Adsorption characteristics of natural organic matter on activated carbons with different pore size distribution

The adsorption characteristics of natural organic matter (NOM) were investigated on the basis of fluorescence excitation emission matrix (EEM) by using four different coal-based activated carbons (ACs). For each AC, batch adsorption isotherms were analyzed using a modified Freundlich isotherm model on the basis of the fluorescence intensity of three major fluorescence peaks appeared in the fluorescence EEM reported to be reflective of the humic acid-like (P1), fulvic acid-like (P2) and aromatic protein-like (P3) substances, respectively, together with the well-used overall quality indices of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and ultraviolet absorbance at the wavelength of 260 nm (UV260). It was found that, for all five quality indices, the adsorption capacity differed with the ACs used, and the modified Freundlich isotherm constant K estimated for P1, P2 and P3 was in close correlation with that of the total organic matter evaluated by DOC. Moreover, no matter which AC was concerned, the magnitude of the estimated K and the removal rate over a broader range of AC dose for P3 were apparently smaller than those for P1 and P2, suggesting the adsorbability of aromatic protein-like substances was lower than that of the humic acid-like and fulvic acid-like substances. The dependency of the adsorption capacity of NOM on the volume of pores in some specific size ranges of the ACs was also revealed.     

Mountain ordering: A method for classifying mountains based on their morphometry

A new method for classifying mountain morphology, ‘mountain ordering,’ is proposed, and quantitative expressions for various morphological parameters of two ordered mountains in northern Japan were obtained using this method. Mountain order was defined in terms of the closed contour lines on a topographic map. A set of closed, concentric contour lines defines a first-order mountain. Higher-order mountains can be defined as a set of closed contour lines that contain lower-order mountains and that have only one closed contour line for each elevation; they are identified as m + 1th-order mountains, where m represents the order of the enclosed, lower-order mountains. The geomorphometry for a mountain ordered according to this definition permits the identification of systematic relationships between various morphological parameters. The relationships between mountain order and these morphological parameters follow a form similar to that of Horton's laws, and permit the calculation of the ratios of number, area and height; these parameters are sufficient to express the magnitude of a mountain's dissection. The size–frequency distribution for area and height shows self-similarity for ordered mountains, and determines their fractal dimensions. Furthermore, the relationship between area and height, which has the form of a power function, describes the relief structure of ordered mountains. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distribution of sea cucumbers in relation to sediment characteristics in coral reef lagoons and adjacent waters around Ishigaki Island,southern Japan

To elucidate which environmental factors affect lagoonal‐scale sea cucumber distributions in Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan, intertidal and subtidal areas of three coral reef lagoons were classified into several ground divisions by bottom characteristics, and sea cucumber densities therein were compared with the composition of sediment cover, grain size and organic content, and coverage of macroalgae, seagrass, and massive corals. Holothuria atra, Holothuria leucospilota, Stichopus chloronotus, and Synapta maculata had highest densities in the nearshore areas but were rare in reef flats, probably because of wave disturbance and low areal cover of sand sediment as potential feeding environments. No relationship was observed between sea cucumber densities and sediment organic content or grain size. Thus, even if these sea cucumbers have selectivity for habitats with a high sediment organic content, the effect of such selectivity on the distribution seems to be limited to relatively small areas. The sea cucumber distributions can be classified by bottom sediment/biota composition into bedrock (H. leucospilota), sand (H. atra), and lagoonal types (St. chloronotus and Sy. maculata). These habitat selections were possibly related to various aspects of sea cucumber ecology such as refuge from predators or turbulence, or settlement and nursery place, which have implications for importance of the complexity of lagoonal‐scale topography and sediment/biota conditions for the coexistence of various holothurian species.     

H I observations of galaxies behind the Milky Way in the Puppis region

We report 21-cm H  i line observations of 161 galaxies located behind the Milky Way, in the Puppis region. The observations have been carried out with the Nançay radio telescope, resulting in 101 detections. Most of the galaxies observed appear in the ESO catalogue, and present apparent diameters larger than 1.6 arcmin. We show that the detection rate is strongly related to the apparent diameter; it is as high as 76 per cent for diameters larger than 1.6 arcmin. Half of the non-detections result, in fact, from an insufficient velocity coverage. Global parameters of the detected galaxies are computed, after a careful discussion of the correction for Galactic absorption. Our H  I data are then compared with those obtained by Kraan-Korteweg & Huchtmeier with the Effelsberg radio telescope for 20 galaxies observed in common: the agreement is excellent, implying respective uncertainties on recession velocities and on H  I fluxes lower than 10 km s⁻¹ and 2 Jy km s⁻¹ on average. Finally, we find that the detected galaxies follow well the correlation between the optical linear diameter and the H  I mass found by Haynes & Giovanelli. This result shows that our diameter corrections for Galactic absorption A_B are quite good, except for eight objects which are heavily obscured ( A_B 2.3), or have a very small diameter, lower than 0.5 arcmin.     

