Geochemical Evolution of Akagi Volcano, NE Japan: Implications for Interaction Between Island-arc Magma and Lower Crust, and Generation of Isotopically Various Magmas

Major and trace element, and Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositionswere determined for whole-rock samples from the ‘isotopicallyanomalous’ Akagi volcano in the volcanic front of theNE Japan arc. Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of phenocrystswere also analyzed together with their major and trace elementcompositions. Compared with the other volcanoes from the volcanicfront, the whole-rock isotope compositions of Akagi show highlyenriched characteristics; ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0·7060–0·7088,     

Shift and Rotation of Composition Trends by Magma Mixing: 1983 Eruption at Miyake-jima Volcano, Japan

Pre-eruption processes are investigated for magmas erupted in1983 from Miyake-jima volcano, which is one of the most activevolcanoes in Japan. The whole-rock compositional trends of theeruptive products are principally smooth and linear. Magmaserupted from some fissures have compositions that deviate fromthe main linear trend. Phenocryst contents of samples displacedfrom the linear compositional trends are significantly lowerthan those of samples on the main trends. Anorthite-rich plagioclasephenocrysts, present throughout the 1983 products, are too calcicto have crystallized from the erupted magma composition, andwere derived from a basaltic magma through magma mixing. Althoughthe linear whole-rock composition trends favor simple two-componentmagma mixing, this cannot explain the presence of samples thatdeviate from the main trend. Instead, the observed compositiontrends were formed by mixing of a homogeneous basaltic magmawith andesitic magmas exhibiting compositional diversity. Theoriginal linear composition trends of the andesitic end-membermagma were rotated and shifted to the direction of the basalticend-member magma by magma mixing. The samples out of the maintrends represent magmas with less basaltic component than thoseon the trend. The density and viscosity of the basaltic end-membermagma were comparable with those of the andesitic end-membermagmas. The basaltic magma, discharged from one magma chamberat 2 kbar pressure, was injected into a magma chamber at lowerpressure occupied by the chemically zoned andesite magma (1kbar), and possibly as a fountain. To establish the characteristicmixing trend of the 1983 magma, the basaltic component musthave been distributed systematically in the zoned andesite magma.A requirement is that the basaltic magma spread laterally andmixed with the andesite magma at various levels of ascent ofthe fountain in the host andesite magma. Analysis of compositionalzoning in titanomagnetite crystals revealed that the eruptionof the 1983 magmas was initiated soon after the replenishmentof the basaltic magma in the 1 kbar magma chamber. KEY WORDS: compositional trend; liquid–liquid blending; magma chamber; magma mixing; Miyake-jima Volcano     

Arc–arc collision in the Izu collision zone, central Japan, deduced from the Ashigara Basin and adjacent Tanzawa Mountains

The Pleistocene Ashigara Basin and adjacent Tanzawa Mountains, Izu collision zone, central Japan, are examined to better understand the development of an arc–arc orogeny, where the Izu–Bonin – Mariana (IBM) arc collides with the Honshu Arc. Three tectonic phases were identified based on the geohistory of the Ashigara Basin and the denudation history of the Tanzawa Mountains. In phase I, the IBM arc collided with the Honshu Arc along the Kannawa Fault. The Ashigara Basin formed as a trench basin, filled mainly by thin-bedded turbidites derived from the Tanzawa Mountains together with pyroclastics. The Ashigara Basin subsided at a rate of 1.7 mm/year, and the denudation rate of the Tanzawa Mountains was 1.1 mm/year. The onset of Ashigara Basin Formation is likely to be older than 2.2 Ma, interpreted as the onset of collision along the Kannawa Fault. Significant tectonic disruption due to the arc–arc collision took place in phase II, ranging from 1.1 to 0.7 Ma in age. The Ashigara Basin subsided abruptly (4.6 mm/year) and the accumulation rate increased to approximately 10 times that of phase I. Simultaneously, the Tanzawa Mountains were abruptly uplifted. A tremendous volume of coarse-grained detritus was provided from the Tanzawa Mountains and deposited in the Ashigara Basin as a slope-type fan delta. In phase III, 0.7–0.5 Ma, the entire Ashigara Basin was uplifted at a rate of 3.6 mm/year. This uplift was most likely caused by isostatic rebound resulting from stacking of IBM arc crust along the Kannawa Fault which is not active as the decollement fault by this time. The evolution of the Ashigara Basin and adjacent Tanzawa Mountains shows a series of the development of the arc–arc collision; from the subduction of the IBM arc beneath the Honshu Arc to the accretion of IBM arc crust onto Honshu. Arc–arc collision is not the collision between the hard crusts (massif) like a continent–continent collision, but crustal stacking of the subducting IBM arc beneath the Honshu Arc intercalated with very thick trench fill deposits.     

