Transfer of60Co from midwater squid to sperm whales

Sperm whales are notable squid-eaters. They feed mainly on medium to large-sized cephalopods at midwater levels and defecate near the surface. This suggests the existence of an upward transport of⁶⁰Co by sperm whales from the mesopelagic zone (150–1,200 m). To elucidate this squid-whale route for this artificial radionuclide,⁶⁰Co content was determined in squid and in predator whales captured by commercial whaling. In the Cephalopoda livers⁶⁰Co levels of 30–500 mBq kg^–1 wet were found and in the viscera of Odontoceti (toothed whales) 15–40 mBq kg^–1 wet. About 0.3% of⁸⁰Co ingested was estimated to be retained in a 23-year-old male sperm whale. In the livers of Bryde's whales,⁶⁰Co levels of 40–80 mBq kg^–1 wet were detected, but not in euphausiids and sardines, their possible prey. The level of Co in sperm whales was nearly the same as in Bryde's whales. Specific radioactivity⁶⁰Co/⁵⁹Co in mBq µg^–1 was several times higher in sperm whale (1.1–1.6) than in cephalopods (0.19–0.77). Eating prey with a high content of⁶⁰Co in the 1960's may have contributed to the present body burden in sperm whales with a long-life span. However, the origin of⁶⁰Co in Bryde's whales is unknown.     

Nuclide analyses of rare earth elements of the Oklo uranium ore samples: a new method to estimate the neutron fluence

Isotopic ratios and abundances of all REE in two Oklo ore samples have been measured. We have succeeded in developing a new method to estimate the neutron fluence, the conversion factor of uranium and the average neutron energy (or temperature) based on Gd and U isotopic ratios. This new calculation is found to be useful in evaluating those parameters for the natural nuclear reactors at Oklo. Comparison is made between the neutron fluence values evaluated by our new method employing Gd isotopes and a previous one [11] employing Sm and Nd isotopes. The relative agreement becomes better with the increase of fluence. A relationship between the abundances of fissiongenic nuclides of La, Ce, Nd, Sm, and Gd and their mass numbers is also presented.     

Gas capture and rare gas retention by accreting planets in the solar nebula

In this paper, the physico-chemical effects of the nebula gas on the planets are reviewed from a standpoint of planetary formation in the solar nebula.The proto-Earth growing in the nebula was surrounded by a primordial atmosphere with a solar chemical composition and solar isotopic composition. When the mass of the proto-Earth was greater than 0.3 times the present Earth mass, the surface was molten because of the blanketing effect of the atmosphere. Therefore, the primordial rare gasses contained in the primordial atmosphere dissolved into the molten Earth material without fractionation and in particular the dissolved neon is expected to be conserved in the present Earth material. Hence, if dissolved neon with a solar isotopic ratio is discovered in the Earth material, it will indicate that the Earth was formed in the nebula and that the dissolved rare gases were one of the sources which degassed to form the present atmosphere.     

Rare Earth, Major and Trace Elements in the Kunimiyama Ferromanganese Deposit in the Northern Chichibu Belt, Central Shikoku, Japan

Abstract. Rare earth, major and trace element geochemistry is reported for the Kunimiyama stratiform ferromanganese deposit in the Northern Chichibu Belt, central Shikoku, Japan. The deposit immediately overlies greenstones of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) origin and underlies red chert. The ferromanganese ores exhibit remarkable enrichments in Fe, Mn, P, V, Co, Ni, Zn, Y and rare earth elements (excepting Ce) relative to continental crustal abundance. These enriched elements/ Fe ratios and Post-Archean Average Australian Shale-normalized REE patterns of the ferromanganese ores are generally analogous to those of modern hydrothermal ferromanganese plume fall-out precipitates deposited on MOR flanks. However in more detail, Mn and Ti enrichments in the ferromanganese ores are more striking than the modern counterpart, suggesting a significant contribution of hydrogenetic component in the Kunimiyama ores. Our results are consistent with the interpretation that the Kunimiyama ores were umber deposits that primarily formed by hydrothermal plume fall-out precipitation in the Panthalassa Ocean during the Early Permian and then accreted onto the proto-Japanese island arc during the Middle Jurassic. The presence of strong negative Ce anomaly in the Kunimiyama ores may indicate that the Early Permian Panthalassa seawater had a more striking negative Ce anomaly due to a more oxidizing oceanic condition than today.     

Pressure and temperature dependence of cation distribution in Mg-Mn olivine

Synthetic (Mg_0.51, Mn_0.49)₂SiO₄ olivine samples are heat-treated at three different pressures; 0, 8 and 12 GPa, all at the same temperature (～500° C). X-ray structure analyses on these single crystals are made in order to see the pressure effect on cation distribution. The intersite distribution coefficient of Mg and Mn in M1 and M2 sites, K _D = (Mn/Mg) _M1/(Mn/Mg) _M2, of these samples are 0.192 (0 GPa), 0.246 (8 GPa) and 0.281 (12 GPa), indicating cationic disordering with pressure. The small differences of cell dimensions between these samples are determined by powder X-ray diffraction. Cell dimensions b and c decrease, whereas a increases with pressure of equilibration. Cell volume decreases with pressure as a result of a large contraction of the b cell dimension. The effect of pressure on the free energy of the cation exchange reaction is evaluated by the observed relation between the cell volume and the site occupancy numbers. The magnitude of the pressure effect on cation distribution is only a fifth of that predicted from the observed change in volume combined with thermodynamic theory. This phenomenon is attributed to nonideality in this solid solution, and nonideal parameters are required to describe cation distribution determined in the present and previous experiments. We use a five-parameter equation to specify the cationic equilibrium on the basic of thermodynamic theory. It includes one energy parameter of ideal mixing, two parameters for nonideal effects, one volume parameter, and one thermal parameter originated from the lattice vibrational energy. The present data combined with some of the existing data are used to determine the five parameters, and the cation distribution in Mg-Mn olivine is described as a function of temperature, pressure, and composition. The basic framework of describing the cationic behavior in olivine-type mineral is worked out, although the result is preliminary: each of the determined parameters is not accurate enough to enable us to make a reliable prediction.     

