Pressure and temperature dependence of cation distribution in Mg-Mn olivine

Synthetic (Mg_0.51, Mn_0.49)₂SiO₄ olivine samples are heat-treated at three different pressures; 0, 8 and 12 GPa, all at the same temperature (～500° C). X-ray structure analyses on these single crystals are made in order to see the pressure effect on cation distribution. The intersite distribution coefficient of Mg and Mn in M1 and M2 sites, K _D = (Mn/Mg) _M1/(Mn/Mg) _M2, of these samples are 0.192 (0 GPa), 0.246 (8 GPa) and 0.281 (12 GPa), indicating cationic disordering with pressure. The small differences of cell dimensions between these samples are determined by powder X-ray diffraction. Cell dimensions b and c decrease, whereas a increases with pressure of equilibration. Cell volume decreases with pressure as a result of a large contraction of the b cell dimension. The effect of pressure on the free energy of the cation exchange reaction is evaluated by the observed relation between the cell volume and the site occupancy numbers. The magnitude of the pressure effect on cation distribution is only a fifth of that predicted from the observed change in volume combined with thermodynamic theory. This phenomenon is attributed to nonideality in this solid solution, and nonideal parameters are required to describe cation distribution determined in the present and previous experiments. We use a five-parameter equation to specify the cationic equilibrium on the basic of thermodynamic theory. It includes one energy parameter of ideal mixing, two parameters for nonideal effects, one volume parameter, and one thermal parameter originated from the lattice vibrational energy. The present data combined with some of the existing data are used to determine the five parameters, and the cation distribution in Mg-Mn olivine is described as a function of temperature, pressure, and composition. The basic framework of describing the cationic behavior in olivine-type mineral is worked out, although the result is preliminary: each of the determined parameters is not accurate enough to enable us to make a reliable prediction.     

High time resolution monitoring of tropospheric temperature with a Radio Acoustic Sounding System (RASS)

We have observed the time-height variation of the temperature field in the upper troposphere using a Radio Acoustic Sounding System (RASS) which consists of the MU radar and a high-power acoustic transmitter. The fast beam steerability of the MU radar has made it possible to measure temperature profiles in a fairly wide height range in the upper troposphere (5–11 km), even under intense wind conditions. Observations were continued for about 32 hr on 24–26 December, 1986 with a time-height resolution of 30 min and 150 m. During the observation period, the tropospheric jet was so intense that the acoustic wavefronts were severely distorted. Using wind velocity profiles observed by the MU radar we have numerically estimated the propagation of acoustic wavefronts, and further determined favorable pointing directions for the MU radar to receive significant backscattering from refractive index fluctuations produced by the acoustic waves. Conventional radiosonde soundings were carried out every 6 hr, which showed a temperature decrease of 4 K/day in the upper troposphere during the observation period. Temperature profiles taken by RASS agree well with the radiosonde results.     

Melting relationships in the system Fe-Feo at high pressures: Implications for the composition and formation of the earth's core

A reconnaissance investigation has been carried out on melting relationships in the system Fe-FeO at pressures up to 25 GPa and temperatures up to 2200° C using an MA-8 apparatus. Limited studies were also made of the Co-CoO and Ni-NiO systems. In the system FeFeO, the rapid exsolution of FeO from liquids during quenching causes some difficulties in interpretation of textures and phase relationships. The Co-CoO and Ni-NiO systems are more tractable experimentally and provide useful analogues to the Fe-FeO system. It was found that the broad field of liquid immiscibility present at ambient pressure in the Co-CoO system had disappeared at 18 GPa, 2200° C and that the system displayed complete miscibility between molten Co and CoO, analogous to the behaviour of the Ni-NiO system at ambient pressure. The phase diagram of the system Fe-FeO at 16 GPa and from 1600–2200° C was constructed from interpretations based on the textures of quenched run products. The solubility of FeO in molten iron is considerably enhanced by high pressures. At 16 GPa, the Fe-FeO eutectic contains about 10–15 mol percent FeO and the eutectic temperature in this iron-rich region of the system occurs at 1700±25° C, some 350° C below the melting point of pure iron at the same pressure. The solubility of FeO in molten Fe increases rapidly as temperature increases from 1700 to 2200° C. A relatively small liquid immiscibility field is present above 1900° C but is believed to be eliminated above 2200° C. This inference is supported by thermodynamic calculations on the positions of key phase boundaries. A single run carried out on an Fe₅₀ FeO₅₀ composition at 25 GPa and 2200° C demonstrated extensive and probably complete miscibility between Fe and FeO liquids under these conditions. The melting point of iron is decreased considerably by solution of FeO at high pressures; moreover, the melting point gradient (dP/dT) of the Fe-FeO eutectic is much smaller than that of pure iron and is also smaller than that of mantle pyrolite under the P, T conditions studied. These characteristics make it possible for melting of metal phase and segregation of the core to proceed within the Earth under conditions where most of the mantle remains below solidus temperatures. Under these conditions, the core would inevitably contain a large proportion of dissolved FeO. It is concluded therefore, that oxygen is likely to be the principal light element in the core. The inner core may not be composed of pure iron, as often proposed. Instead, it may consist of a crystalline oxide solid solution (Ni, Fe)₂O.     