Effects of Benthic Flux on Short Term Variations of Nutrients in Aburatsubo Bay

In order to investigate effects of benthic flux on the short-term variations in the distribution of nutrients in coastal waters, the concentrations of nutrients (PO₄ ^3-, NH₄ ⁺ NO₃ ^-, NO₂ ^- and H₄SiO₄) and other oceanographic parameters were measured every three hours over a 24-hour period at four fixed stations in the water column of Aburatsubo Bay, a shallow semi-enclosed inlet. Sediment cores were also taken from a fixed station once in each season over one year to quantitatively determine their benthic flux. Consistent linear negative correlations were found between their concentrations and salinity in the surface layers. This result suggests that fresh water was the main source of these nutrients and a physical mixing was the major process controlling their distribution. Monthly variations of PO₄ ^3- and NH₄ ⁺ monitored for 18 months in the bay also indicate that the high surf concentration of these nutrients was associated with the appearance of low salinity waters. On the other hand, in the bottom layers, a linear correlation between the concentration of the nutrients and salinity became weak, especially for NH₄ ⁺ and PO₄ ^3-. Their concentrations were higher than the predicted value from the conservative mixing between the fresh water and seawater, indicating the possibility of another source in the bottom layers. Benthic flux is suggested as a possible source. Pore water profiles of NH₄ ⁺ and PO₄ ^3- indicate their flux towards the overlying seawater, which is quantitatively consistent with their water column distributions.     

The linear stability of the post-Newtonian triangular equilibrium in the three-body problem

Continuing a work initiated in an earlier publication (Yamada et al. in Phys Rev D 91:124016, 2015), we reexamine the linear stability of the triangular solution in the relativistic three-body problem for general masses by the standard linear algebraic analysis. In this paper, we start with the Einstein–Infeld–Hoffmann form of equations of motion for N-body systems in the uniformly rotating frame. As an extension of the previous work, we consider general perturbations to the equilibrium, i.e., we take account of perturbations orthogonal to the orbital plane, as well as perturbations lying on it. It is found that the orthogonal perturbations depend on each other by the first post-Newtonian (1PN) three-body interactions, though these are independent of the lying ones likewise the Newtonian case. We also show that the orthogonal perturbations do not affect the condition of stability. This is because these do not grow with time, but always precess with two frequency modes, namely, the same with the orbital frequency and the slightly different one due to the 1PN effect. The condition of stability, which is identical to that obtained by the previous work (Yamada et al. 2015) and is valid for the general perturbations, is obtained from the lying perturbations.     

Rapid subsidence of the Kikai Seamount inferred from drowned Pleistocene coral limestone: Implication for subduction of the Amami Plateau,northern Philippine Sea

Carbonate rock cores drilled on the Kikai Seamount, northern Philippine Sea are examined for better understanding of tectonic history of the northern Philippine Sea. The Kikai Seamount, the summit of which is at 1960 m water depth, is an isolated high on the northwestern part of the Amami Plateau formed by subduction-related arc volcanism, and is situated close to the axis of the Ryukyu Trench in front of the Ryukyu Arc, SW Japan. The seamount is capped with shallow-water carbonates such as coral rudstone. Detailed examinations of lithology, larger foraminiferal assemblages, and Sr isotope composition reveal that the core material comprises Miocene carbonates unconformably overlain by Early Pleistocene carbonates. It indicates rapid subsidence of the Kikai Seamount since the Early Pleistocene. The most probable cause of rapid subsidence is collision and subduction of the Amami Plateau laden with the Kikai Seamount. The rapid subsidence may have started when the western corner of the plateau reached the Ryukyu Trench and began subduction beneath the Ryukyu Arc. The onset of the subsidence is likely to be controlled by a motion change in the Philippine Sea Plate. The latest change in subduction direction from north to northwestward into northwestward to west has been believed to have occurred at 1-2 Ma during latest Pliocene to Early Pleistocene time. The change of direction resulted in the shift from oblique into right-angle subduction of the plate beneath the Ryukyu Arc and also the onset of the collision and subduction of the Amami Plateau.     

The structures of eye and surrounding tissues of Longman＇ s beaked whale, Indopacetus pacificus

Observations were made on one eye from a Longman's beaked whale Indopacetus pacificus,which was probably one of the least known extant cetaceans.The whale died shortly after swimming aground on the coast in the Nishikata Beach,Sendai-shi,Kagoshima-ken Prefecture,Japan,on July 26,2002.It was a mature female with body length 6.45 m.This paper documented the basic structural characteristics of her visual organ of the whale in order to better understand this animal.     

Notes on Extended-Range Atmospheric Prediction in the Northern Hemisphere Winter

ＮｏｔｅｓｏｎＥｘｔｅｎｄｅｄ－ＲａｎｇｅＡｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｉｃＰｒｅｄｉｃｔｉｏｎｉｎｔｈｅＮｏｒｔｈｅｒｎＨｅｍｉｓｐｈｅｒｅＷｉｎｔｅｒＳｈｉｎｇｏＹａｍａｄａＦｏｒｅｃａｓｔＤｉｖｉｓｉｏｎ，ＪａｐａｎＭｅｔｅｏｒｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＡｇｅｎｃｙ...