Polymetallic Mineralization at the Suttsu Vein-type Deposit, Southwestern Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract. The Suttsu polymetallic vein-type deposit, hosted by tuff, tuff breccia and shale of the Miocene Kunnui Formation and propylitized hornblende-augite andesite, is located in southwestern Hokkaido, Japan. It has been exploited and explored for Cu, Pb, Zn and Ag until 1962.
In this study, we examined K-Ar ages, ore mineralogical characteristics and fluid inclusions to obtain new data for the deposit.
The K-Ar ages on sericite indicate that the polymetallic mineralization occurred in Late Miocene (8.1–5.7 Ma). The polymetallic banded ore from the Ohkubo vein is characterized by an abundance of Au, Ag, Sn, Bi, in, Se and Te. These metals are mainly ascribed to electrum (30.3–37.8 atom% Ag), Se-bearing pavonite (8.5–9.5 wt% Se), gustavite-lillianite solid solution, Se-bearing bismuthinite (5.0–5.3 wt% Se), kawazulite, cassiterite, Sn-bearing chalcopyrite (3.3–4.2 wt% Sn), In-bearing stannite, stannite-chalcopyrite solid solution, and In- and Sn-bearing sphalerite (2.6–8.4 wt% In and 1.8–4.3 wt% Sn), occurring in narrow bands of the ore. The In- and Sn-bearing sphalerite likely forms a sphalerite-roquesite-stannite solid solution with the contents of roquesite and stannite being about 2–9 and 2-A mole%, respectively. Temperatures and salinities (in wt% NaCl equiv.) of the ore fluids are estimated to be 180-250C and 3–4 wt%, respectively. The Sn-bearing chalcopyrite therefore probably precipitated metastably. The geologic and mineralogical features suggest that pre-Tertiary basement rocks rich in organic material underlie the Miocene Kunnui Formation nearby the deposit and that they contributed to local and temporary reduction of magnetite-series magmas favorable for the early stage tin-polymetallic mineralization.     

Analysis of rectangular piles subjected to lateral loads in nonhomogeneous soil using a Winkler model approach

An analytical approach using a Winkler model based on two lateral soil displacement components in a three‐dimensional soil is investigated to provide analytical solutions of horizontal response of a rectangular pile subjected to lateral loads in nonhomogeneous soil. The two lateral displacement components of a soil surrounding the rectangular pile are represented by the Fourier series of displacement potential functions in the elastic three‐dimensional analysis. The lateral stiffness coefficient of the rectangular pile shaft in nonhomogeneous soil is derived from the rocking stiffness coefficient taking into account rocking rotation of a rigid pile shaft. The relationship between horizontal displacement, rotation, moment, and shear force for the rectangular pile subjected to horizontal loads in nonhomogeneous soil is obtainable in the form of the recurrence equation. The formulation of lateral displacement and rotation for a rectangular pile subjected to lateral loads on the pile base in nonhomogeneous soil is proposed by taking into account Mindlin's equation and the equivalent thickness for soil layers in the equivalent elastic method. The difference of lateral behavior between square and circular piles subjected to lateral loads is insignificant. The effect of aspect ratio of the rectangular pile on the lateral behavior is great for the lower stiffness ratio between pile and soil and the larger length–equivalent diameter ratio. The effect of the value of Poisson's ratio of soil on lateral stiffness coefficient is relatively small except Poisson's ratio close to 0.5. The comparison of the results calculated by the current method for a rectangular pile subjected to lateral loads in nonhomogeneous soil has shown good agreement with those obtained from the analytical methods and the finite element method. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Origin of iridescence in garnet: An optical interference study

The optical interference phenomenon of an iridescent grandite garnet was examined by using white light and laser light on the analogy of the X-ray diffraction method. A kinematical interpretation was also made for the observed angle and intensity of interference light. The regularly stratified layers which cause iridescence are deduced to be periodic twins oriented parallel to the growth layers in each sector with a periodicity of about 1,000 Å.     

