The slope of the RR Lyrae MV–[Fe/H] relation

We review the available observational data to show that the slope of the RR Lyrae M_V –[Fe/H] relation is 0.18±0.03. The recent claim by Feast that, because of biases, the true slope is much steeper is not justified.     

Analysis of fundamental physical factors influencing channel bank erosion: results for contrasting catchments in England and Wales

Channel bank erosion processes are controlled by numerous factors and as such are both temporally and spatially variable. The significance of channel bank erosion to the sediment budget is difficult to quantify without extensive fieldwork/data analysis. In this study, the importance of key physical factors controlling channel bank erosion, including channel slope, upstream catchment area, channel confinement, and sinuosity, was explored using regression analysis. The resulting analysis can be used in practical studies to provide a first approximation of bank erosion rates (in catchments similar to those investigated). A data set of channel bank erosion rates covering eight contrasting river catchments across England and Wales, over a time period of up to 150 years, was created using a modified GIS methodology. The best predictors were found to be upstream area, channel confinement, and sinuosity with respect to dimensionless width-averaged retreat rates (m m^?1 yr^?1). Notwithstanding these relationships, the results highlight the variability of the magnitude of sediment production by channel bank erosion both within and between catchments.     

Analysis of tropospheric delay prediction models: comparisons with ray-tracing and implications for GPS relative positioning

Ray-tracing is used to examine the accuracy of several well known models for tropospheric delay prediction under varying atmospheric conditions. The models considered include the Hopfield zenith delay model and related mapping functions, the Saastamoinen zenith delay model and mapping function, and three empirical mapping functions based upon the Marini continued fraction form. Modelled delays are benchmarked against ray-tracing solutions for representative atmospheric profiles at various latitudes and seasons. Numerical results are presented in light of the approximations inherent in model formulation. The effect of approximations to the temperature, pressure and humidity structure of the neutral atmosphere are considered; the impact of surface layer anomalies (i.e., inversions) on prediction accuracy is examined; and errors resulting from the neglect of ray bending are illustrated. The influence of surface meteorological parameter measurement error is examined. Finally, model adaptability to local conditions is considered. Recommendations concerning the suitability of the models for GPS relative positioning and their optimal application are made based upon the results presented.     

Improving bank erosion modelling at catchment scale by incorporating temporal and spatial variability

Bank erosion can contribute a significant portion of the sediment budget within temperate catchments, yet few catchment scale models include an explicit representation of bank erosion processes. Furthermore, representation is often simplistic resulting in an inability to capture realistic spatial and temporal variability in simulated bank erosion. In this study, the sediment component of the catchment scale model SHETRAN is developed to incorporate key factors influencing the spatio‐temporal rate of bank erosion, due to the effects of channel sinuosity and channel bank vegetation. The model is applied to the Eden catchment, north‐west England, and validated using data derived from a GIS methodology. The developed model simulates magnitudes of total catchment annual bank erosion (617–4063 t y^‐1) within the range of observed values (211–4426 t yr^‐1). In addition, the model provides both greater inter‐annual and spatial variability of bank eroded sediment generation when compared with the basic model, and indicates a potential 61% increase of bank eroded sediment as a result of temporal flood clustering. The approach developed within this study can be used within a number of distributed hydrologic models and has general applicability to temperate catchments, yet further development of model representation of bank erosion processes is required. © 2017 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Recent geological and hydrological activity on Mars: The Tharsis/Elysium corridor

The paradigm of an ancient warm, wet, and dynamically active Mars, which transitioned into a cold, dry, and internally dead planet, has persisted up until recently despite published Viking-based geologic maps that indicate geologic and hydrologic activity extending into the Late Amazonian epoch. This paradigm is shifting to a water-enriched planet, which may still exhibit internal activity, based on a collection of geologic, hydrologic, topographic, chemical, and elemental evidences obtained by the Viking, Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Mars Odyssey (MO), Mars Exploration Rovers (MER), and Mars Express (MEx) missions. The evidence includes: (1) stratigraphically young rock materials such as pristine lava flows with few, if any, superposed impact craters; (2) tectonic features that cut stratigraphically young materials; (3) features with possible aqueous origin such as structurally controlled channels that dissect stratigraphically young materials and anastomosing-patterned slope streaks on hillslopes; (4) spatially varying elemental abundances for such elements as hydrogen (H) and chlorine (Cl) recorded in rock materials up to 0.33 m depth; and (5) regions of elevated atmospheric methane. This evidence is pronounced in parts of Tharsis, Elysium, and the region that straddles the two volcanic provinces, collectively referred to here as the Tharsis/Elysium corridor. Based in part on field investigations of Solfatara Crater, Italy, recommended as a suitable terrestrial analog, the Tharsis/Elysium corridor should be considered a prime target for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) investigations and future science-driven exploration to investigate whether Mars is internally and hydrologically active at the present time, and whether the persistence of this activity has resulted in biologic activity.     

Martian Case Study of Multivariate Correlation and Regression with Planetary Datasets

We synthesize multivariate correlation and regression methods to characterize unique relationships among compositional and physical properties of a planetary surface locally, regionally, and globally. Martian data including elemental mass fractions, areal fractions of mineral types, and thermal inertia constitute our case study. We incorporate techniques to address the effects of spatial autocorrelation and heteroscedasticity. We also utilize method and fit diagnostics. While the Mars Odyssey and Mars Global Surveyor missions provide the exploratory context in our discussion, our approach is applicable whenever the interrelationships of spatially binned data of continuous-valued planetary attributes are sought. For example, our regional-scale case study reinforces the strength of the spatial correlation among K, Th, and the dominant mineralogic type within northern low albedo regions (surface type 2) of Mars. Recent chemical and mineralogic data from the MESSENGER mission at Mercury and Dawn at Vesta may be analyzed effectively with these hierarchical regression methods to constrain geochemical processes. Likewise, our algorithm could be applied locally with the wide variety of compositional data expected from the MSL mission at Gale Crater in general, and the ChemCam sampling grids in particular.