Effects of stratification and mesoscale eddies on Kuroshio path variation south of Japan

Bimodality of the Kuroshio current path south of Japan is investigated, focusing on the effects of stratification and mesoscale eddies. For this purpose, wind-driven numerical experiments are executed in barotropic and two-layered ocean models. Stratification has two effects on the path selection of the Kuroshio south of Japan. First, it makes an alongshore path stable at intermediate wind stress strength τ₀ by arresting an eddy southeast of Kyushu. This enables an alongshore path to appear in the entire experimental range of τ₀. Second, the upper limit of τ₀ which allows a meandering path decreases from ( in the Sverdrup transport at the Tokara Strait) to () as Δρ/ρ₀ increases from 2.0×10^-3 to 4.0×10^-3. While an anticyclonic eddy imposed upstream (southeast of Kyushu) can cause the transition from an alongshore to a meandering path, it occurs most easily when (). The transition from a meandering to an alongshore path requires an eddy imposed downstream (east of the meandering segment) which suppresses redevelopment of the meandering segment and breaks the balance between the advective and beta effects. Applicability of the results to previously observed path variations is discussed.     

SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages of the Hida metamorphic and plutonic rocks,Japan: Implications for late Paleozoic to Mesozoic tectonics around the Korean Peninsula

A new U–Pb zircon geochronological study for the Hida metamorphic and plutonic rocks from the Tateyama area in the Hida Mountains of north central Japan is presented. The U–Pb ages of metamorphic zircon grains with inherited/detrital cores in paragneisses suggest that a metamorphic event took place at around 235–250 Ma; the cores yield ages around 275 Ma, 300 Ma, 330 Ma, 1 850 Ma, and 2 650 Ma. New age data, together with geochronological and geological context of the Hida Belt, indicate that a sedimentary protolith of the paragneisses is younger than 275 Ma and was crystallized at around 235–250 Ma. Detrital ages support a model that the Hida Belt was located in the eastern margin of the North China Craton, which provided zircon grains from Paleoproterozoic to Paleozoic rocks and also from Archean and rare Neoproterozoic rocks. Triassic regional metamorphism possibly reflects collision between the North and South China Cratons.     

基于GPS观测研究中国东北地区现今地壳形变特征

基于中国东北和俄罗斯远东东南部2012—2017年的GPS观测数据, 利用包含年周期、 半年周期、 线性项和阶跃项的函数模型拟合GPS站坐标时间序列, 得到ITRF2014下的速度场, 并进一步转换到欧亚参考框架下得到相对欧亚板块的速度场。 基于多尺度球面小波方法解算应变率场, 并分析了其空间分布特征, 同时研究了各GPS站对2011年日本东北M_W9.0大地震的震后松弛响应特征和背景形变场特征。 结果表明: ① 若不扣除日本东北大地震的松弛效应, 相对欧亚板块中国东北主体上表现为东南方向运动, 在依兰—伊通断裂和嫩江断裂带之间, 地壳表现为逆时针旋转, 其他区域向东南方向运动, 方向一致性较好, 在敦化—密山断裂东侧速度大小明显增加。 敦化—密山断裂和依兰—伊通断裂两侧拉张量分别为3.96±0.04 mm/a和0.71±0.05 mm/a, 两条断裂的剪切运动不明显。 总体上, 面应变率显示出NW—SE向的拉张和NE—SW向的挤压, 面应变率显示出依兰—伊通断裂南端、 嫩江断裂带北端和俄罗斯远东东南部呈挤压状态。 在依兰—伊通断裂、 敦化—密山断裂南侧以及俄罗斯远东东南部最大剪应变率相对较大。 ② 各GPS测站对2011年日本东北M_W9.0大地震震后松弛的响应整体上表现为东南向运动, 松弛形变量随震中距增加而减小。 松弛效应的面应变率总体上表现为NW—SE向的拉张和NE—SW向的挤压, 面应变率显示出依兰—伊通、 敦化—密山断裂南端、 嫩江断裂带北端以及俄罗斯远东地区具有挤压特征, 其他地区表现为拉张特征。 中国与俄罗斯远东边界南端存在一个明显的最大剪应变率高值区。 ③ 扣除日本东北M_W9.0大地震引起的松弛变形后, 总体上面应变率仍然表现为NW—SE向的拉张和NE—SW向的挤压, 面应变率最大值仍然位于依兰—伊通断裂和敦化—密山断裂南端、 第二松花江断裂带以及俄罗斯远东和中国边界最南段。 在依兰—伊通断裂、 敦化—密山断裂南端, 中国与俄罗斯远东边界南端的最大剪应变率高值区仍然存在, 表明这些地区应变积累较快, 并且一直在持续。     

Comparative Performance of Steel Drainage Pipes Against Flood-Induced Deformation in River Levee

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Steel drainage pipes that can provide both drainage and reinforcement functions are expected to give better performance in levee protection against...     

Soil properties and performance of landmine detection by metal detector and ground-penetrating radar — Soil characterisation and its verification by a field test

Metal detectors have commonly been used for landmine detection, and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is about to be deployed for this purpose. These devices are influenced by the magnetic and electric properties of soil, since both employ electromagnetic techniques. Various soil properties and their spatial distributions were measured and determined with geophysical methods in four soil types where a test of metal detectors and GPR systems took place. By analysing the soil properties, these four soils were classified based on the expected influence of each detection technique and predicted soil difficulty. This classification was compared to the detection performance of the detectors and a clear correlation between the predicted soil difficulty and performance was observed. The detection performance of the metal detector and target identification performance of the GPR systems degraded in soils that were expected to be problematic. Therefore, this study demonstrated that the metal detector and GPR performance for landmine detection can be assessed qualitatively by geophysical analyses.     

