Fluctuation of dissolved organic carbon in seawater of Sagami Bay during 1971–1972

Fluctuation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was studied during 1971–1972 at monthly intervals in surface layers of Sagami Bay. Concentration of DOC varied from 0.8 to 1.7 mgC/l in surface water (0 m). Maximum concentration of 1.7 mgC/l was observed in July 1971 and after then DOC decreased gradually to a minimum of 0.8 mgC/l in May 1972. The fluctuation of DOC during the observation periods seems to have close relations with those of water temperature and salinity. High DOC concentration found in summer months may be associated with bloom of phytoplankton or intrusion of seawater from Tokyo Bay and/or inland water containing high DOC.     

Air-Sea Interactions under the Existence of Opposing Swell

Data of a comprehensive laboratory study on the coexistent system of wind waves and opposing swell (Mitsuyasu and Yoshida, 1989) have been reanalyzed to clarify the air-sea interaction phenomena under the coexistence of wind waves and swell. It is shown that the magnitude of the decay rate of swell due to an opposing wind is almost the same as that of the growth rate of swell caused by a following wind, as measured by Mitsuyasu and Honda (1982). The decay rate is much smaller than that obtained recently by Peirson et al. (2003), but the reason for the disagreement is not clear at present. The effect of an opposing swell on wind waves is very different from that of a following swell; wind waves are intensified by an opposing swell while they are attenuated by a following one. The phenomenon contradicts the model of Phillips and Banner (1974), but the reason for this is not clear at this time. The high-frequency spectrum of wind waves shows a small increase of the spectral density. Wind shear stress increases a little due to the effect of opposing swell. The intensification of wind waves by opposing swell and the small increase of the spectral density in a high-frequency region can be attributed to the increase of wind shear stress. Such organized phenomena lead to the conclusion that the hypothesis of local equilibrium for pure wind waves (Toba, 1972) can also be satisfied for wind waves that coexist with opposing swell. The recent finding of Hanson and Phillips (1999) can be explained by this mechanism.     

Transition processes between the three typical paths of the Kuroshio

Transitions between the three typical paths of the Kuroshio south of Japan (the nearshore and offshore non-large-meander paths and the large-meander path) are described using sea level data at Miyake-jima and HachijÔ-jima in the Izu Islands and temperature data at a depth of 200 m observed from 1964 to 1975 and in 1980.In transitions between the nearshore and offshore non-large-meander paths the variation of the Kuroshio path occurs first in the region off Enshû-nada between the Kii Peninsula and the Izu Ridge and subsequently over the ridge. In the nearshore to offshore transition the offshore displacement of the path occurs first off Enshû-nada and then develops southeastwardly in the direction of HachijÔ-jima. In the reverse transition shoreward displacement occurs first off Enshû-nada and then throughout the region west and east of the Izu Ridge. The position of the Kuroshio south of Cape Shiono-misaki (the southernmost tip of the Kii Peninsula) is almost fixed near the coast throughout these transition periods, and significant variations of the Kuroshio path only occur east of the cape. The nearshore to offshore and offshore to nearshore transitions can be estimated to take about 25 and 35 days, respectively, during which the variation of the Kuroshio path over the Izu Ridge occurs for the last 11 and 25 days.The transitions between the non-large-meander and large-meander paths show that the large-meander path is mostly formed from the nearshore non-large-meander path and always changes to the offshore non-large-meander path.     

Three-body problem

In the first part of this paper [Marchal, Yoshida, Sun Yi-Sui 1985] we have analyzed three-body systems satisfying the condition rkR where k is a suitable constant, r the mutual distance of the two masses of the binary and R the distance between the center of mass of the binary and the third mass.That condition rkR puts limits on the acceleration of the third mass and these limits allow us to determine the corresponding escape velocities.In this second part we look for initial conditions under which the inequality rkR will remain forever satisfied and we develop the corresponding tests of escape and their applications.This leads to a major improvement of the knowledge of the nature of three-body motions especially in the vicinity of triple close approaches.The region of bounded motions is much smaller than was generally expected and numerical computations of particular solutions show that we approach very near to the true limit.     

