The relationship between the isotopic content of precipitation and the precipitation amount in tropical regions

General circulation models (GCMs) fitted with stable isotope schemes are widely used to interpret the isotope–climate relationship. However, previous studies have found that the spatiotemporal isotope/precipitation correlation simulated by GCMs is stronger and more widespread than the observed value. To understand the reason for this failure, we investigated the factors influencing the empirically well-known isotope/precipitation relationship, or precipitation amount effect, in the tropics using newly obtained daily precipitation isotope monitoring data over Asia. As in previous studies, we found an apparent correlation between the long-term monthly mean isotopic content and the corresponding precipitation amount (local precipitation) observed at sub-tropical island stations. Furthermore, on a monthly timescale, the isotopic variability of precipitation for these stations was more clearly related to the regional precipitation amount than to local precipitation. This correlation of isotopic content with the regional precipitation amount was observed at the equatorial (Maritime Continent) stations. For these stations, isotope/local precipitation relationships only appeared over longer timescales, with different regression line slopes at each station. However, at the coastal stations, there was a strong linear relationship between the monthly mean isotopic content and corresponding regional precipitation, and regression line slopes were spatially uniform. For the two sub-tropical terrestrial (Indochina Peninsula) stations, the isotopic minimum appeared without any relationship to rainfall amount but usually occurred at the leeward station during the rainy season. These results suggest that the isotopic variations of precipitation did not depend on the ’local’ rain-out history but on the rain-out process in the surrounding region. However, local rainfall events were associated not only with large-scale disturbances but also with regional circulation. Thus, the scale difference of controlling factors between local rainfall amount and isotopic value results in the weakening of the rainfall amount effect at the observation site and in the discrepancy between GCM simulations and observations. This finding suggests that regional precipitation–isotope relationships should be compared with GCM results. Additionally, because the isotope signal reflects the rain-out history at a regional scale, evaluation of the isotopic field using isotopic GCMs will be useful not only to reconstruct paleoclimate conditions but also to examine how GCMs can reproduce real atmospheric circulation over the tropics.     

Grain-scale iron isotopic distribution of pyrite from Precambrian shallow marine carbonate revealed by a femtosecond laser ablation multicollector ICP-MS technique: Possible proxy for the redox state of ancient seawater

The redox state of Precambrian shallow seas has been linked with material cycle and evolution of the photosynthesis-based ecosystem. Iron is a redox-sensitive element and exists as a soluble Fe(II) species or insoluble Fe(III) species on Earth’s surface. Previous studies have shown that the iron isotopic ratio of marine sedimentary minerals is useful for understanding the ocean redox state, although the redox state of the Archean shallow sea is poorly known. This is partly because the conventional bulk isotope analytical technique has often been used, wherein the iron isotopic record may be dampened by the presence of isotopically different iron-bearing minerals within the same sample. Here we report a microscale iron isotopic ratio of individual pyrite grains in shallow marine stromatolitic carbonates over geological time using a newly developed, near-infrared femtosecond laser ablation multicollector ICP-MS technique (NIR-fs-LA-MC-ICP-MS).We have determined that the grain-scale iron isotopic distribution of pyrite from coeval samples shows a bimodal (2.7 and 2.3 Ga) or unimodal pattern (2.9, 2.6, and 0.7 Ga). In particular, pyrite from the 2.7 Ga Fortescue Group shows a unique bimodal distribution with highly positive (+1.0‰ defined as Type 1) and negative δ⁵⁶Fe values (−1.8‰ defined as Type 2). Type 1 and 2 pyrites occasionally occur within different siliceous layers in the same rock specimen. Layer-scale iron isotopic heterogeneity indicates that the iron isotopic ratios of the two types of pyrite are not homogenized by diagenesis after deposition. Some cubic pyrites have a core with a positive δ⁵⁶Fe value (1‰) and a rim with a crustal δ⁵⁶Fe value (0‰). The observed isotopic zoning suggests that the positive δ⁵⁶Fe value is a primary signature at the time of stromatolite formation, while secondary pyrite precipitated during diagenesis.The positive δ⁵⁶Fe value of Type 1 and the large iron isotopic difference between Type 1 and 2 (2.8‰.) suggest partial Fe(II) oxidation in the 2.7-Ga shallow sea, i.e., pyritization of ⁵⁶Fe-enriched ferric oxyhydroxide (Type 1) and ⁵⁶Fe depleted Fe²⁺aq in seawater (Type 2). Type 2 pyrite was probably not produced by microbial iron redox cycling during diagenesis because this scenario requires a higher abundance of pyrite with δ⁵⁶Fe of 0‰ than of −1.8‰. Consequently, the degree of Fe(II) oxidation in the 2.7-Ga shallow sea can be estimated by a Fe²⁺aq steady-state model. The model calculation shows that half the Fe²⁺aq influx was oxidized in the seawater. This implies that O₂ produced by photosynthesis would have been completely consumed by oxidation of the Fe²⁺aq influx. Grain-scale iron isotopic distribution of pyrite could be a useful index for reconstructing the redox state of the Archean shallow sea.     

The second International Symposium on the Arctic Research (ISAR-2): Brief overview

The Arctic and the surrounding region of the sub-Arctic represent a key area for the study of global change because the anthropogenic impact, particularly the rate of warming, is projected to be the greatest in any part of the world due to the complicated feedback processes which occur. This Arctic region has undergone very large changes in recent years due to global warming, and accelerated change is predicted. The rapid changes that are occurring in the Arctic, and that have been the topic of the ISAR-1 and ISAR-2 conferences, manifest themselves at a number of scales. The large scales are Arctic-wide changes in key environmental parameters, which are described in a series of papers in this issue. On a more subtle scale we see changes to species and to biological processes in the Arctic. We hope that readers will enjoy the range of papers published in this issue, and will appreciate that phenomena ranging in scale from global radiation balance to clutch size of birds' eggs are actually all related via the central fact of the present-day Arctic, its high rate of warming.     

Large-Eddy Simulations on the Effects of Surface Geometry of Building Arrays on Turbulent Organized Structures

Turbulent organized structures (TOS) above building arrays were investigated using a large-eddy simulation (LES) model for a city (LES-CITY). Square and staggered building arrays produced contrasting behaviour in terms of turbulence that roughly corresponded to the conventional classification of ‘D-type’ and ‘K-type’ roughness, respectively: (1) The drag coefficients (referred to the building height) for staggered arrays were sensitive to building area density, but those for square arrays were not. (2) The relative contributions of ejections to sweeps (S₂/S₄) at the building height for square arrays were sensitive to building area density and nearly equalled or exceeded 1.0 (ejection dominant), but those for staggered arrays were insensitive to building area density and were mostly below 1.0 (sweep dominant). (3) Streaky patterns of longitudinal low speed regions (i.e., low speed streaks) existed in all flows regardless of array type. Height variations of the buildings in the square array drastically increased the drag coefficient and modified the turbulent flow structures. The mechanism of D-type and K-type urban-like roughness flows and the difference from vegetation flows are discussed. Although urban-like roughness flows exhibited mixed properties of mixing layers and flat-wall boundary layers as far as S₂/S₄ was concerned, the turbulent organized structures of urban-like roughness flows resembled those of flat-wall boundary layers.     

Crustal deformations associated with the 1986 fissure eruption of Izu-Oshima volcano, Japan, and their tectonic significance

We have investigated crustal deformations associated with the 1986 eruption of Izu-Oshima volcano, Japan, which was accompanied by an intensive fissure eruption. Two fissure crater chains, with NW-SE trend were created in the northern part of the caldera and on its northwestern flank. Their trend is consistent with the direction of compressive stress in this region. Depression of > 30 cm in the central zone including the caldera, and in the northwestern and southeastern parts in the island, was detected by precise leveling. On the other hand, uplifts up to 20 cm in the northeastern and southwestern parts were observed. Tide observations revealed that the Okada tide station, the leveling datum in Izu-Oshima, may have subsided by 5 cm after the eruption. An 1 m opening of fissure craters was detected by distance measurements of the baselines which cross fissure craters. Horizontal displacements obtained by reoccupation of control points showed a symmetrical pattern which was consistent with the opening of fissure craters. Anomalous strain changes were also observed in the surrounding regions—contractions were observed in the Boso and the Miura peninsula, northeast of Izu-Oshima, and extensions in the Izu peninsula.

To interpret these crustal deformations, a model which consists of a nearly vertical tensile fault and a deflation source is presented. The tensile fault lies parallel to the fissures and is divided into two parts according to depth. The deeper part of the tensile fault is 12 km long, 10 km wide, and has 2 km burial depth and 2.7 m opening displacement. The shallower part, which may represent the fissure craters, is 4 km long, 2 km wide, and the amount of opening is estimated to be 1 m. However, the deflation source may be located at a depth of 10 km beneath the northwestern flank of the caldera and depression just above the source is estimated to be 30 cm. A deflation source is required to explain the subsidence at the Okada tide station and the extension in the Izu peninsula. This model suggests that the eruption might have released tensile stresses in and around the Izu region which result from bending of the subducting Philippine Sea plate.     

Trench triple junction off Central Japan—preliminary results of French-Japanese 1984 Kaiko cruise, Leg 2

Leg 2 of the French-Japanese 1984 Kaiko cruise has surveyed the trench triple junction off central Japan, where the Japan, Izu-Bonin and Sagami Trenches intersect. The Izu-Bonin Trench is deeper than the Japan Trench and filled by a thick turbiditic series. Its anomalous depth is explained by the westward retreat of the edge of the northwestward moving Philippine Sea plate. On the contrary to what happens in the Japan Trench, horst and graben structures of the Pacific plate obliquely enters the Izu-Bonin Trench, suggesting that the actual boundary between these two trenches is located to the north of the triple junction. The inner wall of the Izu-Bonin Trench is characterized in the triple junction area by a series of slope basins whose occurrence is related to the dynamics of this area. The northernmost basin is overthrust by the edge of the fore-arc area of the Northeast Japan plate. The plate boundary is hardly discernible further east, which makes it impossible to locate precisely the triple junction itself. These features suggest that large intra-plate deformation occurs there due to the interaction of the plates involved in the triple junction and the weak mechanical strength of the wedge-shaped margin of the overriding plates.     

Internal structures and U–Pb ages of zircons from a tuff layer in the Meishucunian formation, Yunnan Province, South China

The Precambrian/Cambrian (PC/C) boundary is one of the most important intervals for the evolution of life, represented by prominent biological evolution from the first appearance of soft-bodied animals from the late Neoproterozoic to the sudden diversification of animals with mineralized skeletons in the Cambrian. In South China several areas contain many fossils and are well exposed, suitable for the investigation of PC/C boundary. However, geochronological relationships are still poorly known because of lack of combined detailed investigations of internal structures of zircons and in-situ U–Pb dating.We focus on the internal structure of zircons from a tuff layer within Bed 5 in the Meishucun section on which we undertook cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and in-situ U–Pb dating with LA-ICP-MS and nano-SIMS. Over 600 zircons from the tuff layer were classified into three types based on their CL images: oscillatory rims, inherited cores and dull structures. U–Pb dating of the internal structure of the zircons by LA-ICP-MS clearly shows a distinct unimodal age population dependent on the structure: 531 ± 17 Ma for the oscillatory rims and 515 Ma for the dull structures. The clear oscillatory zonation, the prismatic morphology, and their occurrence indicate that the oscillatory rims were formed from felsic magmatism, and that the U–Pb nano-SIMS age of 536.5 ± 2.5 Ma records the depositional age of the tuff. Our results indicate that the PC/C boundary is situated below Bed 5, and therefore the bottom of Zone 1 (Marker A) is more appropriate for the PC/C boundary than is the top of Zone 1 (Marker B). The age of a positive anomaly (P2) in the early Cambrian is estimated to be ca. 536 Ma.     

Seasonal and annual variation in the primary production regime in the central part of Sagami Bay

Seasonal variations in the primary production regime in the upper water column were assessed by shipboard observations using hydrocasts and natural fluorescence profiling at a fixed station in the central part of Sagami Bay, Japan. The observations were conducted as a part of ‘Project Sagami’ dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of seasonality in bathyal benthic populations and its coupling with water column processes. Based on the time-series observations at intervals of about 1 to 2 months, primary productivity in terms of chlorophyll abundance appeared to be elevated during the spring of 1997, but the observed peaks of biomass were much less significant in the spring of 1998. Meanwhile, the organic matter flux, as indicated by sediment trap data and benthic observations, had a significant peak in the spring of 1998 as well, and its magnitude was comparable to that in 1997. Satellite images of ocean color obtained during the spring of 1997 indicate the importance of events with time scales much shorter than a month, and suggest qualitative differences in the phytoplankton community in the euphotic zone for each bloom event during this period. The possible mechanisms that could yield the spring maximum of material input to the benthic community are discussed.     

Particle dynamics in the deep water column of Sagami Bay, Japan. II: seasonal change in profiles of suspended phytodetritus

Vertical distributions of turbidity & phytodetritus (Chl.a and pheopigment), and their seasonal variations were measured in the deep water column of Sagami Bay, Japan, in June 1999, February 2000 and May 2000. Observations were carried out at eight stations along an east-west section of Sagami Bay using a CTD/water sampling system equipped with a memory-type infrared back-scattering meter which had been calibrated for the suspended particles collected in Sagami Bay. Turbidity increased close to the bottom in both summer and winter, indicating the existence of a benthic nepheloid layer throughout the year. But the vertical gradient of turbidity was much larger in summer than in winter. The concentration of Chl.a and pheopigment also increased in the benthic layer in summer, sometimes reaching values of more than 0.01 and 0.2 μg/l, respectively, much higher than those reported in hemipelagic regions of the ocean. In winter, on the other hand, Chl.a kept a constant low value throughout the deep water column. This indicates that the turbid water mass formed in the benthic layer in summer derives from the deposition of large amounts of phytodetritus in spring and the resuspension of these aggregates, which are subsequently decomposed in the benthic layer during the following autumn. Unlike the benthic boundary layer, the turbidity of intermediate water was lower in summer rather than in winter. Because the phytoplankton aggregates exported from the surface water during the spring bloom not only supply phytodetritus to the benthic layer but also scavenge the suspended particles in the water column, the steep vertical gradient of turbidity observed in summer may reflect the dynamic interaction between suspended and sinking particles in the deep water column.