Ferric iron partitioning between plagioclase and silicate liquid: thermodynamics and petrological applications

A series of Fe and Mg partition experiments between plagioclase and silicate liquid were performed in the system SiO₂-Al₂O₃-Fe₂O₃-FeO-MgO-CaO-Na₂O under oxygen fugacities from below the IW buffer up to that of air. A thermodynamic model of plagioclase solid solution for the (CaAl,NaSi,KSi)(Fe³⁺,Al³⁺)Si₂O₈-Ca(Fe²⁺,Mg)Si₃O₈ system is proposed and is calibrated by regression analysis based on new and previously reported experimental data of Fe and Mg partitioning between plagioclase and silicate liquid, and reported thermodynamic properties of end members, ternary feldspar and silicate liquid. Using the derived thermodynamic model, FeO^t, MgO content and Mg/(Fe^t+Mg) in plagioclase can be predicted from liquid composition with standard deviations of ǂ.34 wt% (relative error =9%) and ǂ.08 wt% (14%) and ǂ.7 (8%) respectively. Calculated Fe³⁺-Al exchange chemical potentials of plagioclase, m_{Fe^{3 +} ( Al )- 1} ^Pl{\rm \mu }_{{\rm Fe}^{{\rm 3 + }} \left( {{\rm Al}} \right)_{{\rm - 1}} }^{{\rm Pl}} agree with those calculated using reported thermodynamic models for multicomponent spinel, m_{Fe^{3 +} ( Al )- 1} ^Sp{\rm \mu }_{{\rm Fe}^{{\rm 3 + }} \left( {{\rm Al}} \right)_{{\rm - 1}} }^{{\rm Sp}} and clinopyroxene, m_{Fe^{3 +} ( Al )- 1} ^Cpx{\rm \mu }_{{\rm Fe}^{{\rm 3 + }} \left( {{\rm Al}} \right)_{{\rm - 1}} }^{{\rm Cpx}} . The FeO^t content of plagioclase coexisting with spinel or clinopyroxene is affected by Fe³⁺/(Fe³⁺+Al) and Mg/(Fe+Mg) of spinel or clinopyroxene and temperature, while it is independent of the anorthite content of plagioclase. Three oxygen barometers based on the proposed model are investigated. Although the oxygen fugacities predicted by the plagioclase-liquid oxygen barometer are scattered, this study found that plagioclase-spinel-clinopyroxene-oxygen and plagioclase-olivine-oxygen equilibria can be used as practical oxygen barometers. As a petrological application, prediction of plagioclase composition and f_O2 are carried out for the Upper Zone of the Skaergaard intrusion. The estimated oxygen fugacities are well below QFM buffer and consistent with the estimation of oxidization states in previous studies.     

Dislocation microstructures in naturally deformed silicate garnets

Dislocation microstructures of naturally deformed silicate garnets and olivines in garnet-peridotites and silicate garnets in eclogites from four localities have been observed with a transmission electron microscope (TEM) to clarify the dislocation characteristics of silicate garnets. We have obtained the following results: (1) dislocation densities of garnets in all the garnet-peridotites (ρ = 10⁵−10⁷ cm⁻²) are always nearly an order of magnitude lower than those of co-existing olivines; (2) dislocation densities of garnets in eclogites (ρ = 10⁵−10⁸ cm⁻²) which are embedded in garnet-peridotites are almost an order of magnitude higher than those of garnets in the surrounding garnet-peridotites; (3) the dominant Burgers vector, b, of mainly edge dislocations in garnet is 100 for specimens with dislocation density ρ = 10⁵−10⁶ cm⁻², while b=1/2111 for specimens with ρ = 10⁷−10⁸ cm⁻². Result (1) indicates that the observed dislocations in garnets were formed by plastic deformation under the same stresses as for co-existing olivines, and that there is a similar relationship between applied stress and dislocation density for garnets as for olivines. Result (2) suggests that the stress concentration occurred around eclogites embedded in garnet-peridotites, and the resulting differential stress in garnets in eclogites was further elevated by the interlocking of neighboring hard garnet grains. Finally, result (3) indicates that the dominant Burgers vector of mainly edge dislocations in garnet changes from 100 to 1/2111 with increasing applied differential stress.     

