Temperature coefficients of elastic constants of single crystal MgO between 80 and 1,300 K

Elastic constants of single crystal MgO have been measured by the rectangular parallelepiped resonance (RPR) method at temperatures between 80 and 1,300 K. Elastic constants C _ij (Mbar=10³ kbar) and their temperature coefficients (kbar/K) are: $$\begin{gathered} {\text{ }}C_{{\text{11}}} {\text{ }}C_{{\text{12}}} {\text{ }}C_{{\text{44}}} {\text{ }}K_s {\text{ }}C_s \hfill \\ C_{ij} {\text{ 300 K 2}}{\text{.966 0}}{\text{.959 1}}{\text{.562 1}}{\text{.628 1}}{\text{.004}} \hfill \\ \partial C_{ij} {\text{/}}\partial T{\text{100 K }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.259 0}}{\text{.013 }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.072 }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.078 }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.136}} \hfill \\ {\text{ 300K }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.596 0}}{\text{.068 }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.122 }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.153 }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.332}} \hfill \\ {\text{ 800 K }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.619 0}}{\text{.009 }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.152 }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.200 }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.314}} \hfill \\ {\text{ 1,300 K }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.598 0}}{\text{.036 }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.130 }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.223 }} - {\text{0}}{\text{.218}} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ By combining the present results with the previous data on the thermal expansivity and specific heat, the thermodynamic properties of magnesium oxide are presented and discussed. The elastic parameters of MgO at very high temperatures in the earth's lower mantle are also clarified.     

Designs of medium scale hazard maps of mountain slopes in Japan

Conclusion The ultimate hill-slope hazard map may be a map showing the degree of hazard risk of each geomorphic units, but no such a quadangle sheet has been drawn yet. For the present, the exact distribution of the concave type hillslope, that is the slope of landslide or of talus, is still important for a practical use. And so, how to express the slope topography clearly is the first problem in making the medium scale geomorphic hazard sheet and then how to draw rapidly is the second. Some part of the two problems are solved by the computer mapping method using the finer degital elevation model.     

Middle Miocene to Pleistocene radiolarian biostratigraphy in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, ODP Leg 186

Abstract The Upper Cenozoic sedimentary sequences drilled at Sites 1150 and 1151, Ocean Drilling Program Leg 186, enabled establishment of radiolarian zonation and calibration of the age of bioevents in the forearc area of the northern Japan Islands. The sequences were divided into nine zones from the Pleistocene Botryostrobus aquilonaris Zone to the Upper Miocene Lipmanella redondoensis Zone at Site 1150, and 11 zones from the Pleistocene Stylatractus universus Zone to the Middle Miocene Dendrospyris? sakaii Zone at Site 1151. These zones correlate successfully with the studied sequences of many of deep‐sea cores in the Northwest Pacific Ocean and with some sections of onshore Japan. Of 67 important radiolarian bioevents recognized during the study, 29 Pleistocene to Upper Miocene events were directly tied to the geomagnetic polarity time scale through the well‐defined paleomagnetic polarity records, and 21 Upper Miocene events were calibrated based on the diatom biostratigraphy. Of these events, 24 geographically widespread events were selected to test synchroneity and usefulness as time‐horizons within the mid‐to‐high latitude of the Northwest Pacific, involving eight other offshore and onshore sections. Examination showed that most of the zonal boundary events are synchronous within the considered region, and that many diachronous events, most of which are eliminated from the zonal scheme, are unreliable events linked to rare and sporadic occurrences of the species. Radiolarian biostratigraphy of the studied cores clearly indicates three major hiatuses in the Middle Pleistocene, Late Miocene and late Middle Miocene. The latter two hiatuses can be correlated to two global oceanic hiatuses, NH6 and NH3, respectively.     

Yellow fluorescence from baghdadite and synthetic Ca3(Zr,Ti)Si2O9

Baghdadite from Fuka, Okayama Prefecture, Japan shows a bright yellow fluorescence under UV (Hg 253.7 nm) excitation. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum at 300 K consists of one large band near 580 nm and two small UV bands at 318 and 397 nm. The optical excitation spectrum of the bright yellow fluorescence consists of two bands near 220 and 250 nm. The temperature dependence of the PL intensity exhibits linear thermal quenching. To reveal the origin of the bright yellow fluorescence from baghdadite, powder Ca₃(Zr,Ti)Si₂O₉ crystals are synthesized. Synthetic Ca₃(Zr,Ti)Si₂O₉ shows luminescence spectra similar to those of baghdadite, and the intensity of the yellow fluorescence is markedly increased by titanium addition. The origin of the bright yellow fluorescence from baghdadite is ascribed to the existence of titanium.     

