Drainage Density and Relative Relief in Humid Steep Mountains with Frequent Slope Failure

Previous studies in Japanese mountains have shown that drainage density (D) correlates negatively with relief (R) and the erosion rate (E), whereas elsewhere both R and E correlate positively with D. To investigate the inconsistency, this paper compares two types of D–R relations for eight mountain river basins in central Japan. R is computed from a digital elevation model for 1109 morphometric samples of area 0·5 km × 0·5 km. Drainage networks in these cells were first constructed by map criteria applied previously in Japan — deeply notched V-shaped contours with an angle <53°. The resulting D correlates negatively with R, confirming preceding studies. When drainage lines along shallower hollows were added, however, the calculated D essentially constant. These relations arise from active landsliding in high-relief terrains, which has eroded steep channel banks into gentle ones. The decline of channel banks with increasing R is accelerated in terrains underlain by soft rocks, because of rapid erosion. The constant D for all the drainage lines indicates a uniform frequency or spacing of ridges and hollows on hillslopes in rugged humid mountains. Because the D–R and D–E relations for Japan reflect a uniquely Japanese physiographic setting characterized by frequent landsliding, they differ from those relations for other regions where channelization by gullying predominates. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The nature of the CM parent asteroid regolith based on cosmic ray exposure ages

Cosmic ray exposure (CRE) ages of CM chondrites have been found to have multiple peaks (as many as four), in stark contrast to other groups of chondrites (Nishiizumi and Caffee 2012; Herzog and Caffee 2014). In this study, we sought correlations between the CRE ages and petrography of CM chondrites, and we conclude that the degree of aqueous alteration does appear to vary with the CRE ages—the CMs displaying the most aqueous alteration all have relatively short exposure ages. However, some CMs with low degrees of alteration also have short exposure ages—thus, this apparent correlation is not exclusive. We also found a definite inverse relation between the number of distinctive lithologies in a CM and its exposure age, which could indicate different responses of homogeneous and heterogeneous meteoroids to the space environment between their onset of exposure (exhumation and ejection from the parent body) and arrival at Earth. Breccias have more internal surfaces of lithologic discontinuity, possibly resulting in weaker meteoroids that disintegrate more readily than their more homogeneous counterparts. Our results suggest that CM chondrite regoliths consist of numerous genomict lithologies in a breccia with millimeter‐ to decimeter‐scale clasts, with varying degree of heating/metamorphism.     

Magnetic detection of heated soils at paleolithic sites in Japan

We present a methodological approach to detect heated soil on ancient sites, using magnetic measurements. The method is based on changes in magnetic signals of soil by heating. The following three types of soil were used for testing the method: silty soil (SS), weathered volcanic ash (WVA, = loam) and fairly fresh volcanic ash (VA) called Odori tephra. On heating above 250–600°C, the magnetic susceptibility and remanent magnetization intensity increased for the SS and WVA samples, reflecting chemical alteration of magnetic minerals (from goethites to magnetites through hematites). The VA sample showed no susceptibility change suggesting the absence of goethites within it. On heating below 250°C, only the intensities of all the samples increased. This is possibly due to acquisition of thermal remanent magnetization. The largest change of the magnetic signals was identified for the SS sample and the smallest one was seen for the VA sample. Therefore, the in situ susceptibility measurement, which is the nondestructive and indirect method, seems to be effective to detect heated soil for sites of aqueous deposits as the SS. On the other hand, for sites of aeolian deposits as the WVA (loam) and VA, the intensity measurement of collected soils seems to be the most reliable method to detect evidence of heating. The degree of the magnetic stability (coercivity) against progressive alternating-field demagnetization was also an important parameter, indicating whether the investigated soils were heated or unheated. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.