Island-enhanced cooling mechanism in typhoon events revealed by field observations and numerical simulations for a coral reef area,Sekisei Lagoon,Japan

While widely known for their destructive power, typhoon events can also bring benefit to coral reef ecosystems through typhoon-induced cooling which can mitigate against thermally stressful conditions causing coral bleaching. Sensor deployments in Sekisei Lagoon, Japan’s largest coral reef area, during the summer months of 2013, 2014, and 2015 were able to capture local hydrodynamic features of numerous typhoon passages. In particular, typhoons 2015-13 and 2015-15 featured steep drops in near-bottom temperature of 5 °C or more in the north and south sides of Sekisei Lagoon, respectively, indicating local cooling patterns which appeared to depend on the track and intensity of the passing typhoon. This was further investigated using Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) numerical simulations conducted for the summer of 2015. The modeling results showed a cooling trend to the north of the Yaeyama Islands during the passage of typhoon 2015-13, and a cooling trend that moved clockwise from north to south of the islands during the passage of typhoon 2015-15. These local cooling events may have been initiated by the Yaeyama Islands acting as an obstacle to a strong typhoon-generated flow which was modulated and led to prominent cooling of waters on the leeward sides. These lower temperature waters from offshore may then be transported to the shallower inner parts of the lagoon area, which may partly be due to density-driven currents generated by the offshore-inner area temperature difference.     

Monitoring near-surface soil freeze–thaw cycles in northern China and Mongolia from 1998 to 2007

Remote sensing based near-surface soil freeze–thaw cycles detection in middle latitude especially where near-surface changing seriously still rare. In this research, soil temperature and 7-day maximum/minimum combined passive microwave brightness temperature were employed to apply a soil freeze–thaw algorithm in northern China and Mongolia. We proposed a random sampling technique to determine brightness temperature thresholds for 37 GHz vertically polarized radiation: 258.2 and 260.1 K for the morning and evening satellite passes, respectively, and determined the onset, offset, and duration of the phases of the near-surface soil freeze–thaw cycle. During the 10 years from 1998 to 2007, the onset and offset of soil frozen/thawed in spring and autumn progressed from south to north and northwest, and from low elevation to high elevation. The durations of the freeze–thaw transitions in spring, autumn and whole year were longest in the Loess Plateau, Ordos Plateau, and Songnen Plain, where they were 1–3 weeks longer than in other regions. The total annual durations of soil frozen/thawed increased/decreased progressively from the south to both the northwest and northeast. Over the 10 years, changes to both the timing and duration of phases of the freeze–thaw cycle were greater in spring than in autumn. Most of the changes were less than 2 weeks, but there were changes of up to 3–4 weeks on the Northeast Plain, Loess Plateau, and at Mt. Yinshan. Our research has contributed to understanding near-surface earth systems and suggests that changes in earth surface may cause extreme environmental events such as the dust emission in semi-arid and arid regions of East Asia.     

Predicting gully densities at sub-continental scales: a case study for the Horn of Africa

Despite its environmental and scientific significance, predicting gully erosion remains problematic. This is especially so in strongly contrasting and degraded regions such as the Horn of Africa. Machine learning algorithms such as random forests (RF) offer great potential to deal with the complex, often non-linear, nature of factors controlling gully erosion. Nonetheless, their applicability at regional to continental scales remains largely untested. Moreover, such algorithms require large amounts of observations for model training and testing. Collecting such data remains an important bottleneck. Here we help to address these gaps by developing and testing a methodology to simulate gully densities across Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti (total area: 1.2 million km²). We propose a methodology to quickly assess the gully head density (GHD) for representative 1 km² study sites by visually scoring the presence of gullies in Google Earth and then converting these scores to realistic estimates of GHD. Based on this approach, we compiled GHD observations for 1,700 sites. We used these data to train sets of RF regression models that simulate GHD at a 1 km² resolution, based on topographic/geomorphic, land cover, soil and rainfall conditions. Our approach also accounts for uncertainties in GHD observations. Independent validations showed generally acceptable simulations of regional GHD patterns. We further show that: (i) model performance strongly depends on the amount of training data used, (ii) large prediction errors mainly occur in areas where also the predicted uncertainty is large and (iii) collecting additional training data for these areas results in more drastic model performance improvements. Analyses of the feature importance of predictor variables further showed that patterns of GHD across the Horn of Africa strongly depend on NDVI and annual rainfall, but also on normalized steepness index (k_sn) and distance to rivers. Overall, our work opens promising perspectives to assess gully densities at continental scales. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of Vector Winds Observed by NSCAT in the Seas around Japan

