Mineralogical study of the core samples from the Indian Ocean,with special reference to the vertical distribution of clay minerals

The clay minerals in the 18 core samples collected from the northern, equatorial and southeastern Indian Ocean are illite, chlorite, montmorillonite and kaolinite. In the fraction finer than 2 in the surface layer (top to 5 cm deep) of each core, the relative abundance of clay minerals varies widely from area to area. Kaolinite possesses the maximum proportion of the clay mineral composition and chlorite has the minimum proportion.Kaolinite is particularly dominant in sediments near off the northwestern coast of Australia. In the factions finer and coarser than 2 of the surface layer, montmorillonite and kaolinite tend to be abundant in the fraction finer than 2, and chlorite and illite tend to be abundant in the fraction coarser than 2. In some cores, kaolinite-rich layers in sediments which are considered to have been transported by turbidity currents from the Bay of Bengal are found. Turbidity currents appear partly a role in transport of sediments to the equatorial Indian Ocean.As to the relation between the vertical change of clay mineral composition and geochronological data, montmorillonite and kaolinite tend to be more abundant in interglacial ages than in glacial ages, while illite and chlorite tend to exhibit opposite trend.Muscovite and biotite highly concentrated in the cores Ka-9 and Ka-15 collected from the equatorial Indian Ocean seem to originate from granite or gneiss of Ceylon and/or India.     

Clay mineral distribution in sediments of the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea

The 25 sediment samples collected from the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea were analyzed for clay mineral investigation. Results showed the presence of 35% montmorillonite, 13% chlorite, 30% illite, and 22% kaolinite in sediments of the Gulf and also 16% montmorillonite, 21% chlorite, 41% illite, and 22% kaolinite in sediments of the South China Sea. The relatively high concentration of montmorillonite in sediments of the Gulf as compared with that in sediments of the South China Sea may suggest that montmorillonite in these area has been largely derived from soil formation of the bordering land areas of the Gulf, particularly from the northern part of Malay Peninsula. On the contrary, the content of illite in sediments of the South China Sea is higher than that in the Gulf. This mineral appears to have been supplied from Borneo as well as the Mekong Delta. However, chlorite which shows a similar distribution to that of illite in sediments of the Gulf and the South China Sea has not indicated Borneo Isl. as a principal source area for chlorite. Greater resemblance in amount of kaolinite in both sediments of the Gulf and the South China Sea is due to the prevailing distribution of kaolinite as low latitude clay mineral on the bordering land areas. The distribution of clay minerals in sediments of the study area appears to be closely related to the soil formation and geology of the adjacent land areas.This work was carried out at Geological and Mineralogical Institute, Tokyo University of Education.     

The chemical states of iron in marine sediments by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy in combination with chemical leachings

The chemical states of iron in near-shore and deep-sea sediments were investigated by means of⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy in combination with selective and nonselective chemical leachings. As far as a limited number of the sediments analyzed are concerned, Mössbauer spectra of near-shore sediments consist of high-spin paramgnetic ferrous (=1.13 mm/s, Eq=2.65 mm/s) and paramagnetic ferric (=0.35 mm/s, Eq=0.64 mm/s) components, while those of deep-sea sediments are composed of high-spin paramagnetic ferrous, paramagnetic ferrous, paramagnetic ferric and magnetic ferric (0.4 mm/s,H510 KG) components. The Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ ratios of deepsea sediments are much smaller than those in near-shore sediments, while the total contents of iron in the former are much higher than those in the latter. This is principally due to the high contents of authigenic ferric oxides in deep-sea sediments. Further, in the aluminosilicate fraction, the Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ ratios of deep-sea sediments are also smaller than those of near-shore sediments. This is probably attributed to high contents of clay minerals and authigenic aluminosilicates in deep-sea sediments relative to near-shore ones. The magnetic components in deepsea sediments are attributable to hematite, magnetite and/or maghemite.     

Light scattering and size distribution of particles in the surface waters of the North Pacific Ocean

The volume scattering function and size distribution of suspended particles in the surface water were determined in the North Pacific. The relationship between the scattering coefficient estimated from observed volume scattering function and cross-section concentration of the particles greater than 2.4m in diameter was found to be linear in both northern and southern regions of central North Pacific. Difference in the constant of proportionality between two regions, however, was very great. Moreover the constant in the southern region was too large compared with the values obtained by the Mie theory. This is considered to be due to the fact that particles smaller than 2.4m which were not measureable by the Coulter Counter, were neglected in the calculation of cross-section concentration. If small particles are taken into consideration, total cross-section concentration and scattering coefficient in the two regions tend to follow a linear relation. From the correlation between the scattering coefficient computed from size distribution and the volume scattering function, the refractive index of particles was estimated to be 1.03–1.05. By the same procedure, the refractive index of particles in Tateyama Harbour where the water was very turbid, was estimated to be also 1.03–1.05. This is in contrast to the result for the refractive index of particles originating from the river which flows into the harbour. This index was found to be 1.10–1.20.     

