Mechanism of explosive eruption revealed by geophysical observations at the Sakurajima,Suwanosejima and Semeru volcanoes

A common sequence of phenomena associated with volcanic explosions is extracted based on seismic and ground deformation observations at 3 active volcanoes in Japan and Indonesia. Macroscopic inflation-related ground deformations are detected prior to individual explosions, while deflations are observed during eruptions. Precursory inflation occurs 5 min to several hours before eruption at the Sakurajima volcano, but just 1–2 min at Suwanosejima and 3–30 min at the Semeru volcano. The sequence commences with minor contraction, which is detected by extensometers 1.5 min before eruption at Sakurajima, as a dilatant first motion of the explosion earthquakes 0.2–0.3 s before surface explosions at Suwanosejima, and as downward tilt 4–5 s prior to eruption at the Semeru volcano. The sequence is detected for explosive eruptions with > 0.1 μrad tilt change at Sakurajima, 90% at Suwanosejima and 75% at Semeru volcanoes. It is inferred that the minor contraction is caused by a volume and pressure decrease due to the release of gas from a pocket at the top of the conduit as the gas pressure exceeds the strength of the confining plug. The subsequent violent expansion may be triggered by sudden outgassing of the water-saturated magma induced by the decrease in confining pressure.     

Characterization of low-temperature pyroclastic surges that occurred in the northeastern Japan arc during the late 19th century

Three eruption events occurring in the central part of the northeastern Japan arc were investigated and compared: Adatara AD1900, Zao AD1895, and Bandai AD1888. Producing low-temperature (LT) pyroclastic surges, these events are characterized by steam eruptions ejecting no juvenile material. These eruptions' well-preserved eruptive deposits and facies facilitated granulometric analyses of the beds, which revealed the transport and deposition mechanisms of LT surges. Combining these results with those of investigations of documents reporting the events, we correlated each eruption to the relevant individual bed and reconstructed the LT surge development sequence. Important findings related to the transport and deposition modes are the following. (1) Bed sets consisting of thin, laminated ash and its overlying thick massive tuff were recognized in the Adatara 1900 proximal deposits. The bed set was probably produced by a strong wind that discharged and propagated quickly from the vent (leading wind) and a gravitationally segregated, highly concentrated flow originated from the eruption column, within a discrete eruption episode. A similar combination might have occurred during the first surge of the Bandai 1888 event. (2) Comparison of the proximal and distal facies for the largest eruption of Adatara 1900 event indicates that the initial turbulence of the eruption cloud decreased rapidly, transforming into a density-stratified surge with a highly concentrated part near the base. Similar surges occurred in the climatic stage of Zao 1895. (3) Bandai 1888 ejecta indicate massive beds deposited preferentially at topographic lows. Co-occurring planar beds showed no topographic affection, as indicated by the topographic blocking of a stratified surge. The observed facies–massive tuffs, crudely stratified tuffs, and thin bedded tuffs–are compatible with those for high-temperature surges. At Bandai, absence of dune bedded tuffs and commonly poorer sorting in the LT surge deposits might be attributable to poor thermally induced turbulence of eruption columns. Condensation of vapor in the surges might have contributed to the poor sorting. The estimated explosion energies were 6 × 10¹³ J for Adatara AD1900, 6.5 × 10¹⁰ J for Zao AD1895, and 6.5 × 10¹⁵ J for Bandai AD1888, implying that the three events were hydrothermal eruptions with distinctive eruptive mechanisms. Regarding eruption sources, the Adatara 1900 event was caused solely by thermal energy of the hydrothermal fluid, although magma intrusion likely triggered evolution of hydrothermal systems at Zao in 1895. Steam eruptions in the Bandai 1888 event occurred simultaneously with sudden exposure of the hydrothermal system, whose triggers require no internal energy.     

Swelling of a lava plug associated with a Vulcanian eruption at Sakurajima Volcano,Japan, as revealed by infrasound record: case study of the eruption on January 2, 2007

In order to clarify the time relation of the expansion of a gas pocket and failure of its overlying plug of lava during Vulcanian eruptions, infrasound records and video images of the Vulcanian eruption that occurred at Sakurajima volcano on January 2, 2007 were analyzed with respect to their origin times. Weak (≤3 Pa) and slowly increasing air pressure preceded the impulsive compression phase by 0.25–0.32 s, and a longer-period rarefaction phase of infrasound waves was recognized at all microphone stations. The velocity of the compression phase was assumed to be supersonic (ca. 400 m/s) up to 850 m above the crater bottom from other recent explosions. On the other hand, the propagation velocity of the preceding weak signal was regarded to be similar to the air sound velocity because the lack of impulsiveness is unlikely to be related to the main compression phase. Therefore, the estimated origin time of the main compression phase was delayed by 0.5–0.7 s from the preceding phase. The origin time of the preceding phase coincided with the onset of the isotropic expansion process of the pressurized gas pocket, which was obtained by the waveform inversion of the explosion earthquake. In contrast, the origin time of the main impulsive phase coincided with the time when the expansion rate reached its peak. This observation suggests that the volumetric increase of the gas pocket caused swelling of the surface of the crater bottom and its subsequent failure. When the expansion velocity exceeded a threshold level, the main impulsive compression phase radiated with a high velocity by the sudden releases of the pressurized gases. The volumetric change at the source was estimated to be 280–560 m³ from the preceding phase of the infrasound. This volume change indicates that the vertical displacement of the swelling ground was on the order of 1.0 m, assuming the radius of the lava plug was ca. 10 m.     