Raman spectra of methane hydrate up to 86 GPa

High-pressure Raman studies of methane hydrate were performed using a diamond anvil cell in the pressure range of 0.1–86 GPa at room temperature. Raman spectra of the methane molecules revealed that new softened intramolecular vibration mode of ν ₁ appeared at 17 GPa and that the splitting of vibration mode of ν ₃ occurred at 15 GPa. The appearance of these two modes indicates that an intermolecular attractive interaction increases between the methane molecules and the host water molecules and between the neighboring methane molecules. These interactions might result in the exceptional stability of a high-pressure structure, a filled ice Ih structure (FIIhS) for methane hydrate, up to 40 GPa. At 40 GPa, a clear change in the slope of the Raman shift versus pressure occurred, and above 40 GPa the Raman shift of the vibration modes increased monotonously up to 86 GPa. A previous XRD study showed that the FIIhS transformed into another new high-pressure structure at 40 GPa. The change in the Raman spectra at 40 GPa may be induced by the transition of the structure.     

Settlement analysis of rectangular piles in nonhomogeneous soil using a Winkler model approach

An analytical approach using a Winkler model is investigated to provide analytical solutions of settlement of a rectangular pile subjected to vertical loads in nonhomogeneous soils. For a vertically loaded pile with a rectangular cross section, the settlement influence factor of a normal pile in nonhomogeneous soils is derived from Mindlin's solution for elastic continuum analysis. For short piles with rectangular and circular cross sections, the modified forms of settlement influence factors of normal piles are produced taking into account the load transfer parameter proposed by Randolph for short circular piles. The modulus of subgrade reaction along a rectangular pile in nonhomogeneous soils is expressed by using the settlement influence factor related to Mindlin's solution to combine the elastic continuum approach with the subgrade‐reaction approach. The relationship between settlement and vertical load for a rectangular pile in nonhomogeneous soils is available in the form of the recurrence equation. The formulation of settlement of soils surrounding a rectangular pile subjected to vertical loads in nonhomogeneous soils is proposed by taking into account Mindlin's solution and both the equivalent thickness and the equivalent elastic modulus for layers in the equivalent elastic method. The difference of settlement between square and circular piles is insignificant, and the settlement of a rectangular pile decreases as the aspect ratio of the rectangular pile cross section increases. The comparison of results calculated by the present method for a rectangular pile in nonhomogeneous soils has shown good agreement with those obtained from the analytical methods and the finite element method. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of pullout load capacity of suction caissons in sand using a three-dimensional displacement approach

An investigation was conducted to obtain analytical solutions for the pullout behavior of a suction caisson undergoing inclined loads in sand. The inclined load is transformed into an equivalent load system in which the vertical, horizontal, and moment loads are applied on the center of the lid of the suction caisson. The vertical and lateral stiffness coefficients along the skirt of the suction caisson in sands are presented using the new three-dimensional elastic solutions taking into account the nonhomogeneous and nonlinear properties of the sand. The vertical, lateral, and rocking stiffness coefficients on the base of the suction caisson are presented considering the solutions of a hollow rigid cylindrical punch acting on the surface of a soil. The yield, pullout, and failure for sands with the nonhomogeneous and nonlinear characteristics are taken into consideration. The effects of the load inclination, the loading depth, and the aspect ratio on the pullout load capacity of the suction caisson are presented. Behaviour of the suction caisson in sand prior to failure is clarified from the relationship between tensile load, displacement, and rotation and that between depth, vertical pressure, and lateral pressure.     