Characterization of water quality variation in the Mekong River at Vientiane by frequent observations

To better understand the variation of water quality in the Mekong River, sampling and measurement were scheduled twice a week for about 3 years at Vientiane, followed by basic statistical analysis of the observed data. The frequent measurement revealed detailed characteristics of the water quality variation, which had not been detected by monthly observation in the previous studies. The variation in total ionic content was considered to be governed by dilution of the amount of water. Increases in turbidity could be attributed to physical effects including surface soil erosion and bed material resuspension at the time of discharge increase. Nitrogen concentrations were stably low during the low flow period and abruptly increased in May. After the annual maximum in late May, the nitrate concentration steadily decreased regardless of the remarkable rise in the discharge from mid‐July, whereas the ammonium concentration remained at a similar level until October. It was considered that the first small discernable runoff after the long dry season flushed the accumulated nitrogen in the surface soil and mobilized the nitrogen in the riverbed. The variation in phosphorus concentrations was different from that in nitrogen concentrations. During the high flow period, continual dilutions at discharge peaks and occasional large additions of phosphorus by surface runoff were suggested. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The continuous limit of the multiple lens effect and the optical scalar equation

We study the continuous limit of the multiple gravitational lensing theory based on the thin lens approximation. We define a new, light-path dependent angular diameter distance     and show that it satisfies the optical scalar equation. The distance provides relations between quantities used in gravitational lensing theory (the convergence, the shear and the twist terms) and those used in scalar optics theory (the rates of expansion, shear and rotation).     

Volume transport and distribution of deep circulation at 165°W in the North Pacific

We conducted full-depth hydrographic observations between 8°50′ and 44°30′N at 165°W in 2003 and analyzed the data together with those from the World Ocean Circulation Experiment and the World Ocean Database, clarifying the water characteristics and deep circulation in the Central and Northeast Pacific Basins. The deep-water characteristics at depths greater than approximately 2000 dbar at 165°W differ among three regions demarcated by the Hawaiian Ridge at around 24°N and the Mendocino Fracture Zone at 37°N: the southern region (10–24°N), central region (24–37°N), and northern region (north of 37°N). Deep water at temperatures below 1.15 °C and depths greater than 4000 dbar is highly stratified in the southern region, weakly stratified in the central region, and largely uniform in the northern region. Among the three regions, near-bottom water immediately east of Clarion Passage in the southern region is coldest (θ<0.90 °C), most saline (S>34.70), highest in dissolved oxygen (O₂>4.2 ml l^?1), and lowest in silica (Si<135 μmol kg^?1). These characteristics of the deep water reflect transport of Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW) due to a branch current south of the Wake–Necker Ridge that is separated from the eastern branch current of the deep circulation immediately north of 10°N in the Central Pacific Basin. The branch current south of the Wake–Necker Ridge carries LCDW of θ<1.05 °C with a volume transport of 3.7 Sv (1 Sv=10⁶ m³ s^?1) into the Northeast Pacific Basin through Horizon and Clarion Passages, mainly through the latter (～3.1 Sv). A small amount of the LCDW flows northward at the western boundary of the Northeast Pacific Basin, joins the branch of deep circulation from the Main Gap of the Emperor Seamounts Chain, and forms an eastward current along the Mendocino Fracture Zone with volume transport of nearly 1 Sv. If this volume transport is typical, a major portion of the LCDW (～3 Sv) carried by the branch current south of the Wake–Necker and Hawaiian Ridges may spread in the southern part of the Northeast Pacific Basin. In the northern region at 165°W, silica maxima are found near the bottom and at 2200 dbar; the minimum between the double maxima occurs at a depth of approximately 4000 dbar (θ～1.15 °C). The geostrophic current north of 39°N in the upper deep layer between 1.15 and 2.2 °C, with reference to the 1.15 °C isotherm, has a westward volume transport of 1.6 Sv at 39–44°30′N, carrying silica-rich North Pacific Deep Water from the northeastern region of the Northeast Pacific Basin to the Northwest Pacific Basin.     

