Geochemical Changes in Spring Water Associated with the 2000 Eruption of the Miyakejima Volcano, Japan

Water was sampled from eight springs and a lake in volcanic Miyakejima Island of Japan after the 2000 eruption. Major chemical and isotopic compositions of the water were analyzed. Significant increases of sulfate ion are observed in several springs where the thickness of ejecta exceeds 32 mm. A good relationship of Cl/S mole ratios between spring water and leachate of the ejecta is observed. Sulfur isotopic compositions of the spring water become close to that of leachate of the ejecta as time elapses after the eruption. Consequently the sources of the added sulfate ion in the spring water after the eruption are interpreted to be anhydrite and adhered sulfur of the ejecta.     

Development of peer‐to‐peer (P2P) internet online hybrid test system

A new Internet online hybrid test system, designated the ‘peer‐to‐peer (P2P) Internet online hybrid test system’, is proposed. In the system, the simulated structure is divided into multiple substructures, and each substructure is analysed numerically or tested physically in parallel at geographically distributed locations. The equations of motion are not formulated for the entire structure but for each substructure separately. Substructures are treated as highly independent systems, and only standard I/O, i.e. displacements and forces at the boundaries, are used as interfaces. A ‘Coordinator’ equipped with an iterative algorithm based on quasi‐Newton iterations is developed to achieve compatibility and equilibrium at boundaries. A test procedure, featuring two rounds of quasi‐Newton iterations and using assumed elastic stiffness, is adopted to avoid iteration for the substructure being tested physically. A fast and stable solution using a socket mechanism is developed for data exchange over the Internet. Demonstration tests applied to a base‐isolated structure was conducted, and the results are compared with an online hybrid test using the conventional test method. The results obtained from the P2P Internet hybrid test match very closely those obtained from the conventional tests. Investigations are also carried out on time consumption and control accuracy. The results show that the Internet data exchange solution using the socket mechanism is fast, and tests were completed successfully under the constructed Internet online hybrid test environment. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Volcanism in the earliest stage of back-arc rifting in the Izu-Bonin arc revealed by laser-heating Ar/Ar dating

The back-arc region of the Izu-Bonin arc has complex bathymetric and structural features, which, due to repeated back-arc rifting and resumption of arc volcanism, have prevented us from understanding the volcano-tectonic history of the arc after 15 Ma. The laser-heating ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating technique combined with high density sampling of volcanic rocks from the back-arc region of this arc successfully revealed the detailed temporal variation of volcanism related to the back-arc rifting. Based on the new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating results: (1) Back-arc rifting initiated at around 2.8 Ma in the middle part of the Izu-Bonin arc (30°30′N–32°30′N). Volcanism at the earliest stage of rifting is characterized by the basaltic volcanism from north–south-trending fissures and/or lines of vents. (2) Following this earliest stage of volcanism, at ca. 2.5 Ma, compositionally bimodal volcanism occurred and formed small cones in the wide area. This volcanism and rifting continued until about 1 Ma in the region west of the currently active rift zone. (3) After 1 Ma, active volcanism ceased in the area west of the currently active rift zone, and volcanism and rifting were confined to the currently active rift zone. The volcano-tectonic history of the back-arc region of the Izu-Bonin arc is an example of the earliest stage of back-arc rifting in the oceanic island arc. Age data on volcanics clearly indicate that volcanism changed its mode of activity, composition and locus along with a progress of rifting.     

Sequence-stratigraphic signatures of hemipelagic siltstones in deep-water successions: the Lower Pleistocene Kiwada and Otadai Formations, Boso Peninsula, Japan

