Hydrochemical characteristics of throughfall and stemflow in a Moso‐bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forest

To investigate the impacts of the invasion by bamboo on fluxes of nutrients and pollutants, the nutrient/pollutant fluxes and canopy interactions, including neutralization of acidity, leaching and uptake of nitrogen (N), were characterized in conjunction with rainfall partitioning in a Moso‐bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forest. Measurements of precipitation volume, pH, major ions, and silicate (SiO₂) in rainfall, throughfall and stemflow were collected weekly in a Moso‐bamboo forest located in Munakata City, Western Japan for 1 year. Results showed that rainfall partitioning into stemflow was larger than that for other types of forest, which may be due to the properties of Moso‐bamboo forest structure, such as a straight and smooth culm. Inorganic N (NO₃⁻ + NH₄⁺) and S (SO₄²⁻) fluxes of throughfall and stemflow were approximately 1·6 and 1·3 times higher than that of rainfall, respectively. Contribution of stemflow flux to inorganic N and S fluxes to the forest floor was high. This could be due to lower uptake of inorganic N through culm and a higher rainfall partitioning into stemflow than that for other types of forest. The Moso‐bamboo canopy neutralized rainfall acidity, reducing the fluxes of potentially acidifying compounds via throughfall and stemflow. Canopy leaching of K⁺ was distinctly higher than that of Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ and could be related to the high mobility of K⁺ in plant tissues. Cl⁻ and SiO₂ were readily leached as for K⁺. The impact of the invasion by bamboo on nutrient cycling was discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial variations in throughfall in a Moso bamboo forest: sampling design for the estimates of stand‐scale throughfall

We investigated the spatial and seasonal variations in throughfall (Tf) in relation to spatial and seasonal variations in canopy structure and gross rainfall (Rf) and assessed the impacts of the variations in Tf on stand‐scale Tf estimates. We observed the canopy structure expressed as the leaf area index (LAI) once a month and Tf once a week in 25 grids placed in a Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forest for 1 year. The mean LAI and spatial variation in LAI did have some seasonal variations. The spatial variations in Tf reduced with increasing Rf, and the relationship between the spatial variation and the Rf held throughout the year. These results indicate that the seasonal change in LAI had little impact on spatial variations in Tf, and that Rf is a critical factor determining the spatial variations in Tf at the study site. We evaluated potential errors in stand‐scale Tf estimates on the basis of measured Tf data using Monte Carlo sampling. The results showed that the error decreases greatly with increasing sample size when the sample size was less than ～8, whereas it was near stable when the sample size was 8 or more, regardless of Rf. A sample size of eight results in less than 10% error for Tf estimates based on Student's t‐value analysis and would be satisfactory for interception loss estimates when considering errors included in Rf data. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distribution of crustal fluids in Northeast Japan as inferred from resistivity surveys

We carried out magnetotelluric (MT) surveys in central northeastern Japan. Two-dimensional resistivity profiles along three survey lines show similar features each other. By comparing the resistivity distribution to the distribution of seismic velocities, we inferred the distribution and flow of crustal fluids. Three fluid flow paths were detected based on the distribution of regions of low resistivity. The first path ascends from the top of the upper mantle, passes through the lower crust, and reaches the surface, forming a fluid chamber within the lower or middle crust. This path is related to the volcanic activity in the backbone range. The second path rises from the first fluid chamber and has produced small fluid reservoirs on both sides of the backbone range. These small reservoirs are considered to be related to the seismicity of the region. The third path is located to the east of the volcanic front and represents another fluid flow path from the uppermost mantle to the lower crust that may have formed a small fluid reservoir to the east of the volcanic front.     

Survey of dioxins in Tokyo Bay bottom sediment

This paper examines dioxin profiles in bottom sediments from Tokyo Bay, Japan using sedimentation dating based on 210Pb measurements and dioxin measurements based on particle size distributions. Dioxin concentrations in surface sediment ranged from 3.2 to 52 pg-TEQ g(-1), with the concentrations in the bay back and central region being higher than those at the front of the bay. The vertical dioxin concentration in sediment core samples showed peak levels from years 1962 to 1980, with the maximum being 110 pg-TEQ g(-1). Principal component analysis indicates that the main source of dioxins in bottom sediment from the back of bay are herbicides such as CNP, while in the front of bay atmospheric deposition due to incineration activities are responsible. Dioxins in bottom sediment were mainly found in the particles <75 microm in size.     

