Shaking Maps for Scenario Earthquakes by Applying the Upgraded Version of the Strong Ground Motion Prediction Method ��Recipe��

The strong ground motion prediction method ??Recipe?? was published by the Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion (HERP) of Japan. HERP has applied this method to prepare shaking maps for scenario earthquakes in specific active faults. Recently, Recipe was updated following its verification by simulations of strong ground motions associated with the Mw?=?6.6 off-shore earthquake west of Fukuoka prefecture in 2005, which occurred in the northwest part of the Kego fault zone located in northern Kyushu, Japan. One of the prominent changes in the upgraded version of Recipe is the inclusion of a procedure to evaluate seismic intensities on the ground surface from waveforms of S-wave velocity of 400?m/s on the engineering bedrock. By applying the upgraded version of Recipe, we have made shaking-maps for earthquakes in the southeast part of the Kego fault zone, which is located directly below the mega-city of Fukuoka. We assume four source models for scenario earthquakes; the locations of the asperities and the hypocenters vary between the models. The results show that in all cases, disastrous seismic intensities can strike a wide area of Fukuoka city. Differences in the distributions of seismic intensities among the four cases can be clearly observed in the area located on the extension of the source fault. Furthermore, we construct a velocity-layer structure model on the engineering bedrock for the central area of Fukuoka city. We assess not only the distribution of seismic intensities but also waveforms on the ground by using an equivalent linear method for the central area of Fukuoka city.     

Applicability of Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) in Japanese fisheries: A comparison of rights-based fisheries management in Iceland, Japan, and United States

ITQs have not yet been introduced by the Government of Japan. In coastal areas, fishery cooperative associations have traditionally played an important role in managing fisheries through self-imposed rules and peer-monitoring systems. Recently, however, the economic competitiveness of Japanese fisheries in the international market is being questioned. In this paper, a detailed examination of the pros and cons of the current system in Japan is compared to the current fishery management measures of Iceland and the United States, where attaining economically or biologically efficient outcomes may be prioritized in making fisheries management decisions. For many coastal fisheries in Japan, maintaining a management scheme in which stakeholders play an active role in determining fisheries measures seems more relevant if their priority is to maintain the stability of coastal communities and equity of stakeholders. Intensive dialog among stakeholders would be necessary to identify shared objectives of their fishery operations and to make decisions to establish specific steps toward the goal of increasing economic efficiency, environmental sustainability, or stability of communities and equity of stakeholders.     

Numerical study of enhanced energy dissipation near a seamount

Using a two-dimensional primitive equation model, we examine nonlinear responses of a semidiurnal tidal flow impinging on a seamount with a background Garrett-Munk-like (GM-like) internal wavefield. It is found that horizontally elongated pancake-like structures of high vertical wavenumber near-inertial current shear are created both in the near-field (the region over the slope of the seamount) and far-field (the region over the flat bottom of the ocean). An important distinction is that the high vertical wavenumber near-inertial current shear is amplified only at mid-latitudes in the far-field (owing to a parametric subharmonic instability (PSI)), whereas it is amplified both at mid-and high-latitudes (above the latitude where PSI can occur) in the near-field. In order to clarify the generating mechanism for the strong shear in the near-field, additional numerical experiments are carried out with the GM-like background internal waves removed. The experiments show that the strong shear is also created, indicating that it is not caused by the interaction between the background GM-like internal waves and the semidiurnal internal tides. One possible explanation is proposed for the amplification of high vertical wavenumber near-inertial current shear in the near-field where tide residual flow resulting from tide-topography interaction plays an important role in transferring energy from high-mode internal tides to near-inertial internal waves.     

An Evaluation Method of the Effect of Observation Environment on Air Temperature Measurement

Near-surface air temperature is the most important variable in the climatic analysis of global warming. The air temperature near the surface is affected by the artificial surface (asphalt, concrete and buildings for example) surrounding the thermometer. However, there is no quantitative method for evaluating the observational environment. Therefore, a practical evaluation method with a scientific basis is required to aid observational network managers and data users. The magnitude of the artificial surface influence on the air temperature and its characteristics are investigated using numerical experiments with various road widths and wind speeds. The results show that the temperature increase in the lee of the road depends on the distance from the road, the road width, the wind speed and the thermal stratification and that the temperature increase can be estimated using an analytical footprint model. In order to estimate the largest value of the temperature increase, a function is developed from the footprint model; it depends on the normalized distance based on the road width, and thus can be calculated easily. A practical method using this function is proposed for the evaluation of the effect of the observational environment.     

