Probing fault zone heterogeneity on the Nojima fault: Constraints from zircon fission-track analysis of borehole samples

Fission-track (FT) thermochronologic analysis was performed on zircon separates from rocks in and around the Nojima fault, which was activated during the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Samples were collected from the University Group 500 m (UG-500) borehole and nearby outcrops. FT lengths in zircons from localities > 25 m away from the fault plane as well as one 0.1 m away from the fault in the footwall are characterized by concordant mean values of  10–11 μm and unimodal distributions with negative skewness, which showed no signs of appreciable reduction in FT length. In contrast, those adjacent (< 3 m) to the fault at depths on the hanging wall side showed significantly reduced mean track lengths of  6–8 μm and distributions having a peak around 6–7 μm with rather positive skewness. The former pattern is interpreted to reflect cooling through the zircon partial annealing zone (ZPAZ), without later, partial thermal overprints. The latter indicates substantial track shortening due probably to secondary heating by a thermal event(s) that locally perturbed the geothermal structure. Modeled zircon FT length and age data of partially annealed samples from the UG-500 borehole revealed a cooling episode in the ZPAZ that started at  4 Ma within  3 m from the fault plane, whereas those from the Geological Survey of Japan 750 m borehole record cooling started at  31–38 Ma within  25 m from the fault. On the basis of one-dimensional heat conduction modeling as well as the consistency between the degree of FT annealing and the degree of deformation/alteration of borehole rocks, these cooling ages in both boreholes are interpreted as consequences of ancient thermal overprints by heat transfer or dispersion via fluids in the fault zone. Together with the zircon FT data of a pseudotachylyte layer recently analyzed, it is suggested that the present Nojima fault system was reactivated in the Middle Quaternary from an ancient fault initiated at  56 Ma at mid-crustal depths. Also shown is a temporal/spatial variation in terms of the thermal anomalies recorded in the fault rocks, implying heterogeneity of hot fluid flows in the fault zone.     

Current Nature of the Kuroshio in the Vicinity of the Kii Peninsula

The Kuroshio flows very close to Cape Shionomisaki when it takes a straight path. The detailed observations of the Kuroshio were made both on board the R/V Seisui-maru of Mie University and on board the R/V Wakayama of the Wakayama Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station on June 11–14, 1996. It was confirmed that the current zone of the Kuroshio touches the coast and bottom slope just off Cape Shionomiaki, and that the coastal water to the east of the cape was completely separated from that to the west. The relatively high sea level difference between Kushimoto and Uragami could be caused by this separation of the coastal waters when the Kuroshio takes a straight path. This flow is rather curious, as the geostrophic flow, which has a barotropic nature and touches the bottom, would be constrained to follow bottom contours due to the vorticity conservation law. The reason why the Kuroshio leaves the bottom slope to the east of Cape Shionomisaki is attributed to the high curvature of the bottom contours there: if the current were to follow the contours, the centrifugal term in the equation of motion would become large and comparablee to the Coriolis (or pressure gradient) term, and the geostrophic balance would be destroyed. This creates a current-shadow zone just to the east of the cape. As the reason why the current zone of the Kuroshio intrudes into the coastal region to the west of the cape, it is suggested that the Kii Bifurcation Current off the southwest coast of the Kii Peninsula, which is usually found when the Kuroshio takes the straight path, has the effect of drawing the Kuroshio water into the coastal region. The sea level difference between Kushimoto and Uragami is often used to monitor the flow pattern of the Kuroshio near the Kii Peninsula. It should be noted that Uragami is located in the current shadow zone, while Kushimoto lies in the region where the offshore Kuroshio water intrudes into the coastal region. The resulting large sea level difference indicates that the Kuroshio is flowing along the straight path.     

Low‐temperature thermochronological database of bedrock in the Japanese Islands

To provide better access to thermochronological data and understand the long‐term denudation history of the Japanese Islands, we compiled a low‐temperature thermochronological dataset of fission‐track (FT) and (U–Th–Sm)/He (He) ages for apatite and zircon in bedrocks. These thermochronometric ages are compiled from 90 literature sources and 1,096 localities, and include 418 apatite FT ages, 851 zircon FT ages, 42 apatite He ages, and 30 zircon He ages. Many FT ages have been reported previously; however, the number of He ages is limited in the Japanese Islands. The compiled data are spatially biased; for instance, more data are reported for the Chubu and Kinki districts and the Pacific coast of the Shikoku Island, whereas less data were available for the Tohoku and Chugoku districts. For better understanding arc‐scale uplift‐denudation history, further thermochronological research in the lesser‐studied regions and more He thermochronometric measurements are desired. This compilation will be updated and provided on the website of the Fission‐Track Research Group in Japan ( http://ftrgj.org/index.html ).     

