Regional extraction of flexural-toppled slopes in epicentral regions of subduction earthquakes along the Nankai Trough using DEMs

In the epicentral region of subduction earthquakes, large-scale landslides are triggered by strong shaking of slopes weakened by flexural toppling. The distribution of flexural-toppled slopes is the primary information for predicting and mitigating landslide damage beforehand. This study proposes and tests a simple algorithm for extracting flexural-toppled slopes on a regional basis from a 10-m resolution digital elevation model by windows of two sizes. Local relief is extracted with a large window (200 × 200 pixels), and microtopography is extracted with a small window (3 × 3 pixels). The algorithm was derived from the region of the Kanagi-kuzure landslide in Shikoku, and tested at Aka-kuzure landslide in Honshu in Japan. Both areas are underlain by strongly tilted sedimentary rocks in epicentral regions of subduction earthquakes along the Nankai Trough.     

The effect of density stratification on the prediction of global storm surges

With the long-term goal of developing an operational forecast system for total water level, we conduct a hindcast study of global storm surges for Fall 2014 using a baroclinic ocean model based on the NEMO framework. The model has 19 vertical levels, a horizontal resolution of 1/12°, and is forced by hourly forecasts of atmospheric wind and air pressure. Our first objective is to evaluate the model’s ability to predict hourly sea levels recorded by a global array of 257 tide gauges. It is shown that the model can provide reasonable predictions of surges for the whole test period at tide gauges with relatively large tidal residuals (i.e., gauges where the standard deviation of observed sea level, after removal of the tide, exceeds 5 cm). Our second objective is to quantify the effect of density stratification on the prediction of global surges. It is found that the inclusion of density stratification increases the overall predictive skill at almost all tide gauges. The increase in skill for the instantaneous peak surge is smaller. The location for which the increase in overall skill is largest (east coast of South Africa) is discussed in detail and physical reasons for the improvement are given.     

Distribution of nitrous oxide dissolved in water masses in the eastern subtropical North Pacific and its origin inferred from isotopomer analysis

N₂O concentration and its isotopomer ratios were measured over a wide area from San Diego to Honolulu in the eastern subtropical North Pacific (ESNP). Waters in the study area had an N₂O maximum (38.2–50.5 nmol kg^?1) at 600–1000 m depth, which is similar to the profiles obtained previously in other areas in the North Pacific. We separated the seawater into five water masses (two for the surface layer, two for the middle layer, and one for the deep layer) and deduced N₂O production–consumption mechanisms in each water body by use of N₂O isotopomer ratios. The results showed that the mechanisms differ slightly among water masses. In the “coastal” surface layer, N₂O is produced by nitrification (NH₂OH oxidation). In the “open ocean” surface layer, it is produced mainly by nitrifier denitrification and to a lesser extent by nitrification under substrate-limited conditions. In both “upwelling” and “open ocean” middle layers it is produced mainly by denitrification and to a lesser extent by nitrifier denitrification. It is also partly reduced. In the deep layer, it is produced predominantly by denitrification with partial reduction. In this way, isotopomers aid elucidation of production–consumption mechanisms of N₂O in the sea even though the mechanisms cannot always be ascertained.     

Glacial–interglacial productivity and environmental changes in Lake Biwa,Japan: A sediment core study of organic carbon,chlorins and biomarkers

Temporal changes in paleoproductivity of Lake Biwa (Japan) over the past 32 kyr have been studied by analyzing bulk organic carbon and photosynthetic pigments (chlorins) in the BIW95-5 core. Primary productivity was estimated on the assumption of C/N_org values of 8 for autochthonous organic matter (OM) and 25 for allochthonous OM and using an equation developed for the marine environment. The estimate indicates that primary productivity ranges from 50 to 90 g C m^?2 yr^?1 in the Holocene, while it is ～60 g C m^?2 yr^?1 on average in the last glacial. Pheophytin a and pheophorbide a are the major chlorins. A downcore profile of chlorin concentration normalized to autochthonous organic carbon (OC) shows a decreasing trend. Chlorin productivity was corrected by removal of the effect of post-burial chlorin degradation. The temporal profile of chlorin productivity thereby obtained resembles that from autochthonous OC.The difference in primary productivity between the Holocene and the glacial for the lake is markedly smaller than that for Lake Baikal situated in the boreal zone. This difference between the two lakes is probably caused by the difference in their climatic conditions, such as temperature and precipitation. Precipitation at Lake Biwa is relatively large during the glacial and the Holocene because of the continuous influence of the East Asian monsoon. Lake Baikal precipitation is generally small as a result of control by the continental (Siberia) climate regime. In addition, a significant difference in productivity between the glacial and the Holocene for Lake Baikal may be essentially controlled by the hydrodynamic systems in the lake.Lake Biwa terrigenous OM input events occurred at least five times over the period 11–32 kyr BP, suggesting enhanced monsoon activity. Molecular examination of the layer with a large input of terrigenous OM during the Younger Dryas indicates that concentrations of terrigenous biomarkers such as n-C₂₇–C₃₁ alkanes, lignin phenols, cutin acids, ω-hydroxy acids and C₂₉ sterols are high, suggesting that soil OM with peat-like material entered the lake as a result of flooding. An enhanced sedimentation rate in the last 3000 years might have been partially caused by agricultural activity around the lake.     

