Monochromatic observations of planetary nebulae

Monochromatic images in H, H, [Nii] 6584, [Sii] 6717, and [Oiii] 5007 lines are presented for a morphological study of planetary nebulae. Narrow bandpass (=5 to 10Å) interference filters are generally used in order to discriminate peculiar structures existing in different emission lines. However, large bandwidths (=50 Å) along with long exposures, are also necessary in searching for faint nebulosities associated with planetaries.Three faint objects of the Abell's list of old planetary nebulae have been observed through narrow band filters, by means of an image tube (A33, A36 in Chile) or the image photon counting device (A79 at the Haute Provence Observatory). Following the H/[Nii] intensity ratio, a discussion is given about the distance previously derived with some assumptions concerning the measured red fluxes.     

Observations des bords brillants dans NGC 281, IC 434 et M 16

Sommaire Les photographies monochromatiques en H, [Nii] 6584 et [Oiii] 5007 ont été obtenues sur NGC 281, IC 434 et M 16 eu vue de la détection et de l'étude des bords brillants. A partir de ces photos, on accède à la carte d'égal rapport [Nii]/H grâce à la méthode décrite par Louise et Sapin (1972). A l'exclusion des bords brillants, ce rapport varie très peu à l'intérieur d'une même nébuleuse. Par contre à l'approche des fronts d'ionisation, il augmente de façon spectaculaire et systématique.Le renforcement de la raie [Oiii] vers les bords brillants suggère la présence des inhomogénéités (globules ou/et filaments) et le rôle possible que jouent les mécanismes d'échange de charges étudiés par Aller et Keyes (1980).

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Observations of bright rims in NGC 281, IC 434 and M 16

Monochromatic plates are obtained in H, [Nii] 6584 and [Oiii] 5007 lines for three Hii regions: NGC 281, IC 434 and M 16. They allow both detection and physical studies of bright rims. Indeed, it is shown that bright rims appear most contrasted on [Nii] and [Oiii] plates. Furthermore, maps of ratio [Nii]/H are derived from the method described by Louise and Sapin (1972). This ratio remains practically constant within the nebula, except for bright rims where it increases. This may be understood by means of both increasing abundanceN(N⁺/N(H⁺) and temperature following to the model of Mallik (1975).The [Oiii] enhancement towards bright rims in M 16 suggests the presence of inhomogeneities (globules or/and filaments) and the possible role played by charge exchange mechanisms as pointed out by Aller and Keyes (1980).

     

Taking stock of Climate Change Acts in Europe: living policy processes or symbolic gestures?

Since the UK introduced a Climate Change Act (CCA) in 2008, similar legislation has followed in a number of states, with each having a slightly different take. What unites these examples is that they all represent framework legislation that aims to facilitate climate change mitigation by creating continuous policy processes whereby mechanisms for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are developed and implemented. This article is concerned with the extent to which they are living policy processes or rather symbolic gestures. We analyse seven European CCAs with regard to GHG emission reduction targets, planning/implementation mechanisms, and feedback/evaluations prescribed by the laws. These three features correspond with three aspects of climate policy integration (CPI): interpretations of CPI as a norm; CPI as a process of governing; CPI as a policy outcome. We show that CCAs address all three aspects of CPI and constitute living policy processes, although to varying extents. However, CCAs are also policy processes in that they are part of a political system, affected by political forces external to the legislation, positively and negatively.

Key policy insights

• CCAs can provide a normative basis for policymaking on climate change at the national level, especially through quantitative emission reduction targets.

• Whilst CCAs can bring some stability and predictability to policymaking on climate change (mainly because legislation is more difficult to amend or remove than policy strategies), they are still vulnerable to political developments.

• Most CCAs lack either short/medium-term (Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden) or long-term (Austria) targets. Given EU Member States’ aim to decarbonise in the next three decades and the Paris Agreement's global goal of pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C, states need to find ways to guide this process. One approach could be the inclusion of short-term, medium-term and long-term targets in their CCAs.

• Since sanctioning mechanisms are lacking across all the CCAs analysed here, it is not clear what will happen if legally binding targets are not met. Just as it is difficult to imagine speed limits and speed cameras without accompanying penalties, it is hard to imagine how CCAs without sanctions can deliver decarbonization.

     

Catalyzing mitigation ambition under the Paris Agreement: elements for an effective Global Stocktake

The Global Stocktake (GST) takes a central role within the architecture of the Paris Agreement, with many hoping that it will become a catalyst for increased mitigation ambition. This paper outlines four governance functions for an ideal GST: pacemaker, ensurer of accountability, driver of ambition and provider of guidance and signal. The GST can set the pace of progress by stimulating and synchronizing policy processes across governance levels. It can ensure accountability of Parties through transparency and public information sharing. Ambition can be enhanced through benchmarks for action and transformative learning. By reiterating and refining the long term visions, it can echo and amplify the guidance and signal provided by the Paris Agreement. The paper further outlines preconditions for the effective performance of these functions. Process-related conditions include: a public appraisal of inputs; a facilitative format that can develop specific recommendations; high-level endorsement to amplify the message and effectively inform national climate policy agendas; and an appropriate schedule, especially with respect to the transparency framework. Underlying information provided by Parties complemented with other (scientific) sources needs to enable benchmark setting for collective climate action, to allow for transparent assessments of the state of emissions and progress of a low-carbon transformation. The information also needs to be politically relevant and concrete enough to trigger enhancement of ambition. We conclude that meeting these conditions would enable an ideal GST and maximize its catalytic effect.

