Selective release of D and 13C from insoluble organic matter of the Murchison meteorite by impact shock

Abstract— We performed shock‐recovery experiments on insoluble organic matter (IOM) purified from the Murchison meteorite, and determined the abundances and isotope ratios of hydrogen and carbon in the shocked IOM sample. We also performed shock experiments on type III kerogen and compared the results of these experiments with the experimental results regarding IOM. The shock selectively released D and ¹³C from the IOM, while it preferably released H and ¹²C from the kerogen. The release of these elements from IOM cannot be explained in terms of the isotope effect, whereas their release from kerogen can be explained by this effect. The selective release of heavier isotopes from IOM would be due to its structure, in which D and ¹³C‐enriched parts are present as an inhomogeneity and are weakly attached to the main network. Shock gave rise to a high release of D even at a lower degree of dehydrogenation compared with the stepwise heating of IOM. This effective release of D is probably an inherent result of shock, in which a dynamic high‐pressure and high‐temperature condition prevails. Thus, shock would effectively control the hydrogen isotope behavior of extraterrestrial organic matter during the evolution of the solar nebula.     

Three-Dimensional Particle Acceleration in Electromagnetic Dominated Outflows with Background Plasma and Clump

The effect of background plasma on particle acceleration via Poynting fluxes is studied in 3D PIC simulation of electron-positron and electron-ion plasmas. When a strongly magnetized ejecta at the center expands to low-temperature electron-positron ambient plasma background and a low-density clump, electromagnetic wave front accelerates particles in the background and clump, and captures them in the Ponderomotive potential well. We do not observe any instability, and the momentum distributions of background and clump form a power law of slope close to −1.5 with a sharp peak in the middle. When an ejecta expands to the ion-electron interstellar medium (ISM), the acceleration via Poynting flux is severely damped due to the charge separation.     

Fine-scale chemostratigraphy of cross-sectioned hydrogenous ferromanganese nodules from the western North Pacific

A broad area densely covered by ferromanganese nodules was recently discovered around Minamitorishima (Marcus) Island, representing a high-potential metal resource, particularly for Co, Ni, Mo, and W. We studied 16 nodule samples from nodule fields around Minamitorishima Island. To define the fine-scale chemostratigraphy of the nodules, polished cross-sections of the samples were analyzed by microfocus X-ray fluorescence. Our results show that a general pattern of compositional variation was common throughout the growth history of the nodules in all the regions we studied. Chemical mapping clarified changes in the chemical signature and proportion of five lithological components throughout the growth history: Mn represented columnar δ-MnO₂; Fe represented layered amorphous FeOOH*xH₂O; Ti represented TiO₂*2H₂O intergrown with an amorphous FeOOH phase; P, Ca and Y represented particles of biogenic calcium phosphate; and Si, Al, K, Cu, and Ni represented pelagic sediment infills. We proposed a method for a creating a multi-dimensional compositional map of the fine-scale chemostratigraphy observed in the ferromanganese oxide layers on the basis of merging the mapped Mn, Fe, Ti, P, Si and Cu intensities. Multi-dimensional compositional mapping of the sampled nodules from the western North Pacific revealed two fundamental findings: (1) previously recognized first-order Fe–Mn layers, L0, L1, and L2, were further divided into two, three, and four sublayers, respectively, and (2) a delayed supply of material to be nuclei of nodule or a growth hiatus of Fe–Mn layer(s), leading to missing sublayers in the layers L0 and L2, regulated the nodule size. In contrast, layer L1, which does not have any missing sublayers, was commonly observed in the samples for this study and has been reported in studies of other regions in the western Pacific. We propose, therefore, that the layer L1 is a key facies for examining chemostratigraphic correlations with other areas of seafloor.     

Wind-Tunnel Experiments for Gas Dispersion in an Atmospheric Boundary Layer with Large-Scale Turbulent Motion

Large-scale turbulent motions enhancing horizontal gas spread in an atmospheric boundary layer are simulated in a wind-tunnel experiment. The large-scale turbulent motions can be generated using an active grid installed at the front of the test section in the wind tunnel, when appropriate parameters for the angular deflection and the rotation speed are chosen. The power spectra of vertical velocity fluctuations are unchanged with and without the active grid because they are strongly affected by the surface. The power spectra of both streamwise and lateral velocity fluctuations with the active grid increase in the low frequency region, and are closer to the empirical relations inferred from field observations. The large-scale turbulent motions do not affect the Reynolds shear stress, but change the balance of the processes involved. The relative contributions of ejections to sweeps are suppressed by large-scale turbulent motions, indicating that the motions behave as sweep events. The lateral gas spread is enhanced by the lateral large-scale turbulent motions generated by the active grid. The large-scale motions, however, do not affect the vertical velocity fluctuations near the surface, resulting in their having a minimal effect on the vertical gas spread. The peak concentration normalized using the root-mean-squared value of concentration fluctuation is remarkably constant over most regions of the plume irrespective of the operation of the active grid.     

