Organohalogen contaminants in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from Japan: Present contamination status, body distribution and temporal trends (1978-2003)

Organohalogen contaminants including PCBs, DDTs, CHLs, HCHs, HCB, PBDEs and HBCDs were determined in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) found stranded at Gogo-shima (n = 6, 2003) and collected from Taiji (n = 15, 1978-1992) in Japan. All target compounds were significantly detected in all the specimens, indicating ubiquitous contamination of oceanic cetaceans in northwest Pacific Ocean. Examination of body distribution of organohalogens in the six specimens from Gogo-shima showed no significant difference in concentrations among the analyzed tissues, except for brain, which had lower levels possibly due to the existence of blood-brain barrier. For evaluating temporal trends, archived blubber samples of adult male stripped dolphins collected in 1978, 1979, 1986 and 1992 were analyzed. Concentrations of PCBs, DDTs and HCHs did not change significantly during 1978-2003. In contrast, remarkable increasing trends of PBDEs and HBCDs were observed, suggesting growing consumption in Japan and surrounding countries in recent years.     

Rapid tectonics of the Late Miocene Boso accretionary prism related to the Izu–Bonin arc collision

Abstract   The structure, paleomagnetism and biostratigraphy of the Nishizaki and Kagamigaura formations on the southern Boso Peninsula, central Japan, were investigated to determine the chronographic constraints on the accretion, post-Late Miocene rotation and regional tectonics in the Izu–Bonin island arc collision zone. The geological structures on the southern Boso Peninsula are characterized by an east–west trending and south-verging fold and thrust belt that curves toward the northwest–southeast in the northwest extent of the Nishizaki Formation. Two stages of tectonic rotation were revealed by paleomagnetic and structural studies. The first is believed to have occurred after the accretion of the Nishizaki Formation and before the deposition of the Kagamigaura Formation, while the second is confidently correlated with the 1 Ma Izu block collision. The northwest extent of the Nishizaki Formation was rotated clockwise by approximately 65–80°, whereas the rotation was only 25–30° in the east, and 11–13° in the overlying Kagamigaura Formation. Radiolarian biostratigraphy suggests a depositional age of 9.9–6.8 Ma (Upper Miocene period) for the Nishizaki Formation and 4.19-3.75 Ma (Pliocene period) for the lower Kagamigaura Formation. These results indicate that the age of accretion and first-stage rotation of the Nishizaki Formation can be constrained to the interval of 6.80–3.75 Ma. This structure most likely represents the northward bending caused by collisions of the Tanzawa and Izu blocks with the Honshu island arc, and suggests rapid processes of accretion, collision, uplift and the formation of new sedimentary basins within a relatively short period of time (2.61–3.05 my).     

The rate of fluvial incision during the Late Quaternary period in the Abukuma Mountains, northeast Japan, deduced from tephrochronology

Abstract River incision into bedrock results in the decrease of burial depths, which can be of critical importance, for example, in the safe long‐term storage of high‐level radioactive waste. For the long‐term prediction of river erosion, it is essential to know the rate of incision during the Late Quaternary period. In the Abukuma Mountains on the forearc side of northeast Japan, a low‐relief peneplain that was uplifted in the Pliocene period is widely developed. Degradational fluvial terraces that are discontinuously distributed along draining rivers are scattered in the study area. The fluvial sediments were mainly transported from the summit regions as debris flows or hyperconcentrated flows. The terrace deposits are capped by a series of eolian veneers containing key tephra beds. From the oldest to the youngest, these tephra beds are the 150–125 ka Iizuna–Kamitaru tephra, the 135–125 ka Hiuchigatake–Tagashira tephra, the 120 ka Adatara–Dake tephra, the 70–80 ka Bandai–Hayama‐2 tephra, the 45 ka Numazawa–Mizunuma tephra and the 42 ka Bandai–Hayama‐1 tephra. Using tephrochronological data, the terraces are divided into three groups: higher, middle and lower. The ages of formation of the higher, middle and lower terraces are estimated to be within marine isotope stage (MIS) 6, MIS 5.4–5.2 and MIS 3 to MIS 2, respectively. The incision rate, calculated from the relative height between the terrace surface and present‐day valley floor fill, is 1.5–0.8 m/10 000 years in the elevations from 350 to 700 m. The calculated rate does not show significant differences between the higher, middle and lower terraces. All the relative heights decrease with increasing elevation, because the erosional rates of streams in the upper reaches are lower than those in downstream reaches where the discharge rates are higher. This value can be regarded as an estimate of the rate of incision in granitic mountains where there is no volcanic or distinct tectonic activity.     

The role of consumption and globalization in a cultural industry: The case of flamenco

The rise of cultural industries is in part facilitated by the rise of leisure and entertainment in the advanced industrialized economies. This article explores one such example, taking ‘ethnic’ art, flamenco, and examining the role of consumption in shaping flamenco, both as an art form and as an industry. The global reach of the flamenco industry is assessed by focusing on two major markets, Japan and the United States. It suggests the presence of a geographic paradox in contemporary cultural industries, which, on the one hand, points to the need to retain their place-based identity, and on the other hand, indicates the need for regional cultures to establish links to export markets for their survival. It also shows that contemporary cultural change is not a unilateral process of the global invading the local. Rather, it is a process of consumers interpreting, appropriating, and adopting a cultural commodity in their own terms.     

