Paleomagnetic evidence for clockwise rotation of the northern arm of Sulawesi,Indonesia

Paleomagnetic results from the northern arm of Sulawesi show that the arm has been subjected to a clockwise rotation of more than 90° and that its rotational motion began no later than the middle Miocene. The mean direction showing a normal polarity at the Eocene to the early Miocene isD = 98.0° andI = 6.9°. A declination value ofD = 50.1° obtained from Miocene rocks indicates a transition stage of the rotational motion. The datum from Plio-Pleistocene volcanics isD = ?4.6° andI = ?9.3°. This suggests that the rotational motion terminated before the initiation of volcanic activity during the Plio-Pleistocene.     

Crustal structure in the Matsushiro Earthquake Swarm area

The crustal structure of the Matsushiro area, Central Japan, was studied in two profiles, A and B, with the explosion seismic method to obtain a better understanding of the physical processes of the Matsushiro Swarm Earthquakes. The layer with a velocity of 6.0 km/sec is extremely shallow and becomes deeper west of Chikuma River and around the southeastern end of profile B; there exists a faultlike structure in the most active area. The comparison of hypocenter distributions with the crustal structure shows that almost all swarm earthquakes have their hypocenters below the 6.0 km/sec layer and are confined to the region where this 6.0 km/sec layer is shallow. The velocity gradient in the 6.0 km/ sec layer is determined with certainty by the time-term analysis.

In the seismically most active region the anomalous structure is derived not only from the traveltime analysis but also from the amplitude studies; that is, the velocity and the Q-value are smaller than in other regions.     

Hydrogen isotope fractionation by Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicus in coculture and pure culture conditions

We grew a hydrogen-utilizing methanogen, Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicus strain ΔH, in coculture and pure culture conditions to evaluate the hydrogen isotope fractionation associated with carbonate reduction under low (< several tens of μM; coculture) and high (>6 mM; pure culture) concentrations of H₂ in the headspace. In the cocultures, which were grown at 55 °C with a thermophilic butyrate-oxidizing syntroph, the hydrogen isotopic relationship between methane and water was well represented by the following equation:

δD_CH4=0.725(±0.003)·δD_H2O-275(±3),     

Time-sequence of polar magnetic substorms

The time-sequence of polar magnetic substorms is discussed to clarify some controversies on the magnetospheric substorm model including the growth phase. The main purpose of the analyses is to examine magnetic variations in the polar cap and in low latitudes. The onset of the expansion phase is confirmed to be reasonably defined by a vector change of polar-cap magnetic disturbance, a sharp intensification of the auroral electrojet disturbance and the beginning of positive ΔH disturbance in midlatitudes near midnight. It is shown that the growth phase signatures so far proposed are consistent when the onset of the expansion phase is identified from the above mentioned features.     

Geochemistry of the oldest MORB and OIB in the Isua Supracrustal Belt, southern West Greenland: Implications for the composition and temperature of early Archean upper mantle

Abstract Recent geological investigations of the Isua Supracrustal Belt (3.8 Ga), southern West Greenland, have suggested that it is the oldest accretionary complex on earth, defined by an oceanic plate‐type stratigraphy and a duplex structure. Plate history from mid‐oceanic ridge through plume magmatism to subduction zone has been postulated from analysis of the reconstructed oceanic plate stratigraphy in the accretionary complex. Comparison between field occurrence of greenstones in modern and ancient accretionary complexes reveals that two types of tholeiitic basalt from different tectonic settings, mid‐oceanic ridge basalt (MORB) and oceanic island basalt (OIB), occur. This work presents major, trace and rare earth element (REE) compositions of greenstones derived from Isua MORB and OIB, and of extremely rare relict igneous clinopyroxene in Isua MORB. The Isua clinopyroxenes (Cpx) have compositional variations equivalent to those of Cpx in modern MORB; in particular, low TiO₂ and Na₂O contents. The Isua Cpx show slightly light (L)REE‐depleted REE patterns, and the calculated REE pattern of the host magma is in agreement with that of Isua MORB. Analyses of 49 least‐altered greenstones carefully selected from approximately 1200 samples indicate that Isua MORB are enriched in Al₂O₃, and depleted in TiO₂, FeO*, Y and Zr at the given MgO content, compared with Isua OIB. In addition, Isua MORB show an LREE‐depleted pattern, whereas Isua OIB forms a flat REE pattern. Such differences suggest that the Early Archean mantle had already become heterogeneous, depending on the tectonic environment. Isua MORB are enriched in FeO compared with modern MORB. Comparison of Isua MORB with recent melting experiments shows that the source mantle had 85–87 in Mg? and was enriched in FeO. Potential mantle temperature is estimated to be approximately 1480°C, indicating that the Early Archean mantle was hotter by at most approximately 150°C than the modern mantle.     

