Dark Surface Research Articles

Behavioural and electrophysiological correlates of lightness contrast and assimilation

Lightness contrast and assimilation are opposite phenomena: in contrast grey targets appear darker when bordering bright rather than dark surfaces; in assimilation grey targets appear lighter when bordering bright rather than dark surfaces. The underlying neurophysiological mechanisms of these phenomena are not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between contrast and assimilation, and the timing and levels of perceptual and cognitive processing using combined behavioural and electrophysiological methods. Thirty undergraduate students (23 female, age range 18–48 years) participated in a forced-choice (grey target is lighter/darker than a comparison square) task, using stimuli designed such that the inducers were in two configurations (small and large) and two shades (white and black). The behavioural data (more consistent and faster responses) corroborated previous findings of stronger contrast effects with white inducers and stronger assimilation effects with black inducers. According to the Event-Related Potentials (ERP) results the mean amplitude was larger in conditions with less consistent and slower behavioural responses. Thus, with contrast responses P1 amplitude was larger with black than white inducers, and N1 amplitude was larger to assimilation than contrast when the configuration of the stimulus was held constant. These results suggest contrast may occur as early as P1 (~ 110 ms) and assimilation may occur later in N2 (~ 220 ms), whereas in some conditions, differences in ERPs associated with contrast vs assimilation may happen as early as in N1 (~ 170 m), in occipital and parietal cortical sites.

Identifying and understanding alternative states of dryland landscape: A hierarchical analysis of time series of fractional vegetation-soil nexuses in China’s Hexi Corridor

Understanding and early identification of state transitions in dryland systems’ landscape pattern are challenging but critical for conservation planning and sustainable management strategies. Currently the alternative states of drylands have been identified based on dynamics of single vegetation index (i.e., normalized difference vegetation index), with the interactions between vegetation and soil components often being neglected. Here, we proposed a framework for identifying the alternative states in relation to land degradation based on the interactive pathways of fractional vegetation and soil-related endmember nexuses. In this framework, we initially generated 16-day fractional green vegetation endmember (green vegetation [GV]) and soil-related endmembers (sand [SL], saline [SA], dark surface [DA]) time series using a standardized linear spectral mixture analysis model in the Hexi Corridor during 2001–2017. A discrete wavelet transform based trends and turning points detection (DWT-TTD) algorithm was proposed to detect trends, turning point types, and timing of these time series records. These metrics were subsequently used to identify eight state transition pathways for each endmember and synthetic degradation processes at the appropriate 5–10 year scale. We found that the unmixed fractional endmembers exhibited a consistent agreement with both field abundance values and estimated fractions from high-spatial-resolution Google Earth images. Based on the DWT-TTD algorithm derived alternative pathways, we found that four positive pathways of GV and DA fractions can be observed in the vegetated areas were integrated with corresponding negative pathways of SA and SL fractions. These pathways resulted in remarkably increasing GV (+4551.81 km2) and DA (+9749.26 km2) and significantly declining SA (−1452.70 km2) and SL (−9555.57 km2) from 2001 to 2017. These processes were linked to increased precipitation and temperature and reduced drought degree. Also, the timing of the turning points (around 2007 and 2013) was largely coincidental with the timing of ecological management, suggesting that ecological governance played a crucial role in the state shifts. However, because of drought trends in the barren regions, land desertification exhibited an increasing occurrence in extent (+2.5% of total pixels) during the study period, which may increase in the future, as indicated by the large pixel proportion of initially positive reversal pathway for SL (9.31%). Compared to state-of-the-art approaches, the DWT-TTD algorithm, as a multi-resolution analysis method, has the potential to detect hierarchical temporal changes and disentangle the cross-scale inherent shifts of vegetation-soil systems. The framework can help devise sustainable management practices that maintain land degradation neutrality, especially when integrated with land use cover change analysis.

