Effects of salinity downshock on dimethylsulfide production

During time-series observations in Sagami Bay, Japan, the concentration of dissolved dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP_d), a precursor of dimethylsulfide (DMS), was negatively correlated with salinity. In the laboratory, low-salinity shock reduced DMS production rates of the natural bacterial community and induced rapid DMSP release from a dinophyte, Heterocapsa triquetra, suggesting that low-salinity shock reduced DMSP_d consumption but enhanced DMSP_d production, which agrees with the negative correlation between DMSP_d and salinity observed in Sagami bay. In addition, low-salinity shock did not affect DMSP lyase activity of H. triquetra. Low-salinity shock would increase the contribution from algae in DMS production, leading to an increase in potential DMS productivity in the environment.     

Damage process of pile foundation in liquefied ground during strong ground motion

The 1995 Hyogoken–Nambu earthquake caused severe liquefaction over wide areas of reclaimed land. Furthermore, the liquefaction induced large ground displacement in horizontal directions, which caused serious damage to foundations of structures. However, few analyses of steel pipe piles based on field investigation have so far been conducted to identify the causes and process of such damage. The authors conducted a soil–pile-structure interaction analysis by applying a multi-lumped-mass-spring model to a steel pipe pile foundation structure to evaluate the causes and process of its damage. The damage process analyzed in the time domain corresponded well with the results of detailed field investigation. It was found that a large bending moment beyond the ultimate plastic moment of the pile foundation structure was induced mainly by the large ground displacement caused by liquefaction before lateral spreading of the ground and that the displacement appeared during the accumulating process of the excess pore water pressure.     

Primordial noble gases in a graphite‐metal inclusion from the Canyon Diablo IAB iron meteorite and their implications

Abstract— We have carried out noble gas measurements on graphite from a large graphite‐metal inclusion in Canyon Diablo. The Ne data of the low‐temperature fractions lie on the mixing line between air and the spallogenic component, but those of high temperatures seem to lie on the mixing line between Ne‐HL and the spallogenic component. The Ar isotope data indicate the presence of Q in addition to air, spallogenic component and Ar‐HL. As the elemental concentration of Ne in Q is low, we could not detect the Ne‐Q from the Ne data. On the other hand, we could not observe Xe‐HL in our Xe data. As the Xe concentration and the Xe/Ne ratio in Q is much higher than that in the HL component, it is likely that only the contribution of Q is observed in the Xe data. Xenon isotopic data can be explained as a mixture of Q, air, and “El Taco Xe.” The Canyon Diablo graphite contains both HL and Q, very much like carbonaceous chondrites, retaining the signatures of various primordial noble gas components. This indicates that the graphite was formed in a primitive nebular environment and was not heated to high, igneous temperatures. Furthermore, a large excess of ¹²⁹Xe was observed, which indicates that the graphite was formed at a very early stage of the solar system when ¹²⁹I was still present. The HL/Q ratios in the graphite in Canyon Diablo are lower than those in carbonaceous chondrites, indicating that some thermal metamorphism occurred on the former. We estimated the temperature of the thermal metamorphism to about 500–600 °C from the difference of thermal retentivities of HL and Q. It is also noted that “El Taco Xe” is commonly observed in many IAB iron meteorites, but its presence in carbonaceous chondrites has not yet been established.     

Conduit process in vulcanian eruptions at Sakurajima volcano, Japan: Inference from comparison of volcanic ash with pressure wave and seismic data

To elucidate the conduit processes controlling the amplitude of air pressure waves (A _pw) from vulcanian eruptions at the Sakurajima volcano, Japan, we examine ash particles emitted by eruptions preceded by swarms of low-frequency B-type earthquakes (BL-swarms). We measure the water content of glassy ash, an indicator of shallow magma storage pressure, and vesicle textures, such as vesicle number density (VND). These data allow us to reconstruct the shallow conduit by comparing vesicularity with inferred pressure, and therefore depth, of magma storage. The results show that VND increases with depth, implying formation of a dense, outgassed magma cap underlain by more-vesicular, less-outgassed, magma. The VND and water content in the glassy ash positively correlate with the duration of BL-swarms, suggesting that such seismic signals reflect upward migration of deep gas- and vesicle-rich magma. Finally, it is determined that A _pw positively correlates with VND, suggesting that the amplitude of the air pressure waves is controlled by the amount of accumulated gas- and bubble-rich magma below the dense magma cap.     

