Impact-induced phyllosilicate formation from olivine and water

Shock-recovery experiments on mixtures of olivine and water with gas (air) were performed in a previous study to demonstrate water-mineral interactions during impact events (Furukawa et al., 2007). The products of these former experiments were investigated in the present study using transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction with the aim of finding evidence of aqueous alteration. Serpentine formed on the surface of shocked olivine with well-developed mosaicism. The yield of serpentine depended on the water/olivine ratio in the starting material, indicating progressive serpentinization under water-rich conditions. Comminution and mosaicism were developed in shocked olivine grains. The temperature and pressure changes of the samples during the experiments were estimated by constructing Hugoniots for mixtures of olivine and water, combined with the results of an additional fracturing experiment on a shocked container. Pressures and temperatures reached 4.6-7.2 GPa and at least 230-390 °C, respectively, for 0.7 μs during in-shock compression. Post-shock temperatures reached a maximum of ∼1300 °C, when the shock wave reached the gas in the sample cavity. The serpentine formed after the post-shock temperature maximum, most likely when temperatures dropped to between 200 and 400 °C. This is the first experiment to demonstrate the formation of phyllosilicates using heat supplied by an impact. The present results and estimations suggest that phyllosilicates could form as a result of impacts into oceans as well as by impacts on terrestrial and Martian crustal rocks, and on some asteroidal surfaces, where liquid or solid H₂O is available. A significant amount of phyllosilicates would have formed during the late heavy bombardment of meteorites on the Hadean Earth, and such phyllosilicates might have affected the prebiotic carbon cycle.     

Eruptive history of the Barombi Mbo Maar, Cameroon Volcanic Line, Central Africa: Constraints from volcanic facies analysis

his study presents the first and detail field investigations of exposed deposits at proximal sections of the Barombi Mbo Maar (BMM), NE Mt Cameroon, with the aim of documenting its past activity, providing insight on the stratigraphic distribution, depositional process, and evolution of the eruptive sequences during its formation. Field evidence reveals that the BMM deposit is about 126m thick, of which about 20m is buried lowermost under the lake level and covered by vegetation. Based on variation in pyroclastic facies within the deposit, it can be divided into three main stratigraphic units: U₁, U₂ and U₃. Interpretation of these features indicates that U₁ consists of alternating lapilli-ash-lapilli beds series, in which fallout derived individual lapilli-rich beds are demarcated by surges deposits made up of thin, fine-grained and consolidated ash-beds that are well-defined, well-sorted and laterally continuous in outcrop scale. U₂, a pyroclastic fall-derived unit, shows crudely lenticular stratified scoriaceous layers, in which many fluidal and spindle bombs-rich lapilli-beds are separated by very thin, coarse-vesiculatedash-beds, overlain by a mantle xenolith- and accidental lithic-rich explosive breccia, and massive lapilli tuff and lapillistone. U3 displays a series of surges and pyroclastic fall layers. Emplacement processes were largely controlled by fallout deposition and turbulent diluted pyroclastic density currents under “dry” and “wet” conditions. The eruptive activity evolved in a series of initial phreatic eruptions, which gradually became phreatomagmatic, followed by a phreato-Strombolian and a violent phreatomagmatic fragmentation. A relatively long-time break, demonstrated by a paleosol between U₂ and U₃, would have permitted the feeding of the root zone or the prominent crater by the water that sustained the next eruptive episode, dominated by subsequent phreatomagmatic eruptions. These preliminary results require complementary studies, such as geochemistry, for a better understanding of the changes in the eruptive styles, and to develop more constraints on the maar’s polygenetic origin.     

World continental modeling for water resources using system dynamics

This research assesses the severity of future water scarcity and its impact on the growth of human civilization through system dynamics modeling of the world at regional level. Six sectors of activities are modeled in each continent to represent the human society. Continental interactions such as migration and trade are also modeled to express the synergy of activities among the various continents. Results of the model simulations from 1960 to 2100 show that water scarcity, unlike other limitations such as nonrenewable resources and persistent pollution, gives severe, detrimental problems within short delays after its occurrence.     

沙虫干呈味及功能性成分研究

对沙虫干抽提物成分的组成进行的研究结果表明 :游离氨基酸含量 w为 10 .3% ,占抽提物含氮物质的 77.9%。抽提物组成中 ,呈甘味的 Gly(3.2 % )、Ala(2 .5% )和呈鲜味的 IMP(0 .2 7% )、Glu(0 .2 5% )、琥珀酸 (0 .35% )等成分同沙虫干独特的风味有关 ,Na 、Cl-等无机离子也同其呈味相关。此外 ,牛磺酸含量 w高达 3.2 % ,是富含牛磺酸的一种海洋生物 ;精氨酸的含量 w亦较高 ,为 1.2 %。     

Impacts of Indian Ocean SST biases on the Indian Monsoon: as simulated in a global coupled model