Long-term precipitation and stream discharge records at seven forested experimental watersheds along a latitudinal transect in Japan: Jozankei,Kamabuchi, Takaragawa,Tsukuba, Tatsunokuchi-yama,Kahoku and Sarukawa

This data note introduces a database of long-term daily total precipitation and stream discharge data for seven forested watersheds in Japan that have been continuously monitored by the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute. Three of the watersheds started data collection in the 1930s. Forest cover across the sites ranges from cool to warm temperate regions with the latitude spanning from 31 to 44° N and annual precipitation ranging from 1200 to 3000 mm yr⁻¹. The effects of vegetation change via clearcutting, thinning and forest fire (among other stressors) on stream discharge can be analysed from the long-term observation sites. Moreover, this multi-site dataset allows for inter- and intra-site comparisons of annual water loss (difference of annual precipitation and stream discharge). These long-term datasets can provide comprehensive insights into the effects of climate change and other stressors on forested ecosystems, not only in Japan but across a spectrum of forest types, if combined with other long-term records from other forested watersheds across the world.     

General aspects of the evolutionary history of whales and dolphins

Abstract The Cetacea are the most diverse and highly aquatically adapted group of mammals. Their fossil record extends back at least to the Middle Eocene ( ca 50 Ma), and they will possibly be found earlier, judging by the relatively highly evolved nature of the earliest known whales. The most likely terrestrial ancestors of whales are the mesonychids, primitive hoofed mammals with omnivorous diets. Recently discovered archaeocetes with large, mesonychid-like heads and dentitions and functional hind limbs reconfirm earlier ideas about the mesonychid origin of cetaceans and the amphibious nature of the earliest transitional forms. Fossil cetaceans are relatively abundant and diverse thoughout the world, and are now known from every continent, including Antarctica. Odontocetes evolved echolocation to locate food. Mysticetes developed bulk feeding adaptations. Both undoubtedly evolved from archaeocetes, and the monophyly of Cetacea is the most parsimonious present hypothesis. Chromosomal and molecular evidence has taken an increasingly important role in determining cetacean relationships, but fossils and classical comparative morphological studies remain a necessary and pivotal source of information about cetacean phylogeny.     

Strong motion uncertainty determined from observed records by dense network in Japan

The variation of ground motions at specific stations from events in six narrow areas was inspected by using K-NET and KiK-net records. A source-area factor for individual observation stations was calculated by averaging ratios between observed values for horizontal peak acceleration and velocity, as well as acceleration response spectra for 5% damping, and predicted values using a ground-motion model (usually known as an attenuation relation) by Kanno et al. (Bull Seismol Soc Am, 96:879–897, 2006). Standard deviations between observed and predicted amplitudes after the correction factor are less than 0.2 on the logarithmic scale and decrease down to around 0.15 in the short-period range. Intra-event standard deviation clearly increases with decreasing distance due to differing paths around near source area. Standard deviations may increase with amplitude or decrease with magnitude; however, both amplitude and magnitude of the data are strongly correlated with distance. The standard deviation calculated in this study is obviously much smaller than that of the original ground-motion model, as epistemic uncertainties are minimized by grouping ground motions at specific stations. This result indicates that the accuracy of strong ground motion prediction could be improved if ground-motion models for specified region are determined individually. For this to be possible, it is necessary to have dense strong-motion networks in high-seismicity regions, such as K-NET and KiK-net.     

Interlayer proton transfer in brucite under pressure by polarized IR spectroscopy to 5.3 GPa

In order to investigate the behaviour of proton in brucite under pressure, polarized IR absorption spectra and polarized absorbance distributions of (001) and (110) oriented single crystal of brucite under high pressure were measured by Fourier transform polarized infrared microspectroscopy with diamond anvil cell. A pressure-induced absorption peak at 3645 cm⁻¹ observed under pressures over 2.9 GPa was confirmed to be due to a secondarily formed OH dipole. Polarized absorbance distribution measured under pressure of (110) suggests that the secondary OH dipole is oriented 136.0° to c-axis under 5.3 GPa. Isotropic absorbance distribution of (001) suggests that the secondary OH dipole is disorderly trifurcated. Abrupt onset of the secondary peak and its reverse pleochroism suggest that the process of secondary OH dipole formation is due to proton transfer between layers in brucite. The calculated orientation of the secondary OH dipole consistent with the O-H···O′ angle revealed by neutron diffraction supports the existence of proton transfer along H···O′. The secondary OH dipole implies a new site of proton in brucite under pressure. Received: 6 March 1997 / Revised, accepted: 9 June 1997