Crustal structure in the Mizuho Plateau, East Antarctica, by a two-dimensional ray approximation

Studies on the crustal and upper-mantle structure in Antarctica have been one of the major contributions to Antarctic research since the International Geophysical Year of 1957–1958. Many refraction surveys with small charge size have been conducted in Antarctica, but long-range experiments were also made in 5 regions on the margin of the Antarctic continent.In 1979–1981, the scientific program of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition was focused on the earth sciences, and in particular, an explosion seismic experiment along a long survey line was the major item during these years. An experiment along a 300 km-long line with three shots and 27 observation stations was successfully made in the northern Mizuho Plateau, East Antarctica.From the analysis of travel times and the amplitude study of synthetic seismograms, the crustal structure of the northern Mizuho Plateau was determined. The depths of the Conrad and the Moho discontinuties were determined as 31 km and 42 km, respectively. The P-wave velocity and depth relation was determined as 6.0 km/s on the surface of the bedrock, 6.3 km/s at a depth of 2 km, 6.8 km/s at the Conrad and 7.9 km/s at the Moho. The velocity in the crust increases gradually. The crustal structure obtained is representative of East Antarctica.     

Deep-sea submersible survey in the Suruga, Sagami and Japan Trenches: preliminary results of the 1985 Kaiko cruise, Leg 2

Nine submersible dives were made in three trenches off central Japan, between 2990 and 5900 m of water depth. Our observations confirm the interpretation that Daiichi-Kashima Seamount is a Cretaceous guyot formed on the Pacific plate that has traveled into the Japan Trench. We also confirmed the previous interpretation of a large normal fault that splits the seamount in two halves, the lower one being now subducting beneath the Japan margin. Compressional deformation was identified within the lower part of the inner slope in front of the seamount. The pattern of deformation that affects Quaternary sediments is in agreement with the present kinematics of the convergence between the Pacific plate and Japan. Deep-water (5700 m) clam colonies are associated with advection of fluids, driven by the subduction-related overpressures. In the northern slope of the Boso Canyon, along the Sagami Trough system (Philippine Sea plate-Japan boundary), the deformation affecting a thick upper Miocene to lower Pliocene sequence indicates two directions of shortening: a N175°E direction which is consistent with the present relative motion along the Sagami Trough (N285–N300°E) and a N30°E direction which could be related to a more northerly direction of convergence that occured during the early Quaternary and earlier.     

Petrology and shock history of the first depleted-like poikilitic shergottite Asuka 12325

Asuka (A) 12325 is the first poikilitic shergottite having a depleted pattern in light rare earth elements (REE). Compared with known poikilitic shergottites, A 12325 has smaller but more abundant pyroxene oikocrysts with remarkable Fe-rich pigeonite rims, indicating that A 12325 cooled relatively faster at a shallower part of the crust. The redox condition (logfO₂ = IW + 0.6-IW + 1.7) and Fe-rich chemical compositions of each mineral in A 12325 are close to enriched shergottites. The intermediate shergottites could not form by a simple mixing between parent magmas of A 12325 and enriched shergottites. Although A 12325 contains various high-pressure minerals such as majorite and ringwoodite, plagioclase is only partly maskelynitized. Therefore, the maximum shock pressure may be within 17–22 GPa. Thermal conduction and ringwoodite growth calculation around a shock vein revealed that the shock dwell time of A 12325 is at least 40 ms. The weaker shock pressure and longer shock dwell time in A 12325 may be attained by an impact event similar to those of nakhlites and Northwest Africa (NWA) 8159. Such a weak shock ejection event may be as common on Mars as a severe shock event recorded in shergottites. Alteration of sulfide observed in A 12325 may imply the presence of magmatic fluid in its reservoir on Mars. A 12325 expands a chemical variety of Martian rocks and has a unique shock history among poikilitic shergottites while A 12325 also implies that poikilitic shergottites are common rocks on Mars regardless of their sources.     

Space weathered rims found on the surfaces of the Itokawa dust particles

On the basis of observations using Cs‐corrected STEM, we identified three types of surface modification probably formed by space weathering on the surfaces of Itokawa particles. They are (1) redeposition rims (2–3 nm), (2) composite rims (30–60 nm), and (3) composite vesicular rims (60–80 nm). These rims are characterized by a combination of three zones. Zone I occupies the outermost part of the surface modification, which contains elements that are not included in the unchanged substrate minerals, suggesting that this zone is composed of sputter deposits and/or impact vapor deposits originating from the surrounding minerals. Redeposition rims are composed only of Zone I and directly attaches to the unchanged minerals (Zone III). Zone I of composite and composite vesicular rims often contains nanophase (Fe,Mg)S. The composite rims and the composite vesicular rims have a two‐layered structure: a combination of Zone I and Zone II, below which Zone III exists. Zone II is the partially amorphized zone. Zone II of ferromagnesian silicates contains abundant nanophase Fe. Radiation‐induced segregation and in situ reduction are the most plausible mechanisms to form nanophase Fe in Zone II. Their lattice fringes indicate that they contain metallic iron, which probably causes the reddening of the reflectance spectra of Itokawa. Zone II of the composite vesicular rims contains vesicles. The vesicles in Zone II were probably formed by segregation of solar wind He implanted in this zone. The textures strongly suggest that solar wind irradiation damage and implantation are the major causes of surface modification and space weathering on Itokawa.     

