Improved Kakioka automatic standard magnetometer (KASMMER)

The KASMMER (Kakioka Automatic Standard Magnetometer) has been constructed in 1972 for the standard magnetic observation at Kakioka (Yanagiharaet al., 1973). Then KASMMER system has been improved successively for the high level standard magnetic observation. The purpose of the present paper is to introduce an outline of the improved KASMMER system.The KASMMER system consists of four parts which are four optical pumping magnetometers, a fluxgate magnetometer (Supporting system to the optical pumping magnetometers), a calibration system and a data acquisition system (computer system). The calibration system consists of a proton magnetometer and a magnetic theodolite (Di-72). Details for each part are described and the ability of the improved system is shown to be higher than that of classical magnetic observatory systems.     

Noble gas elemental and isotopic abundances in deep-sea trenches in the western Pacific

Noble gas elemental and isotopic abundances were measured in seven deep-sea water samples from five different sampling sites in the Nankai Trough, the Japan Trench and the Kuril Trench. The samples were obtained by the manned submersible “Nautile”. Most of the sampling sites are associated with clam colonies and/or fluid venting. Excesses both in³He/⁴He ratio and He concentration are observed in a seawater sample collected a few kilometers off the clam colonies which were found at a depth of 3830 m at the mouth of the Tenryu Canyon. Concentrations of noble gases (Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe) in this sample show progressive depletion from Ne to Xe relative to those in 1°C air-saturated seawater, which can be attributed to mixing of hot water ( 15°C) with cold ambient water ( 1°C). Isotopic compositions of Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe in this sample are atmospheric. These observations may reflect venting of hot pore water around the Tenryu Canyon. All the other samples show a significant excess in concentration of all noble gases relative to 1°C air-saturated seawater and the isotopic compositions are atmospheric. This excess of noble gas concentrations may appear to be air contamination in the samples. However, results of hydrocarbon analyses of the Kaiko samples imply that such large amount of air contamination is improbable. Decomposition of gas hydrate in deep-sea sediments is a more likely explanation for the observed excess of noble gas concentration.     

Aerosol properties and air pollutants over an urban area

For a better understanding of urban aerosols, sun/sky photometry has been undertaken at the Kinki University campus in Higashi-Osaka as a NASA/AERONET station since 2002. A new instrument, the SPM-613D (Kimoto Electric), has been taking measurements at the same site since March 15, 2004. The relationship between aerosol properties obtained from radiometry with AERONET and the SPM measurements is examined. It is found that there is a linear correlation between SPM concentrations and aerosol properties, which indicates that aerosol characteristics can be estimated from SPM data, and vice versa.It is also shown that the air quality of the Higashi-Osaka site is poor due to not only the anthropogenic particles by local emissions, such as diesel vehicles and chemical industries, but also due to the dust particles coming from continental desert areas by large scale climatic conditions.