Study of the effect of water-soluble fractions of heavy-oil on coastal marine organisms using enclosed ecosystems,mesocosms

Mesocosm facilities composed of 4 experimental and 2 reservoir tanks (1.5 m in diameter, 3.0 m in depth and 5 tons in capacity) made of FRP plastics, were constructed in the concrete fish rearing pond in the Fisheries Laboratory, The University of Tokyo. The water-soluble fraction of Rank A heavy residual oil was formed by mixing 500 g of the oil with 10 l of seawater, which was introduced to the 5000 l-capacity tanks. Experimental Run 4 was conducted from May 31 to June 7, 2000. Oil concentrations in the tanks were 4.5 microg/l called LOW, and 13.5 microg/l, called HIGH tank. Bacterial growth rates very quickly accelerated in the HIGH tank just after the loading of oil which corresponded with a high increase of bacterial cells in the same tank after 2 days. Later, bacterial numbers in HIGH tank rapidly decreased, corresponding with the rapid increase of heterotrophic nano-flagellates and virus numbers on the same day. Sediment traps were deployed at the bottom of the experimental tanks, and were periodically retrieved. These samples were observed both under light microscope and epi-fluorescent microscope with UV-excitation. It was observed that the main components of the vertical flux were amorphous suspended matter, mostly originating from dead phytoplankton and living diatoms. It was further observed from the pictures that vertical transport of oil emulsions were probably conducted after adsorption to amorphous suspended matter and living diatoms, and were settling in the sediment traps at the bottom of the tanks. This means that the main force which drives the soluble fraction of oil into bottom sediment would be vertical flux of such amorphous suspended particles and phytoplankton. Further incubation of the samples revealed that the oil emulsions were degraded by the activity of autochtonous bacteria in the sediment in aerobic condition.     

Effects of deposit feeder Stichopus japonicus on algal bloom and organic matter contents of bottom sediments of the enclosed sea

Algae growing in an enclosed sea may inhibit eutrophication because they absorb nutrients in the water. However, dead algae often cause anaerobic conditions in the water just above and on sediment after they are deposited on the bottom. We found that Stichopus japonicus inhibited the anaerobic processes coupling water sulfite production in sediment. The present study investigates whether S. japonicus inhibits algal flourish and influences sediment properties such as organic matter contents. Aquarium experiments were carried out at Komatsushima port in Tokushima Prefecture, western Japan. The aquaria used in the experiments were supplied with water directly from the adjacent sea (6 L/min), laid with sand of 10 cm depths, and lighted at 12 h intervals. Six aquaria each containing a sea cucumber from Komatsushima port and six aquaria without any were used in the experiments. Water temperature ranged between 9 and 15 degrees C during December 2000 and April 2001. Salinity ranged between 32 per thousand and 34 per thousand. Algae began to cover the bottom of the aquaria without S. japonicus after 2 weeks, whereas no growth was evident in the aquaria containing sea cucumbers. Chlorophyll a concentration in the surface sediment of the aquaria with S. japonicus (6.1+/-3.6 microg/g, mean S.D.+/-standard deviation) was significantly lower than that without it (60+/-17 microg/g, U-test, p<0.05). Phaeophytin concentration in the surface sediment of the aquaria with S. japonicus (0.9+/-0.09 microg/g) was also significantly lower than that without it (4.5+/-1.0 microg/g, U-test, p<0.05). TOC concentration in the surface sediment of the aquaria with S. japonicus (2.6+/-1.3 microg/g) was slightly lower than that without it (4.0+/-1.2 microg/g). These results showed that algal biomass and organic matter concentration of the bottom were decreased in the presence of S. japonicus. Therefore, S. japonicus inhibits algal bloom and decrease the contents of organic matter deposited on the bottom of enclosed sea areas.     

Spills of fuel oil #6 and Orimulsion can have indistinguishable effects on the benthic meiofauna

Fuel oil #6 is used for the production of electrical power in the United States. Orimulsion is being considered as an alternative fuel, but its value and risk compared to fuel oil #6 need to be assessed. Our study examined the relative impact of accidental spills of the two hydrocarbons on the meiofaunal community. To do so, we maintained microcosms of the shallow, sandy, subtidal environment for three months. Treatment microcosms received a single application of hydrocarbon-coated sand. As indicators of effect, we used copepod and nematode abundance and copepod species diversity, sex ratio, fecundity, age structure, and neutral-lipid content. A comparison of the hydrocarbon treatments showed no significant differences. The tests had adequate power to detect ecologically significant changes. Our results indicate that a spill of Orimulsion would have approximately the same impact as a spill of fuel oil #6 on the meiofauna.     

