Determination of intergalactic magnetic fields from gamma ray data

We report a measurement of intergalactic magnetic fields using combined data from Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes and Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, based on the spectral data alone. If blazars are assumed to produce both gamma rays and cosmic rays, the observed spectra are not sensitive to the intrinsic spectrum of the source, because, for a distant blazar, secondary photons produced along the line of sight dominate the signal. In this case, we set a limit 1 × 10⁻¹⁷ G < B < 3 × 10⁻¹⁴ G. If one excludes the cosmic-ray component, the 10⁻¹⁷ G lower limit remains, but the upper limit depends on the spectral properties of the source. We present the allowed ranges for a variety of model parameters.     

Calcium and Magnesium‐bearing Sabugalite from the Tono Uranium Deposit,Central Japan

Calcium and magnesium‐bearing sabugalite occurs as aggregations of yellowish platy crystals in veinlets or druses in conglomerate from the oxidized parts of the Tono uranium deposit, Central Japan. X‐ray powder diffractometry of this mineral has reflections consistent with previous powder diffraction data of sabugalite. It is included in the monoclinic system with space group C2/m and calculated cell parameters of a = 19.68Å, b = 9.89Å, c = 9.82Å α = γ = 90°, β‐96.93° and V = 1897.83ų. Chemical analysis yields a formula of (Ca_0.10 Mg_0.09)_Σ0.19Al_0.53(UO₂)_2.04((PO₄)_1.99(AsO₄)_0.01)_Σ2.00·11.22H₂O. EMPA mapping shows that the mineral is compositionally uniform with no micron‐scale layering. Charge of cations including Ca and Mg in the cation‐H₂O layer is 1.98 being identical to that of autunite group minerals. This suggests that the charge balance in the cation‐H₂O layer of the mineral could be made by the alkaline earth or alkaline elements rather than by hydrogen ions.     

Two Modes of Salinity and Temperature Variation in the Surface Layer of the Pacific Warm Pool

The characteristics of temperature and salinity variation in the Pacific warm pool were investigated using Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis on one year's temperature and salinity data in the surface layer (0–50 m) obtained from the Triangle Trans-Ocean Buoy Network (TRITON) buoy array. Two dominant modes of surface temperature and salinity variation were found. One is a positive correlation mode where temperature and salinity were scattered almost parallel to isopycnal lines in a T-S diagram, which has little effect on the density field. The other is a negative correlation mode where temperature and salinity were distributed across isopycnal lines, which has a substantial impact on the density field. In particular, we found that the negative correlation mode at 5°N, 156°E was predominant on a seasonal time scale and contributed to the surface dynamic height variation, and therefore to surface geostrophic current. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Seismic observations in the DPRI 1800 m borehole drilled into the Nojima Fault zone, south-west Japan

Abstract Seismometers were installed at three depths in the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University (DPRI) 1800 m borehole drilled into the Nojima Fault zone, southwest Japan. The waveforms recorded by these seismometers are rather simple compared with those recorded at the DPRI 800 m borehole or on the ground surface. These data should be well suited for detecting fault zone-trapped waves and estimating the fault zone structure and its temporal variation related to the healing process of the ruptured fault. Typical waveforms trapped in the fault zone were observed by a surface seismographic array across the Nojima Fault just after the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake (Kobe earthquake). Among the wave data recorded in the DPRI 1800 m borehole, however, clear evidences of fault zone-trapped waves have not yet been found, and further studies are continuing. The present study outlines the observation system in the DPRI 1800 m borehole, which will make it easier to access and analyze the borehole data.     

Chemical environment for red tides due toChattonella antiqua

Environmental parameters that affect the growth ofChattonella antiqua were monitored throughout the outbreak period of this species around the Ie-shima Islands, the Seto Inland Sea, in the summer of 1987 (20 July–13 August). Averaged cell concentration ofC. antiqua over the water column (21 m) was below 10 cells· ml^–1 on 20 July, gradually increased to reach the maximum of 250 cells·ml^–1 on 7 August, and then rapidly decreased to the value of 30 cells·ml^–1 on 13 August.Thermal stratifications were prominent from 20 July to 3 August and were destroyed after 4 August. Temperature and salinity were optimum for the growth ofC. antiqua throughout the survey period.At the bloom initiation period (20–21 July), concentrations of N- and P-nutrients (S _N andS _P ) were high throughout the water column. From 22 July to 3 August, whenC. antiqua increased its populations,S _N andS _P at the depth of 0–5m were low but those at the depth of 10–20m kept a high value. After 4 August,S _n andS _P at the depth of 10–20m decreased rapidly due to wind mixing coupled with the nutrient uptake byC. antiqua. When the populations ofC. antiqua reached the maximum (7–9 August), N-nutrients were depleted throughout the water column but P-nutrients were not. Concentrations of vitamin B₁₂ were almost in the same range as those of the previous years and were optimum for the growth ofC. antiqua.GP- value (growth potential of the seawater with respect to nitrogen and phos-phorus) was higher than 0.6 even at the surface layer (0–5 m) at the bloom-initiation period. During the bloom development period (22 July–3 August), GP at the surface layer (0–5m) was low (<0.2), but GP at the depth of 10–20m kept a rather high value (>0.4).In situ growth rates ofC. antiqua at the depth of 0 and 5m estimated from bottle experiments coincided well with the values expected from GP. A high value of GP at the surface layer in the initiation period and a shallow GP-cline in the development period, combined with the ability of diurnal vertical migration seemed to be at least one reason that natural populations ofC. antiqua grew at a rather high rate and formed red tides in the summer of 1987.     