Behaviour of subaqueous tunnels during earthquakes

Three-dimensional models of a subaqueous tunnel were built on a shaking table and vibrated for the purpose of investigating the dynamic behaviour of the tunnel. The material of the soft surface layer was gelatin gel and that of the tunnel was silicon rubber. In addition, earthquake observations at the site of the real subaqueous tunnel have been carried out using accelerometers and strain gauges set on the walls of the tunnel. At the site, micro-tremors were also measured. In these studies, it was noted that non-uniform displacements of the ground along the tunnel axis were caused by variations of the dynamic behaviour of the ground, and that the tunnel deforms correspondingly to the varying deformations of the ground. From these experimental results, a mathematical model of the subaqueous tunnel was formulated for anti-seismic design studies.     

Relationship between faults and generation of inland shallow earthquakes: enlightenment of the M=7.2 southern Hyogo prefecture earthquake

The M=7.2 southern Hyogo prefecture earthquake, which occurred on January 17, 1995, destroyed the region severely. Further researches are necessary to explain the problems obtained from this earthquake. We have discussed some characteristics correlating with this earthquake, such as distribution of aftershocks and disaster, relationship between fault and generation of inland shallow earthquakes, strong motion and so on. The tectonic movements of surface faults may be different from those of deep faults. Earthquakes may not be restricted directly by the tectonic movements of surface faults. The strong motion zone is often appeared in the region a little away from the both ends or from the single side of a fault instead of the region of a focal fault. Some mechanisms of strong motion have also been discussed.     

Simulation Study on High Energy Cosmic Electron Detection by Shower Image

Many projects have recently been carried out and proposed for observing high energy electrons since it is realized that cosmic ray electrons are very important when study-ing the dark matter particles and the acceleration mechanism of cosmic rays. An imaging calorimeter,BETS (Balloon-borne Electron Telescope with Scintillator fiber),has been de-veloped for this purpose. Using pattern analysis of the shower development,the electrons can be selected from those primary cosmic ray proton events with flux heights one-tenth that of the electrons. The Monte-Carlo simulation is indispensable for the instrument design,the sig-nal trigger and the data analysis. We present different shower simulation codes and compare the simulation results with the beam test and the flight data of BETS. We conclude that the code FLUKA2002 gives the most consistent results with the experimental data.     

Holocene beach deposits for assessing coastal uplift of the northeastern Boso Peninsula, Pacific coast of Japan

This paper presents a case study that assessed spatial variations in the tectonic uplift rates of beach deposits in the relict Kujukuri strand plain, situated on the northeastern coast of the Boso Peninsula, eastern Japan. The southern Boso Peninsula is tilted downward to the northeast due to plate subduction along the Sagami Trough. However, the cause of the northeastern coast uplift creating the relict strand plain is unclear, due to the absence of a Holocene raised marine terrace sequence. Elevations and ages of beach deposits were collected from drilled cores and ground-penetrating radar profiles along three shore-normal sections in the southern Kujukuri strand plain. From this, alongshore variations in the relative sea level since the mid-Holocene could be seen. These corresponded to north-to-northeast downward tilting at a rate of 0.4 m/ka for an interval 10 km and are concordant with the longer term tilting of the last interglacial marine terrace surrounding the plain. Although it is difficult to assess shore-normal variations of uplift based on the present dataset, the recognized tilting apparently continues to the tilting of the southern Boso Peninsula, implying the Sagami Trough probably affects the uplift of the Kujukuri coast.     

