness with Three Traffic Management Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vu, Kim-Phuong L.; Strybel, Thomas Z.; Kraut, Joshua; Bacon, Paige; Minakata, Katsumi; Battiste, Vernol; Johnson, Walter

2010-01-01

This paper reports on workload and situation awareness of pilots and controllers participating in a human-in-the-loop simulation using three different distributed air-ground traffic management concepts. Eight experimental pilots started the scenario in an en-route phase of flight and were asked to avoid convective weather while performing spacing and merging tasks along with a continuous descent approach (CDA) into Louisville Standiford Airport (SDF). Two controllers managed the sectors through which the pilots flew, with one managing a sector that included the Top of Descent, and the other managing a sector that included the merge point for arrival into SDF. At 3-minute intervals in the scenario, pilots and controllers were probed on their workload or situation awareness. We employed one of three concepts of operation that distributed separation responsibility across human controllers, pilots, and automation to measure changes in operator situation awareness and workload. We found that when pilots were responsible for separation, they had higher levels of awareness, but not necessarily higher levels of workload. When controllers are responsible and actively engaged, they showed higher workload levels compared to pilots and changes in awareness that were dependent on sector characteristics.

Instruments for Deep Space Weather Prediction and Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeForest, C. E.; Laurent, G.

2018-02-01

We discuss remote space weather monitoring system concepts that could mount on the Deep Space Gateway and provide predictive capability for space weather events including SEP events and CME crossings, and advance heliophysics of the solar wind.

Aviation Safety Program: Weather Accident Prevention (WxAP) Development of WxAP System Architecture And Concepts of Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grantier, David

2003-01-01

This paper presents viewgraphs on the development of the Weather Accident Prevention (WxAP) System architecture and Concept of Operation (CONOPS) activities. The topics include: 1) Background Information on System Architecture/CONOPS Activity; 2) Activity Work in Progress; and 3) Anticipated By-Products.

14 CFR Appendix D to Part 141 - Commercial Pilot Certification Course

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Board; (3) Basic aerodynamics and the principles of flight; (4) Meteorology, to include recognition of critical weather situations, windshear recognition and avoidance, and the use of aeronautical weather... pattern); and (iv) 3 hours in a gyroplane in preparation for the practical test within 60 days preceding...

14 CFR Appendix D to Part 141 - Commercial Pilot Certification Course

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Board; (3) Basic aerodynamics and the principles of flight; (4) Meteorology, to include recognition of critical weather situations, windshear recognition and avoidance, and the use of aeronautical weather... pattern); and (iv) 3 hours in a gyroplane in preparation for the practical test within 60 days preceding...

Surface transportation weather decision support requirements : operational concept description : advanced-integrated decision support using weather information for surface transportation decisions makers : draft version 2.0

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-07-14

This is a draft document for the Surface Transportation Weather Decision Support Requirements (STWDSR) project. The STWDSR project is being conducted for the FHWAs Office of Transportation Operations (HOTO) Road Weather Management Program by Mitre...

Concept of Operations for Road Weather Connected Vehicle and Automated Vehicle Applications

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-05-21

Weather has a significant impact on the operations of the nation's roadway system year round. These weather events translate into changes in traffic conditions, roadway safety, travel reliability, operational effectiveness and productivity. It is, th...

New Technologies for Weather Accident Prevention

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stough, H. Paul, III; Watson, James F., Jr.; Daniels, Taumi S.; Martzaklis, Konstantinos S.; Jarrell, Michael A.; Bogue, Rodney K.

2005-01-01

Weather is a causal factor in thirty percent of all aviation accidents. Many of these accidents are due to a lack of weather situation awareness by pilots in flight. Improving the strategic and tactical weather information available and its presentation to pilots in flight can enhance weather situation awareness and enable avoidance of adverse conditions. This paper presents technologies for airborne detection, dissemination and display of weather information developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), industry and the research community. These technologies, currently in the initial stages of implementation by industry, will provide more precise and timely knowledge of the weather and enable pilots in flight to make decisions that result in safer and more efficient operations.

Analysis of Automated Aircraft Conflict Resolution and Weather Avoidance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Love, John F.; Chan, William N.; Lee, Chu Han

2009-01-01

This paper describes an analysis of using trajectory-based automation to resolve both aircraft and weather constraints for near-term air traffic management decision making. The auto resolution algorithm developed and tested at NASA-Ames to resolve aircraft to aircraft conflicts has been modified to mitigate convective weather constraints. Modifications include adding information about the size of a gap between weather constraints to the routing solution. Routes that traverse gaps that are smaller than a specific size are not used. An evaluation of the performance of the modified autoresolver to resolve both conflicts with aircraft and weather was performed. Integration with the Center-TRACON Traffic Management System was completed to evaluate the effect of weather routing on schedule delays.

Comparing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder's Symptom Structure between Deployed and Nondeployed Veterans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engdahl, Ryan M.; Elhai, Jon D.; Richardson, J. Don; Frueh, B. Christopher

2011-01-01

We tested two empirically validated 4-factor models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms using the PTSD Checklist: King, Leskin, King, and Weathers' (1998) model including reexperiencing, avoidance, emotional numbing, and hyperarousal factors, and Simms, Watson, and Doebbeling's (2002) model including reexperiencing, avoidance,…

'Weather Value at Risk': A uniform approach to describe and compare sectoral income risks from climate change.

PubMed

Prettenthaler, Franz; Köberl, Judith; Bird, David Neil

2016-02-01

We extend the concept of 'Weather Value at Risk' - initially introduced to measure the economic risks resulting from current weather fluctuations - to describe and compare sectoral income risks from climate change. This is illustrated using the examples of wheat cultivation and summer tourism in (parts of) Sardinia. Based on climate scenario data from four different regional climate models we study the change in the risk of weather-related income losses between some reference (1971-2000) and some future (2041-2070) period. Results from both examples suggest an increase in weather-related risks of income losses due to climate change, which is somewhat more pronounced for summer tourism. Nevertheless, income from wheat cultivation is at much higher risk of weather-related losses than income from summer tourism, both under reference and future climatic conditions. A weather-induced loss of at least 5% - compared to the income associated with average reference weather conditions - shows a 40% (80%) probability of occurrence in the case of wheat cultivation, but only a 0.4% (16%) probability of occurrence in the case of summer tourism, given reference (future) climatic conditions. Whereas in the agricultural example increases in the weather-related income risks mainly result from an overall decrease in average wheat yields, the heightened risk in the tourism example stems mostly from a change in the weather-induced variability of tourism incomes. With the extended 'Weather Value at Risk' concept being able to capture both, impacts from changes in the mean and the variability of the climate, it is a powerful tool for presenting and disseminating the results of climate change impact assessments. Due to its flexibility, the concept can be applied to any economic sector and therefore provides a valuable tool for cross-sectoral comparisons of climate change impacts, but also for the assessment of the costs and benefits of adaptation measures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pilot's Automated Weather Support System (PAWSS) concepts demonstration project. Phase 1: Pilot's weather information requirements and implications for weather data systems design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crabill, Norman L.; Dash, Ernie R.

1991-01-01

The weather information requirements for pilots and the deficiencies of the current aviation weather support system in meeting these requirements are defined. As the amount of data available to pilots increases significantly in the near future, expert system technology will be needed to assist pilots in assimilating that information. Some other desirable characteristics of an automation-assisted system for weather data acquisition, dissemination, and assimilation are also described.

Validating the Airspace Concept Evaluation System for Different Weather Days

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zelinski, Shannon; Meyn, Larry

2006-01-01

This paper extends the process for validating the Airspace Concept Evaluation System using real-world historical flight operational data. System inputs such as flight plans and airport en-route capacities, are generated and processed to create a realistic reproduction of a single day's operations within the National Airspace System. System outputs such as airport throughput, delays, and en-route sector loads are then compared to real world operational metrics and delay statistics for the reproduced day. The process is repeated for 4 historical days with high and low traffic volume and delay attributed to weather. These 4 days are simulated using default en-route capacities and variable en-route capacities used to emulate weather. The validation results show that default enroute capacity simulations are closer to real-world data for low weather days than high weather days. The use of reduced variable enroute capacities adds a large delay bias to ACES but delay trends between weather days are better represented.

Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Weather But Were Afraid to Ask.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbott, Verlin M.

This unit, designed for primary grades of the elementary schools, focuses on weather and is divided into the following five major parts: Weather Affects Man and His Environment; Air, Wind, and Weather; Clouds and Humidity; Precipitation; and Micro-Environments. Each part includes a list of the concepts to be taught, the behavioral objectives and…

Integrating Department of Defense Unmanned Aerial Systems into the National Airspace Structure

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-11

see-and-avoid measures for manned aviation. The FAA definition of see-and-avoid states, “When weather conditions permit, pilots operating IFR ......as well as academia from across the country. However, neither organization has taken full ownership of the problem in an effort to consolidate the

DIY versus Professional

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rainboth, Donna; Munck, Miriam

2010-01-01

Weather, with its built-in atmospheric laboratory, is a natural source of inquiry. The ever-changing nature of weather provides a constant source of questions to investigate and connects to a multitude of physical science concepts. The question, "How accurate are homemade weather instruments in measuring air pressure, rainfall, wind speed and…

Natural Resources: There Is a Season

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andersen, Stephanie

2010-01-01

You'll gain plenty of weather resources from this month's issue (temperature concepts, weather instruments, the water cycle/evaporation). You can use that information with these outdoor seasonal connections.

Reducing Aviation Weather-Related Accidents Through High-Fidelity Weather Information Distribution and Presentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stough, H. Paul, III; Shafer, Daniel B.; Schaffner, Philip R.; Martzaklis, Konstantinos S.

2000-01-01

In February 1997, the US President announced a national goal to reduce the fatal accident rate for aviation by 80% within ten years. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration established the Aviation Safety Program to develop technologies needed to meet this aggressive goal. Because weather has been identified (is a causal factor in approximately 30% of all aviation accidents, a project was established for the development of technologies that will provide accurate, time and intuitive information to pilots, dispatchers, and air traffic controllers to enable the detection and avoidance of atmospheric hazards. This project addresses the weather information needs of general, corporate, regional, and transport aircraft operators. An overview and status of research and development efforts for high-fidelity weather information distribution and presentation is discussed with emphasis on weather information in the cockpit.

Book Review: Dolores Knipp’s Understanding Space Weather and the Physics Behind It

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moldwin, Mark

2012-08-01

Delores Knipp's textbook Understanding Space Weather and the Physics Behind It provides a comprehensive resource for space physicists teaching in a variety of academic departments to introduce space weather to advanced undergraduates. The book benefits from Knipp's extensive experience teaching introductory and advanced undergraduate physics courses at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The fundamental physics concepts are clearly explained and are connected directly to the space physics concepts being discussed. To expand upon the relevant basic physics, current research areas and new observations are highlighted, with many of the chapters including contributions from a number of leading space physicists.

The Effect of NEXRAD Image Looping and National Convective Weather Forecast Product on Pilot Decision Making in the Use of a Cockpit Weather Information Display

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burgess, Malcolm A.; Thomas, Rickey P.

2004-01-01

This experiment investigated improvements to cockpit weather displays to better support the hazardous weather avoidance decision-making of general aviation pilots. Forty-eight general aviation pilots were divided into three equal groups and presented with a simulated flight scenario involving embedded convective activity. The control group had access to conventional sources of pre-flight and in-flight weather products. The two treatment groups were provided with a weather display that presented NEXRAD mosaic images, graphic depiction of METARs, and text METARs. One treatment group used a NEXRAD image looping feature and the second group used the National Convective Weather Forecast (NCWF) product overlaid on the NEXRAD display. Both of the treatment displays provided a significant increase in situation awareness but, they provided incomplete information required to deal with hazardous convective weather conditions, and would require substantial pilot training to permit their safe and effective use.

Preparing Middle School Teachers to Use Science Models Effectively when Teaching about Weather and Climate Topics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarker, M. B.; Stanier, C. O.; Forbes, C.; Park, S.

2012-12-01

According to the National Science Education Standards (NSES), teachers are encouraged to use science models in the classroom as a way to aid in the understanding of the nature of the scientific process. This is of particular importance to the atmospheric science community because climate and weather models are very important when it comes to understanding current and future behaviors of our atmosphere. Although familiar with weather forecasts on television and the Internet, most people do not understand the process of using computer models to generate weather and climate forecasts. As a result, the public often misunderstands claims scientists make about their daily weather as well as the state of climate change. Therefore, it makes sense that recent research in science education indicates that scientific models and modeling should be a topic covered in K-12 classrooms as part of a comprehensive science curriculum. The purpose of this research study is to describe how three middle school teachers use science models to teach about topics in climate and weather, as well as the challenges they face incorporating models effectively into the classroom. Participants in this study took part in a week long professional development designed to orient them towards appropriate use of science models for a unit on weather, climate, and energy concepts. The course design was based on empirically tested features of effective professional development for science teachers and was aimed at teaching content to the teachers while simultaneously orienting them towards effective use of science models in the classroom in a way that both aids in learning about the content knowledge as well as how models are used in scientific inquiry. Results indicate that teachers perceive models to be physical representations that can be used as evidence to convince students that the teacher's conception of the concept is correct. Additionally, teachers tended to use them as ways to explain an idea to their students; they rarely discussed the idea that models are a representation of reality (as opposed to a replication of reality) and never discussed the predictive power of models and how they are used to further scientific knowledge. The results indicate that these teachers do not have a complete understanding of science models and the role they play in the scientific process. Therefore, the teachers struggled to incorporate modeling into the classroom in a way that aligns with what the NSES suggests. They tended to lean on models as "proof" of a particular concept rather than a representation of a concept. In actuality, scientists do not just use models to explain a concept, they also use them to make projections and as a way to improve our understanding the atmosphere. A possible consequence of teachers using models as "proof" of a concept is that students expect climate and forecast models to be concrete and exact, rather than tentative and representative. Increasing student understanding of climate and weather models is important to meet the needs of future STEM professionals, decision-makers, and the general populace to support rational decision-making about weather and the future of climate by an educated society.

Development of a Wake Vortex Spacing System for Airport Capacity Enhancement and Delay Reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinton, David A.; OConnor, Cornelius J.

2000-01-01

The Terminal Area Productivity project has developed the technologies required (weather measurement, wake prediction, and wake measurement) to determine the aircraft spacing needed to prevent wake vortex encounters in various weather conditions. The system performs weather measurements, predicts bounds on wake vortex behavior in those conditions, derives safe wake spacing criteria, and validates the wake predictions with wake vortex measurements. System performance to date indicates that the potential runway arrival rate increase with Aircraft VOrtex Spacing System (AVOSS), considering common path effects and ATC delivery variance, is 5% to 12% depending on the ratio of large and heavy aircraft. The concept demonstration system, using early generation algorithms and minimal optimization, is performing the wake predictions with adequate robustness such that only 4 hard exceedances have been observed in 1235 wake validation cases. This performance demonstrates the feasibility of predicting wake behavior bounds with multiple uncertainties present, including the unknown aircraft weight and speed, weather persistence between the wake prediction and the observations, and the location of the weather sensors several kilometers from the approach location. A concept for the use of the AVOSS system for parallel runway operations has been suggested, and an initial study at the JFK International Airport suggests that a simplified AVOSS system can be successfully operated using only a single lidar as both the weather sensor and the wake validation instrument. Such a selfcontained AVOSS would be suitable for wake separation close to the airport, as is required for parallel approach concepts such as SOIA.

SPace weather applications in a technology-dependent society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngwira, C. M.

2017-12-01

Space weather can adversely key technology assets, such as, high-voltage electric power transmission grids, oil and gas pipelines, and communications systems that are critical to national security and economy. However, the term of "space weather" is not well known in our society. This presentation will introduce key concepts related to the space weather problem and show how space weather impacts our everyday life. The goal is to promote awareness among the general public. Also, this presentation will highlight how space weather is being used to promote STEM education for community college students through the NASA internship program.

Weathering a Perfect Storm from Space

USGS Publications Warehouse

Love, Jeffrey J.

2016-01-01

Extreme space-weather events — intense solar and geomagnetic storms — have occurred in the past: most recently in 1859, 1921 and 1989. So scientists expect that, sooner or later, another extremely intense spaceweather event will strike Earth again. Such storms have the potential to cause widespread interference with and damage to technological systems. A National Academy of Sciences study projects that an extreme space-weather event could end up costing the American economy more than $1 trillion. The question now is whether or not we will take the actions needed to avoid such expensive consequences. Let’s assume that we do. Below is an imagined scenario of how, sometime in the future, an extreme space-weather event might play out.

Creating a Realistic Weather Environment for Motion-Based Piloted Flight Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daniels, Taumi S.; Schaffner, Philip R.; Evans, Emory T.; Neece, Robert T.; Young, Steve D.

2012-01-01

A flight simulation environment is being enhanced to facilitate experiments that evaluate research prototypes of advanced onboard weather radar, hazard/integrity monitoring (HIM), and integrated alerting and notification (IAN) concepts in adverse weather conditions. The simulation environment uses weather data based on real weather events to support operational scenarios in a terminal area. A simulated atmospheric environment was realized by using numerical weather data sets. These were produced from the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model hosted and run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). To align with the planned flight simulation experiment requirements, several HRRR data sets were acquired courtesy of NOAA. These data sets coincided with severe weather events at the Memphis International Airport (MEM) in Memphis, TN. In addition, representative flight tracks for approaches and departures at MEM were generated and used to develop and test simulations of (1) what onboard sensors such as the weather radar would observe; (2) what datalinks of weather information would provide; and (3) what atmospheric conditions the aircraft would experience (e.g. turbulence, winds, and icing). The simulation includes a weather radar display that provides weather and turbulence modes, derived from the modeled weather along the flight track. The radar capabilities and the pilots controls simulate current-generation commercial weather radar systems. Appropriate data-linked weather advisories (e.g., SIGMET) were derived from the HRRR weather models and provided to the pilot consistent with NextGen concepts of use for Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) and Meteorological (MET) data link products. The net result of this simulation development was the creation of an environment that supports investigations of new flight deck information systems, methods for incorporation of better weather information, and pilot interface and operational improvements for better aviation safety. This research is part of a larger effort at NASA to study the impact of the growing complexity of operations, information, and systems on crew decision-making and response effectiveness; and then to recommend methods for improving future designs.

Clarus : concept of operations

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-10-01

The Clarus Initiative establishes a vision for the leveraging of local and regional road/route weather observations to serve a greater community and enhance 21st century transportation operations. Its goal is to provide broader weather information su...

Formative Assessment Probes: Is It Erosion or Weathering?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keeley, Page

2016-01-01

This column focuses on promoting learning through assessment. The formative assessment probe in this month's issue can be used as an initial elicitation before students are introduced to the formal concepts of weathering and erosion.

Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua and Aura Space Weather Effects on Operational Collision Avoidance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guit, Bill

2017-01-01

This presentation will describe recent EOS Aqua and Aura operational collision avoidance experience during periods of solar and geomagnetic storm activity. It will highlight challenges faced by the operations team during short-notice, high-risk predicted close approaches. The presentation will highlight the evolution of the operational collision avoidance process for the EOS Aqua and Aura missions. The presentation will highlight operational challenges that have occurred, process improvements that have been implemented and identify potential future challenges.

Using Space Weather for Enhanced, Extreme Terrestrial Weather Predictions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenna, M. H.; Lee, T. A., III

2017-12-01

Considering the complexities of the Sun-Earth system, the impacts of space weather to weather here on Earth are not fully understood. This study attempts to analyze this interrelationship by providing a theoretical framework for studying the varied modalities of solar inclination and explores the extent to which they contribute, both in formation and intensity, to extreme terrestrial weather. Using basic topologic and ontology engineering concepts (TOEC), the transdisciplinary syntaxes of space physics, geophysics, and meteorology are analyzed as a seamless interrelated system. This paper reports this investigation's initial findings and examines the validity of the question "Does space weather contribute to extreme weather on Earth, and if so, to what degree?"

Systems and Techniques for Identifying and Avoiding Ice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansman, R. John

1995-01-01

In-flight icing is one of the most difficult aviation weather hazards facing general aviation. Because most aircraft in the general aviation category are not certified for flight into known icing conditions, techniques for identifying and avoiding in-flight ice are important to maintain safety while increasing the utility and dispatch capability which is part of the AGATE vision. This report summarizes a brief study effort which: (1) Reviewed current ice identification, forecasting, and avoidance techniques; (2) Assessed feasibility of improved forecasting and ice avoidance procedures; and (3) Identified key issues for the development of improved capability with regard to in-flight icing.

Brown Dwarf Weather (Artist's Concept)

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-06

This artist's concept shows what the weather might look like on cool star-like bodies known as brown dwarfs. These giant balls of gas start out life like stars, but lack the mass to sustain nuclear fusion at their cores, and instead, fade and cool with time. Observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that most brown dwarfs are roiling with one or more planet-size storms akin to Jupiter's "Great Red Spot." https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21475

Trusted Spotter Network Austria - a new standard to utilize crowdsourced weather and impact observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krennert, Thomas; Kaltenberger, Rainer; Pistotnik, Georg; Holzer, Alois M.; Zeiler, Franz; Stampfl, Mathias

2018-05-01

Information from voluntary storm spotters has been an increasingly important part for the severe weather warning process at the Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie and Geodynamik (ZAMG), Austria's National Weather Service, for almost 15 years. In 2010 a collaboration was formalized and an annual training was established to educate voluntary observers into Trusted Spotters. The return of this investment is a higher credibility of their observations after these spotters have undergone a basic meteorological training and have become aware of their responsibility. The European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL) was included to this collaboration to adopt their successful quality control system of severe weather reports, which is employed in the European Severe Weather Database ESWD. That way, reports from Trusted Spotters automatically obtain a higher quality flag, which enables a faster processing by forecasters on duty for severe weather warnings, when time is a critical issue. The concept of combining training for voluntary storm spotters and a thorough quality management was recognized as a Best Practice Model by the European Meteorological Society. We propose to apply this concept also in other European countries and present its advancement into an even broader, pan-European approach. The European Weather Observer app EWOB, recently released by ESSL, provides a novel and easy-to-handle tool to submit weather and respective impact observations. We promote its use to provide better data and information for a further real-time improvement of severe weather warnings.

Evaluation of advanced airship concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joner, B. A.; Schneider, J. J.

1975-01-01

A historical overview of the airship, technical and operational characteristics of conventional and hybrid concepts, and the results of a parametric design analysis and evaluation are presented. The lift capabilities of certain buoyant fluids for a hypothetical 16 million cu.ft. volume airship are compared. The potential advanced airship concepts are surveyed, followed by a discussion of the six configurations: conventional nonrigid, conventional rigid, Deltoid (Dynairship), Guppoid (Megalifter), Helipsoid, and Heli-Stat. It is suggested that a partially buoyant Helipsoid concept of the optimum buoyancy ratio has the potential to solve the problems facing future airship development, such as Ballast and Ballast Recovery System, Full Low-Speed Controllability, Susceptibility to Wind/Gusting, Weather/Icing Constraints, Ground Handling/Hangaring, and Direct/Indirect Operating Costs.

Global search and rescue - A new concept. [orbital digital radar system with passive reflectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sivertson, W. E., Jr.

1976-01-01

A new terrestrial search and rescue concept is defined embodying the use of simple passive radiofreqeuncy reflectors in conjunction with a low earth-orbiting, all-weather, synthetic aperture radar to detect, identify, and position locate earth-bound users in distress. Users include ships, aircraft, small boats, explorers, hikers, etc. Airborne radar tests were conducted to evaluate the basic concept. Both X-band and L-band, dual polarization radars were operated simultaneously. Simple, relatively small, corner-reflector targets were successfully imaged and digital data processing approaches were investigated. Study of the basic concept and evaluation of results obtained from aircraft flight tests indicate an all-weather, day or night, global search and rescue system is feasible.

Using Food to Demonstrate Earth Science Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, J.; Francek, M.

2001-12-01

One way to better engage K-16 students with the earth sciences is through classroom demonstrations with food. We summarize references from journals and the world wide web that use food to illustrate earth science concepts. Examples of how edible substances have been used include using candy bars to demonstrate weathering concepts, ice cream to mimic glaciers, and grapes to demonstrate evaporation. We also categorize these demonstrations into geology, weather, space science, and oceanography categories. We further categorize the topics by grade level, web versus traditional print format, amount of time necessary to prepare a lesson plan, and whether the activity is better used as a demonstration or hands on activity.

Enhanced Weather Radar (EWxR) System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kronfeld, Kevin M. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

An airborne weather radar system, the Enhanced Weather Radar (EWxR), with enhanced on-board weather radar data processing was developed and tested. The system features additional weather data that is uplinked from ground-based sources, specialized data processing, and limited automatic radar control to search for hazardous weather. National Weather Service (NWS) ground-based Next Generation Radar (NEXRAD) information is used by the EWxR system to augment the on-board weather radar information. The system will simultaneously display NEXRAD and on-board weather radar information in a split-view format. The on-board weather radar includes an automated or hands-free storm-finding feature that optimizes the radar returns by automatically adjusting the tilt and range settings for the current altitude above the terrain and searches for storm cells near the atmospheric 0-degree isotherm. A rule-based decision aid was developed to automatically characterize cells as hazardous, possibly-hazardous, or non-hazardous based upon attributes of that cell. Cell attributes are determined based on data from the on-board radar and from ground-based radars. A flight path impact prediction algorithm was developed to help pilots to avoid hazardous weather along their flight plan and their mission. During development the system was tested on the NASA B757 aircraft and final tests were conducted on the Rockwell Collins Sabreliner.

Concepts of Integration for UAS Operations in the NAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Consiglio, Maria C.; Chamberlain, James P.; Munoz, Cesar A.; Hoffler, Keith D.

2012-01-01

One of the major challenges facing the integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) is the lack of an onboard pilot that can comply with the legal requirement identified in the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) that pilots see and avoid other aircraft. UAS will be expected to demonstrate the means to perform the function of see and avoid while preserving the safety level of the airspace and the efficiency of the air traffic system. This paper introduces a Sense and Avoid (SAA) concept for integration of UAS into the NAS that is currently being developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and identifies areas that require additional experimental evaluation to further inform various elements of the concept. The concept design rests on interoperability principles that take into account both the Air Traffic Control (ATC) environment as well as existing systems such as the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). Specifically, the concept addresses the determination of well clear values that are large enough to avoid issuance of TCAS corrective Resolution Advisories, undue concern by pilots of proximate aircraft and issuance of controller traffic alerts. The concept also addresses appropriate declaration times for projected losses of well clear conditions and maneuvers to regain well clear separation.

The allocation of valenced concepts onto 3D space.

PubMed

Marmolejo-Ramos, Fernando; Tirado, Carlos; Arshamian, Edward; Vélez, Jorge Iván; Arshamian, Artin

2018-06-01

The valence-space metaphor research area investigates the metaphorical mapping of valenced concepts onto space. Research findings from this area indicate that positive, neutral, and negative concepts are associated with upward, midward, and downward locations, respectively, in the vertical plane. The same research area has also indicated that such concepts seem to have no preferential location on the horizontal plane. The approach-avoidance effect consists in decreasing the distance between positive stimuli and the body (i.e. approach) and increasing the distance between negative stimuli and the body (i.e. avoid). Thus, the valence-space metaphor accounts for the mapping of valenced concepts onto the vertical and horizontal planes, and the approach-avoidance effect accounts for the mapping of valenced concepts onto the "depth" plane. By using a cube conceived for the study of allocation of valenced concepts onto 3D space, we show in three studies that positive concepts are placed in upward locations and near the participants' body, negative concepts are placed in downward locations and far from the participants' body, and neutral concepts are placed in between these concepts in both planes.

Weather applications and products enabled through vehicle infrastructure integration (VII) : feasibility and concept development study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-01-01

Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) involves the two-way wireless transmission of data from vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure utilizing Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC). VII will enable the development of weather-relate...

A teaching-learning sequence about weather map reading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandrikas, Achilleas; Stavrou, Dimitrios; Skordoulis, Constantine

2017-07-01

In this paper a teaching-learning sequence (TLS) introducing pre-service elementary teachers (PET) to weather map reading, with emphasis on wind assignment, is presented. The TLS includes activities about recognition of wind symbols, assignment of wind direction and wind speed on a weather map and identification of wind characteristics in a weather forecast. Sixty PET capabilities and difficulties in understanding weather maps were investigated, using inquiry-based learning activities. The results show that most PET became more capable of reading weather maps and assigning wind direction and speed on them. Our results also show that PET could be guided to understand meteorology concepts useful in everyday life and in teaching their future students.

Better-Than-Visual Technologies for Next Generation Air Transportation System Terminal Maneuvering Area Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinzel, Lawrence J., III; Bailey, Randall E.; Shelton, Kevin J.; Jones, Denise R.; Kramer, Lynda J.; Arthur, Jarvis J., III; Williams, Steve P.; Barmore, Bryan E.; Ellis, Kyle E.; Rehfeld, Sherri A.

2011-01-01

A consortium of industry, academia and government agencies are devising new concepts for future U.S. aviation operations under the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Many key capabilities are being identified to enable NextGen, including the concept of Equivalent Visual Operations (EVO) replicating the capacity and safety of today's visual flight rules (VFR) in all-weather conditions. NASA is striving to develop the technologies and knowledge to enable EVO and to extend EVO towards a Better-Than-Visual (BTV) operational concept. The BTV operational concept uses an electronic means to provide sufficient visual references of the external world and other required flight references on flight deck displays that enable VFR-like operational tempos and maintain and improve the safety of VFR while using VFR-like procedures in all-weather conditions. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) research on technologies to enable the concept of BTV is described.

Costs of Limiting Route Optimization to Published Waypoints in the Traffic Aware Planner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karr, David A.; Vivona, Robert A.; Wing, David J.

2013-01-01

The Traffic Aware Planner (TAP) is an airborne advisory tool that generates optimized, traffic-avoiding routes to support the aircraft crew in making strategic reroute requests to Air Traffic Control (ATC). TAP is derived from a research-prototype self-separation tool, the Autonomous Operations Planner (AOP), in which optimized route modifications that avoid conflicts with traffic and weather, using waypoints at explicit latitudes and longitudes (a technique supported by self-separation concepts), are generated by maneuver patterns applied to the existing route. For use in current-day operations in which trajectory changes must be requested from ATC via voice communication, TAP produces optimized routes described by advisories that use only published waypoints prior to a reconnection waypoint on the existing route. We describe how the relevant algorithms of AOP have been modified to implement this requirement. The modifications include techniques for finding appropriate published waypoints in a maneuver pattern and a method for combining the genetic algorithm of AOP with an exhaustive search of certain types of advisory. We demonstrate methods to investigate the increased computation required by these techniques and to estimate other costs (measured in terms such as time to destination and fuel burned) that may be incurred when only published waypoints are used.

Using Weather Data and Climate Model Output in Economic Analyses of Climate Change

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

Auffhammer, M.; Hsiang, S. M.; Schlenker, W.

2013-06-28

Economists are increasingly using weather data and climate model output in analyses of the economic impacts of climate change. This article introduces a set of weather data sets and climate models that are frequently used, discusses the most common mistakes economists make in using these products, and identifies ways to avoid these pitfalls. We first provide an introduction to weather data, including a summary of the types of datasets available, and then discuss five common pitfalls that empirical researchers should be aware of when using historical weather data as explanatory variables in econometric applications. We then provide a brief overviewmore » of climate models and discuss two common and significant errors often made by economists when climate model output is used to simulate the future impacts of climate change on an economic outcome of interest.« less

FAA Weather Surveillance Requirements in the Context on NEXRAD.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-11-19

NEXRAD Technical Requirements NUOC NEXRAD User’s Operations Concept NWS National Weather Service Pd Probability of Detection Pfa Probability of False...Winston 25. Minneapolis-St. Paul Intl. Salem Regional 26. Jacksonville International 54. Bradley International 27. Newark International 55. Roanoke

Avoiding verisimilitude when modelling ecological responses to climate change: the influence of weather conditions on trapping efficiency in European badgers (Meles meles).

PubMed

Noonan, Michael J; Rahman, M Abidur; Newman, Chris; Buesching, Christina D; Macdonald, David W

2015-10-01

The signal for climate change effects can be abstruse; consequently, interpretations of evidence must avoid verisimilitude, or else misattribution of causality could compromise policy decisions. Examining climatic effects on wild animal population dynamics requires ability to trap, observe or photograph and to recapture study individuals consistently. In this regard, we use 19 years of data (1994-2012), detailing the life histories on 1179 individual European badgers over 3288 (re-) trapping events, to test whether trapping efficiency was associated with season, weather variables (both contemporaneous and time lagged), body-condition index (BCI) and trapping efficiency (TE). PCA factor loadings demonstrated that TE was affected significantly by temperature and precipitation, as well as time lags in these variables. From multi-model inference, BCI was the principal driver of TE, where badgers in good condition were less likely to be trapped. Our analyses exposed that this was enacted mechanistically via weather variables driving BCI, affecting TE. Notably, the very conditions that militated for poor trapping success have been associated with actual survival and population abundance benefits in badgers. Using these findings to parameterize simulations, projecting best-/worst-case scenario weather conditions and BCI resulted in 8.6% ± 4.9 SD difference in seasonal TE, leading to a potential 55.0% population abundance under-estimation under the worst-case scenario; 38.6% over-estimation under the best case. Interestingly, simulations revealed that while any single trapping session might prove misrepresentative of the true population abundance, due to weather effects, prolonging capture-mark-recapture studies under sub-optimal conditions decreased the accuracy of population estimates significantly. We also use these projection scenarios to explore how weather could impact government-led trapping of badgers in the UK, in relation to TB management. We conclude that population monitoring must be calibrated against the likelihood that weather conditions could be altering trap success directly, and therefore biasing model design. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An Integrated Decision-Making Model for Categorizing Weather Products and Decision Aids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elgin, Peter D.; Thomas, Rickey P.

2004-01-01

The National Airspace System s capacity will experience considerable growth in the next few decades. Weather adversely affects safe air travel. The FAA and NASA are working to develop new technologies that display weather information to support situation awareness and optimize pilot decision-making in avoiding hazardous weather. Understanding situation awareness and naturalistic decision-making is an important step in achieving this goal. Information representation and situation time stress greatly influence attentional resource allocation and working memory capacity, potentially obstructing accurate situation awareness assessments. Three naturalistic decision-making theories were integrated to provide an understanding of the levels of decision making incorporated in three operational situations and two conditions. The task characteristics associated with each phase of flight govern the level of situation awareness attained and the decision making processes utilized. Weather product s attributes and situation task characteristics combine to classify weather products according to the decision-making processes best supported. In addition, a graphical interface is described that affords intuitive selection of the appropriate weather product relative to the pilot s current flight situation.

Exploring Space Physics Concepts Using Simulation Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, N. A.

2008-05-01

The Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM), a Science and Technology Center (STC) funded by the National Science Foundation, has the goal of developing a suite of integrated physics based computer models of the space environment that can follow the evolution of a space weather event from the Sun to the Earth. In addition to the research goals, CISM is also committed to training the next generation of space weather professionals who are imbued with a system view of space weather. This view should include an understanding of both helio-spheric and geo-space phenomena. To this end, CISM offers a yearly Space Weather Summer School targeted to first year graduate students, although advanced undergraduates and space weather professionals have also attended. This summer school uses a number of innovative pedagogical techniques including devoting each afternoon to a computer lab exercise that use results from research quality simulations and visualization techniques, along with ground based and satellite data to explore concepts introduced during the morning lectures. These labs are suitable for use in wide variety educational settings from formal classroom instruction to outreach programs. The goal of this poster is to outline the goals and content of the lab materials so that instructors may evaluate their potential use in the classroom or other settings.

33 CFR 110.205 - Chicago Harbor, Ill.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... movement of any boat, and shall move away immediately after the emergency ceases, or upon notification by... an established anchorage ground or in stress of weather or to avoid collision, is prohibited...

33 CFR 110.205 - Chicago Harbor, Ill.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... movement of any boat, and shall move away immediately after the emergency ceases, or upon notification by... an established anchorage ground or in stress of weather or to avoid collision, is prohibited...

33 CFR 110.205 - Chicago Harbor, Ill.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... movement of any boat, and shall move away immediately after the emergency ceases, or upon notification by... an established anchorage ground or in stress of weather or to avoid collision, is prohibited...

33 CFR 110.205 - Chicago Harbor, Ill.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... movement of any boat, and shall move away immediately after the emergency ceases, or upon notification by... an established anchorage ground or in stress of weather or to avoid collision, is prohibited...

Terminal weather information management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Alfred T.

1990-01-01

Since the mid-1960's, microburst/windshear events have caused at least 30 aircraft accidents and incidents and have killed more than 600 people in the United States alone. This study evaluated alternative means of alerting an airline crew to the presence of microburst/windshear events in the terminal area. Of particular interest was the relative effectiveness of conventional and data link ground-to-air transmissions of ground-based radar and low-level windshear sensing information on microburst/windshear avoidance. The Advanced Concepts Flight Simulator located at Ames Research Center was employed in a line oriented simulation of a scheduled round-trip airline flight from Salt Lake City to Denver Stapleton Airport. Actual weather en route and in the terminal area was simulated using recorded data. The microburst/windshear incident of July 11, 1988 was re-created for the Denver area operations. Six experienced airline crews currently flying scheduled routes were employed as test subjects for each of three groups: (1) A baseline group which received alerts via conventional air traffic control (ATC) tower transmissions; (2) An experimental group which received alerts/events displayed visually and aurally in the cockpit six miles (approx. 2 min.) from the microburst event; and (3) An additional experimental group received displayed alerts/events 23 linear miles (approx. 7 min.) from the microburst event. Analyses of crew communications and decision times showed a marked improvement in both situation awareness and decision-making with visually displayed ground-based radar information. Substantial reductions in the variability of decision times among crews in the visual display groups were also found. These findings suggest that crew performance will be enhanced and individual differences among crews due to differences in training and prior experience are significantly reduced by providing real-time, graphic display of terminal weather hazards.

Estimating The Rate of Technology Adoption for Cockpit Weather Information Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kauffmann, Paul; Stough, H. P.

2000-01-01

In February 1997, President Clinton announced a national goal to reduce the weather related fatal accident rate for aviation by 80% in ten years. To support that goal, NASA established an Aviation Weather Information Distribution and Presentation Project to develop technologies that will provide timely and intuitive information to pilots, dispatchers, and air traffic controllers. This information should enable the detection and avoidance of atmospheric hazards and support an improvement in the fatal accident rate related to weather. A critical issue in the success of NASA's weather information program is the rate at which the market place will adopt this new weather information technology. This paper examines that question by developing estimated adoption curves for weather information systems in five critical aviation segments: commercial, commuter, business, general aviation, and rotorcraft. The paper begins with development of general product descriptions. Using this data, key adopters are surveyed and estimates of adoption rates are obtained. These estimates are regressed to develop adoption curves and equations for weather related information systems. The paper demonstrates the use of adoption rate curves in product development and research planning to improve managerial decision processes and resource allocation.

Beacon Collision Avoidance System (BCAS) Alternative Concepts for Determining Target Positions

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-09-01

The (Litchford) Beacon-based Collision Avoidance System concept requires the computation of target range and bearing relative to the BCAS aircraft. Techniques for determining target range and bearing under four different assumptions about the ground ...

Method for detecting and avoiding flight hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Viebahn, Harro; Schiefele, Jens

1997-06-01

Today's aircraft equipment comprise several independent warning and hazard avoidance systems like GPWS, TCAS or weather radar. It is the pilot's task to monitor all these systems and take the appropriate action in case of an emerging hazardous situation. The developed method for detecting and avoiding flight hazards combines all potential external threats for an aircraft into a single system. It is based on an aircraft surrounding airspace model consisting of discrete volume elements. For each element of the volume the threat probability is derived or computed from sensor output, databases, or information provided via datalink. The position of the own aircraft is predicted by utilizing a probability distribution. This approach ensures that all potential positions of the aircraft within the near future are considered while weighting the most likely flight path. A conflict detection algorithm initiates an alarm in case the threat probability exceeds a threshold. An escape manoeuvre is generated taking into account all potential hazards in the vicinity, not only the one which caused the alarm. The pilot gets a visual information about the type, the locating, and severeness o the threat. The algorithm was implemented and tested in a flight simulator environment. The current version comprises traffic, terrain and obstacle hazards avoidance functions. Its general formulation allows an easy integration of e.g. weather information or airspace restrictions.

Atmospheric Turbulence Avoidance

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-09-09

This Advisory Circular (AC) describes to pilots, aircrew members, dispatchers, : and other operations personnel the various types of clear air turbulence (CAT) : and some of the weather patterns associated with it. Also included are "Rules : of Thumb...

Development and flight test of a helicopter compact, portable, precision landing system concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clary, G. R.; Bull, J. S.; Davis, T. J.; Chisholm, J. P.

1984-01-01

An airborne, radar-based, precision approach concept is being developed and flight tested as a part of NASA's Rotorcraft All-Weather Operations Research Program. A transponder-based beacon landing system (BLS) applying state-of-the-art X-band radar technology and digital processing techniques, was built and is being flight tested to demonstrate the concept feasibility. The BLS airborne hardware consists of an add-on microprocessor, installed in conjunction with the aircraft weather/mapping radar, which analyzes the radar beacon receiver returns and determines range, localizer deviation, and glide-slope deviation. The ground station is an inexpensive, portable unit which can be quickly deployed at a landing site. Results from the flight test program show that the BLS concept has a significant potential for providing rotorcraft with low-cost, precision instrument approach capability in remote areas.

Design and Evaluation of Nextgen Aircraft Separation Assurance Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Walter; Ho, Nhut; Arutyunov, Vladimir; Laue, John-Luke; Wilmoth, Ian

2012-01-01

To support the development and evaluation of future function allocation concepts for separation assurance systems for the Next Generation Air Transportation System, this paper presents the design and human-in-the-loop evaluation of three feasible function allocation concepts that allocate primary aircraft separation assurance responsibilities and workload to: 1) pilots; 2) air traffic controllers (ATC); and 3) automation. The design of these concepts also included rules of the road, separation assurance burdens for aircraft of different equipage levels, and utilization of advanced weather displays paired with advanced conflict detection and resolution automation. Results of the human-in-the-loop simulation show that: a) all the concepts are robust with respect to weather perturbation; b) concept 1 (pilots) had highest throughput, closest to assigned spacing, and fewest violations of speed and altitude restrictions; c) the energy of the aircraft during the descent phase was better managed in concepts 1 and 2 (pilots and ATC) than in concept 3 (automation), in which the situation awareness of pilots and controllers was lowest, and workload of pilots was highest. The paper also discusses further development of these concepts and their augmentation and integration with future air traffic management tools and systems that are being considered for NextGen.

4-D Cloud Water Content Fields Derived from Operational Satellite Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, William L., Jr.; Minnis, Patrick

2010-01-01

In order to improve operational safety and efficiency, the transportation industry, including aviation, has an urgent need for accurate diagnoses and predictions of clouds and associated weather conditions. Adverse weather accounts for 70% of all air traffic delays within the U.S. National Airspace System. The Federal Aviation Administration has determined that as much as two thirds of weather-related delays are potentially avoidable with better weather information and roughly 20% of all aviation accidents are weather related. Thus, it is recognized that an important factor in meeting the goals of the Next Generation Transportation System (NexGen) vision is the improved integration of weather information. The concept of a 4-D weather cube is being developed to address that need by integrating observed and forecasted weather information into a shared 4-D database, providing an integrated and nationally consistent weather picture for a variety of users and to support operational decision support systems. Weather analyses and forecasts derived using Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models are a critical tool that forecasters rely on for guidance and also an important element in current and future decision support systems. For example, the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) and the recently implemented Rapid Refresh (RR) Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) models provide high frequency forecasts and are key elements of the FAA Aviation Weather Research Program. Because clouds play a crucial role in the dynamics and thermodynamics of the atmosphere, they must be adequately accounted for in NWP models. The RUC, for example, cycles at full resolution five cloud microphysical species (cloud water, cloud ice, rain, snow, and graupel) and has the capability of updating these fields from observations. In order to improve the models initial state and subsequent forecasts, cloud top altitude (or temperature, T(sub c)) derived from operational satellite data, surface observations of cloud base altitude, radar reflectivity, and lightning data are used to help build and remove clouds in the models assimilation system. Despite this advance and the many recent advances made in our understanding of cloud physical processes and radiative effects, many problems remain in adequately representing clouds in models. While the assimilation of cloud top information derived from operational satellite data has merit, other information is available that has not yet been exploited. For example, the vertically integrated cloud water content (CWC) or cloud water path (CWP) and cloud geometric thickness (delta Z) are standard products being derived routinely from operational satellite data. These and other cloud products have been validated under a variety of conditions. Since the uncertainties have generally been found to be less than those found in model analyses and forecasts, the satellite products should be suitable for data assimilation, provided an appropriate strategy can be developed that links the satellite-derived cloud parameters with cloud parameters specified in the model. In this paper, we briefly outline such a strategy and describe a methodology to retrieve cloud water content profiles from operational satellite data. Initial results and future plans are presented. It is expected that the direct assimilation of this new product will provide the most accurate depiction of the vertical distribution of cloud water ever produced at the high spatial and temporal resolution needed for short term weather analyses and forecasts.

Perspectives of weather and sensitivities to heat: Social media applications for cultural climatology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, Bradley J.

This dissertation explores the cultural significance and physical perception of heat evident in a corpus of Twitter messages collected for six cities across the US over a seven-week period following historic heat events in the summer of 2012. Through a mixed-methods analysis of what weather means and how it feels, emergent conceptual tools are put forth that seek to envisage weather and society as co-productive, and sometimes indistinguishable, elements in a broader ecological process of world formation. Following a review of concepts from literature on everyday interactions with weather, the dissertation proceeds with two analytical chapters. The first analysis is textual and focuses on 'weather typing' as a discursive practice that works to produce abstract spaces with, of, and for weather through the conceptual distancing of the environment from the body. These practices are considered constitutive of situated perspectives of weather, many of which show a latent influence of heat, be it in the form of shared bodily energy or as an ambient environmental factor. The second analysis quantitatively explores emotional and physiological sensitivities to heat through transforming textual indicators into metrics that can be meaningfully tracked over time alongside biometeorological constructs, particularly with apparent temperature. Each analysis is intended to open the study of weather to multiple lines of inquiry across different scales while remaining rooted in empirical observation. The conclusion of the dissertation is left open as a discussion on further uses of these concepts and analytical strategies in hopes that they may find uses in different contexts, with different data sources, and through a variety of theoretical lenses.

Walking: How to Get Started and Stay Motivated

MedlinePlus

... for various types of weather. If you walk outdoors when it's dark, wear bright colors or reflective ... your course carefully. If you'll be walking outdoors, avoid paths with cracked sidewalks, potholes, low-hanging ...

Weathering Grade Classification of Granite Stone Monument Using Reflectance Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyun, C.; Roh, T.; Choi, M.; Park, H.

2009-05-01

Stone monument has been placed in field and exposed to rain and wind. This outdoor environment and air pollution induced weathering of stone monument. Weathering grade classification is necessary to manage and conserve stone monuments. Visual interpretation by geologist and laboratory experiments using specimens fallen off from the monument to avoid damage on the monument have been applied to classify weathering grade conventionally. Rocks and minerals absorb some particular wavelength ranges of electromagnetic energy by electronic process and vibrational process of composing elements and these phenomena produce intrinsic diagnostic spectral reflectance curve. Non-destructive technique for weathering degree assessment measures those diagnostic absorption features of weathering products and converts the depths of features related to abundance of the materials to relative weathering degree. We selected granite outcrop to apply conventional six folded weathering grade classification method using Schmidt hammer rebound teste. The correlations between Schmidt hammer rebound values and absorption depths of iron oxides such as ferric oxide in the vicinity of 0.9 micrometer wavelength and clay minerals such as illite and kaolinite in the vicinity of 2.2 micrometer wavelength, representative weathering products of granite, were analyzed. The Schmidt hammer rebound value decreased according to increase of absorption depths induced from those weathering products. Weathering grade classification on the granite stone monument was conducted by using absorption depths of weathering products This research is supported from National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and we appreciate for this.

A New Perspective on Surface Weather Maps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Steve

2006-01-01

A two-dimensional weather map is actually a physical representation of three-dimensional atmospheric conditions at a specific point in time. Abstract thinking is required to visualize this two-dimensional image in three-dimensional form. But once that visualization is accomplished, many of the meteorological concepts and processes conveyed by the…

What Research Says: Children's Conceptions of Weather.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stepans, Joseph; Kuehn, Christine

1985-01-01

Children in grades two and five explained such weather phenomena as wind, clouds, thunder, lightning, rain, snow, and rainbows during interviews. Results indicate that most students in both grades were at a stage of nonreligious finalism and do not use true causality in explanations. Implications for teaching are discussed. (DH)

Climatic Atlas of the Outer Continental Shelf Waters and Coastal Regions of Alaska. Volume 3. Chukchi-Beaufort Sea

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

activities Joe D. Elms , for their editorial evaluation of the vironmental Assessmant Program. Additional depends to a large extent on weathcr cond...winds of 25 knots lower. icing causes slippery decks, renders moving (13 meters per second) or more, and air tempera- parts inoperable, and, in extreme...try to avoid foul weather an thereby bias the oceanic climatology towards fair weather. A recent study by Elms (1986), in which he compared the

Position paper on the potential of inadvertent weather modification of the Florida Peninsula resulting from neutralization of space shuttle solid rocket booster exhaust clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bollay, E.; Bosart, L.; Droessler, E.; Jiusto, J.; Lala, G. G.; Mohnen, V.; Schaefer, V.; Squires, P.

1979-01-01

A concept of injecting compounds into the exhaust cloud was proposed to neutralize the acidic nature of the low-level stabilized ground cloud (SGC) was studied. The potential Inadvertent Weather Modification caused by exhaust cloud characteristics from three hours to seven days after launch was studied. Possible effects of the neutralized SGC in warm and cloud precipitation processes were discussed. Based on a detailed climatology of the Florida Peninsula, the risk for weather modification under a variety of weather situations was assessed.

Preliminary evaluation of user terminals for an automated pilot briefing system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-08-01

This report describes a preliminary evaluation of various user terminal concepts for an automated aviation pilot weather briefing and flight plan filing system. Terminals embodying differing operational concepts were used by volunteer general aviatio...

Analysis of MLS Based Surveillance System (MLSS) Concepts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1989-04-01

This report examines a number of surveillance system concepts to support safe independent runway approaches and converging runways under weather conditons. All surveillance conepts are based on the use of MLS signals. The resultin surveillance is ava...

Required Operational Capability, USMC-ROC-LOG-216.3.5 for the Ration, Cold Weather.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-05-06

in operations or training in an arctic environment . b. Organizational Concept. The ration , cold weather will be issued in accordance with established...all services. 2 ROC-ARCTIC 7. TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY AND ENERGY/ ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS a. Technical Feasibility. The risk of developing the ration ...r -A1833 963 REQUIRED OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY USMC-ROC-LOG-21635 FOR 1t/1 THE RATION COLD WEATHER(U) MARINE CORPS WASHINGTON DC 86 MAY 87 USMC-ROC-LOG

Reflections on the Conception, Birth, and Childhood of Numerical Weather Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenz, Edward N.

2006-05-01

In recognition of the contributions of Norman Phillips and Joseph Smagorinsky to the field of numerical weather prediction (NWP), a symposium was held in 2003; this account is an amplification of a talk presented there. Ideas anticipating the advent of NWP, the first technically successful numerical weather forcast, and the subsequent progression of NWP to a mature discipline are described, with special emphasis on the work of Phillips and Smagorinsky and their mentor Jule Charney.

