New measurement technique for characterizing small extraterrestrial materials by X‐ray diffraction using the Gandolfi attachment

Identification and characterization of small extraterrestrial samples, such as small Antarctic meteorites <~1 cm, require the development of convenient laboratory‐based nondestructive analytical techniques using X‐ray diffraction (XRD). We explore the characterization criteria using an X‐ray diffractometer with a Gandolfi attachment using sub‐mm small fragments and powder aggregates for various kinds of stony meteorites and develop a new analytical technique. We primarily focus on olivine and pyroxene because they are the most abundant and important minerals for stony meteorite classification. A new calibration is performed to estimate the FeO content of the olivine in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, which is useful for determining the meteorite chemical group irrespective of powder aggregate diameter but dependent on fragment grain diameter. This is because X‐ray intensity absorption is more effective for grains than for powders. Clinoenstatite (Cen) and orthoenstatite (Oen) were distinguished using the presence or absence of the isolated Oen 511 index peak. The method is also applied to other stony meteorites including carbonaceous chondrites and achondrites. The XRD results are consistent with studies based on polished sections involving textural observations by scanning microscope and chemical compositions of the constituent minerals. The new measurement technique presented here is convenient because of its use in air by the laboratory‐based X‐ray diffractometer, which makes it useful for the initial analyses of restricted extraterrestrial sample characterization.     

Improvement in the Fault Boundary Conditions for a Staggered Grid Finite-difference Method

The staggered grid finite-difference method is a powerful tool in seismology and is commonly used to study earthquake source dynamics. In the staggered grid finite-difference method stress and particle velocity components are calculated at different grid points, and a faulting problem is a mixed boundary problem, therefore different implementations of fault boundary conditions have been proposed. Viriuex and Madariaga (1982) chose the shear stress grid as the fault surface, however, this method has several problems: (1) Fault slip leakage outside the fault, and (2) the stress bump beyond the crack tip caused by S waves is not well resolved. Madariaga et al. (1998) solved the latter problem via thick fault implementation, but the former problem remains and causes a new issue; displacement discontinuity across the slip is not well modeled because of the artificial thickness of the fault. In the present study we improve the implementation of the fault boundary conditions in the staggered grid finite-difference method by using a fictitious surface to satisfy the fault boundary conditions. In our implementation, velocity (or displacement) grids are set on the fault plane, stress grids are shifted half grid spacing from the fault and stress on the fictitious surface in the rupture zone is given such that the interpolated stress on the fault is equal to the frictional stress. Within the area which does not rupture, stress on the fictitious surface is given a condition of no discontinuity of the velocity (or displacement). Fault normal displacement (or velocity) is given such that the normal stress on the fault is continuous across the fault. Artificial viscous damping is introduced on the fault to avoid vibration caused by onset of the slip. Our implementation has five advantages over previous versions: (1) No leakage of the slip prior to rupture and (2) a zero thickness fault, (3) stress on the fault is reliably calculated, (4) our implementation is suitable for the study of fault constitutive laws, as slip is defined as the difference between displacement on the plane of z = + 0 and that of z = − 0, and (5) cessation of slip is achieved correctly.     

Coexisting different types of zoned garnet in kyanite‐quartz eclogites from the Sanbagawa metamorphic belt: Evidence of deformation‐induced lithological mixing during prograde metamorphism

Garnet grains in Sanbagawa quartz eclogites from the Besshi region, central Shikoku commonly show a zoning pattern consisting of core and mantle/rim that formed during two prograde stages of eclogite and subsequent epidote–amphibolite facies metamorphism, respectively. Garnet grains in the quartz eclogites are grouped into four types (I, II, III, and IV) according to the compositional trends of their cores. Type I garnet is most common and sometimes coexists with other types of garnet in a thin section. Type I core formed with epidote and kyanite during the prograde eclogite facies stage. The inner cores of types II and III crystallized within different whole‐rock compositions of epidote‐free and kyanite‐bearing eclogite and epidote‐ and kyanite‐free eclogite at the earlier prograde stage, respectively. The inner core of type IV probably formed during the pre‐eclogite facies stage. The inner cores of types II, III, and IV, which formed under different P–T conditions of prograde metamorphism and/or whole‐rock compositions, were juxtaposed with the core of type I, probably due to tectonic mixing of rocks at various points during the prograde eclogite facies stage. After these processes, they have shared the following same growth history: (i) successive crystal growth during the later stage of prograde eclogite facies metamorphism that formed the margin of the type I core and the outer cores of types II, III, and IV; (ii) partial resorption of the core during exhumation and hydration stage; and (iii) subsequent formation of mantle zones during prograde metamorphism of the epidote–amphibolite facies. The prograde metamorphic reactions may not have progressed under an isochemical condition in some Sanbagawa metamorphic rocks, at least at the hand specimen scale. This interpretation suggests that, in some cases, material interaction promoted by mechanical mixing and fluid‐assisted diffusive mass transfer probably influences mineral reactions and paragenesis of high‐pressure metamorphic rocks.     

