Neutron absorption constraints on the composition of 4 Vesta

Global maps of the macroscopic thermal neutron absorption cross section of Vesta's regolith by the Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) on board the NASA Dawn spacecraft provide constraints on the abundance and distribution of Fe, Ca, Al, Mg, and other rock‐forming elements. From a circular, polar low‐altitude mapping orbit, GRaND sampled the regolith to decimeter depths with a spatial resolution of about 300 km. At this spatial scale, the variation in neutron absorption is about seven times lower than that of the Moon. The observed variation is consistent with the range of absorption for howardite whole‐rock compositions, which further supports the connection between Vesta and the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite meteorites. We find a strong correlation between neutron absorption and the percentage of eucritic materials in howardites and polymict breccias, which enables petrologic mapping of Vesta's surface. The distribution of basaltic eucrite and diogenite determined from neutron absorption measurements is qualitatively similar to that indicated by visible and near infrared spectroscopy. The Rheasilvia basin and ejecta blanket has relatively low absorption, consistent with Mg‐rich orthopyroxene. Based on a combination of Fe and neutron absorption measurements, olivine‐rich lithologies are not detected on the spatial scales sampled by GRaND. The sensitivity of GRaND to the presence of mantle material is described and implications for the absence of an olivine signature are discussed. High absorption values found in Vesta's “dark” hemisphere, where exogenic hydrogen has accumulated, indicate that this region is richer in basaltic eucrite, representative of Vesta's ancient upper crust.     

Thermophysical properties of lunar material returned by Apollo missions

Data on thermophysical properties measured on lunar material returned by Apollo missions are reviewed. In particular, the effects of temperature and interstitial gaseous pressure on thermal conductivity and diffusivity have been studied. For crystalline rocks, breccias and fines, the thermal conductivity and diffusivity decrease as the interstitial gaseous pressure decreases from 1 atm to 10^–4T. Below 10^–4T, these properties become insensitive to the pressure. At a pressure of 10^–4T or below, the thermal conductivity of fines is more temperature dependent than that of crystalline rocks and breccias. The bulk density also affects the thermal conductivity of the fines. An empirical relationship between thermal conductivity, bulk density and temperature derived from the study of terrestrial material is shown to be consistent with the data on lunar samples. Measurement of specific heat shows that, regardless of the differences in mineral composition, crystalline rocks and fines have almost identical specific heat in the temperature range between 100 and 340K. The thermal parameter calculated from thermal conductivity, density and specific heat shows that the thermal properties estimated by earth-based observations are those characteristic only of lunar fines and not of crystalline rocks and breccias. The rate of radioactive heat generation calculated from the content of K, Th and U in lunar samples indicates that the surface layer of the lunar highland is more heat-producing than the lunar maria. This may suggest fundamental differences between the two regions.Now at Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York, U.S.A.     

Ra in the Japan Sea and the residence time of the Japan Sea water

The surface water of the Japan Sea contained²²⁶Ra of70 ± 4dpm m⁻³ which was nearly equal to that of the surface water in the North Pacific. The concentration of²²⁶Ra in the Japan Sea deep water below 500 m was151 ± 8dpm m⁻³, showing a vertically and regionally small variation. This concentration of²²⁶Ra in the deep water is unexpectedly high, because the Japan Sea deep water has a higher Δ¹⁴ C value by about 50‰ than the Atlantic deep water containing the same²²⁶Ra. One of the causes to be considered is larger contribution of²²⁶Ra from biogenic particles dissolving in the Japan Sea deep water, but the Japan Sea is not so fertile in comparison to the Bering Sea. The other more plausible cause is the internal ventilation of the Japan Sea water, which means that the residence time of the Japan Sea Proper water is considerably long although the water is vertically mixed fairly well especially in winter. The ventilation may supply some amounts of radiocarbon and oxygen but does not change the inventory of²²⁶Ra. The residence times of the Japan Sea deep water and of water within the Japan Sea are calculated by solving simultaneous equations for²²⁶Ra and¹⁴C with a three-box model to be 300–400 years and 700–1000 years, respectively.     

Effect of fault bend on the rupture propagation process of stick-slip

An experimental study of stick-slip is performed to examine the effect of a fault bend on the dynamic rupture propagation process. A granite sample used in the experiment has a pre-cut fault that is artificially bent by an angle of 5.6° at the center of the fault along strike, and accordingly the fault consists of two fault segments. The rupture propagation process during stick-slip instability is investigated by analyzing the records of shear strain and relative displacement measured with strain gauge sensors together with the hypocenters of AE (acoustic emission) events detected with piezoelectric transducers. The observed rupture propagation process of typical stick-slip events is as follows. (1) The dynamic rupture started on a fault segment is stopped near the fault bend. (2) The rupture propagation is restarted near the bend on the other fault segment 10.8 ms to 3.5 s after the stop of the first rupture. The delay time of the second rupture decreases with an increase in the slip amount of the first rupture or a decrease in the normal stress acting on the fault segment where the second rupture started. (3) The restarted rupture is not arrested by the presence of a fault bend, and slip occurs over the entire fault. We theoretically analyze the stress concentration near the fault bend to find that the normal stress produced by the preceding slip near the fault bend plays an important part in controlling the rupture propagation. A numerical simulation based on a rate- and state-dependent friction law is performed to interpret physically the retarded rupture in the experiment. The observed time interval of 10.8 ms to 3.5 s between the first rupture and the second is explained by the numerical simulation, suggesting that the rate- and state-dependence of rock friction is a possible mechanism for the retarded rupture on the fault.     

