Styles of mesoscale brittle deformations associated with the Miocene folding of the Taishu Group,Tsushima, between the Japan Sea and East China Sea backarc basins

The Taishu Group is a folded, Eocene–Lower Miocene, thick sedimentary package exposed widely on Tsushima Island between the Japan Sea and East China Sea. This location makes the strata important to understand tectonics and paleo-environments in the Far East, but the timing of the folding is controversial. We studied the styles of brittle deformations of the strata. It was found that flextural-slip folds were dominant. Mesoscale faults were classified into two groups: NE–SW trending reverse faults and NW–SE trending strike-slip faults. Members of both the groups showed movements largely perpendicular to the fold axes. The latter group consisted of sinistral and dextral faults. Accordingly, we interpreted that they were transfer faults activated during the folding. Consequently, mesoscale faults and flexural-slip faults evidence the map-scale plane strain of the Taishu Group in the plane perpendicular to the NE-trending fold axes. There were few transpressional deformations in the group. This is inconsistent with the transpression hypothesis for explaining the simultaneous folding and Japan Sea opening. Another hypothesis in which the folds in Tsushima are regarded as an onshore part of the Taiwan-Shinji fold belt is inconsistent with the timing of folding suggested by mining geologists to be consistent with and contemporaneous with this deformation. On the other hand, we found that dolerite dikes and sills were involved in the folding. Therefore, we conclude that the folding began during the late Early Miocene time and climaxed during the ore mineralization at around 15 Ma. We suggest that the folding in Tsushima was the easternmost manifestation of the compressional regime around the Yellow Sea and East China Sea in the Early to early Middle Miocene, and that the compression was brought about by the arrival of the Philippine Sea plate to initiate buoyant subduction under Kyushu.     

Permian Peri‐glacial Deposits from Central Mongolia in Central Asian Orogenic Belt: A Possible Indicator of the Capitanian Cooling Event

A dropstone‐bearing, Middle Permian to Early Triassic peri‐glacial sedimentary unit was first discovered from the Khangai–Khentei Belt in Mongolia, Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The unit, Urmegtei Formation, is assumed to cover the early Carboniferous Khangai–Khentei accretionary complex, and is an upward‐fining sequence, consisting of conglomerates, sandstones, and varved sandstone and mudstone beds with granite dropstones in ascending order. The formation was cut by a felsic dike, and was deformed and metamorphosed together with the felsic dike. An undeformed porphyritic granite batholith finally cut all the deformed and metamorphosed rocks. LA‐ICP‐MS, U–Pb zircon dating has revealed the following ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U weighted mean igneous ages: (i) a granite dropstone in the Urmegtei Formation is 273 ± 5 Ma (Kungurian of Early Permian); (ii) the deformed felsic dike is 247 ± 4 Ma (Olenekian of Early Triassic); and (iii) the undeformed granite batholith is 218 ± 9 Ma (Carnian of Late Triassic). From these data, the age of sedimentation of the Urmegtei Formation is constrained between the Kungurian and the Olenekian (273–247 Ma), and the age of deformation and metamorphism is constrained between the Olenekian and the Carnian (247–218 Ma). In Permian and Triassic times, the global climate was in a warming trend from the Serpukhovian (early Late Carboniferous) to the Kungurian long and severe cool mode (328–271 Ma) to the Roadian to Bajocian (Middle Jurassic) warm mode (271–168 Ma), with an interruption with the Capitanian Kamura cooling event (266–260 Ma). The dropstone‐bearing strata of the Urmegtei Formation, together with the glacier‐related deposits in the Verkhoyansk, Kolyma, and Omolon areas of northeastern Siberia (said to be of Middle to Late Permian age), must be products of the Capitanian cooling event. Although further study is needed, the dropstone‐bearing strata we found can be explained in two ways: (i) the Urmegtei Formation is an autochthonous formation indicating a short‐term expansion of land glacier to the central part of Siberia in Capitanian age; or (ii) the Urmegtei Formation was deposited in or around a limited ice‐covered continent in northeast Siberia in the Capitanian and was displaced to the present position by the Carnian.     

Compression of Na0.4Mg0.6Al1.6Si0.4O4 NAL and Ca-ferrite-type phases

Compression behaviors of two Al-rich phases in the lower mantle, hexagonal new aluminum-rich (NAL) phase and its high-pressure polymorph Ca-ferrite-type (CF) phase, were examined for identical Na_0.4Mg_0.6Al_1.6Si_0.4O₄ (40?% NaAlSiO₄–60?% MgAl₂O₄) composition. The volumes of the NAL and CF phases were obtained at room temperature up to 31 and 134?GPa, respectively, by a combination of laser-annealed diamond-anvil cell techniques and synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements. Fitting of the third-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state to such pressure–volume data yields bulk modulus K ₀?=?199(6) GPa at 1?bar and its pressure derivative K ₀′?=?5.0(6) for the NAL phase and K ₀?=?169(5) GPa and K ₀′?=?6.3(3) for the CF phase. These results indicate that the bulk modulus increases from 397 to 407 GPa across the phase transition from the NAL to CF phase at 43 GPa, where the NAL phase completely transforms into the CF phase on Na_0.4Mg_0.6Al_1.6Si_0.4O₄. Density also increases by 2.1?% across the phase transition.     

