Velocity Field of the Oyashio Region Observed with Satellite-Tracked Surface Drifters during 1999–2000

Based on the surface drifters that moved out from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Pacific, the surface velocity fields of mean, eddy, and tidal components in the Oyashio region are examined for the period September 1999 to August 2000. Along the southern Kuril Island Chain, the Oyashio Current, having a width of ∼100 km, exists with velocities of 0.2–0.4 m s⁻¹. From 40°N to 43°N, the Subarctic Current flows east- or northeastward with velocities of 0.1–0.3 m s⁻¹, accompanied by a meandering Oyashio or Subarctic front. Between the Oyashio and Subarctic current regions, an eddy-dominant region exists with both cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies. The existence of an eastward flow just south of Bussol' Strait is suggested. The 2000 anticyclonic warmcore ring located south of Hokkaido was found to have a nearly symmetric velocity structure with a maximum velocity of ∼0.7 m s⁻¹ at 70 km from the eddy center. Diurnal tidal currents with a clockwise tidal ellipse are amplified over the shelf and slope off Urup and Iturup Islands, suggesting the presence of diurnal shelf waves. From Lagrangian statistics, the single-particle diffusivity is estimated to be ∼10 × 10⁷ cm²s⁻¹.     

The 20°C isotherm depth and sea level in the western equatorial pacific

A high correlation exists between the 20°C isotherm depth at the north equatorial countercurrent trough of dynamic topography and the monthly mean sea level at Truk Island. The meridional topography of the main thermocline depth can be used to monitor the strength of the equatorial currents, in the same manner as dynamic heights and sea levels at oceanic islands are used.     

Water circulation in the kuril basin of the Okhotsk Sea and its relation to eddy formation

This paper describes the water circulation in the Kuril Basin and its role in the formation and seasonal variation in intensity of the large anticyclonic eddies which occur in the basin. Oceanographic data for the period June 1977 through June 1979 suggest that these eddies develop in summer and decay in winter. In summer, the eddy development is associated with a deepening of the isopycnals caused by the surface flow of the Soya Warm Current over the basin, and the deep advection of cold, less saline, oxygen-rich water from Terpenia Bay and the eastern continental shelf of Sakhalin Island. In winter, the eddy decay is caused by surface cooling and convective mixing downward of the warm, saline surface water, which causes the isopycnals to rise and leads to an attenuation of the eddies. This combination of the summer influx of water into the region, and the fall and winter cooling of the eddies leads to the annual variation in eddy intensity.     

Radar observations of the asteroid 2011 UW158

In July 2015 intercontinental bistatic radar observations of the potentially dangerous asteroid 2011 UW158 during its close approach to the Earth were carried out. The asteroid was illuminated at a frequency of 8.4 GHz with the 70-m DSS-14 antenna of the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, while the signal reflected from the asteroid was received with the 32-m radio telescopes of the Quasar VLBI network at the Zelenchukskaya and Badary Observatories. The spectra of the reflected radio signals were obtained. The sizes and rotation period of the asteroid consistent with photometric observations and the ratio of the powers of the reflected signals with left- and right-hand circular polarizations were determined. The derived values suggest that the asteroid has an inhomogeneous surface and a prolate shape. The observations of the Doppler shift of the reflected signal frequency were obtained, which allowed the orbital parameters of the asteroid to be improved.     

Sulfur Isotope Study on Hg and Sb Deposits in Japan

Abstract. Sulfur isotope ratios of cinnabar from Hg deposits and stibnite, jamesonite and berthierite from Sb deposits in Japan are examined in order to understand metallogeneses of Hg and Sb deposits in Japanese island arcs. The studied Hg and Sb deposits include the Hg deposit at Yamato‐suigin (Honshu) and the Sb deposit at Ichinokawa (Shikoku) in the Southwest Japan arc. In addition, Hg deposits including Itomuka and Ryushoden in central Hokkaido and Hg and Sb mineralizations in Northeast Japan arc are examined. The δ³⁴S values of cinnabar from the Hidaka‐Kitami district, central Hokkaido, including the Itomuka and Ryushoden deposits range widely, from ‐10 to +16 %o, the highest values encountered at the Samani deposit. The δ³⁴S values of cinnabar from other areas in Japan range from ‐12 to +5 %o, having δ³⁴S values higher than +2 %o from southwestern Hokkaido (Meiji deposit), Shikoku (Suii deposit) and Kyushu (Hasami and Yamagano deposits). On the other hand, the δ³⁴S values of stibnite from all areas in Japan range from ‐14 to +5 %o, having positive δ³⁴S values higher than +2 %o up to +5 %o from southwestern Hokkaido (Yakumo, Toyotomi and Teine deposits) and eastern‐central Honshu (Hachiman and Daikoku deposits). The variation in δ³⁴S values of Hg and Sb deposits may reflect the variation in δ³⁴S values of country rocks or variation in mixing ratio of sulfur extracted from the country rocks, sulfur derived from seawater sulfate, and sulfur derived from magmatic emanations. The relatively high δ³⁴S values of cinnabar and stibnite higher than +2 %o from southwestern Hokkaido, eastern‐central Honshu and Kyushu are probably caused by contribution of volcanic emanation from arc magmas having positive σδ³⁴S values, whereas the positive δ³⁴S values of cinnabar higher than +2 %o from Suii deposit in Shikoku may be attributed to structurally substituted sulfate in limestone country rocks and/or sulfur derived from seawater sulfate. However, the wide range of the δ³⁴S values of cinnabar from the Hidaka‐Kitami district, central Hokkaido, is difficult to explain at this moment. Other relatively low, negative δ³⁴S values of cinnabar and stibnite, berthierite from other areas in Japan may be attributed to 1) incorporation of isotopically light sedimentary sulfur or sulfur derived from ilmenite‐series silicic magma, or 2) less contribution of volcanic emanation from arc magmas having positive σδ³⁴S values.     

