Intra-oceanic island arc origin for Iratsu eclogites of the Sanbagawa belt,central Shikoku,southwest Japan

New geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic data for the Iratsu eclogite and surrounding metamorphic rocks of the Sanbagawa belt, Japan, show that, while the protoliths of the metamorphic rocks formed in a variety of tectonic settings, the Iratsu body represents a deeply subducted and accreted island arc. The igneous protoliths of eclogites and garnet amphibolites were probably generated from a mantle source that had components of both a depleted mantle modified by slab-released fluid (as seen in a negative Nb anomaly) and an enriched mantle, similar to that of ocean island basalts (OIB). Fractional crystallization modeling indicates that the protoliths of some garnet clinopyroxenites from the Iratsu body are cumulates from a basaltic magma that crystallized under high O₂ and H₂O fugacities in the middle to lower crust. The source characteristics and crystallization conditions suggest that the protoliths of the Iratsu rocks formed in an oceanic island arc. Quartz eclogites from the marginal zone of the Iratsu body have geochemical signatures similar to turbidites from the Izu–Bonin island arc (as seen in a negative Nb anomaly and a concave REE pattern). The protoliths might be volcaniclastic turbidites that formed in a setting proximal to the oceanic island arc. Geochemical and isotopic signatures of the surrounding mafic schists are similar to normal (N-) and enriched (E-) mid-ocean-ridge basalt (MORB), and distinct from the rocks from the Iratsu body. The protoliths of the mafic schists likely formed in a plume-influenced mid-ocean ridge or back-arc basin. Pelitic schists from the surrounding rocks and pelitic gneisses from the marginal zone of the Iratsu body have evolved, continental geochemical signatures (as seen in a negative ε_Nd(t) value (~?5)), consistent with their origin as continent-derived trench-fill turbidites.     

Behaviour of subaqueous tunnels during earthquakes

Three-dimensional models of a subaqueous tunnel were built on a shaking table and vibrated for the purpose of investigating the dynamic behaviour of the tunnel. The material of the soft surface layer was gelatin gel and that of the tunnel was silicon rubber. In addition, earthquake observations at the site of the real subaqueous tunnel have been carried out using accelerometers and strain gauges set on the walls of the tunnel. At the site, micro-tremors were also measured. In these studies, it was noted that non-uniform displacements of the ground along the tunnel axis were caused by variations of the dynamic behaviour of the ground, and that the tunnel deforms correspondingly to the varying deformations of the ground. From these experimental results, a mathematical model of the subaqueous tunnel was formulated for anti-seismic design studies.     

Inclusion-trail geometry of albite porphyroblasts in a fold structure in the Sambagawa Belt, central Shikoku, Japan

The orientation of straight inclusion trails within albite porphyroblasts from basic schists has been measured around a north-closure fold, in the Besshi district of the Sambagawa Belt, central Shikoku, Japan. The porphyroblasts are aligned with their longest dimension parallel to both the subhorizontal, east–west-directed mineral lineation and to the fold axis. There is a systematic variation in inclusion-trail geometry between the upper (northern) and lower (southern) fold limbs. The shear sense deduced from quartz c-axis fabrics is top-to-the-west in the upper limb and top-to-the-east in the lower limb. Based on observed variations in porphyroblast inclusion trails, the structural history can be modelled as follows: (i) shear flow caused east–west stretching and folding of the metamorphic zonation; (ii) east–west ductile shear resulted in opposing senses of shear in the upper and lower limbs as the eclogite body situated in the core of the fold was extruded to the east.     

Relations between load and settlement of circular foundations on or in a dense sand expressed by a function of diameter and depth

When load acts on a circular foundation on or in a dense sand, average contact pressure on the lower surface of the foundation is q and settlement of the foundation is s. Diameter and depth of the foundation are B and D_f. When the sand, B and D_f are given, we can know the relation between q and s/B by, e.g. a loading test, i.e. the relation is determined by B and D_f for the sand. Using the results of numerical analyses, we express a relation between q and s/B up to s=0.1B by functions of a single variable which is a linear combination of B and D_f. Consequently when two foundations have different B's and different D_f's but have the same value of the variable, the relations are the same. Then we examine whether the functions can express the results of eleven tests of model foundations of wide range of B and/or D_f. In all the tests, the relations are expressed with sufficient accuracy. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