Key policy insights

• The functional argument developed in this article may inspire a purposeful design of the GST as its modalities and procedures are currently being negotiated.

• The analytical framework provided serves as a benchmark against which to assess the GST's modalities and procedures.

• Gaps and blind spots in the official GST can and should be addressed by processes external to the climate regime in academia and civil society.

     

A Drowned Lagunar Channel in the Southern Brazilian Coast in Response to the 8.2-ka Event: Diatom and Seismic Stratigraphy

Drowning of the coast was initiated by a marine inundation after the Last Glacial Maximum (marine isotope stage (MIS) 2) and has continued during the mid-Holocene and highstand (MIS 1). Detailed analyses of two previously examined core stratigraphy and seismic profiles combined with new grain-size and detailed diatom analyses are used to study the history of the Barra Falsa paleochannel over the last 11,000 years BP and to document the peculiar deposition within the channel fill. A rapid sea-level rise was responsible for flooding the coast in 11,180–10,780, 8420–7930, 8150–7870, and 7640–7430 cal years BP, infilling a low topographic back-barrier region. High deposition rates suggest a rapid filling of the channel, which coincides with an accelerated period of sea-level rise, closely linked to the global 8.2-ka event. The morphology of the channel is recognized by facies units in the underlying strata related to one episode of cut and fill during a single cycle of base-level fall and rise. An overall transgressive sequence above the regional surface is related to marine and marine-brackish sediments, which corresponds to a seaward/central basil fill of a wave-dominated estuary.     

Attribution of precipitation changes on ground–air temperature offset: Granger causality analysis

International Journal of Earth Sciences - This work examines the causal relationship between the value of the ground–air temperature offset and the precipitation changes for monitored 5-min...     

Sub‐Permil Interlaboratory Consistency for Solution‐Based Boron Isotope Analyses on Marine Carbonates

Boron isotopes in marine carbonates are increasingly used to reconstruct seawater pH and atmospheric pCO₂ through Earth’s history. While isotope ratio measurements from individual laboratories are often of high quality, it is important that records generated in different laboratories can equally be compared. Within this Boron Isotope Intercomparison Project (BIIP), we characterised the boron isotopic composition (commonly expressed in δ¹¹B) of two marine carbonates: Geological Survey of Japan carbonate reference materials JCp‐1 (coral Porites) and JCt‐1 (giant clam Tridacna gigas). Our study has three foci: (a) to assess the extent to which oxidative pre‐treatment, aimed at removing organic material from carbonate, can influence the resulting δ¹¹B; (b) to determine to what degree the chosen analytical approach may affect the resultant δ¹¹B; and (c) to provide well‐constrained consensus δ¹¹B values for JCp‐1 and JCt‐1. The resultant robust mean and associated robust standard deviation (s*) for un‐oxidised JCp‐1 is 24.36 ± 0.45‰ (2s*), compared with 24.25 ± 0.22‰ (2s*) for the same oxidised material. For un‐oxidised JCt‐1, respective compositions are 16.39 ± 0.60‰ (2s*; un‐oxidised) and 16.24 ± 0.38‰ (2s*; oxidised). The consistency between laboratories is generally better if carbonate powders were oxidatively cleaned prior to purification and measurement.     

Getting Canadians prepared for natural disasters: a multi-method analysis of risk perception,behaviors, and the social environment

As part of our broader research agenda on the psychology of risk communication and of risk management, we use a socio-ecological approach, inspired by Bronfenbrenner (Am Psychol 32:513–531, 1977. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.32.7.513), to better understand how Canadians perceive and prepare for risks originating from natural disasters. In this article, we present three empirical mixed-method studies as layers of analysis—a national survey, a social-spatial multi-level analysis, and a series of qualitative interviews—to bring a better understanding of how to engage Canadians in disaster preparedness and risk management. From our data, we examined how individuals perceived and understood natural disaster risks in Canada and how these fit in their social and life contexts. Given the increasingly diverse Canadian population, we used a cultural lens to contrast immigrants to Canadian-born individuals. After introducing the conceptual background and presenting our empirical studies, we conclude with a discussion on the implications for risk communication and management for natural disasters. Our findings suggest that Canadians could benefit from culturally targeted disaster risk reduction strategies that engage individuals–communities–government at all levels and are more attuned to the realities and specificities of life stressors.

     

The Effect of Bottle Fill Rate and Pour Technique on the Recovery of Volatile Organics

This field study was conducted to examine whether the method or the flow rate (fill rate) used to fill a sample vial affects recovery of volatile organics (VOCs). To our knowledge, there have not been any systematic studies that have examined this issue. For this field study, three fill rates (50 mL/min, 250 mL/min, and ~1 L/min) and three filling methods (top‐pour, side‐pour, and bottom‐fill) were used to fill sample vials. We found that the bottom‐fill method, with the tubing submerged in the sample as it fills, yielded the greatest recovery (i.e., highest concentrations) of VOCs. Little improvement was observed by pouring down the side of a vial vs. simply pouring straight down from the top. We also found that filling the vials at the fastest fill rate (~1 L/min) yielded higher recovery than the slowest fill rate (50 mL/min) using all three filling methods. These results are counter to prevailing guidance and conventional wisdom that slower filling is preferable to faster filling and that pouring down the side of a sample vial is the best practice for VOC sampling. However, because we were unable to randomize the order the samples were collected with respect to fill rate, we recommend a follow‐on study be conducted that will allow us to confirm our findings and better determine which fill rates minimize losses of VOCs