Constructing Data Albums for Significant Severe Weather Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, Ethan; Zavodsky, Bradley; Ramachandran, Rahul; Kulkarni, Ajinkya; Li, Xiang; Bakare, Rohan; Basyal, Sabin; Conover, Helen

2014-01-01

There is need in the research community for weather-related case studies to improve prediction of and recovery after convective thunderstorms that produce damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes. One of the largest continuing challenges in any Earth Science investigation is the discovery of and access to useful science content from the increasingly large volumes of available Earth Science data. The Information Technology and Systems Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville has developed a software system called Noesis 2.0 that can be used to produce Data Albums for weather events relevant to NASA Earth Science researchers. Noesis is an Internet search tool that combines relevant storm research, pictures and videos of an event or event aftermath, web pages containing news reports and official storm summaries, background information about damage, injuries, and deaths, and NASA datasets from field campaigns and satellites into a "one-stop shop" database. The Data Album concept has been previously applied to hurricane cases from 2010 to present. The objective of this paper is to extend that Hurricane Data Album concept to focus on development of an ontology for significant severe weather to aid in selecting appropriate NASA datasets for inclusion in a severe weather Data Album. Recent severe weather events in Moore and El Reno, Oklahoma will be analyzed as an example of how these events can be incorporated into a Data Album.

Classification and prediction of pilot weather encounters: A discriminant function analysis.

PubMed

O'Hare, David; Hunter, David R; Martinussen, Monica; Wiggins, Mark

2011-05-01

Flight into adverse weather continues to be a significant hazard for General Aviation (GA) pilots. Weather-related crashes have a significantly higher fatality rate than other GA crashes. Previous research has identified lack of situational awareness, risk perception, and risk tolerance as possible explanations for why pilots would continue into adverse weather. However, very little is known about the nature of these encounters or the differences between pilots who avoid adverse weather and those who do not. Visitors to a web site described an experience with adverse weather and completed a range of measures of personal characteristics. The resulting data from 364 pilots were carefully screened and subject to a discriminant function analysis. Two significant functions were found. The first, accounting for 69% of the variance, reflected measures of risk awareness and pilot judgment while the second differentiated pilots in terms of their experience levels. The variables measured in this study enabled us to correctly discriminate between the three groups of pilots considerably better (53% correct classifications) than would have been possible by chance (33% correct classifications). The implications of these findings for targeting safety interventions are discussed.

Optimal Control of Hybrid Systems in Air Traffic Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamgarpour, Maryam

Growing concerns over the scalability of air traffic operations, air transportation fuel emissions and prices, as well as the advent of communication and sensing technologies motivate improvements to the air traffic management system. To address such improvements, in this thesis a hybrid dynamical model as an abstraction of the air traffic system is considered. Wind and hazardous weather impacts are included using a stochastic model. This thesis focuses on the design of algorithms for verification and control of hybrid and stochastic dynamical systems and the application of these algorithms to air traffic management problems. In the deterministic setting, a numerically efficient algorithm for optimal control of hybrid systems is proposed based on extensions of classical optimal control techniques. This algorithm is applied to optimize the trajectory of an Airbus 320 aircraft in the presence of wind and storms. In the stochastic setting, the verification problem of reaching a target set while avoiding obstacles (reach-avoid) is formulated as a two-player game to account for external agents' influence on system dynamics. The solution approach is applied to air traffic conflict prediction in the presence of stochastic wind. Due to the uncertainty in forecasts of the hazardous weather, and hence the unsafe regions of airspace for aircraft flight, the reach-avoid framework is extended to account for stochastic target and safe sets. This methodology is used to maximize the probability of the safety of aircraft paths through hazardous weather. Finally, the problem of modeling and optimization of arrival air traffic and runway configuration in dense airspace subject to stochastic weather data is addressed. This problem is formulated as a hybrid optimal control problem and is solved with a hierarchical approach that decouples safety and performance. As illustrated with this problem, the large scale of air traffic operations motivates future work on the efficient implementation of the proposed algorithms.

Diagnostic throughput factor analysis for en-route airspace and optimal aircraft trajectory generation based on capacity prediction and controller workload

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Sanghyun

Today's National Airspace System (NAS) is approaching its limit to efficiently cope with the increasing air traffic demand. Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) with its ambitious goals aims to make the air travel more predictable with fewer delays, less time sitting on the ground and holding in the air to improve the performance of the NAS. However, currently the performance of the NAS is mostly measured using delay-based metrics which do not capture a whole range of important factors that determine the quality and level of utilization of the NAS. The factors affecting the performance of the NAS are themselves not well defined to begin with. To address these issues, motivated by the use of throughput-based metrics in many areas such as ground transportation, wireless communication and manufacturing, this thesis identifies the different factors which majorly affect the performance of the NAS as demand (split into flight cancellation and flight rerouting), safe separation (split into conflict and metering) and weather (studied as convective weather) through careful comparison with other applications and performing empirical sensitivity analysis. Additionally, the effects of different factors on the NAS's performance are quantitatively studied using real traffic data with the Future ATM Concepts Evaluation Tool (FACET) for various sectors and centers of the NAS on different days. In this thesis we propose a diagnostic tool which can analyze the factors that have greater responsibility for regions of poor and better performances of the NAS. Based on the throughput factor analysis for en-route airspace, it was found that weather and controller workload are the major factors that decrease the efficiency of the airspace. Also, since resources such as air traffic controllers, infrastructure and airspace are limited, it is becoming increasingly important to use the available resources efficiently. To alleviate the impact of the weather and controller workload while optimally utilizing limited resources, various aircraft rerouting strategies for Air Traffic Management (ATM) have been proposed. However, the number of rerouting tools available to address these issues for the center-level and the National Airspace System (NAS) are relatively less compared with the tools for the sector-level and terminal airspace. Additionally, previous works consider the airspace containing the weather as no-fly zones instead of reduced-traffic zones and do not explicitly consider controller workload when generating aircraft trajectories to avoid the weather-affected airspace, thereby reducing the overall performance of the airspace. In this thesis, a new rerouting algorithm for the center-level airspace is proposed to address these problems by introducing a feedback loop connecting a tactical rerouting algorithm with a strategic rerouting algorithm using dynamic programming and a modified A* algorithm respectively. This helps reduce the computational cost significantly while safely handling a large number of aircraft. In summary, this thesis suggests the ways in which the NAS's performance can be further improved, thereby supporting various concepts envisioned by the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) and providing vital information which can be used for suitable economic and environmental advantages.

Automated Flight Routing Using Stochastic Dynamic Programming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ng, Hok K.; Morando, Alex; Grabbe, Shon

2010-01-01

Airspace capacity reduction due to convective weather impedes air traffic flows and causes traffic congestion. This study presents an algorithm that reroutes flights in the presence of winds, enroute convective weather, and congested airspace based on stochastic dynamic programming. A stochastic disturbance model incorporates into the reroute design process the capacity uncertainty. A trajectory-based airspace demand model is employed for calculating current and future airspace demand. The optimal routes minimize the total expected traveling time, weather incursion, and induced congestion costs. They are compared to weather-avoidance routes calculated using deterministic dynamic programming. The stochastic reroutes have smaller deviation probability than the deterministic counterpart when both reroutes have similar total flight distance. The stochastic rerouting algorithm takes into account all convective weather fields with all severity levels while the deterministic algorithm only accounts for convective weather systems exceeding a specified level of severity. When the stochastic reroutes are compared to the actual flight routes, they have similar total flight time, and both have about 1% of travel time crossing congested enroute sectors on average. The actual flight routes induce slightly less traffic congestion than the stochastic reroutes but intercept more severe convective weather.

Risk-Hedged Approach for Re-Routing Air Traffic Under Weather Uncertainty

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sadovsky, Alexander V.; Bilimoria, Karl D.

2016-01-01

This presentation corresponds to: our paper explores a new risk-hedged approach for re-routing air traffic around forecast convective weather. In this work, flying through a more likely weather instantiation is considered to pose a higher level of risk. Current operational practice strategically plans re-routes to avoid only the most likely (highest risk) weather instantiation, and then tactically makes any necessary adjustments as the weather evolves. The risk-hedged approach strategically plans re-routes by minimizing the risk-adjusted path length, incorporating multiple possible weather instantiations with associated likelihoods (risks). The resulting model is transparent and is readily analyzed for realism and treated with well-understood shortest-path algorithms. Risk-hedged re-routes are computed for some example weather instantiations. The main result is that in some scenarios, relative to an operational-practice proxy solution, the risk-hedged solution provides the benefits of lower risk as well as shorter path length. In other scenarios, the benefits of the risk-hedged solution are ambiguous, because the solution is characterized by a tradeoff between risk and path length. The risk-hedged solution can be executed in those scenarios where it provides a clear benefit over current operational practice.

Spectrometric investigation of the weathering process affecting historical glasses of León Cathedral, Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castro, M. A.; Pereira, F. J.; Aller, A. J.; Littlejohn, D.

2014-12-01

Atmospheric pollution plays important roles in the weathering of the historical buildings and glass windows. Samples of white powdered weathering products, recovered during restoration of the stained-glass windows of León Cathedral in Spain, were characterised using a combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive-X ray spectrometry (ED-XRS), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Raman spectrometry. The presence of sulphates, and to a lesser extent carbonates, in the white powdered product is clear indication of the participation of atmospheric acidifying gases, particularly SOx, in the weathering process. It is interesting to note that there was no indication of the participation of NOx gases. There was, however, evidence that the putty and mortar used to seal/join the glasses were major sources of the weathering products. In this way, this study suggests sealants more resistant to oxidation, such as silicone- and zirconia-based materials, should be considered for repairing glass windows in historic buildings to avoid exacerbating degradation.

Functional Allocation for Ground-Based Automated Separation Assurance in NextGen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prevot, Thomas; Mercer, Joey; Martin, Lynne; Homola, Jeffrey; Cabrall, Christopher; Brasil, Connie

2010-01-01

As part of an ongoing research effort into functional allocation in a NextGen environment, a controller-in-the-loop study on ground-based automated separation assurance was conducted at NASA Ames' Airspace Operations Laboratory in February 2010. Participants included six FAA front line managers, who are currently certified professional controllers and four recently retired controllers. Traffic scenarios were 15 and 30 minutes long where controllers interacted with advanced technologies for ground-based separation assurance, weather avoidance, and arrival metering. The automation managed the separation by resolving conflicts automatically and involved controllers only by exception, e.g., when the automated resolution would have been outside preset limits. Results from data analyses show that workload was low despite high levels of traffic, Operational Errors did occur but were closely tied to local complexity, and safety acceptability ratings varied with traffic levels. Positive feedback was elicited for the overall concept with discussion on the proper allocation of functions and trust in automation.

Exercise Variability: A Prescription for Overuse Injury Prevention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dufek, Janet S.

2002-01-01

Overuse injuries result from repetitive microtrauma to the body. This paper introduces the concept of performance variability and expands the concept to an attitude of exercise variability, which may be helpful in avoiding overuse injuries. It explains what to watch out for with overuse injuries and presents suggestions for avoiding overuse…

Concept development of automatic guidance for rotorcraft obstacle avoidance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Victor H. L.

1990-01-01

The automatic guidance of rotorcraft for obstacle avoidance in nap-of-the-earth flight is studied. A hierarchical breakdown of the guidance components is used to identify the functional requirements. These requirements and anticipated sensor capabilities lead to a preliminary guidance concept, which has been evaluated via computer simulations.

Heart rate variability moderates the association between attachment avoidance and self-concept reorganization following marital separation.

PubMed

Sbarra, David A; Borelli, Jessica L

2013-06-01

Despite substantial evidence indicating that relationships shape people's self-concept, relatively little is known about how people reorganize their sense of self when relationships end and whether this varies as a function of people's beliefs about relationships. In this report, we examine the prospective association between self-report adult attachment style and self-concept recovery among 89 adults following a recent marital separation. People high in attachment avoidance are characterized by the tendency to deactivate (i.e., suppress) painful attachment-related thoughts and feelings, and, following Fagundes, Diamond, and Allen (2012), we hypothesized that highly avoidant people would show better or worse self-concept outcomes depending on their ability to successfully regulate their emotional experience during a divorce-related mental recall task. We operationalized self-regulation using respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and found that highly avoidant people who showed RSA increases across our divorce-related mental activation task (DMAT) evidenced improvements in their self-concept over three months. In contrast, highly avoidant adults who showed RSA decreases during the DMAT showed no improvement (or a worsening) in their self-concept disruptions over the subsequent three months. These results suggest that RSA, an index of heart rate variability, may provide a window into self-regulation that has the potential to shed new light on why some people cope well or poorly following the loss of a relationship. Discussion centers on the potential mechanisms of action that explain why some people are able to successfully deactivate attachment-related thoughts and feelings whereas other people are not. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A Small Mission Concept to the Sun-Earth Lagrangian L5 Point for Innovative Solar, Heliospheric and Space Weather Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lavraud, B.; Liu, Y.; Segura, K.; He, J.; Qin, G.; Temmer, M.; Vial, J.-C.; Xiong, M.; Davies, J. A.; Rouillard, A. P.;

A small mission concept to the Sun-Earth Lagrangian L5 point for innovative solar, heliospheric and space weather science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavraud, B.; Liu, Y.; Segura, K.; He, J.; Qin, G.; Temmer, M.; Vial, J.-C.; Xiong, M.; Davies, J. A.; Rouillard, A. P.; Pinto, R.; Auchère, F.; Harrison, R. A.; Eyles, C.; Gan, W.; Lamy, P.; Xia, L.; Eastwood, J. P.; Kong, L.; Wang, J.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.; Zhang, S.; Zong, Q.; Soucek, J.; An, J.; Prech, L.; Zhang, A.; Rochus, P.; Bothmer, V.; Janvier, M.; Maksimovic, M.; Escoubet, C. P.; Kilpua, E. K. J.; Tappin, J.; Vainio, R.; Poedts, S.; Dunlop, M. W.; Savani, N.; Gopalswamy, N.; Bale, S. D.; Li, G.; Howard, T.; DeForest, C.; Webb, D.; Lugaz, N.; Fuselier, S. A.; Dalmasse, K.; Tallineau, J.; Vranken, D.; Fernández, J. G.

2016-08-01

We present a concept for a small mission to the Sun-Earth Lagrangian L5 point for innovative solar, heliospheric and space weather science. The proposed INvestigation of Solar-Terrestrial Activity aNd Transients (INSTANT) mission is designed to identify how solar coronal magnetic fields drive eruptions, mass transport and particle acceleration that impact the Earth and the heliosphere. INSTANT is the first mission designed to (1) obtain measurements of coronal magnetic fields from space and (2) determine coronal mass ejection (CME) kinematics with unparalleled accuracy. Thanks to innovative instrumentation at a vantage point that provides the most suitable perspective view of the Sun-Earth system, INSTANT would uniquely track the whole chain of fundamental processes driving space weather at Earth. We present the science requirements, payload and mission profile that fulfill ambitious science objectives within small mission programmatic boundary conditions.

Multi-Spectral Stereo Atmospheric Remote Sensing (STARS) for Retrieval of Cloud Properties and Cloud-Motion Vectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, M. A.; Boldt, J.; Wilson, J. P.; Yee, J. H.; Stoffler, R.

2017-12-01

The multi-spectral STereo Atmospheric Remote Sensing (STARS) concept has the objective to provide high-spatial and -temporal-resolution observations of 3D cloud structures related to hurricane development and other severe weather events. The rapid evolution of severe weather demonstrates a critical need for mesoscale observations of severe weather dynamics, but such observations are rare, particularly over the ocean where extratropical and tropical cyclones can undergo explosive development. Coincident space-based measurements of wind velocity and cloud properties at the mesoscale remain a great challenge, but are critically needed to improve the understanding and prediction of severe weather and cyclogenesis. STARS employs a mature stereoscopic imaging technique on two satellites (e.g. two CubeSats, two hosted payloads) to simultaneously retrieve cloud motion vectors (CMVs), cloud-top temperatures (CTTs), and cloud geometric heights (CGHs) from multi-angle, multi-spectral observations of cloud features. STARS is a pushbroom system based on separate wide-field-of-view co-boresighted multi-spectral cameras in the visible, midwave infrared (MWIR), and longwave infrared (LWIR) with high spatial resolution (better than 1 km). The visible system is based on a pan-chromatic, low-light imager to resolve cloud structures under nighttime illumination down to ¼ moon. The MWIR instrument, which is being developed as a NASA ESTO Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) project, is based on recent advances in MWIR detector technology that requires only modest cooling. The STARS payload provides flexible options for spaceflight due to its low size, weight, power (SWaP) and very modest cooling requirements. STARS also meets AF operational requirements for cloud characterization and theater weather imagery. In this paper, an overview of the STARS concept, including the high-level sensor design, the concept of operations, and measurement capability will be presented.

Regaining Lost Separation in a Piloted Simulation of Autonomous Aircraft Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barhydt, Richard; Eischeid, Todd M.; Palmer, Michael T.; Wing, David J.

2002-01-01

NASA is currently investigating a new concept of operations for the National Airspace System, designed to improve capacity while maintaining or improving current levels of safety. This concept, known as Distributed Air/Ground Traffic Management (DAG-TM), allows appropriately equipped autonomous aircraft to maneuver freely for flight optimization while resolving conflicts with other traffic and staying out of special use airspace and hazardous weather. While Airborne Separation Assurance System (ASAS) tools would normally allow pilots to resolve conflicts before they become hazardous, evaluation of system performance in sudden, near-term conflicts is needed in order to determine concept feasibility. If an acceptable safety level can be demonstrated in these situations, then operations may be conducted with lower separation minimums. An experiment was conducted in NASA Langley s Air Traffic Operations Lab to address issues associated with resolving near-term conflicts and the potential use of lower separation minimums. Sixteen commercial airline pilots flew a total of 32 traffic scenarios that required them to use prototype ASAS tools to resolve close range pop-up conflicts. Required separation standards were set at either 3 or 5 NM lateral spacing, with 1000 ft vertical separation being used for both cases. Reducing the lateral separation from 5 to 3 NM did not appear to increase operational risk, as indicated by the proximity to the intruder aircraft. Pilots performed better when they followed tactical guidance cues provided by ASAS than when they didn't follow the guidance. As air-air separation concepts are evolved, further studies will consider integration issues between ASAS and existing Airborne Collision Avoidance Systems (ACAS).These types of non-normal events will require the ASAS to provide effective alerts and resolutions prior to the time that an Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS) would give a Resolution Advisory (RA). When an RA is issued, a pilot must take immediate action in order to avoid a potential near miss. The Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) II currently functions as an ACAS aboard commercial aircraft. Depending on the own aircraft s altitude, TCAS only issues RA s 15-35 seconds prior to the Closest Point of Approach (CPA). Prior to an RA, DAG-TM pilots operating autonomous aircraft must rely solely on ASAS for resolution guidance. An additional area of DAG-TM concept feasibility relates to a potential reduction in separation standards. Lower separation standards are likely needed in order to improve NAS efficiency and capacity. Current separation minimums are based in large part on the capabilities of older radar systems. Safety assessments are needed to determine the feasibility of reduced separation minimums. They will give strong consideration to surveillance system performance, including accuracy, integrity, and availability. Candidate surveillance systems include Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and multi-lateration systems. Considering studies done for Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums (RVSM) operations, it is likely that flight technical errors will also be considered. In addition to a thorough evaluation of surveillance system performance, a potential decision to lower the separation standards should also take operational considerations into account. An ASAS Safety Assessment study identified improper maneuvering in response to a conflict (due to ambiguous or improper resolution commands or a pilot s failure to comply with the resolution) as a potential safety risk. If near-term conflicts with lower separation minimums were determined to be more challenging for pilots, the severity of these risks could be even greater.

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.

A primer on clothing systems for cold-weather field work

USGS Publications Warehouse

Denner, Jon

1990-01-01

Conducting field work in cold weather is a demanding task. The most important safety consideration for field personnel is to maintain normal body temperature and avoid hypothermia.The human body adjusts to cold temperatures through different physiological processes. Heat production is enhanced by increases in the rates of basal metabolism, specific dynamic action, and physical exercise, and heat loss is reduced by vasoconstriction.Physiological adaptations alone are inadequate to stop rapid heat loss in cold temperatures. Additional insulation in the form of cold-weather clothing is necessary to retain heat.The most practical method of dressing for winter conditions is the layering system. Wearing multiple thin layers allows one to fine tune the insulation needed for different temperatures and activity levels.

Collision Avoidance for Airport Traffic Concept Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Denise R.; Prinzel, Lawrence J., III; Otero, Sharon D.; Barker, Glover D.

2009-01-01

An initial Collision Avoidance for Airport Traffic (CAAT) concept for the Terminal Maneuvering Area (TMA) was evaluated in a simulation study at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center. CAAT is being designed to enhance surface situation awareness and provide cockpit alerts of potential conflicts during runway, taxi, and low altitude air-to-air operations. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the initial concept for an aircraft-based method of conflict detection and resolution (CD&R) in the TMA focusing on conflict detection algorithms and alerting display concepts. This paper gives an overview of the CD&R concept, simulation study, and test results.

Teachers Avoiding Learners' Avoidance: Is It Possible?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tadayyon, Maedeh; Zarrinabadi, Nourollah; Ketabi, Saeed

2016-01-01

Dealing with learners who prefer to take the back seat and avoid classroom participation can be every teacher's nightmare. This lack of participation may cause teacher frustration, and possibly the only way to reduce this lack of participation is to access the concept of avoidance strategy. Avoidance strategy is the abandonment of a classroom task…

A space weather information service based upon remote and in-situ measurements of coronal mass ejections heading for Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartkorn, O. A.; Ritter, B.; Meskers, A. J. H.; Miles, O.; Russwurm, M.; Scully, S.; Roldan, A.; Juestel, P.; Reville, V.; Lupu, S.; Ruffenach, A.

2014-12-01

The Earth's magnetosphere is formed as a consequence of the interaction between the planet's magnetic field and the solar wind, a continuous plasma stream from the Sun. A number of different solar wind phenomena have been studied over the past forty years with the intention of understandingand forcasting solar behavior and space weather. In particular, Earth-bound interplanetary coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can significantly disturb the Earth's magnetosphere for a short time and cause geomagnetic storms. We present a mission concept consisting of six spacecraft that are equally spaced in a heliocentric orbit at 0.72 AU. These spacecraft will monitor the plasma properties, the magnetic field's orientation and magnitude, and the 3D-propagation trajectory of CMEs heading for Earth. The primary objective of this mission is to increase space weather forecasting time by means of a near real-time information service, that is based upon in-situ and remote measurements of the CME properties. The mission secondary objective is the improvement of scientific space weather models. In-situ measurements are performed using a Solar Wind Analyzer instrumentation package and flux gate magnetometers. For remote measurements, coronagraphs are employed. The proposed instruments originate from other space missions with the intention to reduce mission costs and to streamline the mission design process. Communication with the six identical spacecraft is realized via a deep space network consisting of six ground stations. This network provides an information service that is in uninterrupted contact with the spacecraft, allowing for continuos space weather monitoring. A dedicated data processing center will handle all the data, and forward the processed data to the SSA Space Weather Coordination Center. This organization will inform the general public through a space weather forecast. The data processing center will additionally archive the data for the scientific community. This concept mission allows for major advances in space weather forecasting and the scientific modeling of space weather.

Meteorology and Climate Inspire Secondary Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charlton-Perez, Andrew; Dacre, Helen; Maskell, Kathy; Reynolds, Ross; South, Rachel; Wood, Curtis

2010-01-01

As part of its National Science and Engineering Week activities in 2009 and 2010, the University of Reading organised two open days for 60 local key stage 4 pupils. The theme of both open days was "How do we predict weather and climate?" Making use of the students' familiarity with weather and climate, several concepts of relevance to secondary…

Global Environmental Micro Sensors Test Operations in the Natural Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Mark L.; Buza, Matthew; Manobianco, John; Merceret, Francis J.

2007-01-01

ENSCO, Inc. is developing an innovative atmospheric observing system known as Global Environmental Micro Sensors (GEMS). The GEMS concept features an integrated system of miniaturized in situ, airborne probes measuring temperature, relative humidity, pressure, and vector wind velocity. In order for the probes to remain airborne for long periods of time, their design is based on a helium-filled super-pressure balloon. The GEMS probes are neutrally buoyant and carried passively by the wind at predetermined levels. Each probe contains onboard satellite communication, power generation, processing, and geolocation capabilities. ENSCO has partnered with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for a project called GEMS Test Operations in the Natural Environment (GEMSTONE) that will culminate with limited prototype flights of the system in spring 2007. By leveraging current advances in micro and nanotechnology, the probe mass, size, cost, and complexity can be reduced substantially so that large numbers of probes could be deployed routinely to support ground, launch, and landing operations at KSC and other locations. A full-scale system will improve the data density for the local initialization of high-resolution numerical weather prediction systems by at least an order of magnitude and provide a significantly expanded in situ data base to evaluate launch commit criteria and flight rules. When applied to launch or landing sites, this capability will reduce both weather hazards and weather-related scrubs, thus enhancing both safety and cost-avoidance for vehicles processed by the Shuttle, Launch Services Program, and Constellation Directorates. The GEMSTONE project will conclude with a field experiment in which 10 to 15 probes are released over KSC in east central Florida. The probes will be neutrally buoyant at different altitudes from 500 to 3000 meters and will report their position, speed, heading, temperature, humidity, and pressure via satellite. The GEMS data will be validated against reference observations provided by current weather instrumentation located at KSC. This paper will report on the results of the GEMSTONE project and discuss the challenges encountered in developing an airborne sensor system.

Portable Weather Applications for General Aviation Pilots.

PubMed

Ahlstrom, Ulf; Ohneiser, Oliver; Caddigan, Eamon

2016-09-01

The objective of this study was to examine the potential benefits and impact on pilot behavior from the use of portable weather applications. Seventy general aviation (GA) pilots participated in the study. Each pilot was randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group and flew a simulated single-engine GA aircraft, initially under visual meteorological conditions (VMC). The experimental group was equipped with a portable weather application during flight. We recorded measures for weather situation awareness (WSA), decision making, cognitive engagement, and distance from the aircraft to hazardous weather. We found positive effects from the use of the portable weather application, with an increased WSA for the experimental group, which resulted in credibly larger route deviations and credibly greater distances to hazardous weather (≥30 dBZ cells) compared with the control group. Nevertheless, both groups flew less than 20 statute miles from hazardous weather cells, thus failing to follow current weather-avoidance guidelines. We also found a credibly higher cognitive engagement (prefrontal oxygenation levels) for the experimental group, possibly reflecting increased flight planning and decision making on the part of the pilots. Overall, the study outcome supports our hypothesis that portable weather displays can be used without degrading pilot performance on safety-related flight tasks, actions, and decisions as measured within the constraints of the present study. However, it also shows that an increased WSA does not automatically translate to enhanced flight behavior. The study outcome contributes to our knowledge of the effect of portable weather applications on pilot behavior and decision making. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Enhanced weathering strategies for cooling the planet and saving coral reefs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beerling, D. J.; Taylor, L.; Quirk, J.; Thorley, R.; Kharecha, P. A.; Hansen, J. E.; Ridgwell, A. J.; Lomas, M.; Banwart, S. A.

2014-12-01

Acceleration of the chemical weathering sink for atmospheric CO2 via distribution of pulverized silicate rocks across terrestrial landscapes has been proposed as a macro-engineering Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) scheme, but its effectiveness and response to ongoing global change is poorly understood. We employ a detailed spatially resolved weathering model driven by two ensemble Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) projections of 21st Century climate (RCP8.5 and RCP4.5) to assess enhanced weathering and examine feedbacks on atmospheric CO2 and ocean carbonate biogeochemistry. Atmospheric CO2 reduction of ~100-260 ppm by year 2100, the range depending mainly on rock composition, is obtained by spreading 5 kg m-2 yr-1 over 20 Mkm2 tropical weathering 'hotspots'. Ocean acidification is neutralized in RCP4.5 and ameliorated in RCP8.5 due to enhanced land-ocean export of weathered alkalinity products and reduced CO2 forcings, and the aragonite saturation state of surface oceans is raised to >3.5, thus avoiding likely extinction of coral reef ecosystems. We suggest that accelerated weathering has substantial potential to help limit global warming and benefits to marine life not obtained from other CDR approaches, but major issues of cost, social acceptability, and potential unanticipated consequences should encourage urgent efforts to phase down fossil fuel emissions.

Aerospace Concepts at the Elementary Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Aerospace Education, 1975

1975-01-01

Presents materials compiled to assist the elementary teacher in preparing teaching units in aerospace education. Suggests specific and general objectives and lists important concepts and questions pertaining to areas such as: history of flight, weather and flying, airplanes, jets, rockets, space travel, and the solar system. (MLH)

14 CFR 61.105 - Aeronautical knowledge.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Aeronautical knowledge. 61.105 Section 61.105 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED...) Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight, windshear avoidance, and the...

14 CFR 61.105 - Aeronautical knowledge.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Aeronautical knowledge. 61.105 Section 61.105 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED...) Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight, windshear avoidance, and the...

Quantification of the effect of plants on weathering: Studies in Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moulton, Katherine L.; Berner, Robert A.

1998-10-01

The weathering of calcium and magnesium silicate minerals on the continents has exerted a major control on atmospheric CO2 over geologic time, and vascular plants may have played an important role in this process. In western Iceland, we have examined the role of plants in weathering by measuring the chemistry of waters draining adjacent areas of basaltic rocks that are either barren (having a partial cover of mosses and lichens) or populated by trees. The study area was chosen to maximize vegetational differences and to minimize differences in microclimate, slope, and lithology, while avoiding hydrothermal waters and anthropogenic acid rain. Results, including data on cation uptake by growing trees, indicate that the rate of weathering release of Ca and Mg to streams and vegetation is two to five times higher in vegetated areas than the release of Ca and Mg to streams in barren areas. This finding suggests a major role for vascular plants in accelerating weathering and thereby lowering atmospheric CO2 as they invaded upland areas of the continents between 380 and 350 Ma.

Development of a Measure of Experiential Avoidance: The Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gamez, Wakiza; Chmielewski, Michael; Kotov, Roman; Ruggero, Camilo; Watson, David

2011-01-01

Experiential avoidance (EA) has been conceptualized as the tendency to avoid negative internal experiences and is an important concept in numerous conceptualizations of psychopathology as well as theories of psychotherapy. Existing measures of EA have either been narrowly defined or demonstrated unsatisfactory internal consistency and/or evidence…

The Altitude Wind Tunnel (AWT): A unique facility for propulsion system and adverse weather testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamberlin, R.

1985-01-01

A need has arisen for a new wind tunnel facility with unique capabilities for testing propulsion systems and for conducting research in adverse weather conditions. New propulsion system concepts, new aircraft configurations with an unprecedented degree of propulsion system/aircraft integration, and requirements for aircraft operation in adverse weather dictate the need for a new test facility. Required capabilities include simulation of both altitude pressure and temperature, large size, full subsonic speed range, propulsion system operation, and weather simulation (i.e., icing, heavy rain). A cost effective rehabilitation of the NASA Lewis Research Center's Altitude Wind Tunnel (AWT) will provide a facility with all these capabilities.

Learning about the Weather through an Integrated STEM Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serin, Gokhan

2014-01-01

Introducing concepts through an integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) approach can promote interest and motivation (Bennett, Lubben and Hogarth, 2007; Bybee, 2010). However, implementing such an approach effectively in a classroom setting, with relevant links, is a challenging task. Some concepts lend themselves more…

Development of Tactical Lightning Avoidance Product for Terminal Weather Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshikawa, E.; Yoshida, S.; Adachi, T.; Kusunoki, K.; Ushio, T.

2015-12-01

Aircraft initiated or intercepted lightning is one of significant issues for civilian flight operation in Japan. It is much less possible than the past that lightning strikes cause fatal aircraft accidents thanks to both of certifications of aircraft design for lightning strikes and many of weather supports for aircraft operation. However, hundreds of lightning strikes to aircrafts have still been reported in each recent year in Japan, and airlines have been forced to delay or cancel most of those flights and to cost several hundred millions of yen for repair. Especially, lightning discharges during winter in the coastal area of the Sea of Japan frequently cause heavy damages on aircrafts due to their large charge transfer. It is important in actual aircraft operation that observed meteorological parameters are converted to decision-making information. Otherwise, pilots, controllers, or operators need to learn meteorology as much as weather experts, and to owe hard work load to interpret observed meteorological data to their risk. Ideally, it is desired to automatically provide them with predicted operation risk, for example, delay time, possibility of flight cancellation, and repair cost caused by lightning.Our research group has just started development of tactical lightning avoidance product, where a risk index of an aircraft operation due to lightning is calculated mainly from three novel observation devices: The phased array weather radar has potential to detect thunderstorms in their early stage due to the high volume scan rate of 10 - 30 sec. A lightning mapping system, such as Broadband Observation network for Lightning and Thunderstorm, indicates electrical structure inside clouds in concert with a co-located radar data. Aircraft sounding and real-time data downlink, especially high-frequency data provided by Secondary Surveillance Radar mode S, gives in-situ measurements of wind and temperature. Especially the in-situ temperature data can indicate altitudes of electrical charge separation. An integrated data processing method to output the tactical lightning avoidance product will be developed by analyzing data obtained in an observation campaign which will have been conducted until 2017. In the presentation, overview and progress of our research and development will be described.

Zero-Gravity Atmospheric Cloud Physics Experiment Laboratory engineering concepts/design tradeoffs. Volume 1: Study results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greco, R. V.; Eaton, L. R.; Wilkinson, H. C.

1974-01-01

The work is summarized which was accomplished from January 1974 to October 1974 for the Zero-Gravity Atmospheric Cloud Physics Laboratory. The definition and development of an atmospheric cloud physics laboratory and the selection and delineation of candidate experiments that require the unique environment of zero gravity or near zero gravity are reported. The experiment program and the laboratory concept for a Spacelab payload to perform cloud microphysics research are defined. This multimission laboratory is planned to be available to the entire scientific community to utilize in furthering the basic understanding of cloud microphysical processes and phenomenon, thereby contributing to improved weather prediction and ultimately to provide beneficial weather control and modification.

Handling knowledge via Concept Maps: a space weather use case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messerotti, Mauro; Fox, Peter

Concept Maps (Cmaps) are powerful means for knowledge coding in graphical form. As flexible software tools exist to manipulate the knowledge embedded in Cmaps in machine-readable form, such complex entities are suitable candidates not only for the representation of ontologies and semantics in Virtual Observatory (VO) architectures, but also for knowledge handling and knowledge discovery. In this work, we present a use case relevant to space weather applications and we elaborate on its possible implementation and adavanced use in Semantic Virtual Observatories dedicated to Sun-Earth Connections. This analysis was carried out in the framework of the Electronic Geophysical Year (eGY) and represents an achievement synergized by the eGY Virtual Observatories Working Group.

Collision Avoidance for Airport Traffic Simulation Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Denise R.; Prinzel, Lawrence J., III; Shelton, Kevin J.; Bailey, Randall E.; Otero, Sharon D.; Barker, Glover D.

2010-01-01

A Collision Avoidance for Airport Traffic (CAAT) concept for the airport Terminal Maneuvering Area (TMA) was evaluated in a simulation study at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center. CAAT is being designed to enhance surface situation awareness and provide cockpit alerts of potential conflicts during runway, taxi, and low altitude air-to-air operations. The purpose of the study was to evaluate pilot reaction to conflict events in the TMA near the airport, different alert timings for various scenarios, alerting display concepts, and directive alerting concepts. This paper gives an overview of the conflict detection and resolution (CD&R) concept, simulation study, and test results

Taking Risks for the Future of Space Weather Forecasting, Research, and Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaynes, A. N.; Baker, D. N.; Kanekal, S. G.; Li, X.; Turner, D. L.

2017-12-01

Taking Risks for the Future of Space Weather Forecasting, Research, and Operations The need for highly improved space weather modeling and monitoring is quickly becoming imperative as our society depends ever more on the sensitive technology that builds and connects our world. Instead of relying primarily on tried and true concepts, academic institutions and funding agencies alike should be focusing on truly new and innovative ways to solve this pressing problem. In this exciting time, where student-led groups can launch CubeSats for under a million dollars and companies like SpaceX are actively reducing the cost-cap of access to space, the space physics community should be pushing the boundaries of what is possible to enhance our understanding of the space environment. Taking great risks in instrumentation, mission concepts, operational development, collaborations, and scientific research is the best way to move our field forward to where it needs to be for the betterment of science and society.

Interaction of Airspace Partitions and Traffic Flow Management Delay with Weather

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Hak-Tae; Chatterji, Gano B.; Palopo, Kee

2011-01-01

The interaction of partitioning the airspace and delaying flights in the presence of convective weather is explored to study how re-partitioning the airspace can help reduce congestion and delay. Three approaches with varying complexities are employed to compute the ground delays.In the first approach, an airspace partition of 335 high-altitude sectors that is based on clear weather day traffic is used. Routes are then created to avoid regions of convective weather. With traffic flow management, this approach establishes the baseline with per-flight delay of 8.4 minutes. In the second approach, traffic flow management is used to select routes and assign departure delays such that only the airport capacity constraints are met. This results in 6.7 minutes of average departure delay. The airspace is then partitioned with a specific capacity. It is shown that airspace-capacity-induced delay can be reduced to zero ata cost of 20percent more sectors for the examined scenario.

Simulation of three lanes one-way freeway in low visibility weather by possible traffic accidents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, Ming-bao; Zheng, Sha-sha; Cai, Zhang-hui

2015-09-01

The aim of this work is to investigate the traffic impact of low visibility weather on a freeway including the fraction of real vehicle rear-end accidents and road traffic capacity. Based on symmetric two-lane Nagel-Schreckenberg (STNS) model, a cellular automaton model of three-lane freeway mainline with the real occurrence of rear-end accidents in low visibility weather, which considers delayed reaction time and deceleration restriction, was established with access to real-time traffic information of intelligent transportation system (ITS). The characteristics of traffic flow in different visibility weather were discussed via the simulation experiments. The results indicate that incoming flow control (decreasing upstream traffic volume) and inputting variable speed limits (VSL) signal are effective in accident reducing and road actual traffic volume's enhancing. According to different visibility and traffic demand the appropriate control strategies should be adopted in order to not only decrease the probability of vehicle accidents but also avoid congestion.

Evaluation of the toxic properties of naturally weathered Exxon Valdez crude oil to surrogate wildlife species

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

Stubblefield, W.A.; Hancock, G.A.; Ford, W.H.

1995-12-31

The toxic properties of naturally weathered Exxon Valdez crude oil (WEVC) to avian and mammalian wildlife species were evaluated using the surrogate species, mallard duck, Anas platyrhynchos, and European ferret, Mustela putorius. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential for toxic (rather than physical) injury to wildlife species that may have been exposed to WEVC, either through external contact or through dietary uptake. Previous studies have assessed the toxicity of unweathered crude oils, including Alaska North Slope Crude, but little information exists regarding the toxicity of a naturally weathered crude oil, typical of that encountered following a spill. Amore » battery of laboratory toxicity tests was conducted, in compliance with standard and published test procedures, to evaluate acute and subchronic toxicity of WEVC. These included tests of food avoidance, reproductive effects, and direct eggshell application toxicity. Naturally weathered EVC, recovered postspill from Prince William Sound, was used as the test material. 36 refs., 7 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Teacher Challenges, Perceptions, and Use of Science Models in Middle School Classrooms about Climate, Weather, and Energy Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yarker, Morgan Brown

2013-01-01

Research suggests that scientific models and modeling should be topics covered in K-12 classrooms as part of a comprehensive science curriculum. It is especially important when talking about topics in weather and climate, where computer and forecast models are the center of attention. There are several approaches to model based inquiry, but it can…

14 CFR Appendix A to Part 141 - Recreational Pilot Certification Course

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... navigation using pilotage with the aid of a magnetic compass; (e) Recognition of critical weather situations... the aircraft category and class for which the course applies: (a) Applicable Federal Aviation... reports and forecasts; (f) Safe and efficient operation of aircraft, including collision avoidance, and...

Experimental landfill caps for semi-arid and arid climates.

PubMed

Blight, Geoffrey E; Fourie, Andries B

2005-04-01

The United States EPA Subtitle D municipal solid waste landfill requirements specify that the permeability of a cap to a landfill be no greater than the permeability of the underliner. In recent years the concept of the evapotranspirative (ET) cap has been developed in which the cap is designed to store all rain infiltration and re-evapotranspire it during dry weather. Concern at the long period required for landfilled municipal solid waste to decompose and stabilize in arid and semi-arid climates has led to an extension of the concept of the ET cap. With the infiltrate-stabilize-evapotranspire (ISE) cap, rain infiltration during wet weather is permitted to enter the underlying waste, thus accelerating the decomposition and stabilization process. Excess infiltration is then removed from both waste and cap by evaporation during dry weather. The paper describes the construction and operation of two sets of experimental ISE caps, one in a winter rainfall semi-arid climate, and the other in a summer rainfall semi-arid climate. Observation of the rainfall, soil evaporation and amount of water stored in the caps has allowed water balances to be constructed for caps of various thicknesses. These observations show that the ISE concept is viable. In the limit, when there is insufficient rainfall to infiltrate the waste, an ISE cap operates as an ET cap.

Evaluation of Alternate Concepts for Synthetic Vision Flight Displays With Weather-Penetrating Sensor Image Inserts During Simulated Landing Approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrish, Russell V.; Busquets, Anthony M.; Williams, Steven P.; Nold, Dean E.

2003-01-01

A simulation study was conducted in 1994 at Langley Research Center that used 12 commercial airline pilots repeatedly flying complex Microwave Landing System (MLS)-type approaches to parallel runways under Category IIIc weather conditions. Two sensor insert concepts of 'Synthetic Vision Systems' (SVS) were used in the simulated flights, with a more conventional electro-optical display (similar to a Head-Up Display with raster capability for sensor imagery), flown under less restrictive visibility conditions, used as a control condition. The SVS concepts combined the sensor imagery with a computer-generated image (CGI) of an out-the-window scene based on an onboard airport database. Various scenarios involving runway traffic incursions (taxiing aircraft and parked fuel trucks) and navigational system position errors (both static and dynamic) were used to assess the pilots' ability to manage the approach task with the display concepts. The two SVS sensor insert concepts contrasted the simple overlay of sensor imagery on the CGI scene without additional image processing (the SV display) to the complex integration (the AV display) of the CGI scene with pilot-decision aiding using both object and edge detection techniques for detection of obstacle conflicts and runway alignment errors.

Bandwidth and SIMDUCE as simulator fidelity criteria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Key, David

1992-01-01

The potential application of two concepts from the new Handling Qualities Specification for Military Rotorcraft was discussed. The first concept is bandwidth, a measure of the dynamic response to control. The second is a qualitative technique developed for assessing the visual cue environment the pilot has in bad weather and at night. Simulated Day Usable Cue Environment (SIMDUCE) applies this concept to assessing the day cuing fidelity in the simulator.

The hard winter of 1880-1881: Climatological context and communication via a Laura Ingalls Wilder narrative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boustead, Barbara E.

The Hard Winter of 1880-1881 was featured in the Laura Ingalls Wilder historical fiction account, The Long Winter, as well as in several town histories across the region. Both meteorological records and historical accounts indicate that the winter was particularly long, snowy, and cold. The question of how "hard" a winter is for a given location depends on the climatological context, which relies on an objective characterization of winter severity. The Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index (AWSSI) allows comparison of the winter of 1880-1881 among sites across the region, as well as in the context of the period of record, to quantify its severity. Additionally, investigating the impacts of both the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in the central United States provides context for the influence of both a strongly negative NAO and an El Nino event during the winter of 1880-1881. With an understanding of the climatological factors influencing the Hard Winter, along with the context for its severity, a more thorough analysis then was conducted to quantify and describe its severity. The connection of the winter of 1880-1881 to a popular book written by an author who is a cultural icon provides a natural vehicle with which to communicate weather and climate concepts to multiple non-technical audiences. The communication of complex weather and climate concepts is a well-documented challenge. One method to bridge between science concepts and public understanding is to relate those concepts to familiar subjects and stories, including Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. A narrative constructed around the books, particularly The Long Winter, provides a means of audience engagement and interest in weather- and climate-related topics, which was at least partially quantified by surveying audiences of the narrative. Overall, the scientific background, combined with a familiar narrative voice, provides a means to transmit weather and climate.

Implementation of weather stations at Ghanaian high schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pieron, M.

2012-04-01

The Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory (www.tahmo.org) is an initiative that aims to develop a dense weather observation network in Sub-Sahara Africa. The ambition is to have 20.000 low-cost innovative weather stations in place in 2015. An increased amount of weather data is locally required to provide stakeholders that are dependent on the weather, such as farmers and fishermen, with accurate forecasts. As a first proof of concept, showing that sensors can be built at costs lower than commercially available, a disdrometer was developed. In parallel with the design of the measurement instruments, a high school curriculum is developed that covers environmental sciences. In order to find out which requirements the TAHMO weather station and accompanying educational materials should meet for optimal use at Junior High Schools research was done at Ghanaian schools. Useful insights regarding the future African context of the weather station and requirements for an implementation strategy were obtained during workshops with teachers and students, visits to WMO observatories and case studies regarding use of educational materials. The poster presents the conclusions of this research, which is part of the bigger TAHMO framework.

A quantitative evaluation of the public response to climate engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Malcolm J.; Teagle, Damon A. H.; Feetham, Pamela M.

2014-02-01

Atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations continue to increase, with CO2 passing 400 parts per million in May 2013. To avoid severe climate change and the attendant economic and social dislocation, existing energy efficiency and emissions control initiatives may need support from some form of climate engineering. As climate engineering will be controversial, there is a pressing need to inform the public and understand their concerns before policy decisions are taken. So far, engagement has been exploratory, small-scale or technique-specific. We depart from past research to draw on the associative methods used by corporations to evaluate brands. A systematic, quantitative and comparative approach for evaluating public reaction to climate engineering is developed. Its application reveals that the overall public evaluation of climate engineering is negative. Where there are positive associations they favour carbon dioxide removal (CDR) over solar radiation management (SRM) techniques. Therefore, as SRM techniques become more widely known they are more likely to elicit negative reactions. Two climate engineering techniques, enhanced weathering and cloud brightening, have indistinct concept images and so are less likely to draw public attention than other CDR or SRM techniques.

36 CFR 1004.22 - Unsafe operation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., traffic, weather, road and light conditions and road character. (2) Operating a motor vehicle in a manner... Section 1004.22 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC SAFETY § 1004.22... maintain that degree of control of a motor vehicle necessary to avoid danger to persons, property or...

Carbon benefits from fuel treatments

Treesearch

Jim Cathcart; Alan A. Ager; Andrew McMahan; Mark Finney; Brian Watt

2010-01-01

Landscape simulation modeling is used to examine whether fuel treatments result in a carbon offset from avoided wildfire emissions. The study landscape was a 169,200-acre watershed located in south-central Oregon. Burn probability modeling was employed under extreme weather and fuel moisture conditions. Expected carbon stocks post-treatment, post-wildfire were...

Solar heated beehives

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

Hardin, B.

1985-02-01

A new translucent plastic cover for bee hives is described which will serve as a passive solar collector and insulator. Scientists at the USDA-ARS designed the cover to maintain bees in cold weather. It should be of interest to beekeepers in northern states who have had to destroy colonies to avoid overwintering costs.

Obstacle Avoidance for Quadcopter using Ultrasonic Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazlur Rahman, Muhammad; Adhy Sasongko, Rianto

2018-04-01

An obstacle avoidance system is being proposed. The system will combine available flight controller with a proposed avoidance method as a proof of concept. Quadcopter as a UAV is integrated with the system which consist of several modes in order to do avoidance. As the previous study, obstacle will be determined using ultrasonic sensor and servo. As result, the quadcopter will move according to its mode and successfully avoid obstacle.

Analyses of factors of crash avoidance maneuvers using the general estimates system.

PubMed

Yan, Xuedong; Harb, Rami; Radwan, Essam

2008-06-01

Taking an effective corrective action to a critical traffic situation provides drivers an opportunity to avoid crash occurrence and minimize crash severity. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between the probability of taking corrective actions and the characteristics of drivers, vehicles, and driving environments. Using the 2004 GES crash database, this study classified drivers who encountered critical traffic events (identified as P_CRASH3 in the GES database) into two pre-crash groups: corrective avoidance actions group and no corrective avoidance actions group. Single and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify potential traffic factors associated with the probability of drivers taking corrective actions. The regression results showed that the driver/vehicle factors associated with the probability of taking corrective actions include: driver age, gender, alcohol use, drug use, physical impairments, distraction, sight obstruction, and vehicle type. In particular, older drivers, female drivers, drug/alcohol use, physical impairment, distraction, or poor visibility may increase the probability of failing to attempt to avoid crashes. Moreover, drivers of larger size vehicles are 42.5% more likely to take corrective avoidance actions than passenger car drivers. On the other hand, the significant environmental factors correlated with the drivers' crash avoidance maneuver include: highway type, number of lanes, divided/undivided highway, speed limit, highway alignment, highway profile, weather condition, and surface condition. Some adverse highway environmental factors, such as horizontal curves, vertical curves, worse weather conditions, and slippery road surface conditions are correlated with a higher probability of crash avoidance maneuvers. These results may seem counterintuitive but they can be explained by the fact that motorists may be more likely to drive cautiously in those adverse driving environments. The analyses revealed that drivers' distraction could be the highest risk factor leading to the failure of attempting to avoid crashes. Further analyses entailing distraction causes (e.g., cellular phone use) and their possible countermeasures need to be conducted. The age and gender factors are overrepresented in the "no avoidance maneuver." A possible solution could involve the integration of a new function in the current ITS technologies. A personalized system, which could be related to the expected type of maneuver for a driver with certain characteristics, would assist different drivers with different characteristics to avoid crashes. Further crash database studies are recommended to investigate the association of drivers' emergency maneuvers such as braking, steering, or their combination with crash severity.

ATM-Weather Integration Plan, Version 1.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-17

necessarily involving the flight of aircraft (e.g. aerial gunnery, artillery, rockets, missiles, lasers , demolitions, etc.). The precise time of...tool teams to ensure that the concept is consistent with team doctrine and a collaborative and coherent NAS. In the text of this plan, weather...SAS: Wind shear detection (e.g. LLWAS), ASR-WSP, TDWR, LIDAR , ASR-8/9/11, NEXRAD, F-420, DASI, ASOS, AWOS, AWSS, SAWS, NextGen Surface Observing

Experimental BCAS Performance Results

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-07-01

The results of the (Litchford) Beacon-based Collision Avoidance System concept feasibility evaluation are reported. Included are a description of the concept, analysis and flight test results. The system concept is based on the range and bearing meas...

Cloud Computing Applications in Support of Earth Science Activities at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molthan, Andrew L.; Limaye, Ashutosh S.; Srikishen, Jayanthi

2011-01-01

Currently, the NASA Nebula Cloud Computing Platform is available to Agency personnel in a pre-release status as the system undergoes a formal operational readiness review. Over the past year, two projects within the Earth Science Office at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center have been investigating the performance and value of Nebula s "Infrastructure as a Service", or "IaaS" concept and applying cloud computing concepts to advance their respective mission goals. The Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center focuses on the transition of unique NASA satellite observations and weather forecasting capabilities for use within the operational forecasting community through partnerships with NOAA s National Weather Service (NWS). SPoRT has evaluated the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model on virtual machines deployed within Nebula and used Nebula instances to simulate local forecasts in support of regional forecast studies of interest to select NWS forecast offices. In addition to weather forecasting applications, rapidly deployable Nebula virtual machines have supported the processing of high resolution NASA satellite imagery to support disaster assessment following the historic severe weather and tornado outbreak of April 27, 2011. Other modeling and satellite analysis activities are underway in support of NASA s SERVIR program, which integrates satellite observations, ground-based data and forecast models to monitor environmental change and improve disaster response in Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Himalayas. Leveraging SPoRT s experience, SERVIR is working to establish a real-time weather forecasting model for Central America. Other modeling efforts include hydrologic forecasts for Kenya, driven by NASA satellite observations and reanalysis data sets provided by the broader meteorological community. Forecast modeling efforts are supplemented by short-term forecasts of convective initiation, determined by geostationary satellite observations processed on virtual machines powered by Nebula.

Accelerating the carbon cycle: the ethics of enhanced weathering.