Dynamic response and sliding distance of composite breakwaters under breaking and non-breaking wave attack

Over the last 15 years improved awareness of wave impact induced failures has focused attention on the need to account for the dynamic response of maritime structures to wave impact load. In this work a non-linear model is introduced that allows evaluating the effective design load and the potential sliding of caisson breakwater subject to both pulsating and impulsive wave loads. The caisson dynamics is modelled using a time-step numerical method to solve numerically the equations of motion for a rigid body founded on multiple non-linear springs having both horizontal and vertical stiffness. The model is first shown to correctly describe the dynamics of caisson breakwaters subject to wave attack, including nonlinear features of wave–structure–soil interaction. Predictions of sliding distances by the new method are then compared with measurements from physical model tests, showing very good agreement with observations. The model succeeds in describing the physics that stands behind the process and is fast, accurate and flexible enough to be suitable for performance design of caisson breakwaters.     

U–Pb ages of zircons from metamorphic rocks in the upper sequence of the Hidaka Metamorphic Belt,Hokkaido, Japan: Identification of two metamorphic events and implications for regional tectonics

The Hidaka Metamorphic Belt is a well-known example of island-arc crustal section, in which metamorphic grade increases westwards from unmetamorphosed sediment up to granulite facies. It is divided into lower (granulite to amphibolite facies) and upper (amphibolite to greenschist facies) metamorphic sequences. The metamorphic age of the belt was considered to be ~55 Ma, based on Rb – Sr whole-rock isochron ages for granulites and related S-type tonalities. However, zircons from the granulites in the lower sequence yield U – Pb ages of ~21 – 19 Ma, and a preliminary report on zircons from pelitic gneiss in the upper sequence gives a U – Pb age of ~40 Ma. In this paper we provide new zircon U – Pb ages from two pelitic gneisses in the upper sequence to assess the metamorphic age and also the maximum depositional age of the sedimentary protolith. The weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages from a biotite gneiss in the central area of the belt yield 39.6 ± 0.9 Ma for newly grown metamorphic rims and 53.1 ± 0.9 Ma for the youngest detrital cores. The ages of zircons from a cordierite–biotite gneiss in the southern area are 35.9 ± 0.7 Ma for metamorphic rims and 46.5 ± 2.8 Ma for the youngest detrital cores. These results indicate that metamorphism of the upper sequence took place at ~40 – 36 Ma, and that the sedimentary protolith was deposited after ~53 – 47 Ma. These metamorphic ages are consistent with the reported ages of ~37–36 Ma plutonic rocks in the upper sequence, but contrast with the ~21–19 Ma ages of metamorphic and plutonic rocks in the lower sequence. Therefore, we conclude that the upper and lower metamorphic sequences developed independently but coupled with each other before ~19 Ma as a result of dextral reverse tectonic movement.     

Mobilization and speciation of arsenic from hydrothermally altered rock in laboratory column experiments under ambient conditions

This paper describes the mobilization and speciation of As found in hydrothermally altered rock under oxic column conditions. The altered rock sample was obtained from a tunnel project located in the Nakakoshi area of Hokkaido, Japan, whose geology is represented by slate, shale and sandstone. This area has undergone silicification, pyritization and argillic alteration resulting in As-enrichment of the rock. Results of the column experiments show that the infiltration rate, bulk density and rock bed thickness affected the duration of water residence, which in turn influenced the pH of the rock–water system. Coexisting ions most notably Ca²⁺ at amounts greater than ca. 50 mg/L retarded the mobilization of As. Mobilization of As from the rock with time occurred in two stages: stage 1 (weeks 1–20) with higher As leaching and stage 2 (weeks 20–76) characterized by nearly constant As release. In addition, pore water As concentrations revealed that the columns developed into two regions: the top half where most of the leaching occurred and the bottom part dominated by adsorption. Thus, the mechanism controlling the mobilization of As from the rock is a combination of one or more of the following processes: dissolution of soluble As-bearing fractions, pyrite oxidation and adsorption reactions. Arsenite (As[III]) was the dominant species in the effluent at the start of the experiment in columns with shorter water residence time and lower pH conditions (<8). On the other hand, arsenate (As[V]) was the major inorganic species released from the rock at higher pH (8–9.5) and when the system was close to equilibrium. Speciation of As with depth also indicated that As[III] disappeared around the bottom half of the columns, probably as a result of adsorption and/or oxidation. Arsenic speciation is partially controlled by the pH dependent adsorption of As species. The important adsorbent phases in the rock included Fe–Al oxides/oxyhydroxides, clay minerals and organic matter, which permitted the columns to attenuate additional As loadings including As[III]. Implications of these results on the design of a novel disposal method for these altered rocks include the enhancement of As adsorption through the addition of natural or artificial adsorbents and the utilization of a covering soil with low permeability to minimize rainwater infiltration into the rock.     

Implementation of a high-order combined compact difference scheme in problems of thermally driven convection and dynamo in rotating spherical shells

We present an improved solution method for modeling thermally driven convection and dynamo in a rotating spherical shell. In this method, we introduce a high-order three-point combined compact difference scheme (CCDS) on non-uniform grid points in radius, while spherical harmonic expansion is conventionally performed in the angular direction. The governing equations in the spectral form are time-stepped together with the implicit CCDS up to the second derivative. To improve stability of the scheme, a boundary closure scheme is developed on non-uniform mesh. Numerical comparison with a published benchmark solution at moderate Ekman and Rayleigh numbers demonstrates that accuracy and convergence of the CCDS is fairly good and superior to the existing finite difference scheme using more stencil. With this scheme, we could more accurately solve problems of convection and also dynamo action in planetary core with less grid points.