Experimental and Numerical Investigations of Ground Deformation Using Chemical Grouting for Pipeline Foundation

Based on experimental and numerical investigations, the present paper focuses on under ground scope (UGS) chemical grouting method that can actually improve the pipeline surrounding foundation to solve pipeline saggy damage. According to the experimental results, a solution-type injection material could make lager soil deformation, using less total slurry amount than suspension-type injection material. Therefore, a suspension-type injection material with shorter gel time is more suitable for the UGS method, making it more effective to reinforce the pipeline foundation and restore pipelines. The results of some patterns of injection tests revealed relationship between the behavior of the grouting material and the deformation of the soil. It is found that the material can be injected into a foundation by fracture grouting if the permeation coefficient is lower than 1.00 × 10⁻³ mm/s. The situation was analyzed by using 2-D finite element method analysis software Phase2, and the analysis result proposes that the real data and simulation data are nearly the same in impermeable soil. Furthermore, even if the construction object is permeable soil, it can also be become impermeable soil by two phases grouting: soil improvement grouting and restoration grouting.     

Zircon U–Pb ages of plutonic rocks in the southern Abukuma Mountains: Implications for Cretaceous geotectonic evolution of the Abukuma Belt

Plutonic rocks in the southern Abukuma Mountains include gabbro and diorite, fine‐grained diorite, hornblende–biotite granodiorite (Ishikawa, Samegawa, main part of Miyamoto and Tabito, Kamikimita and Irishiken Plutons), biotite granodiorite (the main part of Hanawa Pluton and the Torisone Pluton), medium‐ to coarse‐grained biotite granodiorite and leucogranite, based on the lithologies and geological relations. Zircon U–Pb ages of gabbroic rocks are 112.4 ±1.0 Ma (hornblende gabbro, Miyamoto Pluton), 109.0 ±1.1 Ma (hornblende gabbro, the Hanawa Pluton), 102.7 ±0.8 Ma (gabbronorite, Tabito Pluton) and 101.0 ±0.6 Ma (fine‐grained diorite). As for the hornblende–biotite granodiorite, zircon U–Pb ages are 104.2 ±0.7 Ma (Ishikawa Pluton), 112.6 ±1.0 Ma (Tabito Pluton), 105.2 ±0.8 Ma (Kamikimita Pluton) and 105.3±0.8 Ma (Irishiken Pluton). Also for the medium‐ to fine‐grained biotite granodiorite, zircon U–Pb ages are 106.5±0.9 Ma (Miyamoto Pluton), 105.1 ±1.0 Ma (Hanawa Pluton) and the medium‐ to coarse‐grained biotite granodiorite has zircon U–Pb age of 104.5 ±0.8 Ma. In the case of the leucogranite, U–Pb age of zircon is 100.6 ±0.9 Ma. These data indicate that the intrusion ages of gabbroic rocks and surrounding granitic rocks ranges from 113 to 101 Ma. Furthermore, K–Ar ages of biotite and or hornblende in the same rock samples were dated. Accordingly, it is clear that these rocks cooled down rapidly to 300 °C (Ar blocking temperature of biotite for K–Ar system) after their intrusion. These chronological data suggest that the Abukuma plutonic rocks in the southern Abukuma Mountains region uplifted rapidly around 107 to 100 Ma after their intrusion.     

Numerical modelling study on the flexural uplift of the Transantarctic Mountains

In this study, based on a 2-D thermomechanical finite element model, the uplift of the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) is discussed in relation to the flexural uplift of a rheologically layered lithosphere, which is described by Vening-Meinesz's cantilever kinematics. The general model behaviour shows that the thickness of the crust and the geothermal gradient in the lithosphere are the principal factors in controlling the effective elastic thickness ( T _e). Although T _e is also significantly dependent on the magnitude of the uplift and the wet or dry rheological condition of rocks, these two factors do not have a dominant influence on the half-wavelength of the TAM. The model with a plausible crustal structure beneath Antarctica shows that the thermal structure beneath East Antarctica is the critical factor, controlling the half-wavelength of the TAM. If there is a significant radiogenic heat source in the Antarctic lithosphere, T _e beneath East Antarctica is estimated to be 50 km, at most, and the lithosphere has no potential to explain an exceptionally large-scale half-wavelength of the TAM. Even for the model without a heat source, if East Antarctica is significantly thermally influenced by West Antarctica, T _e is estimated to be about 60 km, and it is difficult to reproduce the half-wavelength of the TAM. Contrarily, when a radiogenic heat source is absent and the thermal structure beneath East Antarctica is not significantly affected by that beneath West Antarctica, the rheological structure beneath East Antarctica has the potential to reproduce the half-wavelength of the TAM ( T _e∼ 100 km). Thus, the presence of a radiogenic heat source in the crust and mantle and the thermal influence of West Antarctica on East Antarctica are crucial factors in the reproduction of the half-wavelength found in the TAM.     

