Al-related centers in relation to γ-irradiation

 The charge compensation problem for Si−Al substitution in Brazilian natural quartz is investigated in relation to γ-irradiation darkening response and impurity contents evaluated by atomic absorption spectrometry and infrared absorption spectroscopy. Al⁺³ in as-grown natural quartz is compensated by Li⁺ and H⁺ to form Al−Li and Al−OH centers. The content ratios (Al−Li)/(Al−OH) and Li/(broad OH band) depend on the environmental conditions of crystal growth and influence the formation of Al-hole centers due to γ-irradiation. Al−OH centers are the dominant Al-related centers in quartz from hydrothermal origin while Al−Li centers are dominant for that of pegmatitic origin. The formation of Al-hole centers is little in quartz with a high content of broad OH band which is from low temperature hydrothermal origin. Received May 23, 1995 / Revised, accepted May 8, 1996     

Changes in microbial community composition in the leaf litter of successional communities after volcanic eruptions of Mount Usu,northern Japan

Changes in the fungal and bacterial biomass and community structure in litter after the volcanic eruptions of Mount Usu, northern Japan were investigated using a chronosequence approach, which is widely used for analyzing vegetation succession. The vegetation changed from bare ground(10 years after the eruptions) with little plant cover and poor soil to monotonic grassland dominated by Polygonum sachalinense with undeveloped soil(33 years) and then to deciduous broad-leaved forest dominated by Populus maximowiczii with diverse species composition and well-developed soil(100 years). At three chronosequential sites, we evaluated the compositions of phospholipid fatty acids(PLFAs), carbon(C) and nitrogen(N) contents and the isotope ratios of C(δ13C) and N(δ15N) in the litter of two dominant species, Polygonum sachalinense and Populus maximowiczii. The C/N ratio, δ13C and δ15N in the litter of these two species were higher in the forest than that in the bare ground and grassland. The PLFAs gradually increased from the bare ground to the forest, showing that microbial biomass increased with the development of the soil and/or vegetation. The fungi-to-bacteria ratio of PLFA was constant at 5.3 ± 1.4 in all three sites, suggesting that fungi were predominant. A canonical correspondence analysis suggested that the PLFA composition was related tothe successional ages and the developing soil properties(P 0.05, ANOSIM). The chronosequential analysis effectively detected the successional changes in both microbial and plant communities.     

Enrichment of alkanes within a phytoplankton bloom during an in situ iron enrichment experiment in the western subarctic Pacific

During the Subarctic Pacific Iron Experiment for Ecosystem Dynamics Study ΙΙ (SEEDS-II), we monitored variations in the concentrations of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), CH₃Cl, N₂O, and CH₄ within a phytoplankton bloom. Stable isotopic compositions were also determined to evaluate the sources of the variations. Although there was little variation in either the concentrations or the stable isotopic compositions of alkenes, CH₃Cl, N₂O, and CH₄ during the 23-day observation period, alkane concentrations increased substantially as the phytoplankton bloomed. The column-integrated quantities of alkanes increased to 3 times pre-bloom levels for C₂H₆, 5 times for C₃H₈, and 20 times for n-C₄H₁₀. The δ¹³C values of both C₂H₆ and C₃H₈ remained almost constant while concentrations increased, whereas that of n-C₄H₁₀ increased by about 12‰. To evaluate the sources of the alkanes produced during the bloom, we compared their δ¹³C values with those of alkanes produced in axenic phytoplankton cultures in our laboratory. We concluded that during the SEEDS-ΙΙ experiment the major portions of C₂H₆ and C₃H₈ were produced during the autolysis of diatoms cells, whereas n-C₄H₁₀ was produced during autolysis of other phytoplankton cells such as cryptophytes and dinoflagellates.     

