Award Data

Recent advances in gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques for atmospheric measurements have led to highly complex data sets that have overwhelmed the capabilities of current data analysis software. We propose a new method for the automated reduction of chromatographic data using peak-fitting algorithms. By relying upon constrained peak-fit parameterization, accuracy of peak identifi ...

We propose to develop and deliver a generalized 3DVAR data assimilation module, in an opensource and non-proprietary programming language, which is compatible with both ROMS and FVCOM and easily incorporated into the existing NOAA operational forecast system (OFS). Our innovation is to develop a data assimilation roadmap contrasting 3DVAR with other advanced techniques such as multi-scale 3DVAR, 4 ...

Tropospheric oxidation capacity is dominated by HOx photochemistry, however halogen atoms and oxides significantly affect these chemical cycles. A sensitive and robust measurement of gaseous HCl is critically important to improve our understanding of halogen chemistry and its impacts on the spatial and temporal oxidation capacity of the atmosphere. This is vital to evaluating the life time of shor ...

The DSOM system realized in a Phase II effort will provide a modular, compact and reconfigurable system with the ability to provide unique and new information about the scene of interest (e.g. temporal and height information) when compared with traditional SAR sensors. When compared with other imaging technologies, DSOM has the important advantages of being operable through cloud cover and at nigh ...

This project continues our development of innovative systems for farming macroalgae on the high seas. We will identify suitable sites in Nantucket Sound to demonstrate our system and determine the associated environmental parameters including depths, currents, and waves. By combining that information with load and acceleration data from our Phase I wave-basin tests, we will refine the structural d ...

This program is aimed at the development of a deployable sensor for direct measurement of carbonate ions in saline waters with a sensitivity of 5 μM. The sensor combines the selectivity of carbonate ionophore with the unique structure of a carbon nanotube array to achieve a large dynamic range, high specificity and sensitivity. Phase I was focused on demonstrating the proof-of-principle concept f ...

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the atmosphere are primary drivers of global climate change and hence there is a crucial need to quantify their sources and sinks. A general technique to constrain source and sink strengths is the analysis of the relative proportions of isotopic variants of GHG's. These measurements must be performed with extremely high precision. The gold standard technique, i ...

There are currently no inexpensive observing systems that detect temperature, salinity and currents under the ocean's surface - all important factors in predicting the intensity of hurricanes. Boston Engineering proposes to develop the Multi-Purpose Above Surface/Below Surface Expendable Dropsondes (MASED). Our design builds on the highly successful air dropsondes already in use, combined with a ...

During the Phase I program, Aurora conducted a comprehensive survey of potential platforms that included government owned and furnished UAVs and manned aircraft as well as Aurora’s Centaur Optionally Piloted Aircraft (OPA). The survey concluded, in part, that UAVs offer a significant improvement in data collection capability when compared to manned aircraft that are currently fielded by NOAA. ...

Passive microwave sensors aboard satellites provide valuable information regarding weather conditions by measuring atmospheric attenuation over a broad range of frequencies from 0-200 GHz. Additional ground-based sensors are desirable to provide complementary upward looking measurements that can be used to refine existing attenuation models. Operating over such a large bandwidth, however, places ...