Holocene lake development and glacial-isostatic uplift at Lake Skallen and Lake Oyako,Lützow-Holm Bay,East Antarctica: Based on biogeochemical facies and molecular signatures

The paleolimnology of two lakes which were isolated as a result of the crustal uplift during the late Holocene along the Soya Coast, Lützow-Holm Bay, East Antarctica were studied. The focus was on temporal variations in the biogeochemical composition of sediment cores recovered from Lake Skallen at Skallen and Lake Oyako at Skarvsnes. Both sets of lake sediments record environmental changes associated with a transition from marine to lacustrine settings, as indicated by analyses of C and N contents, nitrogen isotopic compositions (δ¹⁵N), and major element concentrations. Changes in the dominant primary producers during the marine–lacustrine transition (marine diatom to cyanobacteria) at L. Skallen was clearly revealed by biogenic opal-A, diatom assemblages, and molecular signature from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) with 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene analysis. Radiocarbon dating of acid-insoluble organic C suggested that the environmental transition from marine to fresh water occurred at 2940 ± 100 cal yr BP at L. Skallen and 1060 ± 90 cal yr BP at L. Oyako. Based on these data, a mean crustal uplift rate of 3.2 mm yr⁻¹ is inferred for the history of marine–lacustrine transition via brackish conditions. The geological setting causing glacio-isostatic uplift was the primary factor in controlling the transition event in sedimentary and biological facies.     

High-temperature compression experiments of CaSiO3 perovskite to lowermost mantle conditions and its thermal equation of state

In order to examine pressure–volume–temperature (P–V–T) relations for CaSiO₃ perovskite (Ca-perovskite), high-temperature compression experiments with in situ X-ray diffraction were performed in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell (DAC) to 127 GPa and 2,300 K. We also employed an external heating system in the DAC in order to obtain P–V data at a moderate temperature of 700 K up to 113 GPa, which is the reference temperature for constructing an equation of state. The P–V data at 700 K were fitted to the second-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state, yielding K _700,1bar = 207 ± 4 GPa and V _700,1bar = 46.5 ± 0.1 Å³. Thermal pressure terms were evaluated in the framework of the Mie–Grüneisen–Debye model, yielding γ _700,1bar = 2.7 ± 0.3, q _700,1bar = 1.2 ± 0.8, and θ _700,1bar = 1,300 ± 500 K. A thermodynamic thermal pressure model was also employed, yielding α_700,1bar = 5.7 ± 0.5 × 10^?5/K and (?K/?T) _V  = ?0.010 ± 0.004 GPa/K. Computed densities along a lower mantle geotherm demonstrate that Ca-perovskite is denser than the surrounding lower mantle, suggesting that Ca-perovskite-rich rocks do not rise up through the lower mantle. One of such rocks might be a residue of partial melting of subducted mid-oceanic ridge basalt (MORB) at the base of the mantle. Since the partial melt is FeO-rich and therefore denser than the mantle, all the components of subducted MORB may not return to shallow levels.     

Meteor Showers Originated from 73P/Schwassmann–Wachmann

The nucleus of the Comet 73P/Schwassmann–Wachmann had been split into many fragments at least past two returns. Since the related dense dust trail has been detected in the space infrared observation, the strong activity of the meteor shower is highly expected in the future. We applied the so-called dust-trail theory to this interesting object, and obtained several results on the future encounter with the dust trail. In this paper we introduce our results on the forecasts.     

Subaqueous geothermal activity revealed by lacustrine sediments of the acidic Nakadake crater lake, Aso Volcano, Japan

Lacustrine sediments were sampled from the inaccessible acidic (pH = 0.43) Nakadake crater lake of Aso Volcano, Japan by a simple method. The sediments contain an extremely high content (74 wt.%) of sulfur, which exits as elemental sulfur, gypsum and anhydrite. The abundant elemental sulfur is likely formed by the reaction of SO₂ and H₂S gases and by the SO₂ disproportionation reaction in magmatic hydrothermal system below the crater lake. Based on the sulfur content of sediments and measurements of elevation change of the crater bottom, the sulfur accumulation rate at the Nakadake crater lake was calculated as 250 tonne/day, which is comparable with the SO₂ emission rate (200–600 tonne/day) from the Nakadake crater. The sediments include a small amount (9%) of clear glass shards that are apparently not altered in spite of the high reactivity of hyperacid lake water. This finding suggests that the clear glass shards are fragments of recently emitted magmas from fumaroles on the bottom of the crater lake and the magma emissions continuously occur even in quiescent periods.     

Structural controls on the 1998 volcanic unrest at Iwate volcano: Relationship between a shallow, electrically resistive body and the possible ascent route of magmatic fluid

Magnetotelluric (MT) measurements were conducted at Iwate volcano, across the entirety of the mountain, in 1997, 1999, 2003, 2006, and 2007. The survey line was 18 km in length and oriented E–W, comprising 38 measurements sites. Following 2D inversion, we obtained the resistivity structure to a depth of 4 km. The surface resistive layer (~ several hundreds of meters thick) is underlain by extensive highly conductive zones. Based on drilling data, the bottom of the highly conductive zone is interpreted to represent the 200 °C isotherm, below which (i.e., at higher temperatures) conductive clay minerals (smectite) are rare. The high conductivity is therefore mainly attributed to the presence of hydrothermally altered clay. The focus of this study is a resistive body beneath the Onigajo (West-Iwate) caldera at depths of 0.5–3 km. This body appears to have impeded magmatic fluid ascent during the 1998 volcanic unrest, as inferred from geodetic data. Both tectonic and low-frequency earthquakes are sparsely distributed throughout this resistive body. We interpret this resistive body as a zone of old, solidified intrusive magma with temperatures in excess of 200 °C. Given that a similar relationship between a resistive body and subsurface volcanic activity has been suggested for Asama volcano, structural controls on subsurface magmatic fluid movement may be a common phenomenon at shallow levels beneath volcanoes.