The δ13C–δ18O variations in marble in the Hida Belt,Japan

Marble has a great potential to understand a history of various geological events occurring during tectonic processes. In order to decode metamorphic–metasomatic records on C–O isotope compositions of marble at mid-crustal conditions, we conducted a C–O–Sr isotope study on upper amphibolite-facies marbles and a carbonate–silicate rock from the Hida Belt, which was once a part of the crustal basement of the East Asian continental margin. Carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of calcite from marbles (Kamioka area) and a carbonate–silicate rock (Wadagawa area) show a large variation of δ¹³C [VPDB] and δ¹⁸O [VSMOW] values (from −4.4 to +4.2 ‰ and +1.6 to +20.8 ‰, respectively). The low δ¹³C values of calcites from the carbonate–silicate rock (from −4.4 to −2.9 ‰) can be explained by decarbonation (CO₂ releasing) reactions; carbon–oxygen isotope modeling suggests that a decrease of δ¹³C strongly depends on the amount of silicate reacting with carbonates. The occurrence of metamorphic clinopyroxene in marbles indicates that all samples have been affected by decarbonation reactions. All δ¹⁸O values of calcites are remarkably lower than the marine-carbonate values. The large δ¹⁸O variation can be explained by the isotope exchange via interactions between marble, external fluids, and/or silicates. Remarkably low δ¹⁸O values of marbles that are lower than mantle value (~+5 ‰) suggest the interaction with meteoric water at a later stage. Sr isotope ratios (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.707255–0.708220) might be close to their protolith values. One zircon associated with wollastonite in a marble thin-section yields a U–Pb age of 222 ± 3 Ma, which represents the timing of the recrystallization of marble, triggered by H₂O-rich fluid infiltration at a relatively high-temperature condition. Our isotope study implies that the upper amphibolite-facies condition, like the Hida Belt, might be appropriate to cause decarbonation reactions which can modify original isotope compositions of marble if carbonates react with silicates.     

Field survey of the East Java earthquake and tsunami of June 3, 1994

A field survey of the June 3, 1994 East Java earthquake tsunami was conducted within three weeks, and the distributions of the seismic intensities, tsunami heights, and human and house damages were surveyed. The seismic intensities on the south coasts of Java and Bali Islands were small for an earthquake with magnitudeM 7.6. The earthquake caused no land damage. About 40 minutes after the main shock, a huge tsunami attacked the coasts, several villages in East Java Province were damaged severely, and 223 persons perished. At Pancer Village about 70 percent of the houses were swept away and 121 persons were killed by the tsunami. The relationship between tsunami heights and distances from the source shows that the Hatori's tsunami magnitude wasm=3, which seems to be larger for the earthquake magnitude. But we should not consider this an extraordinary event because it was pointed out byHatori (1994) that the magnitudes of tsunamis in the Indonesia-Philippine region generally exceed 1–2 grade larger than those of other regions.     

Land transformation and pond sediment information

Five years of observations on sedimentation rates in two ponds located near transformed land areas in the Kobe district of central Japan have shown the relationship between sedimentation and development during land transformation. One of the ponds observed has artificial land transformation in its drainage area (KR), whereas the other does not (KN). The sedimentation rate in the pond without artificial land transformation is roughly proportional to the rainfall intensity, whereas in the pond with land transformation it is related to change in the transformed area as well as the rainfall intensity. The relative sedimentation rate (sedimentation rate divided by the catchment area and rainfall intensity) is also related to loss on ignition and grain density; large relative sedimentation rates correspond to low loss on ignition and high grain density, suggesting that these factors are very sensitive to land transformation. Changes in catchment factors, which indicate the topographical and hydrological conditions in the catchment area, are inversely proportional to change in the ratio of the reclaimed to the natural area; this is indicative of change in the erodibility of the surface material in the catchment area. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The isotopic signature of monsoon conditions,cloud modes,and rainfall type