PubMed

Lawford-Smith, H; Currie, A

2017-04-01

Enhanced weathering, in comparison to other geoengineering measures, creates the possibility of a reduced cost, reduced impact way of decreasing atmospheric carbon, with positive knock-on effects such as decreased oceanic acidity. We argue that ethical concerns have a place alongside empirical, political and social factors as we consider how to best respond to the critical challenge that anthropogenic climate change poses. We review these concerns, considering the ethical issues that arise (or would arise) in the large-scale deployment of enhanced weathering. We discuss post-implementation scenarios, failures of collective action, the distribution of risk and externalities and redress for damage. We also discuss issues surrounding 'dirty hands' (taking conventionally immoral action to avoid having to take action that is even worse), whether enhanced weathering research might present a moral hazard, the importance of international governance and the notion that the implementation of large-scale enhanced weathering would reveal problematic hubris. Ethics and scientific research interrelate in complex ways: some ethical considerations caution against research and implementation, while others encourage them. Indeed, the ethical perspective encourages us to think more carefully about how, and what types of, geoengineering should be researched and implemented. © 2017 The Author(s).

Benefits of Sharing Information from Commercial Airborne Forward-Looking Sensors in the Next Generation Air Transportation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaffner, Philip R.; Harrah, Steven; Neece, Robert T.

2012-01-01

The air transportation system of the future will need to support much greater traffic densities than are currently possible, while preserving or improving upon current levels of safety. Concepts are under development to support a Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) that by some estimates will need to support up to three times current capacity by the year 2025. Weather and other atmospheric phenomena, such as wake vortices and volcanic ash, constitute major constraints on airspace system capacity and can present hazards to aircraft if encountered. To support safe operations in the NextGen environment advanced systems for collection and dissemination of aviation weather and environmental information will be required. The envisioned NextGen Network Enabled Weather (NNEW) infrastructure will be a critical component of the aviation weather support services, providing access to a common weather picture for all system users. By taking advantage of Network Enabled Operations (NEO) capabilities, a virtual 4-D Weather Data Cube with aviation weather information from many sources will be developed. One new source of weather observations may be airborne forward-looking sensors, such as the X-band weather radar. Future sensor systems that are the subject of current research include advanced multi-frequency and polarimetric radar, a variety of Lidar technologies, and infrared imaging spectrometers.

Simulation of a weather radar display for over-water airborne radar approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clary, G. R.

1983-01-01

Airborne radar approach (ARA) concepts are being investigated as a part of NASA's Rotorcraft All-Weather Operations Research Program on advanced guidance and navigation methods. This research is being conducted using both piloted simulations and flight test evaluations. For the piloted simulations, a mathematical model of the airborne radar was developed for over-water ARAs to offshore platforms. This simulated flight scenario requires radar simulation of point targets, such as oil rigs and ships, distributed sea clutter, and transponder beacon replies. Radar theory, weather radar characteristics, and empirical data derived from in-flight radar photographs are combined to model a civil weather/mapping radar typical of those used in offshore rotorcraft operations. The resulting radar simulation is realistic and provides the needed simulation capability for ongoing ARA research.

The Cubesat Heliospheric Imaging Experiment for Space Weather Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeForest, Craig; Howard, T.; Dickinson, J.; Epperly, M.; Kief, C.

2010-05-01

Heliospheric imaging data have been shown to improve space weather prediction by an order of magnitude, and heliospheric monitoring by the SMEI and STEREO-HI instruments have proven to be extremely useful for understanding heliospheric conditions near Earth. However, SMEI is approaching end-of-life and the STEREOs are drifting away from favorable Earth-viewing geometry just as the new solar cycle begins. CHIME is an innovative, miniaturized, fully functional space weather heliospheric monitor that fits within the 3U CubeSat envelope and can be flown individually (as a scientific or demonstrator mission) or in a swarm (to attain operational-class reliability) at a small fraction of the cost of a conventional mission. Here we describe the CHIME concept and its use with the automated processing pipeline AICMED to improve space weather prediction.

Remote Sensing Global Surface Air Pressure Using Differential Absorption BArometric Radar (DiBAR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Bing; Harrah, Steven; Lawrence, Wes; Hu, Yongxiang; Min, Qilong

2016-01-01

Tropical storms and severe weathers are listed as one of core events that need improved observations and predictions in World Meteorological Organization and NASA Decadal Survey (DS) documents and have major impacts on public safety and national security. This effort tries to observe surface air pressure, especially over open seas, from space using a Differential-absorption BArometric Radar (DiBAR) operating at the 50-55 gigahertz O2 absorption band. Air pressure is among the most important variables that affect atmospheric dynamics, and currently can only be measured by limited in-situ observations over oceans. Analyses show that with the proposed space radar the errors in instantaneous (averaged) pressure estimates can be as low as approximately 4 millibars (approximately 1 millibar under all weather conditions). With these sea level pressure measurements, the forecasts of severe weathers such as hurricanes will be significantly improved. Since the development of the DiBAR concept about a decade ago, NASA Langley DiBAR research team has made substantial progress in advancing the concept. The feasibility assessment clearly shows the potential of sea surface barometry using existing radar technologies. The team has developed a DiBAR system design, fabricated a Prototype-DiBAR (P-DiBAR) for proof-of-concept, conducted lab, ground and airborne P-DiBAR tests. The flight test results are consistent with the instrumentation goals. Observational system simulation experiments for space DiBAR performance based on the existing DiBAR technology and capability show substantial improvements in tropical storm predictions, not only for the hurricane track and position but also for the hurricane intensity. DiBAR measurements will lead us to an unprecedented level of the prediction and knowledge on global extreme weather and climate conditions.

Aircraft Icing Weather Data Reporting and Dissemination System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bass, Ellen J.; Minsk, Brian; Lindholm, Tenny; Politovich, Marcia; Reehorst, Andrew (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The long-term operational concept of this research is to develop an onboard aircraft system that assesses and reports atmospheric icing conditions automatically and in a timely manner in order to improve aviation safety and the efficiency of aircraft operations via improved real-time and forecast weather products. The idea is to use current measurement capabilities on aircraft equipped with icing sensors and in-flight data communication technologies as a reporting source. Without requiring expensive avionics upgrades, aircraft data must be processed and available for downlink. Ideally, the data from multiple aircraft can then be integrated (along with other real-time and modeled data) on the ground such that aviation-centered icing hazard metrics for volumes of airspace can be assessed. As the effect of icing on different aircraft types can vary, the information should be displayed in meaningful ways such that multiple types of users can understand the information. That is, information must be presented in a manner to allow users to understand the icing conditions with respect to individual concerns and aircraft capabilities. This research provides progress toward this operational concept by: identifying an aircraft platform capable of digitally capturing, processing, and downlinking icing data; identifying the required in situ icing data processing; investigating the requirements for routing the icing data for use by weather products; developing an icing case study in order to gain insight into major air carrier needs; developing and prototyping icing display concepts based on the National Center for Atmospheric Research's existing diagnostic and forecast experimental icing products; and conducting a usability study for the prototyped icing display concepts.

Analysis of Well-Clear Boundary Models for the Integration of UAS in the NAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Upchurch, Jason M.; Munoz, Cesar A.; Narkawicz, Anthony J.; Chamberlain, James P.; Consiglio, Maria C.

2014-01-01

The FAA-sponsored Sense and Avoid Workshop for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) defnes the concept of sense and avoid for remote pilots as "the capability of a UAS to remain well clear from and avoid collisions with other airborne traffic." Hence, a rigorous definition of well clear is fundamental to any separation assurance concept for the integration of UAS into civil airspace. This paper presents a family of well-clear boundary models based on the TCAS II Resolution Advisory logic. Analytical techniques are used to study the properties and relationships satisfied by the models. Some of these properties are numerically quantifed using statistical methods.

Exploring earth's atmosphere with radio occultation: contributions to weather, climate and space weather

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anthes, R. A.

2011-01-01

The launch of the proof-of-concept mission GPS/MET in 1995 began a revolution in profiling earth's atmosphere through radio occultation (RO). GPS/MET; subsequent single-satellite missions CHAMP, SAC-C, GRACE, METOP-A, and TerraSAR-X; and the six-satellite constellation, FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC, have proven the theoretical capabilities of RO to provide accurate and precise profiles of electron density in the ionosphere and refractivity, containing information on temperature and water vapor, in the stratosphere and troposphere. This paper summarizes results from these RO missions and the applications of RO observations to atmospheric research and operational weather analysis and prediction.

Notes on a Vision for the Global Space Weather Enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Head, James N.

2015-07-01

Space weather phenomena impacts human civilization on a global scale and hence calls for a global approach to research, monitoring, and operational forecasting. The Global Space Weather Enterprise (GSWE) could be arranged along lines well established in existing international frameworks related to space exploration or to the use of space to benefit humanity. The Enterprise need not establish a new organization, but could evolve from existing international organizations. A GSWE employing open architectural concepts could be arranged to promote participation by all interested States regardless of current differences in science and technical capacity. Such an Enterprise would engender capacity building and burden sharing opportunities.

Scaling in nature: From DNA through heartbeats to weather

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Havlin, S.; Buldyrev, S. V.; Bunde, A.; Goldberger, A. L.; Ivanov, P. Ch.; Peng, C.-K.; Stanley, H. E.

1999-12-01

The purpose of this talk is to describe some recent progress in applying scaling concepts to various systems in nature. We review several systems characterized by scaling laws such as DNA sequences, heartbeat rates and weather variations. We discuss the finding that the exponent α quantifying the scaling in DNA in smaller for coding than for noncoding sequences. We also discuss the application of fractal scaling analysis to the dynamics of heartbeat regulation, and report the recent finding that the scaling exponent α is smaller during sleep periods compared to wake periods. We also discuss the recent findings that suggest a universal scaling exponent characterizing the weather fluctuations.

Scaling in nature: from DNA through heartbeats to weather

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Havlin, S.; Buldyrev, S. V.; Bunde, A.; Goldberger, A. L.; Peng, C. K.; Stanley, H. E.

1999-01-01

The purpose of this report is to describe some recent progress in applying scaling concepts to various systems in nature. We review several systems characterized by scaling laws such as DNA sequences, heartbeat rates and weather variations. We discuss the finding that the exponent alpha quantifying the scaling in DNA in smaller for coding than for noncoding sequences. We also discuss the application of fractal scaling analysis to the dynamics of heartbeat regulation, and report the recent finding that the scaling exponent alpha is smaller during sleep periods compared to wake periods. We also discuss the recent findings that suggest a universal scaling exponent characterizing the weather fluctuations.

Evaluating impacts of different longitudinal driver assistance systems on reducing multi-vehicle rear-end crashes during small-scale inclement weather.

PubMed

Li, Ye; Xing, Lu; Wang, Wei; Wang, Hao; Dong, Changyin; Liu, Shanwen

2017-10-01

Multi-vehicle rear-end (MVRE) crashes during small-scale inclement (SSI) weather cause high fatality rates on freeways, which cannot be solved by traditional speed limit strategies. This study aimed to reduce MVRE crash risks during SSI weather using different longitudinal driver assistance systems (LDAS). The impact factors on MVRE crashes during SSI weather were firstly analyzed. Then, four LDAS, including Forward collision warning (FCW), Autonomous emergency braking (AEB), Adaptive cruise control (ACC) and Cooperative ACC (CACC), were modeled based on a unified platform, the Intelligent Driver Model (IDM). Simulation experiments were designed and a large number of simulations were then conducted to evaluate safety effects of different LDAS. Results indicate that the FCW and ACC system have poor performance on reducing MVRE crashes during SSI weather. The slight improvement of sight distance of FCW and the limitation of perception-reaction time of ACC lead the failure of avoiding MVRE crashes in most scenarios. The AEB system has the better effect due to automatic perception and reaction, as well as performing the full brake when encountering SSI weather. The CACC system has the best performance because wireless communication provides a larger sight distance and a shorter time delay at the sub-second level. Sensitivity analyses also indicated that the larger number of vehicles and speed changes after encountering SSI weather have negative impacts on safety performances. Results of this study provide useful information for accident prevention during SSI weather. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preserving Food by Drying. A Math/Science Teaching Manual. Appropriate Technologies for Development. Manual No. M-10.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahy, Cynthia; And Others

This manual presents a design for teaching science principles and mathematics concepts through a sequence of activities concentrating on weather, solar food dryers, and nutrition. Part I focuses on the effect of solar energy on air and water, examining the concepts of evaporation, condensation, radiation, conduction, and convection. These concepts…

Proceedings: Annual Workshop on Meteorological and Environmental Inputs to Aviation Systems (5th) Held on 31 March-2 April 1981.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-01

STUDIES PROJECT MODIFICATION JFK JOHN F. KENNEDY AIRPORT PATWAS PILOT AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE WEATHER ANSWERING SERVICE JPL JET PROPULSION LABORATORY PDP...wing aircraft, helicopters, and cruise sorship directed at Atmospheric Electricity missiles. The AEHP concepts developed will apply Hazards Protection...atmospheric electricity simulators. 90 THE JOINT AIRPORT WEATHER STUDIES PROJECT John McCarthy National Center for Atmospheric Research Several people raised

Use of a Prototype Airborne Separation Assurance System for Resolving Near-Term Conflicts During Autonomous Aircraft Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barhydt, Richard; Eischeid, Todd M.; Palmer, Michael T.; Wing, David J.

2003-01-01

NASA is currently investigating a new concept of operations for the National Airspace System, designed to improve capacity while maintaining or improving current levels of safety. This concept, known as Distributed Air/Ground Traffic Management (DAGTM), allows appropriately equipped autonomous aircraft to maneuver freely for flight optimization while resolving conflicts with other traffic and staying out of special use airspace and hazardous weather. In order to perform these tasks, pilots use prototype conflict detection, prevention, and resolution tools, collectively known as an Airborne Separation Assurance System (ASAS). While ASAS would normally allow pilots to resolve conflicts before they become hazardous, evaluation of system performance in sudden, near-term conflicts is needed in order to determine concept feasibility. An experiment was conducted in NASA Langley's Air Traffic Operations Lab to evaluate the prototype ASAS for enabling pilots to resolve near-term conflicts and examine possible operational effects associated with the use of lower separation minimums. Sixteen commercial airline pilots flew a total of 32 traffic scenarios that required them to use prototype ASAS tools to resolve close range pop-up conflicts. Required separation standards were set at either 3 or 5 NM lateral spacing, with 1000 ft vertical separation being used for both cases. Reducing the lateral separation from 5 to 3 NM did not appear to increase operational risk, as indicated by the proximity to the intruder aircraft. Pilots performed better when they followed tactical guidance cues provided by ASAS than when they didn't follow the guidance. In an effort to improve compliance rate, ASAS design changes are currently under consideration. Further studies will of evaluate these design changes and consider integration issues between ASAS and existing Airborne Collision Avoidance Systems (ACAS).

Small Aircraft Transportation System, Higher Volume Operations Concept: Normal Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, Terence S.; Jones, Kenneth M.; Consiglio, Maria C.; Williams, Daniel M.; Adams, Catherine A.

2004-01-01

This document defines the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS), Higher Volume Operations (HVO) concept for normal conditions. In this concept, a block of airspace would be established around designated non-towered, non-radar airports during periods of poor weather. Within this new airspace, pilots would take responsibility for separation assurance between their aircraft and other similarly equipped aircraft. Using onboard equipment and procedures, they would then approach and land at the airport. Departures would be handled in a similar fashion. The details for this operational concept are provided in this document.

Human-In-The-Loop Experimental Research for Detect and Avoid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Consiglio, Maria; Munoz, Cesar; Hagen, George; Narkawicz, Anthony; Upchurch, Jason; Comstock, James; Ghatas, Rania; Vincent, Michael; Chamberlain, James

2015-01-01

This paper describes a Detect and Avoid (DAA) concept for integration of UAS into the NAS developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and provides results from recent human-in-the-loop experiments performed to investigate interoperability and acceptability issues associated with these vehicles and operations. The series of experiments was designed to incrementally assess critical elements of the new concept and the enabling technologies that will be required.

Exploring heteroplasmy as the basis for maternally-transmitted cold tolerance in cucumber

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cucumber is a warm-season crop that can be severely damaged by short periods of cold temperatures. Growers would benefit from cold tolerant cucumbers by preventing crop loss in inclement weather as well as by allowing for earlier planting and harvest, thus avoiding heavy late-season disease pressure...

Multi-spectrum-based enhanced synthetic vision system for aircraft DVE operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashyap, Sudesh K.; Naidu, V. P. S.; Shanthakumar, N.

2016-04-01

This paper focus on R&D being carried out at CSIR-NAL on Enhanced Synthetic Vision System (ESVS) for Indian regional transport aircraft to enhance all weather operational capabilities with safety and pilot Situation Awareness (SA) improvements. Flight simulator has been developed to study ESVS related technologies and to develop ESVS operational concepts for all weather approach and landing and to provide quantitative and qualitative information that could be used to develop criteria for all-weather approach and landing at regional airports in India. Enhanced Vision System (EVS) hardware prototype with long wave Infrared sensor and low light CMOS camera is used to carry out few field trials on ground vehicle at airport runway at different visibility conditions. Data acquisition and playback system has been developed to capture EVS sensor data (image) in time synch with test vehicle inertial navigation data during EVS field experiments and to playback the experimental data on ESVS flight simulator for ESVS research and concept studies. Efforts are on to conduct EVS flight experiments on CSIR-NAL research aircraft HANSA in Degraded Visual Environment (DVE).

The SupraThermal Ion Monitor for space weather predictions.

PubMed

Allegrini, F; Desai, M I; Livi, S; McComas, D J; Ho, G C

2014-05-01

Measurement of suprathermal energy ions in the heliosphere has always been challenging because (1) these ions are situated in the energy regime only a few times higher than the solar wind plasma, where intensities are orders of magnitude higher and (2) ion energies are below or close to the threshold of state-of-art solid-state detectors. Suprathermal ions accelerated at coronal mass ejection-driven shocks propagate out ahead of the shocks. These shocks can cause geomagnetic storms in the Earth's magnetosphere that can affect spacecraft and ground-based power and communication systems. An instrument with sufficient sensitivity to measure these ions can be used to predict the arrival of the shocks and provide an advance warning for potentially geo-effective space weather. In this paper, we present a novel energy analyzer concept, the Suprathermal Ion Monitor (STIM) that is designed to measure suprathermal ions with high sensitivity. We show results from a laboratory prototype and demonstrate the feasibility of the concept. A list of key performances is given, as well as a discussion of various possible detectors at the back end. STIM is an ideal candidate for a future space weather monitor in orbit upstream of the near-earth environment, for example, around L1. A scaled-down version is suitable for a CubeSat mission. Such a platform allows proofing the concept and demonstrating its performance in the space environment.

Analytical evaluation of ILM sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirk, R. J.; Johnson, C. E.; Doty, D.

1975-01-01

Functional requirements and operating environment constraints for an Independent Landing Monitor for aircraft landings in Cat. 2/3 weather conditions are identified and translated into specific sensing requirements. State-of-the-art capabilities of radar, TV, FLIR, multilateration, microwave radiometry, interferometry, redundant MLS and nuclear sensing concepts are evaluated and compared to the requirements. Concepts showing the best ILM potential are identified elsewhere in this series. Three specific concepts are identified: bistatic radar, complex interferometry, and circular synthetic aperture.

Design and Evaluation of a Dynamic Programming Flight Routing Algorithm Using the Convective Weather Avoidance Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ng, Hok K.; Grabbe, Shon; Mukherjee, Avijit

2010-01-01

The optimization of traffic flows in congested airspace with varying convective weather is a challenging problem. One approach is to generate shortest routes between origins and destinations while meeting airspace capacity constraint in the presence of uncertainties, such as weather and airspace demand. This study focuses on development of an optimal flight path search algorithm that optimizes national airspace system throughput and efficiency in the presence of uncertainties. The algorithm is based on dynamic programming and utilizes the predicted probability that an aircraft will deviate around convective weather. It is shown that the running time of the algorithm increases linearly with the total number of links between all stages. The optimal routes minimize a combination of fuel cost and expected cost of route deviation due to convective weather. They are considered as alternatives to the set of coded departure routes which are predefined by FAA to reroute pre-departure flights around weather or air traffic constraints. A formula, which calculates predicted probability of deviation from a given flight path, is also derived. The predicted probability of deviation is calculated for all path candidates. Routes with the best probability are selected as optimal. The predicted probability of deviation serves as a computable measure of reliability in pre-departure rerouting. The algorithm can also be extended to automatically adjust its design parameters to satisfy the desired level of reliability.

Unmanned Aerial Systems Traffic Management (UTM): Safely Enabling UAS Operations in Low-Altitude Airspace

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rios, Joseph

2016-01-01

Currently, there is no established infrastructure to enable and safely manage the widespread use of low-altitude airspace and UAS flight operations. Given this, and understanding that the FAA faces a mandate to modernize the present air traffic management system through computer automation and significantly reduce the number of air traffic controllers by FY 2020, the FAA maintains that a comprehensive, yet fully automated UAS traffic management (UTM) system for low-altitude airspace is needed. The concept of UTM is to begin by leveraging concepts from the system of roads, lanes, stop signs, rules and lights that govern vehicles on the ground today. Building on its legacy of work in air traffic management (ATM), NASA is working with industry to develop prototype technologies for a UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system that would evolve airspace integration procedures for enabling safe, efficient low-altitude flight operations that autonomously manage UAS operating in an approved low-altitude airspace environment. UTM is a cloud-based system that will autonomously manage all traffic at low altitudes to include UASs being operated beyond visual line of sight of an operator. UTM would thus enable safe and efficient flight operations by providing fully integrated traffic management services such as airspace design, corridors, dynamic geofencing, severe weather and wind avoidance, congestion management, terrain avoidance, route planning re-routing, separation management, sequencing spacing, and contingency management. UTM removes the need for human operators to continuously monitor aircraft operating in approved areas. NASA envisions concepts for two types of UTM systems. The first would be a small portable system, which could be moved between geographical areas in support of operations such as precision agriculture and public safety. The second would be a Persistent system, which would support low-altitude operations in an approved area by providing continuous automated coverage. Both would require persistent communication, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) coverage to track, ensure, and monitor conformance. UTM is creating an airspace management tool that allows the ATM system to accommodate the number of UAS that will operate in the low altitude airspace. The analogy is just because we have a car, whether its autonomous or someone is driving, does not diminish the need for a road or road signs or rules of the road.

Inter-comparison of weather and circulation type classifications for hydrological drought development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleig, Anne K.; Tallaksen, Lena M.; Hisdal, Hege; Stahl, Kerstin; Hannah, David M.

Classifications of weather and circulation patterns are often applied in research seeking to relate atmospheric state to surface environmental phenomena. However, numerous procedures have been applied to define the patterns, thus limiting comparability between studies. The COST733 Action “ Harmonisation and Applications of Weather Type Classifications for European regions” tests 73 different weather type classifications (WTC) and their associate weather types (WTs) and compares the WTCs’ utility for various applications. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of these WTCs for analysis of regional hydrological drought development in north-western Europe. Hydrological drought is defined in terms of a Regional Drought Area Index (RDAI), which is based on deficits derived from daily river flow series. RDAI series (1964-2001) were calculated for four homogeneous regions in Great Britain and two in Denmark. For each region, WTs associated with hydrological drought development were identified based on antecedent and concurrent WT-frequencies for major drought events. The utility of the different WTCs for the study of hydrological drought development was evaluated, and the influence of WTC attributes, i.e. input variables, number of defined WTs and general classification concept, on WTC performance was assessed. The objective Grosswetterlagen (OGWL), the objective Second-Generation Lamb Weather Type Classification (LWT2) with 18 WTs and two implementations of the objective Wetterlagenklassifikation (WLK; with 40 and 28 WTs) outperformed all other WTCs. In general, WTCs with more WTs (⩾27) were found to perform better than WTCs with less (⩽18) WTs. The influence of input variables was not consistent across the different classification procedures, and the performance of a WTC was determined primarily by the classification procedure itself. Overall, classification procedures following the relatively simple general classification concept of predefining WTs based on thresholds, performed better than those based on more sophisticated classification concepts such as deriving WTs by cluster analysis or artificial neural networks. In particular, PCA based WTCs with 9 WTs and automated WTCs with a high number of predefined WTs (subjectively and threshold based) performed well. It is suggested that the explicit consideration of the air flow characteristics of meridionality, zonality and cyclonicity in the definition of WTs is a useful feature for a WTC when analysing regional hydrological drought development.

Fully automatic guidance and control for rotorcraft nap-of-the-Earth flight following planned profiles. Volume 1: Real-time piloted simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, Warren F.; Gorder, Peter J.; Jewell, Wayne F.

1991-01-01

Developing a single-pilot, all-weather nap-of-the-earth (NOE) capability requires fully automatic NOE (ANOE) navigation and flight control. Innovative guidance and control concepts are investigated in a four-fold research effort that: (1) organizes the on-board computer-based storage and real-time updating of NOE terrain profiles and obstacles in course-oriented coordinates indexed to the mission flight plan; (2) defines a class of automatic anticipative pursuit guidance algorithms and necessary data preview requirements to follow the vertical, lateral, and longitudinal guidance commands dictated by the updated flight profiles; (3) automates a decision-making process for unexpected obstacle avoidance; and (4) provides several rapid response maneuvers. Acquired knowledge from the sensed environment is correlated with the forehand knowledge of the recorded environment (terrain, cultural features, threats, and targets), which is then used to determine an appropriate evasive maneuver if a nonconformity of the sensed and recorded environments is observed. This four-fold research effort was evaluated in both fixed-based and moving-based real-time piloted simulations, thereby, providing a practical demonstration for evaluating pilot acceptance of the automated concepts, supervisory override, manual operation, and re-engagement of the automatic system. Volume one describes the major components of the guidance and control laws as well as the results of the piloted simulations. Volume two describes the complete mathematical model of the fully automatic guidance system for rotorcraft NOE flight following planned flight profiles.

Fully Automatic Guidance and Control for Rotorcraft Nap-of-the-earth Flight Following Planned Profiles. Volume 2: Mathematical Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, Warren F.; Gorder, Peter J.; Jewell, Wayne F.

1991-01-01

Developing a single-pilot, all-weather nap-of-the-earth (NOE) capability requires fully automatic NOE (ANOE) navigation and flight control. Innovative guidance and control concepts are investigated in a four-fold research effort that: (1) organizes the on-board computer-based storage and real-time updating of NOE terrain profiles and obstacles in course-oriented coordinates indexed to the mission flight plan; (2) defines a class of automatic anticipative pursuit guidance algorithms and necessary data preview requirements to follow the vertical, lateral, and longitudinal guidance commands dictated by the updated flight profiles; (3) automates a decision-making process for unexpected obstacle avoidance; and (4) provides several rapid response maneuvers. Acquired knowledge from the sensed environment is correlated with the forehand knowledge of the recorded environment (terrain, cultural features, threats, and targets), which is then used to determine an appropriate evasive maneuver if a nonconformity of the sensed and recorded environments is observed. This four-fold research effort was evaluated in both fixed-base and moving-base real-time piloted simulations; thereby, providing a practical demonstration for evaluating pilot acceptance of the automated concepts, supervisory override, manual operation, and re-engagement of the automatic system. Volume one describes the major components of the guidance and control laws as well as the results of the piloted simulations. Volume two describes the complete mathematical model of the fully automatic guidance system for rotorcraft NOE flight following planned flight profiles.

Analysis of a Lunar Base Electrostatic Radiation Shield Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buhler, Charles R.

2004-01-01

Space weather can be defined as the total ensemble of radiation in space, as well as on the surface of moons and asteroids. It consists of electromagnetic, charged-particle, and neutral particle radiation. The fundamental goal behind this NIAC Phase I research is to investigate methods of generating a static electric-field potential phi(x, y, z) in the volume above and around a "safe" or protected area on the lunar surface so that trajectories of harmful charged particle radiation are modified (deflected or reflected), thus creating a shadow over that region. Since the charged particles are not neutralized but merely redirected, there will be areas outside of the shadowed protected region that will have a higher flux concentration of radiation. One of the fundamental limitations of the static electric (electrostatic)-field approach to radiation shielding is that complete shadowing is accomplished only by complete reflection, which can only occur for shield voltages greater than or equal to the kinetic energy (in electron volts) of the incoming charged particles. Just as habitats on Earth are protected from severe weather events and conditions, such as extreme temperatures, high winds, and UV radiation, using multiple methods of shielding protection from severe space weather will undoubtedly require multiple strategies. The electrostatic shield concept may be one of many methods employed to protect astronaut habitats on the lunar surface from some of the harmful effects of space weather.

Age and ethnic differences in cold weather and contagion theories of colds and flu.

PubMed

Sigelman, Carol K

2012-02-01

Age and ethnic group differences in cold weather and contagion or germ theories of infectious disease were explored in two studies. A cold weather theory was frequently invoked to explain colds and to a lesser extent flu but became less prominent with age as children gained command of a germ theory of disease. Explanations of how contact with other people causes disease were more causally sophisticated than explanations of how cold weather causes it. Finally, Mexican American and other minority children were more likely than European American children to subscribe to cold weather theories, a difference partially but not wholly attributable to ethnic group differences in parent education. Findings support the value of an intuitive or naïve theories perspective in understanding developmental and sociocultural differences in concepts of disease and in planning health education to help both children and their parents shed misconceptions so that they can focus on effective preventive actions.

Public Perception of Extreme Cold Weather-Related Health Risk in a Cold Area of Northeast China.

PubMed

Ban, Jie; Lan, Li; Yang, Chao; Wang, Jian; Chen, Chen; Huang, Ganlin; Li, Tiantian

2017-08-01

A need exists for public health strategies regarding extreme weather disasters, which in recent years have become more frequent. This study aimed to understand the public's perception of extreme cold and its related health risks, which may provide detailed information for public health preparedness during an extreme cold weather event. To evaluate public perceptions of cold-related health risk and to identify vulnerable groups, we collected responses from 891 participants in a face-to-face survey in Harbin, China. Public perception was measured by calculating the score for each perception question. Locals perceived that extreme cold weather and related health risks were serious, but thought they could not avoid these risks. The significant difference in perceived acceptance level between age groups suggested that the elderly are a "high health risk, low risk perception" group, meaning that they are relatively more vulnerable owing to their high susceptibility and low awareness of the health risks associated with extreme cold weather. The elderly should be a priority in risk communication and health protective interventions. This study demonstrated that introducing risk perception into the public health field can identify vulnerable groups with greater needs, which may improve the decision-making of public health intervention strategies. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:417-421).

Benefits Assessment of the Interaction Between Traffic Flow Management Delay and Airspace Partitions in the Presence of Weather

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palopo, Kee; Lee, Hak-Tae; Chatterji, Gano

2011-01-01

The concept of re-partitioning the airspace into a new set of sectors for allocating capacity rather than delaying flights to comply with the capacity constraints of a static set of sectors is being explored. The reduction in delay, a benefit, achieved by this concept needs to be greater than the cost of controllers and equipment needed for the additional sectors. Therefore, tradeoff studies are needed for benefits assessment of this concept.

Simulation Evaluation of Equivalent Vision Technologies for Aerospace Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kramer, Lynda J.; Williams, Steven P.; Wilz, Susan J.; Arthur, Jarvis J.

2009-01-01

A fixed-based simulation experiment was conducted in NASA Langley Research Center s Integration Flight Deck simulator to investigate enabling technologies for equivalent visual operations (EVO) in the emerging Next Generation Air Transportation System operating environment. EVO implies the capability to achieve or even improve on the safety of current-day Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations, maintain the operational tempos of VFR, and perhaps even retain VFR procedures - all independent of the actual weather and visibility conditions. Twenty-four air transport-rated pilots evaluated the use of Synthetic/Enhanced Vision Systems (S/EVS) and eXternal Vision Systems (XVS) technologies as enabling technologies for future all-weather operations. The experimental objectives were to determine the feasibility of XVS/SVS/EVS to provide for all weather (visibility) landing capability without the need (or ability) for a visual approach segment and to determine the interaction of XVS/EVS and peripheral vision cues for terminal area and surface operations. Another key element of the testing investigated the pilot's awareness and reaction to non-normal events (i.e., failure conditions) that were unexpectedly introduced into the experiment. These non-normal runs served as critical determinants in the underlying safety of all-weather operations. Experimental data from this test are cast into performance-based approach and landing standards which might establish a basis for future all-weather landing operations. Glideslope tracking performance appears to have improved with the elimination of the approach visual segment. This improvement can most likely be attributed to the fact that the pilots didn't have to simultaneously perform glideslope corrections and find required visual landing references in order to continue a landing. Lateral tracking performance was excellent regardless of the display concept being evaluated or whether or not there were peripheral cues in the side window. Although workload ratings were significantly less when peripheral cues were present compared to when there were none, these differences appear to be operationally inconsequential. Larger display concepts tested in this experiment showed significant situation awareness (SA) improvements and workload reductions compared to smaller display concepts. With a fixed display size, a color display was more influential in SA and workload ratings than a collimated display.

Lightning threat to aircraft: Do we know all we need to know?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazur, Vladislav

1991-01-01

The problem of lightning threat to aircraft has two aspects: strike avoidance and aircraft protection. These two issues are addressed under the following topics: (1) lightning strikes, weather conditions, and natural lightning rate; (2) the engineering vs. scientific approach to aircraft protection; and (3) the additional information needed to understand lightning threat to aircraft.

Investigation of environmental indices from the Earth Resources Technology Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ward, E. A. (Principal Investigator); Ouellette, R. P.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Correlation between the EPA/NOAA Atmospheric Turbidity Network data and the average greyness of ERTS-1 imagery over the same test site gives promise of a use for ERTS as a source of mesoscale turbidity information. Care however must be given to avoid weather front and urban effect anomalies.

Advanced Airspace Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erzberger, Heinz

2002-01-01

A general overview of the Advanced Airspace Concept (AAC) is presented. The topics include: 1) Limitations of the existing system; 2) The Advanced Airspace Concept; 3) Candidate architecture for the AAC; 4) Separation assurance and conflict avoidance system (TSAFE); and 5) Ground-Air Interactions. This paper is in viewgraph form.

Operationally Efficient Propulsion System Study (OEPSS) data book. Volume 4: OEPSS design concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wong, George S.; Ziese, James M.; Farhangi, Shahram

1990-01-01

This study was initiated to identify operations problems and cost drivers for current propulsion systems and to identify technology and design approaches to increase the operational efficiency and reduce operations costs for future propulsion systems. To provide readily usable data for the Advanced Launch System (ALS) program, the results of the OEPSS study have been organized into a series of OEPSS Data Books. This volume describes three propulsion concepts that will simplify the propulsion system design and significantly reduce operational requirements. The concepts include: (1) a fully integrated, booster propulsion module concept for the ALS that avoids the complex system created by using autonomous engines with numerous artificial interfaces; (2) an LOX tank aft concept which avoids potentially dangerous geysering in long LOX propellant lines; and (3) an air augmented, rocket engine nozzle afterburning propulsion concept that will significantly reduce LOX propellant requirements, reduce vehicle size and simplify ground operations and ground support equipment and facilities.

Healthcare avoidance: a critical review.

PubMed

Byrne, Sharon K

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study is to provide a critical review and synthesis of theoretical and research literature documenting the impact of avoidance on healthcare behaviors, identify the factors that influence healthcare avoidance and delay in the adult population, and propose a direction for future research. The Theory of Reasoned Action, Theory of Planned Behavior, Theory of Care-Seeking Behavior, the Transtheoretical Model, and the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use/Utilization are utilized to elaborate on the context within which individual intention to engage in healthcare behaviors occurs. Research literature on the concept of healthcare avoidance obtained by using computerized searches of CINAHL, MEDLINE, PSYCH INFO, and HAPI databases, from 1995 to 2007, were reviewed. Studies were organized by professional disciplines. Healthcare avoidance is a common and highly variable experience. Multiple administrative, demographic, personal, and provider factors are related to healthcare avoidance, for example, distrust of providers and/or the science community, health beliefs, insurance status, or socioeconomic/income level. Although the concept is recognized by multiple disciplines, limited research studies address its impact on healthcare decision making. More systematic research is needed to determine correlates of healthcare avoidance. Such studies will help investigators identify patients at risk for avoidant behaviors and provide the basis for health-promoting interventions. Methodological challenges include identification of characteristics of individuals and environments that hinder healthcare behaviors, as well as, the complexity of measuring healthcare avoidance. Studies need to systematically explore the influence of avoidance behaviors on specific healthcare populations at risk.

Cockpit display of hazardous wind shear information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wanke, Craig; Hansman, R. John, Jr.

1990-01-01

Information on cockpit display of wind shear information is given in viewgraph form. Based on the current status of windshear sensors and candidate data dissemination systems, the near-term capabilities for windshear avoidance will most likely include: (1) Ground-based detection: TDWR (Terminal Doppler Weather Radar), LLWAS (Low-Level Windshear Alert System), Automated PIREPS; (2) Ground-Air datalinks: Air traffic control voice channels, Mode-S digital datalink, ACARS alphanumeric datalink. The possible datapaths for integration of these systems are illustrated in a diagram. In the future, airborne windshear detection systems such as lidars, passive IR detectors, or airborne Doppler radars may also become available. Possible future datalinks include satellite downlink and specialized en route weather channels.

Understanding the weather signal in national crop-yield variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frieler, Katja; Schauberger, Bernhard; Arneth, Almut; Balkovič, Juraj; Chryssanthacopoulos, James; Deryng, Delphine; Elliott, Joshua; Folberth, Christian; Khabarov, Nikolay; Müller, Christoph; Olin, Stefan; Pugh, Thomas A. M.; Schaphoff, Sibyll; Schewe, Jacob; Schmid, Erwin; Warszawski, Lila; Levermann, Anders

2017-06-01

Year-to-year variations in crop yields can have major impacts on the livelihoods of subsistence farmers and may trigger significant global price fluctuations, with severe consequences for people in developing countries. Fluctuations can be induced by weather conditions, management decisions, weeds, diseases, and pests. Although an explicit quantification and deeper understanding of weather-induced crop-yield variability is essential for adaptation strategies, so far it has only been addressed by empirical models. Here, we provide conservative estimates of the fraction of reported national yield variabilities that can be attributed to weather by state-of-the-art, process-based crop model simulations. We find that observed weather variations can explain more than 50% of the variability in wheat yields in Australia, Canada, Spain, Hungary, and Romania. For maize, weather sensitivities exceed 50% in seven countries, including the United States. The explained variance exceeds 50% for rice in Japan and South Korea and for soy in Argentina. Avoiding water stress by simulating yields assuming full irrigation shows that water limitation is a major driver of the observed variations in most of these countries. Identifying the mechanisms leading to crop-yield fluctuations is not only fundamental for dampening fluctuations, but is also important in the context of the debate on the attribution of loss and damage to climate change. Since process-based crop models not only account for weather influences on crop yields, but also provide options to represent human-management measures, they could become essential tools for differentiating these drivers, and for exploring options to reduce future yield fluctuations.

Weathering on a stagnant lid planet: Prospects for habitability?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foley, B. J.

2016-12-01

Plate tectonics plays a major role in the operation of the long term carbon cycle on Earth, which in turn buffers Earth's climate by regulating atmospheric CO2 levels. As a result, plate tectonics has long been considered to be essential for maintaining habitable conditions over geologic timescales. In particular, plate tectonics returns carbon to the mantle through subduction, allowing for long-lived CO2 degassing to the atmosphere, and plate tectonics sustains a large supply of fresh, weatherable rock at the surface through continual uplift, orogeny, and seafloor spreading. Without a large supply of fresh rock weathering can become supply-limited, where no climate regulating weathering feedback occurs. However, another mechanism for supplying fresh rock to the surface is through volcanism. Volcanism occurs on rocky planets, at least for some portion of their history, regardless of their mode of surface tectonics. In this presentation I assess whether a stagnant lid planet can avoid supply-limited weathering, and thus buffer its climate through the weathering feedback, when the supply of fresh rock is provided solely by volcanism. A simple analysis shows that the amount of CO2 in the mantle is critical for determining whether volcanic degassing overwhelms the supply of rock produced by eruptions, leading to supply-limited weathering and a hot climate, or not. Models of the coupled evolution of climate, mantle temperature, and volcanic rate are then used to determine how long a habitable climate could be maintained on a stagnant lid planet, and how different initial conditions influence this timescale. The results have important implications for the prospects for habitability of stagnant lid planets.

Weather Avoidance Guidelines for NASA Global Hawk High-Altitude UAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cecil, Daniel J.; Zipser, Edward J.; Velden, Chris; Monette, Sarah; Heymsfield, Gerry; Braun, Scott; Newman, Paul; Black, Pete; Black, Michael; Dunion, Jason

2014-01-01

NASA operates two Global Hawk unmanned aircraft systems for Earth Science research projects. In particular, they are used in the Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) project during 2012, 2013, and 2014 to take measurements from the environment around tropical cyclones, and from directly above tropical cyclones. There is concern that strict adherence to the weather avoidance rules used in 2012 may sacrifice the ability to observe important science targets. We have proposed modifications to these weather avoidance rules that we believe will improve the ability to observe science targets without compromising aircraft safety. The previous guidelines, used in 2012, specified: Do not approach thunderstorms within 25 nm during flight at FL500 or below. When flying above FL500: Do not approach reported lightning within 25NM in areas where cloud tops are reported at FL500 or higher. Aircraft should maintain at least 10000 ft vertical separation from reported lightning if cloud tops are below FL500. No over-flight of cumulus tops higher than FL500. No flight into forecast or reported icing conditions. No flight into forecast or reported moderate or severe turbulence Based on past experience with high-altitude flights over tropical cyclones, we have recommended changing this guidance to: Do not approach thunderstorms within 25 nm during flight at FL500 or below. Aircraft should maintain at least 5000 ft vertical separation from significant convective cloud tops except: a) When cloud tops above FL500: In the event of reported significant lightning activity or indicators of significant overshooting tops, do not approach within 10-25 nm, depending on pilot discretion and advice from Mission Scientist. b) When cloud tops are below FL500, maintain 10000 ft separation from reported significant lightning or indicators of significant overshooting tops. No flight into forecasted or reported icing conditions. No flight into forecasted or reported moderate or severe turbulence The key changes have to do with overflight of high convective cloud tops and those producing lightning. Experience shows that most tropical oceanic convection (including that in tropical cyclones) is relatively gentle even if the cloud tops are quite high, and can be safely overflown. Exceptions are convective elements producing elevated lightning flash rates (more than just the occasional flash, which would trigger avoidance under the previous rules) and significant overshooting cloud tops.

Exploring the role of experiential avoidance from the perspective of attachment theory and the dual process model.

PubMed

Shear, M Katherine

2010-01-01

Avoidance can be adaptive and facilitate the healing process of acute grief or it can be maladaptive and hinder this same process. Maladaptive cognitive or behavioral avoidance comprises the central feature of the condition of complicated grief. This article explores the concept of experiential avoidance as it applies to bereavement, including when it is adaptive when it is problematic. Adaptive avoidance is framed using an attachment theory perspective and incorporates insights from the dual process model (DPM). An approach to clinical management of experiential avoidance in the syndrome of complicated grief is included.

Physics Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1977

1977-01-01

Includes methods for demonstrating Schlieren effect, measuring refractive index, measuring acceleration, presenting concepts of optics, automatically recording weather, constructing apparaturs for sound experiments, using thermistor thermometers, using the 741 operational amplifier in analog computing, measuring inductance, electronically ringing…

Brown Dwarf Weather (Artist's Concept)

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-17

This artist's concept animation shows a brown dwarf with bands of clouds, thought to resemble those seen on Neptune and the other outer planets in the solar system. By using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have found that the varying glow of brown dwarfs over time can be explained by bands of patchy clouds rotating at different speeds. Videos are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21752

Filter methods to preserve local contrast and to avoid artifacts in gamut mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meili, Marcel; Küpper, Dennis; Barańczuk, Zofia; Caluori, Ursina; Simon, Klaus

2010-01-01

Contrary to high dynamic range imaging, the preservation of details and the avoidance of artifacts is not explicitly considered in popular color management systems. An effective way to overcome these difficulties is image filtering. In this paper we investigate several image filter concepts for detail preservation as part of a practical gamut mapping strategy. In particular we define four concepts including various image filters and check their performance with a psycho-visual test. Additionally, we compare our performance evaluation to two image quality measures with emphasis on local contrast. Surprisingly, the most simple filter concept performs highly efficient and achieves an image quality which is comparable to the more established but slower methods.

Developing a robust methodology for assessing the value of weather/climate services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krijnen, Justin; Golding, Nicola; Buontempo, Carlo

2016-04-01

Increasingly, scientists involved in providing weather and climate services are expected to demonstrate the value of their work for end users in order to justify the costs of developing and delivering these services. This talk will outline different approaches that can be used to assess the socio-economic benefits of weather and climate services, including, among others, willingness to pay and avoided costs. The advantages and limitations of these methods will be discussed and relevant case-studies will be used to illustrate each approach. The choice of valuation method may be influenced by different factors, such as resource and time constraints and the end purposes of the study. In addition, there are important methodological differences which will affect the value assessed. For instance the ultimate value of a weather/climate forecast to a decision-maker will not only depend on forecast accuracy but also on other factors, such as how the forecast is communicated to and consequently interpreted by the end-user. Thus, excluding these additional factors may result in inaccurate socio-economic value estimates. In order to reduce the inaccuracies in this valuation process we propose an approach that assesses how the initial weather/climate forecast information can be incorporated within the value chain of a given sector, taking into account value gains and losses at each stage of the delivery process. By this we aim to more accurately depict the socio-economic benefits of a weather/climate forecast to decision-makers.

A Photo Storm Report Mobile Application, Processing/Distribution System, and AWIPS-II Display Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longmore, S. P.; Bikos, D.; Szoke, E.; Miller, S. D.; Brummer, R.; Lindsey, D. T.; Hillger, D.

2014-12-01

The increasing use of mobile phones equipped with digital cameras and the ability to post images and information to the Internet in real-time has significantly improved the ability to report events almost instantaneously. In the context of severe weather reports, a representative digital image conveys significantly more information than a simple text or phone relayed report to a weather forecaster issuing severe weather warnings. It also allows the forecaster to reasonably discern the validity and quality of a storm report. Posting geo-located, time stamped storm report photographs utilizing a mobile phone application to NWS social media weather forecast office pages has generated recent positive feedback from forecasters. Building upon this feedback, this discussion advances the concept, development, and implementation of a formalized Photo Storm Report (PSR) mobile application, processing and distribution system and Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System II (AWIPS-II) plug-in display software.The PSR system would be composed of three core components: i) a mobile phone application, ii) a processing and distribution software and hardware system, and iii) AWIPS-II data, exchange and visualization plug-in software. i) The mobile phone application would allow web-registered users to send geo-location, view direction, and time stamped PSRs along with severe weather type and comments to the processing and distribution servers. ii) The servers would receive PSRs, convert images and information to NWS network bandwidth manageable sizes in an AWIPS-II data format, distribute them on the NWS data communications network, and archive the original PSRs for possible future research datasets. iii) The AWIPS-II data and exchange plug-ins would archive PSRs, and the visualization plug-in would display PSR locations, times and directions by hour, similar to surface observations. Hovering on individual PSRs would reveal photo thumbnails and clicking on them would display the full resolution photograph.Here, we present initial NWS forecaster feedback received from social media posted PSRs, motivating the possible advantages of PSRs within AWIPS-II, the details of developing and implementing a PSR system, and possible future applications beyond severe weather reports and AWIPS-II.

CAESAR, French Probative Public Service for In-Orbit Collision Avoidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laporte, Francois; Moury, Monique

2013-08-01

This paper starts by describing the conjunction analysis which has to be performed using CSM data provided by JSpOC. This description not only demonstrates that Collision Avoidance is a 2-step process (close approach detection followed by risk evaluation for collision avoidance decision) but also leads to the conclusion that there is a need for Middle Man role. After describing the Middle Man concept, it introduces the French response CAESAR and the need for collaborative work environment which is implied by Middle Man concept. It includes a description of the environment put in place for CAESAR (secure website and dedicated tools), the content of the service, the condition for the distribution of the CNES software JAC and the advantages for subscribers.

Development of a High Resolution Weather Forecast Model for Mesoamerica Using the NASA Nebula Cloud Computing Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molthan, Andrew L.; Case, Jonathan L.; Venner, Jason; Moreno-Madrinan, Max. J.; Delgado, Francisco

2012-01-01

Over the past two years, scientists in the Earth Science Office at NASA fs Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have explored opportunities to apply cloud computing concepts to support near real ]time weather forecast modeling via the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Collaborators at NASA fs Short ]term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center and the SERVIR project at Marshall Space Flight Center have established a framework that provides high resolution, daily weather forecasts over Mesoamerica through use of the NASA Nebula Cloud Computing Platform at Ames Research Center. Supported by experts at Ames, staff at SPoRT and SERVIR have established daily forecasts complete with web graphics and a user interface that allows SERVIR partners access to high resolution depictions of weather in the next 48 hours, useful for monitoring and mitigating meteorological hazards such as thunderstorms, heavy precipitation, and tropical weather that can lead to other disasters such as flooding and landslides. This presentation will describe the framework for establishing and providing WRF forecasts, example applications of output provided via the SERVIR web portal, and early results of forecast model verification against available surface ] and satellite ]based observations.

Development of a High Resolution Weather Forecast Model for Mesoamerica Using the NASA Nebula Cloud Computing Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molthan, A.; Case, J.; Venner, J.; Moreno-Madriñán, M. J.; Delgado, F.

2012-12-01

Over the past two years, scientists in the Earth Science Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have explored opportunities to apply cloud computing concepts to support near real-time weather forecast modeling via the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Collaborators at NASA's Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center and the SERVIR project at Marshall Space Flight Center have established a framework that provides high resolution, daily weather forecasts over Mesoamerica through use of the NASA Nebula Cloud Computing Platform at Ames Research Center. Supported by experts at Ames, staff at SPoRT and SERVIR have established daily forecasts complete with web graphics and a user interface that allows SERVIR partners access to high resolution depictions of weather in the next 48 hours, useful for monitoring and mitigating meteorological hazards such as thunderstorms, heavy precipitation, and tropical weather that can lead to other disasters such as flooding and landslides. This presentation will describe the framework for establishing and providing WRF forecasts, example applications of output provided via the SERVIR web portal, and early results of forecast model verification against available surface- and satellite-based observations.

Negative CO2 emissions via enhanced silicate weathering in coastal environments

PubMed Central

Montserrat, Francesc

2017-01-01

Negative emission technologies (NETs) target the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, and are being actively investigated as a strategy to limit global warming to within the 1.5–2°C targets of the 2015 UN climate agreement. Enhanced silicate weathering (ESW) proposes to exploit the natural process of mineral weathering for the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. Here, we discuss the potential of applying ESW in coastal environments as a climate change mitigation option. By deliberately introducing fast-weathering silicate minerals onto coastal sediments, alkalinity is released into the overlying waters, thus creating a coastal CO2 sink. Compared with other NETs, coastal ESW has the advantage that it counteracts ocean acidification, does not interfere with terrestrial land use and can be directly integrated into existing coastal management programmes with existing (dredging) technology. Yet presently, the concept is still at an early stage, and so two major research challenges relate to the efficiency and environmental impact of ESW. Dedicated experiments are needed (i) to more precisely determine the weathering rate under in situ conditions within the seabed and (ii) to evaluate the ecosystem impacts—both positive and negative—from the released weathering products. PMID:28381634

Olivine Dissolution in Seawater: Implications for CO2 Sequestration through Enhanced Weathering in Coastal Environments

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Enhanced weathering of (ultra)basic silicate rocks such as olivine-rich dunite has been proposed as a large-scale climate engineering approach. When implemented in coastal environments, olivine weathering is expected to increase seawater alkalinity, thus resulting in additional CO2 uptake from the atmosphere. However, the mechanisms of marine olivine weathering and its effect on seawater–carbonate chemistry remain poorly understood. Here, we present results from batch reaction experiments, in which forsteritic olivine was subjected to rotational agitation in different seawater media for periods of days to months. Olivine dissolution caused a significant increase in alkalinity of the seawater with a consequent DIC increase due to CO2 invasion, thus confirming viability of the basic concept of enhanced silicate weathering. However, our experiments also identified several important challenges with respect to the detailed quantification of the CO2 sequestration efficiency under field conditions, which include nonstoichiometric dissolution, potential pore water saturation in the seabed, and the potential occurrence of secondary reactions. Before enhanced weathering of olivine in coastal environments can be considered an option for realizing negative CO2 emissions for climate mitigation purposes, these aspects need further experimental assessment. PMID:28281750

Super Ensemble-based Aviation Turbulence Guidance (SEATG) for Air Traffic Management (ATM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jung-Hoon; Chan, William; Sridhar, Banavar; Sharman, Robert

2014-05-01

Super Ensemble (ensemble of ten turbulence metrics from time-lagged ensemble members of weather forecast data)-based Aviation Turbulence Guidance (SEATG) is developed using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and in-situ eddy dissipation rate (EDR) observations equipped on commercial aircraft over the contiguous United States. SEATG is a sequence of five procedures including weather modeling, calculating turbulence metrics, mapping EDR-scale, evaluating metrics, and producing final SEATG forecast. This uses similar methodology to the operational Graphic Turbulence Guidance (GTG) with three major improvements. First, SEATG use a higher resolution (3-km) WRF model to capture cloud-resolving scale phenomena. Second, SEATG computes turbulence metrics for multiple forecasts that are combined at the same valid time resulting in an time-lagged ensemble of multiple turbulence metrics. Third, SEATG provides both deterministic and probabilistic turbulence forecasts to take into account weather uncertainties and user demands. It is found that the SEATG forecasts match well with observed radar reflectivity along a surface front as well as convectively induced turbulence outside the clouds on 7-8 Sep 2012. And, overall performance skill of deterministic SEATG against the observed EDR data during this period is superior to any single turbulence metrics. Finally, probabilistic SEATG is used as an example application of turbulence forecast for air-traffic management. In this study, a simple Wind-Optimal Route (WOR) passing through the potential areas of probabilistic SEATG and Lateral Turbulence Avoidance Route (LTAR) taking into account the SEATG are calculated at z = 35000 ft (z = 12 km) from Los Angeles to John F. Kennedy international airports. As a result, WOR takes total of 239 minutes with 16 minutes of SEATG areas for 40% of moderate turbulence potential, while LTAR takes total of 252 minutes travel time that 5% of fuel would be additionally consumed to entirely avoid the moderate SEATG regions.