In order to validate wind vectors derived from the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT), two NSCAT wind products of different spatial resolutions are compared with observations by buoys and research vessels in the seas around Japan. In general, the NSCAT winds agree well with the wind data from the buoys and vessels. It is shown that the root-mean-square (rms) difference between NSCAT-derived wind speeds and the buoy observations is 1.7 ms^–1, which satisfies the mission requirement of accuracy, 2 ms^–1. However, the rms difference of wind directions is slightly larger than the mission requirement, 20°. This result does not agree with those of previous studies on validation of the NSCAT-derived wind vectors using buoy observations, and is considered to be due to differences in the buoy observation systems. It is also shown that there are no significant systematic trends of the NSCAT wind speed and direction depending on the wind speed and incidence angle. Comparison with ship winds shows that the NSCAT wind speeds are lower than those observed by the research vessels by about 0.7 ms^–1 and this bias is twice as large for data observed by moving ships than by stationary ships. This result suggests that the ship winds may be influenced by errors caused by ship's motion, such as pitching and rolling.     

The nature of the CM parent asteroid regolith based on cosmic ray exposure ages

Cosmic ray exposure (CRE) ages of CM chondrites have been found to have multiple peaks (as many as four), in stark contrast to other groups of chondrites (Nishiizumi and Caffee 2012; Herzog and Caffee 2014). In this study, we sought correlations between the CRE ages and petrography of CM chondrites, and we conclude that the degree of aqueous alteration does appear to vary with the CRE ages—the CMs displaying the most aqueous alteration all have relatively short exposure ages. However, some CMs with low degrees of alteration also have short exposure ages—thus, this apparent correlation is not exclusive. We also found a definite inverse relation between the number of distinctive lithologies in a CM and its exposure age, which could indicate different responses of homogeneous and heterogeneous meteoroids to the space environment between their onset of exposure (exhumation and ejection from the parent body) and arrival at Earth. Breccias have more internal surfaces of lithologic discontinuity, possibly resulting in weaker meteoroids that disintegrate more readily than their more homogeneous counterparts. Our results suggest that CM chondrite regoliths consist of numerous genomict lithologies in a breccia with millimeter‐ to decimeter‐scale clasts, with varying degree of heating/metamorphism.     

1998 Compilation of Analytical Data for Five GSJ Geochemical Reference Samples: The "Instrumental Analysis Series"

Analytical data for five GSJ (Geological Survey of Japan) reference samples, the "Instrumental analysis series" received by October 1998, are compiled. The data reported in publications and personal communications were evaluated statistically, taking into account the analytical method and sample preparation. Based on the selected available data, recommended and preferred values for fourteen major and fifty one minor and trace elements are proposed.     