Seasonal temperature responses to land-use change in the western United States

In the western United States, more than 79 000 km² has been converted to irrigated agriculture and urban areas. These changes have the potential to alter surface temperature by modifying the energy budget at the land–atmosphere interface. This study reports the seasonally varying temperature responses of four regional climate models (RCMs) – RSM, RegCM3, MM5-CLM3, and DRCM – to conversion of potential natural vegetation to modern land-cover and land-use over a 1-year period. Three of the RCMs supplemented soil moisture, producing large decreases in the August mean (− 1.4 to − 3.1 °C) and maximum (− 2.9 to − 6.1 °C) 2-m air temperatures where natural vegetation was converted to irrigated agriculture. Conversion to irrigated agriculture also resulted in large increases in relative humidity (9% to 36% absolute change). Modeled changes in the August minimum 2-m air temperature were not as pronounced or consistent across the models. Converting natural vegetation to urban land-cover produced less pronounced temperature effects in all models, with the magnitude of the effect dependent upon the preexisting vegetation type and urban parameterizations. Overall, the RCM results indicate that the temperature impacts of land-use change are most pronounced during the summer months, when surface heating is strongest and differences in surface soil moisture between irrigated land and natural vegetation are largest.     

Relationship between trace elements and depositional environments in shallow sediments: a case study from Southern Kanto Plain,Central Japan

Underground developments such as subways and shopping facilities have been increasing in number and magnitude in the relatively shallow subsurface of many urban areas where the earth materials commonly are composed of marine sediments. Marine sediments can contain significant amounts of toxic trace elements such as arsenic, boron, and lead. Changes in the subsurface environment caused by excavation and construction in underground developments could potentially cause these toxic elements to be dissolved into pore water of the sediments, which might lead to groundwater pollution. The purpose of this study is to investigate correlations among chemical properties of marine sediments, such as pH and electrical conductivity (EC), concentrations of toxic trace elements, and stratigraphic characteristics of the sediments. We selected three sites with different stratigraphic settings in the southern Kanto Plain around the Tokyo Metropolis. We collected core samples from shallow strata at a site in the Arakawa Lowland, southern Saitama, and at two sites in the Musashino Upland, Middle Tokyo. All sites have both marine and non-marine sediments up to 50–60 m in thickness. We determined trace element concentrations in the pore water, pH, EC, and loss on ignition. The results show that (1) the marine sediments tend to have low pH, high EC, and high sulfur concentration compared to the non-marine sediments (2) the concentration of most of the soluble heavy metals vary depending on the concentration of sulfate, the pH, and the formation processes of the strata, (3) the arsenic concentration is not related to sulfur concentration but apparently to Fe and Al concentrations, (4) the boron concentration is not related to any other properties implying that the boron level is independent of and cannot be predicted by common chemical properties, and (5) for all three sites, concentrations of most of the trace elements, EC, pH, and sulfate concentration were correlated with each other. This study shows that the concentration and potential mobilization of many toxic trace elements in marine sediments could be predicted by easily measurable pore water chemical properties such as pH and EC. This could be useful for predicting and avoiding the risk of groundwater pollution during underground development projects.     

Determination of experimentally enriched15N in nitrate nitrogen based on an improved method of azo dye formation

A method has been developed for determination of¹⁵N isotope ratio in nitrate nitrogen, which is a major analytical step in tracer experiments for studies of nitrate metabolism in the marine environment. The method is based on diazotization of nitrite with sulfanilic acid following reduction of nitrate to nitrite by a cadmium-copper column. The diazonium compound is then subject to the azo coupling reaction with 2-naphthol, and the azo dye formed is extracted by a solid phase extraction column. The dye eluted from the column is collected, and total nitrogen and¹⁵N content of the dye are determined by mass spectrometry. Sulfanilic acid can also remove preexisting nitrite by heating the sample under acidic conditions before passing through the cadmium-copper reduction column. The average recovery of nitrate nitrogen was 86%. A procedure for reducing the background nitrogen that derives from the analytical operations has been developed; background nitrogen was limited to about 0.25 μg-atomN. The variation in the background nitrogen levels reflects the range of error in¹⁵N determination of nitrate nitrogen by this method. Application of the present method to a¹⁵NO₃ ⁻ isotope dilution experiment for determination of nitrification rate in sea water is demonstrated.     

Estimation methods for monthly humidity from dynamical downscaling data for quantitative assessments of climate change impacts

Methods are proposed to estimate the monthly relative humidity and wet bulb temperature based on observations from a dynamical downscaling coupled general circulation model with a regional climate model (RCM) for a quantitative assessment of climate change impacts. The water vapor pressure estimation model developed was a regression model with a monthly saturated water vapor pressure that used minimum air temperature as a variable. The monthly minimum air temperature correction model for RCM bias was developed by stepwise multiple regression analysis using the difference in monthly minimum air temperatures between observations and RCM output as a dependent variable and geographic factors as independent variables. The wet bulb temperature was estimated using the estimated water vapor pressure, air temperature, and atmospheric pressure at ground level both corrected for RCM bias. Root mean square errors of the data decreased considerably in August.     

