Effects of deforestation and weather on diurnal frost heave processes on the steep mountain slopes in south central Japan

Freezing and thawing processes play an important role for the gravitational transport of surface materials on steep mountain slopes in Japan. The effects of deforestation on frost heave activity were observed through the 2012/2013 winter season in Ikawa University Forest, a southern mountainous area in central Japan (1180–1310 m above sea level). During periods without snow cover, needle ice development prevailed at a clear‐cut site, and the downslope sediment movement of upper soil was 10 to 15 cm through the winter season. At a non‐cut site, rise and fall in the ground surface level prevailed on a weekly scale, with no evident downslope movements at the surface; ice lens formation in the soil layer is assumed. Abrupt changes in the radiation budget, such as the strengthening of nighttime radiative cooling and increases in daytime direct insolation, induced frequent development/deformation of needle ice at the clear‐cut site. In snow‐free periods, the day‐to‐day variability in needle ice growth length and in nighttime averaged net radiation showed significant correlations; cloudy weather with warmer and moist air intrusion associated with synoptic disturbances prevented the occurrence of needle ice. Namely, day‐to‐day weather changes directly affected the mass movement of the upper soil after deforestation. Shallow snow cover occurred discontinuously through the winter and is likely an important factor in keeping the soil moisture sufficiently high in the upper soil layer for initiating needle ice during snow‐free periods. We also discuss contributions of coastal extratropical cyclone activities providing both snow cover and cloudy weather in the southern mountain areas of central Japan to the intra‐seasonal variability in frost heave and its indirect effect on soil creep and landslides on the deforested steep slopes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

库木库里背斜活动性初步研究

库木库里盆地位于青藏高原北缘,与柴达木盆地一山之隔,是二者的过渡地带,也是高原主体部分向NE扩展的前缘地区;现今构造表现为被3条大型活动构造带(走滑的阿尔金断裂带、东昆仑断裂带和逆冲的祁漫塔格褶皱逆冲系)所夹持。因此,该盆地对于研究青藏高原北缘的构造活动性、活动历史,探讨高原的扩展模式具有十分重要的意义。虽然库木库里盆地南、北两侧均发育活动性很强的大型走滑断裂,但是在盆地中央发育1条大型背斜,走向NWW-SEE,与祁漫塔格褶皱逆冲系和柴达木盆地内的褶皱构造走向一致,说明盆地目前遭受NNE向的挤压。通过对盆地地形横、纵剖面和阶地展布形态的分析,得出背斜有自西向东扩展变形的特征;野外调查和测年结果显示,背斜东段冰川融水形成了大型冰水扇,形成年龄为(87.09±2.31)~(102.4±3.7)ka,进而获得背斜东段自晚更新世以来平均隆升速率的最大值为(2.78±0.28)~(3.28±0.28)mm/a。库木库里盆地整体的活动性很强,在构造上与其北边的柴达木盆地类似,都受控于阿尔金断裂南侧的NNE向的区域挤压作用。     

振动台试验对砂土地基中桩基础模型的动力反应研究

通过振动台试验,对群桩基础模型和桩筏基础模型在水平荷载作用下的动力反应进行了研究。试验内容包括对单独的地基模型;在地基模型中安装群桩基础模型;在地基模型中安装桩筏基础模型的3种振动试验和砂土的三轴试验。结果显示,如果能选择合理的相似性准则,可以利用振动台试验对桩基础在振动荷载下的动力行为进行分析。     

Numerical study of the oxidation process of dimethylsulfide in the marine atmosphere

A box model, involving simple heterogeneous reaction processes associated with the production of non-sea-salt sulfate (nss-SO ₄ ^2– ) particles, is used to investigate the oxidation processes of dimethylsulfide (DMS or CH₃SCH₃) in the marine atmosphere. The model is applied to chemical reactions in the atmospheric surface mixing layer, at intervals of 15 degrees latitude between 60° N and 60° S. Given that the addition reaction of the hydroxyl radical (OH) to the sulfur atom in the DMS molecule is faster at lower temperature than at higher temperature and that it is the predominant pathway for the production of methanesulfonic acid (MSA or CH₃SO₃H), the results can well explain both the increasing tendency of the molar ratio of MSA to nss-SO ₄ ^2– toward higher latitudes and the uniform distribution with latitude of sulfur dioxide (SO₂). The predicted production rate of MSA increases with increasing latitude due to the elevated rate constant of the addition reaction at lower temperature. Since latitudinal distributions of OH concentration and DMS reaction rate with OH are opposite, a uniform production rate of SO₂ is realized over the globe. The primary sink of DMS in unpolluted air is caused by the reaction with OH. Reaction of DMS with the nitrate radical (NO₃) also reduces DMS concentration but it is less important compared with that of OH. Concentrations of SO₂, MSA, and nss-SO ₄ ^2– are almost independent of NO _x concentration and radiation field. If dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO or CH₃S(O)CH₃) is produced by the addition reaction and further converted to sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) in an aqueous solution of cloud droplets, the oxidation process of DMSO might be important for the production of aerosol particles containing nss-SO ₄ ^2– at high latitudes.     

