Effects of deposit feeder Stichopus japonicus on algal bloom and organic matter contents of bottom sediments of the enclosed sea

Algae growing in an enclosed sea may inhibit eutrophication because they absorb nutrients in the water. However, dead algae often cause anaerobic conditions in the water just above and on sediment after they are deposited on the bottom. We found that Stichopus japonicus inhibited the anaerobic processes coupling water sulfite production in sediment. The present study investigates whether S. japonicus inhibits algal flourish and influences sediment properties such as organic matter contents. Aquarium experiments were carried out at Komatsushima port in Tokushima Prefecture, western Japan. The aquaria used in the experiments were supplied with water directly from the adjacent sea (6 L/min), laid with sand of 10 cm depths, and lighted at 12 h intervals. Six aquaria each containing a sea cucumber from Komatsushima port and six aquaria without any were used in the experiments. Water temperature ranged between 9 and 15 degrees C during December 2000 and April 2001. Salinity ranged between 32 per thousand and 34 per thousand. Algae began to cover the bottom of the aquaria without S. japonicus after 2 weeks, whereas no growth was evident in the aquaria containing sea cucumbers. Chlorophyll a concentration in the surface sediment of the aquaria with S. japonicus (6.1+/-3.6 microg/g, mean S.D.+/-standard deviation) was significantly lower than that without it (60+/-17 microg/g, U-test, p<0.05). Phaeophytin concentration in the surface sediment of the aquaria with S. japonicus (0.9+/-0.09 microg/g) was also significantly lower than that without it (4.5+/-1.0 microg/g, U-test, p<0.05). TOC concentration in the surface sediment of the aquaria with S. japonicus (2.6+/-1.3 microg/g) was slightly lower than that without it (4.0+/-1.2 microg/g). These results showed that algal biomass and organic matter concentration of the bottom were decreased in the presence of S. japonicus. Therefore, S. japonicus inhibits algal bloom and decrease the contents of organic matter deposited on the bottom of enclosed sea areas.     

Where and why do large shallow intraslab earthquakes occur?

We try to find how often, and in what regions large earthquakes (M≥7.0) occur within the shallow portion (20-60 km depth) of a subducting slab. Searching for events in published individual studies and the Harvard University centroid moment tensor catalogue, we find twenty such events in E. Hokkaido, Kyushu-SW, Japan, S. Mariana, Manila, Sumatra, Vanuatu, N. Chile, C. Peru, El Salvador, Mexico, N. Cascadia and Alaska. Slab stresses revealed from the mechanism solutions of these large intraslab events and nearby smaller events are almost always down-dip tensional. Except for E. Hokkaido, Manila, and Sumatra, the upper plate shows horizontal stress gradient in the arc-perpendicular direction. We infer that shear tractions are operating at the base of the upper plate in this direction to produce the observed gradient and compression in the outer fore-arc, balancing the down-dip tensional stress of the slab. This tectonic situation in the subduction zone might be realized as part of the convection system with some conditions, as shown by previous numerical simulations.     

The Dependence of Constitutive Properties on Temperature and Effective Normal Stress in Seismogenic Environments

— We have evaluated how the parameters prescribing the slip-dependent constitutive law are affected by temperature and effective normal stress, by conducting the triaxial fracture experiments on Tsukuba-granite samples in seismogenic environments, which correspond to a depth range to 15 km. The normalized critical slip displacement D _c almost remains constant below 300^oC (insensitive to both temperature and effective normal stress σ _n ^eff); D _c increases with increasing temperature above 300 °C, and the rate of D _c increase with temperature tends to be largest at higher σ _n ^eff. The breakdown stress drop Δτ _b for the granite at constant σ _n ^eff is roughly 80 MPa below 300 °C, and does not depend on σ _n ^eff. Above 300 °C, Δτ _b decreases gradually with increasing temperature, and the rate of Δτ _b reduction with temperature increases at higher σ _n ^eff. The peak shear strength τ _p increases nearly linearly with increasing σ _n ^eff below 300 °C. However, τ _p becomes lower above 300 °C, deviating from the linear relation extrapolated from below 300 °C. This is consistent with the onset of crystal plastic deformation mechanisms of Tsukuba granite.     