Textural variations and impact history of the Millbillillie eucrite

Abstract— We have investigated 10 new specimens of the Millbillillie eucrite to study its textures and mineral compositions by electron probe microanalyser and scanning electron microscope. Although originally described as having fine-grained texture, the new specimens show diversity of texture. The compositions (Mg/Fe ratios) of the host pigeonites and augite lamellae are homogeneous, respectively, in spite of the textural variation. In addition to their chemical homogeneity, pyroxenes in coarse and fine-grained clasts are partly inverted to orthopyroxene. Chemical zoning of plagioclase during crystal growth is preserved. This eucrite includes areas of granulitic breccias and impact melts. Large scale textures show a subparallel layering suggesting incomplete mixing and deposition of impact melt and lithic fragments. An ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar age determination for a coarse-grained clast indicates a strong degassing event at 3.55 ± 0.02 Ga. We conclude that Millbillillie is among the most equilibrated eucrites produced by thermal annealing after impact brecciation. According to the classification of impact breccias, Millbillillie can be classified as a mixture of granulitic breccias and impact melts. The last significant thermal event is characterized by network-like glassy veins that run through clasts and matrices. Consideration of textural observations and requirements for Ar-degassing suggests that the ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar age could in principle date either the earilier brecciation and annealing event or the event which produced the veins.     

Bayesian and Neural Network Approaches to Estimate Deep Temperature Distribution for Assessing a Supercritical Geothermal System: Evaluation Using a Numerical Model

The temperature distribution at depth is a key variable when assessing the potential of a supercritical geothermal resource as well as a conventional geothermal resource. Data-driven estimation by a machine-learning approach is a promising way to estimate temperature distributions at depth in geothermal fields. In this study, we developed two methodologies—one based on Bayesian estimation and the other on neural networks—to estimate temperature distributions in geothermal fields. These methodologies can be used to supplement existing temperature logs, by estimating temperature distributions in unexplored regions of the subsurface, based on electrical resistivity data, observed geological/mineralogical boundaries, and microseismic observations. We evaluated the accuracy and characteristics of these methodologies using a numerical model of the Kakkonda geothermal field, Japan, where a temperature above 500 °C was observed below a depth of about 3.7 km. When using geological and geophysical knowledge as prior information for the machine learning methods, the results demonstrate that the approaches can provide subsurface temperature estimates that are consistent with the temperature distribution given by the numerical model. Using a numerical model as a benchmark helps to understand the characteristics of the machine learning approaches and may help to identify ways of improving these methods.

     

Near inertial motion excited by wind change in a margin of the Typhoon 9019

An excitation of inertial oscillation in the upper layer east of course of Typhoon 9019 was fortuitously observed at three surface buoys deployed during the Ocean Mixed Layer Experiment (OMLET). The observed inertial oscillation was compared with wind fluctuation measured at Ocean Weather Station T (29°N, 135°E) which was placed at the center of a triangle with three vertexes occupied by the respective surface buoys. Inertial oscillation is effectively excited in the mixed layer at the eastern margin of the typhoon by a rapid decrease of wind rather than by prevailing strong wind. It is shown by means of a least square deviation that the inertial oscillation observed in the mixed layer has a period of 23.9 hours shorter than the local inertial period of 24.7 hours. This shorter period suggests that the inertial oscillation has the finite velocities of phase and group as an inertial internal wave. A theoretically obtained ratio of vertical component of group velocity to that of phase velocity, approximately agrees with observed value. The inertial internal wave is excited by fluctuation of divergence with near inertial period in the mixed layer.     

A note on the averaging method

When time-averaged equations are used to discuss the secular behavior of dynamical systems, the action-angle variables conjugate to the action variables of the unperturbed motion of the system should be chosen as dependent variables; otherwise, the results are not correct.Presented at the Division of Dynamical Astronomy Meeting of the American Astronoming Society, Chapel Hill, N.C., U.S.A., December 4, 1976.     

Particle acceleration in the 1981 April 1 flare

The large microwave burst of 1981 April 1, which was accompanied by both hard X-ray and γ-ray emissions, was analyzed to study the acceleration of particles in the impulsive phase. The analysis suggests the following results. (1) Electrons were accelerated up to energies of several hundred keV in a low loop. On the other hand, electrons were accelerated to relativistic energy without injection of pre-accelerated electrons near the top of a large loop where energetic ions were also probably accelerated. (2) The mechanism for accelerating electrons to relativistic energy and also ions was different from that for accelerating electrons up to energies of several hundred KeV and was closely related with upward motion of a flare loop.