A Note on Seasonal Variation in Radiolarian Abundance

A statistical analysis of two consecutive sequences of observations on radiolarian abundances in the western North Pacific, by methods appropriate to data on the simplex (i.e., compositional data), show that although the overall graphical presentations of the frequencies appear similar, there are substantial differences in the earlier part of each of the series. The results of the multivariate analyses are used for identifying those species that contribute most to the analysis. A brief guide to the mathematical properties of compositional data is given.     

Behavior of Cu, Ni and Cd during nutrient depletion in a spring bloom in Funka Bay

The concentrations of Cu, Ni and Cd were determined in Funka Bay during a spring phytoplankton bloom, consisting of diatoms. Just after the bloom, both dissolved Cd and nutrients were removed in the euphotic zone. However, the removal ratio of Cd to phosphate was very different from that in seawater. The removal of Cd took place at a Cd/phosphate ratio of 0.07×10⁻³, which was lower than in seawater before the bloom (0.25×10⁻³), leading to an increase in this ratio in seawater exceeding 0.7×10⁻³ at the end of the bloom. Elevated concentrations of Cd and phosphate were observed in the deeper layer after the bloom due to the decomposition of detrital materials produced in the bloom. The ratio of Cd/phosphate in the regeneration step was 0.24×10⁻³ which was different from the removal ratio of 0.07×10⁻³. These observations suggest that the high Cd/phosphate ratio in the regeneration would reflect a relatively high regeneration rate of Cd than that of phosphate. No significant decrease in Cu and Ni concentrations was observed during the development of the bloom, suggesting that biological removal of these metals was not so significant during the spring bloom. The concentrations of Cd, Cu and silicate in surface waters increased after the bloom with decreasing salinity due to the influence of a spring thaw.     

High potential activity of extracellular alkaline phosphatase in deep waters of the central Pacific

We found high potential activities of alkaline phosphatase associated with particles (0.2 μm or greater size fraction) in deep waters (1000–4000 m) of the central Pacific Ocean. The potential enzyme activity at depth (0.03 – 0.3 nM h⁻¹) was up to 50% of that at the surface (0–125 m). In contrast, activities of α- and β-d-glucosidase in the deep layer were low (generally less than 1 % of those in the upper layer), yielding up to two orders of magnitude difference in the ratio of alkaline phosphatase and α- and β-d-glucosidase activities with depth. It is unlikely that the phosphatase is actively produced by microorganisms inhabiting the deep-sea environment, where labile organic carbon supply is limited and phosphate concentration is high (2.4 – 3.0 AM). Instead, deep-water phosphatase is probably supplied by rapidly sinking particles and their subsequent fragmentation and dissolution. Different distributions of phosphatase and glucosidase indicate that sinking particles of phytoplankton origin are an important source of alkaline phosphatase enzymes in the deep sea.     

Fine scale distribution of nitrous oxide in marine sediments

Vertical profiles of nitrous oxide and other inorganic nitrogen compounds in the sediments in Tokyo Bay and its vicinity were measured using the whole core squeezing method. Within the bay area, vertical profiles of nitrous oxide in the interstitial waters showed one or two distinctive peaks around the depth of 2–4 cm, which corresponded to the peaks of nitrite and nitrate. In situ formation of nitrous oxide through nitrification was suggested in those sediments, which was possibly activated by the presence of benthic animals. On the other hand, at the deep sediment off Tokyo Bay the profiles of nitrous oxide, nitrite and nitrate gave a monotonous single peak, indicating less bioturbated condition. Denitrification or dissimilatory nitrate reduction might be important for the formation of nitrous oxide peaks in the latter type of sediment.     

Silicate to Nitrate Ratio of the Upper Sub-Arctic Pacific and the Bering Sea Basin in Summer: Its Implication for Phytoplankton Dynamics

Consumption of silicate and nitrate (Si:N molar ratio) in the upper layer of the pelagic subarctic Pacific in summer was evaluated by a regression analysis of silicate vs. nitrate concentrations at the upper 100 m depth. Based on data of three cruises, the pelagic subarctic Pacific can be classified into two groups. First group is characterized by roughly 1:1 consumption of silicate and nitrate, and occupies rather larger area of subarcfic Pacific, i.e., the Gulf of Alaska and the Western Subarctic gyre (averaged slope of Si:N linear regression: 1.21, n = 10 and 1.45, n = 9, respectively). Second group is the regions of the Bering Sea basin and the Oyashio region, and showed higher silicate consumption compared to that of nitrate (averaged slope of Si:N linear regression: 2.14, n = 9 and 2.36, n = 3, respectively). The Si:N difference observed is possibly attributed to relative contribution of diatoms production among the phytoplankton assemblages in the regions, i.e., dominance of diatoms production in the regions of the second group. Higher accumulation of ammonium at the bottom of euphotic layer in the summer Bering Sea basin would also contribute to increase consumption ratio of Si:N amounts.