Detection and temporal variation of Co in the digestive glands of the common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, in the East China Sea

⁶⁰Co were detected in common octopus specimens collected in the East China Sea in 1996-2005. The source of ⁶⁰Co has remained unclear yet. Stable isotope analyses showed that there was no difference in stable Co concentrations between octopus samples with ⁶⁰Co and without ⁶⁰Co. This result showed that the stable Co in the digestive gland of octopus potentially did not include a trace amount of ⁶⁰Co and the source of ⁶⁰Co existed independently. Furthermore, investigations of octopus in other area and other species indicated that the origin of the source of ⁶⁰Co occurred locally in the restricted area in the East China Sea and not in the coastal area of Japan. Concentrations of ⁶⁰Co have annually decreased with shorter half-life than the physical half-life. This decrease tendency suggests that the sources of ⁶⁰Co were identical and were temporary dumped into the East China Sea as a solid waste.     

Seismological asperities from the point of view of dynamic rupture modeling: the 2007 Mw6.6 Chuetsu-Oki,Japan, earthquake

We study the ground motion simulations based on three finite-source models for the 2007 Mw6.6 Niigata Chuetsu-oki, Japan, earthquake in order to discuss the performance of the input ground motion estimations for the near-field seismic hazard analysis. The three models include a kinematic source inverted from the regional accelerations, a dynamic source on a planar fault with three asperities inferred from the very-near-field ground motion particle motions, and another dynamic source model with conjugate fault segments. The ground motions are calculated for an available 3D geological model using a finite-difference method. For the comparison, we apply a goodness-of-fit score to the ground motion parameters at different stations, including the nearest one that is almost directly above the ruptured fault segments. The dynamic rupture models show good performance. We find that seismologically inferred earthquake asperities on a single fault plane can be expressed with two conjugate segments. The rupture transfer from one segment to another can generate a significant radiation; this could be interpreted as an asperity projected onto a single fault plane. This example illustrates the importance of the fault geometry that has to be taken into account when estimating the very-near-field ground motion.     

Late Triassic ammonoid Sirenites from the Sabudani Formation in Tokushima,Southwest Japan,and its biostratigraphic and paleobiogeographic implications

Discovery of Sirenites senticosus (Dittmar) in the upper part of the Sabudani Formation of the Kurosegawa Belt, Kito area, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, establishes a late Early Carnian age for this part of the stratigraphic unit. Because S. senticosus was mainly distributed in the Tethyan region, its occurrence provides evidence that Late Triassic ammonoids of Japan had strong affinities with those of the Tethyan faunas. This finding clearly differs from the biogeographic distribution of contemporary bivalves in the region, which are referred to as the Kochigatani bivalve faunas, and show strong affinities to faunas of the Boreal region.     

Effects of Mg and Si ions on the symmetry of δ-AlOOH

We conducted powder neutron diffraction for δ-AlOOH samples with and without Mg and Si ions under ambient conditions in order to investigate the long-standing problem of the symmetry of this phase. The observed reflection conditions clearly show that the space group of pure δ-AlOOH is P2₁ nm with ordered hydrogen bonds, whereas that of δ-(Al_0.86Mg_0.07Si_0.07)OOH is Pnnm or Pnn2 with disordered hydrogen bonds. It is more likely that the space group of δ-(Al_0.86Mg_0.07Si_0.07)OOH is Pnnm, because cation or hydrogen ordering that breaks the mirror plane perpendicular to c axis in the Pnnm structure would not occur. The previously reported inconsistency for the space group of this phase was caused by the substitution of Mg and Si ions to Al site, i.e., the disordered cations with different valences may fluctuate hydrogen positions, and the disordered hydrogen causes the symmetry change.     

Integrated magnetobiochronology of the Pliocene–Pleistocene Miyazaki succession,southern Kyushu,southwest Japan: Implications for an Early Pleistocene hiatus and defining the base of the Gelasian (P/P boundary type section) in Japan

An integrated magnetobiochronology of the Miyazaki Pliocene–Pleistocene succession in the Miyazaki area, southwest Japan, was established using planktic foraminiferal and calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy together with paleomagnetic data. The upper Miyazaki succession in the northern Miyazaki region can be divided into the Takanabe, Hisamine (redefined), and Higoyashiki (new) Formations, in ascending order. A depositional hiatus between the Hisamine Formation and the Takanabe and/or older formations was also identified based on integrated magnetobiostratigraphy from five sections including the Nagatani River (NGT) section through the uppermost Miyazaki succession. The hiatus, herein called the Hisamine unconformity, is equivalent to the Kurotaki unconformity between the Miura and Kazusa groups of the Boso Peninsula in central Japan. The depositional hiatus recognised in the lower Pleistocene of Pacific coastal areas in southwestern and central Japan may have resulted from tectonic activity associated with a change in the subduction direction of the Philippine Sea plate, which commenced prior to ca. 2.2 Ma. The youngest unit just below the hiatus is the upper part of the Takanabe Formation in the NGT section. The NGT section represents the continuous Late Pliocene to earliest Pleistocene sequence including the Gauss/Matuyama boundary and is here proposed as the type section for the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary in Japan, which the IUGS ratified as the base of the Gelasian in 2009.     