Sequence-stratigraphic signatures of hemipelagic siltstones were investigated using profiles of the magnetic susceptibility and selected chemical composition of the Early Pleistocene deep-water successions of the Kiwada and Otadai Formations on the Boso Peninsula, Japan. In the context of an independently developed sequence-stratigraphic framework for the submarine-fan deposits of the Otadai Formation, the magnetic susceptibility and chemical composition, such as the concentrations of TiO₂, MgO and Fe₂O₃, show that the lowstand systems tract deposits have higher values of these parameters than the transgressive and highstand systems tract deposits. In contrast, the CaO contents have inverse relationships with the magnetic susceptibility and are higher in the transgressive and highstand systems tract deposits. The positions of sequence boundaries largely coincide with the horizons from which the magnetic susceptibility and the contents of mafic component increase abruptly. The sequence-stratigraphic variations in the magnetic susceptibility and chemical composition of the submarine-fan hemipelagic siltstones are due to increases in the input of fine-grained, terrigenous clastic sediments from midwater flow suspension, in addition to the direct fluvial supply of relatively unmodified terrigenous clastic sediments during relative sea-level lowstands, although grain size of hemipelagic siltstones does not exhibit any distinct variation through depositional sequences. The Kiwada Formation is characterized by siltstone-dominated basin-plain deposits and its sequence-stratigraphic classification has been difficult when using just lithofacies features. Nevertheless, the profiles of the magnetic susceptibility and chemical composition of the basin-plain deposits are similar to those of the submarine-fan deposits with duration largely equivalent to the 41,000-years obliquity cycle of the Early Pleistocene oxygen isotope sea-level index. This finding indicates that the profiles of the magnetic susceptibility and chemical composition of hemipelagic siltstones reflect sequence-stratigraphic variation in the input of fine-grained terrigenous clastic sediments to the deep-water environments and are crucial for the recognition of cryptic sequence boundaries in hemipelagic successions.     

Chemical Diversity of the Ueno Basalts, Central Japan: Identification of Mantle and Crustal Contributions to Arc Basalts

The Ueno Basalts of central Japan comprise a monogenetic volcaniccone complex that was active between 2·76 and 1·34Ma. Basalts were erupted at more than 14 centers scattered overa region 40 km in diameter. Alkali basalt was erupted first,followed by sub-alkaline basalt. Quasi-concentric expansionof eruption centers coinciding with uplift and with decreasingalkalinity of the lavas suggests that Ueno magmatism originatedfrom a mantle diapir as it mushroomed at the base of the lithosphere.Depleted asthenospheric mantle (alkali basalt), enriched lithosphericmantle (sub-alkaline basalt), and crustal components are identifiedas chemical end-members in the petrogenesis of the Ueno Basalts.Incompatible trace element abundances indicate that the Uenoalkali basalts are typical within-plate basalts, whereas thesub-alkaline basalts show strong affinities with normal arclavas. Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions indicate thatthe mantle source of the alkali basalts was more depleted thanthat of the sub-alkaline basalts. About 7% melting of asthenosphericmantle in the garnet-lherzolite stability field produced theprimitive alkali basalts and 12% melting of spinel lherzolitewithin the subcontinental lithosphere produced the primitivesub-alkaline basalts. Isotopic compositions and fluid mobile/immobileelement ratios broadly covary with SiO₂ contents in the sub-alkalinesuite, and increasing silica content is associated with strongerEMII (Enriched Mantle II) isotope affinities and fluid mobileelement abundances. A progressive AFC (assimilation–fractionalcrystallization) model assuming assimilation of a low-K silicicmelt reproduces the chemical variations observed in the sub-alkalinesuite. Melting of a flattening mantle diapir at the base ofthe lithosphere is the dominant cause of Ueno magmatism, accompaniedby the assimilation of older arc crust. KEY WORDS: arc basalt; crustal assimilation; mantle heterogeneity; Ueno Basalts     

Volcanism in nascent back-arc basins behind the Shichito Ridge and adjacent areas in the Izu-Ogasawara arc,northwest Pacific: evidence for mixing between E-type MORB and island arc magmas at the initiation of back-arc rifting

