Field-based description of near-surface crustal deformation in a high-strain shear zone: A case study in southern Kyushu,Japan

This study investigated geological evidence for near-surface crustal deformation in a high-strain shear zone that has been geodetically identified but which is not associated with obvious tectonic landforms. Fieldwork was conducted in the east–west-trending southern Kyushu high-strain shear zone (SKHZ), Japan, focusing mainly on occurrences of fracture zones, which are defined by a visible fracture density of >1 per 10 cm² and are commonly associated with cataclasite, fault breccia, and gouge. The area in which east–west-trending fracture zones are dominant is restricted to the east–west-trending, ~2-km-wide aftershock area of the 1997 Northwestern Kagoshima Earthquakes. Analysis of slip data from minor faults using the multiple inverse method, irrespective of whether the faults are in fracture zones, reveals that the area where the calculated main stress field is consistent with the current stress field estimated from focal-mechanism solutions of microearthquakes is restricted to the east–west-trending aftershock area. This finding for the SKHZ contrasts with the case of the Niigata–Kobe Tectonic Zone, which is a major strain-concentration zone with many exposed active faults in central Japan and for which the stress field estimated using fault-slip data is considered to be uniform and coincides with the current stress field. The cumulative amount of displacement estimated from the areal density of fracture zones in the SKHZ study area is smaller than that estimated from geodetically measured strain rates. Investigations based on slip data from minor faults and fracture-zone occurrence could help to identify concealed faults that are too small to generate tectonic landforms but which are sufficiently large to trigger major earthquakes.     

Notes on non-marine bivalve Trigonioides (Trigonioides?) from the mid-Cretaceous Goshoura Group, Kyushu, Japan

Trigonioides goshourensis n. sp. and Trigonioides amakusensis Kikuchi and Tashiro occur in the late Albian Eboshi Formation of the Goshoura Group in Kyushu, Japan. These Albian species are characterized by three radial pseudocardinal teeth on the thick and wide hinge plate, and are probably ancestors of Cenomanian species of Trigonioides (Kumamotoa) with four radial pseudocardinal teeth. This chronological relation may be important for the correlation of non-marine Cretaceous strata in East Asia. In addition, the habitat of T. amakusensis is interpreted as estuarine tidal flats under brackish water conditions, although Trigonioides is generally a freshwater bivalve genus.     

Experimental study of a low-alkali tholeiite at 1–5 kbar: optimal condition for the crystallization of high-An plagioclase in hydrous arc tholeiite

We conducted melting experiments on a low-alkali tholeiite (SiO₂ ~52 wt%, MgO ~6.5 wt%, CaO/Na₂O~4.4, Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ~0.33) under both H₂O-undersaturated and H₂O-saturated conditions to investigate the effect of H₂O on the Ca–Na partitioning between plagioclase and melt. Experiments were performed in the temperature and pressure ranges of 1,000–1,300°C and 1–5 kbar, respectively, with varying H₂O contents of 0–12wt%. Redox condition was 0–2 log unit above NNO (nickel–nickel oxide) buffer. Temperature-bulk H₂O diagrams for the low-alkali tholeiite are constructed at 1, 2, and 5 kbar, and compositions of near-liquidus plagioclase and coexisting melt are determined. To exclude the effect of melt composition (CaO/Na₂O and Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ratios) on plagioclase composition and to reveal the effect of H₂O on An (=100×Ca/(Ca+Na)) content and (=(Ca/Na)_pl/(Ca/Na)_melt), we focused on the composition of near-liquidus plagioclases which crystallized from melts with nearly constant CaO/Na₂O and Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ratios. Our experimental results show that, at each experimental pressure, An content of the near-liquidus plagioclase and the K_D^Ca-Na almost linearly increases as H₂O content in melt increases. Each of the An content and the variations in a low-alkali tholeiitic system (CaO/Na₂O~4.0–4.5, Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ~0.27–0.33) can be described by one equation using temperature, pressure, and melt H₂O content as parameters. An content and of liquidus plagioclase increases with increasing melt H₂O and with decreasing pressure, elucidating that nearly H₂O-saturated conditions of 2–3 kbar is optimal for the crystallization of the most An-rich plagioclase (>An₈₈). We suggest this pressure condition of 2–3 kbar, corresponding to depth of 7–11 km, plays an important role for the origin of An-rich plagioclase in H₂O-rich low-alkali tholeiite. At pressures more than ca. 4 kbar, crystallization of liquidus Ca-rich clinopyroxene decreases the CaO/Na₂O ratio of liquid, thus prohibiting the crystallization of high-An plagioclase from hydrous tholeiite.     