Application of infrared radiometers for airborne detection of clear air turbulence and low level wind shear, airborne infrared low level wind shear detection test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuhn, P. M.

1985-01-01

The feasibility of infrared optical techniques for the advance detection and avoidance of low level wind shear (LLWS) or low altitude wind shear hazardous to aircraft operations was investigated. A primary feasibility research effort was conducted with infrared detectors and instrumentation aboard the NASA Ames Research Center Learjet. The main field effort was flown on the NASA-Ames Dryden B57B aircraft. The original approach visualized a forward-looking, infrared transmitting (KRS-5) window through which signals would reach the detector. The present concept of a one inch diameter light pipe with a 45 deg angled mirror enables a much simpler installation virtually anywhere on the aircraft coupled with the possibility of horizontal scanning via rotation of the forward directed mirror. Present infrared detectors and filters would certainly permit ranging and horizontal scanning in a variety of methods. CRT display technology could provide a contoured picture with possible shear intensity levels from the infrared detection system on the weather radar or a small adjunct display. This procedure shoud be further developed and pilot evaluated in a light aircraft such as a Cessna 207 or equivalent.

Extreme groundwater levels caused by extreme weather conditions - the highest ever measured groundwater levels in Middle Germany and their management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinstorf, F.; Kramer, S.; Koch, T.; Pfützner, B.

2017-12-01

Extreme weather conditions during the years 2009 - 2011 in combination with changes in the regional water management led to maximum groundwater levels in large areas of Germany in 2011. This resulted in extensive water logging, with problems especially in urban areas near rivers, where water logging produced huge problems for buildings and infrastructure. The acute situation still exists in many areas and requires the development of solution concepts. Taken the example of the Elbe-Saale-Region in the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt, were a pilot research project was carried out, the analytical situation, the development of a management tool and the implementation of a groundwater management concept are shown. The central tool is a coupled water budget - groundwater flow model. In combination with sophisticated multi-scale parameter estimation, a high-resolution groundwater level simulation was carried out. A decision support process with an intensive stakeholder interaction combined with high-resolution simulations enables the development of a management concept for extreme groundwater situations in consideration of sustainable and environmentally sound solutions mainly on the base of passive measures.

Toward a Concept of Operations for Aviation Weather Information Implementation in the Evolving National Airspace System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McAdaragh, Raymon M.

2002-01-01

The capacity of the National Airspace System is being stressed due to the limits of current technologies. Because of this, the FAA and NASA are working to develop new technologies to increase the system's capacity which enhancing safety. Adverse weather has been determined to be a major factor in aircraft accidents and fatalities and the FAA and NASA have developed programs to improve aviation weather information technologies and communications for system users The Aviation Weather Information Element of the Weather Accident Prevention Project of NASA's Aviation Safety Program is currently working to develop these technologies in coordination with the FAA and industry. This paper sets forth a theoretical approach to implement these new technologies while addressing the National Airspace System (NAS) as an evolving system with Weather Information as one of its subSystems. With this approach in place, system users will be able to acquire the type of weather information that is needed based upon the type of decision-making situation and condition that is encountered. The theoretical approach addressed in this paper takes the form of a model for weather information implementation. This model addresses the use of weather information in three decision-making situations, based upon the system user's operational perspective. The model also addresses two decision-making conditions, which are based upon the need for collaboration due to the level of support offered by the weather information provided by each new product or technology. The model is proposed for use in weather information implementation in order to provide a systems approach to the NAS. Enhancements to the NAS collaborative decision-making capabilities are also suggested.

Advanced Concepts Research Initiative

EPA Science Inventory

This initiative is investigating various approaches to controlling and treating wet-weather flow (WWF) discharges in the urban watershed. WWF, including combined sewer overflow (CSO), sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) and stormwater discharges are leading causes of receiving water q...

Integration of emergency and weather elements into transportation management centers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-02-28

Integration as applied to transportation management and operations is a concept that reflects how Transportation Management Center (TMC) operators, agencies internal to the TMC, external agencies and support systems interact to improve transportation...

Whole Brain Irradiation With Hippocampal Sparing and Dose Escalation on Multiple Brain Metastases: A Planning Study on Treatment Concepts

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

Prokic, Vesna, E-mail: vesna.prokic@uniklinik-freiburg.de; Wiedenmann, Nicole; Fels, Franziska

2013-01-01

Purpose: To develop a new treatment planning strategy in patients with multiple brain metastases. The goal was to perform whole brain irradiation (WBI) with hippocampal sparing and dose escalation on multiple brain metastases. Two treatment concepts were investigated: simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) and WBI followed by stereotactic fractionated radiation therapy sequential concept (SC). Methods and Materials: Treatment plans for both concepts were calculated for 10 patients with 2-8 brain metastases using volumetric modulated arc therapy. In the SIB concept, the prescribed dose was 30 Gy in 12 fractions to the whole brain and 51 Gy in 12 fractions to individualmore » brain metastases. In the SC concept, the prescription was 30 Gy in 12 fractions to the whole brain followed by 18 Gy in 2 fractions to brain metastases. All plans were optimized for dose coverage of whole brain and lesions, simultaneously minimizing dose to the hippocampus. The treatment plans were evaluated on target coverage, homogeneity, and minimal dose to the hippocampus and organs at risk. Results: The SIB concept enabled more successful sparing of the hippocampus; the mean dose to the hippocampus was 7.55 {+-} 0.62 Gy and 6.29 {+-} 0.62 Gy, respectively, when 5-mm and 10-mm avoidance regions around the hippocampus were used, normalized to 2-Gy fractions. In the SC concept, the mean dose to hippocampus was 9.8 {+-} 1.75 Gy. The mean dose to the whole brain (excluding metastases) was 33.2 {+-} 0.7 Gy and 32.7 {+-} 0.96 Gy, respectively, in the SIB concept, for 5-mm and 10-mm hippocampus avoidance regions, and 37.23 {+-} 1.42 Gy in SC. Conclusions: Both concepts, SIB and SC, were able to achieve adequate whole brain coverage and radiosurgery-equivalent dose distributions to individual brain metastases. The SIB technique achieved better sparing of the hippocampus, especially when a10-mm hippocampal avoidance region was used.« less

Active Sensing Air Pressure Using Differential Absorption Barometric Radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, B.

2016-12-01

Tropical storms and other severe weathers cause huge life losses and property damages and have major impacts on public safety and national security. Their observations and predictions need to be significantly improved. This effort tries to develop a feasible active microwave approach that measures surface air pressure, especially over open seas, from space using a Differential-absorption BArometric Radar (DiBAR) operating at 50-55 GHz O2 absorption band in order to constrain assimilated dynamic fields of numerical weather Prediction (NWP) models close to actual conditions. Air pressure is the most important variable that drives atmospheric dynamics, and currently can only be measured by limited in-situ observations over oceans. Even over land there is no uniform coverage of surface air pressure measurements. Analyses show that with the proposed space radar the errors in instantaneous (averaged) pressure estimates can be as low as 4mb ( 1mb) under all weather conditions. NASA Langley research team has made substantial progresses in advancing the DiBAR concept. The feasibility assessment clearly shows the potential of surface barometry using existing radar technologies. The team has also developed a DiBAR system design, fabricated a Prototype-DiBAR (P-DiBAR) for proof-of-concept, conducted laboratory, ground and airborne P-DiBAR tests. The flight test results are consistent with the instrumentation goals. The precision and accuracy of radar surface pressure measurements are within the range of the theoretical analysis of the DiBAR concept. Observational system simulation experiments for space DiBAR performance based on the existing DiBAR technology and capability show substantial improvements in tropical storm predictions, not only for the hurricane track and position but also for the hurricane intensity. DiBAR measurements will provide us an unprecedented level of the prediction and knowledge on global extreme weather and climate conditions.

Modelling Wind Turbine Failures based on Weather Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reder, Maik; Melero, Julio J.

2017-11-01

A large proportion of the overall costs of a wind farm is directly related to operation and maintenance (O&M) tasks. By applying predictive O&M strategies rather than corrective approaches these costs can be decreased significantly. Here, especially wind turbine (WT) failure models can help to understand the components’ degradation processes and enable the operators to anticipate upcoming failures. Usually, these models are based on the age of the systems or components. However, latest research shows that the on-site weather conditions also affect the turbine failure behaviour significantly. This study presents a novel approach to model WT failures based on the environmental conditions to which they are exposed to. The results focus on general WT failures, as well as on four main components: gearbox, generator, pitch and yaw system. A penalised likelihood estimation is used in order to avoid problems due to for example highly correlated input covariates. The relative importance of the model covariates is assessed in order to analyse the effect of each weather parameter on the model output.

All-Weather Solar Cells: A Rising Photovoltaic Revolution.

PubMed

Tang, Qunwei

2017-06-16

Solar cells have been considered as one of the foremost solutions to energy and environmental problems because of clean, high efficiency, cost-effective, and inexhaustible features. The historical development and state-of-the-art solar cells mainly focus on elevating photoelectric conversion efficiency upon direct sunlight illumination. It is still a challenging problem to realize persistent high-efficiency power generation in rainy, foggy, haze, and dark-light conditions (night). The physical proof-of-concept for all-weather solar cells opens a door for an upcoming photovoltaic revolution. Our group has been exploring constructive routes to build all-weather solar cells so that these advanced photovoltaic technologies can be an indication for global solar industry in bringing down the cost of energy harvesting. How the all-weather solar cells are built without reducing photo performances and why such architectures can realize electricity outputs with no visible-light are discussed. Potential pathways and opportunities to enrich all-weather solar cell families are envisaged. The aspects discussed here may enable researchers to develop undiscovered abilities and to explore wide applications of advanced photovoltaics. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Cockpit weather graphics using mobile satellite communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seth, Shashi

Many new companies are pushing state-of-the-art technology to bring a revolution in the cockpits of General Aviation (GA) aircraft. The vision, according to Dr. Bruce Holmes - the Assistant Director for Aeronautics at National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Langley Research Center, is to provide such an advanced flight control system that the motor and cognitive skills you use to drive a car would be very similar to the ones you would use to fly an airplane. We at ViGYAN, Inc., are currently developing a system called the Pilot Weather Advisor (PWxA), which would be a part of such an advanced technology flight management system. The PWxA provides graphical depictions of weather information in the cockpit of aircraft in near real-time, through the use of broadcast satellite communications. The purpose of this system is to improve the safety and utility of GA aircraft operations. Considerable effort is being extended for research in the design of graphical weather systems, notably the works of Scanlon and Dash. The concept of providing pilots with graphical depictions of weather conditions, overlaid on geographical and navigational maps, is extremely powerful.

Cockpit weather graphics using mobile satellite communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seth, Shashi

1993-01-01

Many new companies are pushing state-of-the-art technology to bring a revolution in the cockpits of General Aviation (GA) aircraft. The vision, according to Dr. Bruce Holmes - the Assistant Director for Aeronautics at National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Langley Research Center, is to provide such an advanced flight control system that the motor and cognitive skills you use to drive a car would be very similar to the ones you would use to fly an airplane. We at ViGYAN, Inc., are currently developing a system called the Pilot Weather Advisor (PWxA), which would be a part of such an advanced technology flight management system. The PWxA provides graphical depictions of weather information in the cockpit of aircraft in near real-time, through the use of broadcast satellite communications. The purpose of this system is to improve the safety and utility of GA aircraft operations. Considerable effort is being extended for research in the design of graphical weather systems, notably the works of Scanlon and Dash. The concept of providing pilots with graphical depictions of weather conditions, overlaid on geographical and navigational maps, is extremely powerful.

Catalog of Air Force Weather Technical Documents, 1941-2006

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-19

radiosondes in current use in USA. Elementary discussion of statistical terms and concepts used for expressing accuracy or error is discussed. AWS TR 105...Techniques, Appendix B: Vorticity—An Elementary Discussion of the Concept, August 1956, 27pp. Formerly AWSM 105– 50/1A. Provides the necessary back...steps involved in ordinary multiple linear regression. Conditional probability is calculated using transnormalized variables in the multivariate normal

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.

Physician practice management companies: a failed concept.

PubMed

Kraft, Stephen

2002-01-01

Is there a lesson? Famed investor Warren Buffet claims he never buys a company unless he personally understands the business. He admits he has missed a few real opportunities in the high technology sector. However, he is pleased to have avoided many disasters. Many physicians entered into PPMC deals without completely understanding the concept. Perhaps the lesson is to simply avoid a deal that does not make sense. Understand the market. Understand the business. If you, as a buyer, seller or partner cannot clearly understand how a transaction creates value that you can capture, walk away.

Formal Analysis of Extended Well-Clear Boundaries for Unmanned Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munoz, Cesar; Narkawicz, Anthony

2016-01-01

This paper concerns the application of formal methods to the definition of a detect and avoid concept for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). In particular, it illustrates how formal analysis was used to explain and correct unexpected behaviors of the logic that issues alerts when two aircraft are predicted not to be well clear from one another. As a result of this analysis, a recommendation was proposed to, and subsequently adopted by, the US standards organization that defines the minimum operational requirements for the UAS detect and avoid concept.

Asbestos exposure during renovation and demolition of asbestos-cement clad buildings

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

Brown, S.K.

External asbestos cement (AC) claddings become weathered after many years by the gradual loss of cement from exposed surfaces; as a result, loosely bound layers enriched with asbestos fibers are formed. Asbestos fibers on such weathered surfaces may be mixtures of chrysotile with amosite or crocidolite. Renovation and demolition of old AC clad buildings could cause asbestos fiber emission, but this has not been investigated in the past. The exposure of workers to asbestos dust during these operations and precautions to minimize exposure now have been investigated at several building sites. Asbestos dust concentrations during water jet cleaning or paintingmore » of weathered AC roofing were approximately 0.1 to 0.2 fibers per milliliter (f/mL). Limited results suggest that concentrations may be reduced substantially by avoiding abrasion of surfaces. Concentrations during AC roof replacement averaged approximately 0.1 f/mL and were reduced markedly by employing more careful work procedures. Asbestos dust concentrations during demolition by removal of whole sheets averaged 0.3 to 0.6 f/mL for roofs and less than 0.1 f/mL for walls, reflecting the significant differences in extent of weathering between these elements. Suppression of asbestos emissions from roof sheets by wetting or sealing of weathered surfaces was not predictable because of the occurrence of asbestos fibers in dust trapped under sheet laps.« less

On the dual nature of lichen-induced rock surface weathering in contrasting micro-environments.

PubMed

Marques, Joana; Gonçalves, João; Oliveira, Cláudia; Favero-Longo, Sergio E; Paz-Bermúdez, Graciela; Almeida, Rubim; Prieto, Beatriz

2016-10-01

Contradictory evidence from biogeomorphological studies has increased the debate on the extent of lichen contribution to differential rock surface weathering in both natural and cultural settings. This study, undertaken in Côa Valley Archaeological Park, aimed at evaluating the effect of rock surface orientation on the weathering ability of dominant lichens. Hyphal penetration and oxalate formation at the lichen-rock interface were evaluated as proxies of physical and chemical weathering, respectively. A new protocol of pixel-based supervised image classification for the analysis of periodic acid-Schiff stained cross-sections of colonized schist revealed that hyphal spread of individual species was not influenced by surface orientation. However, hyphal spread was significantly higher in species dominant on northwest facing surfaces. An apparently opposite effect was noticed in terms of calcium oxalate accumulation at the lichen-rock interface; it was detected by Raman spectroscopy and complementary X-ray microdiffraction on southeast facing surfaces only. These results suggest that lichen-induced physical weathering may be most severe on northwest facing surfaces by means of an indirect effect of surface orientation on species abundance, and thus dependent on the species, whereas lichen-induced chemical weathering is apparently higher on southeast facing surfaces and dependent on micro-environmental conditions, giving only weak support to the hypothesis that lichens are responsible for the currently observed pattern of rock-art distribution in Côa Valley. Assumptions about the drivers of open-air rock-art distribution patterns elsewhere should also consider the micro-environmental controls of lichen-induced weathering, to avoid biased measures of lichen contribution to rock-art deterioration. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Science in Service to Society - A Review of Applied Science & Decision Support Development Serving Multiple Economic Sectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahoney, W. P., III

2015-12-01

For more than 30 years, the Research Applications Laboratory (RAL) of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has conducted fundamental and applied research focused on developing decision support tools spanning multiple end-user groups representing a variety of economic sectors. Technology transfer is a primary mission of the laboratory where innovation is a key attribute and multidisciplinary research and development are the norm. Application areas include, aviation, surface transportation, wind and solar energy prediction, climate, weather and health, numerical weather prediction, biological and chemical plume dispersion for homeland security, flood prediction and water resource management, soil condition and crop maturity prediction among other application areas. The majority of the developed capabilities have been operationalized by the public, private, and academic sectors. Several commercial companies have been successfully formed around the technologies (e.g., Weather Information Technologies, Inc., Peak Weather Resources, Inc., and Global Weather Corporation) and many existing companies have improved their products by utilizing the RAL-developed weather system advancements (The Weather Channel, WSI, Schneider Electric, Xcel Energy, United Airlines, Vaisala, Panasonic, Idaho Power, etc.). The economic benefit estimates of implementing these technologies have ranged from billions of dollars in avoided commercial aircraft accidents over the last 30 years to 10s of millions of dollars of annual savings by state departments of transportation via more efficient ice and snow maintenance operations. Research and development at RAL is connected to the Broader Impacts Criterion of NSF and its focus on research that results in significant economic or societal impact. This talk will describe our research-to-operations process and discuss several technology transfer examples that have led to commercial opportunities.

Air traffic management evaluation tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheth, Kapil S. (Inventor); Sridhar, Banavar (Inventor); Bilimoria, Karl D. (Inventor); Grabbe, Shon (Inventor); Chatterji, Gano Broto (Inventor); Schipper, John F. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

Method and system for evaluating and implementing air traffic management tools and approaches for managing and avoiding an air traffic incident before the incident occurs. The invention provides flight plan routing and direct routing or wind optimal routing, using great circle navigation and spherical Earth geometry. The invention provides for aircraft dynamics effects, such as wind effects at each altitude, altitude changes, airspeed changes and aircraft turns to provide predictions of aircraft trajectory (and, optionally, aircraft fuel use). A second system provides several aviation applications using the first system. These applications include conflict detection and resolution, miles-in trail or minutes-in-trail aircraft separation, flight arrival management, flight re-routing, weather prediction and analysis and interpolation of weather variables based upon sparse measurements.

KSC00pp0887

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-06-19

In a hangar at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a weather researcher checks a field mill measuring device on the Cessna Citation. The aircraft is being used for NASA’s airborne field mill study. The plane also carries cloud physics probes (under the body and wings) that measure the size, shape and number of ice and water particles in clouds. The plane is being flown into anvil clouds in the KSC area as part of a study to review and possibly modify lightning launch commit criteria. The weather study could lead to improved lightning avoidance rules and fewer launch scrubs for the Space Shuttle and other launch vehicles on the Eastern and Western ranges.; More information about the study can be found in Release No. 56-00

KSC-00pp0887

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-06-19

In a hangar at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a weather researcher checks a field mill measuring device on the Cessna Citation. The aircraft is being used for NASA’s airborne field mill study. The plane also carries cloud physics probes (under the body and wings) that measure the size, shape and number of ice and water particles in clouds. The plane is being flown into anvil clouds in the KSC area as part of a study to review and possibly modify lightning launch commit criteria. The weather study could lead to improved lightning avoidance rules and fewer launch scrubs for the Space Shuttle and other launch vehicles on the Eastern and Western ranges.; More information about the study can be found in Release No. 56-00

Tools, Resources, and Innovations for Active Learning of Solar and Geospace Environment Content in the Undergraduate Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knipp, D. J.

2013-12-01

An undergraduate course in solar and geospace (helio) physics should link fundamental principles from introductory physics and astronomy courses to concepts that appear unique, or are uniquely named in the heliophysics course. This paper discusses short topics and activities that can be addressed in an approximately 15-min class segment, that introduce students to aspects of solar, solar wind, and geospace storms that are a step beyond, or a special application of, an introductory physics concept. Some of these activities could be assigned as pre- or post- class activities as well. Many of the actives are aligned with images or diagrams in textbook, "Understanding Space Weather and the Physics Behind It," but could be easily adapted to other texts. We also address activities that link to information from space weather forecasting and/or modeling websites.

AN overview of the FLYSAFE datalink solution for the exchange of weather information: supporting aircrew decision making processes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirza, A.; Drouin, A.

2009-09-01

FLYSAFE is an Integrated Project of the 6th framework of the European Commission with the aim to improve flight safety through the development of an avionics solution the Next Generation Integrated Surveillance System (NGISS), which is supported by a ground based network of Weather Information Management Systems (WIMS) and access points in the form of the Ground Weather Processor (GWP). The NGISS provides information to the flight crew on the three major external hazards for aviation: weather, air traffic and terrain. The NGISS has the capability of displaying data about all three hazards on a single display screen, facilitating rapid appreciation of the situation by the flight crew. Weather Information Management Systems (WIMS) were developed to provide the NGISS and the flight crew with weather related information on in-flight icing, thunderstorms and clear-air turbulence. These products are generated on the ground from observations and model forecasts. WIMS will supply relevant information on three different scales: global, regional and local (over airport Terminal Manoeuvring Area). The Ground Weather Processor is a client-server architecture that utilises open source components, which include a geospatial database and web feature services. The GWP stores Weather Objects generated by the WIMS. An aviation user can retrieve on-demand all Weather Objects that intersect the volume of space that is of interest to them. The Weather Objects are fused with in-situ observation data and can be used by the flight management system to propose a route to avoid the hazard. In addition they can be used to display the current hazardous weather to the Flight Crew thereby raising their awareness. Within the FLYSAFE program, around 120 hours of flight trials were performed during February 2008 and August 2008. Two aircraft were involved each with separate objectives: - to assess FLYSAFE's innovative solutions for the data-link, on-board data-fusion and data-display and data-updates during flight; - to evaluate the new weather information management systems (in-flight icing and thunderstorms) using in-situ measurements recorded on-board the test aircraft. In this presentation we will focus on the data link solution to uplink the Weather Objects to the NGISS. As part of the solution, a brief description is given on how grid data created by the WIMS are transformed to Weather Objects; which describe the weather hazard and are formatted using the Geospatial Mark-up Language.

Proposed Use of the NASA Ames Nebula Cloud Computing Platform for Numerical Weather Prediction and the Distribution of High Resolution Satellite Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Limaye, Ashutosh S.; Molthan, Andrew L.; Srikishen, Jayanthi

2010-01-01

The development of the Nebula Cloud Computing Platform at NASA Ames Research Center provides an open-source solution for the deployment of scalable computing and storage capabilities relevant to the execution of real-time weather forecasts and the distribution of high resolution satellite data to the operational weather community. Two projects at Marshall Space Flight Center may benefit from use of the Nebula system. The NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center facilitates the use of unique NASA satellite data and research capabilities in the operational weather community by providing datasets relevant to numerical weather prediction, and satellite data sets useful in weather analysis. SERVIR provides satellite data products for decision support, emphasizing environmental threats such as wildfires, floods, landslides, and other hazards, with interests in numerical weather prediction in support of disaster response. The Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model Environmental Modeling System (WRF-EMS) has been configured for Nebula cloud computing use via the creation of a disk image and deployment of repeated instances. Given the available infrastructure within Nebula and the "infrastructure as a service" concept, the system appears well-suited for the rapid deployment of additional forecast models over different domains, in response to real-time research applications or disaster response. Future investigations into Nebula capabilities will focus on the development of a web mapping server and load balancing configuration to support the distribution of high resolution satellite data sets to users within the National Weather Service and international partners of SERVIR.

Weather conditions promote route flexibility during open ocean crossing in a long-distance migratory raptor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mellone, Ugo; López-López, Pascual; Limiñana, Rubén; Urios, Vicente

2011-07-01

Weather conditions are paramount in shaping birds' migratory routes, promoting the evolution of behavioural plasticity and allowing for adaptive decisions on when to depart or stop during migration. Here, we describe and analyze the influence of weather conditions in shaping the sea-crossing stage of the pre-breeding journey made by a long-distance migratory bird, the Eleonora's falcon ( Falco eleonorae), tracked by satellite telemetry from the wintering grounds in the Southern Hemisphere to the breeding sites in the Northern Hemisphere. As far as we know, the data presented here are the first report of repeated oceanic journeys of the same individuals in consecutive years. Our results show inter-annual variability in the routes followed by Eleonora's falcons when crossing the Strait of Mozambique, between Madagascar and eastern continental Africa. Interestingly, our observations illustrate that individuals show high behavioural plasticity and are able to change their migration route from one year to another in response to weather conditions, thus minimising the risk of long ocean crossing by selecting winds blowing towards Africa for departure and changing the routes to avoid low pressure areas en route. Our results suggest that weather conditions can really act as obstacles during migration, and thus, besides ecological barriers, the migratory behaviour of birds could also be shaped by "meteorological barriers". We briefly discuss orientation mechanisms used for navigation. Since environmental conditions during migration could cause carry-over effects, we consider that forecasting how global changes of weather patterns will shape the behaviour of migratory birds is of the utmost importance.

A predictive model for spotted wilt epidemics in peanut based on local weather conditions and the tomato spotted wilt virus risk index.

PubMed

Olatinwo, R O; Paz, J O; Brown, S L; Kemerait, R C; Culbreath, A K; Beasley, J P; Hoogenboom, G

2008-10-01

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), a member of the genus Tospovirus (family Bunyaviridae), is an important plant virus that causes severe damage to peanut (Arachis hypogaea) in the southeastern United States. Disease severity has been extremely variable in individual fields in Georgia, due to several factors including variability in weather patterns. A TSWV risk index has been developed by the University of Georgia to aid peanut growers with the assessment and avoidance of high risk situations. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between weather parameters and spotted wilt severity in peanut, and to develop a predictive model that integrates localized weather information into the risk index. On-farm survey data collected during 1999, 2002, 2004, and 2005 growing seasons, and derived weather variables during the same years were analyzed using nonlinear and multiple regression analyses. Meteorological data were obtained from the Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network. The best model explained 61% of the variation in spotted wilt severity (square root transformed) as a function of the interactions between the TSWV risk index, the average daily temperature in April (TavA), the average daily minimum temperature between March and April (TminMA), the accumulated rainfall in March (RainfallM), the accumulated rainfall in April (RainfallA), the number of rain days in April (RainDayA), evapotranspiration in April (EVTA), and the number of days from 1 January to the planting date (JulianDay). Integrating this weather-based model with the TSWV risk index may help peanut growers more effectively manage tomato spotted wilt disease.

The urban heat island in Akron, Ohio

Treesearch

Frank P. Martin; Grace L. Powell

1977-01-01

Data gathered by automobile traverse were used to describe the urban heat of Akron, Ohio. Observations were made at 2100 or 2200 EST on four nights-17 April, 11 July, 10 October, and 2 January. Weather conditions not conducive to heat-island development were avoided. Temperatures in the center of the heat island were 6 to 14?F warmer than rural areas outside the city....

Crowdsourcing urban air temperature measurements using smartphones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balcerak, Ernie

2013-10-01

Crowdsourced data from cell phone battery temperature sensors could be used to contribute to improved real-time, high-resolution air temperature estimates in urban areas, a new study shows. Temperature observations in cities are in some cases currently limited to a few weather stations, but there are millions of smartphone users in many cities. The batteries in cell phones have temperature sensors to avoid damage to the phone.

Global markets and the differential effects of climate and weather on conflict

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, K. C.; Hsiang, S. M.; Cane, M. A.

2011-12-01

Both climate and weather have been attributed historically as possible drivers for violence. Previous empirical studies have either focused on isolating local idiosyncratic weather variation or have conflated weather with spatially coherent climatic changes. This paper provides the first study of the differential impacts of climate and weather variation by employing methods developed in earlier work linking the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) with the onset of civil conflicts. By separating the effects of climate from local weather, we are able to test possible mechanisms by which atmospheric changes can cause violence. It is generally difficult to separate the effect of year-to-year climate variations from other global events that might drive conflict. We avoid this problem by examining the set of tropical countries that are strongly teleconnected to ENSO. For this region, the ENSO cycle parallels the common year-to-year pattern of violence. Using ENSO, we isolate the influence of climatic changes from other global determinants of violence and compare it with the effect of local weather variations. We find that while climate affects the onset of civil conflicts in teleconnected countries, local weather has no significant effect. Productivity overall as well as across major sectors is more affected by local weather than by climatic variation. This is particularly evident in the agricultural sector where total value and cereal yield decline much greater from a 1°C increase in local temperature than a 1°C increase in ENSO. However, when examining the effect on food prices, we find that ENSO is associated with a large and statistically significant increase in cereal prices but no effect from hotter local temperatures. Altogether, this evidence points toward the ability of global and regional commodity markets to insure against the effects of local weather variation and their limitations in containing losses from aggregate shocks such as El Nino events. We posit that conflict reacts to climate and not weather because climatic events trigger not only local agricultural losses but also increased food prices as a result of an aggregate decline in output. This is because in an open economy, idiosyncratic weather variation alone would not lead to higher prices. These results are informative in understanding the impacts of anthropogenic global change, which would yield variation exhibiting spatial coherence beyond the extent of existing markets.

Partly cloudy with a chance of migration: Weather, radars, and aeroecology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aeroecology is an emerging scientific discipline that integrates atmospheric science, terrestrial science, geography, ecology, computer science, computational biology, and engineering to further the understanding of ecological patterns and processes. The unifying concept underlying this new transdis...

GPS Estimates of Integrated Precipitable Water Aid Weather Forecasters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Angelyn W.; Gutman, Seth I.; Holub, Kirk; Bock, Yehuda; Danielson, David; Laber, Jayme; Small, Ivory

2013-01-01

Global Positioning System (GPS) meteorology provides enhanced density, low-latency (30-min resolution), integrated precipitable water (IPW) estimates to NOAA NWS (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis tration Nat ional Weather Service) Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) to provide improved model and satellite data verification capability and more accurate forecasts of extreme weather such as flooding. An early activity of this project was to increase the number of stations contributing to the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) GPS meteorology observing network in Southern California by about 27 stations. Following this, the Los Angeles/Oxnard and San Diego WFOs began using the enhanced GPS-based IPW measurements provided by ESRL in the 2012 and 2013 monsoon seasons. Forecasters found GPS IPW to be an effective tool in evaluating model performance, and in monitoring monsoon development between weather model runs for improved flood forecasting. GPS stations are multi-purpose, and routine processing for position solutions also yields estimates of tropospheric zenith delays, which can be converted into mm-accuracy PWV (precipitable water vapor) using in situ pressure and temperature measurements, the basis for GPS meteorology. NOAA ESRL has implemented this concept with a nationwide distribution of more than 300 "GPSMet" stations providing IPW estimates at sub-hourly resolution currently used in operational weather models in the U.S.

Angle Concept: A High School and Tertiary Longitudinal Perspective to Minimize Obstacles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barabash, Marita

2017-01-01

The concept of angle emerges in numerous forms as the learning of mathematics and its applications advances through the high school and tertiary curriculum. Many difficulties and misconceptions in the usage of this multifaceted concept might be avoided or at least minimized should the lecturers in different areas of pure and applied mathematics be…

Prospects for Geostationary Doppler Weather Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tanelli, Simone; Fang, Houfei; Durden, Stephen L.; Im, Eastwood; Rhamat-Samii, Yahya

2009-01-01

A novel mission concept, namely NEXRAD in Space (NIS), was developed for detailed monitoring of hurricanes, cyclones, and severe storms from a geostationary orbit. This mission concept requires a space deployable 35-m diameter reflector that operates at 35-GHz with a surface figure accuracy requirement of 0.21 mm RMS. This reflector is well beyond the current state-of-the-art. To implement this mission concept, several potential technologies associated with large, lightweight, spaceborne reflectors have been investigated by this study. These spaceborne reflector technologies include mesh reflector technology, inflatable membrane reflector technology and Shape Memory Polymer reflector technology.

BMP MODELING CONCEPTS AND SIMULATION

EPA Science Inventory

In order to minimize impacts of urban nonpoint source pollution and associated costs of control (storage and treatment) associated with wet-weather flows (WWFs), stormwater runoff volumes and pollutant loads must be reduced. A number of control strategies and so-called “best man...

TDWR 1991 Program Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elmore, Kim

1992-01-01

The topics addressed are: (1) Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) 1991 program review; (2) TDWR demonstrations notable results/events; (3) TDWR demonstration Denver chronology; (4) overview of generic integration concepts; (5) TDWR 1991 program review; (6) Denver operation 1991; and (7) FY-92 plans.

Traditional Use and Avoidance of Foods of Animal Origin: A Culture Historical View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simoons, Frederick J.

1978-01-01

This article discusses pork avoidance in the Near East, the sacred cow concept of Hinduism, the use of horsemeat in Western Europe, the rejection of fish as human food in Africa and Asia, and the use of milk and dairy products. (Author/BB)

More Misconceptions to Avoid When Teaching about Plants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hershey, David R.

2005-01-01

As follow-up to a previous article "Avoid Misconceptions When Teaching about Plants," the author identifies fifty additional misconceptions. Undergeneralizations are added to the list of oversimplifications, obsolete concepts, terms, misidentifications, and flawed research. A glossary at the end of the article compares words used in botany with…

Extreme groundwater levels caused by extreme weather conditions - the highest ever measured groundwater levels in Middle Germany and their management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinstorf, F.

2016-12-01

Extreme weather conditions during the years 2009 - 2011 in combination with changes in the regional water management and possible impacts of climate change led to maximum groundwater levels in large areas of Germany in 2011. This resulted in extensive water logging, with problems especially in urban areas near rivers, where water logging produced huge problems for buildings and infrastructure. The acute situation still exists in many areas and requires the development of solution concepts. Taken the example of the Elbe-Saale-Region in the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt, were a pilot research project was carried out, the analytical situation, the development of a management tool and the implementation of a groundwater management concept are shown. The central tool is a coupled water budget - groundwater flow model. In combination with sophisticated multi-scale parameter estimation, a high resolution groundwater level simulation was carried out. A decision support process with a very intensive stakeholder interaction combined with high resolution simulations enables the development of a management concept for extreme groundwater situations in consideration of sustainable and environmentally sound solutions mainly on the base of passive measures.

Extreme groundwater levels caused by extreme weather conditions - the highest ever measured groundwater levels in Middle Germany and their management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinstorf, Frido; Kramer, Stefanie; Koch, Thomas; Seifert, Sven; Monninkhoff, Bertram; Pfützner, Bernd

2017-04-01

Extreme weather conditions during the years 2009 - 2011 in combination with changes in the regional water management and possible impacts of climate change led to maximum groundwater levels in large areas of Germany in 2011. This resulted in extensive water logging, with problems especially in urban areas near rivers, where water logging produced huge problems for buildings and infrastructure. The acute situation still exists in many areas and requires the development of solution concepts. Taken the example of the Elbe-Saale-Region in the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt, were a pilot research project was carried out, the analytical situation, the development of a management tool and the implementation of a groundwater management concept are shown. The central tool is a coupled water budget - groundwater flow model. In combination with sophisticated multi-scale parameter estimation, a high resolution groundwater level simulation was carried out. A decision support process with a very intensive stakeholder interaction combined with high resolution simulations enables the development of a management concept for extreme groundwater situations in consideration of sustainable and environmentally sound solutions mainly on the base of passive measures.

Flight Deck Technologies to Enable NextGen Low Visibility Surface Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinzel, Lawrence (Lance) J., III; Arthur, Jarvis (Trey) J.; Kramer, Lynda J.; Norman, Robert M.; Bailey, Randall E.; Jones, Denise R.; Karwac, Jerry R., Jr.; Shelton, Kevin J.; Ellis, Kyle K. E.

2013-01-01

Many key capabilities are being identified to enable Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), including the concept of Equivalent Visual Operations (EVO) . replicating the capacity and safety of today.s visual flight rules (VFR) in all-weather conditions. NASA is striving to develop the technologies and knowledge to enable EVO and to extend EVO towards a Better-Than-Visual operational concept. This operational concept envisions an .equivalent visual. paradigm where an electronic means provides sufficient visual references of the external world and other required flight references on flight deck displays that enable Visual Flight Rules (VFR)-like operational tempos while maintaining and improving safety of VFR while using VFR-like procedures in all-weather conditions. The Langley Research Center (LaRC) has recently completed preliminary research on flight deck technologies for low visibility surface operations. The work assessed the potential of enhanced vision and airport moving map displays to achieve equivalent levels of safety and performance to existing low visibility operational requirements. The work has the potential to better enable NextGen by perhaps providing an operational credit for conducting safe low visibility surface operations by use of the flight deck technologies.

Cloud Computing Applications in Support of Earth Science Activities at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molthan, A.; Limaye, A. S.

2011-12-01

Currently, the NASA Nebula Cloud Computing Platform is available to Agency personnel in a pre-release status as the system undergoes a formal operational readiness review. Over the past year, two projects within the Earth Science Office at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center have been investigating the performance and value of Nebula's "Infrastructure as a Service", or "IaaS" concept and applying cloud computing concepts to advance their respective mission goals. The Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center focuses on the transition of unique NASA satellite observations and weather forecasting capabilities for use within the operational forecasting community through partnerships with NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS). SPoRT has evaluated the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model on virtual machines deployed within Nebula and used Nebula instances to simulate local forecasts in support of regional forecast studies of interest to select NWS forecast offices. In addition to weather forecasting applications, rapidly deployable Nebula virtual machines have supported the processing of high resolution NASA satellite imagery to support disaster assessment following the historic severe weather and tornado outbreak of April 27, 2011. Other modeling and satellite analysis activities are underway in support of NASA's SERVIR program, which integrates satellite observations, ground-based data and forecast models to monitor environmental change and improve disaster response in Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Himalayas. Leveraging SPoRT's experience, SERVIR is working to establish a real-time weather forecasting model for Central America. Other modeling efforts include hydrologic forecasts for Kenya, driven by NASA satellite observations and reanalysis data sets provided by the broader meteorological community. Forecast modeling efforts are supplemented by short-term forecasts of convective initiation, determined by geostationary satellite observations processed on virtual machines powered by Nebula. This presentation will provide an overview of these activities from a scientific and cloud computing applications perspective, identifying the strengths and weaknesses for deploying each project within an IaaS environment, and ways to collaborate with the Nebula or other cloud-user communities to collaborate on projects as they go forward.

Monitor weather conditions for cloud seeding control. [Colorado River Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahan, A. M. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The near real-time DCS platform data transfer to the time-share compare is a working reality. Six stations are now being automatically monitored and displayed with a system delay of 3 to 8 hours from time of data transmission to time of data accessibility on the computer. The DCS platform system has proven itself a valuable tool for near real-time monitoring of mountain precipitation. Data from Wolf Creek Pass were an important input in making the decision when to suspend seeding operations to avoid exceeding suspension criteria in that area. The DCS platforms, as deployed in this investigation, have proven themselves to be reliable weather resistant systems for winter mountain environments in the southern Colorado mountains.

A numerical circulation model with topography for the Martian Southern Hemisphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mass, C.; Sagan, C.

1975-01-01

A quasi-geostrophic numerical model, including friction, radiation, and the observed planetary topography, is applied to the general circulation of the Martian atmosphere in the Southern Hemisphere at latitudes south of about 35 deg. Near equilibrium weather systems developed after about 5 model days. To avoid violating the quasi-geostrophic approximation, only 0.8 of the already smoothed relief was employed. Weather systems and velocity fields are strikingly tied to topography. A 2mb middle latitude jet stream is found of remarkably terrestrial aspect. Highest surface velocities, both horizontal and vertical, are predicted in western Hellas Planitia and eastern Argyre Planitia, which are observed to be preferred sites of origin of major Martian dust storms. Mean horizontal velocities and vertical velocities are found just above the surface velocity boundary layer.

Yoga Training in Junior Primary School-Aged Children Has an Impact on Physical Self-Perceptions and Problem-Related Behavior

PubMed Central

Richter, Stefanie; Tietjens, Maike; Ziereis, Susanne; Querfurth, Sydney; Jansen, Petra

2016-01-01

The present pilot study investigated the effects of yoga training, as compared to physical skill training, on motor and executive function, physical self-concept, and anxiety-related behavior in junior primary school-aged children. Twenty-four participants with a mean age of 8.4 (±1.4) years completed either yoga or physical skill training twice a week for 6 weeks outside of regular school class time. Both forms of training were delivered in an individualized and child-oriented manner. The type of training did not result in any significant differences in movement and executive function outcomes. In terms of physical self-concept, significant group differences were revealed only for perceived movement speed such that yoga training resulted in perceptions of being slower while physical skill training resulted in perceptions of moving faster. Analysis of anxiety related outcomes revealed significant group effects only for avoidance behavior and coping strategies. Avoidance behavior increased following yoga training, but decreased following physical skill training. In addition, following yoga training, children showed an increased use of divergent coping strategies when facing problematic situations while after physical skill training children demonstrated a decrease in use of divergent coping strategies. Changes in overall physical self-concept scores were not significantly correlated with changes in avoidance behavior following yoga training. In contrast, following physical skill training increased physical self-concept was significantly correlated with decreases in avoidance behavior. In sum, exposure to yoga or physical skill training appears to result in distinct effects for specific domains of physical self-concept and anxiety-related behavior. Further studies with larger samples and more rigorous methodologies are required to further investigate the effects reported here. With respect to future studies, we address potential research questions and specific features associated with the investigation of the effects of yoga in a sample of school-aged children. PMID:26941676

A historical perspective on ventilator management.

PubMed

Shapiro, B A

1994-02-01

Paralysis via neuromuscular blockade in ICU patients requires mechanical ventilation. This review historically addresses the technological advances and scientific information upon which ventilatory management concepts are based, with special emphasis on the influence such concepts have had on the use of neuromuscular blocking agents. Specific reference is made to the scientific information and technological advances leading to the newer concepts of ventilatory management. Information from > 100 major studies in the peer-reviewed medical literature, along with the author's 25 yrs of clinical experience and academic involvement in acute respiratory care is presented. Nomenclature related to ventilatory management is specifically defined and consistently utilized to present and interpret the data. Pre-1970 ventilatory management is traced from the clinically unacceptable pressure-limited devices to the reliable performance of volume-limited ventilators. The scientific data and rationale that led to the concept of relatively large tidal volume delivery are reviewed in the light of today's concerns regarding alveolar overdistention, control-mode dyssynchrony, and auto-positive end-expiratory pressure. Also presented are the post-1970 scientific rationales for continuous positive airway pressure/positive end-expiratory pressure therapy, avoidance of alveolar hyperxia, and partial ventilatory support techniques (intermittent mandatory ventilation/synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation). The development of pressure-support devices is discussed and the capability of pressure-control techniques is presented. The rationale for more recent concepts of total ventilatory support to avoid ventilator-induced lung injury is presented. The traditional techniques utilizing volume-preset ventilators with relatively large tidal volumes remain valid and desirable for the vast majority of patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Neuromuscular blockade is best avoided in these patients. However, adequate analgesia, amnesia, and sedation are required. For patients with severe lung disease, alveolar overdistention and hyperoxia should be avoided and may be best accomplished by total ventilatory support techniques, such as pressure control. Total ventilatory support requires neuromuscular blockade and may not provide eucapnic ventilation.

Modeling AWSoM CMEs with EEGGL: A New Approach for Space Weather Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, M.; Manchester, W.; van der Holst, B.; Sokolov, I.; Toth, G.; Vourlidas, A.; de Koning, C. A.; Gombosi, T. I.

2015-12-01

The major source of destructive space weather is coronal mass ejections (CMEs). However, our understanding of CMEs and their propagation in the heliosphere is limited by the insufficient observations. Therefore, the development of first-principals numerical models plays a vital role in both theoretical investigation and providing space weather forecasts. Here, we present results of the simulation of CME propagation from the Sun to 1AU by combining the analytical Gibson & Low (GL) flux rope model with the state-of-art solar wind model AWSoM. We also provide an approach for transferring this research model to a space weather forecasting tool by demonstrating how the free parameters of the GL flux rope can be prescribed based on remote observations via the new Eruptive Event Generator by Gibson-Low (EEGGL) toolkit. This capability allows us to predict the long-term evolution of the CME in interplanetary space. We perform proof-of-concept case studies to show the capability of the model to capture physical processes that determine CME evolution while also reproducing many observed features both in the corona and at 1 AU. We discuss the potential and limitations of this model as a future space weather forecasting tool.

Developing Effective Communications about Extreme Weather Risks.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruine de Bruin, W.

2014-12-01

Members of the general public often face complex decisions about the risks that they face, including those associated with extreme weather and climate change adaptation. Scientific experts may be asked to develop communications with the goal of improving people's understanding of weather and climate risks, and informing people's decisions about how to protect against these risks. Unfortunately, scientific experts' communication efforts may fail if they lack information about what people need or want to know to make more informed decisions or what wording people prefer use to describe relevant concepts. This presentation provides general principles for developing effective risk communication materials that aim for widespread dissemination, such as brochures and websites. After a brief review of the social science evidence on how to design effective risk communication materials, examples will focus on communications about extreme weather events and climate change. Specifically, data will be presented from ongoing projects on flood risk perception, public preparedness for heat waves, and public perceptions of climate change. The presentation will end with specific recommendations about how to improve recipients' understanding about risks and inform decisions. These recommendations should be useful to scientific experts who aim to communicate about extreme weather, climate change, or other risks.

The Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS), Higher Volume Operations (HVO) Off-Nominal Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baxley, B.; Williams, D.; Consiglio, M.; Conway, S.; Adams, C.; Abbott, T.

2005-01-01

The ability to conduct concurrent, multiple aircraft operations in poor weather, at virtually any airport, offers an important opportunity for a significant increase in the rate of flight operations, a major improvement in passenger convenience, and the potential to foster growth of charter operations at small airports. The Small Aircraft Transportation System, (SATS) Higher Volume Operations (HVO) concept is designed to increase traffic flow at any of the 3400 nonradar, non-towered airports in the United States where operations are currently restricted to one-in/one-out procedural separation during Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). The concept's key feature is pilots maintain their own separation from other aircraft using procedures, aircraft flight data sent via air-to-air datalink, cockpit displays, and on-board software. This is done within the Self-Controlled Area (SCA), an area of flight operations established during poor visibility or low ceilings around an airport without Air Traffic Control (ATC) services. The research described in this paper expands the HVO concept to include most off-nominal situations that could be expected to occur in a future SATS environment. The situations were categorized into routine off-nominal operations, procedural deviations, equipment malfunctions, and aircraft emergencies. The combination of normal and off-nominal HVO procedures provides evidence for an operational concept that is safe, requires little ground infrastructure, and enables concurrent flight operations in poor weather.

SEASAT economic assessment. Volume 8: Ocean fishing case study. [economic benefits of SEASAT satellites to ocean fishing industries in the United States and Canada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The potential application of SEASAT data with regard to ocean fisheries is discussed. Tracking fish populations, indirect assistance in forecasting expected populations and assistance to fishing fleets in avoiding costs incurred due to adverse weather through improved ocean conditions forecasts were investigated. Case studies on fisheries in the United States and Canada are cited.

Cockpit Displays to Support Hazard Awareness in Free Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wickens, Christopher D.; Carbonari, Ron; Merwin, Dave; Morphew, Ephimia; OBrien, Janelle V.

1997-01-01

Three experiments are described which each examine different aspects of the formatting and integration of cockpit displays of traffic information to support pilots in traffic avoidance planning. The first two experiments compared two-dimensional (coplanar) with three-dimensional (perspective) versions of a cockpit display of traffic information. In Experiment 1, 30 certified flight instructors flew a series of traffic conflict detection and avoidance maneuvers around an intruder aircraft, sometimes in the presence of a second intruder. The results revealed an advantage for the coplanar display, particularly when there was vertical intruder behavior. In Experiment 2, 17 instructors flew with the coplanar and perspective formats when weather information was either overlaid or displayed separately. Again performance was best with the coplanar display, particularly when the weather data were overlaid. The results of both experiments are also discussed in ten-ns of the traffic maneuver stereotypes exhibited by the pilots. Experiment 3 examined the benefits of the two different predictor elements used in the coplanar displays of Experiments 1 and 2. The study was carried out in a multitask context. These elements were both found to improve safety (reduce actual and predicted conflicts) and to reduce workload, although the different elements affected workload in different ways. Neither predictor element imposed a cost to concurrent task performance.

Future ATM Concepts Evaluation Tool (FACET) Interface Control Document

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grabbe, Shon R.

2017-01-01

This Interface Control Document (ICD) documents the airspace adaptation and air traffic inputs of NASA's Future ATM Concepts and Evaluation Tool (FACET). Its intended audience is the project manager, project team, development team, and stakeholders interested in interfacing with the system. FACET equips Air Traffic Management (ATM) researchers and service providers with a way to explore, develop and evaluate advanced air transportation concepts before they are field-tested and eventually deployed. FACET is a flexible software tool that is capable of quickly generating and analyzing thousands of aircraft trajectories. It provides researchers with a simulation environment for preliminary testing of advanced ATM concepts. Using aircraft performance profiles, airspace models, weather data, and flight schedules, the tool models trajectories for the climb, cruise, and descent phases of flight for each type of aircraft. An advanced graphical interface displays traffic patterns in two and three dimensions, under various current and projected conditions for specific airspace regions or over the entire continental United States. The system is able to simulate a full day's dynamic national airspace system (NAS) operations, model system uncertainty, measure the impact of different decision-makers in the NAS, and provide analysis of the results in graphical form, including sector, airport, fix, and airway usage statistics. NASA researchers test and analyze the system-wide impact of new traffic flow management algorithms under anticipated air traffic growth projections on the nation's air traffic system. In addition to modeling the airspace system for NASA research, FACET has also successfully transitioned into a valuable tool for operational use. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) traffic flow managers and commercial airline dispatchers have used FACET technology for real-time operations planning. FACET integrates live air traffic data from FAA radar systems and weather data from the National Weather Service to summarize NAS performance. This information allows system operators to reroute flights around congested airspace and severe weather to maintain safety and minimize delay. FACET also supports the planning and post-operational evaluation of reroute strategies at the national level to maximize system efficiency. For the commercial airline passenger, strategic planning with FACET can result in fewer flight delays and cancellations. The performance capabilities of FACET are largely due to its architecture, which strikes a balance between flexibility and fidelity. FACET is capable of modeling the airspace operations for the continental United States, processing thousands of aircraft on a single computer. FACET was written in Java and C, enabling the portability of its software to a variety of operating systems. In addition, FACET was designed with a modular software architecture to facilitate rapid prototyping of diverse ATM concepts. Several advanced ATM concepts have already been implemented in FACET, including aircraft self-separation, prediction of aircraft demand and sector congestion, system-wide impact assessment of traffic flow management constraints, and wind-optimal routing.

