Experimental calibration of sapphirine–spinel Fe–Mg exchange thermometer: Implication for constraints on P–T condition of Howard Hills, Napier Complex, East Antarctica

The Fe²⁺–Mg distribution coefficients between sapphirine and spinel:

were experimentally determined at pressures of 9–13 kbar and temperatures of 950–1150 °C using a natural ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) granulite with paragenesis of these minerals from the Napier Complex in East Antarctica [X_Mg = Mg / (Fe + Mg); X_Fe = Fe / (Fe + Mg)]. A new sapphirine–spinel geothermometer has been obtained as:

We applied the exchange thermometer to UHT or high-grade metamorphic rocks that were reported from various complexes in the world. If the K_D values of 2.63–4.34 obtained from low-Cr mineral pairs such as X_Cr^Spr < 0.016 and X_Cr^Spl < 0.047 were substituted into the equation, their temperature conditions would be estimated as 806–1050 °C at 11 kbar. The X_Cr means Cr / (Al + Cr(+ Fe³⁺)). These temperatures are reasonable retrograde or near peak metamorphic condition.     

High-temperature annealing of amoeboid olivine aggregates: Heating experiments on olivine–anorthite mixtures

Amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs) are composed of forsteritic olivine, Fe,Ni-metal, and Ca,Al-rich nodules consisting mainly of Al-diopside, spinel, and anorthite. Although the textures, shapes, and mineralogy of AOAs are consistent with their being aggregates of nebular condensates, some textures are in conflict with equilibrium condensation calculations, indicating that AOAs were not produced by a simple one-stage condensation. To examine the origin of the constituent minerals within AOAs and their textural relationships, we performed heating experiments using mineral mixtures analogous to those in AOAs. Isothermal and cooling experiments on forsterite + anorthite mixtures reveal that a high-Ca pyroxene phase forms via the incipient melting of the two minerals. Comparative studies of heating experiments performed using the mineralogy of AOAs suggest that Al-diopside in AOAs can be produced from a small degree of melting of forsterite and anorthite. The formation of Al-diopside in this way is consistent with the annealing textures observed in AOAs, and it may account for the discrepancy between the observed mineralogy of AOAs and the results of equilibrium condensation calculations, the occurrence of two types of diopside (Al,Ti-rich diopside and Al-diopside), and the variable Al₂O₃ content of Al-diopside.     

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.     

Surface morphological features of boulders on Asteroid 25143 Itokawa

On the sub-kilometer S-type asteroid, 25143 Itokawa, some boulders on rough terrains seem to be exposed without any powdery material covering. Based on surface morphological features, there are two major types of boulders: one has rounded edges and corners (rounded boulders), while the other has angular edges and corners (angular boulders). The surface features of the rounded boulders suggest that they have hardness heterogeneity and that some may be breccias. The angular boulders appear to be more resistant to impact disruption than the rounded ones, which may be due to a difference in lithology. The major constituents of Itokawa may be LL chondrite-like brecciated lithology (rounded boulders) along with a remarkable number of boulders suggesting that lithology is atypical among LL chondrites (angular boulders). Some of both types of boulders contain intersecting and stepped planar foliations. Comparison with meteorite ALH76009 suggests that the planar foliations may be marks where rocks were torn apart. As lithified breccias cannot be formed on present-day sub-kilometer-sized Itokawa, it is reasonable that boulders with various lithologies on Itokawa were formed on its large ancestor(s). The rubble-pile structure of Itokawa suggested by its low density (∼1.9 g/cm³) indicates that boulders on Itokawa are reassembled fragments formed by catastrophic disruption of large ancestor(s).     

Recent geological and hydrological activity on Mars: The Tharsis/Elysium corridor

The paradigm of an ancient warm, wet, and dynamically active Mars, which transitioned into a cold, dry, and internally dead planet, has persisted up until recently despite published Viking-based geologic maps that indicate geologic and hydrologic activity extending into the Late Amazonian epoch. This paradigm is shifting to a water-enriched planet, which may still exhibit internal activity, based on a collection of geologic, hydrologic, topographic, chemical, and elemental evidences obtained by the Viking, Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Mars Odyssey (MO), Mars Exploration Rovers (MER), and Mars Express (MEx) missions. The evidence includes: (1) stratigraphically young rock materials such as pristine lava flows with few, if any, superposed impact craters; (2) tectonic features that cut stratigraphically young materials; (3) features with possible aqueous origin such as structurally controlled channels that dissect stratigraphically young materials and anastomosing-patterned slope streaks on hillslopes; (4) spatially varying elemental abundances for such elements as hydrogen (H) and chlorine (Cl) recorded in rock materials up to 0.33 m depth; and (5) regions of elevated atmospheric methane. This evidence is pronounced in parts of Tharsis, Elysium, and the region that straddles the two volcanic provinces, collectively referred to here as the Tharsis/Elysium corridor. Based in part on field investigations of Solfatara Crater, Italy, recommended as a suitable terrestrial analog, the Tharsis/Elysium corridor should be considered a prime target for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) investigations and future science-driven exploration to investigate whether Mars is internally and hydrologically active at the present time, and whether the persistence of this activity has resulted in biologic activity.     

