Giant Megamullion in the Parece Vela Backarc Basin

We present results of high-resolution bathymetric studies of the extinct intermediate-spreading Parece Vela Basin in the northwestern Pacific, where we have identified an extremely large mullion structure, here termed a giant megamullion. We find that the giant megamullion is nearly an order of magnitude larger than the similar structures in the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge (`megamullions'). The giant megamullion has slightly elevated mantle Bouguer anomaly, and yields serpentinized peridotites and gabbros, suggesting that they are exposing oceanic crust and upper mantle. An off-axis rugged `chaotic terrain' was also identified in the Parece Vela Basin. The terrain consists of isolated and elevated blocks capped by corrugated axis-normal lineations, and associated deeps. We thus interpret it as analogues to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge megamullions. We propose that amagmatic tectonics producing the giant megamullion and the chaotic terrain occupied a significant part in crustal construction in the Parece Vela Basin evolution.     

Effects of acidified seawater on calcification,photosynthetic efficiencies and the recovery processes from strong light exposure in the coral Stylophora pistillata

The aim of this study was to investigate whether coral photosynthetic efficiencies and recovery processes are affected by CO₂‐driven ocean acidification in symbiont photosynthesis and coral calcification. We investigated the effects of five CO₂ partial pressure (pCO₂) levels in adjusted seawater ranging from 300 μatm (pre‐industrial) to 800 μatm (near‐future) and strong and weak light intensity on maximum photosynthetic efficiency and calcification of a branching coral, Stylophora pistillata, as this species has often been used in rearing experiments to investigate the effects of acidified seawater on calcification and photosynthetic algae of corals. We found that, the photosynthetic efficiencies and recovery patterns under different light conditions did not differ among pCO₂ treatments. Furthermore, calcification of S. pistillata was not affected by acidified seawater under weak or strong light conditions. Our results indicate that the photosynthetic efficiency and calcification of S. pistillata are insensitive to changes in ocean acidity.     

Oxygen isotopic fractionation in the system quartz-albite-anorthite-water

Oxygen isotopic fractionations have been determined between quartz and water, albite and water, and anorthite and water at temperatures from 300 to 825°C, and pressures from 1.5. to 25 kbar. The equilibrium quartz-feldspar fractionation curves can be approximated by the following equations: 1000ln α_Q?PI = (0.46 + 0.55β)10⁶T^?2 + (0.02 + 0.85β) between 500 and 800°C 1000ln α_Q?PI = (0.79 + 0.90β)10⁶T^?2 — (0.43 ? 0.30β) between 400 and 500°C where β is the mole-fraction of anorthite in plagioclase.Application of these isotopic thermometer calibrations to literature data on quartz and feldspar gives temperatures for some metamorphic rocks which are concordant with quartz-magnetite temperatures. Plutonic igneous rocks typically have quartz-feldspar fractionations which are substantially larger than the equilibrium values at solidus temperatures, indicating substantial retrograde exchange effects.     

Initial behavior of granite in response to injection of CO2-saturated fluid

To understand the initial reactions of granite in a CO₂-saturated hydrothermal system, experiments were conducted using a batch-type autoclave over a temperature range of 100–350 °C at up to 250 bar and numerical computations of phase equilibria based on the experimental results were carried out. The experiments showed that the dissolution of granite and the deposition of secondary minerals were encouraged by the addition of CO₂. Solution chemistry and examination of the granite’s surface texture suggested that its initial dissolution is characterized by the release of Na and Ca (from the dissolution of plagioclase) and that initial precipitation occurs by deposition of some secondary minerals on to plagioclase and/or biotite in the CO₂-saturated system. However, the effect of CO₂ was small at 350 °C owing to the low activity of H₂CO₃. According to EDX analysis and numerical phase equilibrium calculations, the secondary minerals formed might be kaolinite, muscovite, smectite and calcite. That is, the granite as a whole might have the potential to take-up dissolved CO₂. The results suggest that the alteration of granite under CO₂-saturated hydrothermal conditions has the potential to capture CO₂ when it is injected at moderate temperatures (150–250 °C) into granite-hosted rock masses.     

Reconstructing the evolution of fault zone architecture: Field‐based study of the core region of the Atera Fault,Central Japan

In order to reconstruct the architectural evolution of a fault zone with heterogeneous structures, we studied the Atera Fault in Central Japan, and described the detailed mesoscopic and microscopic features of the zone. The fault zone studied consists of a 1.2‐m wide fault core of fault breccia mixed with fragments derived from welded tuff, granite, and mafic volcanic rocks. The 1.2‐m wide fault core is bordered by a western damage zone characterized by a welded tuff fault breccia and an eastern damage zone characterized by a granite cataclasite. A secondary fault core, a 30‐cm wide granite‐derived fault gouge, cross‐cuts the granite cataclasite. Although welded tuff fault breccia and granite cataclasite are also pervasively fractured and fragmented, the fault cores are significantly affected by fragment size reduction due to intense abrasive wear and comminution. The 1.2‐m wide fault core includes fragments and a sharp dark layer composed of mafic volcanic rocks, which can be correlated with neighboring 1.6 Ma volcanic rocks. This observation places a younger constraint on the age of the fault core formation. Carbonate coating on basalt fragments in the 1.2‐m wide fault core has also been fractured indicating the repetition of intense fragmentation. Bifurcated, black and gray veins near the 1.2‐m wide fault core are likely injection veins, formed by the rapid injection of fine material within fault zones during seismic events. The granite‐derived fault gouge, characterized by hard granite fragments without intense brecciation and microfracturing, in a kaolinite‐rich clay matrix, is interpreted as the most recent slip zone within the exposed fault zone. A preview of published geological and hydrological studies of several fault zones shows that clay‐rich fault cores can exhibit much lower permeability than the adjacent damage zones represented in this present case by the welded tuff fault breccia and granite cataclasite.     