This work provides a comprehensive physically based framework for the interpretation of the north Australian rainfall stable isotope record (δ¹⁸O and δ²H). Until now, interpretations mainly relied on statistical relationships between rainfall amount and isotopic values on monthly timescales. Here, we use multiseason daily rainfall stable isotope and high resolution (10 min) ground‐based C‐band polarimetric radar data and show that the five weather types (monsoon regimes) that constitute the Australian wet season each have a characteristic isotope ratio. The data suggest that this is not only due to changes in regional rainfall amount during these regimes but, more importantly, is due to different rain and cloud types that are associated with the large scale circulation regimes. Negative (positive) isotope anomalies occurred when stratiform rainfall fractions were large (small) and the horizontal extent of raining areas were largest (smallest). Intense, yet isolated, convective conditions were associated with enriched isotope values whereas more depleted isotope values were observed when convection was widespread but less intense. This means that isotopic proxy records may record the frequency of which these typical wet season regimes occur. Positive anomalies in paleoclimatic records are most likely associated with periods where continental convection dominates and convection is sea‐breeze forced. Negative anomalies may be interpreted as periods when the monsoon trough is active, convection is of the oceanic type, less electric, and stratiform areas are wide spread. This connection between variability of rainfall isotope anomalies and the intrinsic properties of convection and its large‐scale environment has important implications for all fields of research that use rainfall stable isotopes.     

2500年来艾比湖的环境演变信息

通过对艾比湖缘1，8m浅孔的沉积相和孢粉组合，结合14C测年资料分析。指出近2500年来艾比湖的沉积环境总体是比较稳定的，但由于气候波动引起艾比湖水位曾发生较明显的变化。约在公元前300～400年，是艾比湖面积缩小时期；约公元前300—公元300年，即东周末至西晋，是艾比湖水位较高时期；约公元300—1400年，即东晋至15世纪初，是艾比湖的高水位时期；约15世纪初至17世纪中是艾比湖的水位下降期，但水位比现代仍然高；约17世纪中至19世纪初的小冰期是艾比湖的水位上升期。研究还提供了历史时期湖泊的盐度变化和湖周发生大火的信息。     

Lunar gravity field determination using SELENE same-beam differential VLBI tracking data

A lunar gravity field model up to degree and order 100 in spherical harmonics, named SGM100i, has been determined from SELENE and historical tracking data, with an emphasis on using same-beam S-band differential VLBI data obtained in the SELENE mission between January 2008 and February 2009. Orbit consistency throughout the entire mission period of SELENE as determined from orbit overlaps for the two sub-satellites of SELENE involved in the VLBI tracking improved consistently from several hundreds of metres to several tens of metres by including differential VLBI data. Through orbits that are better determined, the gravity field model is also improved by including these data. Orbit determination performance for the new model shows improvements over earlier 100th degree and order models, especially for edge-on orbits over the deep far side. Lunar Prospector orbit determination shows an improvement of orbit consistency from 1-day predictions for 2-day arcs of 6 m in a total sense, with most improvement in the along and cross-track directions. Data fit for the types and satellites involved is also improved. Formal errors for the lower degrees are smaller, and the new model also shows increased correlations with topography over the far side. The estimated value for the lunar GM for this model equals 4902.80080±0.0009 km³/s² (10 sigma). The lunar degree 2 potential Love number k ₂ was also estimated, and has a value of 0.0255 ± 0.0016 (10 sigma as well).     

Air-Sea Gas Transfer Velocity in Stormy Winter Estimated from Radon Deficiency

Thirteen vertical profiles of ²²⁶Ra and ²²²Rn in the near-surface water were obtained in the western North Pacific in winter, and the gas transfer velocities across the air-sea interface were estimated. The transfer velocities found by applying a steady state model varied widely from 2.1 to 30.2 m day⁻¹ with a mean of 9.4 m day⁻¹. The mean value is almost 5 times higher than that in summer in other oceans, and the maximum value is a record high for world oceans. This is partly due to the inadequacy of the steady state model, which overestimates when stronger winds blow in more recent days than the ²²²Rn half-life of about 4 days. In fact, a strong low pressure zone passed through the station about 2 days earlier, which was one of the low pressure zones that with a period of develop once a week or so in the northwestern North Pacific in winter. Instead of steady-state removal, if half of the radon removal occurred sporadically every 7 days, and the last removal took place two days before the observation, the transfer velocity would be 26 m day⁻¹. Our mean transfer velocity, which is less than 20% different from the steady state value including both overestimated and underestimated values, 9.4 ± 4.8 m day⁻¹, seems to represent the mean state of this region in winter. This suggests that the gas exchange fluxes under extremely rough conditions in the open ocean are larger than those estimated by using a transfer velocity equation with a linear or quadratic relationship with wind speed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.