Vertical distribution of various elements in sediment cores from the Japan Sea

Deep-sea sediment cores ranging up to 30,000–80,000 yrs in age were taken from a southern region of the Japan Sea and subjected to analyses for 5 major and 11 trace elements by means of instrumental photon activation analysis with 30 MeV bremsstrahlung. These elements were Ca, Fe, Mg, Na, Ti, Ba, Ce, Co, Cr, Mn, Nb, Ni, Rb, Sr, Y and Zr. Additionally, Al was determined spectrophotometrically. Distribution patterns of these elements with depth in the sediment columns were derived. Enrichments of Ca and Sr by biogenous process were observed; these Ca maxima are well correlated with Mn maxima. Below the Holocene—Pleistocene boundary, continuous transportation of poorly degraded continental debris, which was low in metallic constituents, was noted. A distinct enrichment of the top layer of the sediments in Mn was observed. This is the result of post-depositional upward migration of Mn. Fe, Co and Ni were also enriched in the top layers. In the central part of the basin, the oxidized post-glacial zone appears to be a typical pelagic sediment.     

Sulfur speciation and network structural changes in sodium silicate glasses: Constraints from NMR and Raman spectroscopy

Information about the state of sulfur in silicate melts and glasses is important in both earth sciences and materials sciences. Because of its variety of valence states from S²⁻ (sulfide) to S⁶⁺ (sulfate), the speciation of sulfur dissolved in silicate melts and glasses is expected to be highly dependent on the oxygen fugacity. To place new constraint on this issue, we have synthesized sulfur-bearing sodium silicate glasses (quenched melts) from starting materials containing sulfur of different valence states (Na₂SO₄, Na₂SO₃, Na₂S₂O₃ and native S) using an internally heated gas pressure vessel, and have applied electron-induced SKα X-ray fluorescence, micro-Raman and NMR spectroscopic techniques to probe their structure. The wavelength shift of SKα X-rays revealed that the differences in the valence state of sulfur in the starting compounds are largely retained in the synthesized sulfur-bearing glasses, with a small reduction for more oxidized samples. The ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectra of all the glasses contain no peaks attributable to the SiO_4-nS_n (with n > 0) linkages. The Raman spectra are consistent with the coexistence of sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄) species and one or more types of more reduced sulfur species containing S-S linkages in all the sulfur-bearing silicate glasses, with the former dominant in glasses produced from Na₂SO₄-doped starting materials, and the latter more abundant in more reduced glasses. The ²⁹Si MAS NMR and Raman spectra also revealed changes in the silicate network structure of the sulfur-bearing glasses, which can be interpreted in terms of changes in the chemical composition and sulfur speciation.     

Source model of Noto-Hanto-Oki earthquake tsunami of 7 February 1993

A source model was discussed for a small tsunami accompanied by the Noto-Hanto-Oki earthquake (M _s 6.6), striking Japan on 7 February, 1994. Assuming a fault model under the sea bottom, we estimated the focal parameters jointly, using synthesized tsunami source spectra as well as the tsunami numerical simulation. The fault proposed by this study consists of a plane sized 15×15 km, dipping N47°W with the dip angle of 42°, which is almost pure reverse fault (slip angle 87°) with a dislocation of 1 meter. The numerical simulation shows that the shallow sea in the source region caused a comparatively long recurring tsunami (the periods are 12–18 minutes) in spite of its small size. The model fault is corresponding to an aftershock area of this earthquake.     

Charcoal records from thermokarst deposits in central Yakutia, eastern Siberia: Implications for forest fire history and thermokarst development

Macroscopic charcoal records from a thermokarst lake deposit in central Yakutia, eastern Siberia, were used to reconstruct the history of forest fires and investigate its relationship to thermokarst initiation. High accumulation rates of charcoal and pollen were coincident in the basal deposits of the thermokarst lake, which suggests that both were initially deposited on the forest floor and subsequently reworked and accumulated in the thermokarst depression. High charcoal and pollen accumulation rates in the basal deposits, dating to 11,000-9000 cal yr BP, also indicate that the thermokarst topography developed during the early Holocene. A lower charcoal accumulation rate after ca. 9000 cal yr BP suggests that thermokarst development has been inhibited since this time. It also indicates that a surface-fire regime has been predominant at least since ca. 9000 cal yr BP in central Yakutia.     

Daily Variations in Nutrient Concentrations of Seawater at 321 m Depth in Toyama Bay, Japan Sea

Nutrient concentrations (nitrate + nitrite, phosphate and silicate) in deep seawater (321 m depth) of Toyama Bay, Japan, were measured from August 1996 to July 1997 to determine the magnitude of daily variations. Significant daily variations were observed; concentrations ranged from 4.42 to 22.4 µM for nitrate + nitrite, from 0.86 to 1.98 µM for phosphate, and from 9.91 to 47.7 µM for silicate, respectively. However, there were not significant relationships between nutrient concentrations and water temperature, or between nutrients and salinity. Since temperature and salinity in the >300 m depth layer were constant through the year, the results suggest that there may be water masses with different nutrient concentrations in the deep layers (at about 320 m depth) of the bay, and a horizontal advection of these water masses may be responsible for the observed daily variations.     

Equatorward Spreading of a Passive Tracer with Application to North Pacific Interdecadal Temperature Variations

A simulation is conducted with a realistic ocean general circulation model to investigate the three dimensional spreading of a passive tracer prescribed at the sea surface with the same distribution as the interdecadal sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies observed in the North Pacific. The tracers reaching the equator have the same sign as the major oval-shaped SST anomaly pattern in the central North Pacific but with a magnitude reduced less than 10% of the mid-latitude SST anomaly. The mixing both with the water containing SST anomalies of an opposite sign off the west coast of North America, and with the Southern Hemisphere thermocline water both contribute to the reduced equatorial amplitude. On the way to the equator in the southwestern part of the subtropical gyre, the subducted water is replenished by tracers leaking from the recirculation region to the north. The simulated passive tracer field in the subsurface layers agrees with the observed interdecadal temperature anomalies, suggesting the relevance of the processes studied here to the thermocline variability in the real North Pacific.     

Phylogeny of transfer RNA and origins of organelles

By using nucleotide sequences of transfer RNA's, the endosymbiotic model for the origin of chloroplasts and mitochondria is examined. The endosymbiotic origin of the chloroplasts is confirmed, but concerning the origin of the mitochondria no conclusion can be drawn. Phyletic relations of euglenoids to higher plants and to animals are also discussed. Finally, phylogeny of fungi is discussed in terms of tRNA sequences and it is proposed that the classical taxonomy of fungi should be reconsidered in terms of molecular taxonomy or molecular paleontology.