Organic components in size-separated aerosols from the western North Pacific

Marine aerosols in the western North Pacific were collected using a cascade impactor. Size-separated aerosols were analyzed for organic carbon, alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The results showed that the rate of decrease of the atmospheric concentrations of these organic components with increase in distance from Japan as well as from the coast of the Eurasian Continent was in the order PAHalkanes>organic carbon. The bulk of all these organic components occurred in the smallest size fraction of particles (<1m). Analysis of the alkanes and PAH indicated that the hydrocarbons in aerosols in Japanese coastal marine areas are primarily derived from terrestrial anthropogenic sources which also contribute to a lesser extent to aerosols in marine areas about 1,000 km off the coast of Japan. In remote marine areas the hydrocarbons on small particles (<1m) have principally a natural terrestrial origin while those on larger particles are marine in origin.     

Distributions and upward fluxes of particulate matter near bottom in the southeastern Bering Sea Shelf

Time-series measurements of temperature, salinity, suspended matter and beam attenuation coefficient () were measured at four hour intervals for about two days in June/ July 1982 in the middle shelf region and the coastal region of the southeastern Bering Sea. Current meters were also moored at the same locations.Depth-time distributions of indicated that profiles of suspended matter resulted from a combined process of resuspension of underlying sediments and sinking of suspended particles. Average-values for all measurements for particles revealed that the upward transport of particles due to resuspension formed a boundary layer, with a thickness apparently related to scalar speed. The average-profiles of the particle volume concentration were assumed to result from a balance between the sinking and diffusive flux of particles under a steady state, and the upward fluxes were calculated. Within the boundary layer, values of the upward fluxes of particulate organic matter linearly decreased with the logarithm of distance from the bottom. Fluxes of organic carbon at the upper edge of the boundary layer were 0.375 gC·m^–2·day^–1 in the middle shelf region (18 m above the bottom, bottom depth=78m) and 0.484gC·m^–2·day^–1 in the coastal region (25 m above the bottom, bottom depth=33m), and fluxes of nitrogen in both regions were 0.067 gN·m^–2·day^–1. The flux of organic carbon obtained in the middle shelf region (18 m above the bottom) agreed approximately with the flux (0.416 gC·m^–2·day^–1) calculated by substituting primary production data into the empirical equation of Suess (1980).     

Glacial to Holoceneδ 13C variations in intermediate depth water masses of North Indian Ocean

The ¹⁸O and ¹³C compositions of glacial- to Holocene-aged benthic foraminifera in a core collected from the eastern Arabian sea (water depth 1230 m) were determined to investigate glacial—interglacial variations in the intermediate depth water chemistry of the North Indian Ocean. In addition, we determined the ¹³C composition of Holocene benthic foraminifera from seven cores for which the ¹⁸O and ¹³C of benthic foraminifera from last glacial maximum (LGM) were reported by Kallel et al. (1988). The ¹³C_DIC in the intermediate waters was generally depleted by 0.3–0.4 during the last glacial maximum compared to Holocene.     

Suspended particles near the bottom in Osaka Bay

The vertical distributions of suspended particles in Osaka Bay were measured by using anin situ beam attenuation meter. The concentration of suspended particles near the bottom increases rapidly toward the bottom where size of sediment is in a range of silt. The settling velocity of suspended particles near the bottom was measured with the use of a settling tower in the laboratory. The settling velocity of the suspended particles with diameter from 10 to 100m is 2×10^–3cm s^–1 to 5×10^–2cm s^–1. The density of the particles ranges from 2.0 to 1.1 and decreases with increasing particle diameter.     

Effects of irradiance on excystment of tintinnids from marine sediments

The effects of irradiance on the excystment of tintinids from marine sediments were examined by incubating sediment samples in filtered seawater under various light levels. The total incidence of tintinnid excystment over five days was significantly less at low irradiance at and less than 2.5 E m^–2sec^–1 comparing to that at higher irradiance, at and more than 6.9 E m^–2sec^–1 (p<0.01), indicating that excystment of tintinnids is inhibited under low irradiance conditions. These results imply that water depth, disturbance of surface sediments and vertical mixing of water influence the excystment of tintinnids in coastal areas because these factors determine the light levels to which the tintinnid cysts are exposed.     

