The compositional variation of synthetic sodic amphiboles at high and ultra-high pressures

Sodic amphiboles in high pressure and ultra-high pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks are complex solid solutions in the system Na₂O–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O (NMASH) whose compositions vary with pressure and temperature. We conducted piston-cylinder experiments at 20–30?kbar and 700–800?°C to investigate the stability and compositional variations of sodic amphiboles, based on the reaction glaucophane=2jadeite+talc, by using the starting assemblage of natural glaucophane, talc and quartz, with synthetic jadeite. A close approach to equilibrium was achieved by performing compositional reversals, by evaluating compositional changes with time, and by suppressing the formation of Na-phyllosilicates. STEM observations show that the abundance of wide-chain structures in the synthetic amphiboles is low. An important feature of sodic amphibole in the NMASH system is that the assemblage jadeite–talc?±?quartz does not fix its composition at glaucophane. This is because other amphibole species such as cummingtonite (Cm), nyböite (Nyb), Al–Na-cummingtonite (Al–Na-Cm) and sodium anthophyllite (Na-Anth) are also buffered via the model reactions: 3cummingtonite?+?4quartz?+?4H₂O=7talc, nyböite?+?3quartz=3jadeite?+?talc, 3Al–Na-cummingtonite + 11quartz + 2H₂O=6jadeite + 5talc, and 3 sodium anthophyllite?+?13quartz?+?4H₂O=3 jadeite + 7talc. We observed that at all pressures and temperatures investigated, the compositions of newly grown amphiboles deviate significantly from stoichiometric glaucophane due to varying substitutions of Al^IV for Si, Mg on the M(4) site, and Na on the A-site. The deviation can be described chiefly by two compositional vectors: [Na^AAl^IV]<=>[□^ASi] (edenite) toward nyböite, and [Na^(M4)Al^VI]<=>[Mg^(M4)Mg^VI] toward cummingtonite. The extent of nyböite and cummingtonite substitution increases with temperature and decreases with pressure in the experiments. Similar compositional variations occur in sodic amphiboles from UHP rocks. The experimentally calibrated compositional changes therefore may prove useful for thermobarometric applications.     

Optimization of operation rule curves and flushing schedule in a reservoir

Flushing sediment through a reservoir has been practiced successfully and found to be inexpensive in many cases. However, the great amount of water consumed in the flushing operation might affect the water supply. To satisfy the water demand and water consumed in the flushing operation, two models combining the reservoir simulation model and the sediment flushing model are established. In the reservoir simulation model, the genetic algorithm (GA) is used to optimize and determine the flushing operation rule curves. The sediment‐flushing model is developed to estimate the amount of the flushed sediment volume, and the simulated results update the elevation‐storage curve, which can be taken into account in the reservoir simulation model. The models are successfully applied to the Tapu reservoir, which has faced serious sedimentation problems. Based on 36 years historical sequential data, the results show that (i) the simulated flushing operation rule curves model has superior performance, in terms of lower shortage index (SI) and higher flushing efficiency (FE), than that by the original reservoir operation; (ii) the rational and riskless flushing schedule for the Tapu reservoir is suggested to be set within an interval of every 2 or 4 years in the months of May or June. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geoid from geopotential model in the Taiwan area

The geoid undulation on GRS80 in the Taiwan area at half‐degree grid points has been calculated using the reduced 30’ × 30’ block mean gravity anomalies and the OSU91A geopotential coefficient set up to degree and order 360. The OSU91A results have been used to compare with WGS84, CEM10C, and OSU86F geoid undulations determined in 18 first‐order triangulation stations of the Taiwan Geodetic Datum 1980 (TGD80). Comparisons have also been made between these free‐air anomalies determined from OSU91A, and terrestrial gravity anomalies. It has been found that the average difference between the OSU91A model‐derived, and 243 actual point free‐air anomalies is 16.8 ± 48.0 mgal. It has also been found that more reliable and dense terrestrial gravity data are needed, both for terrestrial observations and for the OSU91A model, to achieve the very high‐precision geoid on GRS80 in the area of study.     

