Monitoring the Kuroshio Extension with Dynamically Constrained Synthesis of the Acoustic Tomography, Satellite Altimeter and in situ Data

A finite-difference quasigeostrophic (QG) model of an open ocean region has been employed to produce a dynamically constrained synthesis of acoustic tomography and satellite altimetry data with in situ observations. The assimilation algorithm is based upon the 4D variational data interpolation scheme controlled by the model's initial and boundary conditions. The data sets analyzed include direct and differential travel times measured at the array of five acoustic transceivers deployed by JAMSTEC in the region of the Kuroshio Extension in 1997, Topex/Poseidon altimetry, CTD soundings, and ADCP velocity profiles. The region monitored is located within the area 27.5°–36.5°N, 143°–155°. The results of assimilation show that mesoscale variability can be effectively reconstructed by five transceivers measuring direct and reciprocal travel times supported by relatively sparse in situ measurements. The misfits between model and data lie within the observational error bars for all the data types used in assimilation. We have compared the results of assimilation with the statistical inversion of travel time data and analyzed energy balances of the optimized model solution. Energy exchange between the depth-averaged and shear components of the observed currents reveals a weak decay of the barotropic mode at the rate of 0.2 ± 0.7⋅10⁻⁵ cm²/s³ due to topographic interaction. Mean currents in the region are unstable with an estimate of the available potential energy flux from the mean current to the eddies of 4.7 ± 2.3⋅10⁻⁵ cm²/s³. Kinetic energy transition has the same sign and is estimated as 2.8 ± 2.5⋅10⁻⁵ cm²/s³. Potential enstrophy is transferred to the mesoscale at a rate of 5.5 ± 2.7⋅10⁻¹⁸ s⁻³. These figures provide observational evidence of the properties of free geostrophic turbulence which were predicted by theory and observed in numerical experiments. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Determination of Sr/Sr mass-dependent isotopic fractionation and radiogenic isotope variation of Sr/Sr in the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation

We measured both mass-dependent isotope fractionation of δ⁸⁸Sr (⁸⁸Sr/⁸⁶Sr) and radiogenic isotopic variation of Sr (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) for the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation that deposited as a cap carbonate immediately above the Marinoan-related Nantuo Tillite. The δ⁸⁸Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr compositions showed three remarkable characteristics: (1) high radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values and gradual decrease in the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, (2) anomalously low δ⁸⁸Sr values at the lower part cap carbonate, and (3) a clear correlation between ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ⁸⁸Sr values. These isotopic signatures can be explained by assuming an extreme greenhouse condition after the Marinoan glaciation. Surface seawater, mixed with a large amount of freshwater from continental crusts with high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and lighter δ⁸⁸Sr ratios, was formed during the extreme global warming after the glacial event. High atmospheric CO₂ content caused sudden precipitation of cap carbonate from the surface seawater with high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and lighter δ⁸⁸Sr ratios. Subsequently, the mixing of the underlying seawater, with unradiogenic Sr isotope compositions and normal δ⁸⁸Sr ratios, probably caused gradual decrease of the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the seawater and deposition of carbonate with normal δ⁸⁸Sr ratios. The combination of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ⁸⁸Sr isotope systematics gives us new insights on the surface evolution after the Snowball Earth.     

Paleogeographic maps of the Japanese Islands: Plate tectonic synthesis from 750 Ma to the present

Abstract A series of paleogeographic maps of the Japanese Islands, from their birth at ca 750–700 Ma to the present, is newly compiled from the viewpoint of plate tectonics. This series consists of 20 maps that cover all of the major events in the geotectonic evolution of Japan. These include the birth of Japan at the rifted continental margin of the Yangtze craton ( ca 750-700 Ma), the tectonic inversion of the continental margin from passive to active ( ca 500 Ma), the Paleozoic accretionary growth incorporating fragments from seamounts and oceanic plateaux ( ca 480-250 Ma), the collision between Sino-Korea and Yangtze (250–210 Ma), the Mesozoic to Cenozoic accretionary growth (210 Ma-present) including the formation of the Cretaceous paired metamorphic belts (90 Ma), and the Miocene back-arc opening of the Japan Sea that separated Japan as an island arc (25-15 Ma).     

Experimental and theoretical study of stability of dense hydrous magnesium silicates in the deep upper mantle

Fluid-undersaturated experiments were conducted to determine the phase relations in the simplified peridotite system MgO-SiO₂-H₂O (MSH) at 11.0-14.5 GPa and 800-1400 °C. Stability relations of dense hydrous magnesium silicates (DHMSs) under fluid-undersaturated conditions were experimentally examined. From the fluid-absent experimental results, we retrieved thermodynamic data for clinohumite, phase A, phase E, and hydrous wadsleyite, consistent with the published data set for dry mantle minerals. With this new data set, we have calculated phase equilibria in the MSH system including dehydration reactions. The dehydration reactions calculated with lower water activities of 0.68-0.60 match the fluid-present experiments of this study above 11.0 GPa and 1000 °C, indicating that considerable amounts of silicate component were dissolved into the fluid phase. The calculated phase equilibria illustrate the stability of the post-antigorite phase A-bearing assemblages. In the cold subducting slab peridotite, phase A + enstatite assemblage survives into the transition zone, whereas phase A + forsterite + enstatite assemblage forms hydrous wadsleyite at a much shallower depth of about 360-km. The slab is subducted with no dehydration reactions occurring when entering the transition zone. The phase equilibria also show the high temperature stability of phase E. Phase E is stable up to 1200 °C at 13.5 GPa, a plausible condition in the mantle of relatively low temperature, i.e., beneath subduction zones. Phase E is a possible water reservoir in the mantle as well as wadsleyite and ringwoodite.     