Species diversity of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Skeletonema</Emphasis> (Bacillariophyceae) in the industrial harbor Dokai Bay,Japan

Seven Skeletonema species were identified at one station in the industrial harbor Dokai Bay, Japan, in October 2007 and then monthly from January 2008 to December 2009 by morphological scanning electron microscopy observations and molecular analyses of mainly the large subunit (LSU) rDNA. We refer to one species identified as S. dohrnii using LSU rDNA, but as S. marinoi using the small subunit (SSU) rDNA and consequently we use the term S. marinoi-dohrnii complex. This is the first time that S. ardens, S. costatum s.s., and S. pseudocostatum have been recorded in Japan and that S. menzelii and S. tropicum have been identified by molecular methods in Japan. The S. marinoi-dohrnii complex was isolated with high frequency all year-round, and S. japonicum was also isolated with high frequency but not so in summer. S. Tropicum was isolated from September to December, but S. ardens and S. costatum s.s. were isolated only when the water temperature exceeded 20°C. S. pseudocostatum bloomed just once, in summer, but S. menzelii was isolated in May and again in October. The continuous year-round occurrence of S. costatum s.l. in the bay is supported by the succession of these seven species. Six of the species, except S. menzelii, were important components of algal blooms in the bay. One to four species of Skeletonema were isolated every month. Monthly species diversity was higher when S. ardens, S. costatum s.s., and S. tropicum that are usually associated with tropical or subtropical waters, were isolated. In general, species diversity of the genus Skeletonema was very high in Dokai Bay.     

The role of the grain boundary at chemical and isotopic fronts in marble during contact metamorphism

Carbon and oxygen isotopic profiles around a low pressure metasomatic wollastonite reaction front in a marble of the Hida metamorphic terrain, central Japan, display typical metamorphic fluid-enhanced isotopic zonations. Isotopic profiles obtained from detailed microscale analyses perpendicular to the chemical reaction front in calcite marble show that diffusion-enhanced isotopic exchange may control these profiles. Carbon and oxygen isotopic behaviour in grain boundaries is remarkably different. Oxygen isotopic troughs (¹⁸O depleted rims) around the calcite-grain boundaries are widely observed in this contact aureole, demonstrating that diffusion of oxygen in calcite grain boundary dominates over lattice diffusion in calcite. In contrast, no difference is observed in carbon isotopic profiles obtained from grain cores and rims. There is thus no specific role of the grain boundary for diffusion of carbonic species in the metamorphic fluid during transportation. Carbon chemical species such as CO₂ and CO₃ ions in metamorphic fluid migrate mainly through lattice diffusion. The carbon and oxygen isotope profiles may be modelled by diffusion into a semi-infinite medium. Empirically lattice diffusion of oxygen isotopes is almost six times faster than that of carbon isotopes, and oxygen grain-boundary diffusion is ten times faster than oxygen lattice diffusion. Oxygen isotopic results around the wollastonite vein indicate that migration of the metamorphic fluid into calcite marble was small and was parallel to the aquifer. From the stability of wollastonite and the attainment of oxygen isotopic equilibrium, we suggest that diffusion of oxygen occurred through an aqueous fluid phase. The timescale of formation of the oxygen isotopic profile around the wollastonite vein is calculated to be about 0.76 × 10⁶ years using the experimentally determined diffusion constant. Received: 14 January 1997 / Accepted: 23 April 1998     

V p/V s-ratios from the central Kolbeinsey Ridge to the Jan Mayen Basin,North Atlantic; implications for lithology,porosity and present-day stress field

The horizontal components from twenty Ocean Bottom Seismometers deployed along three profiles near the Kolbeinsey Ridge, North Atlantic, have been modelled with regard to S-waves, based on P-wave models obtained earlier. Two profiles were acquired parallel to the ridge, and the third profile extended eastwards across the continental Jan Mayen Basin. The modelling requires a thin (few 100 m) layer with very high V _p/V _s-ratio (3.5–9.5) at the sea-floor in the area lacking sedimentary cover. The obtained V _p/V _s-ratios for the remaining part of layer 2A, 2B, 3 and upper mantle, correspond to the following lithologies: pillow lavas, sheeted dykes, gabbro and peridotite, respectively. All crustal layers exhibit a decreasing trend in V _p/V _s-ratio away-from-the-axis, interpreted as decreasing porosity and/or crack density in that direction. A significant S-wave azimuthal anisotropy is observed within the thin uppermost layer of basalt near the ridge. The anisotropy is interpreted as being caused by fluid-filled microcracks aligned along the direction of present-day maximum compressive stress, and indicates crustal extension at the ridge itself and perpendicular-to-the-ridge compression 12 km off axis. Spreading along the Kolbeinsey Ridge has most likely been continuous since its initiation ca. 25 Ma: The data do not suggest the presence of an extinct spreading axis between the Kolbeinsey Ridge and the Aegir Ridge as has been proposed earlier. The V _p/V _s-ratios found in the Jan Mayen Basin are compatible with continental crust, overlain by a sedimentary section dominated by shale.