Continuing observation of disturbed reproductive cycle and ovarian spermatogenesis in the giant abalone, Haliotis madaka from an organotin-contaminated site of Japan

Histological examination of gonads as well as chemical analysis of organotin compounds in tissues of the giant abalone, Haliotis madaka, was conducted to evaluate continuing endocrine disruption in abalone populations in Japan. Abalone specimens were collected from two different areas, Tsushima as a reference site and Jogashima as a site representative of declining abalone populations where serious organotin contamination had been observed, each month from January 1998 to March 1999. Scores were given to the development stages of reproductive cells in the ovary and testis. The degree of sexual maturation was evaluated by calculating the mean value of a histogram of these scores for the reproductive cells of each abalone. The temporal variations in degree of sexual maturation showed that female and male abalone from Tsushima matured synchronously, while those from Jogashima did not, which were similar to results of the previous study during September 1995–November 1996. Approximately 19% of the female abalone from Jogashima were masculinized with an ovo-testis, which was also similar to the result of the previous study. The masculinization of female abalone is reported to be induced by tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPhT) from antifouling paints. Concentrations of the sum of butyltins (TBT, dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT): ΣBTs) and the sum of phenyltins (TPhT, diphenyltin (DPhT) and monophenyltin (MPhT): ΣPhTs) in the muscle of abalone from Jogashima (n = 73) of 7.8 ± 9.0 ng/g wet wt. and 4.5 ± 6.8 ng/g wet wt., respectively, were significantly higher than those from Tsushima (n = 87) of 4.7 ± 4.9 ng/g wet wt. and 0.8 ± 1.7 ng/g wet wt., respectively (p < 0.05 for ΣBTs; p < 0.001 for ΣPhTs), although concentrations of TBT and TPhT in the muscle of abalone from Jogashima (n = 73) of 2.2 ± 2.5 ng/g wet wt. and 5.8 ± 5.1 ng/g wet wt., respectively, were insignificantly and significantly higher than those from Tsushima (n = 87) of 0.4 ± 0.6 ng/g wet wt. and 0.5 ± 0.9 ng/g wet wt., respectively, (p > 0.05 for TBT; p < 0.001 for TPhT). Thus, endocrine disruption as well as contamination by organotins in the giant abalone from Jogashima is still persisting.     

Studying air pollution with kitt peak solar flux atlas — analysis method and results of observation

For the measurement of atmospheric NO2 vertical column density (VCD), Kitt Peak Solar Flux Atlas can be substituted as an extraterrestrial solar radiation. Compared with differential analysis method, the Taylor expansion of integrated transfer equation underestimates the VCD. This underestimation is as large as 35% when the amount of NO2 is 1 × 1017 cm－2 and observation is conducted with an air mass factor of 10. Even when the VCD is 2 × 1016 cm－2 and the air mass factor is 4, the relative error of the retrieved VCD is still no less than 3%. If the observation is restricted under the small air mass factor condition (≤4), with Kitt Peak Solar spectrum as an extraterrestrial solar radiation, only an atmospheric layer of 2 km thick from ground can be studied, which will make the absorption too weak to be detected by normal instruments.The VCD in winter Tokyo area was observed and analyzed by differential method, which shows a good precision even when the absorption is as low as 3%. The largest average VCD was about 1.3 × 1017 cm－2, and the lowest was about 1.3 × 1016 cm－2. The trend of its variation was almost the same as the ground level observation by Saltzman reagent method.     

Studying Air Pollution with Kitt Peak Solar Flux Atlas—Analysis Method and Results of Observation

l.Introducti0nTwoflightsoftheSAGEIIIinstrumentwereplanedbeinglaunchedinJune2O00byRussianMeteor-3Mandin2002byInternationalSpaceStation(ISS).Itisexpectedthattheywouldofferinformationofalmostglobalcoverage.Theseinstrumentswillutilizetheselfcal-ibratingsolaroccultationtechniquetomeasureprofilesofaerosoIextinctionfrom0to4Okm,ozonefrom6to85km,nitrogendioxidefroml0to5Okm,andwatervaporfrom0to5Okm,andutilizelunaroccultationobservati0nstomonitorthekeynighttimesPecies,nitrogentrioxidefrom22to55k…     

Vertical distributions of large ontogenetically migrating copepods in the Oyashio region during their growing season

Neocalanus flemingeri, Neocalanus plumchrus, Neocalanus cristatus and Eucalanus bungii are large and dominant mesozooplankton occurring throughout the subarctic Pacific. They are an important trophic link and transporter of organic matter to the mesopelagic zone. Vertical distributions of these copepods were investigated from March to October 2000 in the Oyashio region of the western subarctic Pacific. Neocalanus plumchrus and N. flemingeri were distributed in the surface layer (0–50 m) and N. cristatus and E. bungii in the subsurface layer (50–100 m). However, when examined in detail, clear seasonal and vertical differences were observed. Neocalanus plumchrus was concentrated in the top 20 m from late April to the end of July, and N. flemingeri showed a little deeper distribution from May to July. Neocalanus cristatus showed a deeper distribution than that of grazing individuals of E. bungii from April to early July, but grazing individuals of E. bungii (C3–C6) showed a deeper distribution than that of N. cristatus from the end of July to October. Early copepodites of E. bungii were distributed much shallower than late copepodite stages and overlapped with copepodites of N. plumchrus and N. flemingeri. These results suggest that the four species of large copepods have established habitat segregation by season, vertical distribution and food resource partitioning in the Oyashio region as well as other regions of the North Pacific.     

