A comparison of methods for calculating the motion of a semi-submersible

The 17th ITTC Ocean Engineering Committee undertook the comparison of methods for calculating semi-submersible wave motion, and 34 programs from 28 different organizations participated in the project. The summary of the results are reported in the Technical Report of the 17th ITTC (ITTC, 1984).In this paper, the details of the project are described. Namely, almost all the calculation results of the 34 programs are shown and examined from the viewpoints of the validity of the program itself and of the correlation between the differences in the various calculation methods and the differences in the calculation results. The calculation results are also compared with the experiments, the details of which are also illustrated.     

Degradation of lubricating oils by marine bacteria observed by quantitative mass spectrometry

Bacterial degradation of the hydrocarbons of lubricating oils was investigated by mass spectrometric analysis which gives both total amount and the composition of hydrocarbon types of residual oil. An unused lubricating oil, which mainly consisted of hydrocarbon types with only a small percentage ofn-alkanes, was degraded by marineBacillus sp. andPseudomonas sp. with 55 % and 25 % decreases in 10 days, respectively. Susceptibility of respective hydrocarbon types to biodegradation was in the following order: alkanes > non-condensed cycloalkanes, mono-aromatics > condensed cycloalkanes. A used lubricating oil of different brand showed a larger decrease than the unused oil. Both species of bacteria degraded large portions of alkane fraction of Arabian light crude oil.     

Sulfide evolution in high-temperature to ultrahigh-temperature metamorphic rocks from Lützow–Holm Complex, East Antarctica

The high-temperature (HT) to ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) metamorphic rocks from Lützow–Holm Complex, East Antarctica show a systematic difference between sulfide assemblages in the rock matrix and those found as inclusions in the silicates stable in high-temperatures. Matrix sulfides are commonly pyrite with or without pentlandite and chalcopyrite. On the other hand, inclusion sulfides are pyrrhotite with or without pentlandite and chalcopyrite lamellae. When recalculated into integrated single-phase sulfide compositions, inclusion sulfides from the UHT region showed a wider range of solid–solution composition than the inclusion sulfides from the HT region. The host minerals of the sulfides with extreme solid–solution compositions are those stable at the peak of metamorphism such as orthopyroxene and garnet. One of the most extreme ones is included in orthopyroxene coexisting with sillimanite ± quartz, which is the diagnostic mineral assemblage of UHT metamorphism. These observations suggest that sulfide inclusions preserve their peak metamorphic compositions. Pyrrhotite did not revert to pyrite because of the closed system behavior of sulfur in inclusion sulfides. On the other hand, in the rock matrix where the open system behavior of sulfur is permitted, original sulfides were partly to completely altered by the later fluid activity.     

Oxygen isotope speedometry in granulite facies garnet recording fluid/melt–rock interaction (Sør Rondane Mountains,East Antarctica)

In situ analysis of a garnet porphyroblast from a granulite facies gneiss from Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica, reveals discontinuous step‐wise zoning in phosphorus and large δ¹⁸O variations from the phosphorus‐rich core to the phosphorus‐poor rim. The gradually decreasing profile of oxygen isotope from the core (δ¹⁸O = ~15‰) to the rim (δ¹⁸O = ~11‰) suggests that the ¹⁸O/¹⁶O zoning was originally step‐wise, and modified by diffusion after the garnet rim formation at ~800°C and 0.8 GPa. Fitting of the ¹⁸O/¹⁶O data to the diffusion equation constrains a duration of the high‐T event (~800°C) to c. 0.5–40 Ma after the garnet rim formation. The low δ¹⁸O value of the garnet rim, together with the previously reported low δ¹⁸O values in metacarbonates, indicates regional infiltration, probably along a detachment fault, of low δ¹⁸O fluid/melt possibly derived from meta‐mafic to ultramafic rocks.     

Seasonal variations in the nitrogen isotopic composition of settling particles at station K2 in the western subarctic North Pacific