Estimation of lead sources in a Japanese cedar ecosystem using stable isotope analysis

Anthropogenic Pb affects the environment worldwide. To understand its effect on forest ecosystem, Pb isotope ratios were determined in precipitation, various components of vegetation, the forest floor, soil and parent material in a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) forest stand. The average ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratio in bulk precipitation was 1.14 ± 0.01 (mean ± SD), whereas that in the subsoil (20–130 cm) was 1.18 ± 0.01. Intermediate ratios ranging from 1.15 to 1.16 were observed in the vegetation, the forest floor, and the surface soil (0–10 cm). Using the ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios, the contribution of anthropogenic sources to Pb accumulated in the forest were estimated by the simple binary mixing model. Sixty-two percent of the Pb in the forest floor, 71% in the vegetation, and 55% in the surface soil (0–10 cm) originated from anthropogenic sources, but only 16% in the sub-surface soil (10–20 cm) was anthropogenic. These results suggest that internal Pb cycling occurs mainly between surface soil and vegetation in a Japanese cedar ecosystem, and that anthropogenic Pb strongly influences Pb cycling. Although the Japanese cedar ecosystem has a shallow forest floor, very little atmospherically derived Pb migrated downward over 10 cm in depth.     

Estimation or simulation? That is the question

The issue of smoothing in kriging has been addressed either by estimation or simulation. The solution via estimation calls for postprocessing kriging estimates in order to correct the smoothing effect. Stochastic simulation provides equiprobable images presenting no smoothing and reproducing the covariance model. Consequently, these images reproduce both the sample histogram and the sample semivariogram. However, there is still a problem, which is the lack of local accuracy of simulated images. In this paper, a postprocessing algorithm for correcting the smoothing effect of ordinary kriging estimates is compared with sequential Gaussian simulation realizations. Based on samples drawn from exhaustive data sets, the postprocessing algorithm is shown to be superior to any individual simulation realization yet, at the expense of providing one deterministic estimate of the random function.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112001065

It has been thought that granitic crust,having been formed on the surface,must have survived through the Earth’s evolution because of its buoyancy.At subduction zones continental crust is predominantly created by arc magmatism and is returned to the mantle via sediment subduction,subduction erosion, and continental subduction.Granitic rocks,the major constituent of the continental crust,are lighter than the mantle at depths shallower than 270 km,but we show here,based on first principles calculations, that beneath 270 km they have negative buoyancy compared to the surrounding material in the upper mantle and transition zone,and thus can be subducted in the depth range of 270-660 km.This suggests that there can be two reservoirs of granitic material in the Earth,one on the surface and the other at the base of the mantle transition zone(MTZ).The accumulated volume of subducted granitic material at the base of the MTZ might amount to about six times the present volume of the continental crust.Our calculations also show that the seismic velocities of granitic material in the depth range from 270 to 660 km are faster than those of the surrounding mantle.This could explain the anomalous seismic-wave velocities observed around 660 km depth.The observed seismic scatterers and reported splitting of the 660 km discontinuity could be due to jadeite dissociation,chemical discontinuities between granitic material and the surrounding mantle,or a combination thereof.     

Numerical analysis of soilbags under compression and cyclic shear

This paper presents a finite element model for analysing the behaviour of granular material wrapped with polyethylene bags under vertical compression and cyclic shearing. The simple Mohr–Coulomb model is used to represent the soil behaviour. The polyethylene bag is represented by a linear-elastic–perfect-plastic model. The soil-bag interface is modelled with contact constraints. The main purpose of the numerical analysis is to validate the anticipated performance of soilbags under various loading conditions and hence the effectiveness of soilbags as a method of ground improvement.     

浙江舟山群岛邻近海域微,小型浮游植物与赤潮生物研究

报道了舟山群岛邻近海域未发生赤潮与发生赤潮时的微、小型浮游植物组成、数量分布、赤潮生物种类与环境的关系。舟山群岛邻近海域共有浮游植物 1 69种 ,其中赤潮生物为 59种。赤潮发生时比未发生赤潮时水域的浮游植物密度高 1 0～ 1 0 0个 /dm3,浮游植物密度与硅酸盐、硝酸盐浓度成负相关 ,与溶解氧和透明度成正相关。平均浮游植物密度 :春季表层水样为4.5× 1 0 4 个 /dm3,底层水样为 5.2× 1 0 3个 /dm3,网样为 2 .7× 1 0 5个 /m3;秋季网样为 3.7× 1 0 6个 /m3。表层水样的赤潮生物优势种 :春季为微型的三鳍原甲藻 ,平均细胞密度为 3.3× 1 0 5个/dm3,占总细胞密度的 77.2 % ;秋季为微型的中肋骨条藻 ,平均密度为 2 .7× 1 0 3个 /dm3,占总细胞密度的 72 .2 %。三鳍原甲藻、海洋原甲藻、夜光藻等为浙江舟山群岛邻近海域常见的有害赤潮生物。