Vertical transport and residence time of chlorinated hydrocarbons in the open ocean water column

The vertical transport of PCBs and chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides such as DDT compounds and HCH (BHC) isomers in the deep sea are discussed on basis of their vertical profiles and the proportion of their adsorbed and dissolved fractions in surface water surveyed in the Western Pacific, Eastern Indian and Antarctic Oceans.All chlorinated hydrocarbons determined were detected with measurable concentrations throughout the water column, even at depths of several thousand meters. The vertical distributions of PCBs and DDT compounds were found to show small variations in concentration throughout the water column, whereas HCH isomer concentrations decreased systematically with depth. A large portion of DDT compounds in surface water was adsorbed on suspended solids, while most of the HCH isomers were present in the filtered water. The proportion of PCBs adsorbed on suspended solids was smaller than the proportion of DDT compounds, but was much greater than that of HCH isomers. These observations suggest that HCH isomers have been slowly scavenged from the surface to the deeper layers in the water column, while PCBs and DDT compounds have been rapidly and abundantly transported downward by sinking particles.The percentages of chlorinated hydrocarbons adsorbed on suspended solids in surface water increased towards the high latitude locations, and the percentage seemed to be proportional to the concentration of suspended solids in the surface water. This implies that the residence time of chlorinated hydrocarbons in the water column will differ significantly among oceans that differ in primary productivity. According to our estimation based on the data presented in this study, the residence time ofHCH in the euphotic zone, the top 100 m of the water column, is more than 2 years, whereas those of PCBs andDDT are less than 1 year. The longest residence time, of from 5 to 10 years, was obtained forHCH in oligotrophic water of the western North Pacific. The shortest value, only 11 to 19 days, was estimated forDDT in the Antarctic Ocean.     

Chlorinated hydrocarbons in the North Pacific and Indian Oceans

PCBs, DDT compounds and HCH isomers were detected in the air and surface waters of the North Pacific and Indian Oceans, including the Bering Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The general concentrations of each chlorinated hydrocarbon were as follows: water PCBs 0.1 to 1.0, DDT 0.01 to 1.0, HCH 1.0 to 10 ngl ^–1; air DDT 0.01 to 1.0, HCH 0.1 to 10 ng m^–3. PCB concentrations in surface waters were slightly lower than those of the North Atlantic and North Sea previously reported, while DDT concentrations in the air and water were higher. Remarkably high concentrations of DDT and HCH were found in the air off the western coast of India. Also in the Pacific site off Central America, a fairly high concentration of DDT was observed in an air sample. These data suggest that large amounts of DDT and HCH are being used in the tropical zone, especially in southern Asia. Furthermore, high concentrations were observed both in the air and water of the Northwest Pacific between 30°N and 40°N latitude. There is a possibility that both pesticides are not only still being used in lower latitude countries but also in the mid-latitude ones of the Asian continent excluding Japan. In addition to this atmospheric circulation may also contribute to the concentration of these pesticides in the mid-latitudinal zone.     

Abundance and size composition of the summer phytoplankton communities in the western North Pacific Ocean,the Bering Sea,and the Gulf of Alaska

Chlorophylla concentrations (Chla) of size-fractionated phytoplankton samples were measured in the western North Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, and the Gulf of Alaska during the summer of 1986. Among samples collected in the upper 100 m (total of 210 samples), 207 samples were dominated by micro- (>10 m) or picoplankton (<2 m) and only three samples were represented by nanoplankton (2–10 m). These 207 samples were classified based on the total Chla content into three types: Type H (>1.0 g l^–1), Type M (0.5–1.0 g l^–1), and Type L (<0.5 g l^–1). These types further divided into two subtypes (-p and-m), depending upon dominancy of pico (-p) and microplankton (-m). The phytoplankton community was represented by Type L-p in the Gulf of Alaska, where 80% of the samples fell into this type. It was represented by Type M-p in the western North Pacific and the Oceanic Domain in the Bering Sea, where 53 and 41% of samples were identified as this type, respectively. In the Middle Domain of the Bering Sea, 68% of samples collected below the nitracline was Type H-m, which indicates blooms of microplanton. This type was also observed in the neritic waters near the Aleutian Islands. These types described above are consistent with a general trend that an increase in phytoplankton abundance is attributed to the growth of microplankton. An unusual type occurred above the nitracline of the Middle Domain, where microplankton prevailed, although the total Chla was less (Type L-m). This type represents a feature of late phase of an ice edge bloom. Another unusual type was found mainly in the Outer Domain of the Bering Sea, where the total Chla was high and picoplankton prevailed (Type H-p). The predominance of picoplankton seems to result from the heavy grazing intensity of large calanoid copepods upon microplankton but not upon picoplankton     

Particulate materials and microbial assemblages around the Izena black smoking vent in the Okinawa trough

The plume of particulate DNA (0.7–1g/l) was extended from a black smoker vent (c.a. 1340 m depth) to the west-southwest directions in the Izena bottom-water region. High concentrations of particulate materials (70–110 g C/l; 300–570 g S/l) were also detected in the bottom-waters. Microscopic observation showed that the bottom-waters were rich in alcian blue-stainable large amorphous particles which contained coccoid and rod-shaped microbial cells mostly smaller than 1m. These microbial matrix compounds appeared to contribute to low P-DNA/P-C ratio (0.011±0.008;n=27) in the vent environment. Sulfur was detected in various kinds of particles in the waters, while the content varied with calcium. Microbial population in the P-DNA plume water was in the order of 10⁵ cells/ml and the most (>99.9%) were non-culturable. The composition of culturable heterotrophs differed between the bottom-waters and surface sediments surrounding the vent; contributions of low temperature (4°C)-culturable bacteria and manganese-oxidizing bacteria to the total heterotrophs were higher in the sediments than in the waters. In contrast, percentages of orange-pigmented heterotrophs and microorganisms capable of growing in thiosulfate- and ammonia-based media to the total heterotrophs were higher in the waters than in the sediments. These results suggest that the culturable bacterial community in the bottom-waters was nutritionally versatile. Izena hydrothermal activities seemed to have a great influence in concentrations and compositions of particulate mateirals and in biomass and compositions of microbial community in the vicinity of this aphotic deep-sea environment.     

Beggiatoa in microbial mats at hydrocarbon vents in the Gulf of Mexico and Warm Mineral Springs,Florida

Microbial mats were collected from a variety of sites near hydrocarbon vents along the slope in the northern Gulf of Mexico and, for comparison, from Warm Mineral Springs, Florida, USA. A predominant microorganism in each of the mats was the giant bacterium,Beggiatoa. Diameters of the bacterial filaments ranged from about 6 µm to approximately 200 µm. The latter organisms are the largest prokaryotic organisms yet found. All filaments over about 10 µm in diameter contained a large central vacuole, producing a cell with the cytoplasm as a cylindrical tube underlying the cytoplasmic membrane. Sulfur globules were confined to this peripheral layer. Push cores often contained pyrite tubules whose appearance is suggestive of aBeggiatoa origin. Determinations of ¹³C inBeggiatoa mats from vents along the Louisiana slope yielded values in the range of –26.6 to –27.9 (PDB), suggesting an unusually high degree of isotope fractionation (–24.9) relative to the carbon source in the ambient seawater, which is typical of sulfur-oxidizing chemoautotrophs. The presence of S^O (elemental sulfur) within cells ofBeggiatoa resulting from oxidation of H₂S supports the importance of bacterial sulfate reduction processes in the underlying vents for the sustenance of theBeggiatoa mats.     

Magnetic properties of some young basalts from the East Pacific Rise

We report the results of a study of the magnetic properties of basalts recovered from the axis and from 0.7 m.y. old crust at 21° N and 19°30 S on the East Pacific Rise as well as from the 9°03 N overlapping spreading centers. The natural remanent magnetization of the samples from 21° N and 19°30 S decreases from the axis to 0.7 m.y. old crust as a result of low-temperature oxidation. In addition, the magnetic properties of the samples from the 21° N sites indicate that: (1) the magnetic susceptibility and the Koenigsberger ratio decrease with low-temperature alteration, (2) the Curie temperature, the median demagnetizing field and the remanent coercivity increase with maghemitization, (3) the saturation magnetization measured at room temperature does not change significantly with age. The magnetic properties of the basalt samples from the 9°03 N overlapping spreading centers indicate the presence of a high magnetization zone at the tip of the eastern spreading center. This high magnetization zone is the result of the high percentage of unaltered, fine-grained titanomagnetites present in the samples. These measurements are consistent with the results of the three-dimensional inversion of the magnetic field over the 9°03 N overlapping system [Sempere et al., 1984] as well as with detailed tectonic and geochemical investigations of overlapping spreading centers (Sempere and Macdonald, 1986a; Langmuir et al., 1986; Natland et al., 1986). The high magnetization zone appears to be the result of the eruption of highly fractionated basalts enriched in iron associated with the propagation of one of the limbs of the overlapping system into older lithosphere and not just to rapid decay, due to low-temperature oxidation, of the initially high magnetization of pillows extruded in the neovolcanic zone.     

