Misse

Missen (singular: misse) are small, shallow, forest bogs in pine (Pinus sylvestris)-dominated woods that form on crests, saddles, hollows or plateaux in the hills or mountains. They only have a thin layer of peat of between 30 and 100 centimetres thick. The term misse is local to the Northern Black Forest and also surfaces as Miß, Müsse or Müß. These names probably derive from the German Moos ("moss") because peat mosses (Sphagnum) play a key role in their development. Due to the poor tree growth associated with them, however, it could also stand for mies ("bad").

Missen are most common on plateaux where the precipitation is heavy and the drainage is poor. But event silted-up tarns and shallow tarn soils may have missen on their hillsides (Hillside or swamp bogs). Floristically and depending on location, missen may transition into raised bogs, whereby ombrotrophes, i.e. areas exclusively fed by rainwater, (initially) are formed, albeit they only have a small surface area.

Formation

Missé

Missé is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.

It is situated on the River Thouet some 5 km upstream from the town of Thouars, and is the site of a spectacular loop in the river.

See also

References

Materials International Space Station Experiment

The Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE), is a series of experiments mounted externally on the International Space Station (ISS) that investigates the effects of long-term exposure of materials to the harsh space environment.

The MISSE project evaluates the performance, stability, and long-term survivability of materials and components planned for use by NASA, commercial companies and the Department of Defense (DOD) on future low Earth orbit (LEO), synchronous orbit and interplanetary space missions. The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), which was retrieved in 1990 after spending 68 months in LEO, revealed that space environments are very hostile to many spacecraft materials and components. Atomic oxygen, which is the most prevalent atomic species encountered in low earth orbit, is highly reactive with plastics and some metals, causing severe erosion.

There is also extreme ultraviolet radiation due to the lack of an atmospheric filter. This radiation deteriorates and darkens many plastics and coatings. The vacuum in space also alters the physical properties of many materials. Impacts of meteoroids and orbiting man-made debris can damage all materials exposed in space. The combined effects of all of these environments on spacecraft can only be investigated in space. MISSE evaluates materials currently being used and those planned for use in future space missions.