Communications Link Characterization Experiment (CLCE), volume 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

The results of data which were acquired, reduced and analyzed as of June 1977, from the Communications Link Characterization Experiment while utilizing the Communications Link Characterization Experiment while utilizing the Communications Technology Satellite is presented. The long term yearly and worst month propagation data from both stations are presented for the defined yearly period and the test results of the Goddard Television Experiment are described. The data for the continuing path length analysis are updated. Progress on the continuing analysis of utilizing the weather radars for attenuation prediction is given and the concept of the weather radar ratio is presented.

Cushioning, weathering, place, and community in rural grandmother-mothering.

PubMed

Thomas, Elizabeth Ann

2011-01-01

Place influences rural women's health when distance and lack of anonymity contribute to a reluctance to seek care. A qualitative design was used to explore relationships between place and the health of rural grandmothers raising grandchildren. The study generated findings concerning theory related to perceptual experience of rurality, identifying "Cushioning," as a basic social concept and "Weathering," "Paradoxical Place," and "Community Mothering" as subconcepts. Physical and mental wear and tear, distance, isolation and unraveling community mothering undermined "Cushioning" and reflected in self-health neglect narratives. Findings underscore the importance of place to the health of rural women raising grandchildren.

The Engineering for Climate Extremes Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holland, G. J.; Tye, M. R.

2014-12-01

Hurricane Sandy and the recent floods in Thailand have demonstrated not only how sensitive the urban environment is to the impact of severe weather, but also the associated global reach of the ramifications. These, together with other growing extreme weather impacts and the increasing interdependence of global commercial activities point towards a growing vulnerability to weather and climate extremes. The Engineering for Climate Extremes Partnership brings academia, industry and government together with the goals encouraging joint activities aimed at developing new, robust, and well-communicated responses to this increasing vulnerability. Integral to the approach is the concept of 'graceful failure' in which flexible designs are adopted that protect against failure by combining engineering or network strengths with a plan for efficient and rapid recovery if and when they fail. Such an approach enables optimal planning for both known future scenarios and their assessed uncertainty.

Coping, adapting or self-managing - what is the difference? A concept review based on the neurological literature.

PubMed

Audulv, Åsa; Packer, Tanya; Hutchinson, Susan; Roger, Kerstin S; Kephart, George

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to report: (1) an analysis of the concepts of coping, adaptation and self-management in the context of managing a neurological condition; and (2) the overlap between the concepts. The three concepts are often confused or used interchangeably. Understanding similarities and differences between concepts will avoid misunderstandings in care. The varied and often unpredictable symptoms and degenerative nature of neurological conditions make this an ideal population in which to examine the concepts. Concept analysis. Articles were extracted from a large literature review about living with a neurological condition. The original searches were conducted using SCOPUS, EMBASE, CINAHL and Psych INFO. Seventy-seven articles met the inclusion criteria of: (1) original article concerning coping, adaptation or self-management of a neurological condition; (2) written in English; and (3) published between 1999-2011. The concepts were examined according to Morse's concept analysis method; structural elements were then compared. Coping and adaptation to a neurological condition showed statistically significant overlap with a common focus on internal management. In contrast, self-management appears to focus on disease-controlling and health-related management strategies. Coping appears to be the most mature concept, whereas self-management is least coherent in definition and application. All three concepts are relevant for people with neurological conditions. Healthcare teams need to be cautious when using these terms to avoid miscommunication and to ensure clients have access to all needed interventions. Viewing the three concepts as a complex whole may be more aligned with client experience. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Photoenhanced toxicity of weathered oil to Mysidopsis bahia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cleveland, L.; Little, E.E.; Calfee, R.D.; Barron, M.G.

2000-01-01

The toxicity of a water-accommodated fraction (WAF) prepared from weathered oil was assessed in a 7-day static renewal test with Mysidopsis bahia. Weathered oil was collected from the 5 x monitoring well at the Guadalupe oil field. Solar ultraviolet and visible light intensities were measured in various habitats in the vicinity of the weathered oil sample collection site, and the resultant measurements were used to produce laboratory light treatments that were representative of the on-site quality and intensity of natural solar radiation. Each of five WAF dilutions and a control without WAF was tested under three different simulated solar radiation intensities. During the test, survival and growth of the mysids, irradiance, and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations in the test treatments were measured. Significant increases (P ??? 0.05) in mortality occurred among mysids exposed to 0.57 and 1.30 mg TPH/l and the effects were potentiated as irradiance increased. Seven-day LC50 (0.92-0.42 mg TPH/l) and LC20 (0.58-0.15 mg TPH/l) values decreased as the simulated solar irradiance increased. Calculated EC20 and EC50 values for mysid growth indicate that surviving mysids exposed to 0.1-1.0 mg TPH/l would incur significant reductions (P ??? 0.05) in productivity (biomass). Results of the present study indicate that effects elicited through the interaction of WAF of weathered oil and solar radiation will substantially increase the toxicity of weathered oil. Further, the photomediated effects of petroleum compounds measured as TPH on mysid survival and growth demonstrate a need to consider the interactions of ultraviolet light and contaminant to avoid under estimating toxicity that might occur in the environment. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.

Monitoring Changes of Tropical Extreme Rainfall Events Using Differential Absorption Barometric Radar (DiBAR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Bing; Harrah, Steven; Lawrence, R. Wes; Hu, Yongxiang; Min, Qilong

2015-01-01

This work studies the potential of monitoring changes in tropical extreme rainfall events such as tropical storms from space using a Differential-absorption BArometric Radar (DiBAR) operating at 50-55 gigahertz O2 absorption band to remotely measure sea surface air pressure. Air pressure is among the most important variables that affect atmospheric dynamics, and currently can only be measured by limited in-situ observations over oceans. Analyses show that with the proposed radar the errors in instantaneous (averaged) pressure estimates can be as low as approximately 5 millibars (approximately 1 millibar) under all weather conditions. With these sea level pressure measurements, the forecasts, analyses and understanding of these extreme events in both short and long time scales can be improved. Severe weathers, especially hurricanes, are listed as one of core areas that need improved observations and predictions in WCRP (World Climate Research Program) and NASA Decadal Survey (DS) and have major impacts on public safety and national security through disaster mitigation. Since the development of the DiBAR concept about a decade ago, our team has made substantial progress in advancing the concept. Our feasibility assessment clearly shows the potential of sea surface barometry using existing radar technologies. We have developed a DiBAR system design, fabricated a Prototype-DiBAR (P-DiBAR) for proof-of-concept, conducted lab, ground and airborne P-DiBAR tests. The flight test results are consistent with our instrumentation goals. Observational system simulation experiments for space DiBAR performance show substantial improvements in tropical storm predictions, not only for the hurricane track and position but also for the hurricane intensity. DiBAR measurements will lead us to an unprecedented level of the prediction and knowledge on tropical extreme rainfall weather and climate conditions.

Impact of Probabilistic Weather on Flight Routing Decisions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheth, Kapil; Sridhar, Banavar; Mulfinger, Daniel

2006-01-01

Flight delays in the United States have been found to increase year after year, along with the increase in air traffic. During the four-month period from May through August of 2005, weather related delays accounted for roughly 70% of all reported delays, The current weather prediction in tactical (within 2 hours) timeframe is at manageable levels, however, the state of forecasting weather for strategic (2-6 hours) timeframe is still not dependable for long-term planning. In the absence of reliable severe weather forecasts, the decision-making for flights longer than two hours is challenging. This paper deals with an approach of using probabilistic weather prediction for Traffic Flow Management use, and a general method using this prediction for estimating expected values of flight length and delays in the National Airspace System (NAS). The current state-of-the-art convective weather forecasting is employed to aid the decision makers in arriving at decisions for traffic flow and flight planing. The six-agency effort working on the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS) have considered weather-assimilated decision-making as one of the principal foci out of a list of eight. The weather Integrated Product Team has considered integrated weather information and improved aviation weather forecasts as two of the main efforts (Ref. 1, 2). Recently, research has focused on the concept of operations for strategic traffic flow management (Ref. 3) and how weather data can be integrated for improved decision-making for efficient traffic management initiatives (Ref. 4, 5). An overview of the weather data needs and benefits of various participants in the air traffic system along with available products can be found in Ref. 6. Previous work related to use of weather data in identifying and categorizing pilot intrusions into severe weather regions (Ref. 7, 8) has demonstrated a need for better forecasting in the strategic planning timeframes and moving towards a probabilistic description of weather (Ref. 9). This paper focuses on. specified probability in a local region for flight intrusion/deviation decision-making. The process uses a probabilistic weather description, implements that in a air traffic assessment system to study trajectories of aircraft crossing a cut-off probability contour. This value would be useful for meteorologists in creating optimum distribution profiles for severe weather, Once available, the expected values of flight path and aggregate delays are calculated for efficient operations. The current research, however, does not deal with the issue of multiple cell encounters, as well as echo tops, and will be a topic of future work.

A Family of Well-Clear Boundary Models for the Integration of UAS in the NAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munoz, Cesar A.; Narkawicz, Anthony; Chamberlain, James; Consiglio, Maria; Upchurch, Jason

2014-01-01

The FAA-sponsored Sense and Avoid Workshop for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) defines the concept of sense and avoid for remote pilots as "the capability of a UAS to remain well clear from and avoid collisions with other airborne traffic." Hence, a rigorous definition of well clear is fundamental to any separation assurance concept for the integration of UAS into civil airspace. This paper presents a family of well-clear boundary models based on the TCAS II Resolution Advisory logic. For these models, algorithms that predict well-clear violations along aircraft current trajectories are provided. These algorithms are analogous to conflict detection algorithms but instead of predicting loss of separation, they predict whether well-clear violations will occur during a given lookahead time interval. Analytical techniques are used to study the properties and relationships satisfied by the models.

Chemical and Physical Weathering of Granites in a Semi-Arid Savanna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khomo, L.; Hartshorn, A.; Chadwick, O.; Kurtz, A.; Heimsath, A.; Rogers, K.

2005-12-01

The catena concept describes soil properties on hillslopes and implies a hydrological mass redistribution process that has been applied differently in different parts of the Earth. In tectonically active regions, it is mostly used to describe the redistribution of mass by overland flow leading to thickening soil mantles downslope. This application is somewhat different from its initial and still popular usage in tectonically inactive areas of Africa, where it defines long-term soil property differentiation along hillslopes as controlled by internal soil hydrology as opposed to overland flow. Many ecologists have found the "African" catena concept to be useful as an organizing principal for savanna studies, but there has been little recent research on catenas per se in Africa. Elsewhere however, there is a growing body of research that places the concept ever more strongly into a landscape evolution context. Here, we apply these new approaches to catenas in a South African savanna underlain by a heterogeneous suite of Basement granites straddling a gradient in effective precipitation. We constrain the weathering extent of hilly terrains formed on these oldrocks by calculating element losses with solid-phase mass-balance calculations augmented by cosmogenic (26Al/10Be) derived rates of landscape denudation. We test the efficacy of Ti, Zr and Nb as immobile elements to benchmark chemical losses and gains in these semi-arid weathering environments. We also trace and quantify the abundance of the host minerals for these elements (Ti = rutile and ilmenite, Nb = columbite and Zr = zircon and baddleyite) in a variety of rocks in the basement complex. This analysis provides the boundary conditions for assigning immobile elements to parent materials required for the mass balance calculations. We calculate total denudation using the cosmogenic isotopes and then partition it into chemical and physical loss vectors using the mass balance calculations for representative watersheds along the effective precipitation gradient. Preliminary results suggest that these semi-arid landscapes erode at a slow rate and the upper portions of the catenas are highly weathered with a predominance of quartz as existing primary minerals. The catenas appear to be some of the oldest and most highly evolved yet studied.

Improving flight condition situational awareness through Human Centered Design.

PubMed

Craig, Carol

2012-01-01

In aviation, there is currently a lack of accurate and timely situational information, specifically weather data, which is essential when dealing with the unpredictable complexities that can arise while flying. For example, weather conditions that require immediate evasive action by the flight crew, such as isolated heavy rain, micro bursts, and atmospheric turbulence, require that the flight crew receive near real-time and precise information about the type, position, and intensity of those conditions. Human factors issues arise in considering how to display the various sources of weather information to the users of that information and how to integrate this display into the existing environment. In designing weather information display systems, it is necessary to meet the demands of different users, which requires an examination of the way in which the users process and use weather information. Using Human Centered Design methodologies and concepts will result in a safer, more efficient and more intuitive solution. Specific goals of this approach include 1) Enabling better fuel planning; 2) Allowing better divert strategies; 3) Ensuring pilots, navigators, dispatchers and mission planners are referencing weather from the same sources; 4) Improving aircrew awareness of aviation hazards such as turbulence, icing, hail and convective activity; 5) Addressing inconsistent availability of hazard forecasts outside the United States Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ); and 6) Promoting goal driven approaches versus event driven (prediction).

Concept of operations for the use of connected vehicle data in road weather applications.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-30

The Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) computer system went into live operation January 2002. System design involved creating a distributed network, which involved setting up a central main server at the Idaho State Police (ISP) headquarters located in Me...

Technical issues in the conduct of large space platform experiments in plasma physics and geoplasma sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Szuszczewicz, Edward P.

1986-01-01

Large, permanently-manned space platforms can provide exciting opportunities for discoveries in basic plasma and geoplasma sciences. The potential for these discoveries will depend very critically on the properties of the platform, its subsystems, and their abilities to fulfill a spectrum of scientific requirements. With this in mind, the planning of space station research initiatives and the development of attendant platform engineering should allow for the identification of critical science and technology issues that must be clarified far in advance of space station program implementation. An attempt is made to contribute to that process, with a perspective that looks to the development of the space station as a permanently-manned Spaceborne Ionospheric Weather Station. The development of this concept requires a synergism of science and technology which leads to several critical design issues. To explore the identification of these issues, the development of the concept of an Ionospheric Weather Station will necessarily touch upon a number of diverse areas. These areas are discussed.

Concept for an International Standard related to Space Weather Effects on Space Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobiska, W. Kent; Tomky, Alyssa

There is great interest in developing an international standard related to space weather in order to specify the tools and parameters needed for space systems operations. In particular, a standard is important for satellite operators who may not be familiar with space weather. In addition, there are others who participate in space systems operations that would also benefit from such a document. For example, the developers of software systems that provide LEO satellite orbit determination, radio communication availability for scintillation events (GEO-to-ground L and UHF bands), GPS uncertainties, and the radiation environment from ground-to-space for commercial space tourism. These groups require recent historical data, current epoch specification, and forecast of space weather events into their automated or manual systems. Other examples are national government agencies that rely on space weather data provided by their organizations such as those represented in the International Space Environment Service (ISES) group of 14 national agencies. Designers, manufacturers, and launchers of space systems require real-time, operational space weather parameters that can be measured, monitored, or built into automated systems. Thus, a broad scope for the document will provide a useful international standard product to a variety of engineering and science domains. The structure of the document should contain a well-defined scope, consensus space weather terms and definitions, and internationally accepted descriptions of the main elements of space weather, its sources, and its effects upon space systems. Appendices will be useful for describing expanded material such as guidelines on how to use the standard, how to obtain specific space weather parameters, and short but detailed descriptions such as when best to use some parameters and not others; appendices provide a path for easily updating the standard since the domain of space weather is rapidly changing with new advances in scientific and engineering understanding. We present a draft outline that can be used as the basis for such a standard.

A net-centric system of services model for the Integrated Earth Observation System (IEOS) and the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardanuy, Philip; Bensman, Ed; Bergen, Bill; Chen, Bob; Griffith, Frank; Sutton, Cary; Hood, Carroll; Ritchie, Adrian; Tarro, Andre

2006-08-01

This paper considers an evolved technique for significantly enhanced enterprise-level data processing, reprocessing, archival, dissemination, and utilization. There is today a robust working paradigm established with the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS)-NOAA/NWS's information integration and fusion capability. This process model extends vertically, and seamlessly, from environmental sensing through the direct delivery of societal benefit. NWS, via AWIPS, is the primary source of weather forecast and warning information in the nation. AWIPS is the tested and proven "the nerve center of operations" at all 122 NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and 13 River Forecast Centers (RFCs). However, additional line organizations whose role in satisfying NOAA's five mission goals (ecosystems, climate, weather & water, commerce & transportation, and mission support) in multiple program areas might be facilitated through utilization of AWIPS-like functionalities, including the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS); National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS); Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research (OAR); and the National Ocean Service (NOS). In addition to NOAA's mission goals, there are nine diverse, recommended, and important societal benefit areas in the US Integrated Earth Observation System (IEOS). This paper shows how the satisfaction of this suite of goals and benefit areas can be optimized by leveraging several key ingredients: (1) the evolution of AWIPS towards a net-centric system of services concept of operations; (2) infusion of technologies and concepts from pathfinder systems; (3) the development of new observing systems targeted at deliberate, and not just serendipitous, societal benefit; and (4) the diverse, nested local, regional, national, and international scales of the different benefits and goal areas, and their interoperability and interplay across the system of systems.

Concept and technology development for the multispectral imager of the Canadian Polar Communications and Weather mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreau, Louis; Dubois, Patrick; Girard, Frédéric; Tanguay, François; Giroux, Jacques

2012-09-01

The Polar Communications and Weather (PCW) mission is proposed by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), in partnership with Environment Canada, the Department of National Defence, and several other Canadian government departments. The objectives of the PCW mission are to offer meteorological observations and telecommunication services for the Canadian North. These capabilities are particularly important because of increasing interest in the Arctic and the desire to maintain Canadian sovereignty in this region. The PCW mission has completed its Phase A in 2011. The PCW Meteorological Payload is a Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) that will provide near-real time weather imagery for the entire circumpolar region with a refresh period of 15 to 30 minutes. Two satellites on a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) will carry the instrument so as to observe the high latitudes 24 hours per day from a point of view that is almost geostationary. The data from the imagers are expected to greatly enhance accuracy of numerical weather prediction models for North America and globally. The mission will also produce useful information on environment and climate in the North. During Phase A, a certain number of critical technologies were identified. The CSA has initiated an effort to develop some of these so that their Technology Readiness Level (TRL) will be suitable for the follow-on phases of the program. An industrial team lead by ABB has been selected to perform technology development activities for the Meteorological Payload. The goal of the project is to enhance the TRL of the telescope, the spectral separation optics, and the infrared multispectral cameras of the PCW Meteorological Payload by fabricating and testing breadboards for these items. We will describe the Meteorological Payload concept and report on the status of the development activities.

Current problems in communication from the weather forecast in the prevention of hydraulic and hydrogeological risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazzini, Massimiliano; Vaccaro, Carmela

2014-05-01

The Italian territory is one of the most fragile hydraulic and hydro geologic of the world, due to its complexity physiographic, lithological and above meteo-climatic too. Moreover, In recent years, the unhappy urbanization, the abandonment of mountain areas and countryside have fostered hydro geological instability, ever more devastating, in relation to the extremes of meteorological events. After the dramatic floods and landscapes of the last 24 months - in which more than 50 people died - it is actually open a public debate on the issues related to prevention, forecasting and management of hydro-meteorological risk. Aim of the correct weather forecasting at different spatial and temporal scales is to avoid or minimize the potential occurrence of damage or human losses resulting from the increasingly of frequent extreme weather events. In Italy, there are two major complex problems that do not allow for effective dissemination of the correct weather forecasting. First, the absence of a national meteorological service - which can ensure the quality of information. In this regard, it is at an advanced stage the establishment of a unified national weather service - formed by technicians to national and regional civil protection and the Meteorological Service of the Air Force, which will ensure the quality of the prediction, especially through exclusive processing of national and local weather forecasting and hydro geological weather alert. At present, however, this lack favors the increasing diffusion of meteorological sites more or less professional - often totally not "ethical" - which, at different spatial scales, tend to amplify the signals from the weather prediction models, describing them the users of the web such as exceptional or rare phenomena and often causing unjustified alarmism. This behavior is almost always aimed at the desire of give a forecast before other sites and therefore looking for new commercial sponsors, with easy profits. On the other hand, however, the almost complete absence of education to environmental risks - also from as primary school - does not allow the users to know to select the information ethically and technically correct, increasingly favoring the proliferation of most of the "weather-commercial" or private weather websites. It would seem therefore essential to implement the activities of specific information by the universities and public institutions responsible for forecasting and prevention-hydrological forecast.

Collision Avoidance W-Band FMCW Radars in an Altimeter Application

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

underground mining applications. Potentially, a small low– powered downward looking aerial radar employing Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) ranging...frequency [1]. 3 Figure 3: Epsilon Lambda ELF 171-1A radar. Model and System block diagram [2]. 4 Figure 4: Beam limited resolution cell (after [3]). 6...Figure 5: (black curves) Projected SNR variation of clutter return with range for ELF 171-1A type system in different weather conditions. Clutter-to

A Future Vision for Remotely Piloted Aircraft: Leveraging Interoperability and Networked Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-21

over the next 25 years  Balances the effects envisioned in the USAF UAS Flight Plan with the reality of constrained resources and ambitious...theater-level unmanned systems must detect, avoid, or counter threats – operating from permissive to highly contested access in all weather...Rapid Reaction Group II/III SUAS Unit  Light Footprint, Low Cost ISR Option  Networked Autonomous C2 System  Air-Launched SUAS  Common

Laboratory Studies of Hydrogen Gas Generation Using the Cobalt Chloride Catalyzed Sodium Borohydride-Water Reaction

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-01

already use hydrogen for weather balloons . Besides cost, hydrogen has other advantages over helium. Hydrogen has more lift than helium, so larger...of water vapor entering the gas stream, and avoid damaging the balloon /aerostat (aerostats typically have an operational temperature range of -50 to...Aerostats: “Gepard” Tethered Aerostats with Mobile Mooring Systems. Available at http://rosaerosystems.com/aero/obj7. Accessed June 4, 2015. 11

Barriers to movement: Modelling energetic costs of avoiding marine wind farms amongst breeding seabirds.

PubMed

Masden, Elizabeth A; Haydon, Daniel T; Fox, Anthony D; Furness, Robert W

2010-07-01

Proposals for wind farms in areas of known importance for breeding seabirds highlight the need to understand the impacts of these structures. Using an energetic modelling approach, we examine the effects of wind farms as barriers to movement on seabirds of differing morphology. Additional costs, expressed in relation to typical daily energetic expenditures, were highest per unit flight for seabirds with high wing loadings, such as cormorants. Taking species-specific differences into account, costs were relatively higher in terns, due to the high daily frequency of foraging flights. For all species, costs of extra flight to avoid a wind farm appear much less than those imposed by low food abundance or adverse weather, although such costs will be additive to these. We conclude that adopting a species-specific approach is essential when assessing the impacts of wind farms on breeding seabird populations, to fully anticipate the effects of avoidance flights. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

'One physical system': Tansley's ecosystem as Earth's critical zone.

PubMed

Richter, Daniel deB; Billings, Sharon A

2015-05-01

Integrative concepts of the biosphere, ecosystem, biogeocenosis and, recently, Earth's critical zone embrace scientific disciplines that link matter, energy and organisms in a systems-level understanding of our remarkable planet. Here, we assert the congruence of Tansley's (1935) venerable ecosystem concept of 'one physical system' with Earth science's critical zone. Ecosystems and critical zones are congruent across spatial-temporal scales from vegetation-clad weathering profiles and hillslopes, small catchments, landscapes, river basins, continents, to Earth's whole terrestrial surface. What may be less obvious is congruence in the vertical dimension. We use ecosystem metabolism to argue that full accounting of photosynthetically fixed carbon includes respiratory CO₂ and carbonic acid that propagate to the base of the critical zone itself. Although a small fraction of respiration, the downward diffusion of CO₂ helps determine rates of soil formation and, ultimately, ecosystem evolution and resilience. Because life in the upper portions of terrestrial ecosystems significantly affects biogeochemistry throughout weathering profiles, the lower boundaries of most terrestrial ecosystems have been demarcated at depths too shallow to permit a complete understanding of ecosystem structure and function. Opportunities abound to explore connections between upper and lower components of critical-zone ecosystems, between soils and streams in watersheds, and between plant-derived CO₂ and deep microbial communities and mineral weathering. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Improving Predictions and Management of Hydrological Extremes through Climate Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Hurk, Bart; Wijngaard, Janet; Pappenberger, Florian; Bouwer, Laurens; Weerts, Albrecht; Buontempo, Carlo; Doescher, Ralf; Manez, Maria; Ramos, Maria-Helena; Hananel, Cedric; Ercin, Ertug; Hunink, Johannes; Klein, Bastian; Pouget, Laurent; Ward, Philip

2016-04-01

The EU Roadmap on Climate Services can be seen as a result of convergence between the society's call for "actionable research", and the climate research community providing tailored data, information and knowledge. However, although weather and climate have clearly distinct definitions, a strong link between weather and climate services exists that is not explored extensively. Stakeholders being interviewed in the context of the Roadmap consider climate as a far distant long term feature that is difficult to consider in present-day decision taking, which is dominated by daily experience with handling extreme events. It is argued that this experience is a rich source of inspiration to increase society's resilience to an unknown future. A newly started European research project, IMPREX, is built on the notion that "experience in managing current day weather extremes is the best learning school to anticipate consequences of future climate". This paper illustrates possible ways to increase the link between information and services addressing weather and climate time scales by discussing the underlying concepts of IMPREX and its expected outcome.

A surface temperature and moisture parameterization for use in mesoscale numerical models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tremback, C. J.; Kessler, R.

1985-01-01

A modified multi-level soil moisture and surface temperature model is presented for use as in defining lower boundary conditions in mesoscale weather models. Account is taken of the hydraulic and thermal diffusion properties of the soil, their variations with soil type, and the mixing ratio at the surface. Techniques are defined for integrating the surface input into the multi-level scheme. Sample simulation runs were performed with the modified model and the original model defined by Pielke, et al. (1977, 1981). The models were applied to regional weather forecasting over soils composed of sand and clay loam. The new form of the model avoided iterations necessary in the earlier version of the model and achieved convergence at reasonable profiles for surface temperature and moisture in regions where the earlier version of the model failed.

The influence of ship's stability on safety of navigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanzu-Pazara, R.; Duse; Varsami, C.; Andrei, C.; Dumitrache, R.

2016-08-01

Ship's stability is one of the most important and complex concept about safety of ship and safety of navigation and it is governed by maritime law as well as maritime codes. The paper presents the importance of ship's intact stability as part of the general concept of ship's seaworthiness. There is always a correlation between ship’ stability and safety of ship and safety of navigation. Loss of ship's stability is presented as a threat to safety of navigation. We are going to present the causes that lead to ship stability failure and their impact on safety of navigation. A study of various ship stability casualties in heavy weather conditions are going to be presented, the causes are going to be analyzed and the possible ways of stability failures are assessed. Vessel's intact stability is a fundamental component of seaworthiness so it is in the interest of all owners/operators to learn about this topic and ensure that their vessel possesses a satisfactory level of stability in order to ensure its safety as well as that of the people on board the ship. Understanding ship's stability, trim, stress, and the basics of ship's construction is a key to keeping a ship seaworthy. The findings of this study can be beneficial to the maritime safety administrations to adopt decision-making on maritime safety management, but it is also important to carry out statistics and analysis of marine casualties to help to adopt proper safety management measures. Moreover, the study can be a useful guidance for masters and officers on board vessel in order to understand the factors that contribute to ship stability failure during the voyage not only in port during loading operations and to take preventive measures to avoid to put the ship in such a dangerous situations.

A Near-Term Concept for Trajectory Based Operations with Air/Ground Data Link Communication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McNally, David; Mueller, Eric; Thipphavong, David; Paielli, Russell; Cheng, Jinn-Hwei; Lee, Chuhan; Sahlman, Scott; Walton, Joe

2010-01-01

An operating concept and required system components for trajectory-based operations with air/ground data link for today's en route and transition airspace is proposed. Controllers are fully responsible for separation as they are today, and no new aircraft equipage is required. Trajectory automation computes integrated solutions to problems like metering, weather avoidance, traffic conflicts and the desire to find and fly more time/fuel efficient flight trajectories. A common ground-based system supports all levels of aircraft equipage and performance including those equipped and not equipped for data link. User interface functions for the radar controller's display make trajectory-based clearance advisories easy to visualize, modify if necessary, and implement. Laboratory simulations (without human operators) were conducted to test integrated operation of selected system components with uncertainty modeling. Results are based on 102 hours of Fort Worth Center traffic recordings involving over 37,000 individual flights. The presence of uncertainty had a marginal effect (5%) on minimum-delay conflict resolution performance, and windfavorable routes had no effect on detection and resolution metrics. Flight plan amendments and clearances were substantially reduced compared to today s operations. Top-of-descent prediction errors are the largest cause of failure indicating that better descent predictions are needed to reliably achieve fuel-efficient descent profiles in medium to heavy traffic. Improved conflict detections for climbing flights could enable substantially more continuous climbs to cruise altitude. Unlike today s Conflict Alert, tactical automation must alert when an altitude amendment is entered, but before the aircraft starts the maneuver. In every other failure case tactical automation prevented losses of separation. A real-time prototype trajectory trajectory-automation system is running now and could be made ready for operational testing at an en route Center in 1-2 years.

Reaching Reluctant Students: Insights from Torey Hayden.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marlowe, Mike

1999-01-01

Illustrates principles of reaching students who fight or avoid adults by using examples drawn from the writings of Torey Hayden. Presents ten concepts that can serve as guidelines for building relationships with resistant children, and gives excerpts from Hayden's works to illustrate each concept. Demonstrates how books provide teachers with…

C. S. Peirce's Dialogical Conception of Sign Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergman, Mats

2005-01-01

This article examines the contention that the central concepts of C. S. Peirce's semeiotic are inherently communicational. It is argued that the Peircean approach avoids the pitfalls of objectivism and constructivism, rendering the sign-user neither a passive recipient nor an omnipotent creator of meaning. Consequently, semeiotic may serve as a…

USEPA'S FINAL ECOSYSTEM AND SERVICES (FEGS) CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM: Concept to Implementation and Links with EnviroAtlas

EPA Science Inventory

For the last decade ecosystem services have received increasing focus, yet the natural and social scientists working on mainstreaming these concepts are still struggling with the basic issues. One of such issue is developing a framework that avoids double counting, provides guid...

Incompetence and Intrusion: On the Metaphysical Use of Illiteracy in U.S. Political Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

St. Clair, Ralf; Sandlin, Jennifer A.

2004-01-01

"Illiteracy" is still a powerful concept in adult literacy education. St. Clair and Sandlin examine the use of the term and the policies and programs it currently justifies. The authors argue that the concept of illiteracy should be avoided due to its inherent deficit focus.

Look! It Is Going to Rain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trundle, Kathy Cabe; Sackes, Mesut

2010-01-01

It is important to help young children make connections between events in their lives and science concepts in preschool classrooms, so introducing basic meteorology ideas offer a great opportunity to make weather connections and awaken scientific curiosity (Spiropoulou, Kostopoulos, and Jacovides 1999). Therefore, this article presents a science…

Talk Show Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Mitzi Ruth

1992-01-01

Proposes having students perform skits in which they play the roles of the science concepts they are trying to understand. Provides the dialog for a skit in which hot and cold gas molecules are interviewed on a talk show to study how these properties affect wind, rain, and other weather phenomena. (MDH)

UAS Reports (UREPs): EnablingExchange of Observation Data Between UAS Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rios, Joseph; Smith, David; Smith, Irene

2017-01-01

As the volume of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations increases, the lack of weather products to support these operations becomes more problematic. One early solution to obtaining more information about weather conditions is to allow operators to share their observations and measurements with other airspace users. This is analogous to the AIREP and PIREP reporting systems in traditional aviation wherein pilots report weather phenomena they have observed or experienced to provide better situational awareness to other pilots. Given the automated nature of the small (under 55 lbs.) UAS platforms and operations, automated reporting of relevant information should also be supported. To promote automated exchange of these data, a well-defined data schema needs to be established along with the mechanisms for sending and retrieving the data. This paper examines this concept and offers an initial definition of the necessary elements to allow for immediate implementation and use.

StormReady in a Box: Enhancing NOAA's Presence in Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grondin, N. S.; Franks, C.

2015-12-01

The National Weather Service StormReady Supporter program exists to give schools, companies, TV stations, and other facilities the opportunity to earn recognition for their weather preparedness and awareness. Requirements to earn StormReady Supporter status include having a facility warning point, use of NOAA Weather Radios, and weather hazard Emergency Operation Plans. Despite the increasing importance of weather preparedness in schools, only 1.2% of Minnesota schools are deemed StormReady by the National Weather Service. It was determined that the major impedance for schools becoming StormReady Supporters is the lack of time for administrators to engage in anything "extra" beyond their listed duties. As part of a 2015 Hollings Scholar project, the StormReady in a Box concept was developed to remedy this, by empowering teachers and students to take charge and complete the StormReady Supporter application for their school. StormReady in a Box is a project developed for Junior High School students to learn about weather preparedness and to help their school acquire StormReady status. The project was designed to be relevant to the Minnesota State Education Standards in Science, be simple for teachers to do with their students, and most importantly, to be enjoyable for Junior High School age students to do. The project was also designed to enhance critical thinking skills and logical reasoning abilities, as they relate to the StormReady Supporter application. This presentation will present the overall rationale for the undertaking of this project, the creation of, and the logical next steps for the StormReady in a Box project.

Water Vapor Sensors Go Sky-High to Assure Aircraft Safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

JPL used a special tunable diode laser, which NASA scientists could tune to different wavelengths, like a radio being tuned to different frequencies, to accurately target specific molecules and detect small traces of gas. This tunable diode laser was designed to emit near-infrared light at wavelengths absorbed by the gas or gases being detected. The light energy being absorbed by the target gas is related to the molecules present. This is usually measured in parts per million or parts per billion. Multiple measurements are made every second, making the system quick to respond to variations in the target gas. NASA scientists developed this technology as part of the 1999 Mars Polar Lander mission to explore the possibility of life-giving elements on Mars. NASA has since used the tunable diode laser-based gas sensor on aircraft and on balloons to successfully study weather and climate, global warming, emissions from aircraft, and numerous other areas where chemical gas analysis is needed. SpectraSensors, Inc., was formed in 1999 as a spinoff company of JPL, to commercialize tunable diode laser-based analyzers for industrial gas-sensing applications (Spinoff 2000). Now, the San Dimas, California-based firm has come back to the market with a new product featuring the NASA-developed instrument for atmospheric monitoring. This instrument is now helping aircraft avoid hazardous weather conditions and enabling the National Weather Service to provide more accurate weather forecasts.

Using random forests to diagnose aviation turbulence.

PubMed

Williams, John K

Atmospheric turbulence poses a significant hazard to aviation, with severe encounters costing airlines millions of dollars per year in compensation, aircraft damage, and delays due to required post-event inspections and repairs. Moreover, attempts to avoid turbulent airspace cause flight delays and en route deviations that increase air traffic controller workload, disrupt schedules of air crews and passengers and use extra fuel. For these reasons, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have funded the development of automated turbulence detection, diagnosis and forecasting products. This paper describes a methodology for fusing data from diverse sources and producing a real-time diagnosis of turbulence associated with thunderstorms, a significant cause of weather delays and turbulence encounters that is not well-addressed by current turbulence forecasts. The data fusion algorithm is trained using a retrospective dataset that includes objective turbulence reports from commercial aircraft and collocated predictor data. It is evaluated on an independent test set using several performance metrics including receiver operating characteristic curves, which are used for FAA turbulence product evaluations prior to their deployment. A prototype implementation fuses data from Doppler radar, geostationary satellites, a lightning detection network and a numerical weather prediction model to produce deterministic and probabilistic turbulence assessments suitable for use by air traffic managers, dispatchers and pilots. The algorithm is scheduled to be operationally implemented at the National Weather Service's Aviation Weather Center in 2014.

Airport Remote Tower Sensor Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papasin, Richard; Gawdiak, Yuri; Maluf, David A.; Leidich, Christopher; Tran, Peter B.

2001-01-01

Remote Tower Sensor Systems (RTSS) are proof-of-concept prototypes being developed by NASA/Ames Research Center (NASA/ARC) with collaboration with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration). RTSS began with the deployment of an Airport Approach Zone Camera System that includes real-time weather observations at San Francisco International Airport. The goal of this research is to develop, deploy, and demonstrate remotely operated cameras and sensors at several major airport hubs and un-towered airports. RTSS can provide real-time weather observations of airport approach zone. RTSS will integrate and test airport sensor packages that will allow remote access to realtime airport conditions and aircraft status.

Application of radar for automotive collision avoidance. Volume 1: Technical report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lichtenberg, C. L. (Editor)

1987-01-01

The purpose of this project was research and development of an automobile collision avoidance radar system. The major finding was that the application of radar to the automobile collision avoidance problem deserves continued research even though the specific approach investigated in this effort did not perform adequately in its angle measurement capability. Additional findings were that: (1) preliminary performance requirements of a candidate radar system are not unreasonable; (2) the number and severity of traffic accidents could be reduced by using a collision avoidance radar system which observes a fairly wide (at least + or - 10 deg) field of view ahead of the vehicle; (3) the health radiation hazards of a probable radar design are not significant even when a large number of radar-equipped vehicles are considered; (4) effects of inclement weather on radar operation can be accommodated in most cases; (5) the phase monopulse radar technique as implemented demonstrated inferior angle measurement performance which warrants the recommendation of investigating alternative radar techniques; and (6) extended target and multipath effects, which presumably distort the amplitude and phase distribution across the antenna aperture, are responsible for the observed inadequate phase monopulse radar performance.

Validation of the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version in survivors of bone marrow transplantation.

PubMed

Smith, M Y; Redd, W; DuHamel, K; Vickberg, S J; Ricketts, P

1999-07-01

Life-threatening illness now qualifies as a precipitating stessor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We examined the validity of the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C; Weathers, Litz, Herman, Juska, & Keane, 1993), a brief 17-item inventory of PTSD-like symptoms, in a sample of 111 adults who had undergone bone marrow transplantation an average of 4.04 years previously. Exploratory factor analysis of the PCL-C identified four distinct patterns of symptom responses: Numbing-Hyperarousal, Dreams-Memories of the Cancer Treatment, General Hyperarousal, Responses to Cancer-Related Reminders and Avoidance-Numbing. Respondents meeting PTSD symptom criteria on the PCL-C had significantly lower physical, role, and social functioning, greater distress and anxiety, and significantly more intrusive and avoidant responses than individuals who did not meet PTSD symptom criteria.

Touchable Tornadoes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilhousen, David

2004-01-01

In this article, the author discusses a tornado-producing machine that he used in teacher-led, student assisted demonstrations in order to reinforce concepts learned during a unit on weather. The machine, or simulator, was powered by a hair dryer, fan, and cool-mist humidifier. The machine consists of a demonstration table containing a plenum box,…

Teaching: A Reflective Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

German, Susan; O'Day, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

In this article, the authors describe how they used formative assessments to ferret out possible misconceptions among middle-school students in a unit about weather-related concepts. Because they teach fifth- and eighth-grade science, this assessment also gives them a chance to see how student understanding develops over the years. This year they…

S'COOL Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryson, Linda

2004-01-01

This article describes one fifth grade's participation in in NASA's S'COOL (Students' Cloud Observations On-Line) Project, making cloud observations, reporting them online, exploring weather concepts, and gleaning some of the things involved in authentic scientific research. S?COOL is part of a real scientific study of the effect of clouds on…

The ESA Nanosatellite Beacons for Space Weather Monitoring Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hapgood, M.; Eckersley, S.; Lundin, R.; Kluge, M.

2008-09-01

This paper will present final results from this ESA-funded study that has investigated how current and emerging concepts for nanosats may be used to monitor space weather conditions and provide improved access to data needed for space weather services. The study has reviewed requirements developed in previous ESA space weather studies to establish a set of service and measurements requirements appropriate to nanosat solutions. The output is conveniently represented as a set of five distinct classes of nanosat constellations, each in different orbit locations and which can address a specific group of measurement requirements. One example driving requirement for several of the constellations was the need for real-time data reception. Given this background, the study then iterated a set of instrument and spacecraft solutions to address each of the nanosat constellations from the requirements. Indeed, iteration has proved to be a critical aspect of the study. The instrument solutions have driven a refinement of requirements through assessment of whether or not the physical parameters to be measured dictate instrument components too large for a nanosat. In addition, the study has also reviewed miniaturization trends for instruments relevant to space weather monitoring by nanosats, looking at the near, mid and far-term timescales. Within the spacecraft solutions the study reviewed key technology trends relevant to space weather monitoring by nanosats: (a) micro and nano-technology devices for spacecraft communications, navigation, propulsion and power, and (b) development and flight experience with nanosats for science and for engineering demonstration. These requirements and solutions were then subject to an iterative system and mission analysis including key mission design issues (e.g. launch/transfer, mission geometry, instrument accommodation, numbers of spacecraft, communications architectures, de-orbit, nanosat reliability and constellation robustness) and the impact of nanosat fundamental limitations (e.g. mass, volume/size, power, communications). As a result, top-level Strawman mission concepts were developed for each constellation, and ROM costs were derived for programme development, operation and maintenance over a ten-year period. Nanosat reliability and constellation robustness were shown to be a key driver in deriving mission costs. In parallel with the mission analysis the study results have been reviewed to identify key issues that determine the prospects for a space weather nanosat programme and to make recommendations on measures to enable implementation of such a programme. As a follow-on to this study, a student MSc project was initiated by Astrium at Cranfield University to analyse a potential space weather precursor demonstration mission in GTO (one of the recommendations from this ESA study), composing of a reduced constellation of nanosats, launched on ASAP or some other low cost method. The demonstration would include: 1/ Low cost multiple manufacture techniques for a fully industrial nanosat constellation programme 2/ Real time datalinks and fully operational mission for space weather 3/ Miniaturised payloads to fit in a nanosat for space weather monitoring: 4/ Other possible demonstrations of advanced technology The aim was to comply with ESA demonstration mission (i.e. PROBA-type) requirements, to be representative on issues such as cost and risk

Evaluation of laminar flow control systems concepts for subsonic commercial transport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearce, W. E.

1983-01-01

An evaluation was made of laminar flow control (LFC) system concepts for subsonic commercial transport aircraft. Configuration design studies, performance analyses, fabrication development, structural testing, wind tunnel testing, and contamination-avoidance techniques were included. As a result of trade studies, a configuration with LFC on the upper wing surface only, utilizing an electron beam-perforated suction surface, and employing a retractable high-lift shield for contamination avoidance, was selected as the most practical LFC system. The LFC aircraft was then compared with an advanced turbulent aircraft designed for the same mission. This comparison indicated significant fuel savings and reduced direct operating cost benefits would result from using LFC.

KSC00pp0888

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-06-19

This anvil-shaped cloud over the Central Florida coast is part of a NASA study measuring electric fields in this type of cloud. A specially equipped Cessna Citation aircraft is being flown into anvil clouds in the KSC area . The weather study could lead to improved lightning avoidance rules and fewer launch scrubs for the Space Shuttle and other launch vehicles on the Eastern and Western ranges.; More information about the study can be found in Release No. 56-00

KSC-00pp0888

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-06-19

This anvil-shaped cloud over the Central Florida coast is part of a NASA study measuring electric fields in this type of cloud. A specially equipped Cessna Citation aircraft is being flown into anvil clouds in the KSC area . The weather study could lead to improved lightning avoidance rules and fewer launch scrubs for the Space Shuttle and other launch vehicles on the Eastern and Western ranges.; More information about the study can be found in Release No. 56-00

Governing Geoengineering Research: A Political and Technical Vulnerability Analysis of Potential Near-Term Options

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

weather events, or the spread of tropical diseases into North America. The net A Vulnerability-and-Response-Option Analysis Framework for a Risk...Avoidable Surprises, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Doney, Scott C., Victoria J. Fabry , Richard A. Feely, and Joan A. Kleypas, “Ocean...Falkenmark, Louise Karlberg, Robert W. Corell, Victoria J. Fabry , James Hansen, Brian Walker, Diana Liverman, Katherine Richardson, Paul Crutzen, and

FAA Response to User Concensus Views and Recommendations: New Engineering and Development Initiatives - Policy and Technology Choices.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-01

Increased Automation 52 35. ATC Responsibility for Weather Avoidance 53 36. Additional Simulation Needed - ATARS , BCAS, CDTI 53 37. Safety Impacts of...Address Beacon System (DABS)/Data Link, Automated Traffic Advisory and Resolution Service ( ATARS ) and Cockpit Display of Terminal Information (CDT[), are...should not consider down- linking of air derived data either to enhance ATARS or to be the basis for more closely spaced IFR approaches to parallel

Training Early Career Space Weather Researchers and other Space Weather Professionals at the CISM Space Weather Summer School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, N. A.; Hughes, W.

2011-12-01

This talk will outline the organization of a summer school designed to introduce young professions to a sub-discipline of geophysics. Through out the 10 year life time of the Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM) the CISM Team has offered a two week summer school that introduces new graduate students and other interested professional to the fundamentals of space weather. The curriculum covers basic concepts in space physics, the hazards of space weather, and the utility of computer models of the space environment. Graduate students attend from both inside and outside CISM, from all the sub-disciplines involved in space weather (solar, heliosphere, geomagnetic, and aeronomy), and from across the nation and around the world. In addition, between 1/4 and 1/3 of the participants each year are professionals involved in space weather in some way, such as: forecasters from NOAA and the Air Force, Air Force satellite program directors, NASA specialists involved in astronaut radiation safety, and representatives from industries affected by space weather. The summer school has adopted modern pedagogy that has been used successfully at the undergraduate level. A typical daily schedule involves three morning lectures followed by an afternoon lab session. During the morning lectures, student interaction is encouraged using "Timeout to Think" questions and peer instruction, along with question cards for students to ask follow up questions. During the afternoon labs students, working in groups of four, answer thought provoking questions using results from simulations and observation data from a variety of source. Through the interactions with each other and the instructors, as well as social interactions during the two weeks, students network and form bonds that will last them through out their careers. We believe that this summer school can be used as a model for summer schools in a wide variety of disciplines.

Training General Aviation Pilots for Convective Weather Situations.

PubMed

Blickensderfer, Elizabeth L; Lanicci, John M; Vincent, Michael J; Thomas, Robert L; Smith, MaryJo; Cruit, Jessica K

2015-10-01

Over the past 10-15 yr, considerable research has occurred for the development, testing, and fielding of real-time Datalink weather products for general aviation (GA) pilots to use before and during flight. As is the case with the implementation of most new technologies, work is needed to ensure that the users (in this case, the pilots) understand both the capabilities and limitations of the new technologies as well as how to use the new systems to improve their task performance. The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend a previous study on training pilots how and when to use these new weather technologies. This field study used a quasi-experimental design (pre- vs. post-test with a control group). There were 91 GA pilots from the Midwest, Northeastern, and Southeastern United States who participated in a 2-h short course or a control activity. The lecture-based short course covered radar basics, Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD), NEXRAD specifics/limitations, thunderstorm basics, radar products, and decision making. The pilots who participated in the course earned higher knowledge test scores, improved at applying the concepts in paper-based flight scenarios, had higher self-efficacy in post-training assessments as compared to pre-training assessments, and also performed better than did control subjects on post-test knowledge and skills assessments. GA pilots lack knowledge about real-time Datalink weather technology. This study indicates that a relatively short training program was effective for fostering Datalink weather-related knowledge and skills in GA pilots.

Resilience: Revisiting the Concept and Its Utility for Social Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolar, Katarina

2011-01-01

Researchers of resilience seek to understand why some people will recover from or avoid negative outcomes against the odds associated with exposure to particular adversities. Over the last two decades the concept of resilience has experienced "burgeoning interest" (Ungar, 2005, p. xvii). However, due to a lack of consistency in defining and…

Teacher challenges, perceptions, and use of science models in middle school classrooms about climate, weather, and energy concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarker, Morgan Brown

Research suggests that scientific models and modeling should be topics covered in K-12 classrooms as part of a comprehensive science curriculum. It is especially important when talking about topics in weather and climate, where computer and forecast models are the center of attention. There are several approaches to model based inquiry, but it can be argued, theoretically, that science models can be effectively implemented into any approach to inquiry if they are utilized appropriately. Yet, it remains to be explored how science models are actually implemented in classrooms. This study qualitatively looks at three middle school science teachers' use of science models with various approaches to inquiry during their weather and climate units. Results indicate that the teacher who used the most elements of inquiry used models in a way that aligned best with the theoretical framework than the teachers who used fewer elements of inquiry. The theoretical framework compares an approach to argument-based inquiry to model-based inquiry, which argues that the approaches are essentially identical, so teachers who use inquiry should be able to apply model-based inquiry using the same approach. However, none of the teachers in this study had a complete understanding of the role models play in authentic science inquiry, therefore students were not explicitly exposed to the ideas that models can be used to make predictions about, and are representations of, a natural phenomenon. Rather, models were explicitly used to explain concepts to students or have students explain concepts to the teacher or to each other. Additionally, models were used as a focal point for conversation between students, usually as they were creating, modifying, or using models. Teachers were not observed asking students to evaluate models. Since science models are an important aspect of understanding science, it is important that teachers not only know how to implement models into an inquiry environment, but also understand the characteristics of science models so that they can explicitly teach the concept of modeling to students. This study suggests that better pre-service and in-service teacher education is needed to prepare students to teach about science models effectively.

Bioethics and the demise of the concept of human dignity: has medicine killed ethics?

PubMed

Kirchhoffer, David G

2011-01-01

The rise of "dignity talk" has led to the concept of human dignity being criticized in recent years. Some critics argue that human dignity must either be something we have or something we acquire. Others argue that there is no such thing as human dignity and people really mean something else when they appeal to it. Both "dignity talk" and the criticisms arise from a problematic conception of medical ethics as a legalistic, procedural techne. A retrieval of hermeneutical ethics, by contrast, offers a way to overcome both the legalism of contemporary ethics and the abuses and criticisms of the concept of human dignity. Such an ethics affirms both the inherent dignity of a human being as a multi-dimensional, meaning-seeking, historically-situated, relational individual, who desires to live a good life, and the realized sense of his/her own dignity toward which s/he works. As such, human dignity cannot be reduced to one feature of the human, and instead functions as both a descriptive category that avoids moralism, and as a normative category that allows relativity whilst avoiding relativism.

Meteosat third generation: preliminary imagery and sounding mission concepts and performances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aminou, Donny M.; Bézy, Jean-Loup; Bensi, Paolo; Stuhlmann, Rolf; Rodriguez, Antonio

2017-11-01

The operational deployment of MSG-1 at the beginning of 2004, the first of a series of four Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites, marks the start of a new era in Europe for the meteorological observations from the geostationary orbit. This new system shall be the backbone of the European operational meteorological services up to at least 2015. The time required for the definition and the development of new space systems as well as the approval process of such complex programs implies to plan well ahead for the future missions. EUMETSAT have initiated in 2001, with ESA support, a User Consultation Process aiming at preparing for a future operational geostationary meteorological satellite system in the post-MSG era, named Meteosat Third Generation (MTG). The first phase of the User Consultation Process was devoted to the definition and consolidation of end user requirements and priorities in the field of Nowcasting and Very Short Term Weather Forecasting (NWC), Medium/Short Range global and regional Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), Climate and Air Composition Monitoring and to the definition of the relevant observation techniques. After an initial post-MSG mission study (2003-2004) where preliminary instrument concepts were investigated allowing in the same time to consolidate the technical requirements for the overall system study, a MTG pre-phase A study has been performed for the overall system concept, architecture and programmatic aspects during 2004-2005 time frame. This paper provides an overview of the outcome of the MTG sensor concept studies conducted in the frame of the pre-phase A. It namely focuses onto the Imaging and Sounding Missions, highlights the resulting instrument concepts, establishes the critical technologies and introduces the study steps towards the implementation of the MTG development programme.