Petrology of the diamond-grade eclogite in the Kokchetav Massif, northern Kazakhstan

Abstract The Kokchetav Massif of northern Kazakhstan is unique because of the abundant occurrence of microdiamond inclusions in garnet, zircon and clinopyroxene of metasediments. In order to determine precise pressure–temperature (P–T) conditions, we have systematically investigated mineral inclusions and the compositions of major silicates in Ti–clinohumite–garnet peridotite and diamond-grade eclogite from Kumdy–Kol. It was found that garnet peridotites from Kumdy–Kol contain assemblages of garnet, olivine, Ti–clinohumite and ilmenite. The garnet contains inclusions that are indicative of both ultrahigh pressure (UHP) and retrograde conditions. Inclusions of hydrous phases such as chlorite, amphibole and zoisite were formed at the post-UHP stage. The study also found that eclogite from Kumdy–Kol contains albite–augite symplectites after omphacitic pyroxene. The core of pyroxene (sodic augite) contains high K₂O (up to 1wt%; average 0.24wt%). Phengite is included in the core. Applying the K₂O-in-augite geobarometry, which is based on recent experiments, and the garnet–clinopyroxene (Grt–Cpx) geothermometer for peak metamorphism, the eclogites yield P–T estimates of > 6 GPa and > 1000 °C, and the diamond-grade eclogites yield lower temperature estimates at 900–1000 °C and 5 GPa.     

ELEMENTAL CONCENTRATIONS IN NINE NEW JAPANESE ROCK REFERENCE SAMPLES

Twenty-eight major, minor and trace elements in nine new rock reference samples of Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ), JA-2, JA-3 JB-1a, JG-1a, JG-2, JG-3, JF-1, JF-2 and JP-1 have been determined using atomic absorption spectrometry, flame emission spectrometry and wet chemical techniques.     

Multicomponent observation of crustal activity in the DPRI 800 m borehole close to the Nojima Fault

Abstract An 800 m borehole was drilled near the Nojima Fault, on which a strike–slip larger then 1 m occurred during the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake ( M = 7.2). Crustal activity near the fault has been observed since May 1996 using a multicomponent instrument installed at the bottom of the borehole. Data of three components of strain, two components of tilt and temperature observed from May 1996 to December 1998 were analyzed. Long-term changes of strain and tilt show a north-east–south-west extension and southwards subsidence. As for the Earth tides and atmospheric effect, orientation of the principal axis of strain was mainly east-west and orientation of the maximum subsidence was mainly north-south. The observational data of strain had variations corresponding to a change in temperature at a depth of 800 m. The thermal expansion coefficient of the crust was calculated to be approximately 2.0 × 10⁻⁶/°K.     

Effects of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> on Marine Fish: Larvae and Adults

CO₂-enriched seawater was far more toxic to eggs and larvae of a marine fish, silver seabream, Pagrus major, than HCl-acidified seawater when tested at the same seawater pH. Data on the effects of acidified seawater can therefore not be used to estimate the toxicity of CO₂, as has been done in earlier studies. Ontogenetic changes in CO₂ tolerance of two marine bony fishes (Pag. major and Japanese sillago, Sillago japonica) showed a similar, characteristic pattern: the cleavage and juvenile stages were most susceptible, whereas the preflexion and flexion stages were much more tolerant to CO₂. Adult Japanese amberjack, Seriola quinqueradiata, and bastard halibut, Paralichthys olivaceus, died within 8 and 48 h, respectively, during exposure to seawater equilibrated with 5% CO₂. Only 20% of a cartilaginous fish, starspotted smooth-hound, Mustelus manazo, died at 7% CO₂ within 72 h. Arterial pH initially decreased but completely recovered within 1-24 h for Ser. quinqueradiata and Par. olivaceus at 1 and 3% CO₂, but the recovery was slower and complete only at 1% for M. manazo. During exposure to 5% CO₂, Par. olivaceus died after arterial pH had been completely restored. Exposure to 5% CO₂ rapidly depressed the cardiac output of Ser. quinqueradiata, while 1% CO₂ had no effect. Both levels of ambient CO₂ had no effect on blood O₂ levels. We tentatively conclude that cardiac failure is important in the mechanisms by which CO₂ kills fish. High CO₂ levels near injection points during CO₂ ocean sequestration are likely to have acute deleterious effects on both larvae and adults of marine fishes. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.