Simultaneous Analysis of Natural Free Estrogens and Their Conjugates in Wastewater by GC‐MS

A solid‐phase extraction (SPE)‐gas chromatography (GC)‐mass spectrometry (MS) analytical method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of natural free estrogens and their conjugates in wastewater samples. Natural free estrogens and their conjugates in wastewater were successfully separated by the oasis hydrophilic‐lipophilic balance solid phase extraction (Oasis HLB SPE) method, and the conjugates were initially enzyme hydrolyzed by β‐glucuronidase or arylsulfatase from Helix pomatia prior to derivatization. N‐methyl‐N‐(tert‐butyldimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) plus 1% tert‐butyldimetheylchlorosilane (TBDMCS) was chosen as the derivatization reagent, and the most appropriate conditions of derivatization were determined to be at 95°C for 90 min. The recovery ratios of nine target chemicals were determined by spiking them in 1 L of ultra‐purified water or the influent of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The recovery ratios of six out of nine for the analytes ranged from 73.3–114.9% with relative standard deviations (RSD) from 1.6–19.9%. The established method was successfully applied to environmental wastewater samples which were collected from one municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Osaka, Japan, for the determination of natural free estrogens and their conjugates. In the influent sample, E1, E2, E1‐3S, E3‐3S, and E1‐3G were detected at concentrations of 16.6, 9.6, 8.2, 21.9, and 3.2 ng L^–1, respectively. However, only E1 was detected at a high concentration of 44 ng L^–1 in the effluent sample, suggesting that it is the dominant natural free estrogen in the effluent.     

Holocene estuarine sediments as a source of arsenic in Pleistocene groundwater in suburbs of Hanoi,Vietnam

Groundwater pollution by arsenic is a major health threat in suburban areas of Hanoi, Vietnam. The present study evaluates the effect of the sedimentary environments of the Pleistocene and Holocene deposits, and the recharge systems, on the groundwater arsenic pollution in Hanoi suburbs distant from the Red River. At two study sites (Linh Dam and Tai Mo communes), undisturbed soil cores identified a Pleistocene confined aquifer (PCA) and Holocene unconfined aquifer (HUA) as major aquifers, and Holocene estuarine and deltaic sediments as an aquitard layer between the two aquifers. The Holocene estuarine sediments (approximately 25–40 m depth, 9.6–4.8 cal ka BP) contained notably high concentrations of arsenic and organic matter, both likely to have been accumulated by mangroves during the Holocene sea-level highstand. The pore waters in these particular sediments exhibited elevated levels of arsenic and dissolved organic carbon. Arsenic in groundwater was higher in the PCA (25–94 μg/L) than in the HUA (5.2–42 μg/L), in both the monitoring wells and neighboring household tubewells. Elevated arsenic concentration in the PCA groundwater was likely due to vertical infiltration through the arsenic-rich and organic-matter-rich overlying Holocene estuarine sediments, caused by massive groundwater abstraction from the PCA. Countermeasures to prevent arsenic pollution of the PCA groundwater may include seeking alternative water resources, reducing water consumption, and/or appropriate choice of aquifers for groundwater supply.     

Earthquake sequences on a frictional fault model with non-uniform strengths and relaxation times

Summary. The space and time characteristics of earthquake sequences, including a main shock, aftershocks and the recurrence of major shocks in a long time range, are investigated on a frictional fault model with non-uniform strengths and relaxation times, which is subjected to a time-dependent shear stress. Aftershocks with low stress drop take place successively in spaced regions so as to fill the gaps which have not yet been ruptured since the main shock, while those with high stress drop occur in and around the regions left unruptured during the main faulting. The frequency decay of aftershocks with time follows a hyperbolic law with the rates p consistent with observations. There are good linear relations in logarithmic scales for source area versus frequency and seismic moment versus frequency of the generated aftershocks. The b -value obtained in the present experiments appears slightly larger than that for observations. It was found that more heterogeneous distribution of the fault strength give smaller p and larger b -values. The recurrence of major shocks, particularly of very large shocks with high stress drop, is often preceded by a completely silent period of activity or very low activity with a small number of foreshocks. The major shocks take place successively in adjacent unruptured regions and sometimes show slow-speed migrations. These results provide explanations to various observations of earthquake sequences.     