Geomorphological study on a clastic accretionary prism: The Nankai Trough

Abstract The Nankai Trough, off southwest Japan, is one of the best sites for the study of geomorphic characteristics of a clastic accretionary prism. A recent multibeam survey over the central and eastern parts of the Nankai accretionary prism has revealed a large variation of the topography along the trough axis. Analysis of the bathymetric data suggests the existence of prism deformational features of different scales, such as depressions, embayment structures and cusps. These structures are the results of slope instability caused by basement relief of subducted oceanic plate. Unstable slopes recover by new accretion and development of a low angle thrust. Small-scale deformation due to the subduction of a small isolated seamount is then adjusted to the regional trend. By contrast, a 30 km indentation of the wedge observed in the eastern part of the Nankai Trough, the Tenryu Cusp, has seemed to retain its geometry. The subducted Philippine Sea plate has deformed greatly near the eastern end of the Nankai Trough, because of the collision between the Izu-Ogasawara (Bonin) arc and central Japan. Therefore, the indentation may be the result of the continuous subduction of a basement high, such as the Zenisu Ridge, which has been formed under north-south compression due to the arc-arc collision.     

High-angle reverse faulting associated with the 1946 Nankaido earthquake

Analysis of vertical crustal deformation data in the southwestern part of Shikoku, southwest Japan, suggests that the Nankaido earthquake of 1946 (M_w = 8.1), which is a principal interplate thrust earthquake, was accompanied by subsidiary faulting on a splay fault adjacent to the coast of Shikoku. Discarding crustal movement resulting from the main thrusting of the Nankaido earthquake, local leveling data are explained by slip on a simple rectangular thrust fault located just offshore of Shikoku. Although it is difficult to constrain the fault location, a possible result is a high-angle thrust dipping landward at an angle of about 70°, with a dislocation of about 1.5 m, and source dimensions of 30 × 13 km along strike and dip. respectively. This result indicates that the fault may be one of the steeply dipping subsidiary faults branching from the main low-angle thrust, as was the case in the Alaska earthquake of 1964. Although several lines of evidence suggest that this faulting occurred as slow aseismic slip, its discrimination from the main seismic event is extremely difficult. This kind of high-angle thrusting just offshore of the coast would play an important role for the formation of the marine terraces during the late Quaternary period.     

The use of sintered diamond anvils in the MA8 type high-pressure apparatus

A new multi-anvil type high-presure apparatus has been developed using sintered diamond anvils to generate pressures over 30 GPa and temperatures up to about 2000°C. A maximum sample volume of about 1 mm³ is available in this system. The pressure was confirmed by dissociation of forsterite into Mg-perovskite and periclase. The basic techniques and problems in utilizing sintered diamond in the MA8 type high-pressure apparatus are discussed with an emphasis on the future prospect of incorporating simultancous X-ray diffraction observation.     

Convective instability and overstability in the sunspot umbra

Convective instability and overstability of a plane-parallel medium in the presence of a uniform vertical magnetic field is studied. We take into account both the effect of penetration of disturbances into sub-adiabatically stratified semi-infinite upper and lower layers, and the effect of thermal damping of disturbances introduced by the compressibility of the medium. If the degree of super-adiabaticity in temperature stratification in the middle layer is relatively large compared with that of sub-adiabaticity in the upper and lower layers, the range of physical conditions in which overstable convection occurs is very narrow. However, if it is not the case the range is rather wide. In the normal sunspot umbra, only disturbances with selected sizes in vertical dimension will be able to become overstable. The overstable convection might be a cause of some dynamical features (such as dots) in the sunspot umbra, but will not be the main contributor for transporting mechanical energy in the sunspot region.     

Initiation of Run-Out Flows on Venus by Oblique Impacts

A hypervelocity oblique impact results in a downrange-moving vapor cloud, a significant fraction of which is derived from the projectile. Since the vapor cloud expands to great extent and becomes very tenuous quickly on a planet with a thin or no atmosphere, it does not leave a well-defined geologic expression. The thick atmosphere of Venus, however, is sufficient to contain such a rapidly expanding vapor cloud. As a result of atmospheric interactions, impact vapor condenses and contributes to run-out flows around craters on Venus. Previous results of both laboratory experiments and simple semi-analytical calculations indicate that an impact-vapor origin can account for the morphology of run-out flows on Venus most consistently. However, the detailed dynamics and geologic record of downrange-moving impact vapor clouds in Venus's atmosphere are not understood quantitatively. To approach these problems, we carried out two-dimensional hydrocode calculations. Parametric studies of these hydrocode calculations yield simple scaling laws for both the total downrange travel distance and the final temperature of impact vapor clouds under conditions on Venus. Under typical impact conditions, impact vapor clouds travel downrange more than a crater radius prior to the completion of crater formation. Furthermore, the scaling law for the total travel distance is compared with observations for the downrange offset of the source regions of run-out flows around oblique craters. The results of this comparison suggest that energy/momentum-partitioning processes other than pure shock coupling may play important roles in hypervelocity impact at planetary scales. The results of hydrocode calculations also indicate that the terminal temperature of the impact vapor is close to the condensation temperatures of silicates, suggesting that two scenarios are possible for expected range of impact conditions: 1. Impact vapor condenses and forms run-out flows. 2. Impact vapor fails to condense and leaves no run-out flows. Consequently, natural variation in impact angle, velocity, and projectile composition may account for partial occurrence of run-out flows around impact craters on Venus.