Hydrographic structure of the Kuroshio large meander-cold water mass region down to the deeper layers of the ocean

The hydrographic structure of the region of large meander of the Kuroshio and the large cold water mass, which were formed in 1975, was observed down to the ocean bottom, during three cruises of the R/VHakuho Maru in September 1975, September 1976, and December 1977. The analysis of observed data indicates the following common features: the horizontal gradient of the specific volume anomaly exists down to a 3,500 db surface, corresponding to the existence of baroclinic geostrophic current down to this depth. These facts demonstrate that the current of the Kuroshio is not confined to the upper layer during periods of existence of the large meander. On a T-S diagram, the Kuroshio water and the water in the large cold water mass can be discriminated down to a 5°C surface, but there is evidence of mixing due to conspicuous interleaving between the two water masses, near the thermocline. Below the thermocline, water types defined by points on the T-S diagram can be traced from a deeper level in the Kuroshio water to a shallower level in the cold water mass, indicating that in the deeper layers the Kuroshio water continues to be uplifted toward the center of the cold water mass. The same inference is also obtained from the distribution of dissolved oxygen.     

Paleomagnetism of a pyroclastic flow deposit and its correlative widespread tephra in central Japan: Possible tectonic rotation since the late Pleistocene

Abstract The late Pleistocene Kamitakara Pyroclastic Flow Deposit (KPFD) and its correlative Kasamori (Ks22) Tephra in central Japan are found to preserve stable thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) and detrital remanent magnetization (DRM), respectively. Untilted site‐mean declinations of the KPFD are characterized by a fairly large scatter with easterly deflection, while those of the Ks22 show significantly smaller deflections. Because northerly paleomagnetic directions consistently characterize shallow marine sediments intercalating the Ks22 layer, the directional discordance is not attributed to different acquisition timing between TRM and DRM, but is probably due to a recent tectonic rotation in central Japan. Large scatter in TRM declinations of the KPFD implies that a number of right‐lateral active faults around the depositional area of the pyroclastic flow raised differential rotation of crustal blocks in central Japan, even during the late Pleistocene.     

Effect of the formation of EDTA complexes on the diffusion of metal ions in water

The diffusion coefficients of aquo metal ions (M^z+) and their EDTA complexes (M-EDTA^(z−4)+) were compared to understand the effect of EDTA complexation on the diffusion of metal ions by the diffusion cell method for Co²⁺, Ga³⁺, Rb⁺, Sr²⁺, Ag⁺, Cd²⁺, Cs⁺, Th⁴⁺, , and trivalent lanthanides. Most studies about ionic diffusion in water have dealt with free ion (hydrated ion). In many cases, however, polyvalent ions are dissolved as complexed species in natural waters. Hence, we need to study the diffusion behavior of complexes in order to understand the diffusion phenomenon in natural aquifer and to measure speciation by diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT), which requires the diffusion coefficients of the species examined. For many ions, the diffusion coefficients of M-EDTA^(z−4)+ are smaller than those of hydrated ions, but the diffusion coefficients of M-EDTA^(z−4)+ are larger than those of hydrated ions for ions with high ionic potentials (Ga³⁺ and Th⁴⁺). As a result, the diffusion coefficients of EDTA complexes are similar among various metal ions. In other words, the diffusion of each ion loses its characteristics by the complexation with EDTA. Although the difference is subtle, it was also found that the diffusion coefficients of EDTA complexes increase as the ionic potential increases, which can be explained by the size of the EDTA complex of each metal ion.     

Synthesis,TEM characterization and thermal behaviour of LiNiSi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript> pyroxene

A pyroxene with composition LiNiSi₂O₆ was synthesized at T = 1,473 K and P = 2.0 GPa; the cell parameters at T = 298 K are a = 9.4169(6) Å, b = 8.4465(7) Å, c = 5.2464(3) Å, β = 110.534(6)°, V = 390.78(3) Å³. TEM examination of the LiNiSi₂O₆ pyroxene showed the presence of h + k odd reflections indicative of a primitive lattice, and of antiphase domains obtained by dark field imaging of the h + k odd reflections. A HT in situ investigation was performed by examining TEM selected area diffraction patterns collected at high temperature and synchrotron radiation powder diffraction. In HTTEM the LiNiSi₂O₆ was examined together with LiCrSi₂O₆ pyroxene. In LiCrSi₂O₆ the h + k odd critical reflections disappear at about 340 K; they are sharp up to the transition temperature and do not change their shape until they disappear. In LiNiSi₂O₆ the h + k odd reflections are present up to sample deterioration at 650 K. A high temperature synchrotron radiation powder diffraction investigation was performed on LiNiSi₂O₆ between 298 and 773 K. The analysis of critical reflections and of changes in cell parameters shows that the space group is P-centred up to the highest temperature. The comparative analysis of the thermal and spontaneous strain contributions in P2₁/c and C2/c pyroxenes indicates that the high temperature strain in P-LiNiSi₂O₆ is very similar to that due to thermal strain only in C2/c spodumene and that a spontaneous strain contribution related to pre-transition features is not apparent in LiNiSi₂O₆. A different high-temperature behaviour in LiNiSi₂O₆ with respect to other pyroxenes is suggested, possibly in relation with the presence of Jahn–Teller distortion of the M1 polyhedron centred by low-spin Ni³⁺.     

Intelligent seismic isolation system using air bearings and earthquake early warning

Recently strong seismic waves or long period seismic waves have been observed in various earthquakes that occurred in Japan. As a result improvements of existing seismic isolation systems are deemed necessary. The present study proposed an intelligent seismic isolation system encompassing air bearings and earthquake early warning (EEW) system. Such system exhibits adequate isolation performance. The air bearings are isolation device that may render infinite the superstructure natural period by floating them, and the EEW is applied for a trigger of isolation. This paper illustrates the proposed system and discusses the experimental results of a test carried out with the system. Laboratory tests carried out in the present research demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed base isolated systems and prove its efficacy in mitigating the effects of three-dimensional seismic waves. For example, the system suppressed the horizontal response acceleration of an isolation target to 38% of input acceleration.