System Oriented Runway Management: A Research Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lohr, Gary W.; Brown, Sherilyn A.; Stough, Harry P., III; Eisenhawer, Steve; Atkins, Stephen; Long, Dou

2011-01-01

The runway configuration used by an airport has significant implications with respect to its capacity and ability to effectively manage surface and airborne traffic. Aircraft operators rely on runway configuration information because it can significantly affect an airline's operations and planning of their resources. Current practices in runway management are limited by a relatively short time horizon for reliable weather information and little assistance from automation. Wind velocity is the primary consideration when selecting a runway configuration; however when winds are below a defined threshold, discretion may be used to determine the configuration. Other considerations relevant to runway configuration selection include airport operator constraints, weather conditions (other than winds) traffic demand, user preferences, surface congestion, and navigational system outages. The future offers an increasingly complex landscape for the runway management process. Concepts and technologies that hold the potential for capacity and efficiency increases for both operations on the airport surface and in terminal and enroute airspace are currently under investigation. Complementary advances in runway management are required if capacity and efficiency increases in those areas are to be realized. The System Oriented Runway Management (SORM) concept has been developed to address this critical part of the traffic flow process. The SORM concept was developed to address all aspects of runway management for airports of varying sizes and to accommodate a myriad of traffic mixes. SORM, to date, addresses the single airport environment; however, the longer term vision is to incorporate capabilities for multiple airport (Metroplex) operations as well as to accommodate advances in capabilities resulting from ongoing research. This paper provides an update of research supporting the SORM concept including the following: a concept of overview, results of a TRCM simulation, single airport and Metroplex modeling effort and a benefits assessment.

Vision-based mobile robot navigation through deep convolutional neural networks and end-to-end learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yachu; Zhao, Yuejin; Liu, Ming; Dong, Liquan; Kong, Lingqin; Liu, Lingling

2017-09-01

In contrast to humans, who use only visual information for navigation, many mobile robots use laser scanners and ultrasonic sensors along with vision cameras to navigate. This work proposes a vision-based robot control algorithm based on deep convolutional neural networks. We create a large 15-layer convolutional neural network learning system and achieve the advanced recognition performance. Our system is trained from end to end to map raw input images to direction in supervised mode. The images of data sets are collected in a wide variety of weather conditions and lighting conditions. Besides, the data sets are augmented by adding Gaussian noise and Salt-and-pepper noise to avoid overfitting. The algorithm is verified by two experiments, which are line tracking and obstacle avoidance. The line tracking experiment is proceeded in order to track the desired path which is composed of straight and curved lines. The goal of obstacle avoidance experiment is to avoid the obstacles indoor. Finally, we get 3.29% error rate on the training set and 5.1% error rate on the test set in the line tracking experiment, 1.8% error rate on the training set and less than 5% error rate on the test set in the obstacle avoidance experiment. During the actual test, the robot can follow the runway centerline outdoor and avoid the obstacle in the room accurately. The result confirms the effectiveness of the algorithm and our improvement in the network structure and train parameters

Optical subnet concepts for the deep space network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaik, K.; Wonica, D.; Wilhelm, M.

1993-01-01

This article describes potential enhancements to the Deep Space Network, based on a subnet of receiving stations that will utilize optical communications technology in the post-2010 era. Two optical subnet concepts are presented that provide full line-of-sight coverage of the ecliptic, 24 hours a day, with high weather availability. The technical characteristics of the optical station and the user terminal are presented, as well as the effects of cloud cover, transmittance through the atmosphere, and background noise during daytime or nighttime operation on the communications link. In addition, this article identifies candidate geographic sites for the two network concepts and includes a link design for a hypothetical Pluto mission in 2015.

Change and consistency in US women's pregnancy attitudes and associations with contraceptive use.

PubMed

Jones, Rachel K

2017-05-01

This study examines the cognitive and affective dimensions of pregnancy attitudes in order to better recognize the role of each in pregnancy ambivalence as well as the relative importance of each in understanding contraceptive use. Data from a national sample of 2894 women aged 18-39, gathered at baseline and 6 months later, were used to examine a measure of pregnancy avoidance (cognitive) and a measure of happiness about pregnancy (affective), both separately and jointly. I used bivariate and multivariate analysis to examine associations between attitudinal measures and consistent contraceptive use. I also examined changes in attitudes over time and associations between changes in attitudes and changes in consistent contraceptive use. While a majority of women, 53%, indicated that it was very important to avoid pregnancy, a substantially lower proportion, 23%, would have been very unhappy to be pregnant. In logistic regression models that included both measures, only pregnancy avoidance was associated with consistent contraceptive use. Cognitive attitude was less likely than affective attitude to change over time; additionally, change in pregnancy avoidance, but not happiness, was associated with change in consistent contraceptive use. Pregnancy avoidance appears to play a more important role in understanding consistent contraceptive use. Findings from this study provide support for the idea that positive feelings about a pregnancy do not contradict a desire to avoid conception and that feelings and intentions may be distinct concepts for many women. Health care providers should assess patients' pregnancy avoidance attitude but also recognize that this can change over a short period of time for some women and should be evaluated regularly. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radar Evaluation of Optical Cloud Constraints to Space Launch Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merceret, Francis J.; Short, David A.; Ward, Jennifer G.

2005-01-01

Weather constraints to launching space vehicles are designed to prevent loss of the vehicle or mission due to weather hazards (See, e.g., Ref 1). Constraints include Lightning Launch Commit Criteria (LLCC) designed to avoid natural and triggered lightning. The LLCC currently in use at most American launch sites including the Eastern Range and Kennedy Space Center require the Launch Weather Officer to determine the height of cloud bases and tops, the location of cloud edges, and cloud transparency. The preferred method of making these determinations is visual observation, but when that isn't possible due to darkness or obscured vision, it is permissible to use radar. This note examines the relationship between visual and radar observations in three ways: A theoretical consideration of the relationship between radar reflectivity and optical transparency. An observational study relating radar reflectivity to cloud edge determined from in-situ measurements of cloud particle concentrations that determine the visible cloud edge. An observational study relating standard radar products to anvil cloud transparency. It is shown that these three approaches yield results consistent with each other and with the radar threshold specified in Reference 2 for LLCC evaluation.

Reducing Production Basis Risk through Rainfall Intensity Frequency (RIF) Indexes: Global Sensitivity Analysis' Implication on Policy Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muneepeerakul, Chitsomanus; Huffaker, Ray; Munoz-Carpena, Rafael

2016-04-01

The weather index insurance promises financial resilience to farmers struck by harsh weather conditions with swift compensation at affordable premium thanks to its minimal adverse selection and moral hazard. Despite these advantages, the very nature of indexing causes the presence of "production basis risk" that the selected weather indexes and their thresholds do not correspond to actual damages. To reduce basis risk without additional data collection cost, we propose the use of rain intensity and frequency as indexes as it could offer better protection at the lower premium by avoiding basis risk-strike trade-off inherent in the total rainfall index. We present empirical evidences and modeling results that even under the similar cumulative rainfall and temperature environment, yield can significantly differ especially for drought sensitive crops. We further show that deriving the trigger level and payoff function from regression between historical yield and total rainfall data may pose significant basis risk owing to their non-unique relationship in the insured range of rainfall. Lastly, we discuss the design of index insurance in terms of contract specifications based on the results from global sensitivity analysis.

Watershed Education for Broadcast Meteorologists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamos, J. P.; Sliter, D.; Espinoza, S.; Spangler, T. C.

2006-12-01

The National Environmental Education and Training Organization (NEETF) published a report in 2005 that summarized the findings of ten years of NEETF and Roper Research. The report stated, "Our years of data from Roper surveys show a persistent pattern of environmental ignorance even among the most educated and influential members of society." Market research has also shown that 80% of television viewers list the weather as the primary reason for watching the local news. Broadcast meteorologists, with a broader understanding of environmental and related sciences have an opportunity to use their weathercasts to inform the public about the environment and the factors that influence environmental health. As "station scientists," broadcast meteorologists can use the weather, and people's connection to it, to broaden their understanding of the environment they live in. Weather and watershed conditions associated with flooding and drought have major human and environmental impacts. Increasing the awareness of the general public about basic aspects of the hydrologic landscape can be an important part of mitigating the adverse effects of too much or too little precipitation, and of protecting the environment as well. The concept of a watershed as a person's natural neighborhood is a very important one for understanding hydrologic and environmental issues. Everyone lives in a watershed, and the health of a watershed is the result of the interplay between weather and human activity. This paper describes an online course to give broadcast meteorologists a basic understanding of watersheds and how watersheds are impacted by weather. It discusses how to convey watershed science to a media- savvy audience as well as how to model the communication of watershed and hydrologic concepts to the public. The course uses a narrative, story-like style to present its content. It is organized into six short units of instruction, each approximately 20 minutes in duration. Each unit is divided into 6-8 learning objects (independent elements of instruction.) This approach makes the course easily accessible to the broadcast meteorologists and provides them with short, reusable chunks of content to use on-the-air or in educational presentations in their communities.

AIAA Educator Academy: The Space Weather Balloon Module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longmier, B.; Henriquez, E.; Bering, E. A.; Slagle, E.

2013-12-01

Educator Academy is a K-12 STEM curriculum developed by the STEM K-12 Outreach Committee of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Consisting of three independent curriculum modules, K-12 students participate in inquiry-based science and engineering challenges to improve critical thinking skills and enhance problem solving skills. The Space Weather Balloon Curriculum Module is designed for students in grades 9-12. Throughout this module, students learn and refine physics concepts as well as experimental research skills. Students participate in project-based learning that is experimental in nature. Students are engaged with the world around them as they collaborate to launch a high altitude balloon equipped with HD cameras.The program leaders launch high altitude weather balloons in collaboration with schools and students to teach physics concepts, experimental research skills, and to make space exploration accessible to students. A weather balloon lifts a specially designed payload package that is composed of HD cameras, GPS tracking devices, and other science equipment. The payload is constructed and attached to the balloon by the students with low-cost materials. The balloon and payload are launched with FAA clearance from a site chosen based on wind patterns and predicted landing locations. The balloon ascends over 2 hours to a maximum altitude of 100,000 feet where it bursts and allows the payload to slowly descend using a built-in parachute. The payload is located using the GPS device. In April 2012, the Space Weather Balloon team conducted a prototype field campaign near Fairbanks Alaska, sending several student-built experiments to an altitude of 30km, underneath several strong auroral displays. To better assist teachers in implementing one or more of these Curriculum Modules, teacher workshops are held to give teachers a hands-on look at how this curriculum is used in the classroom. And, to provide further support, teachers are each provided with an AIAA professional member as a mentor for themselves and/or their students. These curriculum modules, provided by AIAA are available to any K-12 teachers as well as EPO officers for use in formal or informal education settings.

Cloud-Based Numerical Weather Prediction for Near Real-Time Forecasting and Disaster Response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molthan, Andrew; Case, Jonathan; Venners, Jason; Schroeder, Richard; Checchi, Milton; Zavodsky, Bradley; Limaye, Ashutosh; O'Brien, Raymond

2015-01-01

The use of cloud computing resources continues to grow within the public and private sector components of the weather enterprise as users become more familiar with cloud-computing concepts, and competition among service providers continues to reduce costs and other barriers to entry. Cloud resources can also provide capabilities similar to high-performance computing environments, supporting multi-node systems required for near real-time, regional weather predictions. Referred to as "Infrastructure as a Service", or IaaS, the use of cloud-based computing hardware in an on-demand payment system allows for rapid deployment of a modeling system in environments lacking access to a large, supercomputing infrastructure. Use of IaaS capabilities to support regional weather prediction may be of particular interest to developing countries that have not yet established large supercomputing resources, but would otherwise benefit from a regional weather forecasting capability. Recently, collaborators from NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Ames Research Center have developed a scripted, on-demand capability for launching the NOAA/NWS Science and Training Resource Center (STRC) Environmental Modeling System (EMS), which includes pre-compiled binaries of the latest version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The WRF-EMS provides scripting for downloading appropriate initial and boundary conditions from global models, along with higher-resolution vegetation, land surface, and sea surface temperature data sets provided by the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center. This presentation will provide an overview of the modeling system capabilities and benchmarks performed on the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) environment. In addition, the presentation will discuss future opportunities to deploy the system in support of weather prediction in developing countries supported by NASA's SERVIR Project, which provides capacity building activities in environmental monitoring and prediction across a growing number of regional hubs throughout the world. Capacity-building applications that extend numerical weather prediction to developing countries are intended to provide near real-time applications to benefit public health, safety, and economic interests, but may have a greater impact during disaster events by providing a source for local predictions of weather-related hazards, or impacts that local weather events may have during the recovery phase.

Framing Extreme Event Attribution from the Bottom up - an Enquiry into the Social Representations of key stakeholders, of the Press and of Climate Scientists.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanderlinden, J. P.; Fellmer, M.; Capellini, N.; Meinke, I.; Remvikos, Y.; Bray, D.; Pacteau, C.; Von Storch, H.

2014-12-01

Attribution of extreme weather events has recently generated a lot of interest simultaneously within the general public, the scientific community, and stakeholders affected by meteorological extremes. This interest calls for the need to explore the potential convergence of the current atttribution science with the desire and needs of stakeholders. Such an euiry contributes to the development of climate services aiming at quantifying the human responsibility for particular events. Through interviews with climate scientists, through the analysis of the press coverage of extreme meteorological events, and through stakeholder (private sector, covernment services and local and regional government) focus groups, we analyze how social representations of the concepts associated with extreme event attribution are theorized. From the corpuses generated in the course of this enquiry, we build up a grounded, bottom-up, theorization of extreme weather event attribution. This bottom-up theorization allows for a framing of the potential climate services in a way that is attuned to the needs and expectations of the stakeholders. From apparently simple formulations: "what is an extreme event?", "what makes it extreme?", "what is meant by attribution of extreme weather events?", "what do we want to attribute?", "what is a climate service?", we demonstrate the polysemy of these terms and propose ways to address the challenges associated with the juxtaposition of four highly loaded concepts: extreme - event - attribution - climate services.

Dimensions and profiles of the generalized health-related self-concept.

PubMed

Wiesmann, Ulrich; Niehörster, Gabriele; Hannich, Hans-Joachim; Hartmann, Ute

2008-11-01

We explore the significance of health as a potentially self-relevant category from the perspective of dynamic self-concept theory. Our intention was to describe the dimensional structure of the generalized health-related self-concept, to identify particular prototypes of health-related self-definition, and to see if these prototypes would differ with respect to appraisals of health behaviour and subjective health. We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire study involving 545 college students (23.3% male) at the mean age of 22 years. The self-administered questionnaire assessed a relevant spectrum of health-related cognitions denoting their generalized declarative knowledge about their health (the generalized health-related self-concept). Additionally, participants rated their multiple health behaviour, their perceived health, and their anticipated vulnerability. A principal components analysis of the health-related cognitions revealed the following five dimensions: health-protective dispositions, health-protective motivation, vulnerability, health-risky habits, and external, avoidant motivation. A two-step cluster analysis of the five components identified six profiles of health-related self-concept: careless/carefree, omnipotents, risk-takers, mentally affected, reluctant-avoidant, and medically fragile. These prototypes could be successfully reclassified (97.6%). The six profiles differed with respect to their health behaviour and subjective health appraisals. The dimensional structure represents both resources and deficits with respect to an individual's health-related self-concept. An individual's profile of these dimensions might correspond to a characteristic set of particular health needs and motivations. Successful health communications should follow a complementary strategy of affirming the self-concept.

AVC Helps Teachers View the Atmosphere and Play in the Sand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klaus, Christopher; Andrew, Keith; McCollum, Timothy

2003-01-01

Describes the Atmospheric Visualization Collection (AVC), part of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) that contains an archive of weather images as well as a collection of educational material that uses the images to teach atmospheric science concepts. Discusses the potential use of this information for K-12 and undergraduate students.…

Integrated Air Surveillance Concept of Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-01

information, intelligence, weather data, and other situational awareness-related information. 4.2.4 Shared Services Automated processing of sensor and...other surveillance information will occur through shared services , accessible through an enterprise network infrastructure, that provide for collecting...also be provided, such as information discovery and translation. The IS architecture effort will identify specific shared services . Shared

Leaf Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mingie, Walter

Leaf activities can provide a means of using basic concepts of outdoor education to learn in elementary level subject areas. Equipment needed includes leaves, a clipboard with paper, and a pencil. A bag of leaves may be brought into the classroom if weather conditions or time do not permit going outdoors. Each student should pick a leaf, examine…

Average Revisited in Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Jane; Chick, Helen

2012-01-01

This paper analyses the responses of 247 middle school students to items requiring the concept of average in three different contexts: a city's weather reported in maximum daily temperature, the number of children in a family, and the price of houses. The mixed but overall disappointing performance on the six items in the three contexts indicates…

Remote Sensing: The View from Above. Know Your Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA.

This publication identifies some of the general concepts of remote sensing and explains the image collection process and computer-generated reconstruction of the data. Monitoring the ecological collapse in coral reefs, weather phenomena like El Nino/La Nina, and U.S. Space Shuttle-based sensing projects are some of the areas for which remote…

Ciencia: Nivel A (Science: Level A).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duron, Dolores; And Others

A teacher's manual was developed for an elementary level science course in Spanish as part of an immersion program for English speaking children. The Level A manual is designed for kindergarten and grade 1 pupils. The five units cover the basic concepts of the weather, colors, animals, plants, and the five senses. Each unit includes vocabulary,…

Place visitation, place avoidance, and attitudinal ambivalence: new concepts for place research in urban recreation settings

Treesearch

David B. Klenosky; Christine A. Vogt; Herbert W. Schroeder; Cherie LeBlanc Fisher

2010-01-01

This paper draws on recent developments in research on consumer behavior and attitudes to better understand the range of behaviors and attitudes inherent in a diverse urban area. Using a mail survey of Chicago-area residents, we collected data (1) to examine residents' past visitation behavior and recommendations of places to visit and to avoid for a range of...

Space Weather Status for Exploration Radiation Protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fry, Dan J.; Lee, Kerry; Zapp, Neal; Barzilla, Janet; Dunegan, Audrey; Johnson, Steve; Stoffle, Nicholas

2011-01-01

Management of crew exposure to radiation is a major concern for manned spaceflight and will be even more important for the modern concept of longer-duration exploration. The inherent protection afforded to astronauts by the magnetic field of the Earth in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) makes operations on the space shuttle or space station very different from operations during an exploration mission. In order to experience significant radiation-derived Loss of Mission (LOM) or Loss of Crew (LOC) risk for LEO operations, one is almost driven to dictate extreme duration or to dictate an extreme sequence of solar activity. Outside of the geo-magnetosphere, however, this scenario changes dramatically. Exposures to the same event on the ISS and in free space, for example, may differ by orders of magnitude. This change in magnitude, coupled with the logistical constraints present in implementing any practical operational mitigation make situational awareness with regard to space weather a limiting factor for the ability to conduct exploration operations. We present a current status of developing operational concepts for manned exploration and expectations for asset viability and available predictive and characterization toolsets.

Horizontal Launch: A Versatile Concept for Assured Space Access

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bartolotta, Paul; Wilhite, Alan W.; Schaffer, Mark; Voland, Randall T.; Huebner, Larry

2011-01-01

The vision of horizontal launch is the capability to provide a mobile launch pad that can use existing aircraft runways, cruise above weather, loiter for mission instructions, and achieve precise placement for orbital intercept, rendezvous, or reconnaissance. Another compelling benefit of horizontal launch is that today s ground-based vertical launch pads are a single earthquake, hurricane, or terrorist attack away from disruption of critical U.S. launch capabilities. The study did not attempt to design a new system concept for horizontal launch, but rather focused on the refinement of many previously-studied horizontal launch concepts. Because of the large number of past horizontal launch studies, a process was developed to narrow the number of concepts through prescreening, screening, and evaluation of point designs. The refinement process was not intended to select the "best" concept, but rather to establish the feasibility of horizontal launch from a balanced assessment of figures of merit and to identify potential concepts that warrant further exploration.

Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-21

winglets , rather than on the winged design of the HTV-2. Upon nearing a target, the weapon would be able to maneuver to avoid flying over third party...concept from PGS, Congress, initially at least, blended both into the request for a new report. The Air Force submitted its report on the CAV concept of

Defense and avoidance of ozone under global change

Treesearch

Michael Tausz; Nancy E. Grulke; Gerhard Wieser

2007-01-01

The level II approach of the critical loads concept adopted by the UNECE aims at a flux based evaluation and takes into account environmental factors governing stomatal conductance. These factors will probably be affected by global change. The flux concept predicts that a decrease in stomatal conductance would protect trees from air pollution effects by decreasing...

Building a Global Future through Research and Innovative Practices in Open and Distance Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahmood, Sheikh Tariq; Mahmood, Azhar

2014-01-01

The current study aims to investigate awareness of research students about the concept of plagiarism and to suggest possible ways to avoid it; a descriptive survey study was conducted. The objectives of the study were to examine the researcher's knowledge about concept of plagiarism, knowledge about specific terminologies, types of plagiarism, and…

Mesonet Programs - Needs and Best Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usher, J.; Doherty, J.

2010-09-01

Authors: Jeremy Usher Managing Director, Europe WeatherBug® Professional John Doherty Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing WeatherBug® Professional There are many well documented and compelling needs for significant improvements in mesoscale meteorological observations throughout many parts of the world. This is evidenced by the fact that the vast majority of severe weather impacts and related life, property and economic losses are associated with mesoscale events such as tornados, thunderstorms, fronts, squall lines, etc. Additionally, the looming impacts of climate change are likely to vary substantially on a regional basis requiring more detailed information on a finer scale. Hence, development of comprehensive densely spaced observing systems can establish the critical information repositories needed to improve: short- and medium-term weather and wind forecasting down to local scales, climate monitoring on a regional basis, as well as decision support capabilities including plume dispersion modeling and air quality forecasting, to name a few. It is imperative that governmental/public/private/academic partnerships are formed to leverage the collective expertise, assets and technological know-how of each sector. Collaboration of this type is particularly germane given that many existing mesonets (weather networks) have been deployed by local organizations with local considerations in mind. These stakeholders maintain the capacity to react quickly and efficiently and are best positioned to recommend future network evolution within their domains. Additionally, coordination will go a long way toward avoiding duplication of effort and promote both a robust private sector and wise expenditure of public funds. This presentation will outline the major building blocks of a mesonet program and discuss best practices for a multi-tiered, multi-faceted "network of networks" approach that maximizes the value derived from leveraging existing assets and serves multiple needs. On-going activities within the U.S. National Mesonet Program will be highlighted.

Ranger© - An Affordable, Advanced, Next-Generation, Dual-Pol, X-Band Weather Radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stedronsky, Richard

2014-05-01

The Enterprise Electronics Corporation (EEC) Ranger© system is a new generation, X-band (3 cm), Adaptive Polarization Doppler Weather Surveillance Radar that fills the gap between high-cost, high-power traditional radar systems and the passive ground station weather sensors. Developed in partnership with the University of Oklahoma Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC), the system uses relatively low power solid-state transmitters and pulse compression technology to attain nearly the same performance capabilities of much more expensive traditional radar systems. The Ranger© also employs Adaptive Dual Polarization (ADP) techniques to allow Alternating or Simultaneous Dual Polarization capability with total control over the transmission polarization state using dual independent coherent transmitters. Ranger© has been designed using the very latest technology available in the industry and the technical and manufacturing experience gained through over four decades of successful radar system design and production at EEC. The entire Ranger© design concept emphasizes precision, stability, reliability, and value using proven solid state technology combined with the most advanced motion control system ever conceived for weather radar. Key applications include meteorology, hydrology, aviation, offshore oil/gas drilling, wind energy, and outdoor event situational awareness.

Storm Peak Laboratory 5th-6th Grade Climate and Weather Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCubbin, I. B.; Hallar, A. G.

2008-12-01

Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL) has created a place-based elementary school program, which has been implemented at five elementary schools in Northwest Colorado. Real understanding, not factual recall, is the primary goal and developing a desire to be lifelong learners in science is a secondary goal. The specific objectives of the program include the following: 1) Develop a weather and climate curriculum that teaches skills required by Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP). 2) Provide a hands-on place-based educational experience where students have an opportunity to use scientific equipment. 3) Provide students a three-day program that consists of an introduction, field program, and follow-up to help students grasp concepts and apply them to other school studies. 4) Provide all participating students with understanding of climate and weather 5) Build foundations for students to understand climate change. 6) Disseminate to alpine regions across the Western US, potentially impacting thousands of students that will experience the impacts of climate change during their lifetime. The SPL program spans three days for each school and includes five elementary schools. During the first day, a scientist and educators from SPL visit each classroom for two hours to introduce the concepts of climate and weather as well as teach students how to use scientific equipment. During the field program on the second day, students measure and record information about temperature, pressure, relative humidity, wind speed, and particle concentration while they travel to SPL via the gondola and chair lifts (in winter) or 4WD Suburbans (in fall). Once at the laboratory, students will meet with both SPL scientists and educators to tour the facility, discuss SPL research activities, and explore application of these activities to their curriculum. An alternative winter snowshoe program at the top of the gondola is offered to students who do not ski, where students have a program on snow science. At the end of the day each student has a data sheet with measurements recorded from 5 locations of different elevations to take back to the classroom. Following the field trip, SPL scientists and educators visit the school for a follow-up to help children grasp concepts, represent their data set collected in graphical formats, answer questions, and evaluate students" learning. Currently, approximately 250 students annually participate in the SPL 5th and 6th grade climate education program.

Amphibious Landing Operations in World War II: Personal Experience in Applying and Developing Doctrine

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-21

location. Additionally, the effect of weather was evident in the inability of some landing craft to free themselves from the beach or avoid foundering in...command vehicle mired it in the soft sand of the beach almost immediately, forcing them to abandon it. The artificial paths troops laid on the beach...to enable vehicle and foot movement over the sand , made of wire and burlap, were not available in large enough quantities to be effective.97 On the

Proceedings of the AIAA/FAA Joint Symposium on General Aviation Systems Held in Wichita, Kansas on 16-17 March 1992

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-01

the problems of that system should address the GA segment 11 General Aviation Shipments and Billings 35,000- 3.00 30,000 -2.50 25,000 -2.00 Factory...avoidance; . certification: time/cost for licensing, "* Airport noise: rate of closings; curfews 22 PROGRESS IN TECHNOLOGY NONAL CAL "* airbags * anti...demonstrated that the technical problems involved with transmitting significant amounts of weather data to an aircraft in-flight or on-the-ground via

USAF Airborne Sense and Avoid (ABSAA) Airworthiness and Operational Approval Approach. Version 1.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-31

in, Class A or Special Use Airspace. The scope is also limited to larger UAS flying Instrument Flight Rules ( IFR ).16 If the civil standards do not...91.119 ( IFR operations along all-weather low-altitude routes).21 The history of the exemption from 14 CFR 91.209 related to NVG operations without... impact and schedule of a possible Part 91 rule change. The ABSAA PM should work to ensure appropriate FAA participation in RTCA activities to enable

Stochastic Feedforward Control Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halyo, Nesim

1990-01-01

Class of commanded trajectories modeled as stochastic process. Advanced Transport Operating Systems (ATOPS) research and development program conducted by NASA Langley Research Center aimed at developing capabilities for increases in capacities of airports, safe and accurate flight in adverse weather conditions including shear, winds, avoidance of wake vortexes, and reduced consumption of fuel. Advances in techniques for design of modern controls and increased capabilities of digital flight computers coupled with accurate guidance information from Microwave Landing System (MLS). Stochastic feedforward control technique developed within context of ATOPS program.

Longitudinal Model Predicting Self-Concept in Pediatric Chronic Illness.

PubMed

Emerson, Natacha D; Morrell, Holly E R; Neece, Cameron; Tapanes, Daniel; Distelberg, Brian

2018-04-16

Although self-concept has been identified as salient to the psychosocial adjustment of adolescents dealing with a chronic illness (CI), little research has focused on its predictors it. Given that depression and parent-child attachment have been linked to self-concept in the population at large, the goal of this study was to evaluate these relationships longitudinally in a sample of adolescents with CI. Using participant data from the Mastering Each New Direction (MEND) program, a 3-month psychosocial, family based intensive outpatient program for adolescents with CI, we employed multilevel modeling to test longitudinal changes in self-concept, as predicted by depressive symptoms and parent-child attachment, in a sample of 50 youths (M age  = 14.56, SD age  = 1.82) participating in MEND. Both "time spent in the program" and decreases in depressive symptoms were associated with increases in self-concept over time. Higher baseline levels of avoidant attachment to both mother and father were also associated with greater initial levels of self-concept. Targeting depressive symptoms and supporting adaptive changes in attachment may be key to promoting a healthy self-concept in pediatric CI populations. The association between avoidant attachment and higher baseline self-concept scores may reflect differences in participants' autonomy, self-confidence, or depression. Limitations of the study include variability in the amount of time spent in the program, attrition in final time point measures, and the inability to fully examine and model all potential covariates due to a small sample size (e.g. power). © 2018 Family Process Institute.

The SASSCAL contribution to climate observation, climate data management and data rescue in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaspar, F.; Helmschrot, J.; Mhanda, A.; Butale, M.; de Clercq, W.; Kanyanga, J. K.; Neto, F. O. S.; Kruger, S.; Castro Matsheka, M.; Muche, G.; Hillmann, T.; Josenhans, K.; Posada, R.; Riede, J.; Seely, M.; Ribeiro, C.; Kenabatho, P.; Vogt, R.; Jürgens, N.

2015-07-01

A major task of the newly established "Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management" (SASSCAL; www.sasscal.org) and its partners is to provide science-based environmental information and knowledge which includes the provision of consistent and reliable climate data for Southern Africa. Hence, SASSCAL, in close cooperation with the national weather authorities of Angola, Botswana, Germany and Zambia as well as partner institutions in Namibia and South Africa, supports the extension of the regional meteorological observation network and the improvement of the climate archives at national level. With the ongoing rehabilitation of existing weather stations and the new installation of fully automated weather stations (AWS), altogether 105 AWS currently provide a set of climate variables at 15, 30 and 60 min intervals respectively. These records are made available through the SASSCAL WeatherNet, an online platform providing near-real time data as well as various statistics and graphics, all in open access. This effort is complemented by the harmonization and improvement of climate data management concepts at the national weather authorities, capacity building activities and an extension of the data bases with historical climate data which are still available from different sources. These activities are performed through cooperation between regional and German institutions and will provide important information for climate service related activities.

CAESAR: An Initiative of Public Service for Collision Risks Mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laporte, Francois; Moury, Monique; Beaumet, Gregory

2013-09-01

This paper starts by describing the conjunction analysis which has to be performed using CSM data provided by JSpOC. This description not only demonstrates that Collision Avoidance is a 2-step process (close approach detection followed by risk evaluation for collision avoidance decision) but also leads to the conclusion that there is a need for Middle Man role.After describing the Middle Man concept, it introduces the French response CAESAR and the need for collaborative work environment which is implied by Middle Man concept. It includes a description of the environment put in place for CAESAR (secure website and dedicated tools), the content of the service, and the condition for the distribution of the CNES software JAC and the advantages for subscribers.

Learned helplessness: unique features and translational value of a cognitive depression model.

PubMed

Vollmayr, Barbara; Gass, Peter

2013-10-01

The concept of learned helplessness defines an escape or avoidance deficit after uncontrollable stress and is regarded as a depression-like coping deficit in aversive but avoidable situations. Based on a psychological construct, it ideally complements other stress-induced or genetic animal models for major depression. Because of excellent face, construct, and predictive validity, it has contributed to the elaboration of several pathophysiological concepts and has brought forward new treatment targets. Whereas learned helplessness can be modeled not only in a broad variety of mammals, but also in fish and Drosophila, we will focus here on the use of this model in rats and mice, which are today the most common species for preclinical in vivo research in psychiatry.

Interrelating Behavioral Measures of Distress Tolerance with Self-Reported Experiential Avoidance.

PubMed

Schloss, Heather M; Haaga, David A F

2011-03-01

Experiential avoidance and distress intolerance play a central role in novel behavior therapies, yet they appear to overlap considerably the REBT concept of low frustration tolerance. Using baseline data from 100 adult cigarette smokers enrolled in a clinical trial of smoking cessation therapies, the present study evaluated the convergent validity of common questionnaire measures of experiential avoidance (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire; AAQ; Hayes et al. 2004, and Avoidance and Inflexibility Scale: AIS; Gifford et al. 2004) and behavioral measures of distress tolerance (computerized Mirror Tracing Persistence Task: MTPT-C: Strong et al. 2003; computerized Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task; PASAT-C; Lejuez et al. 2003). The distress tolerance measures correlated significantly (r = .29) with one another. However, the questionnaire measures of experiential avoidance did not correlate with each other, nor with the behavioral measures. Further research is needed on the validity of measuring experiential avoidance by self-report and of the overlap versus distinctiveness of seemingly similar constructs such as experiential avoidance, distress tolerance, and frustration tolerance.

Interrelating Behavioral Measures of Distress Tolerance with Self-Reported Experiential Avoidance

PubMed Central

Schloss, Heather M.

2011-01-01

Experiential avoidance and distress intolerance play a central role in novel behavior therapies, yet they appear to overlap considerably the REBT concept of low frustration tolerance. Using baseline data from 100 adult cigarette smokers enrolled in a clinical trial of smoking cessation therapies, the present study evaluated the convergent validity of common questionnaire measures of experiential avoidance (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire; AAQ; Hayes et al. 2004, and Avoidance and Inflexibility Scale: AIS; Gifford et al. 2004) and behavioral measures of distress tolerance (computerized Mirror Tracing Persistence Task: MTPT-C: Strong et al. 2003; computerized Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task; PASAT-C; Lejuez et al. 2003). The distress tolerance measures correlated significantly (r = .29) with one another. However, the questionnaire measures of experiential avoidance did not correlate with each other, nor with the behavioral measures. Further research is needed on the validity of measuring experiential avoidance by self-report and of the overlap versus distinctiveness of seemingly similar constructs such as experiential avoidance, distress tolerance, and frustration tolerance. PMID:21448252

Environmentally Safe SRM Strategies Using Liquefied Air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massmann, M.; Layton, K.

2010-12-01

This presentation includes several SRM strategies to offset global warming using the large scale release of liquefied air (Lair). Lair could be used to cool large atmospheric volumes as it expands from a liquid below minus 300 degrees F (-184 degrees C) into ambient air, which could trigger new clouds or brighten existing clouds. It is hoped that the potential feasibility and benefits of this concept would be found to warrant further development through funded research. A key trait of Lair is its enormous expansion ratio in warming from a cold liquid into ambient air. At sea level, this expansion is about 900 times. At high altitudes such as 50,000 ft (15 km) the same amount of Lair would expand 5,000 times. One strategy for this concept would be to release Lair at 50,000 ft to super-cool existing water vapor into reflective droplets or ice particles. This could create very large clouds thick enough to be highly-reflective and high enough for long residence times. Another strategy to consider for this concept would be to release CCN’s (such as salt particulates) along with Lair. This might enable the formation of clouds where Lair alone is insufficient. Water vapor could also be added to assist in cloud development if necessary. The use of these elements would be non-polluting, enabling the concept to be safely scaled as large as necessary to achieve the desired results without harming the environment. This is extremely important, because it eliminates the risk of environmental damage that is a potential roadblock for most other SRM schemes. Further strategies of this concept would include formation of clouds near the equator to maximize reflected energy, creating clouds over ocean regions so as to minimize weather changes on land, and creating clouds over Arctic regions to minimize the melting of sea ice. Because this concept requires only existing technology to implement, research and implementation timelines could be minimized (unlike most proposed schemes that require new technologies). Energy required for this concept should be very reasonable. Each ton of Lair would require about 345 kW-hrs of energy or less to produce. Assuming power costs 0.1 per kW-hr, energy cost per ton of Lair would be about 34.50 US. Each 100-ton payload of Lair would then cost $3,450 US or just 12.4 cents per gallon (3.3 cents per liter). More extreme weather events are predicted as the planet warms. It should be noted that Lair might also be used to help limit the destructiveness of these events. The same aircraft and Lair tanks from this concept could be used to perform missions that cool the “heat engines” of severe weather, limiting hurricane strength, reducing the likelihood of tornado’s and limiting excessive rain that causes flooding. Also, by loading the Lair tanks with liquid nitrogen, it might be possible to help control large wildfires using wind to blanket fire lines with gaseous nitrogen. Therefore this concept could have multiple uses and solve several problems related to global warming, as well as help to limit global warming itself.

IBM Demonstrates a General-Purpose, High-Performance, High-Availability Cloud-Hosted Data Distribution System With Live GOES-16 Weather Satellite Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snyder, P. L.; Brown, V. W.

2017-12-01

IBM has created a general purpose, data-agnostic solution that provides high performance, low data latency, high availability, scalability, and persistent access to the captured data, regardless of source or type. This capability is hosted on commercially available cloud environments and uses much faster, more efficient, reliable, and secure data transfer protocols than the more typically used FTP. The design incorporates completely redundant data paths at every level, including at the cloud data center level, in order to provide the highest assurance of data availability to the data consumers. IBM has been successful in building and testing a Proof of Concept instance on our IBM Cloud platform to receive and disseminate actual GOES-16 data as it is being downlinked. This solution leverages the inherent benefits of a cloud infrastructure configured and tuned for continuous, stable, high-speed data dissemination to data consumers worldwide at the downlink rate. It also is designed to ingest data from multiple simultaneous sources and disseminate data to multiple consumers. Nearly linear scalability is achieved by adding servers and storage.The IBM Proof of Concept system has been tested with our partners to achieve in excess of 5 Gigabits/second over public internet infrastructure. In tests with live GOES-16 data, the system routinely achieved 2.5 Gigabits/second pass-through to The Weather Company from the University of Wisconsin-Madison SSEC. Simulated data was also transferred from the Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites — North Carolina to The Weather Company, as well. The storage node allocated to our Proof of Concept system as tested was sized at 480 Terabytes of RAID protected disk as a worst case sizing to accommodate the data from four GOES-16 class satellites for 30 days in a circular buffer. This shows that an abundance of performance and capacity headroom exists in the IBM design that can be applied to additional missions.

Web-based description of the space radiation environment using the Bethe-Bloch model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cazzola, Emanuele; Calders, Stijn; Lapenta, Giovanni

2016-01-01

Space weather is a rapidly growing area of research not only in scientific and engineering applications but also in physics education and in the interest of the public. We focus especially on space radiation and its impact on space exploration. The topic is highly interdisciplinary, bringing together fundamental concepts of nuclear physics with aspects of radiation protection and space science. We give a new approach to presenting the topic by developing a web-based application that combines some of the fundamental concepts from these two fields into a single tool that can be used in the context of advanced secondary or undergraduate university education. We present DREADCode, an outreach or teaching tool to rapidly assess the current conditions of the radiation field in space. DREADCode uses the available data feeds from a number of ongoing space missions (ACE, GOES-13, GOES-15) to produce a first order approximation of the radiation dose an astronaut would receive during a mission of exploration in deep space (i.e. far from the Earth’s shielding magnetic field and from the radiation belts). DREADCode is based on an easy-to-use GUI interface available online from the European Space Weather Portal (www.spaceweather.eu/dreadcode). The core of the radiation transport computation to produce the radiation dose from the observed fluence of radiation observed by the spacecraft fleet considered is based on a relatively simple approximation: the Bethe-Bloch equation. DREADCode also assumes a simplified geometry and material configuration for the shields used to compute the dose. The approach is approximate and sacrifices some important physics on the altar of rapid execution time, which allows a real-time operation scenario. There is no intention here to produce an operational tool for use in space science and engineering. Rather, we present an educational tool at undergraduate level that uses modern web-based and programming methods to learn some of the most important concepts in the application of radiation protection to space weather problems.

`Our Changing Climate' - A new interactive game about weather, climate, the Earth's energy budget and the impacts caused by climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colon-Robles, M.; Lorentz, K.; Ruhlman, K.; Gilman, I.; Chambers, L. H.

2010-12-01

‘Our Changing Climate’ is a brand new game developed at NASA’s Langley Research Center by the Informal Education group and the Science Directorate to educate the public on Earth’s climate system how the Sun, ocean, atmosphere, clouds, ice, land, and life interact with each other, and how these interactions are changing due to anthropogenic effects. The game was designed for students in middle school (5th and 8th grade) between the ages of 10-14 as part of the NASA's Summer of Innovation campaign for excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education. The game, ‘Our Changing Climate’, is composed of a series of interactive boards, featuring the following topics: (1) the difference between weather and climate - “Weather vs Climate”, (2) the interactions of clouds and greenhouse gases on short and long wave radiation - “Greenhouse Gases and Clouds”, and (3) the definition of albedo and the importance of bright surfaces over the Arctic - “Arctic Temperature”. Each interactive board presents a climate system and steps the student or spectator through the climate interaction using “clues” and hands-on items that they need to put correctly on the board to understand the concept. Once the student or spectator finishes this part, they then have a better grasp of the concept and are able to understand how these interactions are changing due to the increase in average global temperature. This knowledge is then tested or “driven home” with interactive questions that show how these interactions in our climate are changing today. The concept is then reinforced with an example of a recent event presented in the media. The game has been piloted in outreach and informal settings, as well as for professional development of educators. The game, interactions and engagement of each of the audiences mentioned will be presented.

Predicting atmospheric states from local dynamical properties of the underlying attractor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faranda, Davide; Rodrigues, David; Alvarez-Castro, M. Carmen; Messori, Gabriele; Yiou, Pascal

2017-04-01

Mid-latitude flows are characterized by a chaotic dynamics and recurring patterns hinting to the existence of an atmospheric attractor. In 1963 Lorenz described this object as: "the collection of all states that the system can assume or approach again and again, as opposed to those that it will ultimately avoid" and analyzed a low dimensional system describing a convective dynamics whose attractor has the shape of a butterfly. Since then, many studies try to find equivalent of the Lorenz butterfly in the complex atmospheric dynamics. Most of the studies where focused to determine the average dimension D of the attractor i.e. the number of degrees of freedom sufficient to describe the atmospheric circulation. However, obtaining reliable estimates of D has proved challenging. Moreover, D does not provide information on transient atmospheric motions, such as those leading to weather extremes. Using recent developments in dynamical systems theory, we show that such motions can be classified through instantaneous rather than average properties of the attractor. The instantaneous properties are uniquely determined by instantaneous dimension and stability. Their extreme values correspond to specific atmospheric patterns, and match extreme weather occurrences. We further show the existence of a significant correlation between the time series of instantaneous stability and dimension and the mean spread of sea-level pressure fields in an operational ensemble weather forecast at lead times of over two weeks. Instantaneous properties of the attractor therefore provide an efficient way of evaluating and informing operational weather forecasts.

Weather and climate needs for lidar observations from space and concepts for their realization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atlas, D.; Korb, C. L.

1981-01-01

The spectrum of weather and climate needs for lidar observations from space is discussed. This paper focuses mainly on the requirements for winds, temperature, moisture, and pressure. Special emphasis is given to the need for wind observations, and it is shown that winds are required to depict realistically 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. Lidar can aid here by measurement of the slope of the boundary layer. Recent theoretical feasibility studies concerning the profiling of temperature, pressure, and humidity by differential absorption lidar (DIAL) from space and expected accuracies are reviewed. Initial ground-based trials provide support for these approaches and also indicate their direct applicability to path-average temperature measurements near the surface. 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 height, 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 briefly.

Predictability of extreme weather events for NE U.S.: improvement of the numerical prediction using a Bayesian regression approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, J.; Astitha, M.; Anagnostou, E. N.; Hartman, B.; Kallos, G. B.

2015-12-01

Weather prediction accuracy has become very important for the Northeast U.S. given the devastating effects of extreme weather events in the recent years. Weather forecasting systems are used towards building strategies to prevent catastrophic losses for human lives and the environment. Concurrently, weather forecast tools and techniques have evolved with improved forecast skill as numerical prediction techniques are strengthened by increased super-computing resources. In this study, we examine the combination of two state-of-the-science atmospheric models (WRF and RAMS/ICLAMS) by utilizing a Bayesian regression approach to improve the prediction of extreme weather events for NE U.S. The basic concept behind the Bayesian regression approach is to take advantage of the strengths of two atmospheric modeling systems and, similar to the multi-model ensemble approach, limit their weaknesses which are related to systematic and random errors in the numerical prediction of physical processes. The first part of this study is focused on retrospective simulations of seventeen storms that affected the region in the period 2004-2013. Optimal variances are estimated by minimizing the root mean square error and are applied to out-of-sample weather events. The applicability and usefulness of this approach are demonstrated by conducting an error analysis based on in-situ observations from meteorological stations of the National Weather Service (NWS) for wind speed and wind direction, and NCEP Stage IV radar data, mosaicked from the regional multi-sensor for precipitation. The preliminary results indicate a significant improvement in the statistical metrics of the modeled-observed pairs for meteorological variables using various combinations of the sixteen events as predictors of the seventeenth. This presentation will illustrate the implemented methodology and the obtained results for wind speed, wind direction and precipitation, as well as set the research steps that will be followed in the future.

Planetary Space Weather Services for the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

André, Nicolas; Grande, Manuel

2016-04-01

Under Horizon 2020, the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure (EPN2020-RI) will include an entirely new Virtual Access Service, WP5 VA1 "Planetary Space Weather Services" (PSWS) that will extend the concepts of space weather and space situational awareness to other planets in our Solar System and in particular to spacecraft that voyage through it. VA1 will make five entirely new 'toolkits' accessible to the research community and to industrial partners planning for space missions: a general planetary space weather toolkit, as well as three toolkits dedicated to the following key planetary environments: Mars (in support ExoMars), comets (building on the expected success of the ESA Rosetta mission), and outer planets (in preparation for the ESA JUICE mission to be launched in 2022). This will give the European planetary science community new methods, interfaces, functionalities and/or plugins dedicated to planetary space weather in the tools and models available within the partner institutes. It will also create a novel event-diary toolkit aiming at predicting and detecting planetary events like meteor showers and impacts. A variety of tools (in the form of web applications, standalone software, or numerical models in various degrees of implementation) are available for tracing propagation of planetary and/or solar events through the Solar System and modelling the response of the planetary environment (surfaces, atmospheres, ionospheres, and magnetospheres) to those events. But these tools were not originally designed for planetary event prediction and space weather applications. So WP10 JRA4 "Planetary Space Weather Services" (PSWS) will provide the additional research and tailoring required to apply them for these purposes. The overall objectives of this Joint Research Aactivities will be to review, test, improve and adapt methods and tools available within the partner institutes in order to make prototype planetary event and space weather services operational in Europe at the end of the programme. Europlanet 2020 RI has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654208.

Associations among self-concept, verbal behaviors, and group climate early in the group counseling process.

PubMed

Jen Der Pan, Peter; Fan, Ai Chun; Bhat, Christine Suniti; Chang, Shona Shih Hua

2012-12-01

In this study, relations among group members' self-concept, verbal behaviors, and group climate early in the group counseling process were assessed for college students who were randomly assigned to four counseling groups. Based on measures from the hill interaction matrix, it was observed that family, social, and action self-concepts, as well as engagement, avoidance, and conflict group climate, were correlated with several verbal behaviors. Silence and quadrant 4 (Q4), which consists of speculative and confrontative verbal behaviors at personal and relationship levels, significantly predicted and explained 43% of the variance in engagement group climate. Silence and Q3, comprised of conventional and assertive verbal behaviors at personal and relationship levels, and Q1, conventional and assertive verbal behaviors at topic and group levels, explained 66% of variance in avoidance climate. Q4 and Silence explained 33% of conflict climate variance early in the group sessions. Implications for research and counseling practice are suggested.

Development of Innovative Technology to Provide Low-Cost Surface Atmospheric Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kucera, Paul; Steinson, Martin

2016-04-01

Accurate and reliable real-time monitoring and dissemination of observations of surface weather conditions is critical for a variety of societal applications. Applications that provide local and regional information about temperature, precipitation, moisture, and winds, for example, are important for agriculture, water resource monitoring, health, and monitoring of hazard weather conditions. In many regions in Africa (and other global locations), surface weather stations are sparsely located and/or of poor quality. Existing stations have often been sited incorrectly, not well-maintained, and have limited communications established at the site for real-time monitoring. The US National Weather Service (NWS) International Activities Office (IAO) in partnership with University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) has started an initiative to develop and deploy low-cost weather instrumentation in sparsely observed regions of the world. The goal is to provide observations for environmental monitoring, and early warning alert systems that can be deployed at weather services in developing countries. Instrumentation is being designed using innovative new technologies such as 3D printers, Raspberry Pi computing systems, and wireless communications. The initial effort is focused on designing a surface network using GIS-based tools, deploying an initial network in Zambia, and providing training to Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) staff. The presentation will provide an overview of the project concepts, design of the low cost instrumentation, and initial experiences deploying a surface network deployment in Zambia.

Public perceptions of climate change and extreme weather events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruine de Bruin, W.; Dessai, S.; Morgan, G.; Taylor, A.; Wong-Parodi, G.

2013-12-01

Climate experts face a serious communication challenge. Public debate about climate change continues, even though at the same time people seem to complain about extreme weather events becoming increasingly common. As compared to the abstract concept of ';climate change,' (changes in) extreme weather events are indeed easier to perceive, more vivid, and personally relevant. Public perception research in different countries has suggested that people commonly expect that climate change will lead to increases in temperature, and that unseasonably warm weather is likely to be interpreted as evidence of climate change. However, relatively little is known about whether public concerns about climate change may also be driven by changes in other types of extreme weather events, such as exceptional amounts of precipitation or flooding. We therefore examined how perceptions of and personal experiences with changes in these specific weather events are related to public concerns about climate change. In this presentation, we will discuss findings from two large public perception surveys conducted in flood-prone Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (US) and with a national sample in the UK, where extreme flooding has recently occurred across the country. Participants completed questions about their perceptions of and experiences with specific extreme weather events, and their beliefs about climate change. We then conducted linear regressions to predict individual differences in climate-change beliefs, using perceptions of and experiences with specific extreme weather events as predictors, while controlling for demographic characteristics. The US study found that people (a) perceive flood chances to be increasing over the decades, (b) believe climate change to play a role in increases in future flood chances, and (c) would interpret future increases in flooding as evidence for climate change. The UK study found that (a) UK residents are more likely to perceive increases in ';wet' events such as flooding and heavy rainfall than in ';hot' events such as heatwaves, (b) perceptions of these ';wet' weather events are more strongly associated with climate-change beliefs than were extremely ';hot' weather events, and (c) personal experiences with the negative consequences of specific extreme weather events are associated with stronger climate-change beliefs. Hence, which specific weather events people interpret as evidence of climate change may depend on their personal perceptions and experiences - which may not involve the temperature increases that are commonly the focus of climate-change communications. Overall, these findings suggest that climate experts should consider focusing their public communications on extreme weather events that are relevant to their intended audience. We will discuss strategies for designing and evaluating communications about climate change and adaptation.

A Low Cost Weather Balloon Borne Solar Cell Calibration Payload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, David B.; Wolford, David S.

2012-01-01

Calibration of standard sets of solar cell sub-cells is an important step to laboratory verification of on-orbit performance of new solar cell technologies. This paper, looks at the potential capabilities of a lightweight weather balloon payload for solar cell calibration. A 1500 gr latex weather balloon can lift a 2.7 kg payload to over 100,000 ft altitude, above 99% of the atmosphere. Data taken between atmospheric pressures of about 30 to 15 mbar may be extrapolated via the Langley Plot method to 0 mbar, i.e. AMO. This extrapolation, in principle, can have better than 0.1 % error. The launch costs of such a payload arc significantly less than the much larger, higher altitude balloons, or the manned flight facility. The low cost enables a risk tolerant approach to payload development. Demonstration of 1% standard deviation flight-to-flight variation is the goal of this project. This paper describes the initial concept of solar cell calibration payload, and reports initial test flight results. .

Performance of Trajectory Models with Wind Uncertainty

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Alan G.; Weygandt, Stephen S.; Schwartz, Barry; Murphy, James R.