Atoll island vulnerability to flooding and inundation revealed by historical reconstruction: Fongafale Islet, Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu

The reef islands formed on coral atolls are generally small, low, and flat, with elevations of only a few meters. These islands are thus highly vulnerable to elevated sea levels caused by extreme events and global warming. Such vulnerability was recently evidenced at Fongafale Islet, the capital of Tuvalu, when it flooded during accelerated spring high tides possibly related to sea level rise caused by global warming. Many factors, not only environmental but also economic and social, determine the vulnerability of an island to sea level rise. In this study, we used data spanning 108 yrs to reconstruct changes in topography, land use/cover, population, and the distribution of buildings at Fongafale Islet. The results indicate that the vulnerability of Fongafale Islet relates to its original landform characteristics: the central part of the island was formerly dominated by swampland that flooded at high tides. Fongafale Islet experienced greater population in-migration and centralization beginning in the 1970s following the independence of Tuvalu and Kiribati. Migrants were also responding to declines in overseas mining operations and limited options for paid employment. As the population increased, construction took place in vulnerable swampland areas. Our results clearly demonstrate that examinations of global environmental issues should focus on characteristics specific to the region of interest. These characteristics should be specified using historical reconstruction to understand and address the vulnerability of an area to global environmental changes.     

Collapse of primordial clouds and the formation of a central core

The collapse of rotating clouds is investigated using three-dimensional self-gravitating hydrodynamical simulations. We take into account the detailed non-equilibrium chemical reactions for primordial gas that consists of pure hydrogen. The parameters of the collapse and the condition of the fragmentation are compared with those of isothermal clouds. It is shown that the geometrical flatness of the central region of the disc is a good indicator for predicting whether the clouds fragment or not. If the flatness is greater than the critical value, ∼ 4π, a cloud fragments into filaments and blobs. On the other hand, if the flatness is smaller than the critical value, fragmentation is not expected before the central core formation even if the cooling is efficient and the total mass becomes much greater than the local Jeans mass at the centre. The critical mass is found to be 3 × 10⁶ M_⊙ for a typical initial condition. If the initial cloud mass is smaller than this critical value, fragmentation before the central core formation is not expected. For a typically estimated first collapsing cosmological baryonic object, M ≲ 10⁶ M_⊙, central core formation is expected and will have a significant effect on the later evolution of the whole system. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Wet and Dry Basalt Magma Evolution at Torishima Volcano, Izu Bonin Arc, Japan: the Possible Role of Phengite in the Downgoing Slab

The arc-front volcanoes of Sumisu (31·5°N, 140°E)and Torishima (30·5°N, 140·3°E) in thecentral Izu–Bonin arc are similar in size and rise asrelatively isolated edifices from the seafloor. Together theyprovide valuable along-arc information about magma generationprocesses. The volcanoes have erupted low-K basalts originatingfrom both wet and dry parental basaltic magmas (low-Zr basaltsand high-Zr basalts, respectively). Based on models involvingfluid-immobile incompatible element ratios (La/Sm), the parentalbasalts appear to result from different degrees of partial meltingof the same source mantle (20% and 10% for wet and dry basaltmagmas, respectively). Assuming that the wet basalts containgreater abundances of slab-derived components than their drycounterparts, geochemical comparison of these two basalt typespermits the identification of the specific elements involvedin fluid transport from the subducting slab. Using an extensiveset of new geochemical data from Torishima, where the top ofthe downgoing slab is about 100 km deep, we find that Cs, Pb,and Sr are variably enriched in the low-Zr basalts, which cannotbe accounted for by fractional crystallization or by differencesin the degree of mantle melting. These elements are interpretedto be selectively concentrated in slab-derived metasomatic fluids.Variations in K, high field strength element and rare earthelement concentrations are readily explained by variations inthe degree of melting between the low- and high-Zr basalts;these elements are not contained in the slab-derived fluids.Rb and Ba exhibit variable behaviour in the low-Zr basalts,ranging from immobile, similar to K, to mildly enriched in somelow-Zr basalts. We suggest that the K-rich mica, phengite, playsan important role in determining the composition of fluids releasedfrom the downgoing slab. In arc-front settings, where slab depthis 100 km, phengite is stable, and the fluids released fromthe slab contain little K. In back-arc settings, however, wherethe slab is at 100–140 km depth, phengite is unstable,and K-rich fluids are released. We conclude that cross-arc variationsin the K content of arc basalts are probably related to differingcompositions of released fluids or melts rather than the widelyheld view that such variations are controlled by the degreeof partial melting. KEY WORDS: arc volcano; degrees of melting; mantle wedge; water; wet and dry basalts