Flare ribbon expansion and energy release

We report a detailed examination about the relationship between the evolution of the Hα flare ribbons and the released magnetic energy during the April 10 2001 flare. In the Hα images, several bright kernels are observed in the flare ribbons. We identified the conjugated foot-points, by analyzing the lightcurves at each Hα kernels, and showed their connectivities during the flare. Then, based on the magnetic reconnection model, we calculated quantitatively the released energy by using the photospheric magnetic field strengths and separation speeds of the Hα flare ribbons. Finally, we examined the downward motions which are observed at the Hα kernels. We found that the stronger the red-asymmetry tends to be associated with the brighter the Hα kernel.     

Mineralogy of phyllosilicate-rich micrometeorites and comparison with Tagish Lake and Sayama meteorites

Four phyllosilicate-rich micrometeorites (MMs) were investigated by a synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction technique and transmission electron microscopy. Three are saponite-rich MMs and one is a serpentine-rich one. In the saponite-rich MMs, we could not find serpentine, and vice versa in the serpentine-rich MM. In the saponite-rich MMs, major constituent minerals are saponite, Fe- and Ni-bearing sulfides, and magnetite. Two saponite-rich MMs contain fine-grained magnesiowüstite-rich aggregates. The aggregates consist of <50 nm polygonal magnesiowüstite coexisting with minor Fe sulfide grains. Their texture, chemical composition, and the result of heating experiments on matrix fragments of the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite strongly suggest that these aggregates were formed by the breakdown of Mg- and Fe-rich carbonate grains when the MMs entered the Earth’s atmosphere. The estimated major mineral assemblage of the saponite-rich MMs before entering the Earth’s atmosphere is very similar to that of the Tagish Lake carbonate-rich lithology, and we suggest that the MMs and the meteorite were derived from similar asteroids. The major mineral assemblage and texture of the matrix of serpentine-rich MM are similar to the matrix of the Sayama CM2 chondrite that experienced heavy aqueous alteration. Chemical compositions of serpentine in the MM suggest that the degree of aqueous alteration of the MM is weaker than that of Sayama. In the MM, cronstedtite does not coexist with tochilinite, which is different from CM2 chondrites that experienced weak to moderate aqueous alteration. However, the possibility that the serpentine-rich MM was derived from the CM chondrite asteroid cannot be ruled out, because tochilinite can be preferentially decomposed during atmospheric entry heating due to its lower decomposition temperature than that of cronstedtite.     

Late cretaceous to early paleogene paleomagnetic results from Sikhote Alin, far eastern Russia: implications for deformation of East Asia

Welded tuffs in the Bogopol and Sijanov groups were sampled at 27 sites from 12 caldera formations in the Sikhote Alin mountain range around Kavalerovo (44.3°N, 135.0°E) for chronological and paleomagnetic studies. KAr age dates show that the welded tuffs erupted between 66 Ma and 46 Ma. All sites yield reliable paleomagnetic directions, with unblocking temperatures higher than 560°C. The high-temperature component at 12 sites and the medium-temperature component at 3 sites in the Bogopol Group show reversed polarity (D = 193.7°, I = −57.6°,₉₅ = 8.1°). The high-temperature component at 11 sites in the Sijanov Group showed both reversed and normal polarities and its mean direction reveals no detectable deflection from north (D = −2.9°, I = 59.6°,₉₅ = 11.2°). The combined paleomagnetic direction of the two groups yields a paleomagnetic pole of 250.5°E, 84.1°N (A₉₅ = 8.8°), which falls near Cretaceous paleomagnetic poles from Outer Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, the North China Block and the South China Block. The Sikhote Alin area appears not to have been subjected to detectable motion with respect to East Asia since about 50 Ma. This implies that the Sikhote Alin area behaved as an integral part of East Asia during the opening of the Japan Sea at about 15 Ma. However, significant separation between the paleomagnetic poles of East Asia and Europe during the Jurassic-Paleogene implies a major relative movement between these two blocks since the Paleogene.     