Performance and electron radiation damage of InAs/GaSb long-wave infrared detectors based on PπMN design

We fabricated a high-performance InAs/GaSb type-II superlattice infrared detector. The tolerance of various sizes of detector irradiated with 1-MeV electrons was characterized. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) measurements demonstrated the high quality of the materials. The response spectrum had a 50% cutoff wavelength of 8.85 μm. Irradiation with 1-MeV electrons caused a significant increase in the dark current density from 2.54 × 10−3 to 2.58 × 10−1 A/cm2 at Vb = –0.03 V. The 1-MeV electron irradiation mainly caused displacements in the device, which had a significant impact on the generation-recombination dark current and surface leakage current.

Improving Urban Land Cover Classification with Combined Use of Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-1 Imagery

Accurate land cover mapping is important for urban planning and management. Remote sensing data have been widely applied for urban land cover mapping. However, obtaining land cover classification via optical remote sensing data alone is difficult due to spectral confusion. To reduce the confusion between dark impervious surface and water, the Sentinel-1A Synthetic Aperture Rader (SAR) data are synergistically combined with the Sentinel-2B Multispectral Instrument (MSI) data. The novel support vector machine with composite kernels (SVM-CK) approach, which can exploit the spatial information, is proposed to process the combination of Sentinel-2B MSI and Sentinel-1A SAR data. The classification based on the fusion of Sentinel-2B and Sentinel-1A data yields an overall accuracy (OA) of 92.12% with a kappa coefficient (KA) of 0.89, superior to the classification results using Sentinel-2B MSI imagery and Sentinel-1A SAR imagery separately. The results indicate that the inclusion of Sentinel-1A SAR data to Sentinel-2B MSI data can improve the classification performance by reducing the confusion between built-up area and water. This study shows that the land cover classification can be improved by fusing Sentinel-2B and Sentinel-1A imagery.

Terrain-Based Shadow Correction Method for Assessing Supraglacial Features on the Greenland Ice Sheet

The presence of shadows in remotely sensed images can reduce the accuracy of land surface classifications. Commonly used methods for removing shadows often use multi-spectral image analysis techniques that perform poorly for dark objects, complex geometric models, or shaded relief methods that do not account for shadows cast on adjacent terrain. Here we present a new method of removing topographic shadows using readily available GIS software. The method corrects for cast shadows, reduces the amount of over-correction, and can be performed on imagery of any spectral resolution. We demonstrate this method using imagery collected with an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) over a supraglacial stream catchment in southwest Greenland. The structure-from-motion digital elevation model showed highly variable topography resulting in substantial shadowing and variable reflectance values for similar surface types. The distribution of bare ice, sediment, and water within the catchment was determined using a supervised classification scheme applied to the corrected and original UAV images. The correction resulted in an insignificant change in overall classification accuracy, however, visual inspection showed that the corrected classification more closely followed the expected distribution of classes indicating that shadow correction can aid in identification of glaciological features hidden within shadowed regions. Shadow correction also caused a substantial decrease in the areal coverage of dark sediment. Sediment cover was highly dependent on the degree of shadow correction (k coefficient), yet, for a correction coefficient optimized to maximize shadow brightness without over-exposing illuminated surfaces, terrain correction resulted in a 49% decrease in the area covered by sediment and a 29% increase in the area covered by water. Shadow correction therefore reduces the overestimation of the dark surface coverage due to shadowing and is a useful tool for investigating supraglacial processes and land cover change over a wide variety of complex terrain.

Optimum heat spreader size for producing maximum net power from high‐concentration photovoltaic systems

The present study introduces an analytical approach for predicting net power for high-concentrating photovoltaic systems (HCPV). Wind speed, surface radiation, and size of the backplate, which acts as a heat spreader, were found to be of high impact in increasing solar cell efficiency and maximum produced power. The efficiency increased by 5% as the wind shifted from light air (0.5 m/s) to fresh breeze (10 m/s). Also, it increased by 1.64% as the aluminium backplate shifted from a shiny (ɛ = 0) to a dark (ɛ = 1) surface. Furthermore, increasing heat-spreader length or wind velocity caused a logarithmic increase in solar cell efficiency. On the other hand, both parameters caused an exponential increase in consumed power due to the operation of a tracking system. Thus, optimal values of heat-spreader length at which maximum net power is produced exist. A case study based on the annual average values of the hourly-basis meteorological data for the period 2015 to 2018 for two cities in Saudi Arabia was conducted. It was found that the size of the heat spreader could be reduced by 36% for concentration ratio up to 2000 while concurrently increasing the net power by 2.6% and 6% for the systems built in Riyadh and Dammam, respectively.

