Response of plant growth to surface water balance during a summer dry period in the Kazakhstan steppe

In drylands, water deficit is the primary factor limiting plant growth. In the present study, surface energy balance and plant growth (above‐ground and below‐ground biomass) were measured continuously during the 2002 growing season in semiarid grassland in the northern part of Kazakhstan, Central Asia. Although there was above normal total rainfall during the 2002 growing season (May–November; 244 mm over 183 days), there was a dry period during July and August. Evaporative water was effectively supplied by precipitation and surface soil moisture during the wet season (May and June), during which time above‐ground biomass increased. During the early stages of the dry period, mature plants were likely to tap deeper sources of soil moisture, representing stored snowmelt water. As the soil moisture content decreased during the summer dry period due to the high levels of evapotranspiration and lack of precipitation, the evaporative fraction and above‐ground biomass rapidly decreased, whereas the below‐ground biomass increased. These results suggest that in summer, soil moisture acts to store water, and that soil moisture is essential for plant growth as a direct source of water during the dry period in natural grasslands in the Kazakhstan steppe. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large kinetic power in FRII radio jets

We investigate the total kinetic powers (L _j) and ages (t _age) of powerful jets of four FR II radio sources (Cygnus A, 3C 223, 3C 284, and 3C 219) by the detail comparison of the dynamical model of expanding cocoons with observed ones. It is found that these sources have quite large kinetic powers with the ratio of L _j to the Eddington luminosity (L _Edd) resides in 0.02<L _j/L _Edd<10. Reflecting the large kinetic powers, we also find that the total energy stored in the cocoon (E _c) exceed the energy derived from the minimum energy condition (E _min): 2<E _c/E _min<160. This implies that a large amount of kinetic power is carried by invisible components such as thermal leptons (electron and positron) and/or protons.     

Synthesis of γ-Mg2SiO4

Magnesium orthosilicate with spinel structure (γ-Mg₂SiO₄) was synthesized at about 250 kbar and 1000°C. Unit cell dimension was established to be 8.076 ± 0.001Å. X-ray powder diffraction pattern revealed a significant difference between γ-Mg₂SiO₄ and other γ-M₂SiO₄ spinels (M = Fe, Co, and Ni) in the intensities of (111) and (331) reflections, both of which are virtually absent in the Mg₂SiO₄ spinel. This feature could be thoroughly understood by the calculation of the intensities for several silicate spinels.     

Remanent magnetization of Precambrian and Cretaceous kimberlites in South Africa

Summary. Middle Precambrian and Cretaceous kimberlites were collected from three sites (Premier, Montrose and National) and two sites (Wesselton and Koffyfontein) in South Africa respectively. The natural remanent magnetization of these rocks remains stable to both alternating field and thermal demagnetization. The virtual geomagnetic pole-positions derived from the directions of stable remanence of the Precambrian rocks can be correlated with palaeomagnetic poles obtained from other Middle-Late Precambrian rocks in Africa. The Cretaceous poles for the Wesselton and the Koffyfontein rocks coincide with other Cretaceous poles.     

Geohistorical development of the Tochiyama landslide in north-central Japan

The Tochiyama landslide is one of several complex, deep-seated and large-scale landslides occurring in the Hokuriku Province in central Japan. The landslide is about 2 km long and about 500–1100 m wide; it occupies an area of approximately 150 ha and has a maximum depth of 60 m. The slide developed on a dip-slope structure, and is divisible into three layers in ascending order: older landslide debris and avalanche deposits, younger debris-avalanche deposits, and talus. The landslide complex is still active. A triangulation point on the upper part of the landslide shifted downhill by 3.3 m from 1907 to 1983, indicating an average rate of 4.3 cm/y. In 1991, the average rate of movement on the sliding surface was also 4.3 cm/y as measured by an automatic system with inclinometers installed in borehole No. 1–2. The rate measured for borehole No. 1–3, located 380 m upslope from No. 1–2, was over twice that of No. 1–2 for the same period; it has since accelerated to about 19 cm/y. Thus current movements on the basal sliding surface are inhomogeneous; the head of the slide complex is increasing the horizontal granular pressures on the lower part of the slide block.

On the basis of dating of two tephra layers and¹⁴C dating of carbonized wood intercalated within the landslide body, two stages of slide movement have been distinguished. The earlier occurred between about 46,000 to 25,000 years ago, and the latter occurred since 1361 A.D. The following sequence of events is inferred. During the middle Pleistocene, intense tectonic movements occurred in the Hokuriku Province, and as a consequence dip-slopes were developed in the Tochiyama landslide area. Low-angle fault planes (possibly representing slump features) and fracture zones then developed within flysch deposits underlying the landslide area, causing a reduction in shear strength. The erosion base level was lowered during the Würm glacial age, and due to severe erosion and incision of stream valleys, the surface slope angle rapidly increased, and toe resistance decreased. This combination of causes led to the development of a deep-seated primary landslide. As a result of an accumulation of younger deposits, regional uplift and further local erosion, stability of parts of the region decreased and led to landslide activity of a second stage. Reactivated and locally accelerating creep movements occur today and may forewarn of a stage of reactivated, hazardous rapid sliding, such as occurred with the adjacent and analogous Maseguchi landslide in 1947.     

