Seasonal transition of hydrological processes in a slow‐moving landslide in a snowy region

A comprehensive understanding of seasonal hydrological dynamics is required to describe the influence of pore‐water pressure on the stability of landslides in snowy regions. This study reports on the results of continuous meteorological and hydrological observations over 2 years on a landslide body comprising Neogene sedimentary rocks in northern Japan, where a thick (3–5 m) seasonal snowpack covers the land surface. Monitoring of the volumetric water content in shallow unsaturated zones (<0.8 m depth) and pore‐water pressure in saturated bedrock at depths of 2.0 and 5.2 m revealed clear seasonality in hydrological responses to rainfall and meltwater supply. During snow‐free periods, both the shallow soil moisture and deep pore‐water pressure responded rapidly to intense rainwater infiltration. In contrast, during snowmelt, the deep pore pressure fluctuated in accordance with the daily cycle of meltwater input, without notable changes in shallow moisture conditions. During occasional foehn events that cause intense snow melting in midwinter, meltwater flows preferentially through the layered snowpack, converging to produce a localized water supply at the ground surface. This episodically triggers a significant rise in pore‐water pressure. The seasonal differences in hydrological responses were characterized by a set of newly proposed indices for the magnitude and quickness of increases in the pressure head near the sliding surface. Under snow‐covered conditions, the magnitude of the pressure increase tends to be suppressed, probably owing to a reduction in infiltration caused by a seasonal decrease in the permeability of surface soils, and effective pore‐water drainage through the highly conductive colluvial layer. Deep groundwater flow within bedrock remained in a steady upwelling state, enhanced by increasing moisture in shallow soils under snow cover, reflecting the convergence of subsurface water from surrounding hillslopes.     

A simple approach to the high-redshift sub-millimeter galaxies

We aim at understanding the statistical properties of luminous sub-millimeter (submm) galaxies (SMGs) in the context of cosmological structure formation. By utilizing a cosmological N-body simulation to calculate the distribution of dark halos in the Universe, we consider the dust enrichment in individual halos by Type II supernovae (SNe II). The SN II rate is estimated under a star formation activity which is assumed to occur on a dynamical timescale in the dark matter potential. Our simple framework successfully explains the luminosity function, the typical star formation rate, and the typical dust mass of an observational SMG sample at z～3. We also examine the clustering properties of SMGs, since a positive cross correlation between SMGs and Lyα emitters (LAEs) is indeed observed by a recent observation. In the simulation, we select SMGs by FIR dust luminosity >10¹² L _⊙, while LAEs are chosen such that the age and the virial mass are consistent with the observed LAE properties. The SMGs and LAEs selected in this way show a spatial cross correlation whose strength is consistent with the observation. This confirms that the SMGs really trace the most clustered regions at z～3 and that their luminosities can be explained by the dust accumulation as a result of their star formation activities. We extend our prediction to higher redshifts, finding that a statistical sample of submm galaxies at z≥6 can be obtained by ALMA with a 100 arcmin² survey. With the same survey, a few submm galaxies at z～10 may be detected.     

The formation of floor-fractured craters in Xanthe Terra

Floor-fractured craters (FFC) are a peculiar form of degradation of impact craters defined by the presence of crevice networks and mesas affecting crater floors. They are preferentially distributed near chaotic terrains and outflow channels. The scope of this paper is to present a detailed systematic analysis of FFC at Xanthe Terra. FFC morphologies in this region are classified into five types making a picture of different stages of the same degradation process. FFC are geographically intermixed with un-fractured normal craters (non-FFC). Young craters are less prone to show this type of degradation, as suggested by fresh ejecta layer with preserved crater floor. Size distributions of FFC and non-FFC indicate that larger craters are preferentially fractured. Careful examinations of the crater floor elevations reveal that the crevices often extend deeper than the original crater cavity. Furthermore, an onset depth for the formation of FFC is evidenced from the difference of spatial distributions between FFC and non-FFC. Roof-collapsed depressions observed in the same region have been also documented and their characteristics suggest the removal of subsurface material at depth from about 1200 to 4000 m. These observations taken together suggest a subsurface zone of volume deficit at depth from 1 to 2 km down to several kilometers responsible for FFC formation. Then a scenario of FFC formations is presented in the context of groundwater discharge events at the late Hesperian. This scenario involves two key processes, Earth fissuring and piping erosion, known to occur with rapid groundwater migrations on Earth.     