A THEORETICAL STUDY ON THE MULTIPLE EQUILIBRIA OF TROPICAL ATMOSPHERE AND THEIR RELATION TO THE ONSET OF THE SUMMER MONSOON

Multiple equilibria and their stability in tropical atmosphere are investigated through β-plane barotropic models with consideration of heating and dissipation. We have derived the solutions of the model equations corresponding to the multiple equilibria or the steady flows first, and then establish the criteria for the stability of steady flow by use of the Liapunov direct Method. When these criteria are applied to the solutions of equilibria obtained, stable flows, which are closely related to the different patterns of quasi-stationary circulation in the tropical region, are found. The configurations of these stable flows and the shift between two of them as season changes provide quite reasonable explanations to many fundamental problems of tropical circulation features such as the catastrophe mechanism of the onset and the break-active cycle of the Asian summer monsoon. It follows that the onset or the abrupt transition of the Asian summer monsoon could be attributed to the multiple equilibrium property of the tropical circulation resulted from the advective nonlinearity, which provide another explanation among others.     

Lake-level changes during the past 100,000 years at Lake Baikal, southern Siberia

Lake-level changes inferred from seismic surveying and core sampling of the floor of Lake Baikal near the Selenga River delta can be used to constrain regional climatic history and appear to be correlated to global climate changes represented by marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS). The reflection pattern and correlation to the isotope stages indicate that the topset and progradational foreset sediments of the deltas formed during periods of stable lake levels and warm climatic conditions. During warm stages, the lake level was high, and during cold stages it was low. The drop in the lake level due to cooling from MIS 5 through MIS 4 is estimated to be 33-38 m; from MIS 3 through MIS 2, it fell an additional 11-15 m. Because the lake level is chiefly controlled by evaporation and river input, we infer that more water was supplied to Lake Baikal during warm stages.     

Two Se-bearing Ag–Bi Sulphosalts, Benjaminite and Matildite from the Ikuno Deposits, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan –Au–Ag Mineralization in Polymetallic Zone

Abstract: Se-bearing benjaminite and matildite are described from the polymetallic zone of the Ikuno deposits, Japan. The former is the first occurrence in Japan, and is from two separate veins, the Nanten and Daimaru, while the locality of the latter could not be specified. The empirical formulae of two benjaminites based on 22 atoms are (Ag_{2. 74}Cu_{0. 24})_{Σ2. 98}(Bi_{7. 00}Sb_{0. 01})_{Σ7. 01}(S_{10. 89}Se_{1. 12})_{Σ12. 01} (Nanten) and (Ag_{2. 90}Cu_{0. 10})_{Σ3. 00}(Bi_{6. 74}Pb_{0. 18}Sb_{0. 07})_{Σ6. 99}(S_{11. 68}Se_{0.33)Σ12. 01} (Daimaru), leading to the validation of the formula Ag₃Bi₇S₁₂ as the ideal one for benjaminite, and that of matildite based on 4 atoms is Ag_{1. 00}Bi_{1. 00}(S_{1. 78}Se_{0. 22})Σ_{2. 00}. These designate the substitution of Se for S in all of them, where Se is preferentially incorporated into these Ag-Bi sulphosalts. The unit-cell parameters of them and matildite are: a 13. 272, b 4. 037, c 20. 185 Å, and β 103. 16° (Daimaru), a 13. 270, b 4. 040, c 20. 273 Å, and β103. 17° (Nanten); and a 4. 0670, c 18. 996 Å, respectively. The products of Au-Ag mineralization in the Ikuno polymetallic vein-type deposits also occur as such Ag-Bi sulfosalts as benjaminite and matildite, in addition to pavonite, “treasurite derivative” and “electrum” with cassiterite in the polymetallic zone, and also do as “electrum”, acanthite, and pyrargyrite-proustite in the Au-Ag zone. The significant quantity of the Ag-Bi sulfosalts does not violate the zoning occupying the outermost part of the zonal distribution of ores in the deposits.     

Tidal current fluctuations in the Soya Current

Long-term current measurements were carried out near the Soya Strait in the Okhotsk Sea during a period from February 1980 to September 1982. The data were divided into five segments, each being 150 days long, and the tidal ellipse parameters of major axis, minor axis, orientation, and phase for the four major constituents (M2, S2, K1 and O1 tides) were calculated at each segment. The major axis of the mean tidal ellipse averaged over five segments was 29.9 cm sec^–1 for O1 tide, 28.3 cm sec^–1 for K1 tide, 10.4 cm sec^–1 for M2 tide, and 3.7 cm sec^–1 for S2 tide. The phase and orientation of the tidal ellipse were much stable. But, the root mean square deviations of the major axis reached 20% of the mean values for all four constituents. The tidal currents estimated from the sea level records at Wakkanai and Esashi along the Hokkaido coast in the Okhotsk Sea show that their amplitudes and phases are in good agreement with the observed ones for all four constituents.