Defining hydrochemical evolution of streamflow through flowpath dynamics in Kawakami headwater catchment,Central Japan

The hydrochemical behaviour of catchments is often investigated by inferring stream chemistry through identification of source areas involved in hydrograph separation analysis, yet its dynamic evolution of hydrologic pathways has received little attention. Intensive hydrometric and hydrochemical measurements were performed during two different storms on March 29, 2001 and August 21–22, 2001 to define hydrochemical evolution under the dynamic of flow pathways in a 5·2 ha first‐order drainage of the Kawakami experimental basin (KEB), Central Japan, a forested headwater catchment with various soil depths (1·8 to 5 m) overlying late Neogene of volcanic bedrocks. The hydraulic potential distribution and flow lines data showed that the change in flow direction, which was controlled by rainfall amount and antecedent wetness of the soil profile, agreed well with the hydrochemical change across the slope segment during the storm. Hydrograph separation predicted by end‐member mixing analysis (EMMA) using Ca²⁺ and SiO₂ showed that near surface riparian, hillslope soil water and deep riparian groundwater were important in stream flow generation. The evidence of decrease in solutes concentration at a depth of 1 m in the hillslope and 0·6 m in the near surface riparian during peak storm suggested a flushing of high solutes concentration. Most of the solutes accumulated in the deep riparian groundwater zone, which was due to prominent downward flow and agreed well with the residence time. The distinct flow pathways and chemistry between the near surface riparian and deep riparian groundwater zones and the linkage hillslope aquifer and near surface riparian reservoir, which controls rapid flow and solutes flushing during the storm event, are in conflict with the typical assumption that the whole riparian zone resets flow pathways and chemical signature of hillslope soil water, as has been reported in a previous study. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A GRASS GIS parallel module for radio-propagation predictions

Geographical information systems are ideal candidates for the application of parallel programming techniques, mainly because they usually handle large data sets. To help us deal with complex calculations over such data sets, we investigated the performance constraints of a classic master–worker parallel paradigm over a message-passing communication model. To this end, we present a new approach that employs an external database in order to improve the calculation–communication overlap, thus reducing the idle times for the worker processes. The presented approach is implemented as part of a parallel radio-coverage prediction tool for the Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) environment. The prediction calculation employs digital elevation models and land-usage data in order to analyze the radio coverage of a geographical area. We provide an extended analysis of the experimental results, which are based on real data from an Long Term Evolution (LTE) network currently deployed in Slovenia. Based on the results of the experiments, which were performed on a computer cluster, the new approach exhibits better scalability than the traditional master–worker approach. We successfully tackled real-world-sized data sets, while greatly reducing the processing time and saturating the hardware utilization.     

Three‐dimensional texture of natural pseudotachylyte: Pseudotachylyte formation mechanism in hydrous accretionary complex

Melt‐origin pseudotachylyte is the most reliable seismogenic fault rock. It is commonly believed that pseudotachylyte generation is rare in the plate subduction zone where interstitial fluids are abundant and can trigger dynamic fault‐weakening mechanisms such as thermal pressurization. Some recent studies, however, have discovered pseudotachylyte‐bearing faults in exhumed ancient accretionary complexes, indicating that frictional melting also occurrs during earthquakes in subduction zones. To clarify the pseudotachylyte generation mechanism and the variation of slip behavior in the plate subduction zone, a pseudotachylyte found in the exhumed fossil accretionary complex (the Shimanto Belt, Nobeoka, Japan) was re‐focused and microscopic and three‐dimensional observations of the pseudotachylyte‐bearing fault were performed based on optical, electron, and X‐ray microscope images. Based on the patterns contained in the fragment, the pseudotachylyte is divided into four domains, although no clear domain boundaries or layering structures are not found. Three‐dimensional observation also suggests that the pseudotachylyte were fragmented or isolated by cataclasite or carbonate breccia. The pseudotachylyte was rather injected into the surrounding carbonate breccia, which is composed of angular fragments of the host rock and a matrix of tiny crystalline carbonate. The pseudotachylyte volume was extracted from the X‐ray microscope image and the heat abundance consumed by the pseudotachylyte generation was estimated at 2.18 MJ/m², which can be supplied during a slip of approximately 0.5 m. These observations and calculations, together with the results of the previous investigations, suggest hydrofracturing and rapid carbonate precipitation that preceded or accompanied the frictional melting. Dynamic hydrofracturing during a slip can be caused by rapid fluid pressurization, and can induce abrupt decrease in fluid pressure while drastically enhancing the shear strength of the shear zone. Consequently, frictional heating would be reactivated and generate the pseudotachylyte. These deformation processes can explain pseudotachylyte generation in hydrous faults with the impermeable wall rock.