Effects of dust abundance on the far-infrared colours of blue compact dwarf galaxies

We investigate the far-infrared (FIR) properties of a sample of blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs) observed by AKARI . By utilizing the data at wavelengths of  λ= 65  , 90 and 140 μm, we find that the FIR colours of the BCDs are located at the natural high-temperature extension of those of the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. This implies that the optical properties of dust in BCDs are similar to those in the Milky Way. Indeed, we explain the FIR colours by assuming the same grain optical properties, which may be appropriate for amorphous dust grains, and the same size distribution as those adopted for the Milky Way dust. Since both interstellar radiation field and dust optical depth affect the dust temperature, it is difficult to distinguish which of these two physical properties is responsible for the change of FIR colours. Then, in order to examine if the dust optical depth plays an important role in determining the dust temperature, we investigate the correlation between FIR colour (dust temperature) and dust-to-gas ratio. We find that the dust temperature tends to be high as the dust-to-gas ratio decreases but that this trend cannot be explained by the effect of dust optical depth. Rather, it indicates a correlation between dust-to-gas ratio and interstellar radiation field. Although the metallicity may also play a role in this correlation, we suggest that the dust optical depth could regulate the star formation activities, which govern the interstellar radiation field. We also mention the importance of submillimetre data in tracing the emission from highly shielded low-temperature dust.     

Dust coagulation in star formation with different metallicities

Dust grains coagulate into larger aggregates in dense gas. This changes their size distribution and possibly affects the thermal evolution of star-forming clouds. We here investigate dust coagulation in collapsing pre-stellar cores with different metallicities by considering the thermal motions of grains. We show that coagulation does occur even at low metallicity  ∼10⁻⁶ Z_⊙  . However, we also find (i) that the H₂ formation rate on dust grains is reduced only after the majority of H₂ is formed and (ii) that the dust opacity is modified only after the core becomes optically thick. Therefore, we conclude that the effects of dust coagulation can safely be neglected in discussing the temperature evolution of the pre-stellar cores for any metallicity as long as the grain motions are thermal.     

Dating of Dissolved Iodine in Pore Waters from the Gas Hydrate Occurrence Offshore Shimokita Peninsula,Japan: 129I Results from the D/V Chikyu Shakedown Cruise

Iodine concentration and radioisotopic composition (¹²⁹I/I) were measured in the pore waters from the gas hydrate occurrence in the forearc basin offshore Shimokita Peninsula, north-eastern Japan, to determine the source formation of I and accompanying hydrocarbons. Iodine concentrations correlate well with the alkalinity and SO₄ patterns, reflecting degradation stages of I-rich buried organic matter, rapidly increasing in the sulfate reduction interval, and becoming constant below 250 meters below the seafloor with an upwelling flux of 1.5 × 10⁻¹¹ µmol cm⁻² year⁻¹. The ¹²⁹I/I ratios of 300 × 10⁻¹⁵–400 × 10⁻¹⁵ in deep pore waters suggest ages for iodine and hydrocarbon sources as old as 40 Ma. These ages correlate well with the coaly source formations of the Eocene age thought to be responsible for the conventional natural gas deposits underlying the gas hydrate stability zone. Similar profiles are observed in ¹²⁹I/I ratios of pore waters in the gas hydrate stability zone from the forearc basin in the eastern Nankai Trough, offshore central Japan, where pore waters are enriched in I and reach ages as old as ∼50 Ma through the sediment column. At the outer ridge site along the trough, on the other hand, relatively younger I are more frequently delivered probably through thrusts/faults associated with subduction. The nature of source formations of I and hydrocarbons in the offshore Shimokita Peninsula has a more terrestrial contribution compared with those in the Nankai Trough, but these formations are also considerably older than the host sediments, suggesting long-term transport of I and hydrocarbons for the accumulation of gas hydrates in both locations.     

