Upwelling of Deep-seated Fluid in the Sikhote-Alin Region,Far East of the Eurasian Plate

Aquatic Geochemistry - Spring waters with high-pCO2 content are widely distributed in the Sikhote-Alin region in Russia. Mukhen spa is one such spring located in the northern Sikhote-Alin region....     

Horizontal distribution of particulate matter and its characterization using phosphorus as an indicator in surface coastal water,Harima-Nada,the Seto Inland Sea,Japan

To study the horizontal distribution and characterization of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the coastal environment, the distribution and seasonal variation of particulate phosphorus (PP), divided as organic (POP) and inorganic (PIP) fractions with POC, PON, and Chl.a, in 4 seasons throughout Harima-Nada of the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, were investigated. A high concentration of PIP was observed not only in the northern coastal area, which received much freshwater discharge, but also in the channel parts. In winter, when Δσt was low, the difference between surface and bottom σt, resuspension of sinking particles or/and surface sediment which has a high PIP/PP ratio seems to have occurred, and then a high concentration of PIP in surface water was observed. In spring and summer, PIP/PP ratios (0.24) of surface waters were close to those of phytoplankton (0.1–0.2). On the other hand, PIP/PP ratios in autumn and winter, when Δσt was low, were similar to those of surface sediment in Harima-Nada (0.32–0.39). SPM in Harima-Nada showed higher PP contents than other coastal environments, and its mean value of 9.10 mg P/g was close to the phytoplankton P content of 9.75 mg P/g. This suggests that SPM in Harima-Nada was strongly affected by phytoplankton. The C/N ratio in Harima-Nada in spring was high (11), although high Chl.a and low PIP/PP were observed, possibly resulting from preferential decomposition of nitrogen in comparison with carbon. We consider that the PIP/PP ratio is a good indicator to characterize SPM and to predict its origin as well as the C/N.     

Total organic carbon and nitrogen contents in surface sediments of Harima Nada,eastern Seto Inland Sea,Japan: a comparison under two different trophic states

Phytoplankton abundance in the surface waters of Harima Nada, eastern Seto Inland Sea of Japan, decreased after around the late 1970s following a reduction of terrestrial phosphorous inputs, and relatively low levels persisted thereafter. This symptom of de-eutrophication in recent decades might have reduced organic matter storage in surficial sediments. To test this possibility, we examined total organic carbon (TOC) and nitrogen (TN) contents of Harima Nada sediments in 2011, and compared the results to past data from more eutrophic states. In 2011, the TOC and TN varied horizontally within the basin, in relation to physicochemical properties (water and mud content) and phytoplankton remnants (pheo-pigments) of the sediments. These horizontal patterns were fundamentally similar to those of the early 1980s (1982–1983), although discrepancies between the periods were observed in some areas. Differences of mean TOC and TN in the 0–2 cm layer at 63 stations from 1982–1983 to 2011 were consequently <10 %. Hence, the recent de-eutrophication in Harima Nada was associated with little overall change of TOC and TN storage in the sediment. In Harima Nada, changes in water clarity and particle size composition of the sediment seem to have occurred during recent decades. The aforementioned paradoxical phenomenon may therefore be explained by factors that are affected by these environmental changes. Such factors include the ratio of export flux to the seafloor to phytoplankton production, phytoplankton biomass and production in the entire euphotic zone, and accumulation rate of surface sediment.     