Effects of temperature and chlorinity on the microdistribution ofFavella taraikaensis Hada (Ciliata) in Maizuru Bay

Continuous sampling of the plankton with a pump sampler was carried out along a 960 m straight-line course in Maizuru Bay. The 25 collections of plankton were successively obtained at a depth of 1.5 m along the course, each of the collections covering a horizontal distance of 38 m. Vertical samplings of the plankton were done at five different depths (90, 120, 150, 180 and 210 cm) at 13 stations along the course. In both kinds of samplings temperature and chlorinity were measured.In the horizontal distribution ofF. taraikaensis, it was demonstrated that the counts of plankton had no correlation with the temperature and chlorinityin situ. There was a correlation between the counts and the differences of temperature and chlorinity between two successive sampling stations. It seemed thatF. taraikaensis was most abundant in the locations where the temperature difference was greater than +0.2C and the chlorinity difference was greater than +0.04 . This species was more abundant around the steep thermocline and the steep halocline. When the vertical profiles of temperature and chlorinity did not show steep gradients, this species was more abundant near the surface.     

Joule heating and temperature in the upper atmosphere

Joule heating has been shown to be very effective in increasing electronic temperature in the upper atmosphere. It is found theoretically that the electronic temperature can rise up to several thousands °K soon after certain ionospheric current disturbances occur, while the temperature of neutral particles increases only very slowly. Temperatures in various conditions have been computed and are found to be compatible with observation. It is also possible that the high electronic temperatures may explain the excitation of certain auroral glows.     

Mechanical properties of cementitious sand and sand with small cyclic shear strain to assess aging effects on liquefaction

Liquefaction damage from earthquakes frequently indicates effects of sand aging on liquefaction resistance: Liquefaction damage in natural or aged reclaimed ground has been much less than that in young reclaimed ground. However, the mechanisms underlying aging effects remain unclear. Cementation and stress history of sand strongly influence aging effects: Cementation raises liquefaction resistance, whereas liquefaction history sometimes reduces liquefaction resistance. Small cyclic shear strain, from which the induced density change is almost negligible, was adopted as representing the stress history. To evaluate liquefaction resistance, initial shear modulus, and deformation characteristics of sand, we prepared specimens by adding cement and by applying a small cyclic shear strain. In cementitious sand, liquefaction resistance increased when cement contents exceeded 0.3% by mass. The initial shear modulus apparently increased at the same degree of cement addition as that which increased the liquefaction resistance. For sand with a small cyclic shear strain, the liquefaction resistance increased when the applied cyclic axial strain exceeded 0.01%. Application of small cyclic shear strain only slightly increased the initial shear modulus, but the linear elastic region tended to expand to greater shear strain. Shear properties of sand with small cyclic shear strain resembled those found for sand that had been consolidated for a long time.

     

Muscovite surface structure imaged by fluid contact mode AFM

The surface structure of muscovite was imaged using an atomic force microscope (AFM) in contact mode in water. The following three types of AFM images were observed: (1) those showing clearly the arrangement of hexagonal rings of SiO₄ tetrahedra; (2) those showing a hexagonal array of bright spots separated by a distance of about 5.3 Å; and (3) those changing gradually from image (2) to image (1). Image (1) successfully provides information on the tetrahedral tilt and basal surface corrugation that are particularly characteristic of dioctahedral micas. The mean unit cell dimensions for the muscovite surface measured from Image (1) were slightly longer than those of the bulk structure, due to the rehydration of the tetrahedral sheet and/or surface relaxation. Image (2) was made by varying the scan angles, even on the same surface in which Image (1) was obtained. Image (3) has information on a single plane rather than on two or more planes involving steps, kinks and so on. Therefore, what is depicted in Images (2) and (3) is not the arrangement of interlayer K ions but the basal plane of the tetrahedral sheet. Some structural relaxation of the tetrahedral sheet surface was also observed. Gradual expansion and contraction of hexagonal rings were randomly found on the muscovite surface. The surface relaxation results from a tetrahedral rotation and/or tilting after cleaving, since significant variations of both distances and bond angles between adjacent SiO₄ tetrahedra on the surface were found.