A Winkler model approach for vertically and laterally loaded piles in nonhomogeneous soil

An investigation is made to present analytical solutions provided by a Winkler model approach for the analysis of single piles and pile groups subjected to vertical and lateral loads in nonhomogeneous soils. The load transfer parameter of a single pile in nonhomogeneous soils is derived from the displacement influence factor obtained from Mindlin's solution for an elastic continuum analysis, without using the conventional form of the load transfer parameter adopting the maximum radius of the influence of the pile proposed by Randolph and Wroth. The modulus of the subgrade reaction along the pile in nonhomogeneous soils is expressed by using the displacement influence factor related to Mindlin's equation for an elastic continuum analysis to combine the elastic continuum approach with the subgrade reaction approach. The relationship between settlement and vertical load for a single pile in nonhomogeneous soils is obtained by using the recurrence equation for each layer. Using the modulus of the subgrade reaction represented by the displacement influence factor related to Mindlin's solution for the lateral load, the relationship between horizontal displacement, rotation, moment, and shear force for a single pile subjected to lateral loads in nonhomogeneous soils is available in the form of the recurrence equation. The comparison of the results calculated by the present method for single piles and pile groups in nonhomogeneous soils has shown good agreement with those obtained from the more rigorous finite element and boundary element methods. It is found that the present procedure gives a good prediction on the behavior of piles in nonhomogeneous soils. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Organic micropollutants in marine plastics debris from the open ocean and remote and urban beaches

To understand the spatial variation in concentrations and compositions of organic micropollutants in marine plastic debris and their sources, we analyzed plastic fragments (∼10 mm) from the open ocean and from remote and urban beaches. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), alkylphenols and bisphenol A were detected in the fragments at concentrations from 1 to 10,000 ng/g. Concentrations showed large piece-to-piece variability. Hydrophobic organic compounds such as PCBs and PAHs were sorbed from seawater to the plastic fragments. PCBs are most probably derived from legacy pollution. PAHs showed a petrogenic signature, suggesting the sorption of PAHs from oil slicks. Nonylphenol, bisphenol A, and PBDEs came mainly from additives and were detected at high concentrations in some fragments both from remote and urban beaches and the open ocean.     

Analysis of Rayleigh waves in saturated porous elastic media by finite element method

A numerical procedure for the analysis of Rayleigh waves in saturated porous elastic media is proposed by use of the finite element method. The layer stiffness matrix, the layer mass matrix and the layer damping matrix in a layered system are presented for the discretized form of the solid-fluid equilibrium equation proposed by Biot. In order to consider the influence of the permeability coefficient on the behavior of Rayleigh waves, attention is focused on the following states: ‘drained’ state, ‘undrained’ state and the states between two extremes of ‘drained’ and ‘undrained’ states. It is found from computed results that the permeability coefficient exerts a significant effect on dispersion curves and displacement distributions of Rayleigh waves in saturated porous media.     

Induction of female‐to‐male sex change in a large protogynous fish,Choerodon schoenleinii

Most behavioral studies on hermaphroditic fishes have focused on small‐sized species, which are tractable for research. Although many species of large hermaphroditic fishes are important fishery resources, their proximate mechanisms (visual, chemical and/or behavioral cues) in the social regulation of sex change have not been determined. Determination of these would inform resource management and aquaculture. In order to get closer to understanding the proximate mechanisms underlying the social regulation of female‐to‐male sex change in large hermaphroditic fishes, this study reports situations that induced female‐to‐male sex change in black‐spot tuskfish, Choerodon schoenleinii, a species of large protogynous fish, in massive laboratory tanks. The situations differed in the possibility of male‐to‐female tactile contact and in the group sex ratio, enabling us to infer plausible proximate mechanisms underlying sex change induction. Tactile contact between individuals is suspected to be closely related to the incidence of female‐to‐male sex change in C. schoenleinii. Visual and chemical cues alone may be insufficient to inhibit such sex changes. Male‐to‐female tactile contact may have an important influence on female‐to‐male sex change, i.e., inhibition of this sex change, in this species. The effect of sex ratio of a social group on the incidence of sex change may be due to the relative frequency and intensity of male tactile contact with each female, which may vary with the number of females. In the absence of a dominant male, tactile contact among females may affect the incidence of sex change, as well as determine which individuals change sex.