Resolution dependence of tropical cyclone formation in CMIP3 and finer resolution models

Detection of tropical lows is performed in a suite of climate model simulations using objectively-determined detection thresholds that are resolution-dependent. It is found that there is some relationship between model resolution and tropical cyclone formation rate even after the resolution-dependent tropical cyclone detection threshold is applied. The relationship is investigated between model-simulated tropical cyclone formation and a climate-based tropical cyclone Genesis Potential Index (GPI). It is found that coarser-resolution models simulate the GPI better than they simulate formation of tropical cyclones directly. As a result, there appears to be little relationship from model to model between model GPI and the directly-simulated cyclone formation rate. Statistical analysis of the results shows that the main advantage of increasing model resolution is to give a considerably better pattern of cyclone formation. Finer resolution models also simulate a slightly better pattern of GPI, and for these models there is some relationship between the pattern of GPI simulated by each model and that model’s pattern of simulated tropical cyclone formation.     

Microbialite development patterns in the last deglacial reefs from Tahiti (French Polynesia; IODP Expedition #310): Implications on reef framework architecture

The widespread occurrence of microbialites in the last deglacial reef frameworks (16–6 Ka BP) implies that the accurate study of their development patterns is of prime importance to unravel the evolution of reef architecture through time and to reconstruct the reef response to sea-level variations and environmental changes.The present study is based on the sedimentological and chronological analysis (¹⁴C AMS dating) of drill cores obtained during the IODP Expedition #310 “Tahiti Sea Level” on the successive terraces which typify the modern reef slopes from Tahiti. It provides a comprehensive data base to investigate the microbialite growth patterns (i.e. growth rates and habitats), to analyze their roles in reef frameworks and to reconstruct the evolution of the reef framework architecture during sea-level rise.The last deglacial reefs from Tahiti are composed of two distinctive biological communities: (1) the coralgal communities including seven assemblages characterized by various growth forms (branching, robust branching, massive, tabular and encrusting) that form the initial frameworks and (2) the microbial communities developed in the primary cavities of those frameworks, a few meters (1.5 to 6 m) below the living coral reef surface, where they heavily encrusted the coralgal assemblages to form microbialite crusts. The dating results demonstrate the occurrence of two distinctive generations of microbialites: the “reefal microbialites” which developed a few hundred years after coralgal communities in shallow-water environments, whereas the “slope microbialites” grew a few thousands of years later in significantly deeper water conditions after the demise of coralgal communities.The development of microbialites was controlled by the volume and the shape of the primary cavities of the initial reef frameworks determined by the morphology and the packing of coral colonies. The most widespread microbialite development occurred in frameworks dominated by branching, thin encrusting, tabular and robust branching coral colonies which built loose and open frameworks typified by a high porosity (> 50%). In contrast, their growth was minimal in compact coral frameworks formed by massive and thick encrusting corals where primary cavities yielded a low porosity (~ 30%) and could not host a significant microbialite expansion.     

Application of the Pi theorem to the wear rate of gouge formation in frictional sliding of rocks

A simple law of wear rate is examined for the process of gouge generation during the frictional sliding of simulated faults in rocks, by use of the Pi theorem method (dimensional analysis) and existing experimental data. The relationship between wear rate (t/d) and the applied stress can be expressed by the power-law relations $$\frac{t}{d} = C_\sigma \sigma ^{m\sigma } ,\frac{t}{d} = C_\tau \tau ^{m\tau }$$ wheret is the thickness of the gouge generated on the frictional surfaces,d is the fault displacement, σ and τ are normal stress and shear stress, respectively, andC _σ,C _τ,m _σ andm _τ are constants. These results indicate that the exponent coefficientsm _σ andm _τ and the coefficientsC _σ andC _τ depend on the material hardness of the frictional surfaces. By using the wear rates of natural faults, these power-law relationships may prove to be an acceptable palaeopiezometer of natural faults and the lithosphere.