Analysis of shield tunnel

This paper proposes a two‐dimensional finite element model for the analysis of shield tunnels by taking into account the construction process which is divided into four stages. The soil is assumed to behave as an elasto‐plastic medium whereas the shield is simulated by beam–joint discontinuous model in which curved beam elements and joint elements are used to model the segments and joints, respectively. As grout is usually injected to fill the gap between the lining and the soil, the property parameters of the grout are chosen in such a way that they can reflect the state of the grout at each stage. Furthermore, the contact condition between the soil and lining will change with the construction stage, and therefore, different stress‐releasing coefficients are used to account for the changes. To assess the accuracy that can be attained by the method in solving practical problems, the shield tunnelling in the No. 7 Subway Line Project in Osaka, Japan, is used as a case history for our study. The numerical results are compared with those measured in the field. The results presented in the paper show that the proposed numerical procedure can be used to effectively estimate the deformation, stresses and moments experienced by the surrounding soils and the concrete lining segments. The analysis and method presented in this paper can be considered to be useful for other subway construction projects involving shield tunnelling in soft soils. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Crustal deformations associated with the 1986 fissure eruption of Izu-Oshima volcano, Japan, and their tectonic significance

We have investigated crustal deformations associated with the 1986 eruption of Izu-Oshima volcano, Japan, which was accompanied by an intensive fissure eruption. Two fissure crater chains, with NW-SE trend were created in the northern part of the caldera and on its northwestern flank. Their trend is consistent with the direction of compressive stress in this region. Depression of > 30 cm in the central zone including the caldera, and in the northwestern and southeastern parts in the island, was detected by precise leveling. On the other hand, uplifts up to 20 cm in the northeastern and southwestern parts were observed. Tide observations revealed that the Okada tide station, the leveling datum in Izu-Oshima, may have subsided by 5 cm after the eruption. An 1 m opening of fissure craters was detected by distance measurements of the baselines which cross fissure craters. Horizontal displacements obtained by reoccupation of control points showed a symmetrical pattern which was consistent with the opening of fissure craters. Anomalous strain changes were also observed in the surrounding regions—contractions were observed in the Boso and the Miura peninsula, northeast of Izu-Oshima, and extensions in the Izu peninsula.

To interpret these crustal deformations, a model which consists of a nearly vertical tensile fault and a deflation source is presented. The tensile fault lies parallel to the fissures and is divided into two parts according to depth. The deeper part of the tensile fault is 12 km long, 10 km wide, and has 2 km burial depth and 2.7 m opening displacement. The shallower part, which may represent the fissure craters, is 4 km long, 2 km wide, and the amount of opening is estimated to be 1 m. However, the deflation source may be located at a depth of 10 km beneath the northwestern flank of the caldera and depression just above the source is estimated to be 30 cm. A deflation source is required to explain the subsidence at the Okada tide station and the extension in the Izu peninsula. This model suggests that the eruption might have released tensile stresses in and around the Izu region which result from bending of the subducting Philippine Sea plate.     

Effects of light intensity on the production of VSLs from the marine diatom Ditylum brightwellii

Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry - Very short-lived substances (VSLs) are known to play an important role in ozone depletion in the troposphere and stratosphere. Environmental factors that...     

In situ pressure–temperature conditions of a tectonic mélange: Constraints from fluid inclusion analysis of syn-mélange veins

Abstract Pressure and temperature (P–T) conditions of mélange formation are estimated from fluid inclusions within “syn‐mélange” veins developed in the necks of boudins of sandstone blocks in the mélange of the Shimanto accretionary complex, south‐west Japan. The mélange records décollement‐zone processes. P–T conditions are in the range of 81 (+15) to 235 (±18) MPa and 150 (±25) to 220 (±31)°C. Assuming a constant fluid‐pressure to lithostatic‐pressure ratio for each data set, we estimate a P–T gradient of between 10.0°C/km (+0.2/?1.5) (lithostatic pressure) and 4.2°C/km (+0.1/?0.9) (hydrostatic pressure) from these results. The estimated lithostatic P–T gradient is much lower than that calculated from the age of the subducting oceanic plate. The estimated P–T conditions suggest that the mélange was formed within the seismogenic zone (hypothesized from thermal modeling), although the deformation mechanism of mélange (i.e. dominant diffusive mass transfer mainly in shale matrix with minor brittle breakage mainly in sandstone blocks) does not show evidence of seismic deformation. In addition, at the time of syn‐mélange vein formation, a shale matrix of mélange has injected into the vein, which indicates a ductile deformation of shale. A possible explanation for this discrepancy is that the mélange was formed during the interseismic period.     

