Nondestructive Sensor Using Microwaves From Laser Plasma by Subnanosecond Laser Pulses

Conventional ground-penetrating radar (GPR) requires large-aperture antennas or long-span measurements to survey a remote location precisely. We propose a laser-driven GPR (LGPR) as a new detection method. LGPR uses microwaves from laser-produced plasmas as remote transmitters and can survey a remote location using a compact instrument. We performed numerical simulations to investigate the radiation mechanism of microwaves from laser plasmas and confirmed the pulsewidth of the laser suitable for LGPR. Experiments with subnanosecond pulse lasers clarified the feasibility and detection performance of LGPR.     

The 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake and response of high-rise buildings under long-period ground motions

In the afternoon of March 11, 2011, the eastern Japan was severely attacked by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake (the Great East Japan earthquake). Nearly 30,000 people were killed or are still missing by that earthquake and the ensuing monster tsunami as of April 11, 2011. This paper reports some aspects of this devastating earthquake which hit an advanced country in seismic resistant design. It has been reported that long-period ground motions were induced in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. The properties of these long-period ground motions are discussed from the viewpoint of critical excitation and the seismic behavior of two steel buildings of 40 and 60 stories subjected to the long-period ground motion recorded at Shinjuku, Tokyo is determined and discussed. This paper also reports the effectiveness of visco-elastic dampers like high-hardness rubber dampers in the reduction of responses of super high-rise buildings subjected to such long-period ground motions. The response reduction rate is investigated in detail in addition to the maximum response reduction. In December 2010 before this earthquake, simulated long-period ground motions for earthquake resistant design of high-rise buildings were provided in three large cities in Japan (Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka) and nine areas were classified. Two 40-story steel buildings (slightly flexible and stiff) are subjected to these long-period ground motions in those nine areas for the detailed investigation of response characteristics of super high-rise buildings in various areas.     

Intelligent seismic isolation system using air bearings and earthquake early warning

Recently strong seismic waves or long period seismic waves have been observed in various earthquakes that occurred in Japan. As a result improvements of existing seismic isolation systems are deemed necessary. The present study proposed an intelligent seismic isolation system encompassing air bearings and earthquake early warning (EEW) system. Such system exhibits adequate isolation performance. The air bearings are isolation device that may render infinite the superstructure natural period by floating them, and the EEW is applied for a trigger of isolation. This paper illustrates the proposed system and discusses the experimental results of a test carried out with the system. Laboratory tests carried out in the present research demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed base isolated systems and prove its efficacy in mitigating the effects of three-dimensional seismic waves. For example, the system suppressed the horizontal response acceleration of an isolation target to 38% of input acceleration.     

Characterization of slip zone associated with the 1999 Taiwan Chi-Chi earthquake: X-ray CT image analyses and microstructural observations of the Taiwan Chelungpu fault

To characterize the fault-related rocks within the Chelungpu fault, we performed X-ray computed tomography (CT) image analyses and microstructural observations of Hole B core samples from the Taiwan Chelungpu-fault Drilling Project. We identified the slip zone associated with the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, within the black gouge zone in the shallowest major fault zone, by comparison with previous reports. The slip zone was characterized by low CT number, cataclastic (or ultracataclastic) texture, and high possibility to have experienced a mechanically fluidized state. Taking these characteristics and previous reports of frictional heating in the slip zone into consideration, we suggested that thermal pressurization was the most likely dynamic weakening mechanism during the earthquake.     

Reconstructions of annual discharge and equilibrium line altitude of glaciers at Qilian Shan,northwest China,from 1978 to 2002

Discharge was calculated from a mountainous area, including discharge from glaciers, in the Qilian Shan (Qilian Mountains) of northwest China. The studied Yingluoxia basin is 9983 km² in area, with glaciers making up 0·3% of the basin. The calculation method was based on the heat balance, requiring only daily temperature and precipitation. Calculated annual discharge from the basin corresponded well with the observed data. Calculated annual discharge from glaciers was 3·6% of the total discharge from the basin. The temporal trend of the calculated equilibrium line altitude (ELA) at the July 1st Glacier (western side of the Yingluoxia basin) was similar to that of the observed ELA. The calculated annual mass balance of glaciers within the Yingluoxia basin has a larger negative value than the other glaciers in China, as the ratio of accumulation area to the total glacier area in the Yingluoxia basin is much lower than in neighbouring basins to the west. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variation of precipitation δ18O in Langtang Valley Himalayas

