Kinetics of decompressional reactions in eclogitic rocks – formation of plagioclase coronas around kyanite

This paper describes a kinetic study on reaction textures in eclogitic rocks from the Sulu region, eastern China. Some of the eclogitic rocks display a decompressional reaction texture, whereby kyanite grains are surrounded by plagioclase coronas and are never in contact with quartz. The change in mineral parageneses with progress of the reaction was predicted by constructing chemical potential diagrams in a model system. The chemical potential diagrams indicated that the chemical potential of 2Na₂O + CaO (2µ_Na2O + µ_CaO) in intergranular regions between kyanite and quartz should decrease with decreasing pressure, whereas 2µ_Na2O + µ_CaO in intergranular regions between garnet and omphacite should increase with decreasing pressure. Thus, upon decompression, an inequality in chemical potential arises in the rock. To reduce this inequality, garnet and omphacite react to produce amphibole and plagioclase and release Na₂O and CaO. Then, the released Na₂O and CaO components diffuse into the regions between kyanite and quartz grains and react to produce plagioclase between them. This model also indicates that the chemical potential of SiO₂ should decrease around kyanite grains during the progress of the decompressional reaction, and Si‐undersaturated conditions should have formed around kyanite grains in spite of the presence of quartz in these eclogitic rocks. Thus, spinel or corundum that are not stable in the system with excess quartz can form as a metastable phase, as observed in eclogitic rocks from the study areas. Phase diagrams in the system with excess quartz should be carefully applied for analysis of such reaction textures.     

Origin and evolution of the Nakhla meteorite inferred from the Sm-Nd and U-Pb systematics and REE,Ba, Sr,Rb and K abundances

Analyses of Sm-Nd and U-Th-Pb systematics, REE, Ba, Sr, Rb and K concentrations were carried out for whole rock and mineral separates from the Nakhla meteorite. The 1.26 ±.07 b.y. Sm-Nd age obtained in this work is in good agreement with those previously obtained by the Rb-Sr and Ar-Ar methods. The high initial ?_Nd value of +16 suggests that Nakhla was derived from a light REE-depleted, old planetary mantle source. U-Th-Pb data, after correction for pre-analytical terrestrial Pb contamination assuming an age of 1.26 b.y., suggest that the age of the Nakhla source is ?4.33 b.y. The agreement in the age determined by three independent radiometric methods and the high initial ?_Nd value strongly suggest that the 1.3 b.y. age dates one thorough igneous event in the parent body which not only reset these isotopic systems but also established the chemical and petrologic characteristics observed for the Nakhla meteorite.Using a three-stage Sm-Nd evolution model in combination with LIL element data and estimated partition coefficients, we have tested partial melting and fractional crystallization models to estimate LIL element abundances in a possible Nakhla source. Our model calculations suggest that partial melting of the light REE-depleted source followed by extensive fractional crystallization (?50%) of the partial melt could account for the REE abundances in the Nakhla constituent minerals. The estimated source is depleted in the light REE, Ba, Rb and K and therefore may resemble the MORB source in the earth's upper mantle or the upper 60–300 km of the moon.The significantly younger age of Nakhla than the youngest lunar rock; the young differentiation age inferred from the U-Th-Pb data, and the estimated LIL element abundances (including those of K, U and Th) in the source suggest that the Nakhla meteorite may have been derived from a relatively large, well-differentiated planetary body such as Mars.     

Sequence-stratigraphic signatures of hemipelagic siltstones in deep-water successions: the Lower Pleistocene Kiwada and Otadai Formations, Boso Peninsula, Japan

Sequence-stratigraphic signatures of hemipelagic siltstones were investigated using profiles of the magnetic susceptibility and selected chemical composition of the Early Pleistocene deep-water successions of the Kiwada and Otadai Formations on the Boso Peninsula, Japan. In the context of an independently developed sequence-stratigraphic framework for the submarine-fan deposits of the Otadai Formation, the magnetic susceptibility and chemical composition, such as the concentrations of TiO₂, MgO and Fe₂O₃, show that the lowstand systems tract deposits have higher values of these parameters than the transgressive and highstand systems tract deposits. In contrast, the CaO contents have inverse relationships with the magnetic susceptibility and are higher in the transgressive and highstand systems tract deposits. The positions of sequence boundaries largely coincide with the horizons from which the magnetic susceptibility and the contents of mafic component increase abruptly. The sequence-stratigraphic variations in the magnetic susceptibility and chemical composition of the submarine-fan hemipelagic siltstones are due to increases in the input of fine-grained, terrigenous clastic sediments from midwater flow suspension, in addition to the direct fluvial supply of relatively unmodified terrigenous clastic sediments during relative sea-level lowstands, although grain size of hemipelagic siltstones does not exhibit any distinct variation through depositional sequences. The Kiwada Formation is characterized by siltstone-dominated basin-plain deposits and its sequence-stratigraphic classification has been difficult when using just lithofacies features. Nevertheless, the profiles of the magnetic susceptibility and chemical composition of the basin-plain deposits are similar to those of the submarine-fan deposits with duration largely equivalent to the 41,000-years obliquity cycle of the Early Pleistocene oxygen isotope sea-level index. This finding indicates that the profiles of the magnetic susceptibility and chemical composition of hemipelagic siltstones reflect sequence-stratigraphic variation in the input of fine-grained terrigenous clastic sediments to the deep-water environments and are crucial for the recognition of cryptic sequence boundaries in hemipelagic successions.     

Magnetodynamic Formation of Jets in Accretion Process of Magnetized Mass onto the Central Gravitator — Cases of Forming Stars and Active Galactic Nuclei

A magnetodynamic model to deal with the acceleration and collimation of jets as a part of the global process of gravitational contraction of the magnetized gas to the central gravitator is discussed. We first review its application to the star forming jet case with several observational supporting evidence. Then, a justification will be given for the extension of this to the AGN jet case, despite of the difference in orders of magnitudes in the scales as well as in the physical parameters. The results of actual application of this magnetodynamic mechanism to the AGN case will be presented together with the discussions for the origin of the radio lobes and hotspots, and we show that this mechanism can explain the enhancement of accretion and the formation of the jet + lobe system consistently with the genetic consideration of the system. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Invisible comets on evolutionary track of short-period comets

We systematically surveyed the orbits of short-period (SP) comets that show a large change of perihelion distance (q) between 1–2 AU (visible comets) and 4–5 AU (invisible comets) during 4400 years. The data are taken from Cosmo-DICE (Nakamura and Yoshikawa 1991a), which is a long-term orbital evolution project for SP comets. Recognizing that q is the most critical element for observability of comets, an invisibility factor (f), defined as the ratio of unobservable time span to observable span during 4400 years, is calculated for each of the large-q-change comets. A detection limit for each comet is obtained from the heliocentric distance at discovery and/or the absolute magnitude at recent apparitions. A mean f value for 35 SP comets with 2.9 J (J is the Tisserand's invariant) is found to be 19.8. This implies that for each visible SP comet of this J-range, at every epoch of time, there exist about 20 invisible comets near the capture orbits by Jupiter, under the assumptions of steady-state flux and ergodicity for the SP-comet population.     