Across-arc geochemical variation of Quaternary lavas in West Java, Indonesia: Mass-balance elucidation using arc basalt simulator model

The Sunda Arc of Indonesia developed along the convergent margin between the Eurasian and the Australian Plates. More than 100 Quaternary volcanic centers occur along the arc. The West Java Arc is a segment of the Sunda Arc in which more than 10 volcanic centers are located, corresponding to the 120 to 200 km depth contours of the Wadati–Benioff zone. The geochemistry of 207 Quaternary lavas from six centers across the arc was investigated. The lavas range from basalt to dacite. Incompatible element abundances increase from the volcanic front to the rear‐arc in response to a change from low‐K to high‐K suites. Nd–Sr isotope compositions of the basalts scatter between mid‐ocean ridge basalt (MORB) source mantle and Indian Ocean sediment (SED) compositions, with volcanic front low‐K basalts having more radiogenic Nd than the rear‐arc basalts. It is suggested that mixing between slab‐derived fluids mainly from the SED and melt from MORB source mantle played a significant role in determining the geochemistry of the West Java basalts. Incompatible element patterns in primitive mantle normalized multi‐element plots are almost identical across the arc, except for greater inclination and weaker positive Sr spikes in the rear‐arc basalts. This suggests a lower degree of partial melting in the rear‐arc mantle, accompanied by change in SED fluid composition between the volcanic front and the rear‐arc. The latter is confirmed by fluid‐fluxed melting model calculations using multiple trace elements and Nd and Sr isotopes. All the West Java Arc lavas require deficit of Sr from the slab SED. This may occur due to selective breakdown of Sr‐rich hydrous silicate minerals, such as zoisite, at shallower depths before the SED component reaches the depth of dehydration effective for magma genesis. The rear‐arc basalts need further Sr deficits along with lesser fluid. These features are commonly observed in many arc basalts, and are likely attributable to the same mechanism.     

Comparative Studies In The Local Circulations Induced By Land-Use And By Topography

A two-dimensional numerical model witha simplified land-use paramaterizationis used to investigate the effects of land usetopography on local circulationsystems. A criterion is presented indicating therelative importance of land use onlocal circulations.Land-use contrast in the numerical model is parameterized by moisture availability and roughness length. Numerical experiments were carried out under various atmospheric stabilities with various dimensions for the mountains.Numerical results show the following: (1) Anabatic winds prevail in high mountains,while the land–land breeze is stronger when the horizontal contrast of the heat fluxfrom each land surface is large. (2) In the early morning, anabatic winds tend to prevailover land–land breezes, but the land–land breeze tends to prevail in the later afternoon.(3) While atmospheric stability has a large influence on the mesoscale circulation, thehorizontal scale of the mountain is not as important for the intensity of the mesoscalecirculation. (4) In strong stable conditions or weak insolation, the anabatic wind tendsto be more active than the land–land breeze; namely, the heat flux from inhomogeneousland use becomes a less important factor for the generation of a mesoscale disturbancethan the orographic forcing in the case of strong atmospheric stability. (5) The predominantmesoscale circulation is predicted by a criterion based upon the horizontal adjustmenttheory of the mixed layer. The criterion proposed in this study is based on the mountainheight, the ratio of the heat flux from the different land use patterns, the atmospheric staticstability, and the time-integrated heat flux. The criterion gives results that generally agreewith the numerical results.     

Temporal stress variations along a seismogenic megasplay fault in the subduction zone: An example from the Nobeoka Thrust,southwestern Japan

The Nobeoka Thrust, an ancient megasplay fault in the Shimanto Belt, southwestern Japan, contains fault rocks from the seismogenic zone, providing an accessible analog of active megasplay faults in deep subduction settings. In this study, the paleostress along the Nobeoka Thrust was analyzed using multiple inversion techniques, including k‐means clustering of fault datasets acquired from drillcores that intersected the thrust. The six resultant stress orientation clusters can be divided into two general groups: stress solutions with north–south‐trending σ₁ axes, and those with east–west‐trending σ₁ axes. These groups are characterized by the temporal changes for the orientations of the σ₁ and σ₃ principal stress axes that involve alternation between horizontal and vertical. The findings are probably due to a change in stress state before and after earthquakes that occurred on the fault; similar changes have been observed in active tectonic settings, such as the 2011 Tohoku‐Oki earthquake (Japan).     

