DYNAMICS IN THE STRUCTURAL FORM OF PROPERTY TAXES*

Because the property tax is structurally tied to market values of dwellings through the assessment function, rapidly increasing market values may beget rapid increases in property taxes. Public awareness of this process was instrumental in California's 1978 passage of the Jarvis-Gann Amendment. Millage rates should be indexed to counterbalance changes in market values.     

A network-based telemetry architecture developed for the Martha'sVineyard Coastal Observatory

Underwater observatories with real-time data and virtually unlimited power transmission capabilities compared to traditional oceanographic moorings are beginning to provide scientists with continuous access to the coastal and open ocean. However, for any coastal observatory to serve as a cost-effective system for the collection of long-term scientific and environmental data, it must have a simple, upgradeable power and telemetry system and an instrument interface that is compatible with existing standards. It must be designed for extended environmental exposure and ease of service to avoid high maintenance costs. Most importantly, the observatory must be accessible to all potential users, including students, scientists, engineers, and policy makers. This strategy was applied to the design of the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory on the south shore of the island of Martha's Vineyard. The new facility, and in particular its system architecture, as developed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution with support from the National Science Foundation, are described     

The Jovian ammonia abundance from interferometric observations of limb darkening at 3.4 mm

The interferometer visibility of Jupiter, observed at a wavelength of 3.4 mm, is used to determine the global limb darkening of the planet's brightness. From a single-parameter fit to the visibility curve, we find an ammonia-to-molecular hydrogen mixing ratio of 6.4[+5.1, ?1.9] × 10^?5, which corresponds to 35[+28, ?10]% of the solar nitrogen abundance if all of the nitrogen is in the form of ammonia. The fitting procedure uses a simple model atmosphere for the Jovian atmosphere which is based on other observations of the planet. The dependence of the result on the various model parameters is studied.     

A GEOGRAPHIC CRITERION FOR IDENTIFYING PROPERTY-TAX ASSESSMENT INEQUITY

Equitable tax assessment requires that houses having the same market value must also have identical assessed values. With a map of dwellings' assessed-value-to-market-value ratios, it is possible to identify neighborhoods that are significantly overassessed or underassessed; this can lead to an understanding of the causes of misassessment. When houses or neighborhoods are demonstrated to be inequitably assessed, corrective action can be taken to eliminate the inequity. This essay is an example of the application of geographic techniques to spatial public-policy formulation.     

Effects of observed and experimental climate change on terrestrial ecosystems in northern Canada: results from the Canadian IPY program

Tundra and taiga ecosystems comprise nearly 40?% of the terrestrial landscapes of Canada. These permafrost ecosystems have supported humans for more than 4500?years, and are currently home to ca. 115,000 people, the majority of whom are First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The responses of these ecosystems to the regional warming over the past 30?C50?years were the focus of four Canadian IPY projects. Northern residents and researchers reported changes in climate and weather patterns and noted shifts in vegetation and other environmental variables. In forest-tundra areas tree growth and reproductive effort correlated with temperature, but seedling establishment was often hindered by other factors resulting in site-specific responses. Increased shrub cover has occurred in sites across the Arctic at the plot and landscape scale, and this was supported by results from experimental warming. Experimental warming increased vegetation cover and nutrient availability in most tundra soils; however, resistance to warming was also found. Soil microbial diversity in tundra was no different than in other biomes, although there were shifts in mycorrhizal diversity in warming experiments. All sites measured were sinks for carbon during the growing season, with expected seasonal and latitudinal patterns. Modeled responses of a mesic tundra system to climate change showed that the sink status will likely continue for the next 50?C100?years, after which these tundra systems will likely become a net source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. These IPY studies were the first comprehensive assessment of the state and change in Canadian northern terrestrial ecosystems and showed that the inherent variability in these systems is reflected in their site-specific responses to changes in climate. They also showed the importance of using local traditional knowledge and science, and provided extensive data sets, sites and researchers needed to study and manage the inevitable changes in the Canadian North.     