Fluxes of Amino Acid and Hexosamine in Sinking Particles in Subarctic and Arctic Coastal Regions

Spatial and temporal variations in the vertical fluxes of amino acids and hexosamine were studied at coastal sites in the south of the Chukchi Sea, Otsuchi Bay, and the center and the entrance of Funka Bay. Amino acid fluxes were higher in the upper trap than in the lower trap material, but hexosamine fluxes were opposite to amino acid fluxes. The ratios between protein amino acids (Asp, Glu and Arg) and their decomposition products (β-Ala, γ-Aba and Orn) indicate that the labile organic matter was more abundant in the upper traps than in the lower ones and increased during periods of enhanced amino acid fluxes. The ratios of Ser/Gly did not vary temporally and spatially and were nearly constant, indicating that Ser and Gly were preserved in a stable form within sinking particles. Hexosamine/amino acid ratios of these particles were higher in the lower sediment trap than in the upper trap material. This implies that the sinking particles derived from zooplankton are relatively more abundant in deep layers than in the surface layer in the water column. We suggest that the difference in amino acid flux and the composition between the upper and lower trap material is influenced by the processes of microbial decomposition and zooplankton consumption of sinking particulate organic matter. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Verification of vertically generalized production model and estimation of primary production in Sagami Bay,Japan

The Vertically Generalized Production Model (VGPM) was verified by the primary production data of the Sagami Bay, Japan. The VGPM with open ocean parameters including P ^B _opt , maximum primary production per unit of chlorophyll a in the water column, explained only 40% of the variability of integrated primary production. Formulations of the open ocean P ^B _opt showed no correlation with in situ P ^B _opt . Adjustment of the parameters of chlorophyll a and temperature dependent P ^B _opt improved the estimation of integrated primary production to 47% of the variation. Vertical integration parameters of VGPM also have to be adjusted to improve the estimation. Integrated primary production calculated with a stronger light dependency and with the adjusted P ^B _opt model can explain 74% of the variation. This model was used to estimate primary production of the Sagami Bay during 2003 with satellite data. In situ measurements on cloudy days indicate that the use of satellite data from sunny days only overestimates primary production.     

Bathymetry and Canyons of the western Solomon Sea

The floor of the western Solomon Sea (for new bathymetric map see inside back cover of this issue) is dominated by the arched and ridged basement of the Solomon Sea Basin, the partly-sediment-filled New Britain Trench, and a more completely filled trench, the Trobriand Trough. There is a deep basin where the trenches join (149° Embayment), and a silled basin west of the New Britain Trench (Finsch Deep). Submarine canyons descend from the west and south to the 149° Embayment. Abyssal fans and plains are structurally defined and locally disturbed by young faults. Probable submerged pinnacle reefs stand in water depths as great as 1,200 m.     

Pressure-induced alteration in fatty acid composition of barotolerant deep-sea bacterium

Barotolerant bacterium was isolated from sediment sample which was obtained from the depth of 4033 m in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench. The physiological property, growth characteristics and fatty acid composition were examined. The strain was a psychrotrophic and barotolerant bacterium, and was identified as species in the genusAlteromonas. The fatty acids of the strain were from C12 to C18. As the growth pressure increased, the portion of unsaturated fatty acid in membrane fraction increased due to an increase in the portion of C171 and C181, while the relative portion of C160 and C161 decreased. On the other hand, as the growth temperature decreased, the portion of unsaturated fatty acid increased due to the increase in the portion of C161 and C181.     

The role of thermal viscous remanent magnetisation (TVRM) in magnetic changes associated with volcanic eruptions: Insights from the 2000 eruption of Mt Usu,Japan

Volcanic eruptions can produce large magnetic field changes by thermomagnetic effects, especially when magma cools from high temperatures and acquires a permanent magnetisation from the Earth's magnetic field. After the 2000 eruption of Mt Usu, Japan, significant magnetic field changes were observed not only in the vicinity of the magmatic intrusion but also in an area some distance away that was unlikely to be at a temperature near the Curie Point.