Origin and decomposition of sinking particulate organic matter in the deep water column inferred from the vertical distributions of its δN, δ and δ

Sinking particles were analyzed for their nitrogen isotopic ratio δ¹⁵N) of total particulate nitrogen (PN), stable carbon isotopic ratio (δ¹³C) and radioactive isotopic ratio (δ¹⁴C) of total particulate organic carbon (POC), at three different latitudinal (temperate, subpolar and equatorial) and geomorphological (trench, proximal abyssal plain and distal abyssal plain) sites in the western North Pacific Ocean using year-long time series sediment trap systems, to clarify the common vertical trends of the isotopic signals in deep water columns. Although the δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C values of sinking particulate organic matter (POM) were partly affected by the resuspension of sedimentary POM from the sea floor, especially in the trench, the changes in δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C values owing to the resuspension could be corrected by calculation of the isotopic mass balance from δ¹⁴C of sinking POC. After this correction, common downward decreasing trends in δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C values were obtained in the deep water columns, irrespective of the latitudes and depths. These coincidental isotopic signals between δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C values provide new constraints for the decomposition process of sinking POM, such as the preferential degradation of ¹⁵N- and ¹³C-rich compounds and the successive re-formation of the sinking particles by higher trophic level organisms in the deep water column.     

Mechanisms of crustal uplift and subsidence at the Yellowstone caldera,Wyoming

Leveling surveys in 1923, 1976, and each year from 1983 to 1993 have shown that the east-central part of the Yellowstone caldera, near the base of the Sour Creek resurgent dome, rose at an average rate of 14±1 mm/year from 1923 to 1976 and 22±1 mm/year from 1976 to 1984. In contrast, no detectable movement occurred in the same area from 1984 to 1985 (-2±5 mm/year), and from 1985 to 1993 the area subsided at an average rate of 19±1 mm/year. We conclude that uplift from 1923 to 1984 was caused by: (1) pressurization of the deep hydrothermal system by fluids released from a crystallizing body of rhyolite magma beneath the caldera, then trapped beneath a self-sealed zone near the base of the hydrothermal system; and (2) aseismic intrusions of magma into the lower part of the sub-caldera magma body. Subsidence since 1985 is attributed to: (1) depressurization and fluid loss from the deep hydrothermal system, and (2) sagging of the caldera floor in response to regional crustal extension. Future intrusions might trigger renewed eruptive activity at Yellowstone, but most intrusions at large silicic calderas seem to be accommodated without eruptions. Overpressurization of the deep hydrothermal system could conceivably result in a phreatic or phreatomagmatic eruption, but this hazard is mitigated by episodic rupturing of the self-sealed zone during shallow earthquake swarms. Historical ground movements, although rapid by most geologic standards, seem to be typical of inter-eruption periods at large, mature, silicic magma systems like Yellowstone. The greatest short-term hazards posed by continuing unrest in the Yellowstone region are: (1) moderate to large earthquakes (magnitude 5.5–7.5), with a recurrence interval of a few decdes; and (2) small hydrothermal explosions, most of which affect only a small area (<0.01 km²), with a recurrence interval of a few years.     

Ecophysiology of juvenile flatfish in nursery grounds

Relationships between biotic and abiotic factors and the ecological performance of late larval and juvenile flatfish in nursery grounds are examined from ecophysiological viewpoints. The first events in the nursery are metamorphosis and settlement. Development of organs, osmoregulation and behavioural changes during metamorphosis, and size at metamorphosis are regulated by environmental factors. Various hormones play critical roles in this regulation. Effects of environmental conditions on individual growth in the nursery grounds are described on the basis of Fry's five environmental factors: limiting, controlling, masking, directive and lethal factors. The main limiting factors are food and dissolved oxygen; controlling factors are temperature and body size; masking factors are salinity and pollutants; lethal factors are extreme environments; and directive factors are food, predators and dissolved oxygen. In addition to temperature, it has been indicated that dissolved oxygen seems to be relatively important for flatfish of the eastern US and northern European countries, while food abundance appears to be more critical for Japanese flounder. The feasibility is discussed of ecophysiological modelling to predict individual growth and subpopulation production based on the assessment of the role of environmental variability using the above classification, which organises and integrates environmental effects.     

Three-Dimensional Simulation of Water Circulation in the Java Sea: Influence of Wind Waves on Surface and Bottom Stresses

A one-year simulation of tide- andwind-driven circulation in the Java Sea, which is one ofthe Indonesian seas located in a tropical area, hasbeen carried out using a three-dimensionalhydrodynamic model incorporating the influence of thewind waves generated at the sea surface. This area isinfluenced by the monsoon climate (east- andwest-monsoon). Six hourly-wind fields at 10 m abovethe sea surface were used as a representative windfield. In other respects, the effect of waves on thethree-dimensional hydrodynamic model has beenrepresented by the surface and bottom stresses. Athird-generation wave model called WAM (WAMDI, 1988)was used to calculate the wave parameters and thewave dependence of the drag coefficient. Thetrajectory of water particles induced by thecalculated velocity fields in the Java Sea was then simulated.In dealing with hazardous phenomena, this modelwill be extended to predict suspended sediment fluxes,particularly those relating to catastrophic changes in seabottom topography and beach erosion. It is also animportant tool for the prediction of storm surge events.     