Factors affecting preservation of coesite in ultrahigh‐pressure metamorphic rocks: Insights from TEM observations of dislocations within kyanite

To understand the preservation of coesite inclusions in ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks, an integrated petrological, Raman spectroscopic and focussed ion beam (FIB) system–transmission electron microscope (TEM) study was performed on a UHP kyanite eclogite from the Sulu belt in eastern China. Coesite grains have been observed only as rare inclusions in kyanite from the outer segment of garnet and in the matrix. Raman mapping analysis shows that a coesite inclusion in kyanite from the garnet rim records an anisotropic residual stress and retains a maximum residual pressure of ~0.35 GPa. TEM observations show quartz is absent from the coesite inclusion–host kyanite grain boundaries. Numerous dislocations and sub‐grain boundaries are present in the kyanite, but dislocations are not confirmed in the coesite. In particular, dislocations concentrate in the kyanite adjacent to the boundary with the coesite inclusion, and they form a dislocation concentration zone with a dislocation density of ~10⁹ cm^?2. A high‐resolution TEM image and a fast Fourier transform‐filtered image reveal that a tiny dislocation in the dislocation concentration zone is composed of multiple edge dislocations. The estimated dislocation density in most of the kyanite away from the coesite inclusion–host kyanite grain boundaries is ~10⁸ cm^?2, being lower than that in kyanite adjacent to the coesite. In the case of a coesite inclusion in a matrix kyanite, using Raman and TEM analyses, we could not identify any quartz at the grain boundaries. Dislocations are not observed in the coesite, but numerous dislocations and stacking faults are developed in the kyanite. The estimated overall dislocation density in the coesite‐bearing matrix kyanite is ~10⁸ cm^?2, but a high dislocation density region of ~10⁹ cm^?2 is also present near the coesite inclusion–host kyanite grain boundaries. Inclusion and matrix kyanite grains with no coesite have dislocation densities of ≤10⁸ cm^?2. Dislocation density is generally reduced during an annealing process, but our results show that not all dislocations in the kyanite have recovered uniformly during exhumation of the UHP rocks. Hence, one of the key factors acting as a buffer to inhibit the coesite to quartz transformation is the mechanical interaction between the host and the inclusion that lead to the formation of dislocations in the kyanite. The kyanite acts as an excellent pressure container that can preserve coesite during the decompression of rocks from UHP conditions. The search for and study of inclusions in kyanite may be a more suitable approach for tracing the spatial distribution of UHP metamorphic rocks.     

High inorganic phosphate concentration in coral mucus and its utilization by heterotrophic bacteria in a Malaysian coral reef

Inorganic nutrient contents of mucus released by Acropora corals and its utilization by heterotrophic bacteria at several different hour intervals in the coral mucus were investigated at a coral reef in Malaysia. The dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) concentration was 135‐fold higher than in the ambient seawater, probably due to inorganic P release from the coral gut cavity. We experimentally confirmed that heterotrophic bacteria rapidly (within 8 h) consumed ca. 80% of the initial concentration of DIP derived from coral mucus. High DIP concentration in coral mucus may enhance heterotrophic bacterial production and associated carbon flow in the microbial loop of reef ecosystems.     

Dating pseudotachylyte of the Asuke Shear Zone using zircon fission-track and U–Pb methods

Zircon fission-track (FT) and U–Pb analyses were performed on zircon extracted from a pseudotachylyte zone and surrounding rocks of the Asuke Shear Zone (ASZ), Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The U–Pb ages of all four samples are  67–76 Ma, which is interpreted as the formation age of Ryoke granitic rocks along the ASZ. The mean zircon FT age of host rock is 73 ± 7 (2σ) Ma, suggesting a time of initial cooling through the zircon closure temperature. The pseudotachylyte zone however, yielded a zircon FT age of 53 ± 9 (2σ) Ma, statistically different from the age of the host rock. Zircon FTs showed reduced mean lengths and intermediate ages for samples adjacent to the pseudotachylyte zone. Coupled with the new zircon U–Pb ages and previous heat conduction modeling, the present FT data are best interpreted as reflecting paleothermal effects of the frictional heating of the fault. The age for the pseudotachylyte coincides with the change in direction of rotation of the Pacific plate from NW to N which can be considered to initialize the NNE–SSW trending sinistral–extensional ASZ before the Miocene clockwise rotation of SW Japan. The present study demonstrates that a history of fault motions in seismically active regions can be reconstructed by dating pseudotachylytes using zircon FT thermochronology.