Mineral chemistry of MUSES‐C Regio inferred from analysis of dust particles collected from the first‐ and second‐touchdown sites on asteroid Itokawa

The mineralogy and mineral chemistry of Itokawa dust particles captured during the first and second touchdowns on the MUSES‐C Regio were characterized by synchrotron‐radiation X‐ray diffraction and field‐emission electron microprobe analysis. Olivine and low‐ and high‐Ca pyroxene, plagioclase, and merrillite compositions of the first‐touchdown particles are similar to those of the second‐touchdown particles. The two touchdown sites are separated by approximately 100 meters and therefore the similarity suggests that MUSES‐C Regio is covered with dust particles of uniform mineral chemistry of LL chondrites. Quantitative compositional properties of 48 dust particles, including both first‐ and second‐touchdown samples, indicate that dust particles of MUSES‐C Regio have experienced prolonged thermal metamorphism, but they are not fully equilibrated in terms of chemical composition. This suggests that MUSES‐C particles were heated in a single asteroid at different temperatures. During slow cooling from a peak temperature of approximately 800 °C, chemical compositions of plagioclase and K‐feldspar seem to have been modified: Ab and Or contents changed during cooling, but An did not. This compositional modification is reproduced by a numerical simulation that modeled the cooling process of a 50 km sized Itokawa parent asteroid. After cooling, some particles have been heavily impacted and heated, which resulted in heterogeneous distributions of Na and K within plagioclase crystals. Impact‐induced chemical modification of plagioclase was verified by a comparison to a shock vein in the Kilabo LL6 ordinary chondrite where Na‐K distributions of plagioclase have been disturbed.     

Anharmonic effect on the equation of state (EoS) for NaCl

We find clear intrinsic anharmonicity in the NaCl-B1 phase by examining the equation of state (EoS) based on previous ultrasonic velocity data for pressures up to 0.8 GPa and temperatures up to 800 K. The experimental EoS for this phase shows that its specific heat at constant volume (C _V ) is significantly smaller than that based on a harmonic model. Also, the sign of $\left( {{{\partial C_{V} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\partial C_{V} } {\partial P}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\partial P}}} \right)_{T} ,$ which is normally negative in the quasi-harmonic approximation, is unexpectedly positive. The thermodynamic Grüneisen parameter (γ), which has frequently been assumed to be a single-variable function of molar volume, shows not only volume dependence but also negative temperature dependence. To understand these features of C _V and γ, we introduce a thermodynamic model including positive quartic anharmonicity. To make an anharmonic model advancing the ordinarily quasi-harmonic approximation model, we introduce two parameters: anharmonic characteristic temperature (θ _a ) and its volume derivative. In the anharmonic model, the value of C _V is calculated along an isochore using classical statistical mechanics and a harmonic quantum correction. At high temperatures, the decrease in C _V from the Dulong-Petit limit is related to the value of T/θ _a . For infinitely large θ _a , the system is approximately quasi-harmonic. The temperature dependence of γ is related to C _V by the thermodynamic identity $\left( {{{\partial C_{V} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\partial C_{V} } {\partial \ln V}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\partial \ln V}}} \right)_{T} = C_{V} \left( {{{\partial \gamma } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\partial \gamma } {\partial \ln T}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\partial \ln T}}} \right)_{V} + \gamma \left( {{{\partial C_{V} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\partial C_{V} } {\partial \ln T}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\partial \ln T}}} \right)_{V}.$ Even though our modification of the quasi-harmonic approximation is simple, our anharmonic model succeeds in reproducing the experimental γ and C _V simultaneously for the NaCl-B1 phase.     

Magnetic detection of heated soils at paleolithic sites in Japan

We present a methodological approach to detect heated soil on ancient sites, using magnetic measurements. The method is based on changes in magnetic signals of soil by heating. The following three types of soil were used for testing the method: silty soil (SS), weathered volcanic ash (WVA, = loam) and fairly fresh volcanic ash (VA) called Odori tephra. On heating above 250–600°C, the magnetic susceptibility and remanent magnetization intensity increased for the SS and WVA samples, reflecting chemical alteration of magnetic minerals (from goethites to magnetites through hematites). The VA sample showed no susceptibility change suggesting the absence of goethites within it. On heating below 250°C, only the intensities of all the samples increased. This is possibly due to acquisition of thermal remanent magnetization. The largest change of the magnetic signals was identified for the SS sample and the smallest one was seen for the VA sample. Therefore, the in situ susceptibility measurement, which is the nondestructive and indirect method, seems to be effective to detect heated soil for sites of aqueous deposits as the SS. On the other hand, for sites of aeolian deposits as the WVA (loam) and VA, the intensity measurement of collected soils seems to be the most reliable method to detect evidence of heating. The degree of the magnetic stability (coercivity) against progressive alternating-field demagnetization was also an important parameter, indicating whether the investigated soils were heated or unheated. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.