Pseudobagarius eustictus, a new species of catfish from northern Laos (Siluriformes: Akysidae).

Pseudobagarius eustictus, new species, is described from the Nam Heung drainage (a tributary of the Mekong River) in northern Laos. It is distinguished from congeners in having a unique combination of the following characters: a weakly-produced snout in which the upper jaw extends only slightly beyond the margin of the lower jaw when viewed ventrally, 3 tubercles on the posterior margin of the pectoral spine, eye diameter 8% HL, head width 24.1% SL, dark yellow dorsal and lateral surfaces of the head, pectoral spine lacking elongate extensions, pectoral fin reaching the pelvic-fin base when adpressed against the body, dorsolateral surfaces of body without longitudinal series of prominent tubercles, body depth at anus 13.7% SL, length of adipose-fin base 17.7% SL, caudal-peduncle depth 7.0% SL, and 33 vertebrae.

The Preliminary Study of Dust Devil Tracks in Southern Utopia Planitia, Landing Area of Tianwen-1 Mission

China’s first Mars exploration mission (Tianwen-1) landed on the southern part of Mars’ Utopia Planitia on 15 May 2021. The Zhurong rover will focus on high-resolution and in situ observations of key areas on the surface of Mars. Dust devils (DDs) are heat-driven vortices that lift material from the surface and inject it into the atmosphere. The dark or bright surface lineaments left by DDs are called dust devil tracks (DDTs). Dust devils can clear dust from solar panels deposited by gusts and dust storms. Therefore, it is of importance to study the encounter rates of dust devils at the Tianwen-1 landing site for achieving the rover’s long-term scientific goals. Based on High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and Context Camera (CTX) images, 248 newly formed DDTs in 12 image pairs were firstly identified, and their lengths, widths, and direction in the study area were measured. The distribution of their width frequency follows a −2 differential power law. Secondly, DDT formation rates were computed and analyzed with the range of 0.00006 to 0.1275 ddt km−2 sol−1, mainly affected by factors such as seasons and dust storm occurrence. Thirdly, the solar panel clearing recurrence interval derived from the orbital data in our study area was calculated from ~980 to 166,700 sols. The dust storm occurrence probability at the Tianwen-1 landing area is less than 3%, and there is a special anti-dust coating on board the Zhurong rover. Thus, the Zhurong rover can be considered competent for scientific exploration.

Integration of GOCI and AHI Yonsei aerosol optical depth products during the 2016 KORUS-AQ and 2018 EMeRGe campaigns

Abstract. The Yonsei Aerosol Retrieval (YAER) algorithm for the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) retrieves aerosol optical properties only over dark surfaces, so it is important to mask pixels with bright surfaces. The Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) is equipped with three shortwave-infrared and nine infrared channels, which is advantageous for bright-pixel masking. In addition, multiple visible and near-infrared channels provide a great advantage in aerosol property retrieval from the AHI and GOCI. By applying the YAER algorithm to 10 min AHI or 1 h GOCI data at 6 km×6 km resolution, diurnal variations and aerosol transport can be observed, which has not previously been possible from low-Earth-orbit satellites. This study attempted to estimate the optimal aerosol optical depth (AOD) for East Asia by data fusion, taking into account satellite retrieval uncertainty. The data fusion involved two steps: (1) analysis of error characteristics of each retrieved result with respect to the ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET), as well as bias correction based on normalized difference vegetation indexes, and (2) compilation of the fused product using ensemble-mean and maximum-likelihood estimation (MLE) methods. Fused results show a better statistics in terms of fraction within the expected error, correlation coefficient, root-mean-square error (RMSE), and median bias error than the retrieved result for each product. If the RMSE and mean AOD bias values used for MLE fusion are correct, the MLE fused products show better accuracy, but the ensemble-mean products can still be useful as MLE.