Formation process of pyrite polyframboid based on the heavy-metal analysis by micro-PIXE

Pyrite framboid in sedimentary rocks could be concerned with arsenic contamination in groundwater of acidic environment and has been studied for the formation process of its unique morphology. However, not much has been discussed about the formation process based on the heavy-metal distribution in pyrite framboids and their aggregates. To reveal the formation process of pyrite framboids and their aggregates, mudstone from the Late Cretaceous Hakobuchi Group, central Hokkaido, Japan, are investigated for mode, petrographical, mineralogical, and micro-PIXE (particle-induced X-ray emission) analysis in this study. Spherical and sub-spherical pyrite framboids observed in polyframboids can be divided into two types based on the diameter of framboids (D) and the average diameter of microcrystals (d) within framboids: type 1, ranging from 2 to 9 μm and from 0.4 to 0.9 μm, respectively, and type 2, ranging from 8 to 50 μm and from 0.5 to 1.8 μm, respectively. Based on the quantitative traverse analyses and 2-D elemental mapping results by micro-PIXE, heterogeneities in the concentrations of heavy metals within the analyzed aggregations of pyrite are exhibited. On the basis of the As and Pb zoning patterns, the time range and chronological stages of pyrite-aggregation growth are revealed.     

Prediction of ground motion in the Osaka sedimentary basin associated with the hypothetical Nankai earthquake

We studied the long-period ground motions in the Osaka sedimentary basin, Japan, which contains a 1- to 3-km thickness of sediments and is the site of many buildings or construction structures with long-natural period. We simulated the broadband ground motions likely to be produced by the hypothetical Nankai earthquake: the earthquake expected to give rise to the most severe long-period ground motion within the basin. For the simulation, we constructed multiscale heterogeneous source models based on the Central Disaster Management Council of Japan (CDMC) source model and adopted a hybrid computation method in which long-period motion and short-period motion are computed using a 3-D finite difference method and the stochastic Green’s function method, respectively. In computing long-period motions, we used a 3-D structure model of the crust and the Osaka sedimentary basin. The ground motions are estimated to have peak velocities of 50–90 cm/s, prolonged durations exceeding 300 s, and long predominant periods of 5–10 s in the area with great thickness of sediments. The predominant periods are in agreement with an approximate evaluation by 4 H/V _s where H and V _s are the thickness of the sediment and the average S wave velocity, respectively.     

The Potential of Eleocharis acicularis for Phytoremediation: Case Study at an Abandoned Mine Site

Phytoremediation, a plant‐based and cost‐effective technology for the cleanup of contaminated soil and water, is receiving increasing attention. In this study, the aquatic macrophyte Eleocharis acicularis was examined for its ability to take up multiple heavy metals and its potential application for phytoremediation at an abandoned mining area in Hokkaido, Japan. Elemental concentrations were measured in samples of E. acicularis, water, and soil collected from areas of mine tailing and drainage. The results reveal that Pb, Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Mn accumulation in the plants increased over the course of the experiment, exceeding their initial concentrations by factors of 930, 430, 60, 25, 10, and 6, respectively. The highest concentrations of Fe, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cr, Cu, and Ni within the plants were 59500, 1120, 964, 388, 265, 235, and 47.4 mg/kg dry wt., respectively, for plants growing in mine drainage after 11 months of the experiment. These results indicate that E. acicularis is a hyperaccumulator of Pb. We also found high Si concentrations in E. acicularis (2.08%). It is likely that heavy metals exist in opal‐A within cells of the plant. The bioconcentration factors (BCF: ratio of metal concentration in the plant shoots to that in the soil) obtained for Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni, Mn, and Pb were 3.27, 1.65, 1.29, 1.26, 1.11, and 0.82, respectively. The existence of heavy metals as sulphides is thought to have restricted the metal‐uptake efficiency of E. acicularis at the mine site. The results of this study indicate that E. acicularis shows great potential in the phytoremediation of mine tailing and drainage rich in heavy metals.     

1.5 Ma以来黄土高原风尘堆积的岩石磁学记录与中更新世气候转型

通过对黄土高原中部朝那剖面黄土-古土壤序列系统的岩石磁学分析,建立了1.5Ma以来黄土高原高分辨率岩石磁学指标演化序列。岩石磁学记录表明本区1.5Ma以来以0.93和0.62Ma为界经历了3个不同的气候演化阶段。在1.5～O.93和0.62～0Ma期间各种磁学参数大致呈同步变化趋势,能较好地与深海氧同位素（MIS）曲线相对应,而在0.93～0.62Ma期间（相当于L9底到L6顶,MIS24-MISl6）,尽管磁化率、饱和剩磁强度（Mr）、饱和磁化强度（Ms）与剩磁矫顽力（Bcr）、矫顽力（Bc）曲线的峰谷能与MIS的峰谷相对比,但该阶段的磁学参数变化幅度和形式明显不同于1.5～0.93和0.62Ma以来的两个演化阶段。磁化率、Mr和Ms在0.93Ma突然降低,此后变幅很小,反映夏季风较弱且相对稳定,一直维持到0.62Ma前后。在0.9Ma前后Bc、Bcr突然增大,可能反映了冬季风突然增强,然后宽幅波动下降。这种变化可能是黄土高原风尘堆积对中更新世气候转型事件的响应。黄土高原岩石磁学记录的中更新世气候转型事件发生于0.93Ma,结束于0.62Ma。造成这次气候转型事件的原因除了与全球冰量和太阳辐射变化有关之外,还可能与中更新世青藏高原急剧隆升而激发的亚洲内陆干旱化加剧,从而导致亚洲内陆沙漠的形成与扩张有关。