An observational study of the structure of the nocturnal urban boundary layer

The formation mechanism of the nocturnal urban boundary layer (UBL), especially in the winter nighttime, was investigated based on the extensive field observations conducted during November 1984 in Sapporo, Japan. A strong, elevated inversion formed over the Sapporo urban area and the inversion base height was approximately twice the average building height. Velocity fluctuations _u, _w and Reynolds stress % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaa0aaaeaaca% WG1bWaaWbaaSqabeaacaaIXaaaaGGaaOGae8hiaaIaam4DamaaCaaa% leqabaGaaGymaaaaaaaaaa!3A9C!\[\overline {u^1 w^1 } \] had nearly uniform profiles within the nocturnal UBL and decreased with height above the UBL. On the other hand, temperature fluctuations _t , and heat fluxes % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaa0aaaeaaca% WG1bWaaWbaaSqabeaacaaIXaaaaGGaaOGae8hiaaIaeqiUde3aaWba% aSqabeaacaaIXaaaaaaaaaa!3B56!\[\overline {u^1 \theta ^1 } \] and % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaa0aaaeaaca% WG3bWaaWbaaSqabeaacaaIXaaaaGGaaOGae8hiaaIaeqiUde3aaWba% aSqabeaacaaIXaaaaaaaaaa!3B58!\[\overline {w^1 \theta ^1 } \] had peaks at the inversion base and small values within the nocturnal UBL. The turbulent kinetic energy budget showed that the turbulent transport term and shear generation from urban canopy elements are important in the nocturnal UBL development; the role of the buoyancy term is small. The turbulence data analysis and application of a simple advective model showed that the mechanism of UBL formation may be controlled by the downward transport of sensible heat from the elevated inversion caused by mechanically-generated turbulence.Nomenclature g accelaration due to gravity, m s^-2 - k turbulent kinetic energy, m² s^-1 - K _m eddy viscosity, m² s^-1 - L Monin-Obukhov lenght, m - p pressure, Kg m^-2 - U, V, W mean wind speed in the downwind, crosswind, and vertical directions, respectively, m s^-1 - u ¹, w ¹ wind speed fluctuation in the downwind and vertical direction, respectively, m s^-1 - u ₁ friction velocity, m s^-1 - % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaa0aaaeaaca% WG1bWaaWbaaSqabeaacaaIXaaaaGGaaOGae8hiaaIaam4DamaaCaaa% leqabaGaaGymaaaaaaaaaa!3A9C!\[\overline {u^1 w^1 } \] momentum flux, m²s^-2 - % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaa0aaaeaaca% WG1bWaaWbaaSqabeaacaaIXaaaaGGaaOGae8hiaaIaam4DamaaCaaa% leqabaGaaGymaaaaaaaaaa!3A9C!\[\overline {u^1 \theta^1 } \] sensible heat flux, m²s^-1°C - WD wind direction, deg - WS wind speed, m s^-1 - z altitude, m - Z _h inversion base height, m - Z _j wind maximum height, m - Z _t inversion top height, m - T _u-r heat island intensity, °C - temperature lapse rate at rural site, °C m^-1 - energy dissipation rate, m²s^-3 - ¹ Potential temperature fluctuation, °C - _* scaling temperature, (=-% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaa0aaaeaaca% WG1bWaaWbaaSqabeaacaaIXaaaaGGaaOGae8hiaaIaeqiUde3aaWba% aSqabeaacaaIXaaaaaaaaaa!3B56!\[\overline {u^1 \theta ^1 } \]/u_*) °C - mean potential temperature fluctuation, K - density of air, Kgm^-3 - K von Kármán constant (=0.4) - _u, _v, _w standard deviation of wind speed in the downwind, crosswind, and vertical directions, respectively, m s^-1 - standard diviation of temperature, °C     

239,240Pu and137Cs in the East China and the Yellow Seas

The distribution and inventory of artificial radionuclides,^239,240Pu and¹³⁷Cs were determined in the East China and the Yellow Seas in 1987. Almost all of^239,240Pu and 50 to 80% of¹³⁷Cs in the continental shelf area are retained in the sediment column.^239,240Pu sediment inventory in the sea area is larger than the fallout input and tends to increase southwardly. This excess^239,240Pu and the lateral distribution are attributable to the supply of^239,240Pu by the Yangtze River discharge. On the contrary,¹³⁷Cs sediment inventory shows a decrease to the south, and the fact can be accounted for by the southward dispersion of fine silt particles discharged from the Yellow River. Total¹³⁷Cs inventory is smaller than the estimated fallout input, and the fact seems to indicate dispersion of¹³⁷Cs out of the shelf region. Vertical profiles of^239,240Pu and¹³⁷Cs contents in sediments differ from that of natural²¹⁰Pb, implying the effect of varied accumulation rates of the artificial radionuclides over the sediment particle mixing by benthic organisms. Apparent maximum sediment particle mixing coefficient (D _B ) calculated from the excess²¹⁰Pb profiles in stations located between the inner and outer shelves ranged from 1.4 to 8.3 cm²y^–1. ThisD _B value is higher than that in the Okinawa Trough (1.0 cm²y^–1), but lower than previously estimatedD _B value (26 cm²y^–1) in the outer shelf mud.     

