Solubility of FeO in (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite and the post-perovskite phase transition

Phase relations in Mg_0.5Fe_0.5SiO₃ and Mg_0.25Fe_0.75SiO₃ were investigated in a pressure range from 72 to 123 GPa on the basis of synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements in situ at high-pressure and -temperature in a laser-heated diamond-anvil cell (LHDAC). Results demonstrate that Mg_0.5Fe_0.5SiO₃ perovskite is formed as a single phase at 85–108 GPa and 1800–2330 K, indicating a high solubility of FeO in (Mg,Fe)SiO₃ perovskite at high pressures. Post-perovskite appears coexisting with perovskite in Mg_0.5Fe_0.5SiO₃ above 106 GPa at 1410 K, the condition very close to the post-perovskite phase transition boundary in pure MgSiO₃. The coexistence of perovskite and post-perovskite was observed to 123 GPa. In addition, post-perovskite was formed coexisting with perovskite also in Mg_0.25Fe_0.75SiO₃ bulk composition at 106–123 GPa. In contrast to earlier experimental and theoretical studies, these results show that incorporation of FeO stabilizes perovskite at higher pressures. This could be due to a larger ionic radius of Fe²⁺ ion, which is incompatible with a small Mg²⁺ site in the post-perovskite phase.     

Pressure dependence on partition coefficients for trace elements between olivine and the coexisting melts

Partition coefficients between olivine and melt at upper mantle conditions, 3 to 14 GPa, have been determined for 27 trace elements (Li, Be, B, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Cs, Ba, La and Ce) using secondary-ion mass-spectrometry (SIMS) and electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA). The general pattern of olivine/melt partitioning on Onuma diagrams resembles those reported previously for natural systems. This agreement strongly supports the argument that partitioning is under structural control of olivine even at high pressure. The partition coefficients for mono- and tri-valent cations show significant pressure dependence, both becoming larger with pressure, and are strongly correlated with coupled substitution into cation sites in the olivine structure. The dominant type of trace element substitution for mono- and tri-valent cations into olivine changes gradually from (Si, Mg)↔(Al, Cr) at low pressure to (Si, Mg)↔(Al, Al) and (Mg, Mg)↔(Na, Al) at high pressure. The change in substitution type results in an increase in partition coefficients of Al and Na with pressure. An inverse correlation between the partition coefficients for divalent cations and pressure has been observed, especially for Ni, Co and Fe. The order of decreasing rate of partition coefficient with pressure correlates to strength of crystal field effect of the cation. The pressure dependence of olivine/melt partitioning can be attributed to the compression of cation polyhedra induced by pressure and the compensation of electrostatic valence by cation substitution. Received: March 6, 1997 / Revised, accepted: March 12, 1998     

A high-resolution ocean-atmosphere coupled downscaling of the present climate over California

A fully coupled regional ocean-atmosphere model system that consists of the regional spectral model and the regional ocean modeling system for atmosphere and ocean components, respectively, is applied to downscale the present climate (1985–1994) over California from a global simulation of the Community Climate System Model 3.0 (CCSM3). The horizontal resolution of the regional coupled modeling system is 10 km, while that of the CCSM3 is at a spectral truncation of T85 (approximately 1.4°). The effects of the coupling along the California coast in the boreal summer and winter are highlighted. Evaluation of the sea surface temperature (SST) and 2-m air temperature climatology shows that alleviation of the warm bias along the California coast in the global model output is clear in the regional coupled model run. The 10-m wind is also improved by reducing the northwesterly winds along the coast. The higher resolution coupling effect on the temperature and specific humidity is the largest near the surface, while the significant impact on the wind magnitude appears at a height of approximately 850-hPa heights. The frequency of the Catalina Eddy and its duration are increased by more than 60 % in the coupled downscaling, which is attributed to enhanced offshore sea-breeze. Our study indicates that coupling is vital to regional climate downscaling of mesoscale phenomena over coastal areas.     

A conceptual hydrogeological model of ophiolitic aquifers (serpentinised peridotite): The test example of Mt. Prinzera (Northern Italy)

The main aim of this study is the experimental analysis of the hydrogeological behaviour of the Mt. Prinzera ultramafic massif in the northern Apennines, Italy. The analysed multidisciplinary database has been acquired through (a) geologic and structural survey; (b) geomorphologic survey; (c) hydrogeological monitoring; (d) physico‐chemical analyses; and (e) isotopic analyses. The ultramafic medium is made of several lithological units, tectonically overlapped. Between them, a low‐permeability, discontinuous unit has been identified. This unit behaves as an aquitard and causes a perched groundwater to temporary flow within the upper medium, close to the surface. This perched groundwater flows out along several structurally controlled depressions, and then several high‐altitude temporary springs can be observed during recharge, together with several perennial basal (i.e., low altitude) springs, caused by the compartmentalisation of the system because of high‐angle tectonic discontinuities.     