230Th/234U and 14C dating of a lowstand coral reef beneath the insular shelf off Irabu Island, Ryukyus, southwestern Japan

Abstract   High-resolution seismic reflection profiles delineated the distribution of mound-shaped reflections, which were interpreted as reefs, beneath the insular shelf western off Irabu Island, Ryukyus, southwestern Japan. A sediment core through one of the mounded structures was recovered from the sea floor at a depth of −118.2 m by offshore drilling and was dated by radiometric methods. The lithology and coral fauna of the core indicate that the mounded structure was composed of coral–algal boundstone suggesting a small-scaled coral reef. High-precision α-spectrometric ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U dating coupled with calibrated accelerator mass spectrometric ¹⁴C ages of corals obtained reliable ages of this reef ranging from 22.18 ± 0.63 to 30.47 ± 0.98 ka. This proves that such a submerged reef was formed during the lowstand stage of marine oxygen isotope stages 3–2. The existence of low-Mg calcite in the aragonitic coral skeleton of 22.18 ± 0.63 ka provides evidence that the reef had once been exposed by lowering of the relative sealevel to at least −126 m during the last glacial maximum in the study area. There is no room for doubt that a coral reef grew during the last glacial period on the shelf off Irabu Island of Ryukyus in the subtropical region of western Pacific.     

A morphological study of the solar granulation

Some properties of the photospheric granulation near the centre of the quiet sun have been investigated on the basis of two high-definition Stratoscope photographs. We obtain (1) a number density of 54 granules per 10 × 10, (2) a total number of granules on the whole surface of 6.3 × 10⁶, (3) a mean cell diameter of 1.5 or 1100 km and a mean granule diameter of 1.2 or 850 km, the difference of 250 km being ascribed to the mean width of the dark intergranular lanes, (4) frequency distributions of cell diameters and granule diameters (Figures 1 and 2), and (5) an isophotal map in relative intensity (Figure 3). In general, larger granules are brighter than smaller granules (Figure 4). Cross-section profiles are shown for some granules and intergranular lanes (Figures 5 and 6). These quantities have not yet been corrected for the finite resolution of the telescope.     

Clearcutting and pine planting effects on nutrient concentrations and export in two mixed use headwater streams: Upper Coastal Plain,Southeastern USA

Timber harvest temporarily increases water yield; however, relationships between hydrologic and nutrient chemistry changes have not been consistent. This study quantified the effects of forest harvesting and site preparation without fertilization and with modern best management practices on nutrient concentrations and yields in small headwater streams of the Southeastern Coastal Plain. We monitored two watershed pairs for 2 years prior to and 1 year following timber harvest and for 2 more years following site preparation and planting. Treatment watersheds were clearcut, and downstream portions of streamside management zones were thinned in Fall 2003. Site preparation (herbicide application and burning) and planting followed a year later. All operations followed 1999 Georgia forestry best management practices. Previously published research revealed a large increase in water yield following harvest. Nutrient concentrations varied significantly within and between monitoring periods, even in reference watersheds. Silvicultural activities had no discernible effect on phosphorus and ammonium concentrations; however, statistically significant increases in nitrate/nitrite (67–340 µg L⁻¹) and total nitrogen concentrations (100–400 µg L⁻¹) in treatment watersheds followed stand re‐establishment. Nutrient yields increased after timber harvest largely as a result of increased water yields, although increased nutrient yields were small relative to inter‐annual and inter‐watershed variability and variability. Annual water yield largely explained the variability in annual nitrogen and phosphorus export from reference and treatment streams (r² values from 0.65 to 0.98). High NO_x concentrations coming from an upstream agricultural area decreased 1600–1800 µg L⁻¹ over several hundred metres in the treatment streams by dilution, uptake or denitrification. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.