Intensive observations using hydrographical cruises and moored sediment trap deployments during 2010 and 2012 at station K2 in the North Pacific Western Subarctic Gyre (WSG) revealed seasonal changes in δ ¹⁵N of both suspended and settling particles. Suspended particles (SUS) were collected from depths between the surface and 200 m; settling particles by drifting sediment traps (DST; 100–200 m) and moored sediment traps (MST; 200 and 500 m). All particles showed higher δ ¹⁵N values in winter and lower in summer, contrary to the expected by isotopic fractionation during phytoplankton nitrate consumption. We suggest that these observed isotopic patterns are due to ammonium consumption via light-controlled nitrification, which could induce variations in δ ¹⁵N(SUS) of 0.4–3.1 ‰ in the euphotic zone (EZ). The δ ¹⁵N(SUS) signature was reflected by δ ¹⁵N(DST) despite modifications during biogenic transformation from suspended particles in the EZ. δ ¹⁵N enrichment (average: 3.6 ‰) and the increase in C:N ratio (by 1.6) in settling particles suggests year-round contributions of metabolites from herbivorous zooplankton as well as TEPs produced by diatoms. Accordingly, seasonal δ ¹⁵N(DST) variations of 2.4–7.0 ‰ showed a significant correlation with primary productivity (PP) at K2. By applying the observed δ ¹⁵N(DST) vs. PP regression to δ ¹⁵N(MST) of 1.9–8.0 ‰, we constructed the first annual time-series of PP changes in the WSG. This new approach to estimate productivity can be a powerful tool for further understanding of the biological pump in the WSG, even though its validity needs to be examined carefully.     

Space-time distribution patterns of destructive earthquakes in the inner belt of central Japan: Activity intervals and locations of earthquakes

Based on a block structure model of the inner belt of central Japan, an examination was conducted of the space-time distribution patterns of destructiv magnitudes M 6.4 or greater (M =Japan Meteorological Agency Scale). The distribution patterns revealed a periodicity in earthquake activit seismic gaps. Major NW—SE trending left-lateral active faults divide the inner belt of central Japan into four blocks, 20–80 km wide. The occurrenc A.D. with M ≥ 6.4, which have caused significant damage, were documented in the inner belt of central Japan. The epicenters of these earthquakes close to the block boundaries.

Using the relationship between the magnitude of earthquakes which occurred in the Japanese Islands and the active length of faults that generated them, movement is calculated for each historical earthquake. Space—time distributions of earthquakes were obtained from the calculated lengths, the latitud of generation. When an active period begins, a portion or segment of the block boundary creates an earthquake, which in turn appears on the ground surf active period ends when the block boundary generates earthquakes over the entire length of the block boundary without overlapping.

Five seismic gaps with fault lengths of 20 km or longer can be found in the inner belt of central Japan. It is predicted that the gaps will generate ea magnitudes of 7.0. These data are of significance for estimating a regional earthquake risk over central Japan in the design of large earthquake resist

The time sequences of earthquakes on the block boundaries reveal a similar tendency, with alternating active periods with seismic activity and quiet pe activity. The inner belt of central Japan is now in the last stage of an active period. The next active period is predicted to occur around 2500 A.D.     

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.     

Crack-filling clays and weathered cracks in the DPRI 1800 m core near the Nojima Fault, Japan: Evidence for deep surface-water circulation near an active fault

Abstract Crack-filling clays and weathered cracks were observed in the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University (DPRI) 1800 m cores drilled from the Nojima Fault Zone, which was activated during the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake (Kobe earthquake). The crack-filling clays consist mainly of unconsolidated fine-grained materials that fill opening cracks with no shear textures. Most of the cracks observed in the DPRI 1800 m cores are yellow-brown to brown in color due to weathering. Powder X-ray diffraction analyses show that the crack-filling clays are composed mainly of clay minerals and carbonates such as siderite and calcite. Given that the top of the borehole is approximately 45 m above sea level, most of the core is far below the stable groundwater table. Hence, it is suggested that the crack-filling clays and weathered cracks in the cores taken at depths of 1800 m were formed by the flow of surface water down to the deep fractured zone of the Nojima Fault Zone during seismic faulting.     

Oxygen isotope fractionation factors between anhydrite and water from 100 to 550°C

Oxygen isotope exchange between anhydrite and water was studied from 100 to 550°C, using the partial equilibrium method. The exchange rate was extremely low in NaCl solution. In the lower-temperature range, acid solutions were used to produce sufficient reaction to determine the oxygen isotope fractionation factors. The fractionation factors obtained in the present study are definitely different from those given by Lloyd [8]. They are similar to those for the HSO₄^?-water system studied by Mizutani and Rafter [19], and are consistently 2‰ higher than those of the barite-water system by Kusakabe and Robinson [5]. The temperature dependence of the oxygen isotope fractionation factors was calculated by the least squares method in which the weight was taken to be inversely proportional to the experimental error. The fractionation is given by:10³lnαanhydrite-water=3.21×(10³/T)²?4.72Available δ¹⁸O values of natural anhydrite were used to test the validity of this expression. It is shown that this newly revised geothermometer can be successfully applied to natural hydrothermal anhydrite.