The thin layer of Warm Ionized Gas: towards a 3-D reconstruction of the spatial distribution of HII regions

HII regions are known to contribute to the so-called thin layer of the diffuse Warm Ionized Gas. In order to constrain thiscontribution, we reconstruct the 3-D distribution of the sources.A detailed spatial analysis of the largest up-to-date sample of HIIregions is presented.     

Emission line shapes produced by dissociative excitation of atmospheric gases

Special line shapes are derived fro the λ 1356 Å (${}^5\text{S}{}^0\text{-}{}^3\text{P}$) transition of atomic oxygen from metastable (${}^5\text{S}{}^0\text{-}{}^3\text{P}$) time-of-flight spectra produced by electron impact dissociative excitation of O₂, CO₂, CO, and NO, and they are compared with the broadened λ 1304 A resonance line shapes deduced by Poland and Lawrence (1973) from atomic oxygen absorption studies. The non-thermal line shapes for both airglow emission features are shown to have an effective width comparable to a 60,000 K thermal doppler line shape for an electron impact energy of 100eV. The variation of the effective line width with electron-impact energy from threshold to 300 eV is given. Since the effective line width of the resonance radiation produced by dissociative excitation is very large compared with the doppler absorption widths of the ambient O atoms at normal exospheric temperatures, the anomalously broadened resonance lines will propagate through a planetary atmosphere as though they were optically thin. Thus, electron-impact dissociation of CO and CO₂ will contribute to the observed optically thin component of the λ 1304 Å emission in the upper atmospheres of Venus and Mars. However, the process cannot account for more than 10% of the observed optically thin emission because of the small magnitude of the excitation cross-section and the comparatively high-energy threshold for the process. The possibility that the source of the kinetically energetic $\text{O}\text{(}{}^3\text{S}$) atoms is the dissociative recombination of vibrationally excited CO₂⁺ ions is discussed.     

Mars: Experimental study of albedo changes caused by dust fallout

An experimental study was undertaken to determine how the spectral and photometric properties of representative Martian areas are affected by fallout of atmospheric dust suspended during dust forms. A laboratory apparatus was used to simulate the uniform fallout and deposition of particles 1 to 5 μm in diameter. Spectral measurements from 0.4- to 1.2-μm wavelengths and photometric measurements at several wavelengths were made for a number of Mars-analog materials before and after deposition of 6 × 10^?5 to 1.5 × 10^?3 g/cm² of simulated fallout. These results indicate that the spectral and photometric properties of Martian regions can be affected significantly even by minute amounts of fallout. For instance, the reflectance at 0.56 μm of an average dark area will increase by 35% after deposition of only 9 × 10^?5 g/cm², and by 70% after deposition of 1.5 × 10^?4 g/cm². Thus the fallout from even one dust storm season (～2 × 10^?3 g/cm²) is sufficient to change significantly the spectral and photometric characteristics of the substrate material, if the fallout were ubiquitous over the surface and if no competing processes of dust removal from surface grains occured.     

Model prediction capacity of ephemeral gully evolution in conservation tillage systems

Ephemeral gully (EG) erosion has an important impact on agricultural soil losses and increases field surface hydrology connectivity and transport of pollutants to nearby water bodies. Watershed models including an EG component are scarce and not yet properly evaluated. The objective of this study is to evaluate the capacity of one such tool, AnnAGNPS, to simulate the evolution of two EG formed in a conservation tillage system. The dataset for model testing included runoff measurements and EG morphological characteristics during 3 years. Model evaluation focused on EG evolution of volume, width, and length model outputs, and included calibration and testing phases and a global sensitivity analysis (GSA). While the model did not fully reproduce width and length, the model efficiency to simulate EG volume was satisfactory for both calibration and testing phases, supporting the watershed management objectives of the model. GSA revealed that the most sensitive factors were EG depth, critical shear stress, headcut detachment exponent coefficient b, and headcut detachment leading coefficient a. For EG outputs the model was additive, showing low sensitivity to interactions between the inputs. Prediction of EG spatial evolution on conservation tillage systems requires improved development of gully erosion components, since many of the processes were developed originally for traditional tillage practices or larger channel systems. Our results identify the need for future research when EG form within conservation tillage systems, in particular to study gully headcut, soil erodibility, and width functions specific to these practices.     

Hillslope erosion in a grassland environment: Calibration and evaluation of the SIBERIA landscape evolution model

Field measurement and modelling of soil erosion provides insights into landscape systems as well as the potential for enhanced landscape management. There are a number of field and numerical methods by which soil erosion and deposition can be quantified. Here we examine the capability of the SIBERIA landscape evolution model to quantify short-term erosion and deposition on a well-managed cattle grazing landscape on the east coast of Australia. The model is calibrated by two methods (1) a geomorphological approach using a site digital elevation model (DEM) and soil data and (2) a laboratory-scale flume. The two calibration processes resulted in similar model input parameters and estimated erosion rates of 3.1 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 4.4 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, respectively. These were found to closely match erosion rates estimated using the environmental tracer ¹³⁷Cs (2.7–4.8 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). However, erosion and deposition estimated at individual points along the hillslope was not well correlated with ¹³⁷Cs at the same position due to the temporal averaging of the model and microtopography. Sensitivity analysis showed the model was more sensitive to parameterisation than sub-DEM-scale topography. This places confidence in the model's ability to estimate erosion and deposition across an entire hillslope and catchment on decadal time scales. We also highlight the robustness and flexibility of the calibration methods.     

Magnetic properties of metal-substituted haematite

Mineral and isothermal magnetic properties of Al-, Mn- and Ni-substituted haematites were characterized and their relationships evaluated in order to interpret better the results of magnetic analyses of soils and recent sediments. Aluminium, manganese and nickel haematites generally behaved as single-domain (SD) particles. The influence of incorporated Al on the magnetic behaviour of haematite was consistent with Al acting as a paramagnetic dilutent. Mass magnetic susceptibility ( χ ) and SIRM₈₀₀ decreased as the level of Al substitution increased. Incorporation of Mn and Ni increased χ , which could be associated with enhancement of the spin canting effect of haematite. The stability of SIRM₈₀₀ to demagnetization for Al-haematite appears to be related to a defect mechanism associated with the development of smaller crystallites arising from Al substitution. Magnetic domain rotation or flipping was probably inhibited, being blocked by structural defects during magnetization and demagnetization, and resulted in a low but stable partial SIRM (SIRM₈₀₀ ). %IRM/SIRM₈₀₀ demagnetization curves and estimated ( B _o )_CR values of ≤100  mT for Mn-haematite indicate pseudo-single-domain/multidomain-like behaviour despite Mn-haematite having particle and crystallite dimensions similar to Ni-haematite, which did not show this behaviour. Data indicate that parameters involving unsaturated, partial SIRM should be used with caution in magnetic studies of soils and sediments.