High‐pressure polymorphs in Yamato‐790729 L6 chondrite and their significance for collisional conditions

Shock pressure recorded in Yamato (Y)‐790729, classified as L6 type ordinary chondrite, was evaluated based on high‐pressure polymorph assemblages and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra of maskelynite. The host‐rock of Y‐790729 consists mainly of olivine, low‐Ca pyroxene, plagioclase, metallic Fe‐Ni, and iron‐sulfide with minor amounts of phosphate and chromite. A shock‐melt vein was observed in the hostrock. Ringwoodite, majorite, akimotoite, lingunite, tuite, and xieite occurred in and around the shock‐melt vein. The shock pressure in the shock‐melt vein is about 14–23 GPa based on the phase equilibrium diagrams of high‐pressure polymorphs. Some plagioclase portions in the host‐rock occurred as maskelynite. Sixteen different CL spectra of maskelynite portions were deconvolved using three assigned emission components (centered at 2.95, 3.26, and 3.88 eV). The intensity of emission component at 2.95 eV was selected as a calibrated barometer to estimate shock pressure, and the results indicate pressures of about 11–19 GPa. The difference in pressure between the shock‐melt vein and host‐rock might suggest heterogeneous shock conditions. Assuming an average shock pressure of 18 GPa, the impact velocity of the parent‐body of Y‐790729 is calculated to be ~1.90 km s^?1. The parent‐body would be at least ~10 km in size based on the incoherent formation mechanism of ringwoodite in Y‐790729.     

Topotaxic relationships between spinel and pyroxene in kelyphite after garnet in mantle-derived peridotites and their implications to reaction mechanism and kinetics

Kelyphite is a reaction product between garnet and olivine, which was formed by subsolidus reactions upon decompression during the ascent of mantle peridotite. We studied crystallographic relationships among constituent (product) phases of kelyphite ?C orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, spinel and reactant phases, garnet and olivine, using EBSD and found that, for a relatively high temperature sample (from Czech Moldanubian), spinel and pyroxenes are in a topotaxic relationship in such a way that spinel {111} coincides with pyroxene (100) and spinel {110} coincides with pyroxene (010); while the topotaxy is incomplete or non for a lower-temperature sample (from western Norway). On the basis of the observed microstructural and crystallographic relationships, we propose a hypothesis that the topotaxic relationship may be established at nucleation stages of the onset of the kelyphitization and that the degree of topotaxy may be related to the transformation temperature and the degree of supersaturation of the reaction. The lower the temperature, the higher the supersaturation and, therefore, more rapid the nucleation becomes, resulting in a more disordered state in topotaxic relationship.     

River Water Pollution in Developed and Developing Countries: Judge and Assessment of Physicochemical Characteristics and Selected Dissolved Metal Concentration

To compare water quality in rivers of developed and developing countries, a study based on physicochemical parameters and dissolved metals levels was conducted. Water samples were collected from selected sites in Dhaka, Bangladesh; Hokkaido and Osaka, Japan; Erdenet, Mongolia and West Java, Indonesia. Analysis of least significant differences revealed that most water quality parameters were within comparable low levels in both developed and developing countries. The dissolved metals concentrations were found to be similar and below those of water standards except for manganese and cadmium at every sampling point, and lead in Erdenet, Mongolia. Some metals showed high enrichment factors in the rivers of Osaka, Japan and Erdenet, Mongolia, indicating accumulation possibility of metals in the river‐bed sediments. High concentrations of dissolved organic carbon, Escherichia coli and dissolved metals suggested greater water pollution in some rivers of developing countries than in the rivers of Japan. Principal component analysis showed strong correlations between “dissolved organic carbon and chemical oxygen demand” and “conductivity and total dissolved solids” at each sampling point, and E. coli, nitrate (NO), nitrite (NO), and pH levels were found to be higher in the rivers of Dhaka and Erdenet. In addition, there were high levels of Al and Zn in West Java, Pb in Erdenet, and Mn, Fe, and Cr in the rivers of Dhaka and Japan. Based on pressures and impacts, it is evident that dissolved metal, organic, and fecal pollution in the rivers of developing countries are in somewhat dreadful condition in comparison with the rivers of developed country.