Structure and Evolution of the East Antarctic Lithosphere: Tectonic Implications for the Development and Dispersal of Gondwana

Lithospheric evolution of the Antarctic shield is one of the keystones for understanding continental growth during the Earth's evolution. Architecture of the East Antarctic craton is characterized by comparison with deep structures of the other Precambrian terrains. In this paper, we review the subsurface structure of the Lower Paleozoic metamorphic complex around the Lützow-Holm area (LHC), East Antarctica, where high-grade metamorphism occurred during the Pan-African orogenic event. LHC is considered to be one of the collision zones in the last stage of the formation of Gondwana. A geoscience program named ‘Structure and Evolution of the East Antarctic Lithosphere (SEAL)’ was carried out since 1996-1997 austral summer season as part of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE). Several geological and geophysical surveys were conducted including a deep seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection survey in the LHC. The main target of the SEAL seismic transect was to obtain lithospheric structure over several geological terrains from the western adjacent Achaean Napier Complex to the eastern Lower Paleozoic Yamato-Belgica Complex. The SEAL program is part of a larger deep seismic profile, LEGENDS (Lithospheric Evolution of Gondwana East iNterdisciplinary Deep Surveys) that will extend across the Pan-African belt in neighboring fragments of Gondwana.     

Miocene intra-arc bending at an arc-arc collision zone, central Japan

Abstract Recent paleomagnetic studies are reviewed in an effort to clarify the relationship between the intra-arc deformation of central Japan and the collision tectonics of the Izu-Bonin Arc. The cusp structure of the pre-Neogene terranes of central Japan, called the Kanto Syntaxis, suggests a collisional origin with the Izu-Bonin Arc. The paleomagnetic results and newly obtained radiometric ages of the Kanto Mountains revealed the Miocene rotational history of the east wing of the Kanto Syntaxis. More than 90° clockwise rotation of the Kanto Mountains took place after deposition of the Miocene Chichibu Basin (planktonic foraminiferal zone of N.8: 16.6–15.2 Ma). After synthesizing the paleomagnetic data of the Japanese Islands and collision tectonics of central Japan, it appears that approximately a half rotation (40–50°) probably occurred at ca 15 Ma in association with the rapid rotation of Southwest Japan. The remainder (50-40°) continued until 6 Ma, resulting in the sharp bent structure of the pre-Neogene accretionary complexes (Kanto Syntaxis). The latter rotation seems to have been caused by the collision of the Izu-Bonin Arc on the northwestward migrating Philippine Sea Plate.     

Arc-type and intraplate-type ridge basalts formed at the trench-trench-ridge tripIe junction: Implication for the extensive sub-ridge mantle heterogeneity

Abstract ' In situ basalts' represent the ridge magmatism at and close to the ancient trench-trench-ridge triple junction. Such basalts in the Amami, Mugi, and Setogawa accretionary complexes, Southwest Japan, were described and analysed. The geochemical data show that the ' in situ basalts' include all the types of basalts, ranging from alkali basalts and high-alumina basalts to tholeiites, and the compositions tend towards intermediate and silicic rocks. The data also reveal that the ridge basalts are indistinguishable both from the island arc and intraplate basalts, no affinities with mid-ocean-ridge basalts. The sub-ridge mantle adjacent to the triple junction had a component of sub-arc mantle, and this mantle heterogeneity can be generated by the formation of a slab window.     