An investigation into intersex amphipods and a possible association with aquaculture

The amphipod, Echinogammarus marinus, is common in sheltered coastal inlets, such as estuaries and sea lochs, in Scotland and exhibits increased levels of intersex in some contaminated areas. Sea lochs are commonly the location for coastal aquaculture development, and some chemicals used in fish-farming are specifically designed to target the crustacean nervous system. Therefore it was hypothesised that these chemicals may also affect neuro-endocrine pathways, causing morphological and reproductive abnormalities in non-target Crustacea. Based upon this hypothesis, Echinogammarus marinus amphipods from two different Scottish sea lochs containing salmon farms were investigated. Morphology, intersexuality, and the incidence of microsporidian parasites were recorded at sites close and at distance from fish-farms. Results suggest a higher incidence of intersexuality at sites within sea lochs, comparable to that observed in industrially contaminated sites elsewhere in Scotland. The data suggest that fish farming activity may influence the observed distributions of intersexuality within lochs. Intersex specimens were more likely to be infected by microsporidian parasites than non-intersex specimens. Normal females were found more likely to be infected by microsporidian parasites at sites associated with high intersexuality, suggesting the parasite as the probable feminiser. The cause(s) for the observed patterns of intersexuality are unclear, although suggestions relating to discharges from fish farms are discussed.     

Hydrogen isotopes in volcanic plumes: Tracers for remote temperature sensing of fumaroles

In high-temperature volcanic fumaroles (>400 °C), the isotopic composition of molecular hydrogen (H₂) reaches equilibrium with that of the fumarolic H₂O. In this study, we used this hydrogen isotope exchange equilibrium of fumarolic H₂ as a tracer for the remote temperature at volcanic fumaroles. In this remote sensing, we deduced the hydrogen isotopic composition (δD value) of fumarolic H₂ from those in the volcanic plume. To ascertain that we can estimate the δD value of fumarolic H₂ from those in a volcanic plume, we estimated the values in three fumaroles with outlet temperatures of 630 °C (Tarumae), 203 °C (Kuju), and 107 °C (E-san). For this we measured the concentration and δD value of H₂ in each volcanic plume, along with those determined directly at each fumarole. The average and maximum mixing ratios of fumarolic H₂ within a plume’s total H₂ were 97% and 99% (at Tarumae), 89% and 96% (at Kuju), and 97% and 99% (at E-san). We found a linear relationship between the depletion in the δD values of H₂, with the reciprocal of H₂ concentration. Furthermore, the estimated end-member δD value for each H₂-enriched component (−260 ± 30‰ vs. VSMOW in Tarumae, −509 ± 23‰ in Kuju, and −437 ± 14‰ in E-san) coincided well with those observed at each fumarole (−247.0 ± 0.6‰ in Tarumae, −527.7 ± 10.1‰ in Kuju, and −432.1 ± 2.5‰ in E-san). Moreover, the calculated isotopic temperatures at the fumaroles agreed to within 20 °C with the observed outlet temperature at Tarumae and Kuju. We deduced that the δD value of the fumarolic H₂ was quenched within the volcanic plume. This enabled us to remotely estimate these in the fumarole, and thus the outlet temperature of fumaroles, at least for those having the outlet temperatures more than 400 °C. By applying this methodology to the volcanic plume emitted from the Crater 1 of Mt. Naka-dake (the volcano Aso) where direct measurement on fumaroles was impractical, we estimated that the δD value of the fumarolic H₂ to be −172 ± 16‰ and the outlet temperature to be 868 ± 97 °C. The remote temperature sensing using hydrogen isotopes developed in this study is widely applicable to many volcanic systems.     