A Numerical Study of Turbulence Statistics and the Structure of a Spatially-Developing Boundary Layer Over a Realistic Urban Geometry

Sonic anemometer measurements are analyzed from two primary field programs and 12 supplementary sites to examine the behaviour of the turbulent heat flux near the surface with high wind speeds in the nocturnal boundary layer. On average, large downward heat flux is found for high wind speeds for most of the sites where some stratification is maintained in spite of relatively intense vertical mixing. The stratification for high wind speeds is found to be dependent on wind direction, suggesting the importance of warm-air advection, even for locally homogenous sites. Warm-air advection is also inferred from a large imbalance of the heat budget of the air for strong winds. Shortcomings of our study are noted.     

Nutrient and Phytoplankton Dynamics in Harima-Nada, Eastern Seto Inland Sea, Japan During a 35-Year Period from 1973 to 2007

Long-term monitoring of water quality and phytoplankton was conducted at 19 sampling stations in Harima-Nada, eastern Seto Inland Sea, Japan for 35 years from 1973 to 2007. There were two significant long-term changes, an increase in winter water temperatures of 0.042°C year^?1, and a decrease in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) from about 10 μM in the 1970s to ~5 μM in the late 1990s due to the reduction in nutrient inputs. DIN concentrations and total phytoplankton cell density were both higher during the 1970s to the early 1980s and then exhibited a significant decrease in the mid 1980s and remained relatively constant thereafter. Diatoms were the dominant phytoplankton group (>90%) over the 35-year period, and there was a dramatic shift from Skeletonema dominance (~70%) to Chaetoceros in the mid 1980s. This shift in diatom species may be attributed to differences in the life cycle of Skeletonema and Chaetoceros and the response to the decrease in DIN concentration.     

Particulate Flux and Cd/P Ratio of Particulate Material in the Pacific Ocean

Time-series Mark 7 sediment traps were deployed at three stations at 0°N, 13°N and 48°N along 175°E to investigate seasonal and spatial variations of particulate material flux. Chemical analysis of particulate material was performed for four major chemical components, viz. opal, CaCO₃, organic material and clay minerals, Cd and P in the particulate material were also determined. We discuss the characteristics of particulate material at each site and the transportation of Cd and P to deep water by the particulate material. The total mass fluxes and variation of fluxes at each site reflect oceanographic conditions, such as biological productivity and kind of major planktonic organisms. At the northern site, large mass fluxes with a spring bloom and high ratios of opal are characteristic. Relatively small mass fluxes with high ratios of CaCO₃ are distinct, and dissolution of CaCO₃ due to sinking is recognized in the middle latitude and 0°N sites. The larger flux at the lower trap than the upper trap at the equatorial site suggests influence by lateral transport in the deep water. Distinctive decreasing Cd/P ratio and CaCO₃ concentrations in the particulate material with increasing depth suggests that the change of Cd/P ratio in the intermediate and deep water occurs through the dissolution of CaCO₃. The dissolved Cd/P ratios in the deep water are proportional to the age of the deep water in the Atlantic but not in the Pacific. This is explained by the difference of kinds of particulate material transporting Cd and P in the deep water between the oceans. That is, the major planktonic organisms are planktons of CaCO₃ tests in the Atlantic Ocean and diatoms of opal tests in the North Pacific Ocean.     

WEATHERING OF PALEOZOIC MARBLES IN THE INDEPENDENCE HILLS AND PATRIOT HILLS,ELLSWORTH MOUNTAINS,ANTARCTICA

Weathering processes in the Ellsworth Mountains of Antarctica are dominated by frost action. These processes were observed to be different on the same group of marbles under different slope conditions. North- and south-facing walls of the bedrock showed the same shattering rate in the summer of 1992–1993. Frost shattering of rocks is controlled by surface temperature, moisture, and the physical properties of the rock. The most important control on frost shattering in this area was moisture availability, given the same bedrock and freeze-thaw cycle. Snow particles are moved by katabatic winds, bringing moisture to the rock. Moisture is collected mainly in lower cliffs and cols. [Key words: weathering, marble, moisture conditions, Antarctica.]     

Long-term (36-year) observations on the dynamics of the fish-killing raphidophyte Chattonella in Harima-Nada,eastern Seto Inland Sea,Japan

Long-term changes of the fish-killing raphidophyte Chattonella spp. (Chattonella antiqua, Chattonella marina and Chattonella ovata) were examined in relation to environmental factors at 19 sampling stations in Harima-Nada, eastern Seto Inland Sea, Japan, for 36 years from 1973 to 2008. Long-term trends in the dynamics of Chattonella populations were considered to relate to environmental factors such as nutrient concentrations and water temperature. High nutrient levels during the period from the 1970s to the early 1980s have contributed to the high cell density and large-scale red tides of Chattonella spp. in Harima-Nada. However, nutrient levels exhibited a decreasing trend thereafter, and it is thought that Chattonella spp. cannot form large-scale blooms under the present conditions. After the mid-1990s, the occurrence period of vegetative cells of Chattonella spp. has been several weeks or 1 month earlier than that of the 1970s and early 1980s, and the appearance frequency of Chattonella spp. has increased in the northern coastal area, although the cell density and the spatial scale of the distribution have become lower and smaller than those in the previous decades. It is suggested that the timing of germination of Chattonella cysts has become earlier as a result of the increase in water temperature, and the chances of vegetative growth have also increased, especially at the northern coast where most of large rivers discharge into the Harima-Nada. In addition, the present results revealed that fewer diatoms were also one of the significant factors for the high abundance of Chattonella spp. in Harima-Nada.