Governance of disaster emergency wells in three cities in Japan affected by earthquakes

Concern has grown regarding how public and private sectors should make effective use of local groundwater to alleviate negative impacts of water-supply cutoff following an earthquake event, which can be regarded as an emergency groundwater governance problem. Existing literature on groundwater governance, however, is based on the tacit assumption of groundwater utilization under normal social conditions, and scant consideration has been given to the role of groundwater following occurrence of a natural disaster. This study conducted questionnaire surveys to reveal how groundwater was used in three cities (Kumamoto, Sapporo, and Sendai) in Japan struck by large earthquakes between 2010 and 2020. Results revealed substantial differences between these cities in terms of groundwater utilization following earthquake occurrence. The time between the restoration of the electricity supply and restoration of the waterworks, and the social capital accumulated by local governments, are indicated as possible reasons for such differences. Analysis also identified policy challenges for improved groundwater governance in an emergency: (1) establishment of a strategy for emergency water supply through combined use of groundwater and other water sources, (2) enhancement of methods for timely inspection of groundwater quality following occurrence of a disaster, (3) maintenance of records of the number of registered disaster emergency wells (DEWs), (4) creation of methods for publicizing locational information on DEWs with adequate regard for the privacy of well owners, and (5) recognition of the importance of making DEWs part of overall disaster preparedness.

     

IRCS/Subaru observations of water in the inner coma of Comet 73P-B/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3: Spatially resolved rotational temperatures and ortho-para ratios

Comet 73P-B/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 was observed with IRCS/Subaru at geocentric distance of 0.074 AU on UT 10 May 2006. Multiple H₂O emission lines were detected in non-resonant fluorescence near 2.9 μm. No significant variation in total H₂O production rate was found during the (3 h) duration of our observations. H₂O rotational temperatures and ortho-to-para abundance ratios were measured for several positions in the coma. The temperatures extracted from two different time intervals show very similar spatial distributions. For both, the rotational temperature decreased from ∼110 to ∼90 K as the projected distance from the nucleus increased from ∼5 to ∼30 km. We see no evidence for OPR change in the coma. The H₂O ortho-para ratio is consistent with the statistical equilibrium value (3.0) for all spatially resolved measurements. This implies a nuclear spin temperature higher than ∼45 K.     

Migration of a volcanic front inferred from K–Ar ages of late Miocene to Pliocene volcanic rocks in central Japan

K–Ar ages have been determined for 14 late Miocene to Pliocene volcanic rocks in the north of the Kanto Mountains, Japan, for tracking the location of the volcanic front through the time. These samples were collected from volcanoes located behind the trench–trench–trench (TTT) triple junction of the Pacific, Philippine Sea, and North American plates. This junction is the site of subduction of slabs of the Pacific and the Philippine Sea plates, both of which are thought to have influenced magmatism in this region. The stratigraphy and K–Ar ages of volcanic rocks in the study area indicate that volcanism occurred between the late Miocene and the Pliocene, and ceased before the Pleistocene. Volcanism in adjacent areas of the southern NE Japan and northern Izu–Bonin arcs also occurred during the Pliocene and ceased at around 3 Ma with the westward migration of the volcanic front, as reported previously. Combining our new age data with the existing data shows that before 3 Ma the volcanic front around the TTT junction was located about 50 km east of the preset‐day volcanic front. We suggest that northward subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate slab ended at ～3 Ma as a result of collision between the northern margin of the plate with the surface of the Pacific Plate slab. This collision may have caused a change in the subduction vector of the Philippine Sea Plate from the original north‐directed subduction to the present‐day northwest‐directed subduction. This indicates that the post ～3 Ma westward migration of the volcanic front was a result of this change in plate motion.     

Negligible effect of the benthic fauna on measuring the nutrient upward fluxes from coastal sediments

Although the influence of benthic fauna on estimating the nutrient upward fluxes from the coastal sediments are a concern, there are few comprehensive studies. We conducted monthly observations in a coastal embayment to examine the effect of benthic fauna on measuring the nutrient flux. Nutrient fluxes were measured by the core incubation method and the densities of organisms in benthic communities were also measured. Numerical composition of benthic communities, according to taxonomic group, was dominated by Polychaeta composed of a few Capitellida and Spionidae species. A negligible effect of the benthic communities on measuring nutrient fluxes was demonstrated.     