2009-01-01

Typical aircraft trajectory predictors use wind forecasts but do not account for the forecast uncertainty. A method for generating estimates of wind prediction uncertainty is described and its effect on aircraft trajectory prediction uncertainty is investigated. The procedure for estimating the wind prediction uncertainty relies uses a time-lagged ensemble of weather model forecasts from the hourly updated Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) weather prediction system. Forecast uncertainty is estimated using measures of the spread amongst various RUC time-lagged ensemble forecasts. This proof of concept study illustrates the estimated uncertainty and the actual wind errors, and documents the validity of the assumed ensemble-forecast accuracy relationship. Aircraft trajectory predictions are made using RUC winds with provision for the estimated uncertainty. Results for a set of simulated flights indicate this simple approach effectively translates the wind uncertainty estimate into an aircraft trajectory uncertainty. A key strength of the method is the ability to relate uncertainty to specific weather phenomena (contained in the various ensemble members) allowing identification of regional variations in uncertainty.

Space Weather Forecasting Operational Needs: A view from NOAA/SWPC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biesecker, D. A.; Onsager, T. G.; Rutledge, R.

2017-12-01

The gaps in space weather forecasting are many. From long lead time forecasts, to accurate warnings with lead time to take action, there is plenty of room for improvement. Significant numbers of new observations would improve this picture, but it's also important to recognize the value of numerical modeling. The obvious interplanetary mission concepts that would be ideal would be 1) to measure the in-situ solar wind along the entire Sun-Earth line from as near to the Sun as possible all the way to Earth 2) a string of spacecraft in 1 AU heliocentric orbits making in-situ measurements as well as remote-sensing observations of the Sun, corona, and heliosphere. Even partially achieving these ideals would benefit space weather services, improving lead time and providing greater accuracy further into the future. The observations alone would improve forecasting. However, integrating these data into numerical models, as boundary conditions or via data assimilation, would provide the greatest improvements.

Develop Silicone Encapsulation Systems for Terrestrial Silicon Solar Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The results for Task 3 of the Low Cost Solar Array Project are presented. Task 3 is directed toward the development of a cost effective encapsulating system for photovoltaic modules using silicon based materials. The technical approach of the contract effort is divided into four special tasks: (1) technology review; (2) generation of concepts for screening and processing silicon encapsulation systems; (3) assessment of encapsulation concepts; and (4) evaluation of encapsulation concepts. The candidate silicon materials are reviewed. The silicon and modified silicon resins were chosen on the basis of similarity to materials with known weatherability, cost, initial tangential modulus, accelerated dirt pick-up test results and the ratio of the content of organic phenyl substitution of methyl substitution on the backbone of the silicon resin.

National Airspace System Delay Estimation Using Weather Weighted Traffic Counts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chatterji, Gano B.; Sridhar, Banavar

2004-01-01

Assessment of National Airspace System performance, which is usually measured in terms of delays resulting from the application of traffic flow management initiatives in response to weather conditions, volume, equipment outages and runway conditions, is needed both for guiding flow control decisions during the day of operations and for post operations analysis. Comparison of the actual delay, resulting from the traffic flow management initiatives, with the expected delay, based on traffic demand and other conditions, provides the assessment of the National Airspace System performance. This paper provides a method for estimating delay using the expected traffic demand and weather. In order to identify the cause of delays, 517 days of National Airspace System delay data reported by the Federal Aviation Administration s Operations Network were analyzed. This analysis shows that weather is the most important causal factor for delays followed by equipment and runway delays. Guided by these results, the concept of weather weighted traffic counts as a measure of system delay is described. Examples are given to show the variation of these counts as a function of time of the day. The various datasets, consisting of aircraft position data, enroute severe weather data, surface wind speed and visibility data, reported delay data and number of aircraft handled by the Centers data, and their sources are described. The procedure for selecting reference days on which traffic was minimally impacted by weather is described. Different traffic demand on each reference day of the week, determined by analysis of 42 days of traffic and delay data, was used as the expected traffic demand for each day of the week. Next, the method for computing the weather weighted traffic counts using the expected traffic demand, derived from reference days, and the expanded regions around severe weather cells is discussed. It is shown via a numerical example that this approach improves the dynamic range of the weather weighted traffic counts considerably. Time histories of these new weather weighted traffic counts are used for synthesizing two statistical features, six histogram features and six time domain features. In addition to these enroute weather features, two surface weather features of number of major airports in the United States with high mean winds and low mean visibility are also described. A least squares procedure for establishing a functional relation between the features, using combinations of these features, and system delays is explored using 36 days of data. Best correlations between the estimated delays using the functional relation and the actual delays provided by the Operations Network are obtained with two different combinations of features: 1) six time domain features of weather weighted traffic counts plus two surface weather features, and 2) six histogram features and mean of weather weighted traffic counts along with the two surface weather features. Correlation coefficient values of 0.73 and 0.83 were found in these two instances.

"no snow - no skiing excursion - consequences of climatic change?"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neunzig, Thilo

2014-05-01

Climatology and climate change have become central topics in Geography at our school. Because of that we set up a climatological station at our school. The data are an important basis to observe sudden changes in the weather. The present winter (2013/2014) shows the importance of climate change in Alzey / Germany. In winter many students think of the yearly skiing trip to Schwaz / Austria which is part of our school programme. Due to that the following questions arise: Will skiing still be possible if climate change accelerates? How are the skiing regions in the Alpes going to change? What will happen in about 20 years? How does artificial snow change the landscape and the skiing sport? Students have to be aware of the ecological damage of skiing trips. Each class has to come up with a concept how these trips can be as environmentally friendly as possible. - the trip is for a restricted number of students only (year 8 only) - a small skiing region is chosen which is not overcrowded - snow has to be guaranteed in the ski area to avoid the production of artificial snow (avoidance of high water consumption) - the bus arrives with a class and returns with the one that had been there before These are but a few ideas of students in order to make their trip as environmentally friendly as possible. What is missing is only what is going to happen in the future. What will be the effect of climate change for skiing regions in the secondary mountains? How is the average temperature for winter going to develop? Are there possibilities for summer tourism (e.g. hiking) instead of skiing in winter? The students are going to try to find answers to these questions which are going to be presented on a poster on the GIFT-Workshop in Vienna.

Sensor web enablement in a network of low-energy, low-budget amateur weather stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrnkind, S.; Klump, J.; Schmidt, G.

2009-04-01

Sensor Web Enablement (OGC SWE) has developed in into a powerful concept with many potential applications in environmental monitoring and in other fields. This has spurred development of software applications for Sensor Observation Services (SOS), while the development of client applications still lags behind. Furthermore, the deployment of sensors in the field often places tight constraints on energy and bandwidth available for data capture and transmission. As a „proof of concept" we equipped amateur weather stations with low-budget, standard components to read the data from its base station and feed the weather observation data into the sensor observation service using its standard web-service interface. We chose amateur weather station as an example because of the simplicity of measured phenomena and low data volume. As sensor observation service we chose the open source software package offered by the 52°North consortium. Furthermore, we investigated registry services for sensors and measured phenomena. When deploying a sensor platform in the field, power consumption can be an issue. Instead of common PCs we used Network Storage Link Units (NSLU2) with a Linux operating system, also known as "Debian SLUG". The power consumption of a "SLUG" is of the order of 1W, compared to 40W in a small PC. The "SLUG" provides one ethernet and two USB ports, one used by its external USB hard-drive. This modular set-up is open to modifications, for example the addition of a GSM modem for data transmission over a cellular telephone network. The simple set-up, low price, low power consumption, and the low technological entry-level allow many potential uses of a "SLUG" in environmental sensor networks in research, education and citizen science. The use of a mature sensor observation service software allows an easy integration of monitoring networks with other web services.

Exploring the Influence of the Mass Media on Primary Students' Conceptual Understanding of Genetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donovan, Jenny; Venville, Grady

2012-01-01

The new Australian Curriculum ignites debate about science content appropriate for primary school children. Abstract genetics concepts such as genes and DNA are still being avoided in primary school, yet research has shown that, by age 10, many students have heard of DNA and/or genes. Scientific concepts appear in the mass media, but primary…

Building the dream team: don't make it a nightmare.

PubMed

Nelson, M; Nelson, S

1997-11-01

This article covers the often overlooked area of team management concepts through a discussion of what many companies have done to implement these new concepts successfully. It describes the basics of how to and also explains why people resist the process of implementation. The main topics are (1) team formation, (2) pitfalls to avoid, and (3) team measurement.

Distress detection, location, and communications using advanced space technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sivertson, W. E., Jr.

1977-01-01

This paper briefly introduces a concept for low-cost, global, day-night, all-weather disaster warning and assistance. Evolving, advanced space technology with passive radio frequency reflectors in conjunction with an imaging synthetic aperture radar is employed to detect, identify, locate, and provide passive communication with earth users in distress. This concept evolved from a broad NASA research on new global search and rescue techniques. Appropriate airborne radar test results from this research are reviewed and related to potential disaster applications. The analysis indicates the approach has promise for disaster communications relative to floods, droughts, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and severe storms.

Understanding U.S. Geography and Weather. Scholastic Teaching Guide and Poster

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Homeland Security, 2006

2006-01-01

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is working together with state and local government and private sector partners to prepare the nation and the nation's schools for emergencies of all kinds. This teaching guide includes lessons, reproducible worksheets, and a classroom poster that can be used to reinforce key curriculum concepts while…

SPACE TODAY ONLINE - Space Today Online covering Space from Earth to the

Science.gov Websites

Space Rockets 300 Flights Delta Proton Search for Meteorites American Weather Satellites Artist concept Rockets: Spaceports Plowshares 21st Century Experimental Europe's Vega Brazil's Difficulties U.S. Delta 4 , Atlas 5 America's 300th Delta Russia's 300th Proton Spaceflight Museum Space Station: Jules Verne Cargo

Urban Fifth Graders' Connections-Making between Formal Earth Science Content and Their Lived Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brkich, Katie Lynn

2014-01-01

Earth science education, as it is traditionally taught, involves presenting concepts such as weathering, erosion, and deposition using relatively well-known examples--the Grand Canyon, beach erosion, and others. However, these examples--which resonate well with middle- and upper-class students--ill-serve students of poverty attending urban schools…

MANUAL OF LECTURE DEMONSTRATIONS, LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS, AND OBSERVATIONAL EQUIPMENT FOR TEACHING ELEMENTARY METEOROLOGY IN SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NEUBERGER, HANS; NICHOLAS, GEORGE

INCLUDED IN THIS MANUAL WRITTEN FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL AND COLLEGE TEACHERS ARE DESCRIPTIONS OF DEMONSTRATION MODELS, EXPERIMENTS PERTAINING TO SOME OF THE FUNDAMENTAL AND APPLIED METEOROLOGICAL CONCEPTS, AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING SIMPLE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS. THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF TOPICS WERE EASE AND COST OF CONSTRUCTING APPARATUS AS WELL…

An Assessment of Soviet Forces Facing NATO - The Central Region - and Suggested Nato Initiatives

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-09-30

the TOW under armor concept are needed. NATO artillery systems must plan to move fre- quently to increase their survivability greater range is needed...IMPROVED AREA MUNITIONS TARGET ACQUISITION *NUMBERS -AIR FIRE DIRECTION ’ UNDER ARMOR ’ARTI LLERY *RANGE "ALL" WEATHER PGMs *MUNITIONS MINES Figure 42. NATO

One Teacher, 20 Preschoolers, and a Goldfish Environmental Awareness, Emergent Curriculum, and Documentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewin-Benham, Ann

2006-01-01

Teaching Preschoolers about the environment is hard. Many complex concepts are involved: the interactions among everything on the planet--air, land, water, and all living things; the systems that determine weather and climate, food supply, energy resources, and the quality of life for every plant and animal; systems operating on a planetary scale…

Decision modeling for analyzing fire action outcomes

Treesearch

Donald MacGregor; Armando Gonzalez-Caban

2008-01-01

A methodology for incident decomposition and reconstruction is developed based on the concept of an "event-frame model." The event-frame model characterizes a fire incident in terms of (a) environmental events that pertain to the fire and the fire context (e.g., fire behavior, weather, fuels) and (b) management events that represent responses to the fire...

Situation Awareness in Sea Kayaking: Towards a Practical Checklist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aadland, Eivind; Vikene, Odd Lennart; Varley, Peter; Moe, Vegard Fusche

2017-01-01

Ever-changing weather and sea conditions constitute environmental hazards that sea kayakers must pay attention to and act upon to stay safe. The aim of this study was to propose a tool to aid sea kayakers' situation awareness (SA). We developed a checklist guided by theory on the concept of SA and expert problem detection, judgement and…

Acute and subchronic toxicity of naturally weathered Exxon Valdez crude oil in mallards and ferrets

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

Stubblefield, W.A.; Hancock, G.A.; Ford, W.H.

1995-11-01

The toxic properties of naturally weathered Exxon Valdez crude oil (WEVC) were assessed in a battery of acute and subchronic toxicity tests using mallards, Anas platyrhynchos, and European ferrets, Mustela putorius. Adult mallard acute oral toxicity study results indicated no mortalities or signs o toxicity, i.e., no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) and median lethal dose (LD50) > 5,000 mg/kg. Acute oral feeding and food avoidance tests with ducklings also indicated no toxicity (NOAEL and LC50 > 50,000 mg/kg diet) with no evidence of food avoidance (FAC50 > 20,000 mg/kg diet). No mortalities or toxic signs were noted in a 14-d feeding studymore » with adult birds at dietary concentrations up to 100,000 mg WEVC/kg diet. Among clinical and physiological end points evaluated, the only significant difference noted was an increase in liver: body weight ratios in the 100,000-mg WEVC/kg diet dose group. No differences in clinical chemistry or hematological parameters were noted, and there were no consistent differences in histological evaluations of organ tissues. Daily oral doses of up to 5,000 mg/kg of WEVC over 5 d resulted in minimal effects on ferrets. Increased serum albumin concentrations were observed in the 5,000-mg/kg dose group females and decreased spleen weights were noted in females of all WEVC treatment groups. No other significant observations were noted.« less

Climate adaption and post-fire restoration of a foundational perennial in cold desert: Insights from intraspecific variation in response to weather

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brabec, Martha M.; Germino, Matthew; Richardson, Bryce A.

2017-01-01

1.The loss of foundational but fire-intolerant perennials such as sagebrush due to increases in fire size and frequency in semiarid regions has motivated efforts to restore them, often with mixed or even no success. Seeds of sagebrush Artemisia tridentata and related species must be moved considerable distances from seed source to planting sites, but such transfers have not been guided by an understanding of local climate adaptation. Initial seedling establishment and its response to weather are a key demographic bottleneck that likely varies among subspecies and populations of sagebrush. 2.We assessed differences in survival, growth, and physiological responses of sagebrush to weather among eleven seed sources that varied in subspecies, cytotype, and climates-of-origin over 18 months following outplanting. Diploid or polyploid populations of mountain, Wyoming, and basin big sagebrush (A.tridentata ssp. vaseyana, A.tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, and A.tridentata ssp. tridentata, respectively) were planted onto five burned sites that normally support A.t.wyomingensis with some A.t.tridentata. 3.A.t.wyomingensis had the most growth and survival, and tetraploid populations had greater survival and height than diploids. Seasonal timing of mortality varied among the subspecies/cytotypes and was more closely related to minimum temperatures than water deficit. 4.Temperatures required to induce ice formation were up to 6°C more negative in 4n-A.t.tridentata and A.t.wyomingensis than other subspecies/cytotypes, indicating greater freezing avoidance. In contrast, freezing resistance of photosynthesis varied only 1°C among subspecies/cytotypes, being greatest in A.t.wyomingensis and least in the subspecies normally considered most cold-adapted,A.t.vaseyana. A large spectrum of reliance on freezing-avoidance vs. freezing-tolerance was observed and corresponded to differences in post-fire survivorship among subspecies/cytotypes. Differences in water deficit responses among subspecies/cytotypes were not as strong and did not relate to survival patterns. 5.Synthesis and applications. Low temperature responses are a key axis defining climate adaptation in young sagebrush seedlings and vary more with cytotype than with subspecies, which contrasts with the traditional emphases on (i) water limitations to explain establishment in these deserts, and (ii) subspecies in selecting restoration seedings. These important and novel insights on climate adaptation are critical for seed selection and parameterizing seed transfer zones, and were made possible by incorporating weather data with survival statistics. The survival/weather statistics used here could be applied to any restoration planting or seeding to help elucidate factors contributing to success and enable adaptive management.

Planetary Space Weather Service: Part of the the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grande, Manuel; Andre, Nicolas

2016-07-01

Over the next four years the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure will set up an entirely new European Planetary Space Weather service (PSWS). Europlanet RI is a part of of Horizon 2020 (EPN2020-RI, http://www.europlanet-2020-ri.eu). The Virtual Access Service, WP5 VA1 "Planetary Space Weather Services" will extend the concepts of space weather and space situational awareness to other planets in our Solar System and in particular to spacecraft that voyage through it. VA1 will make five entirely new 'toolkits' accessible to the research community and to industrial partners planning for space missions: a general planetary space weather toolkit, as well as three toolkits dedicated to the following key planetary environments: Mars (in support ExoMars), comets (building on the expected success of the ESA Rosetta mission), and outer planets (in preparation for the ESA JUICE mission to be launched in 2022). This will give the European planetary science community new methods, interfaces, functionalities and/or plugins dedicated to planetary space weather in the tools and models available within the partner institutes. It will also create a novel event-diary toolkit aiming at predicting and detecting planetary events like meteor showers and impacts. A variety of tools (in the form of web applications, standalone software, or numerical models in various degrees of implementation) are available for tracing propagation of planetary and/or solar events through the Solar System and modelling the response of the planetary environment (surfaces, atmospheres, ionospheres, and magnetospheres) to those events. But these tools were not originally designed for planetary event prediction and space weather applications. So WP10 JRA4 "Planetary Space Weather Services" (PSWS) will provide the additional research and tailoring required to apply them for these purposes. The overall objectives of this Joint Research Aactivities will be to review, test, improve and adapt methods and tools available within the partner institutes in order to make prototype planetary event and space weather services operational in Europe at the end of the programme. Europlanet 2020 RI has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654208.

New weather depiction technology for night vision goggle (NVG) training: 3D virtual/augmented reality scene-weather-atmosphere-target simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Folaron, Michelle; Deacutis, Martin; Hegarty, Jennifer; Vollmerhausen, Richard; Schroeder, John; Colby, Frank P.

2007-04-01

US Navy and Marine Corps pilots receive Night Vision Goggle (NVG) training as part of their overall training to maintain the superiority of our forces. This training must incorporate realistic targets; backgrounds; and representative atmospheric and weather effects they may encounter under operational conditions. An approach for pilot NVG training is to use the Night Imaging and Threat Evaluation Laboratory (NITE Lab) concept. The NITE Labs utilize a 10' by 10' static terrain model equipped with both natural and cultural lighting that are used to demonstrate various illumination conditions, and visual phenomena which might be experienced when utilizing night vision goggles. With this technology, the military can safely, systematically, and reliably expose pilots to the large number of potentially dangerous environmental conditions that will be experienced in their NVG training flights. A previous SPIE presentation described our work for NAVAIR to add realistic atmospheric and weather effects to the NVG NITE Lab training facility using the NVG - WDT(Weather Depiction Technology) system (Colby, et al.). NVG -WDT consist of a high end multiprocessor server with weather simulation software, and several fixed and goggle mounted Heads Up Displays (HUDs). Atmospheric and weather effects are simulated using state-of-the-art computer codes such as the WRF (Weather Research μ Forecasting) model; and the US Air Force Research Laboratory MODTRAN radiative transport model. Imagery for a variety of natural and man-made obscurations (e.g. rain, clouds, snow, dust, smoke, chemical releases) are being calculated and injected into the scene observed through the NVG via the fixed and goggle mounted HUDs. This paper expands on the work described in the previous presentation and will describe the 3D Virtual/Augmented Reality Scene - Weather - Atmosphere - Target Simulation part of the NVG - WDT. The 3D virtual reality software is a complete simulation system to generate realistic target - background scenes and display the results in a DirectX environment. This paper will describe our approach and show a brief demonstration of the software capabilities. The work is supported by the SBIR program under contract N61339-06-C-0113.

Cancer Prevention Overview (PDQ®)—Health Professional Version

Cancer.gov

Cancer prevention involves avoiding carcinogens, pursuing certain lifestyle practices, chemoprevention, risk-reducing surgery, and screening. Learn more about cancer prevention concepts and interventions in this overview for clinicians.

Sources of motivation, interpersonal conflict management styles, and leadership effectiveness: a structural model.

PubMed

Barbuto, John E; Xu, Ye

2006-02-01

126 leaders and 624 employees were sampled to test the relationship between sources of motivation and conflict management styles of leaders and how these variables influence effectiveness of leadership. Five sources of motivation measured by the Motivation Sources Inventory were tested-intrinsic process, instrumental, self-concept external, self-concept internal, and goal internalization. These sources of work motivation were associated with Rahim's modes of interpersonal conflict management-dominating, avoiding, obliging, complying, and integrating-and to perceived leadership effectiveness. A structural equation model tested leaders' conflict management styles and leadership effectiveness based upon different sources of work motivation. The model explained variance for obliging (65%), dominating (79%), avoiding (76%), and compromising (68%), but explained little variance for integrating (7%). The model explained only 28% of the variance in leader effectiveness.

Guiding principles of fluid and volume therapy.

PubMed

Aditianingsih, Dita; George, Yohanes W H

2014-09-01

Fluid therapy is a core concept in the management of perioperative and critically ill patients for maintenance of intravascular volume and organ perfusion. Recent evidence regarding the vascular barrier and its role in terms of vascular leakage has led to a new concept for fluid administration. The choice of fluid used should be based on the fluid composition and the underlying pathophysiology of the patient. Avoidance of both hypo- and hypervolaemia is essential when treating circulatory failure. In daily practice, the assessment of individual thresholds in order to optimize cardiac preload and avoid hypovolaemia or deleterious fluid overload remains a challenge. Liberal versus restrictive fluid management has been challenged by recent evidence, and the ideal approach appears to be goal-directed fluid therapy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of simulated satellite radiances from a mesoscale numerical model to understand kinematic and dynamic processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalb, Michael; Robertson, Franklin; Jedlovec, Gary; Perkey, Donald

1987-01-01

Techniques by which mesoscale numerical weather prediction model output and radiative transfer codes are combined to simulate the radiance fields that a given passive temperature/moisture satellite sensor would see if viewing the evolving model atmosphere are introduced. The goals are to diagnose the dynamical atmospheric processes responsible for recurring patterns in observed satellite radiance fields, and to develop techniques to anticipate the ability of satellite sensor systems to depict atmospheric structures and provide information useful for numerical weather prediction (NWP). The concept of linking radiative transfer and dynamical NWP codes is demonstrated with time sequences of simulated radiance imagery in the 24 TIROS vertical sounder channels derived from model integrations for March 6, 1982.

An Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS) for Dynamical Wake Vortex Spacing Criteria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinton, D. A.

1996-01-01

A concept is presented for the development and implementation of a prototype Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS). The purpose of the AVOSS is to use current and short-term predictions of the atmospheric state in approach and departure corridors to provide, to ATC facilities, dynamical weather dependent separation criteria with adequate stability and lead time for use in establishing arrival scheduling. The AVOSS will accomplish this task through a combination of wake vortex transport and decay predictions, weather state knowledge, defined aircraft operational procedures and corridors, and wake vortex safety sensors. Work is currently underway to address the critical disciplines and knowledge needs so as to implement and demonstrate a prototype AVOSS in the 1999/2000 time frame.

Rape avoidance behavior among Slovak women.

PubMed

Prokop, Pavol

2013-05-28

Rape has been a recurrent adaptive problem for many species, including humans. Rape is costly to women in terms of disease transmission, partner abandonment, and unwanted pregnancy (among other costs). Therefore, behavioral strategies which allow women to avoid coercive men may have been favored by selection. In line with this evolutionary reasoning, the current research documented that physically stronger women and those in a committed romantic relationship reported more rape avoidance behavior. In addition, virgin women tended to perform more rape avoidance behavior compared with their non-virgin counterparts. Women with high conception risk perceived themselves as physically stronger, which may protect them against a potential rapist. Fear of unwanted pregnancy from rape decreased as age increased, reflecting higher fertility among younger participants. However, older women reported more rape avoidance behavior, which contradicts evolutionary predictions. The results provide some support for evolutionary hypotheses of rape avoidance behavior which suggest that woman's perception of rape is influenced by parental investment and perceived physical condition.

Avoidant personality disorder and taijin kyoufu: sociocultural implications of the WHO/ADAMHA International Study of Personality Disorders in Japan.

PubMed

Ono, Y; Yoshimura, K; Sueoka, R; Yamauchi, K; Mizushima, H; Momose, T; Nakamura, K; Okonogi, K; Asai, M

1996-03-01

This paper discusses the characteristics of avoidant personality disorder in a cultural context based on the Japanese concept of taijin kyoufu as well as that of DSM-III-R and DSM-IV social phobia. Sixty-six patients were given the International Personality Disorder Examination and questionnaires including the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Among the 23 DSM-III-R personality disorder patients, 8 patients were diagnosed as having avoidant personality disorder. Six of them were suffering from taijin kyoufu symptoms. Among 27 ICD personality disorder patients, 22 patients were diagnosed as having ICD anxious personality disorder. All DSM avoidant patients were included in the ICD anxious group. These findings suggest that patients with avoidant personality disorder have had a long history of difficulties and share common personality problems with a milder form of taijin kyoufu, which is conceptually different from social phobia.

Outpatient 'Acute Gynaecology Clinic' - a novel admission avoidance model to improve women care.

PubMed

Ewies, A A A

2016-05-01

This article presents to the gynaecologists, general practitioners, accident and emergency doctors and the policy makers the concept, proposed set-up and the benefits of the outpatient consultant-delivered 'Acute Gynaecology Clinic' as a novel admission avoidance model to improve women care and satisfaction. The service caters for women who present with urgent benign non-pregnancy-related gynaecological conditions not severe enough to necessitate admission or immediate assessment.

Explicit simulation of ice particle habits in a Numerical Weather Prediction Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashino, Tempei

2007-05-01

This study developed a scheme for explicit simulation of ice particle habits in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) Models. The scheme is called Spectral Ice Habit Prediction System (SHIPS), and the goal is to retain growth history of ice particles in the Eulerian dynamics framework. It diagnoses characteristics of ice particles based on a series of particle property variables (PPVs) that reflect history of microphysieal processes and the transport between mass bins and air parcels in space. Therefore, categorization of ice particles typically used in bulk microphysical parameterization and traditional bin models is not necessary, so that errors that stem from the categorization can be avoided. SHIPS predicts polycrystals as well as hexagonal monocrystals based on empirically derived habit frequency and growth rate, and simulates the habit-dependent aggregation and riming processes by use of the stochastic collection equation with predicted PPVs. Idealized two dimensional simulations were performed with SHIPS in a NWP model. The predicted spatial distribution of ice particle habits and types, and evolution of particle size distributions showed good quantitative agreement with observation This comprehensive model of ice particle properties, distributions, and evolution in clouds can be used to better understand problems facing wide range of research disciplines, including microphysics processes, radiative transfer in a cloudy atmosphere, data assimilation, and weather modification.

Remote Sensing of Arctic and Boreal Atmospheric Composition from a Highly Elliptical Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nassar, Ray; McElroy, C. Tom; Walker, Kaley A.; McLinden, Chris; Sioris, Chris E.; Jones, Dylan B. A.; Martin, Randall V.; Rochon, Yves; Garand, Louis; Trischencko, Alexander P.

2016-04-01

The Polar Communications and Weather (PCW) mission is a proposed Canadian mission that aims to provide continuous meteorological observations and communications capacity over the Arctic and northern latitudes from a pair of satellites in a highly elliptical orbit (HEO) configuration. The Weather, Climate and Air quality (WCA) concept is a mission enhancement that completed a Phase A study through the Polar Highly Elliptical Orbit Science (PHEOS) program. The PHEOS-WCA instrument suite would consist of a high resolution Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) operating in the mid-, near- and shortwave infrared and a UV-Visible grating Spectrometer (UVS), both with 2-dimensional imaging capability. These instruments would enable dense measurements of numerous quantities important for understanding weather (H2O and temperature profiles), climate (column-averaged CO2 and CH4) and air quality (tropospheric O3, CO, NO2, SO2, NH3, HCN, CH3OH, BrO, aerosols, ….) with a pixel size of 10×10 km2 or better and repeat time targeted at 2 hours or less. Our studies have demonstrated that HEO observations of CO2 offer major advantages over those from low earth orbit (LEO) for constraining CO2 surface sources and sinks in the Arctic and boreal regions, especially in the summer when there is the potential for the release of CO2 from permafrost thaw and boreal forest disturbances. This presentation will give an overview of the PHEOS-WCA mission concept, discuss its complementarity with upcoming international missions and provide an update on recent progress and challenges in moving forward.

Nanosatellite standardization and modularization as an asset to space weather measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, D.; Carssow, D.; Fritz, T. A.; Voss, H. D.

2009-12-01

The continuity of measurements from satellites in the Magnetosphere and Ionosphere is essential for the space weather community as pointed out by the US National Space Weather Program. Challenges to space budgets and the growing dependence upon space weather prediction have opened the door for extremely small satellites to play a large role in making these measurements. Standardization allows for modularity and the ability to lower satellite cost by reusing instrumentation and satellite systems without redesigning interfaces. Use of nanosatellites gives a designer the freedom to depart from the customary larger satellite design by deploying standardized interfaces throughout the spacecraft bus. Examples from the Boston University Student Satellite for Application and Training (BUSAT), the Thunderstorms and Effects Scientific and Technology nanosatellite (TEST), and the Loss Cone Imaging Instrument (LCI) will be provided. BUSAT is a five instrument nanosatellite with a nine pixel Imaging Electron Spectrometer, a Magnetometer, an Auroral Imager, a Very Low Frequency receiver, and a Langmuir Plasma Probe. Its purpose is to further the understanding of the coupling between energetic particles originating in the magnetosphere and their subsequent effects on the Ionosphere. In addition to their space weather science objective, BUSAT’s subsystems are based on the Cubesat concept and have been standardized, enabling them to be stacked in any orientation. Subsystems are not limited in size to the basic 1U cube, but are able to be any multiple of that size in any direction.

Rethinking the 'global' in global health: a dialectic approach

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Current definitions of 'global health' lack specificity about the term 'global'. This debate presents and discusses existing definitions of 'global health' and a common problem inherent therein. It aims to provide a way forward towards an understanding of 'global health' while avoiding redundancy. The attention is concentrated on the dialectics of different concepts of 'global' in their application to malnutrition; HIV, tuberculosis & malaria; and maternal mortality. Further attention is payed to normative objectives attached to 'global health' definitions and to paradoxes involved in attempts to define the field. Discussion The manuscript identifies denotations of 'global' as 'worldwide', as 'transcending national boundaries' and as 'holistic'. A fourth concept of 'global' as 'supraterritorial' is presented and defined as 'links between the social determinants of health anywhere in the world'. The rhetorical power of the denotations impacts considerably on the object of 'global health', exemplified in the context of malnutrition; HIV, tuberculosis & malaria; and maternal mortality. The 'global' as 'worldwide', as 'transcending national boundaries' and as 'holistic' house contradictions which can be overcome by the fourth concept of 'global' as 'supraterritorial'. The 'global-local-relationship' inherent in the proposed concept coheres with influential anthropological and sociological views despite the use of different terminology. At the same time, it may be assembled with other views on 'global' or amend apparently conflicting ones. The author argues for detaching normative objectives from 'global health' definitions to avoid so called 'entanglement-problems'. Instead, it is argued that the proposed concept constitutes an un-euphemistical approach to describe the inherently politicised field of 'global health'. Summary While global-as-worldwide and global-as-transcending-national-boundaries are misleading and produce redundancy with public and international health, global-as-supraterritorial provides 'new' objects for research, education and practice while avoiding redundancy. Linked with 'health' as a human right, this concept preserves the rhetorical power of the term 'global health' for more innovative forms of study, research and practice. The dialectic approach reveals that the contradictions involved in the different notions of the term 'global' are only of apparent nature and not exclusive, but have to be seen as complementary to each other if expected to be useful in the final step. PMID:21029401

Investigation Into The Needs of Part 135 Operators to Access Airports Restricted Under FAR Part 135 Sections 135.213, 135.219 and/or 135.225

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckert, Clifford A.; Stough, H. P. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

NASA and the FAA have joint interests and responsibilities for developing guidelines and standards for cockpit displays of Flight Information Services (FIS) information and for developing enhancements to the planned FAA Data Link (FISDL) services. NASA and the FAA have established responsibilities in connection with development tasks for enhancements to the FISDL project. This report is the result of NASA Task 2, "Weather Support Concept- Part 135 Operations." The objective of the task was to determine the needs of Part 135 operators as they relate to FAA Part 135 Sections 135.213, 135.219 and 135.225, which pertain to weather reporting requirements at destination airports. This report discusses the results of two questionnaires completed by volunteer Part 135 operators that questioned their operations, their needs for flying to airports without weather reporting compatibilities, and suggestions for modifying FARs 135.213, 135.219 and 135.225. The operators pointed out airports in areas of the CONUS that were needed for IFR operations but lacked weather reporting capabilities and they offered practical suggestions for changes to the FARs. Related to operators's needs, and discussed in this report, were the Fractional Ownership NPRM and the possible impact of GPS WAAS and LAAS approaches.

The impact of weather on women's tendency to wear red or pink when at high risk for conception.

PubMed

Tracy, Jessica L; Beall, Alec T

2014-01-01

Women are particularly motivated to enhance their sexual attractiveness during their most fertile period, and men perceive shades of red, when associated with women, as sexually attractive. Building on this research, we recently found that women are more likely to wear reddish clothing when at peak fertility (Beall & Tracy, 2013), presumably as a way of increasing their attractiveness. Here, we first report results from a methodological replication, conducted during warmer weather, which produced a null effect. Investigating this discrepancy, we considered the impact of a potentially relevant contextual difference between previous research and the replication: current weather. If the red-dress effect is driven by a desire to increase one's sexual appeal, then it should emerge most reliably when peak-fertility women have few alternative options for accomplishing this goal (e.g., wearing minimal clothing). Results from re-analyses of our previously collected data and a new experiment support this account, by demonstrating that the link between fertility and red/pink dress emerges robustly in cold, but not warm, weather. Together, these findings suggest that the previously documented red-dress effect is moderated by current climate concerns, and provide further evidence that under certain circumstances red/pink dress is reliably associated with female fertility.

Recent progress in millimeter-wave sensor system capabilities for enhanced (synthetic) vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hellemann, Karlheinz; Zachai, Reinhard

1999-07-01

Weather- and daylight independent operation of modern traffic systems is strongly required for an optimized and economic availability. Mainly helicopters, small aircraft and military transport aircraft operating frequently close to the ground have a need for effective and cost-effective Enhanced Vision sensors. The technical progress in sensor technology and processing speed offer today the possibility for new concepts to be realized. Derived from this background the paper reports on the improvements which are under development within the HiVision program at DaimlerChrysler Aerospace. A sensor demonstrator based on FMCW radar technology with high information update-rate and operating in the mm-wave band, has been up-graded to improve performance and fitted to fly on an experimental base. The results achieved so far demonstrate the capability to produce a weather independent enhanced vision. In addition the demonstrator has been tested on board a high- speed ferry at the Baltic sea, because fast vessels have a similar need for weather-independent operation and anti- collision measures. In the future one sensor type may serve both 'worlds' and help ease and save traffic. The described demonstrator fills up the technology gap between optical sensors (Infrared) and standard pulse radars with its specific features such as high speed scanning and weather penetration with the additional benefit of cost-effectiveness.

Estimation of Remote Microclimates from Weather Station Data with Applications to Landscape Architecture.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Robert Douglas

Several components of a system for quantitative application of climatic statistics to landscape planning and design (CLIMACS) have been developed. One component model (MICROSIM) estimated the microclimate at the top of a remote crop using physically-based models and inputs of weather station data. Temperatures at the top of unstressed, uniform crops on flat terrain within 1600 m of a recording weather station were estimated within 1.0 C 96% of the time for a corn crop and 92% of the time for a soybean crop. Crop top winds were estimated within 0.4 m/s 92% of the time for corn and 100% of the time for soybean. This is of sufficient accuracy for application in landscape planning and design models. A physically-based model (COMFA) was developed for the determination of outdoor human thermal comfort from microclimate inputs. Estimated versus measured comfort levels in a wide range of environments agreed with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.91. Using these components, the CLIMACS concept has been applied to a typical planning example. Microclimate data were generated from weather station information using MICROSIM, then input to COMFA and to a house energy consumption model called HOTCAN to derive quantitative climatic justification for design decisions.

Analytical Investigation of the Decrease in the Size of the Habitable Zone Due to a Limited CO2 Outgassing Rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbot, Dorian S.

2016-08-01

The habitable zone concept is important because it focuses the scientific search for extraterrestrial life and aids the planning of future telescopes. Recent work has shown that planets near the outer edge of the habitable zone might not actually be able to stay warm and habitable if CO2 outgassing rates are not large enough to maintain high CO2 partial pressures against removal by silicate weathering. In this paper, I use simple equations for the climate and CO2 budget of a planet in the habitable zone that can capture the qualitative behavior of the system. With these equations I derive an analytical formula for an effective outer edge of the habitable zone, including limitations imposed by the CO2 outgassing rate. I then show that climate cycles between a snowball state and a warm climate are only possible beyond this limit if the weathering rate in the snowball climate is smaller than the CO2 outgassing rate (otherwise stable snowball states result). I derive an analytical solution for the climate cycles including a formula for their period in this limit. This work allows us to explore the qualitative effects of weathering processes on the effective outer edge of the habitable zone, which is important because weathering parameterizations are uncertain.

Analytical Investigation of the Decrease in the Size of the Habitable Zone due to Limited CO2 Outgassing Rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbot, D. S.

2016-12-01

The habitable zone concept is important because it focuses the scientific search for extraterrestrial life and aids the planning of future telescopes. Recent work has shown that planets near the outer edge of the habitable zone might not actually be able to stay warm and habitable if CO2 outgassing rates are not large enough to maintain high CO2 partial pressures against removal by silicate weathering. I use simple equations for the climate and CO2 budget of a planet in the habitable zone that can capture the qualitative behavior of the system. With these equations I derive an analytical formula for an effective outer edge of the habitable zone, including limitations imposed by the CO2 outgassing rate. I then show that climate cycles between a Snowball state and a warm climate are only possible beyond this limit if the weathering rate in the Snowball climate is smaller than the CO2 outgassing rate (otherwise stable Snowball states result). I derive an analytical solution for the climate cycles including a formula for their period in this limit. This work allows us to explore the qualitative effects of weathering processes on the effective outer edge of the habitable zone, which is important because weathering parameterizations are uncertain.

Improving the Health Forecasting Alert System for Cold Weather and Heat-Waves In England: A Proof-of-Concept Using Temperature-Mortality Relationships

PubMed Central

Masato, Giacomo; Bone, Angie; Charlton-Perez, Andrew; Cavany, Sean; Neal, Robert; Dankers, Rutger; Dacre, Helen; Carmichael, Katie; Murray, Virginia

2015-01-01

Objectives In this study a prototype of a new health forecasting alert system is developed, which is aligned to the approach used in the Met Office’s (MO) National Severe Weather Warning Service (NSWWS). This is in order to improve information available to responders in the health and social care system by linking temperatures more directly to risks of mortality, and developing a system more coherent with other weather alerts. The prototype is compared to the current system in the Cold Weather and Heatwave plans via a case-study approach to verify its potential advantages and shortcomings. Method The prototype health forecasting alert system introduces an “impact vs likelihood matrix” for the health impacts of hot and cold temperatures which is similar to those used operationally for other weather hazards as part of the NSWWS. The impact axis of this matrix is based on existing epidemiological evidence, which shows an increasing relative risk of death at extremes of outdoor temperature beyond a threshold which can be identified epidemiologically. The likelihood axis is based on a probability measure associated with the temperature forecast. The new method is tested for two case studies (one during summer 2013, one during winter 2013), and compared to the performance of the current alert system. Conclusions The prototype shows some clear improvements over the current alert system. It allows for a much greater degree of flexibility, provides more detailed regional information about the health risks associated with periods of extreme temperatures, and is more coherent with other weather alerts which may make it easier for front line responders to use. It will require validation and engagement with stakeholders before it can be considered for use. PMID:26431427

Improving the Health Forecasting Alert System for Cold Weather and Heat-Waves In England: A Proof-of-Concept Using Temperature-Mortality Relationships.

PubMed

Masato, Giacomo; Bone, Angie; Charlton-Perez, Andrew; Cavany, Sean; Neal, Robert; Dankers, Rutger; Dacre, Helen; Carmichael, Katie; Murray, Virginia

2015-01-01

In this study a prototype of a new health forecasting alert system is developed, which is aligned to the approach used in the Met Office's (MO) National Severe Weather Warning Service (NSWWS). This is in order to improve information available to responders in the health and social care system by linking temperatures more directly to risks of mortality, and developing a system more coherent with other weather alerts. The prototype is compared to the current system in the Cold Weather and Heatwave plans via a case-study approach to verify its potential advantages and shortcomings. The prototype health forecasting alert system introduces an "impact vs likelihood matrix" for the health impacts of hot and cold temperatures which is similar to those used operationally for other weather hazards as part of the NSWWS. The impact axis of this matrix is based on existing epidemiological evidence, which shows an increasing relative risk of death at extremes of outdoor temperature beyond a threshold which can be identified epidemiologically. The likelihood axis is based on a probability measure associated with the temperature forecast. The new method is tested for two case studies (one during summer 2013, one during winter 2013), and compared to the performance of the current alert system. The prototype shows some clear improvements over the current alert system. It allows for a much greater degree of flexibility, provides more detailed regional information about the health risks associated with periods of extreme temperatures, and is more coherent with other weather alerts which may make it easier for front line responders to use. It will require validation and engagement with stakeholders before it can be considered for use.

Feasibility of collision warning, precision approach and landing using GPS, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruedger, W. H.

1981-01-01

The use of GPS, with an appropriately configured data link, to enhance general aviation avionic functions encountered in the terminal area and on approach was investigated with emphasis on approach and landing guidance and collision warning. The feasibility of using differential GPS to obtain the precision navigation solutions required for landing was studied. Results show that the concept is sound. An experimental program was developed to demonstrate this concept. The collision avoidance/warning concept was examined through the development of a functional system specification.

Evaluation of supercritical cryogen storage and transfer systems for future NASA missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arif, Hugh; Aydelott, John C.; Chato, David J.

1990-01-01

Conceptual designs of Space Transportation Vehicles (STV), and their orbital servicing facilities, that utilize supercritical, single phase, cryogenic propellant were established and compared with conventional subcritical, two phases, STV concepts. The analytical study was motivated by the desire to avoid fluid management problems associated with the storage, acquisition and transfer of subcritical liquid oxygen and hydrogen propellants in the low gravity environment of space. Although feasible, the supercritical concepts suffer from STV weight penalties and propellant resupply system power requirements which make the concepts impractical.

Evaluation of supercritical cryogen storage and transfer systems for future NASA missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arif, Hugh; Aydelott, John C.; Chato, David J.

1989-01-01

Conceptual designs of Space Transportation Vehicles (STV), and their orbital servicing facilities, that utilize supercritical, single phase, cryogenic propellants were established and compared with conventional subcritical, two phase, STV concepts. The analytical study was motivated by the desire to avoid fluid management problems associated with the storage, acquisition and transfer of subcritical liquid oxygen and hydrogen propellants in the low gravity environment of space. Although feasible, the supercritical concepts suffer from STV weight penalties and propellant resupply system power requirements which make the concepts impractical.

Upgrades to the Probabilistic NAS Platform Air Traffic Simulation Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, George; Boisvert, Benjamin

2013-01-01

This document is the final report for the project entitled "Upgrades to the Probabilistic NAS Platform Air Traffic Simulation Software." This report consists of 17 sections which document the results of the several subtasks of this effort. The Probabilistic NAS Platform (PNP) is an air operations simulation platform developed and maintained by the Saab Sensis Corporation. The improvements made to the PNP simulation include the following: an airborne distributed separation assurance capability, a required time of arrival assignment and conformance capability, and a tactical and strategic weather avoidance capability.

Automated Pilot Advisory System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parks, J. L., Jr.; Haidt, J. G.

1981-01-01

An Automated Pilot Advisory System (APAS) was developed and operationally tested to demonstrate the concept that low cost automated systems can provide air traffic and aviation weather advisory information at high density uncontrolled airports. The system was designed to enhance the see and be seen rule of flight, and pilots who used the system preferred it over the self announcement system presently used at uncontrolled airports.

Strapdown system redundancy management flight demonstration. [vertical takeoff and landing aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

The suitability of strapdown inertial systems in providing highly reliable short-term navigation for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft operating in an intra-urban setting under all-weather conditions was assessed. A preliminary design configuration of a skewed sensor inertial reference system employing a redundancy management concept to achieve fail-operational, fail-operational performance, was developed.

A Cross-Age Study of Pupils' Conceptions Concerning the Movement of Air Masses in the Troposphere.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papadimitriou, Vasiliki; Londridou, Paraskevi

Since weather plays an important role in many ways in our everyday life, the study of meteorological phenomena by school children becomes of great importance in enhancing their scientific literacy. This necessity becomes even more important today, as these phenomena are connected to serious environmental problems such as climate change and air…

Focusing on the Nature of Causality in a Unit on Pressure: How Does It Affect Student Understanding?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basca, Belinda B.; Grotzer, Tina A.

Although pressure forms the basis for understanding topics such as the internal structure of the earth, weather cycles, rock formation, Bernoulli's principle, and plate tectonics, the presence of this concept in the school curriculum is at a minimal level. This paper suggests that the ideas, misconceptions, and perceptions of students have to do…

Uncertainty forecasts improve weather-related decisions and attenuate the effects of forecast error.

PubMed

Joslyn, Susan L; LeClerc, Jared E

2012-03-01

Although uncertainty is inherent in weather forecasts, explicit numeric uncertainty estimates are rarely included in public forecasts for fear that they will be misunderstood. Of particular concern are situations in which precautionary action is required at low probabilities, often the case with severe events. At present, a categorical weather warning system is used. The work reported here tested the relative benefits of several forecast formats, comparing decisions made with and without uncertainty forecasts. In three experiments, participants assumed the role of a manager of a road maintenance company in charge of deciding whether to pay to salt the roads and avoid a potential penalty associated with icy conditions. Participants used overnight low temperature forecasts accompanied in some conditions by uncertainty estimates and in others by decision advice comparable to categorical warnings. Results suggested that uncertainty information improved decision quality overall and increased trust in the forecast. Participants with uncertainty forecasts took appropriate precautionary action and withheld unnecessary action more often than did participants using deterministic forecasts. When error in the forecast increased, participants with conventional forecasts were reluctant to act. However, this effect was attenuated by uncertainty forecasts. Providing categorical decision advice alone did not improve decisions. However, combining decision advice with uncertainty estimates resulted in the best performance overall. The results reported here have important implications for the development of forecast formats to increase compliance with severe weather warnings as well as other domains in which one must act in the face of uncertainty. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Development and Testing of the VAHIRR Radar Product

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barrett, Joe III; Miller, Juli; Charnasky, Debbie; Gillen, Robert; Lafosse, Richard; Hoeth, Brian; Hood, Doris; McNamara, Todd

2008-01-01

Lightning Launch Commit Criteria (LLCC) and Flight Rules (FR) are used for launches and landings at government and commercial spaceports. They are designed to avoid natural and triggered lightning strikes to space vehicles, which can endanger the vehicle, payload, and general public. The previous LLCC and FR were shown to be overly restrictive, potentially leading to costly launch delays and scrubs. A radar algorithm called Volume Averaged Height Integrated Radar Reflectivity (VAHIRR), along with new LLCC and FR for anvil clouds, were developed using data collected by the Airborne Field Mill II research program. VAHIRR is calculated at every horizontal position in the coverage area of the radar and can be displayed similar to a two-dimensional derived reflectivity product, such as composite reflectivity or echo tops. It is the arithmetic product of two quantities not currently generated by the Weather Surveillance Radar 1988 Doppler (WSR-88D): a volume average of the reflectivity measured in dBZ and the average cloud thickness based on the average echo top height and base height. This presentation will describe the VAHIRR algorithm, and then explain how the VAHIRR radar product was implemented and tested on a clone of the National Weather Service's (NWS) Open Radar Product Generator (ORPG-clone). The VAHIRR radar product was then incorporated into the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), to make it more convenient for weather forecasters to utilize. Finally, the reliability of the VAHIRR radar product was tested with real-time level II radar data from the WSR-88D NWS Melbourne radar.

The association between temperature and mortality in tropical middle income Thailand from 1999 to 2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tawatsupa, Benjawan; Dear, Keith; Kjellstrom, Tord; Sleigh, Adrian

2014-03-01

We have investigated the association between tropical weather condition and age-sex adjusted death rates (ADR) in Thailand over a 10-year period from 1999 to 2008. Population, mortality, weather and air pollution data were obtained from four national databases. Alternating multivariable fractional polynomial (MFP) regression and stepwise multivariable linear regression analysis were used to sequentially build models of the associations between temperature variable and deaths, adjusted for the effects and interactions of age, sex, weather (6 variables), and air pollution (10 variables). The associations are explored and compared among three seasons (cold, hot and wet months) and four weather zones of Thailand (the North, Northeast, Central, and South regions). We found statistically significant associations between temperature and mortality in Thailand. The maximum temperature is the most important variable in predicting mortality. Overall, the association is nonlinear U-shape and 31 °C is the minimum-mortality temperature in Thailand. The death rates increase when maximum temperature increase with the highest rates in the North and Central during hot months. The final equation used in this study allowed estimation of the impact of a 4 °C increase in temperature as projected for Thailand by 2100; this analysis revealed that the heat-related deaths will increase more than the cold-related deaths avoided in the hot and wet months, and overall the net increase in expected mortality by region ranges from 5 to 13 % unless preventive measures were adopted. Overall, these results are useful for health impact assessment for the present situation and future public health implication of global climate change for tropical Thailand.

Assimilating every-30-second 100-m-mesh radar observations for convective weather: implications to non-Gaussian PDF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyoshi, T.; Teramura, T.; Ruiz, J.; Kondo, K.; Lien, G. Y.

2016-12-01

Convective weather is known to be highly nonlinear and chaotic, and it is hard to predict their location and timing precisely. Our Big Data Assimilation (BDA) effort has been exploring to use dense and frequent observations to avoid non-Gaussian probability density function (PDF) and to apply an ensemble Kalman filter under the Gaussian error assumption. The phased array weather radar (PAWR) can observe a dense three-dimensional volume scan with 100-m range resolution and 100 elevation angles in only 30 seconds. The BDA system assimilates the PAWR reflectivity and Doppler velocity observations every 30 seconds into 100 ensemble members of storm-scale numerical weather prediction (NWP) model at 100-m grid spacing. The 30-second-update, 100-m-mesh BDA system has been quite successful in multiple case studies of local severe rainfall events. However, with 1000 ensemble members, the reduced-resolution BDA system at 1-km grid spacing showed significant non-Gaussian PDF with every-30-second updates. With a 10240-member ensemble Kalman filter with a global NWP model at 112-km grid spacing, we found roughly 1000 members satisfactory to capture the non-Gaussian error structures. With these in mind, we explore how the density of observations in space and time affects the non-Gaussianity in an ensemble Kalman filter with a simple toy model. In this presentation, we will present the most up-to-date results of the BDA research, as well as the investigation with the toy model on the non-Gaussianity with dense and frequent observations.

Testing the Efficacy of Synthetic Vision during Non-Normal Operations as an Enabling Technology for Equivalent Visual Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kramer, Lynda J.; Williams, Steven P.

