Formulating Aquatic Remote Sensing for the Surface Biology and Geology Mission. America Alvarez, Kevin R. Turpie
The University of Texas at El Paso, University of Maryland Baltimore County,
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
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NASA will launch the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission in 2027 to provide hyperspectral Earth observations of inland and coastal aquatic environments and systems to improve the resolution of current imagery. Since remote sensing of these areas requires special treatment and techniques to acquire accurate information, SBG must develop tools to provide accurate identification of the location of coastal targets. To support a visible and shortwave infrared (VSWIR) instrument and a thermal infrared (TIR) instrument, we will develop a mask for coastal and aquatic regions of interest (ROIs) using existing datasets and GIS tools. The coastal mask will be designed to inform the mission concept of operations where to acquire imagery at 30-m native spatial resolution, whereas the open ocean will be covered at 1-km resolution. A task initiated at NASA JPL developed a mask for VSWIR acquisitions which is largely dominated by Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), regions extending 200 nautical miles from the coastline an mask for the thermal imager will be more constrained due to greater limitations on data volume. Due to practical and technical limitations, the product layers helped us assign priorities to different regions of the coastal ocean. We classified the landmass, warm-water coral reefs, and the European Space -2 (S2) coastal mask as regions of maximum priority. We are using the S2 as a threshold requirement, while we prioritize extended ROIs for inclusion in a baseline requirement. ESA updated the S2 mask in 2022 to cover more islands and corals; nonetheless, river plumes and upwelling zones are excluded. By including ROIs outside the S2 mask, we add about 36,622,965 km2 to the aquatic threshold, allowing dynamic events (e.g., 2022 Tonga eruption) to be captured.
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Preservation and Educational Development Of Dinosaur Tracks At Mt. Cristo Rey, Sunland Park, NM
Alan Espino
The University of Texas at El Paso
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The Community-Driven Inclusive Excellence and Leadership Opportunities in the Geosciences (CIELO-G) project aims to transform our geoscience community culture by intentionally engaging and interacting with our community. The primary motivation for this project is to promote, preserve, and contribute new data for this site. This study focuses on the Anapra Sandstone found inMt. Cristo Rey which is located in Sunland Park, New Mexico. The Anapra formation is orange to brown in color and consists of thin to massively bedded quartz sandstone with interlaminations of shale; it is early Cretaceous in age and about 60m thick. Dinosaur track sites and swimming traces of ornithopods, theropods, and ankylosaurs were discovered here within the past 20 years. This discovery eventually led to the donation of a land parcel to Insights Science Discovery for the purposes of educational outreach and preservation. Currently, various track sites have undergone notable deterioration due to both natural processes and the increase in human presence. Preservation of these tracks began by testing potential concrete sealants and dyes on the top part of the Anapra Sandstone where most of the tracks are found. There are three different concrete sealants and several dye colors being currently tested, two water-based and one solvent based. Thin sections of this unit will also be made in order to better understand the cement and porosity of this sandstone. Highresolution imaging from a drone survey will also be used to create a 3D model and DEM of the most prominent track site location. This will be used as an educational tool, and to monitor any subtle changes at this site. The preservation of these track sites in collaboration with a community partner, Insights Science Discovery, is centered on the CIELO-G goals of geoscience education and outreach in order to create meaningful community impacts.
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Using Machine Learning to Determine the Origin of Lithium in Thermal Brines in the Hueco and Mesilla Bolsons
Judith Hoyt, Benjamin Brunner, Mark Engle
The University of Texas at El Paso
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Depleting fossil-based energy fuels, the global transition towards renewable sources of energy and effort to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, emphasize the need for the development of sustainable energy infrastructures to ensure a reliable and ecologically sustainable energy future. Geothermal resources offer reliable, environmentally sound energy, yet remain largely untapped throughout the U.S. The region in west Texas into southern New Mexico region exhibits high geothermal potential, with anomalously high surface and subsurface temperatures, thermal gradients, and high heat flow. Energy production from thermal waters in this region would have direct-use applications but there is a limited utilization potential due to the most favorable resources being in remote areas, making continued geothermal exploration not economically or commercially viable. However, lithium extraction from geothermal fluids presents an interesting opportunity for the immediate utilization of the energy produced while diversifying lithium production. This project will examine water chemistry sample data in the Hueco and Mesilla Bolsons to predict lithium endmembers composition using a receptor-based model called positive matrix factorization. Concentration source apportionment, a method commonly used in air quality studies, can denote the relationship between chemical concentrations and the location of emission sources. Here we will use concentration source apportionment to develop maps to define the concentration and distribution of lithium in thermal brines. The expected increase in lithium demand requires innovative approaches for direct lithium extraction that satisfy economic and environmental concerns. Our research helps to meet this demand by enabling us to identify target locations suitable for future combined geothermal exploration and lithium extraction from geothermal brines. Moreover, our findings may also assist El Paso Water to avoid low-quality water from geothermal upwelling.
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High Resolution Seismic Vulnerability Study of the Terrain Under El Paso Using Gravity Data and VS30 Measurements
Alexandro Dominguez, Solymar Ayala Cortez, Aaron Velasco
The University of Texas at El Paso
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Recent earthquakes in west Texas have been felt in the El Paso region, illustrating potentially vulnerable areas throughout the city. One area near the University Medical Center (UMC) prompted a community project to identify vulnerabilities near UMC as part of the Center for Collective Impact in Earthquake Science (C-CIES). This location is a critical area for natural disasters since UMC is a shelter-in-place facility where patients and employees cannot evacuate in the event of a catastrophic event. To achieve this, we will analyze previously collected data. We plan to organize a high-resolution grid of shear-wave velocity measurements at the subsurface's uppermost 30 meters (vs30). Specifically, we will deploy seismic instruments and collect noise information to analyze the frequency of resonance at different buildings and determine the vs30. Additionally, we will be incorporating gravity data collected from prior gravimetric surveys conducted in the area to assist in analyzing subsurface composition and structures. This study will directly assess the potential hazard by analyzing previously collected and new data. The resilience of critical infrastructure, such as hospitals, is essential to mitigating earthquake risk in the region.
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