Near-field beam pattern measurement of qualification model of ALMA band 8 (385–500 GHz) cartridge receiver

We have developed a near-field vector beam measurement system covering the range of frequencies from 385 to 500 GHz. The measurement set-up is capable of measurements with dynamic range exceeding 50 dB and amplitude and phase stability respectively of 0.1 dB/h and 1 degree/5 min at room temperature. Beam patterns of the ALMA band 8 corrugated horns and receiver optics block were measured at room temperature and lately compared with physical optics calculations obtained in the far-field. Both co-polar and cross-polar beam patterns of a qualification model of the ALMA band 8 cartridge cooled in a cartridge-test-cryostat have also been measured in the near-field as a detector of a submillimeter vector network analyzer. The measurements presented in this work refer to the lowest, middle and upper frequencies of band 8. The comparisons between software model and experimental measurements at these frequencies show good agreement down to ?30 dB for the main polarization component. The cross-polarization level of the beam propagating through the receiver optics block was also characterized. We found that a cross-polarization level better than ?28 dB can be achieved at all measured frequencies. The measured beam pattern of this receiver corresponds to efficiency of greater than 92% at the sub reflector (diameter of 750 mm) of the ALMA 12 m optics.     

Simple monitoring method for precaution of landslides watching tilting and water contents on slopes surface

A low-cost and simple monitoring method for early warning of landslides is proposed. To detect abnormal deformation of a slope, this method employs a tilt sensor in place of an extensometer on the slope surface. In order to examine the relevance of measuring rotation angle on a slope surface by tilt sensor, model tests were conducted, and rotation on the slope surface was observed together with slide displacement along the surface. The rotation data responded 30 min before failure in a model test, which could be useful as a signal for early warning. However, the behavior of rotation before failure varies from case to case, and thus, criteria to issue warning should be defined more carefully. For a model slope made of uniform loose sand, measurement of slide displacement along the slope surface is sensitive to failure at the toe, while the measurement of rotation on the slope surface is useful to detect the development of progressive failure upward along the slope. Wireless sensor units with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) tilt sensor and volumetric water content sensor were also examined on a real slope in Kobe City, and a long-term monitoring was attempted. A simple but possible way to define the criteria of judgment to issue warning can be proposed based on combination of data obtained by the tilt sensors and volumetric water content sensors.     

Felsic dykes in the Neoproterozoic Nagar Parkar Igneous Complex,SE Sindh,Pakistan: geochemistry and tectonic settings

The Nagar Parkar Igneous Complex consists of Neoproterozoic igneous and metamorphic rocks dissected by mafic, felsic, and rhyolitic dykes. The latter can be classified broadly into porphyritic felsic dykes intruding gray and pink granites at Nagar Parkar and the surrounding areas, and the orthophyric felsic dykes intruding amphibolites, deformed pink granites, and the alkaline mafic dykes in the Dhedvero area, north of Nagar Parkar. The porphyritic felsic dykes are composed of perthites, quartz, and albitic plagioclase whereas the orthopheric felsic dykes contain K-feldspar (dominant), plagioclase, and minor quartz. Geochemically, the porphyritic and orthophyric felsic dykes are subalkaline and alkaline demonstrating post-orogenic A2- and OIB-A1-type characteristic on Nb–Y–Ce and Nb–Y–3Ga ternary plots, respectively. One orthophyric felsic dyke contains normative acmite and sodium metasilicate. This study suggests two distinct tectonic regimes for the origin of the felsic dykes of the area. The porphyritic felsic dykes show similarities with the ~800–700 Ma granites of the area, the rhyolite dykes of the Mount Abu, western Rajasthan in India, and the granites of the Seychelles microcontinent. The orthophyric felsic dykes show chemical resemblance with the Tavidar volcanic suite of western Rajasthan and the Silhouette and North islands of the Seychelles microcontinent. This study confirms spatial and temporal links among the Rodinian fragments exposed in the Nagar Parkar area of Pakistan, western Rajasthan of India, and the Seychelles microcontinent.     

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.     

Heat flow and thickness of the oceanic lithosphere

Existing thermal models of the oceanic lithosphere predict too sharp an increase of heat flow towards the ridge axis. A new mathematical model of a thickening lithosphere is presented. The temperature distribution is computed by the use of observed surface heat flow as a boundary condition. If observed heat flow values represent flow of heat from the mantle, the model predicts a rather rapid growth of the lithosphere within the first 30 m.y. and a nearly steady state after 100 m.y. Heat flow from the asthenosphere to the lithosphere shows a minimum near the ridge axis, suggesting a down-going convective flow in the asthenosphere at both sides of a spreading center.