Long-term disturbance of ground water chemistry following well installation

Ground water samples collected from a multilevel sampler shortly after its construction showed significantly higher alkalinity and concentrations of calcium and magnesium than those from nearby wells installed 10 years earlier. The sampler was drilled using a conventional hollow-stem power auger in a sandy, silicate aquifer lying beneath an isthmus between two lakes in northern Wisconsin. Ground water in the study area is of low ionic strength and its chemistry is dominated by silicate mineral weathering. Periodic sampling over two years following installation of the sampler showed that the higher solute concentrations had subsequently decreased. Oxygen isotope signature and other solute species, such as sulfate and chloride, were comparable to those of older wells and did not show any notable trends over time. Independent variation of other chemical species that cannot be derived from aquifer minerals, and the similarly high concentrations in older wells shortly after their installation, suggest that rapid dissolution of fresh mineral surfaces and hyperfine particles generated during drilling has induced the enhanced concentrations. This observation is consistent with the field equivalent of laboratory mineral dissolution experiments that show initially increased dissolution rates that decay over time. Well installations for geochemical sampling in dominantly silicate material may require longer times to reach an equilibrium state than has been previously thought.     

Natural water-purification system observed in a shallow coastal lagoon: Matsukawa-ura,Japan

Field surveys and in situ experiments were conducted in the shallow Matsukawa-ura in summer to evaluate the biological efficiencies of shallow-water areas for preserving coastal ecosystems. In Matsukawa-ura (5.8 km(2)), the suspension-feeding bivalves Ruditapes philippinarum and Crassostrea gigas were the dominant animals--their total biomasses (wet weight) were estimated to be 3.4 x 10(6) and 2.3 x 10(6) kg, respectively. Ulva sp. and Zostera marina were the dominant macrophyte species during the summer, with standing crops estimated to be 0.29 x 10(6) and 0.20 x 10(6) kg, respectively. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) uptake rates for Ulva sp. and Z. marina were determined by in situ experiments. An ecological model calculated on the basis of the observed dataset showed that, in comparison with tidal exchange, a significant amount of particulate organic matter was removed by bivalve filtration and a considerable quantity of DIN was removed by macrophyte species.     

色彩表示的宽带多光谱空间研究

在主成分分析法的基础上建立了色彩表示的宽带多光谱空间，并定义了累积空间覆盖率(CSCR)来表征特定空闻下光谱的重建效率。实验结果表明，该空间能以很高的精度来表示原始光谱空间。     

西南天山明尧勒背斜的第四纪滑脱褶皱作用

通过对明尧勒活动背斜喀浪勾律克河剖面生长前地层和翼部生长地层几何结构的填图以及变形河流阶地的系统测量,结合磁性地层及释光年代学研究,认为该背斜的滑脱褶皱作用起始于距今约1·6Ma,其总体几何结构形成于褶皱作用的早期,但其生长扩展并不完全遵从自相似性特征。持续的缩短作用部分被褶皱翼部陡倾膝折带的加长所吸收(由此导致背斜波幅的增加),另一部分可能是通过不同时期褶皱翼部不同膝折带组的旋转和迁移来实现的。明尧勒背斜的持续构造抬升是背斜区河流下切形成多级基座阶地的主因。晚第四纪褶皱的生长以背斜的垂直抬升为主,主要集中在北翼近核部,背斜宽度变化不大。背斜不同时期的抬升量和抬升速率均大于其缩短量和缩短速率,表明明尧勒背斜的变形以翼旋转为主(Pobletet al.,1996)。背斜自形成以来缩短速率和抬升速率均有减小的趋势     

印度科依纳—瓦尔纳地区的断层相互作用与地震触发

印度半岛上科依纳—瓦尔纳地区的地震被认为是由水库引发的。但是，通过对可用地震资料的分析表明，该地区持续高发的地震活动还有可能受到断层带的几何形态及其通过应力传递的相互作用的影响。从地震分布及其震源机制推断的这些明显的断层带的取向表明，在一个断层带内发生的地震事件会增加另一个断层带上的静应力，使该地区频繁而且连续地发生地震。本文的结果表明，虽然水库作用的效应确实会促使断层滑动，但是应力触发机制似乎是持续高发地震活动的一个重要原因，因为它会使一些稳定的断层变得不稳定，这与我们所推断的运动方式是一致的。     

与地壳活动有关的ULF地磁变化：RIKEN-NASDA项目概要和最新结果

尽管地震短临预报极其重要，并且经过了人们多年的努力，但它仍是目前未能解决的问题。近年来，与地震相关的电磁现象被认为是解决地震短临预报的有效途径之一。现在已经积累了大量的地震电磁前兆信号的震例，这些信号分布在很宽的频带范围(DC-VHF)内，其中ULF地磁变化是最有希望的地磁前兆之一。通过监测ULF地磁变化，有望实现地震短临预报。本文将阐述从ULF电磁信号中提取震磁异常变化的方法。     

2004年9月28日加州帕克菲尔德地震强地面运动记录的初步分析

引言 2004年9月28日，加利福尼亚州中部小镇帕克菲尔德附近的圣安德烈斯断层发生了Mw6．0级帕克菲尔德地震。因为广泛认可这个地区有发生地震的可能性，所以在这一地区先前已设置了许多强地面运动台站和其他类型的地震台站。