Relative importance of multiple environmental variables in structuring benthic macroinfaunal assemblages in chronically metal-polluted salt marshes

In this study, we assessed importance of sediment-associated trace metals in structuring benthic macroinfaunal assemblages along multiple environmental gradients in chronically polluted salt marshes of the Arthur Kill - AK (New York, USA). More than 90% of benthic macroinfaunal communities at the northern AK sites consisted of a considerably large number of only a few polychaete and oligochaete species. Approximately 70% of among-site variances in abundance and biomass of benthic macroinfaunal communities was strongly associated with a few environmental variables; only sediment-associated mercury consistently contributed to a significant proportion of the explained variances in species composition along natural environmental gradients (e.g., salinity). Although sediment-associated copper, lead, and zinc were substantially elevated at some of the AK sites, their ecological impacts on benthic macroinfaunal communities appeared to be negligible. These findings suggest that cumulative metal-specific impacts may have played an important role in structuring benthic macroinfaunal communities in chronically polluted AK ecosystems.     

On the correlation between ionospheric perturbations as detected by subionospheric VLF/LF signals and earthquakes as characterized by seismic intensity

The long-term data during seven years from January 2001 to December 2007, as observed by the Pacific VLF/LF network consisting of several Japanese stations and one station in Kamchatka, are extensively utilized to perform a statistical correlation study between the lower ionospheric perturbations as detected by subionospheric propagation and earthquakes (EQs). In this paper, we adopt a physical parameter, the maximum seismicity intensity observed (I) to define the strength of an EQ unlike the previously and conventionally used EQ magnitude and depth, which is a combined effect of EQ magnitude and depth, together with the Earth’s surface information and geological condition around the EQ epicenter. After considering EQs only take place on the land because of the use of seismicity and by using the superimposed epoch analysis, it is found for the larger EQs with I from 5 to 7 (we feel serious trembling and we expect serious damage) that the most important VLF/LF parameter, trend (nighttime average amplitude), shows a definite decrease about 10 days before the EQ by exceeding 2σ (σ: standard deviation) criterion; the dispersion shows a maximum about 10 days before the EQ but not exceeding 2σ line and finally the nighttime fluctuation shows an enhancement about 10 days before the EQ (with exceeding the 2σ level). A definite statistical correlation is confirmed between the ionospheric perturbations and I when I is strong enough in a range from 5 to 7. Whereas, there is no significant correlation between the two when I is in a range from 3 to 4. Finally, together with the corresponding results for EQs in the sea, but close to the land, these results are discussed in the light of lithosphere–ionosphere coupling mechanism.     

Zircon U–Pb dating of gabbro and diorite from the Bato pluton,northeast Japan

To constrain the timing of the tectonothermal events and formation process of a plutonic suite, U–Pb dating was carried out by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry combined with cathodoluminescence imaging on zircon grains extracted from the Bato pluton, northern Yamizo Mountains, Japan. The Bato pluton consists of gabbro and diorite. Zircon grains separated from a gabbro sample had a unimodal ²³⁸U–²⁰⁶Pb age (105.7 ±1.0 Ma). It was interpreted as the solidification age of the gabbro. Cathodoluminescence observation showed that the zircon grains from a diorite sample were characterized by anhedral cores, oscillatory zoned mantles, and dark rims. The ²³⁸U–²⁰⁶Pb age of the anhedral cores ranged from 2 165 Ma to 161 Ma, indicating the assimilation of surrounding sedimentary rocks. The ²³⁸U–²⁰⁶Pb ages of the oscillatory zoned mantles and dark rims are 109.0 ±1.3 Ma and 107.7 ±1.3 Ma, respectively. Observation under polarizing microscopy suggests that the anhedral cores occurred before plagioclase and hornblende, and the oscillatory zones around the anhedral cores had crystallized at the same time as the crystallization of biotite. Moreover, the dark rims formed at the same time as the crystallization of quartz and K‐feldspar. The formation process of the gabbro‐diorite complex in the Bato pluton was inferred as follows. (i) A mafic initial magma intruded into Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, and the assimilation of these sedimentary rocks led to geochemical variation yielding a dioritic composition. Subsequently, plagioclase and hornblende of the diorite were crystallized before 109.0 ±1.3 Ma. (ii) Biotite crystallized in the middle stage around 109.0 ±1.3 Ma. (iii) Quartz and K‐feldspar of the diorite were crystallized at 107.7 ±1.3 Ma. The gabbroic magma solidified (105.7 ±1.0 Ma) after solidification of the diorite.     

A method for non-parametric damage detection through the use of neural networks

A neural network-based approach is presented for the detection of changes in the characteristics of structure-unknown systems. The approach relies on the use of vibration measurements from a ‘healthy’ system to train a neural network for identification purposes. Subsequently, the trained network is fed comparable vibration measurements from the same structure under different episodes of response in order to monitor the health of the structure. The methodology is applied to actual data obtained from ambient vibration measurements on a steel building structure that was damaged under strong seismic motion during the Hyogo-Ken Nanbu Earthquake of 17 January 1995. The measurements were done before and after repairs to the damaged frame were made. A neural network is trained with data after the repairs, which represents ‘healthy’ condition of the building. The trained network, which is subsequently fed data before the repairs, successfully identified the difference between the damaged storey and the undamaged storey. Through this study, it is shown that the proposed approach has the potential of being a practical tool for a damage detection methodology applied to smart civil structures. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A study of intermittent turbulence with cases-99 tower measurments