The variation of the δ¹⁸O in precipitation and the relationship with precipitation amount at Kyangjin Base House and Yala Glacier Camp in Langtang Valley, Nepal Himalayas were analyzed. The variations of the δ¹⁸O with precipitation had great scatter, and the correlations between the δ¹⁸O and precipitation changed with time on the synoptic scale. On the seasonal scale, there was marked amount effect at Kyangjin Base House. However, the δ¹⁸O-precipitation gradient was smaller than that on the synoptic scale. Because of the maintenance of the basic equilibrium between stable isotopic compositions in atmospheric vapor and precipitation, the evaporation enrichment was light during the rainy season. Therefore, the variation of stable isotopic compositions in precipitation was independent on the sampling intervals. Simulations show that the rainfall in Langtang Valley was not the outcome of the initial condensation of ocean vapor that originated from low latitudes. The stable isotopic compositions in precipitation were greatly depleted due to the strong rainout of the vapor from oceans as the vapor was raised over the Himalayas.     

Spatial structure within a dense bed of the brittle starOphiura sarsi (Ophiuroidea: Echinodermata) in the bathyal zone off otsuchi,Northeastern Japan

Photographic observations of the brittle starOphiura sarsi were conducted at a depth of approximately 280 m in the Pacific Ocean off tsuchi, northeastern Japan. Bottom photographs showed that this ophiuroid occurred in high densities, uniformly covering the sea floor and that other megafauna was rare. The mean density and biomass of ophiuroids in the dense bed were estimated to be 373 m^–2 and 124 g m^–2, respectively. Ophiuroids comprised 99% of all megabenthic organisms in terms of number of individuals, and megafaunal assemblage of the dense bed showed very low species diversity.O. sarsi exhibited a regular spatial pattern avoiding contact with conspecific neighbors. This regular spatial pattern was disrupted by certain other organisms, around which halo-like, bare areas were observed. The size and shape of these halo-like areas varied and were apparently related to the body size and/or motility of the organisms. In the present observation areaO. sarsi covered 96% of the sea bottom, and the remaining 4% was occupied by other organisms and their halo-like bare areas.     

A real-time observation network of ocean-bottom-seismometers deployed at the Sagami trough subduction zone,central Japan

We installed a real-time operating regional observation network of Ocean-Bottom-Seismometers, connected to an electro-optical fiber communication cable, at the Sagami trough subduction zone, just south of the Tokyo metropolitan area, central Japan. The network, called ETMC, has six seismic observation sites at approximately 20 km spacing. In addition, there are three tsunami observation sites along the ETMC network to monitor the propagation process of tsunamis around the Sagami trough region.The on-line data from the ETMC has been improving the detection capability of smaller-magnitude earthquakes even at areas close to the margin of the trough. The ETMC data analyzing system, which has a function of real-time digital filtering for each seismic channel, can read the arrival times of P- and S-waves precisely, constraining well the automatic on-line hypocenter locations. The network has been providing useful information regarding the bending and downgoing process of the Philippine sea plate at the Sagami trough subduction zone.The pressure sensors of the installed network have a detection capability of tsunami wave trains with an amplitude of less than 1 cm. For example, the sensors recorded the full time history of tsunami wave trains, with mm order resolution, originating from a tsunami earthquake with 5.7 M_W and the tsunami magnitude of 7.5 occurred near Tori Shima (Tori Is.) of the Izu-Bonin Is. arc on September 4, 1996. The maximum amplitude of the tsunami signals on the trough-floor was approximately 1 cm (P-P), in contrast with approximately 20 cm (0-P) at a coastal site on Izu-Oshima, near the trough. Also, the pressure sensors observed tsunamis due to a large tsunami earthquake (7.1 M_W) at the northern New Guinea, on July 17, 1998.