Geological age of the Yokawa Formation of the Kobe Group (Japan) on the basis of terrestrial mammalian fossils

Abstract   The age of the Yokawa Formation of the Cenozoic Kobe Group distributed in Hyogo Prefecture of western Japan based on mammalian fossils is discussed. Two fossil dental specimens of terrestrial mammals discovered from the lowest part of the Yokawa Formation in the Sanda area are described. These two fossils described here are: (i) a right mandibular fragment with p2–m3 of Bothriodon sandaensis sp. nov. (selenodont anthracotheriid artiodactyl), which appears to be the most primitive among the species of the genus; and (ii) right m1–m3 of cf. Hyrachyus sp. (primitive rhinocerotoid perissodactyl). In the lower part of the Yokawa Formation, Zaisanamynodon (amynodontid perissodactyl) was previously reported. The morphology ('evolutionary stage') of B. sandaensis is indicative of the latest Middle to Late Eocene, that of cf. Hyrachyus sp. is indicative of the Early to Middle Eocene, and Zaisanamynodon is indicative of the Late Middle to Late Eocene. Therefore, the fossil mammals of the Yokawa Formation indicate an latest Middle Eocene ( ca . 38 Ma) correlation for the lower part of the formation, as a working hypothesis. Although the resolution of the geological age based on these mammalian fossils is relatively low compared to that based on marine index fossils, this result is concordant with the recent radiometric correlation of the lower part of the Yokawa Formation in the Sanda area.     

Rare Earth Magnets: Conservation of Energy and the Environment

Rare earth sintered magnets (Nd magnet) have been used in many applications such as computer and industrial equipment, automobile manufacturing and many others. They are highly efficient and reduce energy consumption because of their superior magnetic properties. The element dysprosium (Dy) contained in the Nd magnet is important and indispensable. It improves the stability of the Nd magnet by enhancing the coercive force of its magnetic properties at high temperature. Dy is not so abundant. The rapid growth of the Nd magnet may result in Dy shortage. Exploration for new deposits of Dy is desired.     

Estimation of sensible heat flux by a hybrid method of temperature profile and light-beam deflection

A new method of sensible heat flux estimation by a hybrid use of temperature profile and light-beam deflection is proposed and tested over an asphalt pavement on fine days.A helium-neon gas laser with wavelength 0.6328 m was used as a light-beam source. Temperature gradient near the surface was measured by the deflection of a light-beam propagated nearly horizontally at a distance of 25 m. Measurement of the air temperature profile in the upper part of the surface layer was made by means of a copper-constantan thermocouple thermometer. The sensible heat flux was estimated from the temperature profile using profile-flux relationships.The surface temperature of the asphalt pavement rose to as high as 63 °C in the daytime and never decreased below the air temperature even in the morning in summer. The maximum value of heat flux obtained from this observation attained 365 W m^-2, which was about 48% of incoming solar radiation.     

A review of fossil rhinoceroses from the Neogene of Myanmar with description of new specimens from the Irrawaddy Sediments

Four genera and one indeterminate genus (total eight species) of fossil rhinoceroses (Mammalia; Perissodactyla; Rhinocerotidae) are recognized from the Neogene of central Myanmar. In the early Miocene, most area of central Myanmar were under the shallow marine condition, and no rhinocerotid remain has been documented yet. During the middle to late Miocene, the rhinocerotid remains are commonly found and are represented by “Diceratherium” naricum, Brachypotherium perimense, Brachypotherium fatehjangense and an indeterminate rhinocerotid. In the latest Miocene, these archaic rhinoceroses became extinct. In the late Neogene, the extant genera, Rhinoceros (late Miocene to Pleistocene) and Dicerorhinus (Plio-Pleistocene) first appeared in Myanmar. They appear to have dispersed to the Island Southeast Asia from the continental Asia during the early Pleistocene to middle Pleistocene when the eustatic sea level became low remarkably.     

A Study of Correlations of Scalar Quantities in the Atmospheric Surface Layer

Standard deviations for vertical velocity and scalar quantities, such as temperature, T, and specific humidity, q, were analyzed on the basis of Monin-Obukhov (M-O) similarity theory in the atmospheric surface layer. The correlation coefficient between scalar quantities T and q, R_Tq, was derived from the similarity functions and can be expressed as the ratio of B_T/B_q (B_T≤ B_q), where parameter B is the value of the normalized standard deviation of any scalar quantity at neutral conditions.