Generation of adakites in a cold subduction zone due to double subducting plates

Adakites have been found in various tectonic settings, since the first report for the distinct lavas as a product of slab melting in Adak Island by Kay (J Volcanol Geotherm Res 4:117–132, 1978). In this study, we present geochemical data for an ‘adakite’ and ‘adakitic rock’ suite in central Japan with a cold subduction environment due to the two overlapping subducting plates: the Pacific plate and the Philippine sea plate. Based on the major, trace and isotopic compositions of the rocks, elemental transport from initial slab inventory at the trench to the volcanic rocks as a final product is quantitatively analyzed, considering the thermal structure, slab dehydration, elemental mobility, slab-fluid migration and melting of fluid-added mantle. The analysis demonstrates a large compositional impact of slab-fluid in the arc magma generation in central Japan. The melting conditions have been also estimated inversely by optimizing the predicted magma composition to the observed composition of volcanic rock, with the two parameters: the degree of melting and the proportion of spinel and garnet lherzolites involved in melting. Consequently, a moderately low degree of near-solidus melting of dominantly garnet lherzolite with a high fluid flux from the two overlapping slabs beneath the region has been argued to be responsible for the compositional characteristics, including the adakitic signatures, of the studied rocks. These results imply that the geochemical approach may provide useful constraints on the P–T condition of melting in the mantle wedge and the thermal structure in subduction zones, being complementary to the geophysical approach.     

Seasonal and Spatial Variations of Macro Benthos in the Intertidal Mudflat of Southern Yellow River Delta,China in 2007/2008

In order to examine the seasonal and spatial distributions of benthic animals in the intertidal mudflat of the southern Yellow River Delta,field investigations were carried out in 2007 and 2008 and multiple methods were applied.Results showed that,the biomass of macro benthos ranged at 0.75-1151.00 g wet m~(-2) and averaged at 156.31 g wet m~(-2),in which Mactra veneriformis accounted for 75.6%-93.4% of the total macro benthic biomass.More than 90% of macro benthos inhabited in the middle and low tide lines,and higher biomass occurred in early summer and lower in winter.Statistical analysis showed that:1)M.veneriformis growth was primarily favored at higher temperature and lower salinity;2)after long time interaction,benthic bivalve grazers led to patching distributions of Chlorophyll a(Chl a);3)macro benthic biomass positively related with Chl a when the concentration of Chl a was low,but they were negatively related when Chl a concentration was high;and 4)furthermore,the biomass of benthic bivalves peaked in the sediment with median grain size about 0.55 mm,but decreased gradually in coarse or fine sediments.The secondary productivity ranged at 0.37-283.68 g m~(-2)yr~(-1) and averaged at 47.88 g m~(-2) yr~(-1),in which 69.7% was contributed by M.veneriformis It was estimated that primary production was transformed to secondary production at a rate of 6.87%approximately,which implies that there is a local sustainability of high bivalve production.     

Contribution of slab-fluid in arc magmas beneath the Japan arcs

Identifying the amount and composition of slab-derived fluid and its spatial variation is key to quantifying fluid processes in subduction zones. Based on the isotopic systematics of arc lavas, we found regional variations over the Japan arcs in terms of the amount and composition of slab-derived fluid added to the melting source region. The average amounts of slab-derived fluid differ among the arcs: 2.6 wt.% for Central Japan, 0.69 wt.% for Ryukyu, 0.17 wt.% for NE Japan, and 0.12 wt.% for both Kurile and Izu–Bonin. These differences may be attributed to the arc setting (oceanic or continental) and the geometry of the slabs. Contribution of sediment involved in the slab-derived fluid is dominant in NE Japan compared to the Izu–Bonin and Central Japan arcs. This could be attributed to mechanical features such as fractures near the subducting plate surface, in addition to the arc setting and the slab geometry. Therefore, the amount and composition of slab-derived fluid are thought to be controlled not only by the thermal conditions, but also by the tectonic and mechanical features around the subduction zone. On top of the variability of slab-derived fluid, the mantle wedge shows the regional variation in terms of proportion of the Pacific-type and Indian-type MORB-source mantle components, which also contributes to the compositional variations of arc magmas.