Characteristics of crustal structures in the Yamato Basin,sea of Japan,deduced from seismic explorations

Crustal structures around the Yamato Basin in the southeastern Sea of Japan, inferred from recent ocean bottom seismography (OBS) and active-source seismological studies, are reviewed to elucidate various stages of crustal modification involved from rifting in the crust of the surrounding continental arc to the production of oceanic crust in the Yamato Basin of the back-arc basin. The northern, central, and southern areas of the Yamato Basin have crustal thicknesses of approximately 12–16 km, and lowermost crusts with P-wave velocities greater than 7.2 km/s. Very few units have P-wave velocities in the range 5.4–6.0 km/s, which corresponds to the continental upper crust. These findings, combined with previous geochemical analysis of basalt samples, are interpreted to indicate that a thick oceanic crust has been formed in these areas of the basin, and that this oceanic crust has been underplated by mantle-derived magma. In the central Yamato Basin, the original continental crust has been fully breached and oceanic crust has been formed. Conversely, the presence of a unit corresponding to the continental upper crust and the absence of a high-velocity part in the lower crust implies that the southwestern edge of the Yamato Basin has a rifted crust without significant intrusion. The Oki Trough has a crust that is 17–19 km thick with a high-velocity lower crust and a unit corresponding to the continental upper crust. The formation of the Oki Trough resulted from rifting with magmatic intrusion and/or underplating. We interpret these variations in the crustal characteristics of the Yamato Basin area as reflecting various instances of crustal modification by thinning and magmatic intrusion due to back-arc extension, resulting in the production of a thick oceanic crust in the basin.     

Local structure of (Ca, Sr)2 (Mg, Co, Zn) Si2O7 melilite solid-solution with modulated structure

The local structure around Co, Zn and Sr atoms in incommensurately modulated, melilite-type X₂T¹ T ₂ ² O₇ (X=Ca and Sr, T¹=Mg, Co and Zn, T²=Si) solid-solutions has been investigated by EXAFS analyses. The modulated structure was confirmed in Ca_2-xSr_xCoSi₂O₇ solid-solutions with X=0.0 to 0.6 and for both Ca₂Mg_1-YCo_YSi₂O₇ and Ca₂Mg_1-YZn_YSi₂O₇ solid-solutions over the whole compositional range at room temperature. The actual bond-distances determined by the EXAFS method for the T¹ site (Co-, Zn-O) in the modulated structure are longer than the mean bond-distances obtained from the X-ray diffraction method. This is attributable to the libration of the T¹ tetrahedra. In the Ca_1-XSr_XCoSi₂O₇ solid-solution both the Sr-O and Co-O distances by the EXAFS method for the X-site increase from Ca end-member to Sr end-member. These increases are respectively 0.8% and 0.6%. This means the local expansions of the tetrahedral sheets and of the XO polyhedra are well matched. In the modulated Ca₂Co_1-YMg_YSi₂O₇ and Ca₂Zn_1-YMg_YSi₂O₇ solid-solutions, the actual Co-O and Zn-O distances for the T¹-sites are nearly constant in the whole compositional range. The compositional variations of the local structure around the cations in the solid-solution are different for the X and T¹ sites. It is concluded that the local geometric restriction for the size of substituted cation in X site is larger than that in T¹ site. The dimension of the tetrahedral sheet puts restriction on the size of the cations situated at the interlayer X sites. In other words, the different behavior of the local geometric restriction between the X and T¹ sites is an important feature of the melilite structure and is also related to the modulated structure.     

Structure of a Volcanic Continental Margin Derived from Ocean-bottom Seismographic Data: The Northern Vøring Margin, off Norway