Mineral chemistry, major and trace elements, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios are presented for 29 igneous rocks dredged from the northern portion of the Izu-Ogasawara arc. These rocks are compositionally bimodal. Basement gabbro and trondhjemite from the arc are extremely poor in K₂O (0.05–0.19%) and Rb (0.48–0.62 ppm), and their REE patterns and Sr isotope ratios indicate that there are island arc tholeiites. Quaternary volcanic rocks from the present volcanic front (Shichito Ridge; active arc), back-arc seamounts (east side; inactive arc) and Torishima knoll between the two back-arc depressions (incipient back-arc basins) behind the active arc have the same geochemical characteristics as the above plutonic rocks though they are not as depleted in K and Rb. Rhyolite pumice from the backarc depression is also the depleted island arc tholeiite, whereas basalts from the depression have compositions that are transitional between MORB and island arc tholeiites in trace element (Ti, Ni, Cr, V, Y and Zr) and mineral chemistries. The back-arc depression basalts have relatively high Ba_N/Ce_N(0.66–1.24), Ce_n/Yb_N(1.1–1.9) and K/Ba(45–105) and low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70302–0.70332) and Ba/Sr (0.1–0.2), which are similar to other back-arc basin basalts and E-type MORB, but are quite unlike the depleted island arc tholeiites. The diverse trace element and Sr isotope compositions of basalt-andesite from the back-arc depressions imply the interplay between E-type MORB and island arc tholeiite. These chemical characteristics and the relationships of (Ce/Yb)_N vs (Ba/Ce)_N and (Ce/Yb)_N vs ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr suggest that the back-arc depression magmas are generated by mixing of E-type MORB and depleted island arc tholeiite magmas. Geochemical characters of the associated rhyolite from the depression are compatible with partial melting of lower crust.     

On sexual dimorphism in Paleoparadoxia tabatai

Abstract Upon studying the well preserved skulls referred to Paleoparadoxia tabatai from Japan, the short and low skull of the Yanagawa specimen requires an explanation. Six cranial and dental characters lead us to suggest that the Yanagawa individual is a female while the Izumi, Ohnohara, and Itsukaichi skulls are male. The important characters in the Yanagawa skull are its shortness and shallow depth, less pronounced sagittal and nuchal crests, smaller zygoma, and the small dentition with especially poorly erupted canines, most of which are indicative of weak masticatory musculature.     

Warped temperature profiles observed in the sediment of geothermally active areas in the Japan Sea— A hypothesis of double diffusive sinking

Some temperature profiles observed in sea floor sediments of the Japan Sea, west of the northern part of Honshu, show distinct gradients changing with depth, for which we use the term warping. Using a simplified model, this warping can be attributed to an abrupt temperature change in the bottom water just above the sediment. The bottom water temperature change might be explained by the hypothesis that warm and salt surface water in the region sank to the sea bottom, through colder and less saline water, maintaining a relatively warmer temperature than the bottom water which originates from ordinary lateral intrusion.     

三丁基氧化锡(TBTO)对太平洋牡蛎性成熟的影响

利用流水饲养法研究了不同浓度的三丁基氧化锡 (0 .5 μg/ L和 1.0 μg/ L TBTO)对太平洋牡蛎卵巢中卵母细胞直径、RNA/ DNA比、蛋白质和卵黄蛋白含量的影响。卵母细胞径的增长在0 .5 μg/ L实验组受到阻碍 ,并随着 TBTO浓度的增大而更加明显。TBTO暴露组的 RNA/ DNA比在精巢中无明显变化 ,但在卵巢中显著低于对照组。 TBTO暴露组的卵巢中蛋白质和卵黄蛋白含量显示了与 RNA/ DNA比相同的变化趋势 ,表明 TBTO的积累阻碍卵黄蛋白的合成。TBTO暴露4 2 d采集的牡蛎样品中出现 3个雌雄同体 ,暗示 TBTO可能引起牡蛎发生性转变进而产生雌雄同体     

Hf–Nd isotope constraints on the origin of Dehshir Ophiolite,Central Iran

The peri‐Arabian ophiolite belt, from Cyprus in the west, eastward through Northwest Syria, Southeast Turkey, Northeast Iraq, Southwest Iran, and into Oman, marks a 3000 km‐long convergent margin that formed during a Late Cretaceous (ca 100 Ma) episode of subduction initiation on the north side of Neotethys. The Zagros ophiolites of Iran are part of this belt and are divided into Outer (OB) and Inner (IB) Ophiolitic Belts. We here report the first Nd–Hf isotopic study of this ophiolite belt, focusing on the Dehshir ophiolite (a part of IB). Our results confirm the Indian mid‐oceanic ridge basalt (MORB) mantle domain origin for the Dehshir mafic and felsic igneous rocks. All lavas have similar Hf isotopic compositions, but felsic dikes have significantly less‐radiogenic Nd isotopic compositions compared to mafic lavas. Elevated Th/Nb and Th/Yb in felsic samples accompany nonradiogenic Nd, suggesting the involvement of sediments or continental crust.