Characteristics of intermittent turbulence events in the stably stratified nocturnal boundary layer are investigated with data collected in the CASES-99 tower array of 300-m radius. The array consists of a central 60-m tower with eddy covariance measurements at eight levels and six satellite towers with eddy covariance measurements at 5 m. A significant increase in the magnitude of vertical wind velocity () and spectral information are used to define the onset of an intermittent turbulence event. Normally, only a subset of 5 m-levels in the tower network experience an intermittent turbulence event concurrent with one at the 5 m-level on the main tower. This behaviour reveals the small horizontal extent of most events. Intermittent turbulence events at the main tower 5-m level are normally confined to a layer much thinner than the 60-m tower height. The turbulent kinetic energy budget is evaluated for intermittent turbulence events observed at the 5-m level on the main tower. Generally, the onset of an intermittent turbulence event is not closely related to the reduction of the gradient Richardson number below 0.25, the critical Richardson number of turbulence generation for linear instability. Possible explanations including the influence of advected turbulence patches are discussed.     

Slab decarbonation and CO2 recycling in the Southwestern Colombian volcanic arc

The contribution of subducted carbonate sediments to the genesis of the Southwestern Colombian arc magmas was investigated using a comprehensive petrography and geochemical analysis, including determination of major and trace element contents and Sr, Nd, Hf and Pb isotope compositions. These data have been used to constrain the depth of decarbonation in the subducted slab, indicating that the decarbonation process continues into the sub-arc region, and ultimately becomes negligible in the rear arc. We propose on the basis of multi-isotope approach and mass balance calculations, that the most important mechanism to induce the slab decarbonation is the infiltration of chemically reactive aqueous fluids from the altered oceanic crust, which decreasingly metasomatize the mantle wedge, triggering the formation of isotopically different primary magmas from the volcanic front (VF) with relatively high ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf, high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, negative values of εNd and lower Pb isotopes compared to the rear arc (RA).The presence of more aqueous fluids at the volcanic front may increase the degree of decarbonation into carbonate-bearing lithologies. Moreover, with increasing pressure and temperature in the subduction system, the decrease in dehydration of the slab, leads to cessation of fluid-induced decarbonation reactions at the rear arc. This development allows the remaining carbonate materials to be recycled into the deep mantle.     

Correction to: Street-scale storm surge load impact assessment using fine-resolution numerical modelling: a case study from Nemuro,Japan

Natural Hazards - To: Street-scale storm.     

The Hayabusa Spacecraft Asteroid Multi-band Imaging Camera (AMICA)

The Hayabusa Spacecraft Asteroid Multi-band Imaging Camera (AMICA) has acquired more than 1400 multispectral and high-resolution images of its target asteroid, 25143 Itokawa, since late August 2005. In this paper, we summarize the design and performance of AMICA. In addition, we describe the calibration methods, assumptions, and models, based on measurements. Major calibration steps include corrections for linearity and modeling and subtraction of bias, dark current, read-out smear, and pixel-to-pixel responsivity variations. AMICA v-band data were calibrated to radiance using in-flight stellar observations. The other band data were calibrated to reflectance by comparing them to ground-based observations to avoid the uncertainty of the solar irradiation in those bands. We found that the AMICA signal was linear with respect to the input signal to an accuracy of ?1% when the signal level was <3800 DN. We verified that the absolute radiance calibration of the AMICA v-band (0.55 μm) was accurate to 4% or less, the accuracy of the disk-integrated spectra with respect to the AMICA v-band was about 1%, and the pixel-to-pixel responsivity (flat-field) variation was 3% or less. The uncertainty in background zero level was 5 DN. From wide-band observations of star clusters, we found that the AMICA optics have an effective focal length of 120.80 ± 0.03 mm, yielding a field-of-view (FOV) of 5.83° × 5.69°. The resulting geometric distortion model was accurate to within a third of a pixel. We demonstrated an image-restoration technique using the point-spread functions of stars, and confirmed that the technique functions well in all loss-less images. An artifact not corrected by this calibration is scattered light associated with bright disks in the FOV.     

The shape distribution of boulders on Asteroid 25143 Itokawa: Comparison with fragments from impact experiments

Laboratory impact experiments have found that the shape of fragments over a broad size range is distributed around the mean value of the axial ratio 2:√2:1, which is independent of a wide range of experimental conditions. We report the shape statistics of boulders with size of 0.1-30 m on the surface of Asteroid 25143 Itokawa based on high-resolution images obtained by the Hayabusa spacecraft in order to investigate whether their shape distribution is similar to the distribution obtained for fragments (smaller than 0.1 m) in laboratory impact experiments. We also investigated the shapes of boulders with size of 0.1-150 m on Asteroid 433 Eros using a few arbitrary selected images by the NEAR spacecraft, in order to compare those with the shapes on Asteroid Itokawa. In addition, the shapes of small- and fast-rotating asteroids (diameter <200 m and rotation period <1 h), which are natural fragments from past impact events among asteroids, were inferred from archived light curve data taken by ground-based telescopes. The results show that the shape distributions of laboratory fragments are similar to those of the boulders on Eros and of the small- and fast-rotating asteroids, but are different from those on Itokawa. However, we propose that the apparent difference between the boulders of Itokawa and the laboratory fragments is due to the migration of boulders. Therefore, we suggest that the shape distributions of the boulders ranging from 0.1 to 150 m in size and the small- and fast-rotating asteroids are similar to those obtained for the fragments generated in laboratory impact experiments.