SEM Observation of the Wing Membrane of Beipiaopterus chenianus (Pterosauria)

The cross-section and surface structures of wing membranes from the ctenochasmatid pterosaur Beipiaopterus chenianus were observed through a scanning electron microscope （SEM）. The results show that the wing membrane contains a high density of blood vessels, implying strong thermoregulatory function, similar to that of a bat wing membrane. This is the first comparison of the microstmctures of pterosaur wing membranes with those of the modem bat. It is inferred that a bat-like physiology exists, at least in relatively small pterosaurs suggesting that these pterosaurs were warm-blooded, active fliers.     

Sedimentary history with biotic reaction in the Middle Permian shelly sequence of the Southern Kitakami Massif,Japan

The transition of sedimentary environments and their organism‐related responses is exemplified in the active margin setting of the Middle Permian in the Southern Kitakami Massif. The transition in the sedimentary environment began with a shallowing‐upward sequence at an upper slope to an outer shelf depositional setting that was associated with a delta system which transported abundant botanic remains in the Hoso‐o Formation. By contrast, the sediments of the overlying Kamiyasse Formation, the base of which is roughly equivalent to the lowermost Capitanian, were deposited at a lower shoreface to the outer shelf setting, which originated from complex depositional sources, including beach, near shore reef mounds and a nearby independent area of shallow and hard substratum with a considerable difference of depth. This unique depositional setting resulted in the seemingly ‘mixed’ fauna associated with this formation. The depositional environment of the overlying Kurosawa Formation is similar to that of the Hoso‐o Formation, but with far fewer monotonous biotic remains. A comparison of lithological characteristics and fossil remains with those of neighboring regions suggests that the independent mounds were generated as if the talus formed elsewhere so as to provide a large amount of skeletal elements to a deeper basin in the earliest Capitanian. Accordingly, the complex sedimentary setting observed in the Kamiyasse Formation occurs widely throughout the South Kitakami Massif, making possible the ‘mixed’ and seemingly diverse fauna from a mixture of multiple allochthonous origins.     

Description and Phylogenetic Position of Dinosaur Eggshells from the Luanchuan Area of Western Henan Province, China

Here, we examine 145 dinosaur eggshells from a new fossil locality in the Qiupa Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of the Luanchuan area in western Henan Province, China. The eggshells display elongatoolithid macro- and microstructures, including ridges and nodes on the outer surface, two ultrastructural layers, and an undulatory boundary between the mammillary and continuous layers. A phylogenic analysis shows that the Luanchuan eggshells belong to the ooclade Elongatoolithidae. Within Elongatoolithidae, the thickness ratio of the mammillary layer to the entire eggshell, and the porosity of the Luanchuan eggshells are comparable to the oogenera Macroolithus and Elongatoolithus. There is no direct evidence for the taxonomic identity of the Luanchuan eggshells; however, they were likely laid by oviraptorids based on their phylogenetic position and their similarities with known oviraptorid eggs.     

A New Basal Sauropod Dinosaur from the Lufeng Basin,Yunnan Province, Southwestern China

<正>A new dinosaur Chuxiongosaurus lufengensis gen.et sp.nov.is erected based on a nearly complete skull.The taxon is characterized by the lacrimal perpendicular to the ventral margin of the upper jaw,which is similar to that of Thecodontosaurus;a depression present on the dorsal profile of the snout behind the naris;the rostral profile of the maxilla slopes continuously towards the rostral tip;and the presence of 25 dentary teeth.It also displays prosauropod characters such as a relatively long skull,the slope of the maxillary rostral profile,and teeth that do not have basically constricted crowns.The new specimen is more basal than Anchisaurus and represents the first basal sauropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of China.     

EVALUATION OF SURFACE-LAYER WIND PROFILES WITH HEIFE OBSERVATIONS

In this paper the mean wind speed profiles in the atmospheric surfacelayer over oasis, sand, and Gobi desert surfaces in the HEIhe river FieldExperiment (HEIFE) area are discussed for various stability conditions. Themathematical representation of mean wind speed profiles obtained fromdifferent sources are used to estimate the mean wind speeds, and the resultsare compared with observed wind speed data obtained at 20 m meteorologicaltowers over different ground surfaces. It is found that for unstable and neutral conditions, a compositeexponential profile and flux-profile relationship can be used to describe thewind speed profile in the atmospheric surface layer over homogeneoussurfaces, the composite exponential profile giving a relatively high accuracyin the estimation of wind speed profiles. For stable conditions, thecomposite exponential profile also can be used to estimate the wind speedprofile, but for very stable conditions, the accuracy is not good. For thoseconditions, flux-profile equations can give estimates of the wind speedprofile with relatively high accuracy.     

Occurrence of lawsonite in pelitic schists from the Sanbagawa metamorphic belt, central Shikoku, Japan

The occurrence of lawsonite is described from pelitic schists of the lower-grade part of the pumpellyite-bearing subzone of the chlorite zone in the Asemi River area of central Shikoku. The lawsonite-bearing parageneses are consistent with the generally accepted view that the Sanbagawa facies series represents higher pressures than the lawsonite-bearing facies series in New Zealand.