Seasonally asymmetric transition of the Asian monsoon in response to ice age boundary conditions

Modulation of a monsoon under glacial forcing is examined using an atmosphere?Cocean coupled general circulation model (AOGCM) following the specifications established by Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project phase 2 (PMIP2) to understand the air?Csea?Cland interaction under different climate forcing. Several sensitivity experiments are performed in response to individual changes in the continental ice sheet, orbital parameters, and sea surface temperature (SST) in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM: 21?ka) to evaluate the driving mechanisms for the anomalous seasonal evolution of the monsoon. Comparison of the model results in the LGM with the pre-industrial (PI) simulation shows that the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are characterized by enhancement of pre-monsoon convection despite a drop in the SST encompassing the globe, while the rainfall is considerably suppressed in the subsequent monsoon period. In the LGM winter relative to the PI, anomalies in the meridional temperature gradient (MTG) between the Asian continents minus the tropical oceans become positive and are consistent with the intensified pre-monsoon circulation. The enhanced MTG anomalies can be explained by a decrease in the condensation heating relevant to the suppressed tropical convection as well as positive insolation anomalies in the higher latitude, showing an opposing view to a warmer future climate. It is also evident that a latitudinal gradient in the SST across the equator plays an important role in the enhancement of pre-monsoon rainfall. As for the summer, the sensitivity experiments imply that two ice sheets over the northern hemisphere cools the air temperature over the Asian continent, which is consistent with the reduction of MTG involved in the attenuated monsoon. The surplus pre-monsoon convection causes a decrease in the SST through increased heat loss from the ocean surface; in other words, negative ocean feedback is also responsible for the subsequent weakening of summer convection.     

Temporal alteration of fracture permeability in granite under hydrothermal conditions and its interpretation by coupled chemo-mechanical model

Examining the evolution of fracture permeability under stressed and temperature-elevated conditions, a series of flow-through experiments on a single rock fracture in granite has been conducted under confining pressures of 5 and 10 MPa, under differential water pressures ranging from 0.04 to 0.5 MPa, and at temperatures of 20–90 °C, for several hundred hours in each experiment. Measurements of fluid and dissolved mass fluxes, and post-experimental microscopy, were conducted to constrain the progress of mineral dissolution and/or precipitation and to examine its effect on transport properties. Generally, the fracture aperture monotonically decreased with time at room temperature, and reached a steady state in relatively short periods (i.e., <400 h). However, once the temperature was elevated to 90 °C, the aperture resumed decreasing and kept decreasing throughout the rest of the experimental periods. This reduction may result from the removal of the mineral mass from the bridging asperities within the fracture. Post-experimental observations by scanning electron microscopy, coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), revealed the formation of several kinds of secondary minerals such as silica and calcite. However, the precipitated minerals seemed to have had little influence on the flow characteristics within the fracture, because the precipitation was limited to quite local and small areas. The evolving rates and ultimate magnitudes of the fracture aperture are likely to be controlled by the stress exerted over the contacting asperities and temperatures, and by the prescribed flow conditions. Thus, this complex behavior should be attributed to the coupled chemically- and mechanically-induced effect. A coupled chemo–mechano conceptual model, accounting for pressure and free-face dissolutions, is presented in this paper to follow the evolution of the fracture permeability observed in the flow-through experiments. This model addresses the two dissolution processes at the contacting asperities and the free walls within the fractures, and is also capable of describing multi-mineral dissolution behavior. The model shows that the evolution of a fracture aperture (or related permeability) and of element concentrations may be followed with time under arbitrary temperature and pressure conditions. The model predictions for the evolving fracture aperture and elements concentrations show a relatively good agreement with the experimental measurements, although it is not possible to replicate the abrupt reduction observed in the early periods of the experiments, which is likely to be due to an unaccounted mechanism of more stress-mediated fracture compaction driven by the fracturing of the propping asperities.     

Rain-on-Snow events in Japan as projected by a large ensemble of regional climate simulations

Climate Dynamics - Rain-on-Snow (ROS) events can cause severe snowmelt hazards such as river flooding, avalanches, and landslides that have significant impacts on various sectors. The influence of...