Development of a 2-km resolution ocean model covering the coastal seas around Japan for operational application

Ocean Dynamics - In order to expand the coastal ocean monitoring and forecasting system of the Japan Meteorological Agency from the Seto Inland Sea to the entire coastal seas of Japan, a 2-km...     

Diets of Steller sea lions off the coast of Hokkaido,Japan: An inter‐decadal and geographic comparison

Inter‐decadal and geographic variations in the diets of Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus, were examined based on the contents of 408 stomachs collected from coastal areas around Hokkaido Island during the periods 1994–1998 and 2005–2012. The most important prey species in the 1990s were gadid fishes (walleye pollock [Gadus chalcogrammus], Pacific cod [Gadus microcephalus] and saffron cod [Eleginus gracilis]). The frequency of occurrence and gravimetric contribution of gadids decreased in the 2000s latter period at three study sites (Rausu, Shakotan and Rebun) and were replaced by Okhotsk Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus azonus) and smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus). However, analysis based on gravimetric composition indicated that the dietary diversity of prey showed only a slight inter‐decadal difference, reflecting the wide diversity of prey ingested during both study periods. These results indicate that Steller sea lions along the Hokkaido coast are opportunistic feeders that utilize a wide variety of prey, and appear to feed mainly upon prey that is easily obtained.     

Simulated distribution and ecotoxicity-based assessment of chemically-dispersed oil in Tokyo Bay

To assess risks of chemically-dispersed oil to marine organisms, oil concentrations in the water were simulated using a hypothetical spill accident in Tokyo Bay. Simulated oil concentrations were then compared with the short-term no-observed effect concentration (NOEC), 0.01 mg/L, obtained through toxicity tests using marine diatoms, amphipod and fish. Area of oil concentrations higher than the NOEC were compared with respect to use and non-use of dispersant. Results of the simulation show relatively faster dispersion near the mouth of the bay compared to its inner sections which is basically related to its stronger water currents. Interestingly, in the inner bay, a large area of chemically-dispersed oil has concentrations higher than the NOEC. It seems emulsifying oil by dispersant increases oil concentrations, which could lead to higher toxicity to aquatic organisms. When stronger winds occur, however, the difference in toxic areas between use and non-use of dispersant is quite small.     

Influence of fine sediment on the fluidity of debris flows

Debris flows include a great diversity of grain sizes with inherent features such as inverse grading, particle size segregation, and liquefaction of fine sediment. The liquefaction of fine sediment affects the fluidity of debris flows, although the behavior and influence of fine sediment in debris flows have not been examined sufficiently. This study used flume tests to detect the effect of fine sediment on the fluidity of laboratory debris flows consisting of particles with various diameters. From the experiments, the greatest sediment concentration and flow depth were observed in the debris flows mixed with fine sediment indicating increased flow resistance. The experimental friction coefficient was then compared with the theoretical friction coefficient derived by substituting the experimental values into the constitutive equations for debris flow. The theoretical friction coefficient was obtained from two models with different fine-sediment treatments: assuming that all of the fine sediments were solid particles or that the particles consisted of a fluid phase involving pore water liquefaction. From the comparison of the friction coefficients, a fully liquefaction state was detected for the fine particle mixture. When the mixing ratio and particle size of the fine sediment were different, some other cases were considered to be in a partially liquefied transition state. These results imply that the liquefaction of fine sediment in debris flows was induced not only by the geometric conditions such as particle sizes, but also by the flow conditions.     

Holocene paleolimnological changes in Lake Skallen Oike in the Syowa Station area of Antarctica inferred from organic components in a sediment core (Sk4C-02)