2008-01-01

Synthetic Vision (SV) may serve as a revolutionary crew/vehicle interface enabling technology to meet the challenges of the Next Generation Air Transportation System Equivalent Visual Operations (EVO) concept that is, the ability to achieve or even improve on the safety of Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations, maintain the operational tempos of VFR, and potentially retain VFR procedures independent of actual weather and visibility conditions. One significant challenge lies in the definition of required equipage on the aircraft and on the airport to enable the EVO concept objective. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of the presence or absence of SV, the location (head-up or head-down) of this information during an instrument approach, and the type of airport lighting information on landing minima. Another key element of the testing entailed investigating the pilot s awareness and reaction to non-normal events (i.e., failure conditions) that were unexpectedly introduced into the experiment. These non-normals are critical determinants in the underlying safety of all-weather operations. This paper presents the experimental results specific to pilot response to non-normal events using head-up and head-down synthetic vision displays.

A concept for reducing oceanic separation minima through the use of a TCAS-derived CDTI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Love, W. D.; Mcfarland, A. L.; Ludwick, J. S.

1984-01-01

A concept for using a cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI), as derived from a modified version of the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System 2 (TCAS 2), to support reductions in air traffic separation minima for an oceanic track system is presented. The concept, and the TCAS modifications required to support it, are described. The feasibility of the concept is examined from a number of standpoints, including expected benefits, maximum alert rates, and possible transition strategies. Various implementation issues are analyzed. Pilot procedures are suggested for dealing with alert situations. Possible variations of the concept are also examined. Finally, recommendations are presented for other studies and simulation experiments which can be used to further verify the feasibility of the concept.

The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Urban Radar Network: Enhancing Resilience in the Presence of Floods, Tornadoes, Hail and High Winds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandra*, Chandrasekar V.; the full DFW Team

2015-04-01

Currently, the National Weather Service (NWS) Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) provides observations updated every five-six minutes across the United States. However, at the maximum NEXRAD operating range of 230 km, the 0.5 degree radar beam (lowest tilt) height is about 5.4 km above ground level (AGL) because of the effect of Earth curvature. Consequently, much of the lower atmosphere (1-3 km AGL) cannot be observed by the NEXRAD. To overcome the fundamental coverage limitations of today's weather surveillance radars, and improve the spatial and temporal resolution issues, at urban scale, the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center (NSF-ERC) for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) has embarked the development of Dallas-Fort worth (DFW) urban remote sensing network to conduct high-resolution sensing in the lower atmosphere for a metropolitan environment, communicate high resolution observations and nowcasting of severe weather including flash floods, hail storms and high wind events. Being one of the largest inland metropolitan areas in the U.S., the DFW Metroplex is home to over 6.5 million people by 2012 according to the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). It experiences a wide range of natural weather hazards, including urban flash flood, high wind, tornado, and hail, etc. Successful monitoring of the rapid changing meteorological conditions in such a region is necessary for emergency management and decision making. Therefore, it is an ideal location to investigate the impacts of hazardous weather phenomena, to enhance resilience in an urban setting and demonstrate the CASA concept in a densely populated urban environment. The DFW radar network consists of 8 dual-polarization X-band weather radars and standard NEXRAD S-band radar, covering the greater DFW metropolitan region. This paper will present high resolution observation of tornado, urban flood, hail storm and damaging wind event all within the city.

Motivation and temporal distance: effect on cognitive and affective manifestations.

PubMed

Bjørnebekk, Gunnar; Gjesme, Torgrim

2009-10-01

The implications of temporal distance on motivation-related concepts were examined. The results of an experiment, based on 585 Grade 6 students, indicated that both positive (approach) and negative (avoidance) motivation increased as the future goal or event approached in time. This increase in approach and avoidance motivation influenced the performance of the pupils differently. For pupils with success orientation, the performance increased. For pupils with failure orientation, the performance remained about the same.

Comparing Angular and Curved Shapes in Terms of Implicit Associations and Approach/Avoidance Responses.

PubMed

Palumbo, Letizia; Ruta, Nicole; Bertamini, Marco

2015-01-01

Most people prefer smoothly curved shapes over more angular shapes. We investigated the origin of this effect using abstract shapes and implicit measures of semantic association and preference. In Experiment 1 we used a multidimensional Implicit Association Test (IAT) to verify the strength of the association of curved and angular polygons with danger (safe vs. danger words), valence (positive vs. negative words) and gender (female vs. male names). Results showed that curved polygons were associated with safe and positive concepts and with female names, whereas angular polygons were associated with danger and negative concepts and with male names. Experiment 2 used a different implicit measure, which avoided any need to categorise the stimuli. Using a revised version of the Stimulus Response Compatibility (SRC) task we tested with a stick figure (i.e., the manikin) approach and avoidance reactions to curved and angular polygons. We found that RTs for approaching vs. avoiding angular polygons did not differ, even in the condition where the angles were more pronounced. By contrast participants were faster and more accurate when moving the manikin towards curved shapes. Experiment 2 suggests that preference for curvature cannot derive entirely from an association of angles with threat. We conclude that smoothly curved contours make these abstract shapes more pleasant. Further studies are needed to clarify the nature of such a preference.

Comparing Angular and Curved Shapes in Terms of Implicit Associations and Approach/Avoidance Responses

PubMed Central

Palumbo, Letizia; Ruta, Nicole; Bertamini, Marco

2015-01-01

Most people prefer smoothly curved shapes over more angular shapes. We investigated the origin of this effect using abstract shapes and implicit measures of semantic association and preference. In Experiment 1 we used a multidimensional Implicit Association Test (IAT) to verify the strength of the association of curved and angular polygons with danger (safe vs. danger words), valence (positive vs. negative words) and gender (female vs. male names). Results showed that curved polygons were associated with safe and positive concepts and with female names, whereas angular polygons were associated with danger and negative concepts and with male names. Experiment 2 used a different implicit measure, which avoided any need to categorise the stimuli. Using a revised version of the Stimulus Response Compatibility (SRC) task we tested with a stick figure (i.e., the manikin) approach and avoidance reactions to curved and angular polygons. We found that RTs for approaching vs. avoiding angular polygons did not differ, even in the condition where the angles were more pronounced. By contrast participants were faster and more accurate when moving the manikin towards curved shapes. Experiment 2 suggests that preference for curvature cannot derive entirely from an association of angles with threat. We conclude that smoothly curved contours make these abstract shapes more pleasant. Further studies are needed to clarify the nature of such a preference. PMID:26460610

Badlands in humid regions - redbed desertification in Nanxiong Basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Luobin; Hua, Peng; Simonson, Scott

2016-04-01

The redbed badlands in Nanxiong City, China, well represent badlands in humid regions. The erosion rate in humid regions is much higher than that in arid regions and can reach 1 cm per month during the summer. The purpose of this study is to introduce the research of badlands in China, which have not been extensively studied so far, and to compare the badlands between arid and humid regions. Furthermore, the aim is to study the impact of mineralogical and chemical composition on the disintegration of soft rock in Nanxiong Basin badlands. For the purpose of this study field observations, sampling, and digging profiles were done. The mineralogical and chemical compositions of the Nanxiong Basin badland lithologies were determined by XRD, XRF and thin sections. Weathering resistance, process of weathering, and disintegration features were studied by weathering experiments under natural conditions. Weathering profiles can be easily divided into four layers: regolith, a strongly weathered layer, a poorly weathered layer, and an unweathered sediment. The depth of the weathering profile is influenced by the weathering resistance of the soft rock. Weathering resistance affects the erosion rate and evolution of landforms in badlands by influencing the rate from unweathered rock to regolith. Analyzed sediments have high content of illite and illite-smectite interstratifications. This composition of clay minerals together with poor sediment consolidation jointly leads to weathering prone sediment. The weathering and disintegration of soft rock in Nanxiong Basin badlands has a close relationship with rainfall. Sheet erosion, a kind of solid-liquid phase flow, formed in the regolith of the badland during rainfall events and can be the most instrumental to erosion. The mineral composition and liquidity plasticity index were also analyzed, and the results show that the regolith are low liquid limit silts with liquid limit of 21%-25%, plastic limit of 13%-18% and plasticity index of 6.5%-11%. Sheet erosion will occur when rainfall splash destroys the original structure of the badland slopes with the impermeable siltstone underneath and with the high porosity regolith. In China, the badlands in redbed areas have been called the extreme "redbed desertification". Our preliminary research concerning Nanxiong Basin badlands puts forward the concepts of "redbed deserts" and "redbed desertification". Based on the field work, the mechanism of redbed desertification depends on the lithological features, natural impacts, and human activities. The trigger for formation of the redbed badlands desertification are complex, but mainly influenced by activities such as severe reclamation, forest fires, tree planting disturbances, dry-land degradation, acquirement of topsoil, etc.

Design concept for improved photo-scan tube

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malling, L. R.

1967-01-01

Conceptual photo-scan tube avoids complexity of internal beam scanning and beam-current adjustment by optical scan readout. It differs from a conventional image orthicon in its use of an external oscilloscope tube.

How organizational research can avoid the pitfalls of a co-optation perspective: analyzing gender equality work in Austrian universities with organizational institutionalism.

PubMed

Striedinger, Angelika

2017-04-03

The concept of co-optation offers vocabulary to discuss how concerns and demands of feminist movements are transformed on their way to, and within, mainstream organizations and policymaking. However, applications of this concept can have problematic implications, failing to grasp the complexity of social change efforts and contributing to divisions, rather than alliances, between different groups that work and fight for gender equality. This article argues that conceptual tools from organizational institutionalism can help to avoid these pitfalls by capturing the ambivalence of organizational change initiatives, and allowing us to identify not only counterintentional effects, but also subtle and unexpected opportunities of organizational gender equality work. I illustrate my arguments with empirical examples from research on gender equality work in Austrian universities.

How organizational research can avoid the pitfalls of a co-optation perspective: analyzing gender equality work in Austrian universities with organizational institutionalism

PubMed Central

Striedinger, Angelika

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The concept of co-optation offers vocabulary to discuss how concerns and demands of feminist movements are transformed on their way to, and within, mainstream organizations and policymaking. However, applications of this concept can have problematic implications, failing to grasp the complexity of social change efforts and contributing to divisions, rather than alliances, between different groups that work and fight for gender equality. This article argues that conceptual tools from organizational institutionalism can help to avoid these pitfalls by capturing the ambivalence of organizational change initiatives, and allowing us to identify not only counterintentional effects, but also subtle and unexpected opportunities of organizational gender equality work. I illustrate my arguments with empirical examples from research on gender equality work in Austrian universities. PMID:29097905

Recombination-generation currents in degenerate semiconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Von Roos, O.

1978-01-01

The classical Shockley-Read-Hall theory of free carrier recombination and generation via traps is extended to degenerate semiconductors. A concise and simple expression is found which avoids completely the concept of a Fermi level, a concept which is alien to nonequilibrium situations. Assumptions made in deriving the recombination generation current are carefully delineated and are found to be basically identical to those made in the original theory applicable to nondegenerate semiconductors.

Distress detection, location, and communications using advanced space technology. [satellite-borne synthetic aperture radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sivertson, W. E., Jr.

1977-01-01

This paper briefly introduces a concept for low-cost, global, day-night, all-weather disaster warning and assistance. Evolving, advanced space technology with passive radio frequency reflectors in conjunction with an imaging synthetic aperture radar is employed to detect, identify, locate, and provide passive communication with earth users in distress. This concept evolved from a broad NASA research on new global search and rescue techniques. Appropriate airborne radar test results from this research are reviewed and related to potential disaster applications. The analysis indicates the approach has promise for disaster communications relative to floods, droughts, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and severe storms.

Environmental assessment of depleted uranium used in military armor-piercing rounds in terrestrial systems.

PubMed

Stanley, Jacob K; Coleman, Jessica G; Brasfield, Sandra M; Bednar, Anthony J; Ang, Choo Y

2014-06-01

Depleted uranium (DU) from the military testing and use of armor-piercing kinetic energy penetrators has been shown to accumulate in soils; however, little is known about the toxicity of DU geochemical species created through corrosion or weathering. The purpose of the present study was to assess the toxic effects and bioaccumulation potential of field-collected DU oxides to the model terrestrial invertebrates Eisenia fetida (earthworm) and Porcellio scaber (isopod). Earthworm studies were acute (72 h) dermal exposures or 28-d spiked soil exposures that used noncontaminated field-collected soils from the US Army's Yuma and Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Endpoints assessed in earthworm testing included bioaccumulation, growth, reproduction, behavior (soil avoidance), and cellular stress (neutral red uptake in coelomocytes). Isopod testing used spiked food, and endpoints assessed included bioaccumulation, survival, and feeding behavior. Concentration-dependent bioaccumulation of DU in earthworms was observed with a maximum bioaccumulation factor of 0.35; however, no significant reductions in survival or impacts to cellular stress were observed. Reproduction lowest-observed-effect concentrations (LOEC) of 158 mg/kg and 96 mg/kg were observed in Yuma Proving Ground and a Mississippi reference soil (Karnac Ferry), respectively. Earthworm avoidance of contaminated soils was not observed in 48-h soil avoidance studies; however, isopods were shown to avoid food spiked with 12.7% by weight DU oxides through digital tracking studies. © 2014 SETAC.

Self-rated driving habits among older adults with clinically-defined mild cognitive impairment, clinically-defined dementia, and normal cognition.

PubMed

O'Connor, Melissa L; Edwards, Jerri D; Bannon, Yvonne

2013-12-01

Older adults with clinically-defined dementia may report reducing their driving more than cognitively normal controls. However, it is unclear how these groups compare to individuals with clinically-defined mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in terms of driving behaviors. The current study investigated self-reported driving habits among adults age 60 and older with clinical MCI (n=41), clinical mild dementia (n=40), and normal cognition (n=43). Participants reported their driving status, driving frequency (days per week), and how often they avoided accessing the community, making left turns, driving at night, driving in unfamiliar areas, driving on high-traffic roads, and driving in bad weather. After adjusting for education, a MANCOVA revealed that participants with MCI and dementia avoided unfamiliar areas and high-traffic roads significantly more than normal participants. Participants with dementia also avoided left turns and accessing the community more than those with normal cognition and MCI (p<0.05 for all). The other driving variables did not significantly differ between groups. Thus, older adults with clinically-defined MCI, as well as those with dementia, avoided some complex driving situations more than cognitively intact adults. However, all diagnostic groups had similar rates of driving cessation and frequency. Future research should examine the safety implications of such findings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching science to science teachers: Lessons taught and lessons learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglas, E. M.; Hashimoto-Martell, E. A.; Balicki, S.; Oglavie, D. R.

2009-12-01

The Boston Science Partnership has created a comprehensive set of graduate courses that immerse teachers in the science topics most relevant to their teaching practices. In these courses, teachers become students of science, developing their conceptual understandings through scientific inquiry. All courses are co-taught by a university faculty and teacher leaders from the Boston Public Schools. Each course provides contextual linkages between the science content and the standards-based curriculum of the Boston Public School district. One of the most relevant science topics to teachers and students of all disciplines is climate change. This served as the overarching theme for our course delivered during summer 2008 and 2009. This course focused on weather and the pivotal role that water and solar radiation play in the exchange of energy at the Earth's surface. Basic concepts such as the behavior of gases, energy flow, density changes, phase changes, heat capacities, and thermal convection were applied to examine short-term weather and water dynamics and longer-term impacts on global warming and climate change. The course was designed to embrace the 7E learning cycle and instructional model, as proposed by Eisenkraft in his landmark 2003 Science Teacher article. This inquiry-based instructional model builds upon prior conceptions and engages the learner in activities in which they begin to construct meaning of a concept prior to being given an explanation. Each day focused on an essential topic related to weather and climate change, and experiential learning was our main objective. There were many successes and challenges with our course. Twenty-five participants were enrolled, and all had different background knowledge and skill sets. Additionally, their level of teaching varied greatly, from K-12, so the level of depth with which to learn the content in order to bring it back to their classrooms varied a great deal as well. Therefore differentiating instruction for our diverse participants was a constant challenge for us as instructors. In summer 2008, the course was organized so that fundamentals (chemistry, heat transfer, convection, physics) were taught in the first week and then applied in broader topics (water cycle, carbon cycle, weather and precipitation) in the second week. Learning these fundamentals was challenging for many teachers. Furthermore, the organization of topics caused frustration because there was not enough connection to the broader concepts of the course. In summer 2009, we rearranged the topics and interwove fundamentals with contextual topics within each week. We found this approach to be more successful in engaging and educating the teachers. The most successful activities were often the simplest to organize. Valuable instructional strategies included daily assessments in the form of morning quizzes, keeping a class website with all course materials, and centering the major project of the course around a lesson that teachers would design for their particular context. We saw a dramatic improvement in pre- and post-assessment test scores, with the class average increasing from 58% (pre-test) to 95% (post-test).

NASA Aircraft Vortex Spacing System Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinton, David A.; Charnock, James K.; Bagwell, Donald R.; Grigsby, Donner

1999-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is addressing airport capacity enhancements during instrument meteorological conditions through the Terminal Area Productivity (TAP) program. Within TAP, the Reduced Spacing Operations (RSO) subelement at the NASA Langley Research Center is developing an Aircraft VOrtex Spacing System (AVOSS). AVOSS will integrate the output of several systems to produce weather dependent, dynamic wake vortex spacing criteria. These systems provide current and predicted weather conditions, models of wake vortex transport and decay in these weather conditions, and real-time feedback of wake vortex behavior from sensors. The goal of the NASA program is to provide the research and development to demonstrate an engineering model AVOSS in real-time operation at a major airport. The demonstration is only of concept feasibility, and additional effort is required to deploy an operational system for actual aircraft spacing reduction. This paper describes the AVOSS system architecture, a wake vortex facility established at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), initial operational experience with the AVOSS system, and emerging considerations for subsystem requirements. Results of the initial system operation suggest a significant potential for reduced spacing.

[The application of climatic therapy in the health resorts of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus: the current state-of-the-art and the prospects for the further development].

PubMed

Pestereva, N M; Khechumyan, A F; Udovenko, I L; Bekhterev, V N

2016-01-01

The present review summarizes the data published in the domestic and foreign literature concerning the history of climatic therapy, the current concepts of the mechanisms of action of the climatic and weather factors on the human body, the modern therapeutic modalities and technologies for health promotion. We consider not only the achievements but also the problems arising from insufficient knowledge of the impacts of current climate and extreme weather conditions on the state of human health and some disputable issues of the new methods and technologies of climatic therapy. the promising areas of further research and developments pertaining to climatic therapy as practiced under conditions of the Black Sea coast resorts.

A framework of space weather satellite data pipeline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Fuli; Zou, Ziming

Various applications indicate a need of permanent space weather information. The diversity of available instruments enables a big variety of products. As an indispensable part of space weather satellite operation system, space weather data processing system is more complicated than before. The information handled by the data processing system has been used in more and more fields such as space weather monitoring and space weather prediction models. In the past few years, many satellites have been launched by China. The data volume downlinked by these satellites has achieved the so-called big data level and it will continue to grow fast in the next few years due to the implementation of many new space weather programs. Because of the huge amount of data, the current infrastructure is no longer incapable of processing data timely, so we proposed a new space weather data processing system (SWDPS) based on the architecture of cloud computing. Similar to Hadoop, SWDPS decomposes the tasks into smaller tasks which will be executed by many different work nodes. Control Center in SWDPS, just like NameNode and JobTracker within Hadoop which is the bond between the data and the cluster, will establish work plan for the cluster once a client submits data. Control Center will allocate node for the tasks and the monitor the status of all tasks. As the same of TaskTrakcer, Compute Nodes in SWDPS are the salves of Control Center which are responsible for calling the plugins(e.g., dividing and sorting plugins) to execute the concrete jobs. They will also manage all the tasks’ status and report them to Control Center. Once a task fails, a Compute Node will notify Control Center. Control Center decides what to do then; it may resubmit the job elsewhere, it may mark that specific record as something to avoid, and it may even blacklist the Compute Node as unreliable. In addition to these modules, SWDPS has a different module named Data Service which is used to provide file operations such as adding, deleting, modifying and querying for the clients. Beyond that Data Service can also split and combine files based on the timestamp of each record. SWDPS has been used for quite some time and it has been successfully dealt with many satellites, such as FY1C, FY1D, FY2A, FY2B, etc. The good performance in actual operation shows that SWDPS is stable and reliable.

Control of PM2.5 in Guangzhou during the 16th Asian Games period: implication for hazy weather prevention.

PubMed

Tao, Jun; Zhang, Leiming; Zhang, Zhisheng; Huang, Ruijin; Wu, Yunfei; Zhang, Renjian; Cao, Junji; Zhang, Yuanhang

2015-03-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of the integrated control measures for reducing PM2.5 (aerosol particles with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm) and hazy weather, day- and night-time PM2.5 samples were collected at an urban site in Guangzhou during the 16th Asian Games period in November 2010. PM2.5 samples were subject to chemical analysis for major water-soluble ions, organic carbon (OC), element carbon (EC), and biomass burning tracers-anhydrosugar levoglucosan (LG). In addition, aerosol scattering coefficient (bsp) at dry condition and aerosol absorption coefficient (bap) and visibility at ambient condition were measured. The seven major control measures were effective for reducing PM2.5 mass concentration and improving visibility during the Asian Games period. All monitored air pollutants except PM2.5 satisfied the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). However, daily PM2.5 concentrations still exceeded the NAAQS on 47% of the days and hazy weather also occurred on 80% of the days during this period. One factor causing the high frequency of hazy weather occurrence was the increased relative humidity during the Asian Games period. To avoid hazy weather occurrence, new PM2.5 standard was recommended based on visibility calculations using three available aerosol hygroscopic curves previously obtained for this city. The recommended PM2.5 standard was 63 μgm(-3) under dry condition and lower than 42 μg m(-3) under humid condition (RH ≥ 70%). These recommended value s were much stricter than the NAAQS value of 75 μg m(-3). To reach the new standard, more rigorous control measures for coal industries should be established in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-energy laser tactical decision aid (HELTDA) for mission planning and predictive avoidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burley, Jarred L.; Fiorino, Steven T.; Randall, Robb M.; Bartell, Richard J.; Cusumano, Salvatore J.

2012-06-01

This study demonstrates the development of a high energy laser tactical decision aid (HELTDA) by the AFIT/CDE for mission planning High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon system engagements as well as centralized, decentralized, or hybrid predictive avoidance (CPA/DPA/HPA) assessments. Analyses of example HEL mission engagements are described as well as how mission planners are expected to employ the software. Example HEL engagement simulations are based on geographic location and recent/current atmospheric weather conditions. The atmospheric effects are defined through the AFIT/CDE Laser Environmental Effects Definition and Reference (LEEDR) model or the High Energy Laser End-to-End Operational Simulation (HELEEOS) model upon which the HELTDA is based. These models enable the creation of vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, water vapor content, optical turbulence, and atmospheric particulates and hydrometeors as they relate to line-by-line layer extinction coefficient magnitude at wavelengths from the UV to the RF. Seasonal and boundary layer variations (summer/winter) and time of day variations for a range of relative humidity percentile conditions are considered to determine optimum efficiency in a specific environment. Each atmospheric particulate/hydrometeor is evaluated based on its wavelength-dependent forward and off-axis scattering characteristics and absorption effects on the propagating environment to and beyond the target. In addition to realistic vertical profiles of molecular and aerosol absorption and scattering, correlated optical turbulence profiles in probabilistic (percentile) format are included. Numerical weather model forecasts are incorporated in the model to develop comprehensive understanding of HEL weapon system performance.

Common Sense Design for Safe Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scanlon, Paul W.; Pillar, Rob M.

2000-01-01

Shows how school design can enhance study safety by facilitating supervision. Design concepts of limiting building access to outsiders, creating good traffic flow, and avoiding blind spots and informal gathering areas that resist monitoring are discussed. (GR)

Copyright Law as It Applies to Computer Software.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gemignani, Michael

1989-01-01

Discusses copyright laws applied to computer software for professors, students, and institutions. Concepts including infringement, contributory infringement, first sale doctrine, and licenses are considered. A sample university policy statement to avoid liability is presented. (YP)

Simulation and Optimization Methods for Assessing the Impact of Aviation Operations on the Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sridhar, Banavar; Chen, Neil; Ng, Hok K.

2010-01-01

There is increased awareness of anthropogenic factors affecting climate change and urgency to slow the negative impact. Greenhouse gases, oxides of Nitrogen and contrails resulting from aviation affect the climate in different and uncertain ways. This paper develops a flexible simulation and optimization software architecture to study the trade-offs involved in reducing emissions. The software environment is used to conduct analysis of two approaches for avoiding contrails using the concepts of contrail frequency index and optimal avoidance trajectories.

Real-time simulation of an airborne radar for overwater approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karmarkar, J.; Clark, D.

1982-01-01

Software developed to provide a real time simulation of an airborne radar for overwater approaches to oil rig platforms is documented. The simulation is used to study advanced concepts for enhancement of airborne radar approaches (ARA) in order to reduce crew workload, improve approach tracking precision, and reduce weather minimums. ARA's are currently used for offshore helicopter operations to and from oil rigs.

Curriculum Package: Elementary Science Lessons. [A Visit to the Louisville, Kentucky Airports: Standiford and Bowman Fields.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Squires, Frances H.

This science curriculum was written for teachers of children in the elementary grades. It contains science activities for the following lessons: (1) Whirly Birds and the Concept of Lift; (2) Parachutes; (3) Weather Vanes; (4) Paper Airplanes; (5) Flying an Airplane; (6) Jet Engine; (7) Identifying Flying Objects; (8) It's a Bird! It's a Plane; (9)…

Lightning Jump Algorithm and Relation to Thunderstorm Cell Tracking, GLM Proxy and Other Meteorological Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, Christopher J.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Cecil, Daniel J.; Bateman, Monte

2012-01-01

The lightning jump algorithm has a robust history in correlating upward trends in lightning to severe and hazardous weather occurrence. The algorithm uses the correlation between the physical principles that govern an updraft's ability to produce microphysical and kinematic conditions conducive for electrification and its role in the development of severe weather conditions. Recent work has demonstrated that the lightning jump algorithm concept holds significant promise in the operational realm, aiding in the identification of thunderstorms that have potential to produce severe or hazardous weather. However, a large amount of work still needs to be completed in spite of these positive results. The total lightning jump algorithm is not a stand-alone concept that can be used independent of other meteorological measurements, parameters, and techniques. For example, the algorithm is highly dependent upon thunderstorm tracking to build lightning histories on convective cells. Current tracking methods show that thunderstorm cell tracking is most reliable and cell histories are most accurate when radar information is incorporated with lightning data. In the absence of radar data, the cell tracking is a bit less reliable but the value added by the lightning information is much greater. For optimal application, the algorithm should be integrated with other measurements that assess storm scale properties (e.g., satellite, radar). Therefore, the recent focus of this research effort has been assessing the lightning jump's relation to thunderstorm tracking, meteorological parameters, and its potential uses in operational meteorology. Furthermore, the algorithm must be tailored for the optically-based GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), as what has been observed using Very High Frequency Lightning Mapping Array (VHF LMA) measurements will not exactly translate to what will be observed by GLM due to resolution and other instrument differences. Herein, we present some of the promising aspects and challenges encountered in utilizing objective tracking and GLM proxy data, as well as recent results that demonstrate the value added information gained by combining the lightning jump concept with traditional meteorological measurements.

Exploring Meteorology Education in Community College: Lecture-based Instruction and Dialogue-based Group Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finley, Jason Paul

This study examined the impact of dialogue-based group instruction on student learning and engagement in community college meteorology education. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare lecture-based instruction with dialogue-based group instruction during two class sessions at one community college in southern California. Pre- and post-tests were used to measure learning and interest, while surveys were conducted two days after the learning events to assess engagement, perceived learning, and application of content. The results indicated that the dialogue-based group instruction was more successful in helping students learn than the lecture-based instruction. Each question that assessed learning had a higher score for the dialogue group that was statistically significant (alpha < 0.05) compared to the lecture group. The survey questions about perceived learning and application of content also exhibited higher scores that were statistically significant for the dialogue group. The qualitative portion of these survey questions supported the quantitative results and showed that the dialogue students were able to remember more concepts and apply these concepts to their lives. Dialogue students were also more engaged, as three out of the five engagement-related survey questions revealed statistically significantly higher scores for them. The qualitative data also supported increased engagement for the dialogue students. Interest in specific meteorological topics did not change significantly for either group of students; however, interest in learning about severe weather was higher for the dialogue group. Neither group found the learning events markedly meaningful, although more students from the dialogue group found pronounced meaning centered on applying severe weather knowledge to their lives. Active engagement in the dialogue approach kept these students from becoming distracted and allowed them to become absorbed in the learning event. This higher engagement most likely contributed to the resulting higher learning. Together, these results indicate that dialogue education, especially compared to lecture methods, has a great potential for helping students learn meteorology. Dialogue education can also help students engage in weather-related concepts and potentially develop better-informed citizens in a world with a changing climate.

Avoiding humiliations in the clinical encounter.

PubMed

Malterud, Kirsti; Hollnagel, Hanne

2007-06-01

To explore potentials for avoiding humiliations in clinical encounters, especially those that are unintended and unrecognized by the doctor. Furthermore, to examine theoretical foundations of degrading behaviour and identify some concepts that can be used to understand such behaviour in the cultural context of medicine. Finally, these concepts are used to build a model for the clinician in order to prevent humiliation of the patient. Empirical studies document experiences of humiliation among patients when they see their doctor. Philosophical and sociological analysis can be used to explain the dynamics of unintended degrading behaviour between human beings. Skjervheim, Vetlesen, and Bauman have identified the role of objectivism, distantiation, and indifference in the dynamics of evil acts, pointing to the rules of the cultural system, rather than accusing the individual of bad behaviour. Examining the professional role of the doctor, parallel traits embedded in the medical culture are demonstrated. According to Vetlesen, emotional awareness is necessary for moral perception, which again is necessary for moral performance. A better balance between emotions and rationality is needed to avoid humiliations in the clinical encounter. The Awareness Model is presented as a strategy for clinical practice and education, emphasizing the role of the doctor's own emotions. Potentials and pitfalls are discussed.

Step 1:Human System Integration (HSI) FY05 Pilot-Technology Interface Requirements for Collision Avoidance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

This document provides definition of technology human interface requirements for Collision Avoidance (CA). This was performed through a review of CA-related, HSI requirements documents, standards, and recommended practices. Technology concepts in use by the Access 5 CA work package were considered... Beginning with the HSI high-level functional requirement for CA, and CA technology elements, HSI requirements for the interface to the pilot were identified. Results of the analysis describe (1) the information required by the pilot to have knowledge CA system status, and (2) the control capability needed by the pilot to obtain CA information and affect an avoidance maneuver. Fundamentally, these requirements provide the candidate CA technology concepts with the necessary human-related elements to make them compatible with human capabilities and limitations. The results of the analysis describe how CA operations and functions should interface with the pilot to provide the necessary CA functionality to the UA-pilot system .Requirements and guidelines for CA are partitioned into four categories: (1) General, (2) Alerting, (3) Guidance, and (4) Cockpit Display of Traffic Information. Each requirement is stated and is supported with a rationale and associated reference(s).

Operational Aspects of Space Radiation Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weyland, M. D.; Johnson, A. S.; Semones, E. J.; Shelfer, T.; Dardano, C.; Lin, T.; Zapp, N. E.; Rutledge, R.; George, T.

2005-01-01

Minimizing astronaut's short and long-term medical risks arising from exposure to ionizing radiation during space missions is a major concern for NASA's manned spaceflight program, particularly exploration missions. For ethical and legal reasons, NASA follows the "as low as reasonably achievable" (ALARA) principal in managing astronaut's radiation exposures. One implementation of ALARA is the response to space weather events. Of particular concern are energetic solar particle events, and in low Earth orbit (LEO), electron belt enhancements. To properly respond to these events, NASA's Space Radiation Analysis Group (SRAG), in partnership with the NOAA Space Environment Center (SEC), provides continuous flight support during U.S. manned missions. In this partnership, SEC compiles space weather data from numerous ground and space based assets and makes it available in near real-time to SRAG (along with alerts and forecasts), who in turn uses these data as input to models to calculate estimates of the resulting exposure to astronauts. These calculations and vehicle instrument data form the basis for real-time recommendations to flight management. It is also important to implement ALARA during the design phase. In order to appropriately weigh the risks associated with various shielding and vehicle configuration concepts, the expected environment must be adequately characterized for nominal and worst case scenarios for that portion of the solar cycle and point in space. Even with the best shielding concepts and materials in place (unlikely), there will be numerous occasions where the crew is at greater risk due to being in a lower shielded environment (short term transit or lower shielded vehicles, EVAs), so that accurate space weather forecasts and nowcasts, of particles at the relevant energies, will be crucial to protecting crew health and safety.

Low-energy, low-budget sensor web enablement of an amateur weather station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, G.; Herrnkind, S.; Klump, J.

2008-12-01

Sensor Web Enablement (OGC SWE) has developed in into a powerful concept with many potential applications in environmental monitoring and in other fields. This has spurred development of software applications for Sensor Observation Services (SOS), while the development of client applications still lags behind. Furthermore, the deployment of sensors in the field often places tight constraints on energy and bandwidth available for data capture and transmission. As a "proof of concept" we equipped an amateur weather station with low-budget, standard components to read the data from its base station and feed it into a sensor observation service using its standard web- service interface. We chose the weather station as an example because of its simple measured phenomena and its low data volume. As sensor observation service we chose the open source software package offered by the 52North consortium. Power consumption can be problematic when deploying a sensor platform in the field. Instead of a common PC we used a Network Storage Link Unit (NSLU2) with a Linux operating system, a configuration also known as "Debian SLUG". The power consumption of a "SLUG" is of the order of 2 to 5 Watt, compared to 40W in a small PC. The "SLUG" provides one ethernet and two USB ports, one used by its external USB hard-drive. This modular setup is open to modifications, for example the addition of a GSM modem for data transmission over a cellular telephone network. The simple setup, low price, low power consumption, and the low technological entry-level allow many potential uses of a "SLUG" in environmental sensor networks in research, education and citizen science. The use of a mature sensor observation service software allows an easy integration of monitoring networks with other web services.

Global Lightning Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christian, Hugh J.

2004-01-01

Our knowledge of the global distribution of lightning has improved dramatically since the advent of spacebased lightning observations. Of major importance was the 1995 launch of the Optical Transient Detector (OTD), followed in 1997 by the launch of the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). Together, these instruments have generated a continuous eight-year record of global lightning activity. These lightning observations have provided a new global perspective on total lightning activity. For the first time, total lightning activity (cloud-to-ground and intra-cloud) has been observed over large regions with high detection efficiency and accurate geographic location. This has produced new insights into lightning distributions, times of occurrence and variability. It has produced a revised global flash rate estimate (44 flashes per second) and has lead to a new realization of the significance of total lightning activity in severe weather. Accurate flash rate estimates are now available over large areas of the earth (+/- 72 deg. latitude). Ocean-land contrasts as a function of season are clearly reveled, as are orographic effects and seasonal and interannual variability. The space-based observations indicate that air mass thunderstorms, not large storm system dominate global activity. The ability of LIS and OTD to detect total lightning has lead to improved insight into the correlation between lightning and storm development. The relationship between updraft development and lightning activity is now well established and presents an opportunity for providing a new mechanism for remotely monitoring storm development. In this concept, lightning would serve as a surrogate for updraft velocity. It is anticipated that this capability could lead to significantly improved severe weather warning times and reduced false warning rates. This talk will summarize our space-based lightning measurements, will discuss how lightning observations can be used to monitor severe weather, and present a concept for continuous geostationary-based lightning observations.

Modification to area navigation equipment for instrument two-segment approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

A two-segment aircraft landing approach concept utilizing an area random navigation (RNAV) system to execute the two-segment approach and eliminate the requirements for co-located distance measuring equipment (DME) was investigated. This concept permits non-precision approaches to be made to runways not equipped with ILS systems, down to appropriate minima. A hardware and software retrofit kit for the concept was designed, built, and tested on a DC-8-61 aircraft for flight evaluation. A two-segment approach profile and piloting procedure for that aircraft that will provide adequate safety margin under adverse weather, in the presence of system failures, and with the occurrence of an abused approach, was also developed. The two-segment approach procedure and equipment was demonstrated to line pilots under conditions which are representative of those encountered in air carrier service.

Small Aircraft Transportation System, Higher Volume Operations Concept: Off-Nominal Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, Terence S.; Consiglio, Maria C.; Baxley, Brian T.; Williams, Daniel M.; Conway, Sheila R.

2005-01-01

This document expands the Small Aircraft Transportation System, (SATS) Higher Volume Operations (HVO) concept to include off-nominal conditions. The general philosophy underlying the HVO concept is the establishment of a newly defined area of flight operations called a Self-Controlled Area (SCA). During periods of poor weather, a block of airspace would be established around designated non-towered, non-radar airports. Aircraft flying enroute to a SATS airport would be on a standard instrument flight rules flight clearance with Air Traffic Control providing separation services. Within the SCA, pilots would take responsibility for separation assurance between their aircraft and other similarly equipped aircraft. Previous work developed the procedures for normal HVO operations. This document provides details for off-nominal and emergency procedures for situations that could be expected to occur in a future SCA.

A Concept of the Differentially Driven Three Wheeled Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelemen, M.; Colville, D. J.; Kelemenová, T.; Virgala, I.; Miková, L.

2013-08-01

The paper deals with the concept of a differentially driven three wheeled robot. The main task for the robot is to follow the navigation black line on white ground. The robot also contains anti-collision sensors for avoiding obstacles on track. Students learn how to deal with signals from sensors and how to control DC motors. Students work with the controller and develop the locomotion algorithm and can attend a competition

An Efficient Local Correlation Matrix Decomposition Approach for the Localization Implementation of Ensemble-Based Assimilation Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hongqin; Tian, Xiangjun

2018-04-01

Ensemble-based data assimilation methods often use the so-called localization scheme to improve the representation of the ensemble background error covariance (Be). Extensive research has been undertaken to reduce the computational cost of these methods by using the localized ensemble samples to localize Be by means of a direct decomposition of the local correlation matrix C. However, the computational costs of the direct decomposition of the local correlation matrix C are still extremely high due to its high dimension. In this paper, we propose an efficient local correlation matrix decomposition approach based on the concept of alternating directions. This approach is intended to avoid direct decomposition of the correlation matrix. Instead, we first decompose the correlation matrix into 1-D correlation matrices in the three coordinate directions, then construct their empirical orthogonal function decomposition at low resolution. This procedure is followed by the 1-D spline interpolation process to transform the above decompositions to the high-resolution grid. Finally, an efficient correlation matrix decomposition is achieved by computing the very similar Kronecker product. We conducted a series of comparison experiments to illustrate the validity and accuracy of the proposed local correlation matrix decomposition approach. The effectiveness of the proposed correlation matrix decomposition approach and its efficient localization implementation of the nonlinear least-squares four-dimensional variational assimilation are further demonstrated by several groups of numerical experiments based on the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting model.

Design and analysis of advanced flight planning concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sorensen, John A.

1987-01-01

The objectives of this continuing effort are to develop and evaluate new algorithms and advanced concepts for flight management and flight planning. This includes the minimization of fuel or direct operating costs, the integration of the airborne flight management and ground-based flight planning processes, and the enhancement of future traffic management systems design. Flight management (FMS) concepts are for on-board profile computation and steering of transport aircraft in the vertical plane between a city pair and along a given horizontal path. Flight planning (FPS) concepts are for the pre-flight ground based computation of the three-dimensional reference trajectory that connects the city pair and specifies the horizontal path, fuel load, and weather profiles for initializing the FMS. As part of these objectives, a new computer program called EFPLAN has been developed and utilized to study advanced flight planning concepts. EFPLAN represents an experimental version of an FPS. It has been developed to generate reference flight plans compatible as input to an FMS and to provide various options for flight planning research. This report describes EFPLAN and the associated research conducted in its development.

C3Winds: A Novel 3D Wind Observing System to Characterize Severe Weather Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, M. A.; Wu, D. L.; Yee, J. H.; Boldt, J.; Demajistre, R.; Reynolds, E.; Tripoli, G. J.; Oman, L.; Prive, N.; Heidinger, A. K.; Wanzong, S.

2015-12-01

The CubeSat Constellation Cloud Winds (C3Winds) is a NASA Earth Venture Instrument (EV-I) concept with the primary objective to resolve high-resolution 3D dynamic structures of severe wind events. Rapid evolution of severe weather events highlights the need for high-resolution mesoscale wind observations. Yet mesoscale observations of severe weather dynamics are quite rare, especially over the ocean where extratropical and tropical cyclones (ETCs and TCs) can undergo explosive development. Measuring wind velocity at the mesoscale from space remains a great challenge, but is critically needed to understand and improve prediction of severe weather and tropical cyclones. Based on compact, visible/IR imagers and a mature stereoscopic technique, C3Winds has the capability to measure high-resolution (~2 km) cloud motion vectors and cloud geometric heights accurately by tracking cloud features from two formation-flying CubeSats, separated by 5-15 minutes. Complementary to lidar wind measurements from space, C3Winds will provide high-resolution wind fields needed for detailed investigations of severe wind events in occluded ETCs, rotational structures inside TC eyewalls, and ozone injections associated with tropopause folding events. Built upon mature imaging technologies and long history of stereoscopic remote sensing, C3Winds provides an innovative, cost-effective solution to global wind observations with the potential for increased diurnal sampling via CubeSat constellation.

Experimental testing of designated driver cues

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-07-27

In theory, the designated-driver concept holds great promise for reducing the incidences of drunk driving. It is simple, inexpensive, almost universally recognized, and generally positively regarded by the U.S. population as a means for avoiding drun...

Elements of orbit-determination theory - Textbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solloway, C. B.

1971-01-01

Text applies to solution of various optimization problems. Concepts are logically introduced and refinements and complexities for computerized numerical solutions are avoided. Specific topics and essential equivalence of several different approaches to various aspects of the problem are given.

Mixture EMOS model for calibrating ensemble forecasts of wind speed.

PubMed

Baran, S; Lerch, S

2016-03-01

Ensemble model output statistics (EMOS) is a statistical tool for post-processing forecast ensembles of weather variables obtained from multiple runs of numerical weather prediction models in order to produce calibrated predictive probability density functions. The EMOS predictive probability density function is given by a parametric distribution with parameters depending on the ensemble forecasts. We propose an EMOS model for calibrating wind speed forecasts based on weighted mixtures of truncated normal (TN) and log-normal (LN) distributions where model parameters and component weights are estimated by optimizing the values of proper scoring rules over a rolling training period. The new model is tested on wind speed forecasts of the 50 member European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts ensemble, the 11 member Aire Limitée Adaptation dynamique Développement International-Hungary Ensemble Prediction System ensemble of the Hungarian Meteorological Service, and the eight-member University of Washington mesoscale ensemble, and its predictive performance is compared with that of various benchmark EMOS models based on single parametric families and combinations thereof. The results indicate improved calibration of probabilistic and accuracy of point forecasts in comparison with the raw ensemble and climatological forecasts. The mixture EMOS model significantly outperforms the TN and LN EMOS methods; moreover, it provides better calibrated forecasts than the TN-LN combination model and offers an increased flexibility while avoiding covariate selection problems. © 2016 The Authors Environmetrics Published by JohnWiley & Sons Ltd.

Post-precipitation bias in band-tailed pigeon surveys conducted at mineral sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Overton, C.T.; Schmitz, R.A.; Casazza, Michael L.

2005-01-01

Many animal surveys to estimate populations or index trends include protocol prohibiting counts during rain but fail to address effects of rainfall preceding the count. Prior research on Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeons (Patagioenas fasciata monilis) documented declines in use of mineral sites during rainfall. We hypothesized that prior precipitation was associated with a short-term increase in use of mineral sites following rain. We conducted weekly counts of band-tailed pigeons at 19 Pacific Northwest mineral sites in 2001 and 20 sites in 2002. Results from regression analysis indicated higher counts ???2 days after rain (11.31??5.00% [x????SE]) compared to ???3 days. Individual index counts conducted ???2 days after rain were biased high, resulting in reduced ability to accurately estimate population trends. Models of band-tailed pigeon visitation rates throughout the summer showed increased mineral-site counts during both June and August migration periods, relative to the July breeding period. Our research supported previous studies recommending that mineral-site counts used to index the band-tailed pigeon population be conducted during July. We further recommend conducting counts >3 days after rain to avoid weather-related bias in index estimation. The design of other population sampling strategies that rely on annual counts should consider the influence of aberrant weather not only coincident with but also preceding surveys if weather patterns are thought to influence behavior or detection probability of target species.

Local health and social care responses to implementing the national cold weather plan.

PubMed

Heffernan, C; Jones, L; Ritchie, B; Erens, B; Chalabi, Zaid; Mays, N

2017-09-18

The Cold Weather Plan (CWP) for England was launched by the Department of Health in 2011 to prevent avoidable harm to health by cold weather by enabling individuals to prepare and respond appropriately. This study sought the views of local decision makers involved in the implementation of the CWP in the winter of 2012/13 to establish the effects of the CWP on local planning. It was part of a multi-component independent evaluation of the CWP. Ten LA areas were purposively sampled which varied in level of deprivation and urbanism. Fifty-two semi-structured interviews were held with health and social care managers involved in local planning between November 2012 and May 2013. Thematic analysis revealed that the CWP was considered a useful framework to formalize working arrangements between agencies though local leadership varied across localities. There were difficulties in engaging general practitioners, differences in defining vulnerable individuals and a lack of performance monitoring mechanisms. The CWP was welcomed by local health and social care managers, and improved proactive winter preparedness. Areas for improvement include better integration with general practice, and targeting resources at socially isolated individuals in cold homes with specific interventions aimed at reducing social isolation and building community resilience. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Middle Man Concept for In-Orbit Collision Risks Mitigation, CAESAR and CARA Examples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moury, Monique; Newman, Lauri K.; Laporte, Francois

2014-01-01

This paper describes the conjunction analysis which has to be performed using data provided by JSpOC. This description not only demonstrates that Collision Avoidance is a 2- step process (close approach detection followed by risk evaluation for collision avoidance decision) but also leads to the conclusion that there is a need for a Middle Man role. After describing the Middle Man concept, this paper introduces two examples with their similarities and particularities: the American civil space effort delivered by the NASA CARA team (Conjunction Assessment Risk Analysis) and the French response CAESAR (Conjunction Assessment and Evaluation Service: Alerts and Recommendations). For both, statistics are presented and feedbacks discussed. All together, around 80 satellites are served by CARA and/or CAESAR. Both processes regularly evolve in order either to follow JSpOC upgrades or to improve analysis according to experience acquired during the past years.

Asset Analysis and Operational Concepts for Separation Assurance Flight Testing at Dryden Flight Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Costa, Guillermo J.; Arteaga, Ricardo A.

2011-01-01

A preliminary survey of existing separation assurance and collision avoidance advancements, technologies, and efforts has been conducted in order to develop a concept of operations for flight testing autonomous separation assurance at Dryden Flight Research Center. This effort was part of the Unmanned Aerial Systems in the National Airspace System project. The survey focused primarily on separation assurance projects validated through flight testing (including lessons learned), however current forays into the field were also examined. Comparisons between current Dryden flight and range assets were conducted using House of Quality matrices in order to allow project management to make determinations regarding asset utilization for future flight tests. This was conducted in order to establish a body of knowledge of the current collision avoidance landscape, and thus focus Dryden s efforts more effectively towards the providing of assets and test ranges for future flight testing within this research field.

Intelligent mobility for robotic vehicles in the army after next

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerhart, Grant R.; Goetz, Richard C.; Gorsich, David J.

1999-07-01

The TARDEC Intelligent Mobility program addresses several essential technologies necessary to support the army after next (AAN) concept. Ground forces in the AAN time frame will deploy robotic unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in high-risk missions to avoid exposing soldiers to both friendly and unfriendly fire. Prospective robotic systems will include RSTA/scout vehicles, combat engineering/mine clearing vehicles, indirect fire artillery and missile launch platforms. The AAN concept requires high on-road and off-road mobility, survivability, transportability/deployability and low logistics burden. TARDEC is developing a robotic vehicle systems integration laboratory (SIL) to evaluate technologies and their integration into future UGV systems. Example technologies include the following: in-hub electric drive, omni-directional wheel and steering configurations, off-road tires, adaptive tire inflation, articulated vehicles, active suspension, mine blast protection, detection avoidance and evasive maneuver. This paper will describe current developments in these areas relative to the TARDEC intelligent mobility program.

A new forecast presentation tool for offshore contractors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jørgensen, M.

2009-09-01

Contractors working off shore are often very sensitive to both sea and weather conditions, and it's essential that they have easy access to reliable information on coming conditions to enable planning of when to start or shut down offshore operations to avoid loss of life and materials. Danish Meteorological Institute, DMI, recently, in cooperation with business partners in the field, developed a new application to accommodate that need. The "Marine Forecast Service” is a browser based forecast presentation tool. It provides an interface for the user to enable easy and quick access to all relevant meteorological and oceanographic forecasts and observations for a given area of interest. Each customer gains access to the application via a standard login/password procedure. Once logged in, the user can inspect animated forecast maps of parameters like wind, gust, wave height, swell and current among others. Supplementing the general maps, the user can choose to look at forecast graphs for each of the locations where the user is running operations. These forecast graphs can also be overlaid with the user's own in situ observations, if such exist. Furthermore, the data from the graphs can be exported as data files that the customer can use in his own applications as he desires. As part of the application, a forecaster's view on the current and near future weather situation is presented to the user as well, adding further value to the information presented through maps and graphs. Among other features of the product, animated radar and satellite images could be mentioned. And finally the application provides the possibility of a "second opinion” through traditional weather charts from another recognized provider of weather forecasts. The presentation will provide more detailed insights into the contents of the applications as well as some of the experiences with the product.

The association between temperature and mortality in tropical middle income Thailand from 1999 to 2008.

PubMed

Tawatsupa, Benjawan; Dear, Keith; Kjellstrom, Tord; Sleigh, Adrian

2014-03-01

We have investigated the association between tropical weather condition and age-sex adjusted death rates (ADR) in Thailand over a 10-year period from 1999 to 2008. Population, mortality, weather and air pollution data were obtained from four national databases. Alternating multivariable fractional polynomial (MFP) regression and stepwise multivariable linear regression analysis were used to sequentially build models of the associations between temperature variable and deaths, adjusted for the effects and interactions of age, sex, weather (6 variables), and air pollution (10 variables). The associations are explored and compared among three seasons (cold, hot and wet months) and four weather zones of Thailand (the North, Northeast, Central, and South regions). We found statistically significant associations between temperature and mortality in Thailand. The maximum temperature is the most important variable in predicting mortality. Overall, the association is nonlinear U-shape and 31 °C is the minimum-mortality temperature in Thailand. The death rates increase when maximum temperature increase with the highest rates in the North and Central during hot months. The final equation used in this study allowed estimation of the impact of a 4 °C increase in temperature as projected for Thailand by 2100; this analysis revealed that the heat-related deaths will increase more than the cold-related deaths avoided in the hot and wet months, and overall the net increase in expected mortality by region ranges from 5 to 13 % unless preventive measures were adopted. Overall, these results are useful for health impact assessment for the present situation and future public health implication of global climate change for tropical Thailand.

Investigation, Modeling, and Analysis of Integrated Metroplex Arrival and Departure Coordination Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clarke, John-Paul B.; Brooks, James; McClain, Evan; Paladhi, Anwesha Roy; Li, Leihong; Schleicher, David; Saraf, Aditya; Timar, Sebastian; Crisp, Don; Bertino, Jason;

The method of abstraction in the design of databases and the interoperability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakovlev, Nikolay

2018-03-01

When designing the database structure oriented to the contents of indicators presented in the documents and communications subject area. First, the method of abstraction is applied by expansion of the indices of new, artificially constructed abstract concepts. The use of abstract concepts allows to avoid registration of relations many-to-many. For this reason, when built using abstract concepts, demonstrate greater stability in the processes. The example abstract concepts to address structure - a unique house number. Second, the method of abstraction can be used in the transformation of concepts by omitting some attributes that are unnecessary for solving certain classes of problems. Data processing associated with the amended concepts is more simple without losing the possibility of solving the considered classes of problems. For example, the concept "street" loses the binding to the land. The content of the modified concept of "street" are only the relations of the houses to the declared name. For most accounting tasks and ensure communication is enough.