Assessment of landslide susceptibility using DBSCAN-AHD and LD-EV methods

Landslide susceptibility assessment plays a vital role in understanding landslide information in advance and taking preventive as well as control measures.The n...     

Potential impact of climate change on carbon in agricultural soils in Canada 2000–2099

Under the threat of global warming it is important to determine the impact that future changes in climate may have on the environment and to what extent any adverse effects can be mitigated. In this study we assessed the impact that climate change scenarios may have on soil carbon stocks in Canada and examined the potential for agricultural management practices to improve or maintain soil quality. Historical weather data from 1951 to 2001 indicated that semi-arid soils in western Canada have become warmer and dryer and air temperatures have increased during the spring and winter months. Results from the Canadian Center for Climate Modelling and Analysis (CCCma) Coupled Global Climate Model (CGCM1,2) under two climate change forcing scenarios also indicated that future temperatures would increase more in the spring and winter. Precipitation increased significantly under the IPCC IS92a scenario and agreed with historical trends in eastern Canada whereas the IPCC SRES B2 scenario indicated very little change in precipitation and better matched historical trends in western Canada. The Century model was used to examine the influence of climate change on agricultural soil carbon (C) stocks in Canada. Relative to simulations using historical weather data, model results under the SRES B2 climate scenario indicated that agricultural soils would lose 160 Tg of carbon by 2099 and under the IS92a scenario would lose 53 Tg C. Carbon was still lost from soils in humid climatic regions even though C inputs from crops increased by 10–13%. Carbon factors associated with changes in management practices were also estimated under both climate change scenarios. There was little difference in factors associated with conversion from conventional to no-till agriculture, while carbon factors associated with the conversion of annual crops to perennial grass were lower than for historical data in semi-arid soils because water stress hampered crop production but were higher in humid soils.     

X-ray absorption contrast images of binary chemical reactions

Low-divergence synchrotron-sourced X-rays enable a radiographic imaging scheme for full characterization of binary chemical reactions and characterization by type of more complex reactions, in situ, in diamond anvil cells (DAC). Spatially resolved reactants are induced to react by laser heating of their interface. The spatially intermediate products are observed through X-ray absorption contrast. Limits to the technique include the ability to maintain controlled experiment geometry during compression and the ability to resolve chemical differences between reactants and products by X-ray absorption. The ability to make in situ observations at experimental pressure and temperature obviates the problem with quenching techniques for capturing liquid compositions in experiments with dimensions smaller than the diffusion length during quenching time. Partially molten Fe-alloy systems, of poor quenchability, are examined at DAC pressures and temperatures for relevance to Earth's core constitution and evolution. Determinations of eutectic melting in Fe–FeS match known results. Of the probable light elements that may alloy with Fe in the Earth's liquid outer core, Fe–FeS experiments show only modest quenching problems, but C and Si alloy experiments are highly vulnerable to quenching artifacts. The observed reactivity of FeS, Fe₃C, FeSi, and FeO(OH) with Fe in DAC makes the observed non-reactivity between Fe and FeO more significant, reducing the probability that oxygen alone is the major alloy in Earth's molten outer core.     

Scanning electron microscopical and cross sectional analysis of extraterrestrial carbonaceous nanoglobules

Abstract— Carbonaceous nanoglobules are ubiquitous in carbonaceous chondrite (CC) meteorites. The Tagish Lake (C2) meteorite is particularly intriguing in containing an abundance of nanoglobules, with a wider range of forms and sizes than encountered in other CC meteorites. Previous studies by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have provided a wealth of information on chemistry and structure. In this study low voltage scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the globule forms and external structures. The internal structure of the globules was investigated after sectioning by focused ion beam (FIB) milling. The FIB‐SEM analysis shows that the globules range from solid to hollow. Some hollow globules show a central open core, with adjoining smaller cores. The FIB with an SEM is a valuable tool for the analysis of extraterrestrial materials, even of sub‐micron‐sized “soft” carbonaceous particles. The rapid site‐specific cross‐sectioning capabilities of the FIB allow the preservation of the internal morphology of the nanoglobules, with minimal damage or alteration of the unsectioned areas.