Antarctic climate changes influence environmental changes at both regional and local scales. Here we report Holocene paleolimnological changes in lake sediment core Sk4C-02 (length 378.0 cm) from Lake Skallen Oike in the Soya Kaigan region of East Antarctica inferred from analyses of sedimentary facies, a range of organic components, isotope ratios of organic carbon and nitrogen, and carbon-14 dating by Tandetron accelerator mass spectrometry. The sediment core was composed of clayish mud (378.0–152.5 cm) overlain by organic sediments (152.5 cm-surface). The age of the surface and the core bottom were 150 (AD1950-1640) and ca. 7,030 ± 73 calibrated years before present (cal BP), respectively, and the mean sedimentation rate was estimated to be 0.55 mm/year. Multi-proxy analyses revealed that the principal environmental change in the core is a transition from marine to lacustrine environments which occurred at a depth of 152.5 cm (ca. 3,590 cal BP). This was caused by relative sea level change brought about by ongoing retreat of glaciers during the mid-Holocene warming of Antarctica, and ongoing isostatic uplift which outpaced changes in global (eustatic) sea level. The mean isostatic uplift rate was calculated to be 2.8 mm/year. The coastal marine period (378.0–152.5 cm, ca. 7,030–3,590 cal BP) was characterized by low biological production with the predominance of diatoms. During the transition period from marine to freshwater conditions (152.5-approximately 135 cm, ca. 3,590–3,290 cal BP) the lake was stratified with marine water overlain by freshwater, with a chemocline and an anoxic (sulfidic) layer in the bottom of the photic zone. Green sulfur bacteria and Cryptophyta were the major photosynthetic organisms. The Cryptophyta appeared to be tolerant of the moderate salinity and stratified water conditions. The lacustrine period (approximately 135 cm-surface, ca. 3,290 cal BP-present) was characterized by high biological production by green algae (e.g. Comarium clepsydra and Oedegonium spp.) with some contributions from cyanobacteria and diatoms. Biological production during this period was 8.7 times higher than during the coastal marine period.     

Challenges in detecting olivine on the surface of 4 Vesta

Identifying and mapping olivine on asteroid 4 Vesta are important components to understanding differentiation on that body, which is one of the objectives of the Dawn mission. Harzburgitic diogenites are the main olivine‐bearing lithology in the howardite‐eucrite‐diogenite (HED) meteorites, a group of samples thought to originate from Vesta. Here, we examine all the Antarctic harzburgites and estimate that, on scales resolvable by Dawn, olivine abundances in putative harzburgite exposures on the surface of Vesta are likely at best in the 10–30% range, but probably lower due to impact mixing. We examine the visible/near‐infrared spectra of two harzburgitic diogenites representative of the 10–30% olivine range and demonstrate that they are spectrally indistinguishable from orthopyroxenitic diogenites, the dominant diogenitic lithology in the HED group. This suggests that the visible/near‐infrared spectrometer onboard Dawn (VIR) will be unable to resolve harzburgites from orthopyroxenites on the surface of Vesta, which may explain the current lack of identification of harzburgitic diogenite on Vesta.     

Thermal equation of state of magnesite to 32 GPa and 2073 K

Pressure–volume–temperature relations have been measured to 32 GPa and 2073 K for natural magnesite (Mg_0.975Fe_0.015Mn_0.006Ca_0.004CO₃) using synchrotron X-ray diffraction with a multianvil apparatus at the SPring-8 facility. A least-squares fit of the room-temperature compression data to a third-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state (EOS) yielded K₀ = 97.1 ± 0.5 GPa and K′ = 5.44 ± 0.07, with fixed V₀ = 279.55 ± 0.02 Å³. Further analysis of the high-temperature compression data yielded the temperature derivative of the bulk modulus (∂K_T/∂T)_P = −0.013 ± 0.001 GPa/K and zero-pressure thermal expansion α = a₀ + a₁T with a₀ = 4.03 (7) × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹ and a₁ = 0.49 (10) × 10⁻⁸ K⁻². The Anderson–Grüneisen parameter is estimated to be δ_T = 3.3. The analysis of axial compressibility and thermal expansivity indicates that the c-axis is over three times more compressible (K_Tc = 47 ± 1 GPa) than the a-axis (K_Tc = 157 ± 1 GPa), whereas the thermal expansion of the c-axis (a₀ = 6.8 (2) × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹ and a₁ = 2.2 (4) × 10⁻⁸ K⁻²) is greater than that of the a-axis (a₀ = 2.7 (4) × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹ and a₁ = −0.2 (2) × 10⁻⁸ K⁻²). The present thermal EOS enables us to accurately calculate the density of magnesite to the deep mantle conditions. Decarbonation of a subducting oceanic crust containing 2 wt.% magnesite would result in a 0.6% density reduction at 30 GPa and 1273 K. Using the new EOS parameters we performed thermodynamic calculations for magnesite decarbonation reactions at pressures to 20 GPa. We also estimated stability of magnesite-bearing assemblages in the lower mantle.