88 research outputs found
Microwave emission from granular silicates
Experimental finding is that mass absorption coefficient is independent of frequency but highly dependent on moisture content; effective conductivity increases with frequency, and low tangent is independent of frequency. Computed values of electrical properties are in rough numerical agreement with extrapolated laboratory values on other silicate materials
Calibration of AIS Data Using Ground-based Spectral Reflectance Measurements
Present methods of correcting airborne imaging spectrometer (AIS) data for instrumental and atmospheric effects include the flat- or curved-field correction and a deviation-from-the-average adjustment performed on a line-by-line basis throughout the image. Both methods eliminate the atmospheric absorptions, but remove the possibility of studying the atmosphere for its own sake, or of using the atmospheric information present as a possible basis for theoretical modeling. The method discussed here relies on use of ground-based measurements of the surface spectral reflectance in comparison with scanner data to fix in a least-squares sense parameters in a simplified model of the atmosphere on a wavelength-by-wavelength basis. The model parameters (for optically thin conditions) are interpretable in terms of optical depth and scattering phase function, and thus, in principle, provide an approximate description of the atmosphere as a homogeneous body intervening between the sensor and the ground
Solution of the equation of heat conduction with time dependent sources: Programmed application to planetary thermal history
A computer program (Program SPHERE) solving the inhomogeneous equation of heat conduction with radiation boundary condition on a thermally homogeneous sphere is described. The source terms are taken to be exponential functions of the time. Thermal properties are independent of temperature. The solutions are appropriate to studying certain classes of planetary thermal history. Special application to the moon is discussed
Microwave emission from granular silicates - Determination of the absorption coefficient from plate measurements and the effects of scattering
Microwave mass absorption coefficient in granular silicates from plate measurements and effects of scatterin
Ground Reflectance Measurements from Thematic Mapper Data
Satellite radiance data are measures of solar radiation that has been reflected by the Earth's surface and scattered and absorbed by atmospheric gases and aerosols. Of concern to geologists are the surface reflectance and the degrading effects on surface resolution and albedo contrast introduced by atmospheric phenomena. The objects of this research have been to: (1) provide an empirical relationship between scanner radiance and ground reflectance allowing interpretation of the satellite data in terms of the surface parameter, and (2) assess the precision with which surface spectral reflectance may be recovered from LANDSAT-4 TM data in the presence of perturbing atmospheric and instrumental factors. The approach is field-oriented, and utilizes ground observations of surface spectral reflectance with portable spectrometers and radiometers to develop the required empirical relationships
A study of alteration associated with uranium occurrences in sandstone and its detection by remote sensing methods, volume 2
This document contains tabular and graphic data for volume 1
The Compositional Structure of the Asteroid Belt
The past decade has brought major improvements in large-scale asteroid
discovery and characterization with over half a million known asteroids and
over 100,000 with some measurement of physical characterization. This explosion
of data has allowed us to create a new global picture of the Main Asteroid
Belt. Put in context with meteorite measurements and dynamical models, a new
and more complete picture of Solar System evolution has emerged. The question
has changed from "What was the original compositional gradient of the Asteroid
Belt?" to "What was the original compositional gradient of small bodies across
the entire Solar System?" No longer is the leading theory that two belts of
planetesimals are primordial, but instead those belts were formed and sculpted
through evolutionary processes after Solar System formation. This article
reviews the advancements on the fronts of asteroid compositional
characterization, meteorite measurements, and dynamical theories in the context
of the heliocentric distribution of asteroid compositions seen in the Main Belt
today. This chapter also reviews the major outstanding questions relating to
asteroid compositions and distributions and summarizes the progress and current
state of understanding of these questions to form the big picture of the
formation and evolution of asteroids in the Main Belt. Finally, we briefly
review the relevance of asteroids and their compositions in their greater