Regional economic impact analysis of earthquakes in northern Taiwan and its implications for disaster reduction policies

The direct damage caused by earthquakes, such as impaired buildings, may interfere with normal business operations and disrupt the function of the industrial chain. Such economic impacts can be evaluated using the input–output analysis developed by Leontief. In this paper, two scenario earthquakes in northern Taiwan both with a return period of 475 years—the Hsinchu Hsincheng and the Yilan Nan-ao earthquakes—are simulated. The results show that the economic impact caused by the Hsincheng earthquake is greater than that resulting from the Nan-ao earthquake, which should be the major scenario considered for the disaster reduction plan. The industries affected the most are the manufacturing, food services and entertainment, storage and retail trade, and public and construction industries. The Nan-ao earthquake causes relatively more losses in the food services and entertainment industries. Most of the repercussion effects of these industries are in the central and southern parts of Taiwan. The loss to the manufacturing sector and its repercussion effects are enormous. Therefore, the government should make it a first priority to encourage the manufacturing sector to implement earthquake mitigations, such as a seismic retrofit, or to provide a seismic evaluation, which can enable firms to engage in mitigation voluntarily. The measure needed to reduce the loss in agriculture is that the government can purchase agricultural products in central and southern Taiwan following the disaster and offer them to survivors in northern Taiwan.     

Magnetotelluric response of a uniformly stratified earth containing a magnetized layer

Summary The magnetotelluric (MT) response is studied of a uniformly stratified earth which contains a magnetized layer. The impedance as a function of the layer parameters (resistivity, ρ permeability, μ and thickness h ) is discussed. The MT response from a layer (μ, ρ, h ) is equivalent to that from a layer (μ/μ_r=μ₀, μ_rρ, μ_r h ) where μ_r is the relative permeability of the layer. Thus the effect of a magnetized layer is to make it apppear μ_r times more resistive and μ_r times thicker than an unmagnetized equivalent layer. Master curves of apparent resistivity and phase are computed for three-layer models with varying permeability associated with varying resistivity in each layer. An example of MT field data is presented in which the most reasonable interpretation is that a magnetized layer exists beneath the observatory site.     

Structural and IR relations among brucite-like divalent metal hydroxides

The a and c unit cell parameters of M(OH)₂, brucite-like structures with M=Mg, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Cd, and Ca, are considered in relation to M-O distances taken as the sum of the ionic radii, M^VI and O^IV. The a parameters are related to (M-O) by flattening of the octahedral coordination groups, with a flattening angle α=97.4±0.4°. The c parameters are divided into the octahedral layer thickness, h(oct), and the interlayer spacing h(inter). The latter is related to the (O-H) distances, which decrease as (M-O) increases. Infrared v(O-H) stretching frequencies vary with (M-O) in the same manner as h(inter) varies with (M-O). The values of v(O-H) decrease as h(inter) decreases and the atomic weight of the cations increases. The results are consistent with previous data for cation-substituted talcs. It is suggested that the M²⁺ ions associated with the O^2? ions modify the reduced mass of the O-H vibrations so that v(O-H) decreases with increasing mass of M.     

Horizontal eddy diffusivities in the northern hemispheric stratosphere and lower mesosphere

Meterological rocket soundings, launched between 1969–74 at six locations representative of low, middle, and high altitudes, are employed with the use of the statistical theory of diffusion, to determine the zonal and meridional component of eddy diffusivity between 30 and 55 km as a function of season, latitude, and altitude. A comparison is also made between annually-averaged eddy diffusivities above and below 30 km.It is shown that the zonal component of eddy diffusivity is approximately three to five times as large as the meridional component, in most cases. Both components of eddy diffusivity vary greatly with season, latitude, and altitude. Highest eddy diffusivities, found in the vicinity of the winter westerly jet, are approximately one order of magnitude higher than those present during the summer. Tropical eddy diffusivities, however, remain relatively small throughout the year. Annually, a minimum is indicated near 25 km between maximums located at the stratopause and tropopause.     

Major and minor stratospheric warmings and their interactions on the troposphere

Analyses of evolutions of the kinetic and thermal energy associated with the major and minor stratospheric warmings in the winters of 1976–77 and 1975–76 respectively indicate that the predominant ultra-long waves in the stratosphere oscillated at periods of 10–20 days, whereas in the troposphere the predominant long waves oscillated at periods of 8 to 12 days. These tropospheric long waves are almost out-of-phase with the stratospheric ultra-long waves for the minor warming, but in-phase for the major warming. The kinetic energy of the zonal mean flow in the stratosphere for the minor warming is much greater than that for the major warming, indicating that the occurrence of a major warming depends on the magnitude of the kinetic energy of the zonal mean flow relative to that of the meridional convergence of the poleward flux of sensible heat. In both the major and minor warmings, most of the stratospheric eddy kinetic energy is contained in waves of wavenumbers 1 and 2, whereas the stratospheric available potential energy is primarily contained in waves of wavenumber 1. The kinetic energy associated with waves of wavenumber 1 appeared to be 180° out-of-phase with those of wavenumber 2, indicating that nonlinear transfer of kinetic energy occurred between waves of wavenumbers 1 and 2. The occurrences of wind reversals were accompanied by decouplings of the stratospheric and tropospheric motions, and blockings in the troposphere.