Integrating models of soil dynamics,animal behaviour and vegetation response for the management of arid lands

As the low return from arid rangelands greatly limits the prospects for the treatment of eroded areas the regulation of grazing to maintain an adequate vegetation cover is essential. Techniques currently being developed to recognise the attributes of eroding systems and to model their behaviour over space and time are outlined here. Such models of the interaction of soils, plants and animals allow land managers to locate critical areas within a landscape.     

8–13 μm dust emission features in Galactic bulge planetary nebulae

A sample of 25 infrared-bright planetary nebulae (PNe) towards the Galactic bulge is analysed through 8–13 μm spectroscopy. The classification of the warm dust emission features provides a measure of the C/O chemical balance, and represents the first C/O estimates for bulge PNe. Out of 13 PNe with identified dust types, four PNe have emission features associated with C-based grains, while the remaining 9 have O-rich dust signatures. The low fraction of C-rich PNe, ≲ 30 per cent, contrasts with that for local PNe, around ∼ 80 per cent, although it follows the trend for a decreasing frequency of C-rich PNe with galactocentric radius (Paper I). We investigate whether the PNe discussed here are linked to the bulge stellar population (similar to type IV, or halo, PNe) or the inner Galactic disc (a young and super-metal-rich population). Although 60 per cent of the PNe with warm dust are convincing bulge members, none of the C-rich PNe satisfies our criteria, and they are probably linked to the inner Galactic disc. In the framework of single star evolution, the available information on bulge PNe points towards a progenitor population similar in age to that of local PNe (type I PNe are found in similar proportions), but super-metal-rich (to account for the scarcity of C-rich objects). Yet the metallicities of bulge PNe, as inferred from [O/H], fail to reach the required values – except for the C-rich objects. It is likely that the sample discussed here is derived from a mixed disc/bulge progenitor population and dominated by type IV PNe, as suggested by Peimbert. The much higher fraction of O-rich PNe in this sample than in the solar neighbourhood should result in a proportionally greater injection of silicate grains into the inner Galactic medium.     

The generation of vertical thermospheric winds and gravity waves at auroral latitudes—II. Theory and numerical modelling of vertical winds

Recent observations of strong vertical thermospheric winds and the associated horizontal wind structures, using the 01(3P-1D)nm emission line, by ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometers in Northern Scandinavia have been described in an accompanying paper (Paper I). The high latitude thermosphere at a height of 200–300 km displays strong vertical winds (30–50m ms^?1)of a persistent nature in the vicinity of the auroral oval even during relatively quiet geomagnetic conditions. During an auroral substorm, the vertical (upward) wind in the active region, including that invaded by a Westward Travelling Surge, may briefly(10–30 min)exceed 150 m s^?1. Very large and rapid changes of horizontal wind structure (up to 500 m^?1 in 30 min) usually accompany such large impulsive vertical winds. Magnetospheric energy and momentum sources generate large vertical winds of both a quasi-steady nature and of a strongly time-dependent nature. The thermospheric effects of these sources can be evaluated using the UCL three-dimensional, time-dependent thermospheric model. The auroral oval is, under average geomagnetic conditions, a stationary source of significant vertical winds (10–40 m s^?1). In large convective events (directly driven by a strong momentum coupling from the solar wind) the magnitude may increase considerably. Auroral substorms and Westward Travelling Surges appear to be associated with total energy disposition rates of several tens to more than 100 erg cm^?2s^?1, over regions of a few hours local time, and typically 2–5° of geomagnetic latitude (approximately centred on magnetic midnight). Such deposition rates are needed to drive observed time-dependent vertical (upward) winds of the order of 100–200m s^?1.The response of the vertical winds to significant energy inputs is very rapid, and initially the vertical lifting of the atmosphere absorbs a large fraction (30% or more) of the total substorm input. Regions of strong upward winds tend to be accompanied in space (and time) by regions of rather lower downward winds, and the equatorward propagation of thermospheric waves launched by auroral substorms is extremely complex.     

Nitrogen losses from a Louisiana Gulf Coast salt marsh

Losses of ¹⁵N labelled nitrogen in a Spartina alterniflora salt marsh was measured over three growing seasons. Labelled $\text{NH}{}_4{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{N}$ equivalent to 100 μg ¹⁵N g^?1 of dry soil was added in four instalments over an eight week period. Recovery of the added nitrogen ranged from 93% 5 months after addition of the $\text{NH}{}_4{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{N}$ to 52% at the end of the third growing season which represented a nitrogen loss equivalent to 3·4 gNm^?2. The availability of the labelled $\text{NH}{}_4{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{N}$ incorporated into the organic fraction was estimated by calculation of the rate of mineralization. The time required for mineralization of 1% of the tagged organic N increases progressively with succeeding cuttings of the S. alterniflora and ranged from 152 to 299 days. Only 2% of the nitrogen applied as ¹⁵N labelled plant material to the marsh surface in the fall could be accounted for in S. alterniflora the following season.     

ACE Observations of the Bastille Day 2000 Interplanetary Disturbances

We present ACE observations for the six-day period encompassing the Bastille Day 2000 solar activity. A high level of transient activity at 1 AU, including ICME-driven shocks, magnetic clouds, shock-accelerated energetic particle populations, and solar energetic ions and electrons, are described. We present thermal ion composition signatures for ICMEs and magnetic clouds from which we derive electron temperatures at the source of the disturbances and we describe additional enhancements in some ion species that are clearly related to the transient source. We describe shock acceleration of 0.3–2.0 MeV nucl⁻¹ protons and minor ions and the relative inability of some of the shocks to accelerate significant energetic ion populations near 1 AU. We report the characteristics of < 20 MeV nucl⁻¹ solar energetic ions and < 0.32 MeV electrons and attempt to relate the release of energetic electrons to particular source regions.     

The MESSENGER mission to Mercury: scientific objectives and implementation

Mercury holds answers to several critical questions regarding the formation and evolution of the terrestrial planets. These questions include the origin of Mercury's anomalously high ratio of metal to silicate and its implications for planetary accretion processes, the nature of Mercury's geological evolution and interior cooling history, the mechanism of global magnetic field generation, the state of Mercury's core, and the processes controlling volatile species in Mercury's polar deposits, exosphere, and magnetosphere. The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission has been designed to fly by and orbit Mercury to address all of these key questions. After launch by a Delta 2925H-9.5, two flybys of Venus, and two flybys of Mercury, orbit insertion is accomplished at the third Mercury encounter. The instrument payload includes a dual imaging system for wide and narrow fields-of-view, monochrome and color imaging, and stereo; X-ray and combined gamma-ray and neutron spectrometers for surface chemical mapping; a magnetometer; a laser altimeter; a combined ultraviolet–visible and visible-near-infrared spectrometer to survey both exospheric species and surface mineralogy; and an energetic particle and plasma spectrometer to sample charged species in the magnetosphere. During the flybys of Mercury, regions unexplored by Mariner 10 will be seen for the first time, and new data will be gathered on Mercury's exosphere, magnetosphere, and surface composition. During the orbital phase of the mission, one Earth year in duration, MESSENGER will complete global mapping and the detailed characterization of the exosphere, magnetosphere, surface, and interior.