In this study, the impact of the ocean–atmosphere coupling on the atmospheric mean state over the Indian Ocean and the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) is examined in the framework of the SINTEX-F2 coupled model through forced and coupled control simulations and several sensitivity coupled experiments. During boreal winter and spring, most of the Indian Ocean biases are common in forced and coupled simulations, suggesting that the errors originate from the atmospheric model, especially a dry islands bias in the Maritime Continent. During boreal summer, the air-sea coupling decreases the ISM rainfall over South India and the monsoon strength to realistic amplitude, but at the expense of important degradations of the rainfall and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) mean states in the Indian Ocean. Strong SST biases of opposite sign are observed over the western (WIO) and eastern (EIO) tropical Indian Ocean. Rainfall amounts over the ocean (land) are systematically higher (lower) in the northern hemisphere and the south equatorial Indian Ocean rainfall band is missing in the control coupled simulation. During boreal fall, positive dipole-like errors emerge in the mean state of the coupled model, with warm and wet (cold and dry) biases in the WIO (EIO), suggesting again a significant impact of the SST errors. The exact contributions and the distinct roles of these SST errors in the seasonal mean atmospheric state of the coupled model have been further assessed with two sensitivity coupled experiments, in which the SST biases are replaced by observed climatology either in the WIO (warm bias) or EIO (cold bias). The correction of the WIO warm bias leads to a global decrease of rainfall in the monsoon region, which confirms that the WIO is an important source of moisture for the ISM. On the other hand, the correction of the EIO cold bias leads to a global improvement of precipitation and circulation mean state during summer and fall. Nevertheless, all these improvements due to SST corrections seem drastically limited by the atmosphere intrinsic biases, including prominently the unimodal oceanic position of the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone) during summer and the enhanced westward wind stress along the equator during fall.     

ANALYSIS OF Cu, Cd, Co AND Ni IN SURFACE WATER OF THE KUROSHIO AREA IN THE EAST CHINA SEA

Study of 1986 and 1987 heavy metal distribution in surface water of the Kuroshio area in the East China Sea showed regional and slight seasonal variations in distribution and concentration . Heavy metal levels in Taiwan Strait, the sea area north of Taiwan and the continental shelf are higher than those in the main axis of the Kuroshio . Dissolved Cu in summer and winter decreases with the increase of salinity , but dissolved Cd has no obvious change with salinity .     

Motion of iron sulfide inclusions inside a shock‐melted chondrule

Abstract— We calculated the trajectories of molten spheres of iron sulfide inclusions inside a melted chondrule during the nebular shock wave heating. Our calculations included the effects of high‐velocity internal flow in the melted chondrule and apparent gravitational force caused by the drag force of nebular gas flow. The calculated results show that large iron sulfide inclusions, which have radii 0.23 times larger than those of the parent chondrules, must reach the surface of the melted chondrule within a short period of time (<<1 s). This effect will provide us with very important information about chondrule formation by nebular shock wave heating.     

The development of Fe-nodules surrounding biological material mediated by microorganisms

Takashikozo is a phenomenon of Quaternary sediments in Japan. They are cylindrical Fe-oxyhydroxide nodules that form as plaques round plant roots, where Fe is preferentially concentrated to develop a solid wall. Structural features suggest that after the roots have decayed, the central space where the roots were situated acts as a flow path for oxidized water. Analysis of microbial 16S rDNA extracted from the nodules identified iron-oxidizing bacteria encrusted round the roots where they are the likely initiators of nodule formation. Direct microscopic observation revealed an accumulation of Fe-oxyhydroxides that fill the pore spaces and is also likely to be linked with the encrusting microbial colonies. Geological history and nanofossil evidence suggest that these Fe-nodules may have been buried at a depth of up to several tens of meters for at least 10⁵ years in reducing Quaternary sediments. Thus Fe-oxyhydroxide nodules that have formed in a geological environment at the interfaces between water and rock by microbial mediation can persist under reducing conditions. If this is the case, the phenomenon is significant as an analogue of post-closure conditions in radioactive waste repositories, since it could influence nuclide migration.     

Confined groundwater system in Tokyo

The Musashino Terrace and the Shitamachi Lowland, the main urban areas in the Tokyo metropolis, are in the eastern part of Tokyo and are underlain by thick Quaternary sediments. The geologic structrue of these sediments has a general strike of WNW—ESE, with a gentle dip to the east in the western part of the Musashino Terrace, and strikes generally to the E—W with a gentle dip to the north in the eastern part of the terrace and strikes WNW—ESE to N—S with a very gentle dip to the east in the Shitamachi Lowland. The basal sediments in this area consist chiefly of massive thick silty layers, whereas the sediments overlying them consist of alternating layers of silt, sand, and gravel, which act as confined aquifers throughout the Musashino Terrace and the Shitamachi Lowland. Confined groundwater systems are being developed in the Tama District, the western part of the terrace, and are mainly recharged with river water from the Tama River. The unconfined groundwater system is being developed in the surface layers such as terrace sand and gravel formations and the Kanto Loam Formation. These confined aquifers that are being developed throughout the terrace and the lowland have been exploited for household water supplies and industrial and air-conditioning use for nearly seven decades. The heavy utilization of the confined groundwater, however, has caused a major lowering of groundwater levels. As a result of the lowering of groundwater levels, land subsidence has occurred all over the Lowland and the terrace. At this time the national government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government restricted groundwater withdrawals for industrial, air-conditioning use and the others except for household supply. Owing to these restrictions, not only have the water levels recovered, but land subsidence has rapidly declined since around 1973.     

The extinction coefficients in mid- and farinfrared of silicate and iron-oxide minerals of interest for astronomical observations

Extinction measurements were made for some silicate and iron-oxide mineral grains in mid- and far-infrared region. For far-infrared region, high temperature magnesium silicates such as olivine and pyroxenes show the absorption spectra of steep dependence as ^–3 ( being the wavelength) with some peak structure, but the spectrum of magnetite shows ^–1 dependence.