On the Life History ofTigriopus japonicus Mori (Copepoda)

This species is the neritic animal in warm waters, especially a large number of the species appear in the tide pool in spring to summer season. The species has the adaptability to the environment, namely, the species is eurythermal and euryhaline organism. Each nauplius stage ofT. japonicus changed into the next stage in 18 to 20 hours. After hatching the nauplius developed into the copepodite stage in 3 to 5 days. The nauplius is disk-shaped in outline. A small antennule is 3-segmented. The antenna and mandible are the assistant oral organs for foods rather than swimming ones. On the antenna the coxa has the process with the strong cutting edge, the basipodite is extremely small, the long endopodite has a hook and a seta ventrally, and a hook, a seta and a spine terminally, and the long exopodite has the setae of which the number was changed according to the stage. On the mandible the coxa with a seta is a bulge. The endopodite is a small mound, on this mound there are a strong hook and a few setae which were changed according to the stage. The exopodite has a ventral seta and a small and a long thick terminal setae. The caudal appendages are rudimentary. The maxillule first appears as a seta on the 2nd stage. On the copedite stage ofT. japonicus the segment of body is short. The cephalothoracic segments are indistinguishable from the abdominal segments. It is the character of Harpacticoida that the antennules are small. On this copedodite there are 6 stages as in the nauplius, but the last stage is the adult stage. The 1st and the 2nd stages changed into the next stage in 18 to 20 hours as in the nauplius. The 3rd to the 5th stages changed into the next stage within 1 day. After hatching the nauplius developed into the adult by 10 days. The period of each stage fluctuates according to the amount of foods which were supplied to the animal. On the starved condition the development of this animal does not occur by any means. The most of male have mated with the adult female, but some of them mated with the earlier stage, especially the 2nd copepodite stage female. The female which developed into the adult produced the first brood in a few minutes to 3 days. A period of the adult stage is assumed 1 to 2 months. A female produced 5～10 broods. After hatching of the brood the next brood was bred in a few minutes to 1 day. The female which was 0.9 mm in the mean length produced 30 eggs per a brood.     

Preliminary Examinations of the Ore-forming Process by Fluid Mixing – a Test of MIX99

Abstract: Possible ore deposition by fluid mixing was preliminarily examined using MIX 99, a FORTRAN program developed for simulating water-rock interactions. We consider mixing of two fluids, the low f_O2 and high temperature source fluid and the high f_O2 and low temperature seawater. Oxygen fugacity of a mixed fluid formed by titration of seawater into the source fluid gradually decreases with decreasing temperature (model A). Sequential precipitation of ore-forming minerals was examined in this model. On the other hand, simultaneous precipitation of the minerals could be followed by simulation of instantaneous overall mixing of the two fluids (model B). Results of simulation of the both models revealed that a temporal sequence of mineralization observed in the Karuizawa mine, NE Japan, can be formed by model A, while model B is suitable for the mineralization of an active chimney found in the Rainbow hydrothermal area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.     

An emission pathway for stabilization at 6?Wm?2 radiative forcing

Representative Concentration Pathway 6.0 (RCP6) is a pathway that describes trends in long-term, global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), short-lived species, and land-use/land-cover change leading to a stabilisation of radiative forcing at 6.0 Watts per square meter (Wm^?2) in the year 2100 without exceeding that value in prior years. Simulated with the Asia-Pacific Integrated Model (AIM), GHG emissions of RCP6 peak around 2060 and then decline through the rest of the century. The energy intensity improvement rates changes from 0.9% per year to 1.5% per year around 2060. Emissions are assumed to be reduced cost-effectively in any period through a global market for emissions permits. The exchange of CO₂ between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystem through photosynthesis and respiration are estimated with the ecosystem model. The regional emissions, except CO₂ and N₂O, are downscaled to facilitate transfer to climate models.     

Tectonic evolution along the northernmost border of the Philippine Sea plate since about 1 Ma

Recent structural, tephrochronologic and magnetostratigraphic studies conducted along the northernmost border of the Philippine Sea (PHS) plate enable us to reconstruct the precise tectonic evolution along the convergent boundary between the PHS plate and the Northeast Japan (NEJ) plate or the North American (NAM) plate since about 1 Ma. The authors of the present study split the tectonic evolution into five stages and present the characteristics of each stage. A plate tectonic interpretation is proposed, based upon the tectonic evolution, with special reference to the mode of convergent motion. In brief, our interpretations are as follows: the relative motion between the PHS and the NEJ plates was not recognized geologically within the area studied from about 1.0 to 0.9 Ma (Stage 1), suggesting either none or small influence from the coupling between the two plates during that period of time. Convergence between the PHS and the NEJ plates was possibly in N-S direction from 0.9 to 0.5 Ma (Stage II), and probably north-northwestward since 0.5 Ma (Stages III to V). The mode of the convergent motion was that of buoyant subduction in Stages II and III. The mode changed gradually from buoyant subduction during Stage IV to collision in Stage V (0.07 Ma to the present).     

Nankai Trough and Zenisu Ridge: a deep-sea submersible survey

Eight submersible dives between 3000 and 4200 m water depth were made off southern Japan in the eastern Nankai subduction zone. Benthic communities associated with chemosynthetic processes were discovered along the 800 m wide active tectonic zone, at the toe of the accretionary prism. A benthic community was also discovered along a zone of active compression, at the foot of Zenisu Ridge, 30 km south of Nankai Trough. Temperature measurements within the sediments below the benthic communities confirm that upward motion of interstitial water occurs there. Studies of water samples indicate advection of methane and light hydrocarbons. Specimens of the benthic community have been shown to have included in their shells carbonate resulting from methane consumption. Thus the benthic communities are related to overpressure-driven fluid advection along tectonic zones with active surface deformation. A 300 m high active scarp at the toe of the accretionary prism is related to relative motion in a 280° direction which is close to the 305° average direction of subduction in this area. The dives establish further that compressive deformation is presently occurring at the foot of Zenisu Ridge. The previous interpretation of the Zenisu Ridge as a zone of recent north-south intraplate shortening, 40 km south of the Nankai Trench, is confirmed. We conclude that tectonic evolution might well lead to future detachment of the Zenisu Ridge and overthrusting of this large piece of oceanic crust over the continental margin. Such a process might be an efficient one to emplace ophiolites over continents.