Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS). Phase 1: Industrial/academic experimenters

This report presents the work done at Arizona State University under the ACTS Experimenters Program. The main thrust of the Program was to develop experiments to test, evaluate, and prove the commercial worthiness of the ACTS satellite which is scheduled for launch in 1993. To accomplish this goal, meetings were held with various governmental, industrial, and academic units to discuss the ACTS satellite and its technology and possible experiments that would generate industrial interest and support for ASU's efforts. Several local industries generated several experiments of their own. The investigators submitted several experiments of educational, medical, commercial, and technical value and interest. The disposition of these experimental proposals is discussed in this report

Westward bottom currents along the margin of the South Shetland Island Arc

Existing information is synthesized and new data presented to describe the flow of near-bottom water from the Weddell Sea into the Scotia Sea and westward through Drake Passage along the continental slope. The water characteristics and currents along the northern margins of the South Sandwich Island Arc are examined. Long-term current measurements in the bottom waters at locations over the outer shelf and slope and along the continental rise show persistent flow from Atlantic to Pacific along isobaths at speeds of 10–20 cm s−1. Three sources for the waters in these currents are identified and discussed. At the deepest levels, Weddell Sea Deep Water enters the Scotia Sea near 40°W through a depression in the South Scotia Arc and then flows westward, constrained by the bottom topography. This cold, fresh, oxygenated bottom water then flows west to enter Drake Passage via a gap in the Shackleton Fracture Zone at the base of the continental slope northwest of Elephant Island. Mid-depth water may flow from the Weddell Sea to the Scotia Sea through the Powell Basin (sill depth approximately 2000 m) located west of South Orkney Island near 48°W. The westward flowing waters along the shelf and upper continental slope, which are denser than those immediately offshore, may be a continuation of the Polar Slope Current from the Weddell Sea or may be derived principally by convection from the shelves of the South Sandwich Island Arc. A vertical section north of Elephant Island shows downslope convection off the shelf, analogous to the observed at many locations around Antartica

Some features of the deep water in the Gulf of Mexico

In the central Gulf of Mexico, 52 stations having depths greater than 1500 m were occupied within a seven-week period. The data for waters below sill depth (2000 m) show that the ranges of potential temperature and salinity are very limited, although weak vertical gradients indicate a slight positive stability...

The International Oceanographic Tables

Tables I and II of the series International Oceanographic Tables have been in print for longer than a year. The oceanographic community is indebted to members of the Joint Panel on Oceanographic Tables and Standards (JPOTS), particularly to its chairman, Roland A. Cox, and to others, for the work represented by these tables

A characterization of the Gulf of Mexico waters in winter

The results of a rapid survey of the Gulf of Mexico in the winter of 1962 are presented. Variations in the characteristics of the water in several core layers are described. Circulation has been examined on the basis of dynamic computations and G.E.K. measurements. In the eastern Gulf, water enters through Yucatan Strait and leaves through Florida Strait, flowing in an anticyclonic loop that extends well into the Gulf...

A detached eddy in the Gulf of Mexico

This note presents some preliminary results of a still-incomplete detailed analysis of observations on the property distributions and currents in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico, with primary emphasis on the Eastern Loop Current. Observations were obtained aboard the R/V ALAMINOS in June 1966, 1967

A mesoscale geophysical capability/suitability model for Vitis vinifera vineyard site selection in the North Carolina Piedmont Triad region, case study: Rockingham County NC

The North Carolina wine industry is growing at a fast pace; many new vineyards are being planted with European varieties. Vitis vinifera varieties in general are the most challenging species of grape grown and the cost of vineyard establishment is high. While many grapes are native to North Carolina, V. vinifera are not; they require considerable effort to consistently produce good quality grapes for wine making. The challenges of growing V. vinifera in this region are primarily due to the warm humid climate which encourages the presence of many insect pests as well as a broad host of viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases. When these risks are considered alongside the possibilities of late spring frost and heavy rain from harvest time tropical systems, it is apparent that there is a need for a system which mitigates these risks and helps guide the choices for vineyard location. The model produced in this research was designed to help guide site selection for V. vinifera vineyard sites in the North Carolina Piedmont. The area of interest for this case study is Rockingham County North Carolina. The primary goal is to give the prospective vineyard operator every opportunity for success by choosing the best possible place to establish a vineyard. This is accomplished using a model based on the science of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) along with predictive geophysical parameters. The model consists of four physical sub model composites which represent the capability/suitability of: climate, land cover, soil, and topography. Using the concepts of map algebra, the four sub model composites are combined to produce the final output that summarizes the physical site suitability of the study area at a spatial resolution of 10 meters