Application Of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (Bst) Film Doped With RuO2 (0%, 2%, 4% and 6%) On A Rice-Stalk Cutting Robot Model Based On A Line Follower With Hc-05 Bluetooth Control

Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BST) film doped with RuO2 with varying concentrations (0%, 2%, 4%, and 6%) on a p-type (100) silicon substrate has been successfully grown using the Chemical Solution Deposition (CSD) method and spin coating at a rotational speed of 3000 rpm for 30 seconds. The film on the substrate was then heated at 850 oC for 15 hours. BST film+RuO2 variations were characterized for their sensitivity as a light sensor. BST film+RuO2 variations were tested with a varied light source and reflective surface colors. Thin films have a range at the visible light wavelength, so LED lights were used as the light source in the present study. The light source selected was the blue LED because it had a high contrast in differentiating between dark and light-colored surfaces. Various electronic circuits assisted sensitivity characterization with the aim to produce a sensor that is highly sensitive to light. The response of BST film+ RuO2 variations differed according to the RuO2 doping concentration. BST film doped with RuO2 6% had a very good response to changes in light, so this film was applied as the line detector sensor in the line follower-based rice-stalk cutter model with an HC-05 Bluetooth control. Before being integrated with the microcontroller, the output voltage of the BST film was strengthened using an op-amp circuit so that the microcontroller could read the output voltage of the BST film.

Vortex‐Dominated Aeolian Activity at InSight's Landing Site, Part 1: Multi‐Instrument Observations, Analysis, and Implications

AbstractWe report the aeolian changes observed in situ by NASA's InSight lander during the first 400 sols of operations: Granule creep, saltation, dust removal, and the formation of dark surface tracks. Aeolian changes are infrequent and sporadic. However, on sols, when they do occur, they consistently appear between noon to 3 p.m., and are associated with the passage of convective vortices during periods of high vortex activity. Aeolian changes are more frequent at elevated locations, such as the top surfaces of rocks and lander footpads. InSight observed these changes using, for the first time, simultaneous in‐situ and orbital imaging and high‐frequency meteorological, seismological, and magnetic measurements. Seismometer measurements of ground acceleration constrain the timing and trajectory of convective vortex encounters, linking surface changes to source vortices. Magnetometer measurements show perturbations in magnetic field strength during the passage of convective vortices consistent with charged‐particle motion. Detachment of sand‐scale particles occurs when high background winds and vortex‐induced turbulence provide a peak surface friction wind speed above the classic saltation fluid threshold. However, detachment of dust‐ and granule‐scale particles also occurred when the surface friction wind speed remained below this threshold. This may be explained by local enhancement of the surface roughness and other effects described here and further studied in Part 2 (Baker et al., 2021). The lack of saltation and bright dust‐coated surfaces at the InSight landing site implies surface stability and the onset of particle motion may be suppressed by dust “cushioning.” This differentiates the InSight landing site from other areas on Mars that exhibit more aeolian activity.

The Science Case for Spacecraft Exploration of the Uranian Satellites: Candidate Ocean Worlds in an Ice Giant System

Abstract The 27 satellites of Uranus are enigmatic, with dark surfaces coated by material that could be rich in organics. Voyager 2 imaged the southern hemispheres of Uranus’s five largest “classical” moons—Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon, as well as the largest ring moon, Puck—but their northern hemispheres were largely unobservable at the time of the flyby and were not imaged. Additionally, no spatially resolved data sets exist for the other 21 known moons, and their surface properties are essentially unknown. Because Voyager 2 was not equipped with a near-infrared mapping spectrometer, our knowledge of the Uranian moons’ surface compositions, and the processes that modify them, is limited to disk-integrated data sets collected by ground- and space-based telescopes. Nevertheless, images collected by the Imaging Science System on Voyager 2 and reflectance spectra collected by telescope facilities indicate that the five classical moons are candidate ocean worlds that might currently have, or had, liquid subsurface layers beneath their icy surfaces. To determine whether these moons are ocean worlds, and to investigate Uranus’s ring moons and irregular satellites, close-up observations and measurements made by instruments on board a Uranus orbiter are needed.