Variability of Northeastward Current Southeast of Northern Ryukyu Islands

To better understand the mechanism underlying the variation of the Kuroshio south of central Japan, we have examined the variability of current structure in its upstream region, southeast of Amami-Ohshima Island in the northern Ryukyu Islands. By combined use of ship-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and the TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite altimeter data on Path 214, the sea surface absolute geostrophic currents were estimated every ten days from January 1998 to July 2002. The 4.5-year mean surface current was found to flow northeastward north of 26.8°N with a maximum speed of 14 cm s⁻¹ over the shelf slope at 3000 m depth. The moored current-meter observations at three or four mooring stations from Dec. 1998 to Oct. 2002 suggested the existence of a northeastward undercurrent with a maximum core velocity of 23 cm s⁻¹ at 600 m depth over the shelf slope at 1600 m depth. The mean volume transport in the top 1500 m between 27.9°N and 26.7°N is estimated to be 16 × 10⁶ m³s⁻¹ northeastward, including the subsurface core current related component of 4 × 10⁶ m³s⁻¹. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Observations of atmospheric downward radiation in the Tokyo area

The size and variation of the urban increase of atmospheric downward radiation have been observed in the Tokyo area. Downward radiation flux, air temperature and humidity were observed by automobile traverses along the expressways across the greater Tokyo area from the Kanagawa (southwest) to the Chiba (east) sides. The observations were carried out on clear and rather calm nights in the winters of 1975–1978. The results show that Tokyo receives increased downward radiation in comparison with the amount received in the surrounding rural areas. The area of increased downward flux extends about 40 km at its widest along the observation route when the winds are weak, and the rural-urban increase of downward radiation becomes about 8% on the Kanagawa side and about 10% on the Chiba side. The area of increased downward flux is close to that of the urban heat island, where an urban decrease of water vapour content is also observed. The present analysis shows that the large urban increase of radiation flux is due to the difference between the vertical temperature profiles over the urban and rural regions. The development of a surface temperature inversion over the rural area and the urban decrease in water vapour content provide a rather smaller rural-urban difference in downward radiation compared with the development of a heat island.     

A fault model of the 1946 Nankaido earthquake derived from tsunami data

A fault model of the 1946 Nankaido earthquake (M = 8.2) is determined by the use of tsunami records of Uwajima, Shimotsu and Hososhima which were located within or near the area of major coseismic crustal deformation. Synthetic tsunamis computed for various fault models are matched with the observed tsunamis to determine the fault parameters. A low-angle thrust model slightly revised from a previous model by Ando is consistent with the observed tsunamis. The duration of faulting is constrained as less than 10 min based upon the tsunami. The fault is divided into an eastern and a western segment corresponding to areas associated with and without aftershocks, respectively. The fault area and dislocation for the western segment are 150 × 70 km² and 6 m, and those for the eastern segment are 150 × 70 km² and 3 m, respectively. The total seismic moment is 4.7 × 10²⁸ dyn·cm, significantly smaller than that obtained from a geodetic model by Fitch and Scholz, but still larger than that of the seismic model by Kanamori. The discrepancy in seismic moment between the seismic and the present models (RAN2) could be interpreted in terms of a slow dislocation on the fault, but this interpretation does not match the seismic intensity distribution and damage pattern, and the slow-slip model for the Nankaido earthquake is rejected. The discrepancy between the two seismic moments is considered insignificant within error involved in data and modeling assumptions. If the revised geodetic model (RAN2) is modified, the seismic moment required to explain the observed tsunamis would be reduced further by ～30%. If we consider the uncertainties involved in the fault model of Kanamori and the fault-finiteness effect affecting the amplitude of seismic waves, the seismic moment required to interpret the seismic-wave data could be increased, possibly being more than twice that of Kanamori. Thus, the two seismic moments from the different data sets could be close to each other within allowable tolerance. This implies that the rise time of the Nankaido earthquake was short enough to generate short-period seismic waves from both the western and the eastern fault segments.     

Estimation of freshwater and material fluxes from the Yangtze River into the East China Sea by using TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter data

In order to determine material fluxes in rivers by non‐contact methods, it is essential to estimate river discharge first. Although developed and optimized for open oceans, satellite radar altimetry has the potential to monitor variations in the levels of inland waters such as lakes and rivers. Making use of the concept of an ‘assumed reference point’, we converted TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimetry data on water level variations in the Yangtze River (Changjiang) to ‘water level’ data. We also used ‘water level’ time‐series data and in situ river discharge to establish a rating curve. By use of the rating curve, we converted data on ‘water level’ derived from 7 years (1993–99) of TOPEX/Poseidon data to actual river discharge. On the basis of statistical correlation between discharge and nutrient concentration data collected in 1987–88 and in 1998–99, we estimated the total amounts of freshwater and material fluxes transferred by the Yangtze River during the 1990s. The result reveals that an overall, but very slight, increase in freshwater and material fluxes occurred during the 1990s. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.