On the stable growth of segregated ice in freezing soil under negligible overburden pressure

The stable growth condition of a segregated ice layer is studied by the use of the principle of mass and heat conservation. This condition evidently depends upon the properties of a thin transitional zone, which is believed to exist between the boundary of an ice layer and a 0[°C] isotherm. All probable models of the transitional zone are classified and the conditions for each model is derived. The effect of the small amount of soil minerals contained in an ice layer is also studied.     

中国内陆高原正极性雷电的观测实验研究

叙述了１９９７年夏季中日两国科学家在甘肃平凉地区合作进行的有关正极性雷电的综合观测实验情况,包括地布局,所采用的技术手 取得的主要结果。实验中采用人工引发雷电技术并取得了两次成功,其中一次是利用“空中解发”方式,即火箭拖带的细钢丝下端不直接接地,而是通过一段绝缘尼龙线与接地的另一段细钢丝相连。用这种方式可以更真实地再现自然雷电的初始过程。实验中观测到了空中导线两端先导的双向传输现象;电流、电场变化     

地闪回击的微秒级辐射场特征及近地面连接过程分析

利用１μｓ时间分辨率的慢天线电场变化仪在甘肃中川地区雷暴过程中测量得到的大量地闪辐射波形地地闪回击辐射场特征及回击的慢前沿过程进行分析,发现１８次正地闪和８５次负地闪产在周前沿过程上升时间为１９．２μｓ和９．４μｓ,８４次负地闪继后回击的前沿过程为４．３ μｓ。ＹＹ ＵＤＡ Ｏ ３．１μ;     

Seepage and consolidation of bentonite saturated with pure- or salt-water by the method of unified molecular dynamics and homogenization analysis

Bentonite clay is a micro-inhomogeneous material, which consists of clay minerals (mainly montmorillonite), macro-grains (mainly quartz), water, air and others. Properties of the saturated bentonite clay are essentially characterized by the montmorillonite and water (i.e. montmorillonite hydrate). We analyze the molecular behavior of sodium montmorillonite hydrate Na_1/3Al₂[Si_11/3Al_1/3]O₁₀(OH)₂·nH₂O by applying a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method. And by using the MD results we calculate the swelling property of the montmorillonite hydrate, and compare with an experimental result. Next, by using the same MD procedure we treat a montmorillonite mineral with a large number of external water molecules to check the properties of the water. Here we treat pure- and salt-water. Then we calculate the diffusivity and viscosity of water molecules and Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions.

For extending the microscopic characteristics of constituent materials to a macroscopic seepage behavior of the micro-inhomogeneous material we apply a homogenization analysis (HA). That is, starting with the Navier–Stokes equation with distributed viscosity that is calculated by the former MD procedure we determine macroscopic permeability characteristics of bentonite for both cases of pure- and salt-water. Then, by using the permeability property we calculate long-term consolidation behavior of buffering clay, which is planed to be used for high-level radioactive waste (HLRW) management. Here the deformation is treated under the well-defined Cam clay model.     

Modification of the High-Pressure-Type Chromites into the Low- Pressure-Type: Petrological Investigation of the Podiform Chromitites in the Luobusa Ophiolite, Tibet

<正>The podiform chromitites in the Luobusa ophiolite,Southern Tibet,have received much attention because of the presence of ultrahigh-pressure minerals,such as microdiamonds(Bai et al.,1993;Yang et al.,2007;Xu et al.,2009),coesite(Yang et al.,2007)and highly reduced metal phases(Bai et al.,2000;Robinson et al.,2004).The     

High-reliability zircon separation for hunting the oldest material on Earth: An automatic zircon separator with image-processing/microtweezers-manipulating system and double-step dating

Despite the recent development in radiometric dating of numerous zircons by LA-ICPMS, mineral separation still remains a major obstacle, particularly in the search for the oldest material on Earth. To improve the efficiency in zircon separation by an order of magnitude, we have designed/developed a new machine-an automatic zircon separator(AZS). This is designed particularly for automatic pick-up of100 μm-sized zircon grains out of a heavy mineral fraction after conventional separation procedures. The AZS operates in three modes:(1) image processing to choose targeted individual zircon grains out of all heavy minerals spread on a tray,(2) automatic capturing of the individual zircon grains with microtweezers, and(3) placing them one-by-one in a coordinated alignment on a receiving tray. The automatic capturing was designed/created for continuous mineral selecting without human presence for many hours. This software also enables the registration of each separated zircon grain for dating, by recording digital photo-image, optical(color) indices, and coordinates on a receiving tray. We developed two new approaches for the dating; i.e.(1) direct dating of zircons selected by LA-ICPMS without conventional resin-mounting/polishing,(2) high speed U-Pb dating, combined with conventional sample preparation procedures using the new equipment with multiple-ion counting detectors(LA-MIC-ICPMS).With the first approach, Pb-Pb ages obtained from the surface of a mineral were crosschecked with the interior of the same grain after resin-mounting/polishing. With the second approach, the amount of time required for dating one zircon grain is ca. 20 s, and a sample throughput of 150 grains per hour can be achieved with sufficient precision(ca. 0.5%).We tested the practical efficiency of the AZS, by analyzing an Archean Jack Hills conglomerate in Western Australia with the known oldest(4.3 Ga) zircon on Earth. Preliminary results are positive; we were able to obtain more than 194 zircons that are over 4.0 Ga out of ca. 3800 checked grains, and 9 grains were over 4300 Ma with the oldest at 4371 ± 7 Ma. This separation system by AZS, combined with the new approaches, guarantees much higher yield in the hunt for old zircons.