Soil column experiments for iodate and iodide using K-edge XANES and HPLC–ICP-MS

Radioactive iodine is one of the most problematic radionuclides because of its long half life and high mobility. Mobility of iodine depends on the chemical form to a great extent. This paper reports the results of soil column experiments we conducted to evaluate the mobilities of IO₃⁻ and I⁻. In order to determine the mechanisms of adsorption of IO₃⁻ and I⁻ on soil, adsorption isotherms were obtained by batch experiments. Both adsorption isotherms of IO₃⁻ and I⁻ are well explained by Langmuir model. The adsorption maximum of IO₃⁻ is about five times larger than that of I⁻. In the column experiments, iodine distributions between soil and pore water in the soil column were determined at various depths. Chemical forms of iodine in soil and pore water were determined by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), and high performance liquid chromatography connected to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC–ICP-MS), respectively. Vertical profiles of iodine in pore water were simulated using Visual MODFLOW. Our results showed, upon I⁻ infiltration through the column, that a small amount of I⁻ adsorbed on soil, and its mobility is mainly controlled by advection and dispersion. The profile of iodine concentration in pore water was well simulated by assuming equilibrium-controlled Langmuir type adsorption without considering any chemical transformations. For the IO₃⁻ addition system into the column, however, IO₃⁻ adsorbed to soil to a larger degree, which causes a much larger retardation effect than I⁻. In addition, reduction of IO₃⁻ to I⁻ was also confirmed in both soil and pore water by XANES and HPLC–ICP-MS, respectively. The fraction of I⁻ increased toward the deeper end in both phases because of its lower affinity for soil than IO₃⁻, where the reduced I⁻ was released to the pore water and transported by the water flow. In this study, such reduction effect was clearly demonstrated by the speciation analyses of iodine in both soil and water phases, which confirmed that the mobility of I⁻ is a dominant factor that controls the fate of iodine in the surface environment.     

A new model for predicting three-dimensional beach changes by expanding Hsu and Evans' equation

The empirical bay shape model proposed by Hsu and Evans in 1989 for predicting the static planform of a pocket beach is expanded to enable the calculation of three-dimensional beach changes on a pocket beach with a seawall. The original formulation was developed on the basis of a second-order regression analysis. Unlike the one-line model of shoreline changes, the model of Hsu and Evans does not require repeated calculations of the wave field and shoreline position, because it was derived on the assumption of null sediment movement within a pocket beach in static equilibrium, hence without the need of applying the continuity condition of total sand volume in the calculation. The expanded model proposed by the present authors satisfies the total sand budget on a pocket beach, by taking into account the concept of depth change due to longshore sand transport. Model tests were carried out and the new model was further applied to the beach changes at Kemigawa on the northeast of Tokyo Bay in Chiba Prefecture, as well as at Oarai in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. On both locations, seawall has been installed as countermeasures against beach erosion, where wave sheltering effect of the main breakwater and beach changes in front of the seawall has also been observed. With this expansion, the present model can be applied to predict the three-dimensional beach changes on a coast with seawall on a pocket beach.     

Measurement of debris mass changes and assessment of the dam-break flood potential of earthquake-triggered Hattian landslide dam

The Hattian landslide, which was triggered by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, formed one of largest landslide dams in the world and it has posed a serious threat of flooding to people living in the lower reach of the Jhelum River. In order to understand deformation occurring in the body of the dam, physical measurements using a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) were conducted. Gradual deformation and slowly developing backward erosion initially were observed, leading eventually to a sudden creation of a deep hollow on the downstream slope of the landslide dam. The dimensions of this eroded gully were determined by laser scanning, and the results showed a significant loss of soil volume and a large change in the body of the dam. A breach formation model was used to predict the outflow hydrograph generated by constant downcutting of dam during a breaching event. A run-off analysis of the outflow hydrograph was conducted to evaluate inundation levels of flood waves in case the dam is breached. Hazardous downstream locations were identified near the junction of the Karli and Jhelum Rivers, suggesting a need for early warning system in order to avoid loss of lives.     

Timing of rotational motion of Southwest Japan inferred from paleomagnetism

Paleomagnetic field directions for the period younger than 35 Ma are obtained from igneous rocks distributed in the San'in district, Inner Zone of Southwest Japan. The remanent magnetization of samples between 30 and 35 Ma old are fairly well grouped with a mean direction of D = 65.9°, I = 48.6°, and ₉₅ = 6.5°. This result establishes that Southwest Japan rotated clockwise 56 ± 12° during the past 30 m.y. A declination value of about 60° is observed in the rocks of 28 Ma ( D = 52.2°, I = 33.5°) and 21 Ma (D = 69.9°, I = 49.5°). Comparing this with results from dacitic rocks with an age of 15 Ma in other areas of Southwest Japan suggests that rotational motion did not occur possibly until 15 Ma. These results require that the rotation of Southwest Japan occurred just after the Shikoku Basin had been created.     