Patterns of geochemical variability across weakly developed paleosol profiles and their role as regional stratigraphic markers (Upper Pleistocene, Po Plain)

Weakly developed paleosols from two distinct interfluve surfaces of Late Pleistocene age provide excellent keys to high-resolution stratigraphic correlation and may serve to trace large-scale genetic packages (systems tract equivalents) across the continental portion of the Po Basin. Twenty-four paleosol profiles from 17 sediment cores were identified and characterized for bulk-geochemical analysis. X-ray fluorescence data were used to trace the degree of weathering. Paleosols, 0.5–1.5 m thick, are pedogenically altered floodplain deposits, developed over time spans of a few thousand of years and mostly partitioned into A-Bk horizons. The most notable paleosol features are dark, organic-matter-rich and carbonate-free mineral surface horizons (A) that overlie bright calcic horizons (Bk) typified by the accumulation of secondary carbonates in the form of pedogenic nodules.Paleosol profiles exhibit a homogeneous geochemical signature that fingerprints a moderate degree of weathering, with little strike- and dip-oriented variability across the different study localities. Plots of Al-normalized calcification and base loss indices against depth reveal systematic increasing values from intensely altered A horizons to underlying Bk horizons. These trends reflect consistent patterns of Ca translocation from surface horizons deeper into the profile, with significant to almost complete Ca removal from A horizons through leaching and accumulation in Bk horizons. Selected trace element ratios (Ba/Sr, Rb/Sr), redox-sensitive trace elements and Zr contents display opposite, up-profile increasing trends that reflect Sr loss in A horizons, with selective Zr concentration in residual minerals.Vertical trends in element ratios are laterally extensive and consistent on a regional basis and represent key pedochemical/stratigraphic markers that can be traced over great distances (tens of kms) throughout the inland portion of the basin. Through quantitative assessment of the degree of weathering, geochemical profiling provides high potential for robust subsurface paleosol correlation that might not be captured by visual core descriptions alone.

Precipitable Water Vapor Variation in the Clear-Cloud Transition Zone From the ARM Shortwave Spectrometer

A new technique to retrieve precipitable water vapor (PWV) amount in the clear-cloud transition zone using ground-based zenith spectral radiance is developed. The method uses zenith radiances at the water vapor band at 720 nm and at the adjacent nonadsorbing band at 750 nm. Radiative transfer calculations show that the relative difference in zenith radiance between the two bands depends on PWV and the variations in cloud optical depth introduce a small change in the relative difference which is independent of PWV amount. This allows us to retrieve PWV variations in the clear-cloud transition zone for clouds over dark ocean surface. We applied this method to a Cu cloud case with zenith radiance observations by Shortwave Array Spectroradiometer-Zenith (SASZe) during the Marine ARM GPCI Investigation of Clouds (MAGIC) field campaign. We found that there is about 10% change in PWV amount from the known-cloudy region to known-clear sky in the cloud edges.

Species, cultivar and seeding rate effects on non‐irrigated, pesticide‐free athletic fields playing surface quality

AbstractMaintaining high‐quality athletic field playing surfaces without the use of synthetic pesticides is challenging. Little research is available regarding the best overseeding strategies for non‐irrigated, pesticide‐free, cool‐season athletic fields. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of turfgrass species, cultivar, seeding rate, and seasons on turfgrass color, dark green color index (DGCI), cover, weeds, overall quality, surface hardness and volumetric water content when overseeded under trafficked conditions. Experiments were set out as randomized complete block designs arranged in a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial with three replications. Treatments consisted of three turfgrass species, perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) (PRG), tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumont] (TF), and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) (KBG), two overseeding rates, low and high, and two cultivar types, inclusion or exclusion of cultivars on the Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance (TWCA) list. Mean responses across three locations and three years indicated that species selection has the most influence on successful overseeding with little differences detected between rate of overseeding or cultivar selection. Perennial ryegrass, regardless of seeding rate, had significantly higher color, quality, percent turfgrass cover, desirable species index, and least percent weed cover compared with TF or KBG. Based on the results of this study, the most effective overseeding strategy for improving playing surface conditions on heavily trafficked, non‐irrigated, pesticide‐free, cool‐season athletic fields is overseeding with PRG.

