Diversity of Pliocene mysticetes from eastern Japan

Abstract Assemblages of Early Pliocene Mysticeti (Cetacea) from the Sendai-Iwate and Choshi areas in eastern Japan were examined. The early Early Pliocene Tatsunokuchi and Yushima formations of the Sendai-Iwate area have yielded many cetotheres assigned to Herpetocetus (Cetotheriidae) and some extinct rorquals assigned to Burtinopsis (Balaenopteridae) and other genera. The late Early Pliocene strata of the Na-arai Formation of the Choshi area has yielded more than 300 mysticete ear bones which fall into seven morphotypes. Assemblages from the two areas differ greatly in taxonomic composition. Archaic mysticetes are dominant in the Sendai-Iwate area, while modern mysticetes are dominant and diverse in the Choshi area. Based on the results of this study we conclude that the diversity of the Early Pliocene mysticetes in the western North Pacific is comparable to that of the Recent.     

A list of fossil cetaceans in Japan

Abstract Fossil cetacea of Japan are abundant and diverse. Despite several summary articles, all the known taxa have not previously been compiled in one place. Here we present a list of the published fossil cetacean records from the Japanese archipelago. The record extends from Middle or Late Oligocene to the Holocene, and includes representatives of both the suborders Odontoceti and Mysticeti. No Eocene Cetacea or Archaeoceti are recorded from Japan. As is typical of the eastern North Pacific and the South Pacific, the Oligocene and Early Miocene assemblages are comprised of archaic and usually extinct families, and the younger assemblages are represented by modern groups comprised of extant genera and families.     

Early Permian ammonoids from the Kaeng Krachan Group of the Phatthalung-Hat Yai area, southern peninsular Thailand

An Early Permian small ammonoid fauna consisting of Neocrimites sp., Agathiceras suessi Gemmellaro, A. girtyi Böse, Agathiceras? sp., and Miklukhoceras sp. was found in nodules of a fine sandstone bed exposed in the Phatthalung-Hat Yai area of southern peninsular Thailand. The ammonoid-bearing bed belongs stratigraphically to the uppermost part of the Kaeng Krachan Group, which is essentially a clastic-dominant, Late Carboniferous (?) to Early Permian stratigraphic unit, widely distributed in western and peninsular Thailand. This ammonoid fauna is considered to be of Bolorian (Kungurian) age and includes Agathiceras girtyi Böse, which is described for the first time from Thailand. The present discovery of Bolorian ammonoids suggests that the uppermost part of the Kaeng Krachan Group is slightly younger than previously considered and around the latest Early Permian. This further implies that the continental margin environment of the Sibumasu Block drastically changed at around Bolorian time from a cool, clastic-dominant shelf condition to a temperate to subtropical, carbonate platform due to rapid northward drift after middle Artinskian rifting.     

Body waveform inversion for the source process of the February 3, 1996 Lijiang, Yunnan earthquake

The source process of February 3, 1996 Lijiang earthquake in Yunnan was studied by body waveform inversion using teleseismic data from IRIS. Two normal double-couple subevents with different strikes were obtained. The difference of the onset time between these two subevents, which are 15 km apart in space, is 7 s. The total seismic moment is 3.81 × 10¹⁸ Nm (M _w=6.3). The total fault area S is about 720 km² from the aftershock data and the average dislocation is about ū=0.18 m. Considering both the result of inversion and tectonic environment around the source, the first rupture might result from the extension along the NNW directed Zhongdian-Yongsheng fault belt where an earthquake of M=6.4 occurred in 1966. Then, the second started along the NE directed the eastern foot of Snow Mountain fault where rupture seemed to be able to propagate more easily.     

Clean and safe supply of fish and shellfish to clear the HACCP regulation by use of clean and cold deep ocean water in Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan

For the supply of fish and shellfish to consumers in fresh condition, clean handling after catch from the sea is essential. According to HACCP （Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points）, it is important to meet such requirement by keeping fish and shellfish under a certain low temperature and clean conditions after catching. The deep ocean water （DOW） characterized by low temperature and cleanliness has been chosen for fish and shellfish handlings, particularly for salmon, cod, and sea urchin in Town ＇Rausu＇ in Hokkaido, Japan. DOW below 2.9℃ of an amount of nearly 5 000 m^3 is planned to be pumped up every day from a depth of about 350 m, and temporarily stored in a large simulated tank on land. DOW is then supplied to fish boats through hydrants distributed throughout the harbor and used for keeping salmon in clean and cold conditions. Ice made from DOW is also used for lowering temperature if necessary. DOW and ice made from DOW are also used during the transportation of fish and shellfish. The entire system is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2005.     

宝鸡古土壤层S7和黄土层L8的天然剩磁锁定深度初探

详细的古地磁及岩石磁学研究表明磁铁矿和赤铁矿是宝鸡古土壤层S7和黄土层L8的特征剩磁的主要载磁矿物,在稳定的正反极性期间,这两种磁性矿物携带的剩磁方向完全一致.然而,在地磁漂移事件或者松山-布容(M-B)极性转换的过程中,这两种载磁矿物有时携带的剩磁方向不同.高分辨率的磁性地层结果证实宝鸡古土壤层S7和黄土层L8能记录300～500年的短期地球磁场极性倒转事件.经与日本大阪湾高分辨率的海洋沉积物中记录的同期短期极性倒转事件相比,估算宝鸡剖面土壤层S7和黄土层L8的天然剩磁锁定深度小于5～8 cm.     

Discovery of Jurassic ammonoids from the Shyok suture zone to the northeast of Chang La Pass, Ladakh, northwest India and its tectonic significance

Abstract   Callovian (late Middle Jurassic) ammonoids Macrocephalites and Jeanneticeras were recovered from the Shyok suture zone, northeast of Chang La Pass, Ladakh, northwest India. They are the first reliable Jurassic fossils and the oldest chronologic data from the Shyok suture zone. The ammonoid-bearing Jurassic strata, newly defined as the Tsoltak Formation, consist largely of terrigenous mudstone with thin sandstone beds and were probably a part of the continental basement to the Cretaceous Ladakh Arc.