Bulk mineralogical changes of hydrous micrometeorites during heating in the upper atmosphere at temperatures below 1000 °C

Abstract— Small particles 200 μm in diameter from the hydrous carbonaceous chondrites Orgueil CI, Murchison CM2, and Tagish Lake were experimentally heated for short durations at subsolidus temperatures under controlled ambient pressures in order to examine the bulk mineralogical changes of hydrous micrometeorites during atmospheric entry. The three primitive meteorites consist mainly of various phyllosilicates and carbonates that are subject to decomposition at low temperatures, and thus the brief heating up to 1000 °C drastically changed the mineralogy. Changes included shrinkage of interlayer spacing of saponite due to loss of molecular water at 400–600 °C, serpentine and saponite decomposition to amorphous phases at 600 and 700 °C, respectively, decomposition of Mg‐Fe carbonate at 600 °C, recrystallization of secondary olivine and Fe oxide or metal at 700–800 °C, and recrystallization of secondary low‐Ca pyroxene at 800 °C. The ambient atmospheric pressures controlled species of secondary Fe phase: taenite at pressures lower than 10^?2 torr, magnesiowüstite from 10^?3 to 10^?1 torr, and magnetite from 10^?2 to 1 torr. The abundance of secondary low‐Ca pyroxene increases in the order of Murchison, Orgueil, and Tagish Lake, and the order corresponds to saponite abundance in samples prior to heating. Mineralogy of the three unmelted micrometeorites F96CI024, kw740052, and kw740054 were investigated in detail in order to estimate heating conditions. The results showed that they might have come from different parental objects, carbonaterich Tagish Lake type, carbonate‐poor Tagish Lake or CI type, and CM type, respectively, and experienced different peak temperatures, 600, 700, and 800?900 °C, respectively, at 60–80 km altitude upon atmospheric entry.     

Surface morphological features of boulders on Asteroid 25143 Itokawa

On the sub-kilometer S-type asteroid, 25143 Itokawa, some boulders on rough terrains seem to be exposed without any powdery material covering. Based on surface morphological features, there are two major types of boulders: one has rounded edges and corners (rounded boulders), while the other has angular edges and corners (angular boulders). The surface features of the rounded boulders suggest that they have hardness heterogeneity and that some may be breccias. The angular boulders appear to be more resistant to impact disruption than the rounded ones, which may be due to a difference in lithology. The major constituents of Itokawa may be LL chondrite-like brecciated lithology (rounded boulders) along with a remarkable number of boulders suggesting that lithology is atypical among LL chondrites (angular boulders). Some of both types of boulders contain intersecting and stepped planar foliations. Comparison with meteorite ALH76009 suggests that the planar foliations may be marks where rocks were torn apart. As lithified breccias cannot be formed on present-day sub-kilometer-sized Itokawa, it is reasonable that boulders with various lithologies on Itokawa were formed on its large ancestor(s). The rubble-pile structure of Itokawa suggested by its low density (∼1.9 g/cm³) indicates that boulders on Itokawa are reassembled fragments formed by catastrophic disruption of large ancestor(s).     

Glass veins in the unequilibrated eucrite Yamato 82202

The unequilibrated eucrite Yamato 82202 (Y82202) contains a network of relatively thick (up to 1 mm in width) glass veins. The host of the meteorite represents a monomict breccia composed of volcanic rock that crystallized > 4.3 Ga ago as a lava flow on the surface of 4 Vesta. The veins formed 3.90 ± 0.04 Ga ago, probably as a result of frictional melting associated with impact, under conditions of low effective oxygen fugacity and higher sulfur fugacity. The glass contains disordered structural elements characteristic of pyroxene and feldspar, reminiscent of the eucritic target lithology. The unequilibrated pyroxenes of the volcanic host and the pristine character of the glass indicate that this meteoritic material did not experience significant thermal metamorphism after initial crystallization of the lava. Hence, it was not affected by regional metamorphism caused by burial to a significant depth or by long-term contact metamorphism associated with a thick lava flow, large intrusion, or hot layer of impact ejecta. The meteorite resided at a shallow depth (though not at the surface) on 4 Vesta or on one of the vestoids until it was ejected and traveled to Earth, probably with other HED materials that have ³⁶Ar exposure ages of ∼13 Ma. These data suggest that the surface of the asteroid 4 Vesta has significant, though probably small, proportions of glass, as well as unequilibrated volcanic rock.