Alkalinization and acidification of stream water with changes in atmospheric deposition in a tropical dry evergreen forest of northeastern Thailand

Field surveys on atmospheric deposition and stream water chemistry were conducted in an evergreen forest in northeastern Thailand characterized by a tropical savanna climate with distinct dry and wet seasons. Atmospheric deposition of ion constituents by throughfall and stemflow was shown to increase in the beginning and end of the wet season, reflecting the precipitation pattern. The pH and electrical conductivity of stream water increased with alkalinity and base cation concentrations due to mineralization of organic matter by the first rain and retention of anions in soil during the start of the wet season. After initial alkalinization, the pH and alkalinity declined rapidly with the highest SO₄^2? concentration displayed in the middle towards the end of the wet season. The magnitude of peaks in SO₄^2? concentration (13.5–60.6 μmol_c/L) reflects deposition during the first 2 months of the wet season (March and April) in respective years (60.8–170 mol_c/ha). Release of SO₄^2? with H⁺, which is retained in soil during the early wet season, may cause acidification later in the season. The deposition and concentration of SO₄^2? declined over 6 years. However, the pH of stream water declined with increasing concentrations of SO₄^2? and other major ions. The release of materials accumulated in the ecosystem was facilitated by the decrease in SO₄^2? concentration/deposition and increased precipitation in the middle–late wet season. The retention‐release cycle of SO₄^2? largely contributed to both seasonal and interannual variations in stream water chemistry in the tropical savanna climate studied.     

Assessing the designs and effectiveness of Japan's emissions trading scheme

After years of discussions and trials, Japan's domestic emissions trading scheme remains purely voluntary. The newly elected Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has taken a firmer stance on climate change, initially intending to establish a nationwide mandatory cap-and-trade as early as 2011. This has promoted several questions regarding the possible designs and feasibility of such a scheme. This article describes the key features of the two trial schemes implemented, thus far, assesses the effectiveness of their implementation and discusses what will be the likely areas of contention should the Japanese government introduce a mandatory cap-and-trade in the future. The analyses indicate that the initial years of ‘Japan's Voluntary Emissions Trading Scheme’ (JVETS) implementation have shown positive performance, although its scale has remained limited. The ‘Trial Implementation of an Integrated Domestic Market for Emissions Trading’ emerged as a hybrid scheme, one that incorporated varying interests. Significant institutional developments have taken place in recent years, however the effectiveness of the present trial scheme also seems restricted.     

A New Aerodynamic Parametrization for Real Urban Surfaces

This study conducted large-eddy simulations (LES) of fully developed turbulent flow within and above explicitly resolved buildings in Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan. The more than 100 LES results, each covering a 1,000 $\times $ 1,000 m $^{2}$ area with 2-m resolution, provide a database of the horizontally-averaged turbulent statistics and surface drag corresponding to various urban morphologies. The vertical profiles of horizontally-averaged wind velocity mostly follow a logarithmic law even for districts with high-rise buildings, allowing estimates of aerodynamic parameters such as displacement height and roughness length using the von Karman constant $=$ 0.4. As an alternative derivation of the aerodynamic parameters, a regression of roughness length and variable Karman constant was also attempted, using a displacement height physically determined as the central height of drag action. Although both the regression methods worked, the former gives larger (smaller) values of displacement height (roughness length) by 20–25 % than the latter. The LES database clearly illustrates the essential difference in bulk flow properties between real urban surfaces and simplified arrays. The vertical profiles of horizontally-averaged momentum flux were influenced by the maximum building height and the standard deviation of building height, as well as conventional geometric parameters such as the average building height, frontal area index, and plane area index. On the basis of these investigations, a new aerodynamic parametrization of roughness length and displacement height in terms of the five geometric parameters described above was empirically proposed. The new parametrizations work well for both real urban morphologies and simplified model geometries.     

Comparative studies in method for stratigraphical structure measurement of ice cores: Identification of cloudy bands

1　IntroductionCloudybandsaretypicalstratigraphicstructureindeepicecoresandtheylookwhitecolorwhenaflorescentlightwasirradiated.InWisconsinice ageiceattheGreenland ,manycloudybandsarelocatedincoldperiodsiceandcloudybandsareusedfordatingofdeepicecoresincepairofseriescloudybandandclearlayercorrespondstoannuallayer(Alleyetal.1 997;Meeseetal.1 997) .AndcloudybandcorrespondstovolcaniclayerfortheAntarcticicecore (GowandWilliamson 1 976) .Therefore,identificationofcloudybandsisimportantworkfordatin…     

Determination of the Fe oxidation state of the Chassigny kaersutite: A microXANES spectroscopic study

Abstract— In order to elucidate the formation of low‐H kaersutites in Martian meteorites, the Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratio of Chassigny kaersutites in magmatic inclusions was directly determined by the synchrotron microXANES analysis. XANES analysis for standard kaersutites with known Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratios shows a linear relationship between centroid energy positions of XANES pre‐edge spectra and the Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratio. Based on the linear relationship, the Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratio of Chassigny kaersutites is estimated to be about 0.05. The low Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratio clearly suggests that low‐H kaersutites in Chassigny are not likely to be formed by the oxidation‐dehydrogenation reactions. The low‐H content of the Chassigny kaersutites is mainly due to the presence of a Ti oxy‐component.