context within our Solar System and beyond.Comment: Accepted chapter in Asteroids IV in the Space Science Series to be
published Fall 201
Performance evaluation and geologic utility of LANDSAT-4 thematic mapper data
The overall objective of the project was to evaluate LANDSAT-4 Thematic Mapper (TM) data in the context of geologic applications. This involved a quantitative assessment of the data quality including the spatial and spectral characteristics realized by the instrument. Three test sites were selected for the study: (1) Silver Bell, Arizona; (2) Death Valley, California; and (3) Wind River/Bighorn Basin area, Wyoming. Conclusions include: (1) Artificial and natural targets can be used to atmospherically calibrate TM data and investigate scanner radiometry, atmospheric parameters, and construction of atmospheric Modulation Transfer Functions (MTF's), (2) No significant radiometric degradation occurs in TM data as a result of SCROUNGE processing; however, the data exhibit narrow digital number (DN) distributiosn suggesting that the configuration of the instrument is not optimal for each science applications, (30 Increased spatial resolution, 1:24,000 enlargement capability, and good geometric fidelity of TM data allow accurate photogeologic/geomorphic mapping, including relative age dating of alluvial fans, measurement of structural and bedding attitudes, and construction of such things as structural cross sections and stratigraphic columns. (4) TM bands 5 and 7 are particularly useful for geologic applications because they span a region of the spectrum not previously sampled by multispectral scanner data and are important for characterizing clay and carbonate materials
In-flight radiometric calibration of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS)
A reflectance-based method was used to provide an analysis of the in-flight radiometric performance of AVIRIS. Field spectral reflectance measurements of the surface and extinction measurements of the atmosphere using solar radiation were used as input to atmospheric radiative transfer calculations. Five separate codes were used in the analysis. Four include multiple scattering, and the computed radiances from these for flight conditions were in good agreement. Code-generated radiances were compared with AVIRIS-predicted radiances based on two laboratory calibrations (pre- and post-season of flight) for a uniform highly reflecting natural dry lake target. For one spectrometer (C), the pre- and post-season calibration factors were found to give identical results, and to be in agreement with the atmospheric models that include multiple scattering. This positive result validates the field and laboratory calibration technique. Results for the other spectrometers (A, B and D) were widely at variance with the models no matter which calibration factors were used. Potential causes of these discrepancies are discussed
Aluminum-, Calcium- And Titanium-Rich Oxide Stardust In Ordinary Chondrite Meteorites
We report isotopic data for a total of 96 presolar oxide grains found in
residues of several unequilibrated ordinary chondrite meteorites. Identified
grain types include Al2O3, MgAl2O4, hibonite (CaAl12O19) and Ti oxide. This
work greatly increases the presolar hibonite database, and is the first report
of presolar Ti oxide. O-isotopic compositions of the grains span previously
observed ranges and indicate an origin in red giant and asymptotic giant branch
(AGB) stars of low mass (<2.5 MSun) for most grains. Cool bottom processing in
the parent AGB stars is required to explain isotopic compositions of many
grains. Potassium-41 enrichments in hibonite grains are attributable to in situ
decay of now-extinct 41Ca. Inferred initial 41Ca/40Ca ratios are in good
agreement with model predictions for low-mass AGB star envelopes, provided that
ionization suppresses 41Ca decay. Stable Mg and Ca isotopic ratios of most of
the hibonite grains reflect primarily the initial compositions of the parent
stars and are generally consistent with expectations for Galactic chemical
evolution, but require some local interstellar chemical inhomogeneity. Very
high 17O/16O or 25Mg/24Mg ratios suggest an origin for some grains in binary
star systems where mass transfer from an evolved companion has altered the
parent star compositions. A supernova origin for the hitherto enigmatic
18O-rich Group 4 grains is strongly supported by multi-element isotopic data
for two grains. The Group 4 data are consistent with an origin in a single
supernova in which variable amounts of material from the deep 16O-rich interior
mixed with a unique end-member mixture of the outer layers. The Ti oxide grains
primarily formed in low-mass AGB stars. They are smaller and rarer than
presolar Al2O3, reflecting the lower abundance of Ti than Al in AGB envelopes.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 47 pages, 13 figure
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