Probabilistic estimates of future changes in California temperature and precipitation using statistical and dynamical downscaling

Sixteen global general circulation models were used to develop probabilistic projections of temperature (T) and precipitation (P) changes over California by the 2060s. The global models were downscaled with two statistical techniques and three nested dynamical regional climate models, although not all global models were downscaled with all techniques. Both monthly and daily timescale changes in T and P are addressed, the latter being important for a range of applications in energy use, water management, and agriculture. The T changes tend to agree more across downscaling techniques than the P changes. Year-to-year natural internal climate variability is roughly of similar magnitude to the projected T changes. In the monthly average, July temperatures shift enough that that the hottest July found in any simulation over the historical period becomes a modestly cool July in the future period. Januarys as cold as any found in the historical period are still found in the 2060s, but the median and maximum monthly average temperatures increase notably. Annual and seasonal P changes are small compared to interannual or intermodel variability. However, the annual change is composed of seasonally varying changes that are themselves much larger, but tend to cancel in the annual mean. Winters show modestly wetter conditions in the North of the state, while spring and autumn show less precipitation. The dynamical downscaling techniques project increasing precipitation in the Southeastern part of the state, which is influenced by the North American monsoon, a feature that is not captured by the statistical downscaling.     

Instabilities of the tidally induced bottom boundary layer in the rotating frame and their mixing effect

To investigate the stability of the bottom boundary layer induced by tidal flow (oscillating flow) in a rotating frame, numerical experiments have been carried out with a two-dimensional non-hydrostatic model. Under homogeneous conditions three types of instability are found depending on the temporal Rossby number Ro_t, the ratio of the inertial and tidal periods. When Ro_t < 0.9 (subinertial range), the Ekman type I instability occurs because the effect of rotation is dominant though the flow becomes more stable than the steady Ekman flow with increasing Ro_t. When Ro_t > 1.1 (superinertial range), the Stokes layer instability is excited as in the absence of rotation. When 0.9 < Ro_t < 1.1 (near-inertial range), the Ekman type I or type II instability appears as in the steady Ekman layer. Being much thickened (100 m), the boundary layer becomes unstable even if tidal flow is weak (5 cm/s). The large vertical scale enhances the contribution of the Coriolis effect to destabilization, so that the type II instability tends to appear when Ro_t > 1.0. However, when Ro_t < 1.0, the type I instability rather than the type II instability appears because the downward phase change of tidal flow acts to suppress the latter. To evaluate the mixing effect of these instabilities, some experiments have been executed under a weak stratification peculiar to polar oceans (the buoyancy frequency N²  10⁻⁶ s⁻²). Strong mixing occurs in the subinertial and near-inertial ranges such that tracer is well mixed in the boundary layer and an apparent diffusivity there is evaluated at 150–300 cm²/s. This suggests that effective mixing due to these instabilities may play an important role in determining the properties of dense shelf water in the polar regions.     

Relationship of topography to surface water chemistry with particular focus on nitrogen and organic carbon solutes within a forested watershed in Hokkaido,Japan

We studied the relationships between streamwater chemistry and the topography of subcatchments in the Dorokawa watershed in Hokkaido Island, northern Japan, to examine the use of topography as a predictor of streamwater chemistry in a watershed with relatively moderate terrain compared with other regions of Japan. Topographic characteristics of the Dorokawa watershed and its subcatchments were expressed as topographic index (TI) values, which ranged from 4·5 to 20·4 for individual grid cells (50 × 50 m²), but averaged from 6·4 to 7·4 for the 20 subcatchments. Streamwater samples for chemical analyses were collected four times between June and October 2002 from 20 locations in the watershed. The pH of water that passed through the watershed increased from ～5·0 to 7·0, with major increases in Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ and marked decreases in NO₃^? and SO . Distinctive spatial patterns were observed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and NO₃^? concentrations of streamwater across the watershed. Statistical analyses indicated significant linear relationships between the average TI values of subcatchments and DOC, DON, and NO₃^? concentrations. Furthermore, the proportion of DOC in streamwaters in the wet season increased with TI values relative to other nitrogen species, whereas NO₃^? concentrations decreased with TI. The gradients of soil wetness and the presence of wetlands explained many of the observed spatial and temporal patterns of DOC, DON, and NO₃^? concentrations in the surface waters of the Dorokawa watershed. Our results suggest that the TI is especially useful for predicting the spatial distribution of DOC, DON and NO₃^? in the surface waters of Hokkaido, where topographical relief is moderate and wetlands more common than in other regions of Japan. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Linking Individual and Collective Agency for Enhancing Community Resilience in Northern Ghana

This article aims to explore the relationship between individual adaptive actions and enhancement of community resilience to climate change as a communal objective. It proposes to pay attention to the concept of reflexivity as the primary individual capacity to link adaptive actions and community resilience. Drawing on the field research conducted in northern Ghana in 2015, this article specifically examines life histories of four small farmers and shows that they individually take adaptive actions and reflect on these actions. However, little opportunity exists for them to systematically communicate the reflections with others to learn from their experiences, nurture collective agency and enhance community resilience. The article concludes by outlining new strategies needed to facilitate the communication in particular cultural and policy contexts.     

Development of a 2-km resolution ocean model covering the coastal seas around Japan for operational application

Ocean Dynamics - In order to expand the coastal ocean monitoring and forecasting system of the Japan Meteorological Agency from the Seto Inland Sea to the entire coastal seas of Japan, a 2-km...