Detection and quantification of CH<sub>4</sub> plumes using the WFM-DOAS retrieval on AVIRIS-NG hyperspectral data

Abstract. Methane is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas in the Earth's atmosphere. To effectively reduce these emissions, a good knowledge of source locations and strengths is required. Airborne remote sensing instruments such as the Airborne Visible InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer – Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG) with meter-scale imaging capabilities are able to yield information about the locations and magnitudes of methane sources. In this study, we successfully applied the weighting function modified differential optical absorption spectroscopy (WFM-DOAS) algorithm to AVIRIS-NG data measured in Canada and the Four Corners region. The WFM-DOAS retrieval is conceptually located between the statistical matched filter (MF) and the optimal-estimation-based iterative maximum a posteriori DOAS (IMAP-DOAS) retrieval algorithm, both of which were already applied successfully to AVIRIS-NG data. The WFM-DOAS algorithm is based on a first order Taylor series approximation of the Lambert–Beer law using only one precalculated radiative transfer calculation per scene. This yields the fast quantitative processing of large data sets. We detected several methane plumes in the AVIRIS-NG images recorded during the Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) Airborne Campaign and successfully retrieved a coal mine ventilation shaft plume observed during the Four Corners measurement campaign. The comparison between IMAP-DOAS, MF, and WFM-DOAS showed good agreement for the coal mine ventilation shaft plume. An additional comparison between MF and WFM-DOAS for a subset of plumes showed good agreement for one plume and some differences for the others. For five plumes, the emissions were estimated using a simple cross-sectional flux method. The retrieved fluxes originated from well pads, cold vents, and a coal mine ventilation shaft and ranged between (155 ± 71) kg (CH4) h−1 and (1220 ± 450) kg (CH4) h−1. The wind velocity was a significant source of uncertainty in all plumes, followed by the single pixel retrieval noise and the uncertainty due to atmospheric variability. The noise of the retrieved CH4 imagery over bright surfaces (>1 µW cm−2 nm−1 sr−1 at 2140 nm) was typically ±2.3 % of the background total column of CH4 when fitting strong absorption lines around 2300 nm but could reach over ±5 % for darker surfaces (< 0.3 µW cm−2 nm−1 sr−1 at 2140 nm). Additionally, a worst case large-scale bias due to the assumptions made in the WFM-DOAS retrieval was estimated to be ±5.4 %. Radiance and fit quality filters were implemented to exclude the most uncertain results from further analysis mostly due to either dark surfaces or surfaces where the surface spectral reflection structures are similar to CH4 absorption features at the spectral resolution of the AVIRIS-NG instrument.

VIIRS Environmental Data Record and Deep Blue aerosol products: validation, comparison, and spatiotemporal variations from 2013 to 2018 in China

Recently, the Deep Blue (DB) algorithm has been successfully applied to the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) to expend the long-term aerosol records over land in conjunction with the Environmental Data Record (EDR) product. However, the overall accuracy and uncertainty of VIIRS DB and EDR Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) products are still unclear in China, in particular, due to the sparse distribution of ground observation stations. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate and compare VIIRS EDR and DB AOD retrievals against ground measurements collected from both Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and Chinese Sun-sky radiometer Observation Network (SONET) in China from 2013 to 2018. Results suggest that both EDR and DB products have a significant refinement after quality assurance (QA) controlling. DB (QA = Best) performs best with high correction (R = 0.92), and up to 80.32% of AOD matches falling within the expected error (EE), while approximately 46% of EDR (QA = Best) AOD retrievals are overestimated. However, EDR has a higher retrieval frequency than DB over most regions of China, except for the arid and semi-arid areas such as the Northwest. Generally, despite some exceptions, both EDR and DB products perform relatively poorly in summer for all statistics. Furthermore, the error analysis explains that DB is less sensitive to varying air pollution levels, diverse aerosol types, and different surface conditions, while the pattern of EDR is complicated. In addition, due to the common algorithmic heritage, both VIIRS EDR and MODIS DT products only show good matching over dark surfaces, while VIIRS DB and MODIS DB algorithms have good performance over both dark and bright surfaces. Finally, both EDR and DB products have shown significant downward AOD trends equal to −0.0008 per year (p < 0.01) in China during the last past six years, especially for three typical urban agglomerations. These evaluation results are expected to provide appropriate guidance for the application of VIIRS aerosol products in China.