The geography of wine in North Carolina: terroir, site selection efficacy, and implications for Pierce’s Disease resistant grape varieties in the Southeastern U.S

North Carolina has a broad range of physical environments that produce wine from a breadth of grape species/varietals. Its wine industry has grown rapidly for over a decade and the nature of its climates, soils, and topography are varied and unique in the wine world, yet North Carolina remains relatively unknown outside of the Southeastern portion of the United States. In this study, North Carolina’s vineyards and their specific site characteristics were considered both on the basis of their terroir and the extent to which they followed Cooperative Extension advice on site selection. One characteristic risk of growing grapes in the Southeastern U.S. is a plant illness known as Pierce's Disease, which is deadly to the vines of Vitis vinifera parentage. This research used a novel method to reveal the dividing line between V. vinifera and Pierce’s Disease resistant grape variety suitability zones across the Southeast. The quantification of the physical elements of terroir and test of the effectiveness of vineyard site selection has revealed the character of North Carolina’s wine regions and commercial vineyards. In addition, the modeling of the Southeastern U.S. Pierce's Disease zone provided clarification on where Pierce’s Disease resistant winegrapes might present new wine industry options for vineyards across the Southeastern U.S

Hydrographic Properties and Inferred Circulation Over the Northeastern Shelves of the Gulf of Mexico During Spring to Midsummer of 1998

A hydrographic cruise was conducted 5-16 May 1998 over the northeastern shelves of the Gulf of Mexico, Observed distributions of temperature, salinity, oxygen, and nutrients were consonant with prior occurrences of upwelling, particularly near the head of DeSoto Canyon. Shipboard, moored, and satellite observations indicated these upwelling events were related to the presence of an anticyclonic circulation feature over the canyon. In addition, several cool water events occurred during spring in the nearshore region west of Pensacola; these may be attributed to atmospheric effects. High river discharges from rivers west of the Apalachicola during winter and spring likely resulted in the extensive surface distributions of low-salinity water observed from Mississippi Sound to Cape San Bias during the cruise. The combination of cool bottom temperatures and relatively low surface salinities over the inshore shelf west of Cape San Bias, with the usual seasonal warming, resulted in enhanced vertical stability. This stability likely inhibited vertical mixing and contributed to the development of the relatively low concentrations of dissolved oxygen observed in the bottom waters

Maturing Technologies for Stirling Space Power Generation

Stirling Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) are being developed as an option to provide power on future space science missions where robotic spacecraft will orbit, flyby, land or rove. A Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG) could offer space missions a more efficient power system that uses one fourth of the nuclear fuel and decreases the thermal footprint of the current state of the art. The RPS Program Office, working in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), manages projects to develop thermoelectric and dynamic power systems, including Stirling Radioisotope Generators (SRGs). The Stirling Cycle Technology Development (SCTD) Project, located at Glenn Research Center (GRC), is developing Stirling-based subsystems, including convertors and controllers. The SCTD Project also performs research that focuses on a wide variety of objectives, including increasing convertor temperature capability to enable new environments, improving system reliability or fault tolerance, reducing mass or size, and developing advanced concepts that are mission enabling. Research activity includes maturing subsystems, assemblies, and components to prepare them for infusion into future convertor and generator designs. The status of several technology development efforts are described here. As part of the maturation process, technologies are assessed for readiness in higher-level subsystems. To assess the readiness level of the Dual Convertor Controller (DCC), a Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) was performed and the process and results are shown. Stirling technology research is being performed by the SCTD Project for NASA's RPS Program Office, where tasks focus on maturation of Stirling-based systems and subsystems for future space science missions