Degassing, crystallization and eruption dynamics at Stromboli: trace element and lithium isotopic evidence from 2003 ashes

During its 1800-year-long persistent activity the Stromboli volcano has erupted a highly porphyritic (HP) volatile-poor scoriaceous magma and a low porphyritic (LP) volatile-rich pumiceous magma. The HP magma is erupted during normal Strombolian explosions and lava effusions, while the LP one is related to more energetic paroxysms. During the March–April 2003 explosive activity, Stromboli ejected two typologies of juvenile glassy ashes, namely highly vesicular LP shards and volatile-poor HP shards. Their textural and in situ chemical characteristics are used to unravel mutual relationships between HP and LP magmas, as well as magma dynamics within the shallow plumbing system. The mantle-normalized trace element patterns of both ash types show the typical arc-lava pattern; however, HP glasses possess incompatible element concentrations higher than LP glasses, along with Sr and Eu negative anomalies. HP shards are generally characterized by higher Li contents (to ~20 ppm) and lower δ⁷Li values (+1.2 to −3.8‰) with respect to LP shards (Li contents of 7–14 ppm and δ⁷Li ranging between +4.6 and +0.9‰). Fractional crystallization models based on major and trace element compositions, combined with a degassing model based on open-system Rayleigh distillation and on the assumption that ^melt/fluidD_Li > 1, show that abundant (~30%) plagioclase precipitation and variable degrees of degassing can lead the more primitive LP magma to evolve toward a differentiated (isotopically lighter) HP magma ponding in the upper conduit and undergoing slow continuous degassing-induced crystallization. This study also evidences that in March 2003 Stromboli volcano poured out a small early volume of LP magma that traveled slower within the conduit with respect to later and larger volumes of fast ascending LP magma erupted during the April 5 paroxysm. The different ascent rates and cooling rates of the two LP magma batches (i.e., pre- and post-paroxysm) resulted in small, but detectable, differences in their chemical signatures. Finally, this study highlights the high potential of in situ investigations of juvenile glassy ashes in petrologic and geochemical monitoring the volcanic activity and of Li isotopes as tracers of degassing processes within the shallow plumbing system.     

Island-enhanced cooling mechanism in typhoon events revealed by field observations and numerical simulations for a coral reef area,Sekisei Lagoon,Japan

While widely known for their destructive power, typhoon events can also bring benefit to coral reef ecosystems through typhoon-induced cooling which can mitigate against thermally stressful conditions causing coral bleaching. Sensor deployments in Sekisei Lagoon, Japan’s largest coral reef area, during the summer months of 2013, 2014, and 2015 were able to capture local hydrodynamic features of numerous typhoon passages. In particular, typhoons 2015-13 and 2015-15 featured steep drops in near-bottom temperature of 5 °C or more in the north and south sides of Sekisei Lagoon, respectively, indicating local cooling patterns which appeared to depend on the track and intensity of the passing typhoon. This was further investigated using Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) numerical simulations conducted for the summer of 2015. The modeling results showed a cooling trend to the north of the Yaeyama Islands during the passage of typhoon 2015-13, and a cooling trend that moved clockwise from north to south of the islands during the passage of typhoon 2015-15. These local cooling events may have been initiated by the Yaeyama Islands acting as an obstacle to a strong typhoon-generated flow which was modulated and led to prominent cooling of waters on the leeward sides. These lower temperature waters from offshore may then be transported to the shallower inner parts of the lagoon area, which may partly be due to density-driven currents generated by the offshore-inner area temperature difference.