—This paper presents a crustal model derived from an Ocean Bottom Seismograph (OBS) study along the northern Vøring margin off Norway. The profile was acquired to map the crustal structure in the northernmost part of the Vøring Basin, and to link crustal models of the Lofoten and central Vøring Basin obtained by previous OBS studies. The Vøring margin, as well as the Lofoten margin to the north, was created by continental breakup between Norway and Greenland in late Paleocene-early Eocene. The rifting and continental breakup process were accompanied by intense extrusive and intrusive magmatic activities. The OBS data provide the whole crustal structure along the northern Vøring margin, in the area where the deep crustal structure cannot be resolved by conventional multichannel reflection data due to sill intrusions in the sedimentary sequence. The shallow part of the crustal model is characterized by up to 10 km thick sediments, a sequence of flood basalts and sill intrusions. The P-wave velocities in the flood basalts and sill intrusions are estimated to 5.0 km/s and 4.7–5.8 km/s, respectively. The model indicates an abrupt thickening of the upper crystalline crust from approx.3 km in the NE, to about 10 km towards the SE, with velocities of 6.0–6.2 km/s. The lower crustal velocities are not well resolved due to lack of clear refraction arrivals from the lower crust. However, the observed amplitude versus offsets are best explained by a model with a change in lower crustal velocities from 6.8 to 7.2 km/s beneath the Bivrost lineament. The modelling infers the presence of a lower crustal reflector beneath the lineament, which represents the landward continuation of the Bivrost lineament. Reflection arrivals from the Moho reveal a Moho depth of 23 km in the middle of the profile and 18– 20 km in the northeastern part of the profile. A 370 km long crustal section from the central part of the Vøring Basin to the Lofoten margin, obtained by the results of this study and previous OBS studies, shows a simple thinned continental crust on the Lofoten margin, and a high velocity lower crust underlying an upper crust of varying thickness in the Vøring Basin. The transition between these structures is situated beneath the Bivrost lineament in the lower crust, and beneath the basement high about 40 km south of the lineament in the upper crust.     

Optically thick accretion onto black holes

Spherically symmetric, steady-state, optically thick accretion onto a nonrotating black hole with the mass of is studied. The gas accreting onto the black hole is assumed to be a fully ionized hydrogen plasma withn ₀=10⁸ cm^–3 andT ₀=10⁴ K far from the black hole, and a new approximate expression for the Eddington factor is introduced. The luminosity is estimated to beL=1.875×10³³ erg s^–1, which primarily arises from the optical surface (1) ofT10⁴ K. The accretion flow is characterized by 1 and (v/c)10. In the optically thin region, the flow remains isothermal, and the increase of temperature occurs at 1. The radiative equilibrium is strictly realized at (v/c)10.     

Linear waves in a radiating and scattering grey medium

The problem on linear waves in a radiating and scattering grey medium is studied using Whitham's method. Analysis of the basic equations distinguishes two limiting cases: the one is theequilibrium case in which the energy exchange between the gas and radiation plays an essential role, and the other is theScattering case in which the effect of energy exchange is negligible. A new type ofradiation acoustic wave with the speed is found in the scattering case. The governing equations for linearized one-dimensional flow are reduced to one equation of radiative acoustics valid to order 1/c, and the criterion for the two limiting cases is derived from studying this equation. The harmonic solution is analytically studied to show that theeffective optical depth corresponding to the wavelength of perturbation gives the measure of the interaction between the gas and radiation. When _eff1, the sound speeda _g ² =P _g / and the propagating speed of radiative disturbancea _f ² =fc ² appear as the modified classical and radiation-induced modes respectively, wheref is the Eddington factor. When _eff1, the isentropic sound speeda _s ² =(P _g +P _r / appears in the equilibrium case, and the radiation acoustic speeda _A ² appears in the scattering case. The dispersion relation of the harmonic solution is numerically calculated. The result shows that the wave pattern depends critically on the ratio=P _g /(P _g +P _r ). When , the speeda _S anda _A arise from the modified classical mode, and when , they originate from the radiation-induced mode.     

V p/V s-ratios from the central Kolbeinsey Ridge to the Jan Mayen Basin,North Atlantic; implications for lithology,porosity and present-day stress field

The horizontal components from twenty Ocean Bottom Seismometers deployed along three profiles near the Kolbeinsey Ridge, North Atlantic, have been modelled with regard to S-waves, based on P-wave models obtained earlier. Two profiles were acquired parallel to the ridge, and the third profile extended eastwards across the continental Jan Mayen Basin. The modelling requires a thin (few 100 m) layer with very high V _p/V _s-ratio (3.5–9.5) at the sea-floor in the area lacking sedimentary cover. The obtained V _p/V _s-ratios for the remaining part of layer 2A, 2B, 3 and upper mantle, correspond to the following lithologies: pillow lavas, sheeted dykes, gabbro and peridotite, respectively. All crustal layers exhibit a decreasing trend in V _p/V _s-ratio away-from-the-axis, interpreted as decreasing porosity and/or crack density in that direction. A significant S-wave azimuthal anisotropy is observed within the thin uppermost layer of basalt near the ridge. The anisotropy is interpreted as being caused by fluid-filled microcracks aligned along the direction of present-day maximum compressive stress, and indicates crustal extension at the ridge itself and perpendicular-to-the-ridge compression 12 km off axis. Spreading along the Kolbeinsey Ridge has most likely been continuous since its initiation ca. 25 Ma: The data do not suggest the presence of an extinct spreading axis between the Kolbeinsey Ridge and the Aegir Ridge as has been proposed earlier. The V _p/V _s-ratios found in the Jan Mayen Basin are compatible with continental crust, overlain by a sedimentary section dominated by shale.