High-time resolution AMS C data sets for Lake Baikal and Lake Hovsgol sediment cores: Changes in radiocarbon age and sedimentation rates during the transition from the last glacial to the Holocene

High-time resolution ¹⁴C dating of Lake Baikal sediment cores indicates negative and positive anomalies of calculated linear sedimentation rate (LSR; 1.1 and 35.6 cm/ka, respectively) during the period of climate transition from the last glacial to Holocene. The timing of the Lake Baikal apparent LSR anomalies is consistent with that of the changes in the atmospheric radiocarbon concentration (Δ¹⁴C) during Younger Dryas rapid cooling event. ¹⁴C dating of lipids in the Lake Baikal surface sediments revealed that the sources of sedimentary lipids were different in each basin. In the Northern Basin of Lake Baikal, the ¹⁴C age of total lipids from the surface sediment (4.0 ¹⁴C ka) was found to be older than that of TOC (1.6 ¹⁴C ka). By contrast, the ¹⁴C age of total lipids in the Southern Basin was younger than that of the TOC by ca. 0.7–3.0 ka.In the Lake Hovsgol sediment cores, ages of the main lithologic boundaries during the last glacial–interglacial transition were estimated based on new ¹⁴C data sets. TOC concentration in the cores started to rapidly increase at 13.8 ± 0.3 ¹⁴C ka at the base of the basinwide finely laminated layer deposited during Bølling/Allerød. The base of the layer diatomaceous mud corresponds to the end of Younger Dryas event (10.6 ± 0.1 ¹⁴C ka).     

Estimating ground motions using recorded accelerograms

A procedure for estimating ground motions using recorded accelerograms is described. The premise of the study is the assumption that future ground motions will be similar to those observed for similar site and tectonic situations in the past. Direct techniques for scaling existing accelerograms have been developed, based on relative estimates of local magnitude,M _L . Design events are described deterministically in terms of fault dimension, tectonic setting (stress drop), fault distance, and site conditions. A combination of empirical and theoretical arguments is used to develop relationships betweenM _L and other earthquake magnitude scales. In order to minimize scaling errors due to lack of understanding of the physics of strong ground motion, the procedure employs as few intermediate scaling laws as possible. The procedure conserves a meaningful measure of the uncertainty inherent when predicting ground motions from simple parameterizations of earthquake sources and site conditions.     

Temporal changes in the phytoplankton community of the southern basin of Lake Baikal over the last 24,000 years recorded by photosynthetic pigments in a sediment core

Photosynthetic pigments and other indicators of phytoplankton were analyzed in a dated undisturbed sediment core obtained from the southern basin of Lake Baikal to reveal temporal changes in the phytoplankton community in the lake through the last glacial/post-glacial transition. The sedimentation age of the core spans the last 24 ¹⁴C ka. Chlorophyll a, its derivatives, carotenoids and total organic carbon (TOC) started to increase after 15 ¹⁴C ka, and the onset of biogenic silica occurred at 10 ¹⁴C ka. This indicated that the post-glacial growth of diatoms was preceded by that of other phytoplankton groups. In the record of the pigments and TOC, a temporary decrease was observed in the period 11.5–10.5 ¹⁴C ka, corresponding to the Younger Dryas cold period. The similarity found between the depth profiles of pyropheophytin a and steryl chlorin esters formed through predation of phytoplankton by zooplankton and that of TOC suggested the important contribution of fecal pellets to sedimentary organic matter in the lake.     

Enrichment of adsorbed methane in authigenic carbonate concretions of the Japan Trench

Substantial amounts of adsorbed methane were detected in authigenic carbonate concretions recovered from sedimentary layers from depths between 245 and 1,108 m below seafloor during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 186 to ODP sites 1150 and 1151 on the deep-sea terrace of the Japan Trench. Methane contents were almost two orders of magnitude higher in the concretions (291–4,528 nmol/g wet wt) than in the surrounding bulk sediments (5–93 nmol/g wet wt), whereas methane/ethane ratios and stable carbon isotopic compositions were very similar. Carbonate content of surrounding bulk sediments (0.02–3.2 wet wt%) and methane content of the surrounding bulk sediments correlated positively. Extrapolation of the carbonate contents of bulk sediments suggests that 100 wt% carbonate would correspond to 1,886±732 nmol methane per g bulk sediment, which is similar to the average value observed in the carbonate concretions (1,321±1,067 nmol/g wet wt, n = 13). These data support the hypothesis that, in sediments, adsorbed hydrocarbon gases are strongly associated with authigenic carbonates.