First record of dark leathery surface of geoduck clams in Panopea globosa

Dark Leathery Surface of Geoduck Clams (LSGC) is an alteration that affects the periostracum of the mantle and siphon of Panopea generosa from the northwest coast of Canada and Mexico. This alteration affects commercialization and possibly the survival of the clams. The cause of LSGC is unknown but has been correlated with presence of fungi and protozoans. We detected a similar alteration in Panopea globosa from Baja California, Mexico and the histophagous ciliate Uronema marinum was isolated from affected siphon tissue. U. marinum was identified by its morphology and by genetic analysis of the gene 18S rRNA. This is the first record of LSGC in P. globosa and the first identification of a histophagous protozoan associated with it.

Development of an Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aerosol index (AI) data assimilation scheme for aerosol modeling over bright surfaces – a step toward direct radiance assimilation in the UV spectrum

Abstract. Using the Vector LInearized Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer (VLIDORT) code as the main driver for forward model simulations, a first-of-its-kind data assimilation scheme has been developed for assimilating Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aerosol index (AI) measurements into the Naval Aerosol Analysis and Predictive System (NAAPS). This study suggests that both root mean square error (RMSE) and absolute errors can be significantly reduced in NAAPS analyses with the use of OMI AI data assimilation when compared to values from NAAPS natural runs. Improvements in model simulations demonstrate the utility of OMI AI data assimilation for aerosol model analysis over cloudy regions and bright surfaces. However, the OMI AI data assimilation alone does not outperform aerosol data assimilation that uses passive-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) products over cloud-free skies and dark surfaces. Further, as AI assimilation requires the deployment of a fully multiple-scatter-aware radiative transfer model in the forward simulations, computational burden is an issue. Nevertheless, the newly developed modeling system contains the necessary ingredients for assimilation of radiances in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, and our study shows the potential of direct radiance assimilation at both UV and visible spectrums, possibly coupled with AOD assimilation, for aerosol applications in the future. Additional data streams can be added, including data from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS), and eventually the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission.

Millimeter Wave MIMO-Based Depth Maps for Wireless Virtual and Augmented Reality

Augmented and virtual reality systems (AR/VR) are rapidly becoming key components of the wireless landscape. For immersive AR/VR experience, these devices should be able to construct accurate depth perception of the surrounding environment. Current AR/VR devices rely heavily on using RGB-D depth cameras to achieve this goal. The performance of these depth cameras, however, has clear limitations in several scenarios, such as the cases with shiny objects, dark surfaces, and abrupt color transition among other limitations. In this paper, we propose a novel solution for AR/VR depth map construction using mmWave MIMO communication transceivers. This is motivated by the deployment of advanced mmWave communication systems in future AR/VR devices for meeting the high data rate demands and by the interesting propagation characteristics of mmWave signals. Accounting for the constraints on these systems, we develop a comprehensive framework for constructing accurate and high-resolution depth maps using mmWave systems. In this framework, we developed new sensing beamforming codebook approaches that are specific for the depth map construction objective. Using these codebooks, and leveraging tools from successive interference cancellation, we develop a joint beam processing approach that can construct high-resolution depth maps using practical mmWave antenna arrays. Extensive simulation results highlight the potential of the proposed solution in building accurate depth maps. Further, these simulations show the promising gains of mmWave based depth perception compared to RGB-based approaches in several important use cases.