Basin-scale distribution of NH<Subscript>4</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript> and NO<Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>−</Superscript> in the Pacific Ocean

We used more than 25,000 nutrient samples to elucidate for the first time basin-scale distributions and seasonal changes of surface ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) and nitrite (NO₂ ^?) concentrations in the Pacific Ocean. The highest NH₄ ⁺, NO₂ ^?, and nitrate (NO₃ ^?) concentrations were observed north of 40°N, in the coastal upwelling region off the coast of Mexico, and in the Tasman Sea. NH₄ ⁺ concentrations were elevated during May–October in the western subarctic North Pacific, May–December in the eastern subarctic North Pacific, and June–September in the subtropical South Pacific. NO₂ ^? concentrations were highest in winter in both hemispheres. The seasonal cycle of NH₄ ⁺ was synchronous with NO₂ ^?, NO₃ ^?, and satellite chlorophyll a concentrations in the western subtropical South Pacific, whereas it was synchronous with chlorophyll-a but out of phase with NO₂ ^? and NO₃ ^? in the subarctic regions.     

Development of a Multi-Layer Urban Canopy Model for the Analysis of Energy Consumption in a Big City: Structure of the Urban Canopy Model and its Basic Performance

A multilayer one-dimensional canopy model was developed to analyze the relationship between urban warming and the increase in energy consumption in a big city. The canopy model, which consists of one-dimensional diffusion equations with a drag force, has three major parameters: building width, distance between buildings, and vertical floor density distribution, which is the distribution of a ratio of the number of the buildings that are taller than some level to all the buildings in the area under consideration. In addition, a simplified radiative process in the canopy is introduced. Both the drag force of the buildings and the radiative process depend on the floor density distribution. The thermal characteristics of an urban canopy including the effects of anthropogenic heat are very complicated. Therefore, the focus of this research is mainly on the basic performance of an urban canopy without anthropogenic heat. First, the basic thermal characteristics of the urban canopy alone were investigated. The canopy model was then connected with a three-dimensional mesoscale meteorological model, and on-line calculations were performed for 10 and 11 August, 2002 in Tokyo, Japan. The temperature near the ground surface at the bottom of the canopy was considerably improved by the calculation with the canopy model. However, a small difference remained between the calculation and the observation for minimum temperature. Deceleration of the wind was well reproduced for the velocity at the top of the building by the calculation with the canopy model, in which the floor density distribution was considered.     

Implications for the low latitude cloud formations from solar activity and the quasi-biennial oscillation

We examined the effect of the 11-year solar cycle and quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) on the ～27-day solar rotational period detected in tropical convective cloud activity. We analyzed the data of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) for AD1979–2004, dividing into four different cases by the combination of high and low solar activities in terms of the 11-year variation, and easterly and westerly stratospheric winds associated with QBO. As a result, ～27-day variation has been most significantly detected in high solar activity period around the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool. Based on correlation analysis, we find that solar rotation signal can explain 10–20% of OLR variability around the tropical warm pool region during the high solar activity period. The spatial distribution has been, however, apparently different according to the phases of QBO. It is suggested that the 11-year solar cycle and stratospheric QBO have a possibility to cause large-scale oceanic dipole phenomena.     

Observed and simulated sensitivities of summertime urban surface air temperatures to anthropogenic heat in downtown areas of two Japanese Major Cities,Tokyo and Osaka

In this study, the sensitivities of surface air temperatures to anthropogenic heat (AH) were investigated in downtowns of the two Japanese major cities, Tokyo and Osaka. First, meteorological measurements were made with the simultaneous monitoring of electricity demand in a contrastive couple of a downtown commercial area (C-area) and a residential area (R-area) within each city in summer 2007. From the measurements, the areal-mean surface air temperatures were obtained as \( {\overline{T}}_{\mathrm{C}} \) and \( {\overline{T}}_{\mathrm{R}} \) for each of the C-area and R-area, respectively. Using the actual electricity demand and the estimated motor fuels consumption, their areal total was evaluated as the energy-consumption-basis AH. The estimated C-areas' AH indicated greater values up to 220 W/m² on weekdays and remarkable decrease about by half on weekends, whereas that in the R-areas showed less values of 10–20 W/m² stably. Then, \( {\overline{T}}_{\mathrm{C}}-{\overline{T}}_{\mathrm{R}} \) on calm and fine days were found to be systematically decreased from weekdays to weekends in both cities roughly indicating a proportional relationship with the reductions in the C-areas' AH on weekends. The result suggested a common afternoon sensitivity for both C-areas of around 1.0°C/100 W/m², which indicated an intensity of the AH impact on surface air temperature there. Next, to simulate the observed AH impact, the authors' CM-BEM (a multilayer urban canopy model coupled with a building energy model) was newly implemented in the mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting (WMF) model. This new system, WRF-CM-BEM, was applied to Tokyo and almost reasonably validated from the aspects of the reproducibility of urban surface air temperature and electricity demand in the observation areas. The simulations also suggested that WRF-CM-BEM underestimated the observed air temperature sensitivity to AH in the Tokyo C-area roughly by half but still in the same order of magnitude.