SHRIMP U–Pb zircon dating of quartz-bearing eclogite from the Sanbagawa Belt, south-west Japan: implications for metamorphic evolution of subducted protolith

In order to decipher the origin of eclogite in the high‐P/T Sanbagawa metamorphic belt, SHRIMP U–Pb ages of zircons from quartz‐bearing eclogite and associated quartz‐rich rock (metasandstone) were determined. One zircon core of the quartz‐rich rock yields an extremely old provenance age of 1899 ± 79 Ma, suggesting that the core is of detrital origin. Eight other core ages are in the 148–134 Ma range, and are older than the estimated age for trench sedimentation as indicated by the youngest radiolarian fossil age of 139–135 Ma from the Sanbagawa schists. Ages of metamorphic zircon rims (132–112 Ma) from the quartz‐rich rock are consistent with metamorphic zircon ages from the quartz‐bearing eclogite, indicating that eclogite facies metamorphism peaked at 120–110 Ma. These new data are consistent with both the Iratsu eclogite body and surrounding highest‐grade Sanbagawa schists undergoing coeval subduction‐zone metamorphism, and subsequent re‐equilibration under epidote amphibolite facies conditions during exhumation.     

Crustal partial melting on Vesta: Evidence from highly metamorphosed eucrites

We have performed a mineralogical and geochemical study of eight metamorphosed basaltic eucrites. These are classified into granulitic eucrites and type 4–7 eucrites on the basis of their textures and pyroxene mineralogy, and display mineralogical evidence for high temperature metamorphism, including partial melting. In particular, rare earth element (REE) patterns of a number of the eucrites studied show varying degrees of light REE depletion due to partial melting, with subsequent melt extraction. A simple correlation between metamorphic grade, as deduced from pyroxene mineralogy, and the degree of light REE depletion was not detected. This can be explained by the fact that homogenization, exsolution and inversion of pigeonite would have required prolonged heating at moderate temperatures (800–1000 °C), whereas partial melting would have taken place over a short time interval where temperatures exceeded that of the solidus. The eucrites studied therefore record a two stage thermal regime consisting of short, high temperature reheating events superimposed on long duration global crustal metamorphism. The short reheating events may have been caused by impact events and/or intrusions of hot magmas. The results of this study demonstrate that the thermal history of eucritic crust was more complex than can be explained by a simple burial model alone. In particular, the origin of Stannern trend eucrites requires contamination of Main-Group magmas by partial melts extracted from residual eucrites.     

Triaxial stress state deep in orogenic belts: an example from Turkey

A rare metachert pebble containing amphibole grains with microboudin structures in a wide range of orientations provides an opportunity to perform stress analysis in two orthogonal orientations on the foliation surface. The sample was analysed by the microboudin method to infer the triaxial stress state during microboudinage. Stress parameters proportional to the far-field differential stress were determined for sodic amphibole grains in the two orientations. The ratio of the stresses in the two orthogonal orientations (σ₁−σ₂)/(σ₁−σ₃) was calculated to be 0.64, indicating that σ₂ lies closer to the midpoint between σ₁ and σ₃ than to σ₃.     

Nutrients,light and phytoplankton production in the shallow,tropical coastal waters of Bandon Bay,Southern Thailand

Phytoplankton primary production and its regulation by light and nutrient availability were investigated in the shallow, tropical coastal waters of Bandon Bay, Southern Thailand. The bay was meso‐eutrophicated and highly turbid, receiving river water discharge. Water column stratification was consistently weak during both rainy and dry seasons. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) was higher off the river mouth than in the other regions, suggesting that river water discharge was a main source of DIN. By contrast, dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) showed a significant negative correlation with total water depth, implying that regeneration around the sea floor was an important source of DIP. Surface DIN and DIP showed positive correlations with surface primary production (PP) and water column primary productivity (ΣPP*), respectively. The combined correlation and model analyses indicate that total water depth had an ambivalent influence on water column primary production (ΣPP); shallower water depth induced more active regeneration of nutrients, but it also caused higher turbidity and lower light availability as a result of enhanced resuspension of sediments. Furthermore, there was a vertical constraint for phytoplankton during the rainy season: total water depth tended to be shallower than euphotic zone depth. In conclusion, light limitation and vertical constraint owing to shallow water depth appear to be more important than nutrient limitation for water column primary production in Bandon Bay.