Statistical analysis of flash flood events for designing water harvesting systems in an extremely arid environment

A water harvesting system for research purposes has been established in the Lisan Peninsula of the Dead Sea in the middle of the Jordan Rift Valley, where no authorized guideline is available for designing water harvesting systems. Rainfall and runoff, which occurred as flash floods, were observed at the downstream end of a gorge with a 1.12 km² barren catchment area from October 2014 through July 2019. Due to the extremely arid environment, runoff from the catchment is ephemeral, and the flash flood events can be clearly distinguishable from each other. Thirteen flash flood events with a total runoff volume of more than 100 m³ were successfully recorded during the five rainy seasons. Pearson and Spearman correlations between duration, total rainfall depths at two points, total runoff volume, maximum runoff discharge, bulk runoff coefficient, total variation in runoff discharge and maximum variation in runoff discharge of each flash flood event were examined, revealing no straightforward relationship between rainfall and runoff. The performance of the conventional SCS runoff curve number method was also deficient in reproducing any rainfall–runoff relationship. Therefore, probability distribution fitting was performed for each random variable, focusing on the lognormal distribution with three parameters and the generalized extreme value distribution. The maximum goodness-of-fit estimation turns out to be a more rational and efficient method in obtaining the parameter values of those probability distributions rather than the standard maximum likelihood estimation, which has known disadvantages. Results support the design of the water harvesting system and provide quantitative information for designing and operating similar systems in the future.     

Rationalization of building micro-dams equipped with fish passages in West African savannas

Micro-dams in West African savannas are investigated in conjunction with aquatic fauna and human activities at a community level. A study area is chosen in the Northern Region of Ghana. The micro-dams in the study area serve as habitats for fish, providing food and job opportunities for inhabitants, but their construction has sacrificed rice fields and fragmented migration routes of fish. A stochastic population dynamics model is developed to rigorously assess the effect of establishing fish passages between the fragmented habitats containing the micro-dams on the ichthyological fauna. Values of the model parameters are estimated from the literature and results of field surveys, in which ten fish species including cichlidae, clariidae, bagridae, schilbeidae, cyprinidae, and alistidae are reported to be present. A sustainability criterion is proposed to judge whether a set of model parameters realizes stationarity of the stochastic process representing the population dynamics. It is suggested that ichthyological fauna can be sustainable provided that the fishing activity is restricted to upstream migrating and fast growing species. More generally, building micro-dams in West African savannas will be much better justified when the dams are equipped with appropriately designed fish passages.     

Verifying optimality of rainfed agriculture using a stochastic model for drought occurrence

It may be paradoxical but subsistence rainfed agriculture is the predominant source of food in Sub-Saharan Africa where the production uncertainty is associated with the stochastic nature of rainfall. This paper attempts to comprehend the rationale of this situation by a mathematical approach. Considering the level of drought severity as the zero-reverting Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process, optimality of rainfed agriculture is investigated in the context of stochastic control theory. Occurrence of drought terminating growth of crops is modelled with the concept of first exit time. A stochastic control problem allowing for virtual cost of irrigation, water stress to crops, and benefits of farming is formulated with irrigation effort as the control variable. The Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation governing the optimal control is studied to identify the set of cost functions optimizing rainfed agriculture in an inverse problem approach. Data and information were collected in the coastal savanna agro-ecological zone of Ghana, to identify model parameters, formulate the stochastic control problem, solve the inverse problem, and then verify optimality of rainfed agriculture. The results indicated that rainfed agriculture is not optimal when the crop is more tolerant to water stress.     

Earthquake response of submerged gravity foundation on soft rock

A gravity foundation submerged in the water is subject to the buoyancy force and is hence vulnerable to sliding at the base when it is subjected to a large lateral load. The effects of sliding on the earthquake response were investigated for this type of foundation on soft rock, considering the friction characteristics at the contact between concrete and soft rock. Shake table tests were conducted to observe the behavior of a submerged foundation on soft rock which slid during the excitation. Large-scale cyclic direct shear tests were conducted to examine in detail the friction characteristics at the contact between the concrete and soft rocks. Based on the results obtained in shake table and cyclic shear tests, a numerical model was established for simulating the earthquake response behavior of a submerged gravity foundation on soft rock. Numerical parametric studies were conducted by using this model and selected earthquake ground motion records. Various important features were observed in the earthquake response of this foundation.     

Diagenesis of Neogene diatoms and their importance as a source of petroleum in Japan

Abstract Various siliceous rocks are found in the Ohdoji, Akaishi and Maido Formations from the western Aomori basin, and the Yotsuzawa and Wadagawa Formations from the eastern Aomori basin of northern Honshu, Japan. These rocks are classified into diatomite, siliceous shale and chert.
Diatomite is composed of abundant amorphous silica and has porosity between 50 and 65%. Siliceous shale is composed of a large amount of quartz, and has porosity ranging from 25 to 35%. Chert is chiefly composed of cristobalite or quartz, and has porosity between 20 to 30%.
Average contents of total organic carbon, S₁ and S₂ generally increase from argillaceous rocks → diatomites → siliceous shales → cherts. Maturation of organic matter in these rocks is generally lower than that in average source rocks. Diatoms, which appeared in the late Cretaceous and became increasingly important in the Miocene, are the principal primary producers of organic matter in the marine environment during the Cenozoic. Excellent organic components and higher biological productivity show that diatoms might be the most important source of petroleum during the Neogene in Japan.
Proteins, carbohydrates and lipids in diatoms have been transformed into fulvic acids, humic acids and humin by polycondensation and polymerization. Later, these humin materials could be changed into insoluble kerogen under the effect of mild temperature and pressure. A part of the lipids would transform to geochemical fossils (biomarkers). Amorphous silica in cells of diatoms would change to low-cristobalite and low-quartz by the increase of geothermal temperature.