Variations in stress and driving pore fluid pressure ratio using vein orientations along megasplay faults : Example from the Nobeoka Thrust,Southwest Japan

The Nobeoka Thrust of Southwest Japan is an on‐land example of an ancient megasplay fault that provides an excellent record of deformation and fluid flow at seismogenic depths. The present study reports: (i) temporal stress changes for the seismogenic period of the Nobeoka Thrust; and (ii) spatial heterogeneities in driving pressure ratios P* obtained from mineral veins around the Nobeoka Thrust fault zone. Many quartz veins that filled mode I cracks can be observed in the hanging wall and footwall of the thrust. Inversion for stress orientation suggests that normal faulting dominated in both the hanging wall and footwall, with similar stress axis orientations in both. The orientation of σ₃ for the estimated stress regime is parallel to the slip direction of the Nobeoka Thrust. The detected normal‐faulting‐type stress regimes likely resulted from post‐seismic stress buildup after megathrust earthquakes. The hanging wall of the Nobeoka Thrust has smaller P* values than the footwall. Two possible explanations are proposed for the observed spatial variations in the driving pore fluid pressure ratio, P*: spatial variations in pore fluid pressure P_f are directly responsible for P* variations, or P* variations are controlled by differences in mechanical properties between the hanging wall and footwall.     

Tectonic incorporation of the upper part of oceanic crust to overriding plate of a convergent margin: An example from the Cretaceous–early Tertiary Mugi Mélange, the Shimanto Belt, Japan

A tectonic mélange exposed on land is examined to reveal relationships between mélange formation, underplating, and deformation mechanisms, focusing on the deformation of basaltic rocks. The studied Mugi Mélange of the Shimanto Belt is composed of a shale matrix surrounding various blocks of sandstone, pelagic sediments, and basalts. The mélange was formed during Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary times in a subduction zone under P–T conditions of 150–200 °C and 6–7 km depth as estimated from vitrinite reflectance and quartz veins fluid inclusions. The mélange represents a range of deformation mechanisms; pressure solution with micro-scale cataclasis in the shale matrix, brittle tension cracking in the blocks, and ubiquitous strong cataclasis in the basal portion of basaltic layers. The cataclastic deformation in the basalts suggests a breakage of a topographic high in the seismogenic depth.     

A composite analysis of diurnal cycle of GPS precipitable water vapor in central Japan during Calm Summer Days

Summary The diurnal variations of water vapor in central Japan were investigated with GPS-derived precipitable water (PWV) and surface meteorological data as classified to three kinds of locations. Twenty-five clear days in central Japan in August 2000 were investigated to clarify the role of water vapor in the nocturnal maximum in the diurnal cycle of convective rainfall. The diurnal variations of PWV and some meteorological factors were composite during the selected days at 6 stations. The PWV shows a clear diurnal cycle with the amplitude of 3.4 mm to 8.8 mm and changes little during the period from the morning to noon. The daily amplitude of PWV is the largest in basin and smallest in plain although mean of PWV keeps high value in plain. A typical feature of the diurnal variation in central Japan is a maximum appearing in the evening. The time of maximum is from 1800 LST to 2000 LST, and minima appears at noon nearly in mountainous area and basin, while in early morning in plain. The diurnal maximum of PWV appears earlier in mountainous region than in plain. A diurnal cycle of specific humidity can be observed in all locations, and the amplitude in mountainous region is especially large compared with that in basin and plain. It is important to notice that there are remarkable differences in specific humidity among the six stations. The results suggest that the diurnal variation of PWV seems to be strongly affected by the local thermal circulations generated by the topography around these stations. The moisture transport causes the differences in phase of the diurnal cycle of PWV between different locations as well as the phase difference in precipitation. A very clear diurnal variation in surface air temperature is similar to that of solar radiation, with a minimum in the morning and a maximum in early afternoon. Maximum of surface wind speed are corresponded to peak of precipitation very well. It can be concluded that the amplitude of solar radiation increases with altitude as opposed to the situation of PWV generally. The precipitation observed frequently in the evening also shows a similar diurnal variation to that of the PWV, indicating the peak of precipitation appearing in late afternoon or in the evening over central Japan. Meanwhile the PWV reaches its nocturnal maximum. There is a good relationship between the diurnal cycle of observed precipitation and that of the PWV. Authors’ addressess: Guoping Li, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Chengdu University of Information Technology, #3 Section 3, Ren Min Nan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China; Dingfa Huang, Department of Surveying Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China; Fujio Kimura, Tomonori Sato, Institute of Geoscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.     

Adjustable vertical vibration isolator with a variable ellipse curve mechanism

This paper presents a passive vertical quasi‐zero‐stiffness vibration isolator intended for relatively small objects. The present isolator has features of compactness, long stroke, and adjustability to various load capabilities. To realize these features, we use constant‐force springs, which sustain constant load regardless of their elongation, and propose a variable ellipse curve mechanism that is inspired by the principle of ellipsographs. The variable ellipse curve mechanism can convert the restoring force of the horizontally placed constant‐force springs to the vertical restoring force of the vibration isolator. At the same time as converting the direction, the vertical restoring force can be adjusted by changing the ratio of the semi‐minor axis to the semi‐major one of the ellipse. In this study, a prototype of a class of quasi‐zero‐stiffness vibration isolator with the proposed variable ellipse curve mechanism is created. Shaking table tests are performed to demonstrate the efficacy of the present mechanism, where the prototype is subjected to various sinusoidal and earthquake ground motions. It is demonstrated through the shaking table tests that the prototype can reduce the response acceleration within the same specified tolerance even when the mass of the vibration isolated object is changed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.