Monitoring of position of the Kuroshio axis in the Tokara Strait using sea level data

Properties of the index of position of the Kuroshio axis in the Tokara Strait, named the Kuroshio position index (KPI), were examined using sea-level data during 1984–92. The index is KPI=(X+M _x )/(Y+M _y whereX(Y) is the anomaly of sea-level difference of Nakanoshima (Naze) minus Nishinoomote from the 1984–92 meanM _x (M _y ). The correlation with the latitude of the Kuroshio axis in the Tokara Strait concluded that the KPI withM _x /M _y =0.83 and realisticM _y (100±40 cm) best indicates the position of the Kuroshio axis in the strait. The KPI withM _x =83 cm andM _y =100 cm was newly called the KPI as the best index. Using daily values of this KPI, the relation between the position of the Kuroshio in the strait and the large meander of the Kuroshio shown by Kawabe (1995) was confirmed and studied in detail. A large meander forms (ends) 3.3 (5.1) months after a northward (southward) shift of the Kuroshio in the Tokara Strait. Yet, a temporary southward shift with a duration of ten to twenty days does not finish the large-meander (LM) path. At the LM formation, a small meander southeast of Kyushu begins to move eastward associated with the northward shift. The processes of LM formation and decay are started by the meridional move of the Kuroshio axis in the Tokara Strait. The Kuroshio axis at the FES line during the LM path is located farther north by 7 latitude than that during the non-large-meander (NLM) path. The latitude during the LM formation (decay) stage is a little higher (lower) than that during the LM (NLM) period, though the Kuroshio still takes an NLM (LM) path.     

Thermal evolution of the western Svalbard margin

The northern Norwegian-Greenland Sea opened up as the Knipovich Ridge propagated from the south into the ancient continental Spitsbergen Shear Zone. Heat flow data suggest that magma was first intruded at a latitude of 75° N around 60 m.y.b.p. By 40–50 m.y.b.p. oceanic crust was forming at a latitude of 78° N. At 12 m.y.b.p. the Hovgård Transform Fault was deactivated during a northwards propagation of the Knipovich Ridge. Spreading is now in its nascent stages along the Molloy Ridge within the trough of the Spitsbergen Fracture Zone. Spreading rates are slower in the north than the south. For the Knipovich Ridge at 78° N they range from 1.5–2.3 mm yr^-1 on the eastern flank to 1.9–3.1 mm yr^-1 on the western flank. At a latitude of 75° N spreading rates increase to 4.3–4.9 mm yr^-1.Thermal profiles reveal regions of off-axial high heat flow. They are located at ages of 14 m.y. west and 13 m.y. east of the northern Knipovich Ridge, and at 36 m.y. on the eastern flank of the southern Knipovich Ridge. These may correspond to episodes of increased magmatic activity; which may be related to times of rapid north-wards rise axis propagation.The fact that the Norwegian-Greenland Sea is almost void of magnetic anomalies may be caused by the chaotic extrusion of basalts from a spreading center trapped within the confines of an ancient continental shear zone. The oblique impact of the propagating rift with the ancient shear zone may have created an unstable state of stress in the region. If so, extension took place preferentially to the northwest, while compression occurred to the southeast between the opening, leaking shear zone and the Svalbard margin. This caused faster spreading rates to the northwest than to the southeast.     

Influence of the hydrothermal vents on the distribution of benthic foraminifera from the Guaymas Basin,Mexico

The distribution and composition of four benthic foraminifera assemblages from the Guaymas Basin are depicted through Q- and R-mode Factor Analysis. One of these assemblages is distributed near hydrothermal vents,* another developed away from the influence of the vents, and the other two assemblages are found in the subbottom sediments.Biostratigraphic analysis of five cores collected within the hydrothermal region suggest that the foraminiferal remains have been affected by aselective dissolution process. Only small species, such asBulimina spinosa andBolivina sp 2, have been preserved in the subbottom sediments which have been influenced by the hydrothermal activity.     

Observation of corer penetration and sample entry during gravity coring

Gravity core samples provide the basic data source for a wide range of geological, geotechnical and geochemical studies. However, the length of the core recovered is often less than the penetration achieved by the corer, such cores being described as shortened. If the penetration of the corer has been measured, and it is assumed that no dropout of the core occurs as the barrel is withdrawn from the seabed, it is present practice to reconstruct in situ dimensions using an overall correction factor based on this penetration and the length of core recovered. However, measurements, reported here, have been made of corer penetration and sample entry and these show that the entry deficit (penetration minus sample entry) develops in some instances continuously, and in others intermittently. These results indicate that an overall correction factor is unlikely to be appropriate to any given section of the core.