Zn-Mn ilmenite in the Kuiqi granite from Fuzhou,Fujian province,East China

Summary Zn-Mn ilmenite occurs as a principal constituent of the miarolitic cavities in the Kuiqi granite from Fuzhou. In the cavities potassium feldspar, albite, quartz, fluorite, aegirine and arfvedsonite also occur with accessory zircon, magnetite, hematite and sphalerite. Zn-Mn ilmenite forms a trigonal platy euhedral crystal up to 30 mm in length. Its chemical composition ranges from 37.3 to 63.8 mol.% FeTiO₃ (ilmenite molecule), 61.1 to 22.4 mol.% MnTiO₃ (pyrophanite molecule) and 0.6 to 15.3 mol.% ZnTiO₃ (Znmetatitanate molecule). ZnO content ranges from 0.34 wt.% to 7.63 wt.%. Zonal structure is noticeable in the Zn-Mn ilmenite. FeTiO₃ and ZnTiO₃ molecules increase towards the crystal rim, while MnTiO₃ molecule decreases towards the rim. Unit cell parameters of the rim and the core area = 5.092(6)Å,c = 14.08(2)Å,V = 316.1ų anda = 5.106(7)Å,c = 14.02(3)Å,V = 316.6ų, respectively. Coexisting minerals, except for arfvedsonite and sphalerite, are very low in ZnO content. It is suggested that complete isomorphous replacement between FeTiO₃ MnTiO₃ and ZnTiO₃ may be possible. Oxygen fugacity conditions for crystallization of Zn-Mn ilmenite are considered to be in the vicinity of the magnetite-hematite and quartz-fayalite-magnetite buffers.

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Zn-Mn Ilmenit in dem Kuigi-Granit aus Fuzhou in der Provinz Fujian, Ostchina

Zusammenfassung Zn-Mn Ilmenit ist ein grundsätzlicher Bestandteil in miarolitischen Hohlräumen in den Kuiqi Graniten aus Fuzhou. Daneben treten Kalifeldspäte, Albit, Quarz, Fluorit, Ägirin und Arfvedsonit sowie akzessorisch Zirkon, Magnetit, Hämatit und Sphalerite in den Hohlräumen auf.Zn-Mn Ilmenit bildet idiomorphe, tabular trigonale Kristalle mit bis zu 30 mm Länge aus. Die chemische Zusammensetzung variiert zwischen 37,3 und 63,8 Mol.% FeTiO₃ (Ilmenit) 61,1 und 22,4 Mol.% MnTiO₃ (Pyrophanit) sowie zwischen 0,6 und 15,3 Mol.% ZnTiO₃ (Zn-Metatitanat-Molekül). Die ZnO-Gehalte schwanken von 0,34 Gew.% bis 7,63 Gew.%. In dem Zn-Mn Ilmenit wurden Zonierungen beobachtet. FeTiO₃ und ZnTiO₃ Moleküle nehmen zum Rand des Kristalls hin zu, MnTiO₃ Moleküle hingegen ab.Die Parameter der Elementarzelle sind am Randa = 5,092(6)Å,c = 14.08(2)Å,V = 316.1ų und im Kerna = 5,106(7)Å,c = 14.02(3)Å,V = 316,6ų. Mit Ausnahme von Arfvedsonit und Sphalerit sind die ZnO Gehalte in koexistierenden Mineralen sehr niedrig.Es wird daher angenommen, daß zwischen FeTiO₃, MnTiO₃ und ZnTiO₃ ein vollständiger isomorpher Ersatz möglich ist. Die Sauerstoff-Fugazitäten die während der Kristallisation von Zn-Mn Ilmenit herrschten, bewegten sich zwischen MagnetitHämatit und Quarz-Fayalit-Magnetit.

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With 4 Figures     

Computational model of the structural and elastic properties of the ilmenite and perovskite phases of MgSiO3

The structural and elastic properties of the ilmenite and perovskite phases of MgSiO₃ are investigated with a computational model based on energy minimization. The potential energies of these two crystals are approximated by the sum of Coulomb, van der Waals, and repulsion terms between atoms. Required energy parameters are derived by fitting the parameters to the observed crystal structures of these two phases as well as to the measured elastic constants of the ilmenite phase. The resulting potential model is applied to predicting the elastic constants of the perovskite phase. The calculated bulk modulus of the perovskite phase compares favorably with the data obtained from volume-compression experiments as well as the values estimated from empirical elasticity systematics of perovskite type compounds. The predicted shear modulus of the perovskite phase is also in reasonable agreement with the values proposed from similar empirical elasticity systematics. Subsequently, the model is used to simulate the high pressure behaviors of the crystal structures and elastic constants of these two phases.