Stick–slip behavior of Indian gabbro as studied using a NIED large-scale biaxial friction apparatus

This paper reports stick–slip behaviors of Indian gabbro as studied using a new large-scale biaxial friction apparatus, built in the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention(NIED), Tsukuba, Japan. The apparatus consists of the existing shaking table as the shear-loading device up to 3,600 k N, the main frame for holding two large rectangular prismatic specimens with a sliding area of 0.75 m2 and for applying normal stresses rnup to 1.33 MPa, and a reaction force unit holding the stationary specimen to the ground. The shaking table can produce loading rates v up to 1.0 m/s,accelerations up to 9.4 m/s2, and displacements d up to0.44 m, using four servocontrolled actuators. We report results from eight preliminary experiments conducted with room humidity on the same gabbro specimens at v = 0.1–100 mm/s and rn= 0.66–1.33 MPa, and with d of about 0.39 m. The peak and steady-state friction coefficients were about 0.8 and 0.6, respectively, consistent with the Byerlee friction. The axial force drop or shearstress drop during an abrupt slip is linearly proportional to the amount of displacement, and the slope of this relationship determines the stiffness of the apparatus as1.15 9 108N/m or 153 MPa/m for the specimens we used.This low stiffness makes fault motion very unstable and the overshooting of shear stress to a negative value was recognized in some violent stick–slip events. An abrupt slip occurred in a constant rise time of 16–18 ms despite wide variation of the stress drop, and an average velocity during an abrupt slip is linearly proportional to the stress drop.The use of a large-scale shaking table has a great potential in increasing the slip rate and total displacement in biaxial friction experiments with large specimens.     

Historical trends of organic pollutants in sediment cores from Hong Kong

Recent studies have indicated the occurrence of a wide range of trace organic contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the Hong Kong environment. These contaminants are potentially harmful to ecological systems, particularly in coastal areas. In this study, two sediment cores (4m) were collected from southern waters of Hong Kong in 2004 to study the historical trends, distribution patterns, and potential sources of trace organic contaminants. DDTs (p,p'-DDT, o,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDD and p,p'-DDE), hexachlorohexanes (HCHs) (alpha and gamma), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and PCBs were detected in the samples, whereas other target compounds were all below detection limits. Many OCPs have not been produced or used for many years due to toxicological or environmental concerns and PCB use is prohibited in Hong Kong. However, some compounds were still detectable in recent years, and were found to be widely distributed in the environment, likely because of pollutant inputs from the highly industrialized Pearl River Delta region. These results provide important information on current and historical contamination in Hong Kong, and help to reconstruct the pollution history of these trace organic pollutants in Hong Kong coastal waters.     

A global survey of perfluorinated acids in oceans

Perfluorinated acids and their salts have emerged as an important class of global environmental contaminants. Biological monitoring surveys conducted using tissues of marine organisms reported the occurrence of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and related perfluorinated compounds in biota from various seas and oceans, including the Arctic and the Antarctic Oceans. Occurrence of perfluorinated compounds in remote marine locations is of concern and indicates the need for studies to trace sources and pathways of these compounds to the oceans. Determination of sub-parts-per-trillion (ng/L) or parts-per-quadrillion (pg/L) concentrations of aqueous media has been impeded by relatively high background levels arising from procedural or instrumental blanks. Our research group has developed a reliable and highly sensitive analytical method by which to monitor perfluorinated compounds in oceanic waters. The method developed is capable of detecting PFOS, perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHS), perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA) at a few pg/L in oceanic waters. The method was applied to seawater samples collected during several international research cruises undertaken during 2002–2004 in the central to eastern Pacific Ocean (19 locations), South China Sea and Sulu Seas (five), north and mid Atlantic Ocean (12), and the Labrador Sea (20). An additional 50 samples of coastal seawater from several Asian countries (Japan, China, Korea) were analyzed. PFOA was found at levels ranging from several thousands of pg/L in water samples collected from coastal areas in Japan to a few tens of pg/L in the central Pacific Ocean. PFOA was the major contaminant detected in oceanic waters, followed by PFOS. Further studies are being conducted to elucidate the distribution and fate of perfluorinated acids in oceans.     

Mechanical response of the south flank of kilauea volcano, hawaii, to intrusive events along the rift systems

Increased earthquake activity and compression of the south flank of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, have been recognized by previous investigators to accompany rift intrusions. We further detail the temporal and spatial changes in earthquake rates and ground strain along the south flank induced by six major rift intrusions which occurred between December 1971 and January 1981. The seismic response of the south flank to individual rift intrusions is immediate; the increased rate of earthquake activity lasts from 1 to 4 weeks. Horizontal strain measurements indicate that compression of the south flank usually accompanies rift intrusions and eruptions. Emplacement of an intrusion at a depth greater than about 4 km, such as the June 1982 southwest rift intrusion, however, results in a slight extension of the subaerial portion of the south flank.Horizontal strain measurements along the south flank are used to locate the January 1983 east-rift intrusion, which resulted in eruptive activity. The intrusion is modeled as a vertical rectangular sheet with constant displacement perpendicular to the plane of the sheet. This model suggests that the intrusive body that compressed the south flank in January 1983 extended from the surface to about 2.4 km depth, and was aligned along a strike of N66°E. The intrusion is approximately 11 km in length, extended beyond the January 1983 eruptive fissures, which are 8 km in length and is contained within the 14-km-long region of shallow rift earthquakes.