Evaluations of subsurface flow for reconstructions of climate change using borehole temperature and isotope data in Kamchatka

Subsurface temperature is affected by heat advection due to groundwater flow and surface temperature changes. To evaluate their effects, it was implemented the measurements of temperature-depth profile (T-D profile) and the continuous monitoring of soil temperature in the southern part of Kamchatka which has not affected by human activity. Additionally, stable isotopic compositions of surface water and groundwater were analyzed. T-D profile and stable isotopic compositions show groundwater flow system is differ from the shallow aquifer to the deep aquifer. In the shallow aquifer, T-D profile suggests the existence of upward groundwater flux. On the other hand, the annual variation of soil temperature is divided into the large variation period (VP) and the stable period (SP) by the magnitude of daily and seasonal variation. VP and SP correspond to the summer and the winter season, respectively, and it considers that the difference between VP and SP is caused by the effect of snow cover. Therefore, the T-D profile is affected by not only upward groundwater flux but also the surface warming particularly in the summer season (VP).     

High-Magnesian Andesite Produced by Two-Stage Magma Mixing: a Case Study from Hachimantai, Northern Honshu, Japan

High-magnesian andesite occurs at Hachimantai, northern Honshu,Japan. Disequilibrium zoning features indicate that the phenocrystminerals were derived from three different magmas. Chemicalcompositions and zoning profiles are accounted for by two-stagemagma mixing: the first mixing occurred between a crystal-freebasalt magma and a more differentiated olivine basalt magma;the second stage occurred by mixing between the resultant ofthe first-stage mixing and a hypersthene–augite andesitemagma. Mass balance of phenocryst crystals shows that end-membercompositions were c. 52·0 wt % SiO₂ and 10·1 wt% MgO for the mafic end-member and 57·0 wt % SiO₂ forthe felsic end-member of the second-stage mixing. Phenocrystminerals of the first-stage mixing end-member indicate the similarityof the end-member composition to that of basalts from nearbyvolcanoes. The counterpart aphyric magma in the first-stagemixing was more magnesian than the estimated mafic end-member.Calculations of the phase equilibria of similar basalts fromnearby volcanoes and comparison of results with previous phaseequilibrium experiments showed that the olivine basalt end-memberof the first stage was hydrous and situated at a depth wherethe pressure was less than 2 kbar. Two-pyroxene thermometryestimates are about 1050°C for the pyroxenes derived fromthe felsic end-member of the second-stage mixing, and about1180°C for groundmass pyroxenes. Crystallization temperaturesof 1170–1230°C are estimated for minerals from themafic end-member of the second-stage mixing based on phase equilibriumcalculations. These similar temperature estimates between thegroundmass and the mafic end-member imply achievement of thermalequilibrium between end-members preceding crystallization. Themagma plumbing system of the eastern Hachimantai is illustratedby a recent volcanic event, involving lateral dike intrusiontoward a pressure source. The encounter of a laterally migratingbasalt dike and an andesite magma chamber triggered the magmamixing that produced the high-magnesian andesite. The modelcan account for the relation between the petrological modeland surface distribution of volcanic rocks. The infrequencyof such mixing-derived high-magnesian andesite stems from therarity of high-magnesian basalt as a potential mixing end-memberin northern Honshu. KEY WORDS: high-magnesian andesite; Hachimantai; Northern Honshu; high-magnesian basalt; two-stage magma mixing     

Relationship between groundwater flow estimated by soil temperature and slope failures caused by heavy rainfall, Shikoku Island, southwestern Japan

Most of the slope failure disasters in a humid area such as that of Japan are caused by heavy rain. However, even for the case of heavy rainfall that occurs once in every 10 years, total area of slope failures seldom exceeds 10% of a watershed. From this background, we focused on the vein-like groundwater flows that increase pore-water pressure, and clarified the relationship between distributions of slope failures and groundwater veins. In this study, a 1-m-depth ground temperature survey and water-chemistry analyses at springs and boreholes were conducted in Zentoku area of Shikoku Island, southwestern Japan, to grasp the distribution of groundwater veins and their sources. Subsequently, slope-stability was analyzed to investigate the relationship between groundwater veins and slope failures at study sites. These results lead to the following conclusions: The slope failures appear to concentrate around shallow groundwater veins and groundwater veins rising from deep layers. This means that slope failures caused by these groundwater veins in addition to rainfall. Two types of groundwater originate in the deep layers: one has short storage time as indicated by the fact that dissolved substances are low; the other is stored for a lengthy period as noted by a high concentration of dissolved substances. By combining the results of stability analyses and distribution of groundwater veins, it is suggested that prediction of zones with high potential for slope failure can be more accurate.     

Accurate Isotopic and Concentration Analyses of Small Amounts of Pb Using Isotope Dilution Coupled with the Double Spike Technique

A new method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of Pb abundance and Pb isotopic composition with high precision and accuracy for small test portion masses by thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. In this method, a ²⁰⁵pb-²⁰⁴pb double spike is added to samples prior to the chemical separation of Pb, and the isotopic composition of the spike-sample mixture is determined rigorously by the double spike technique using a ²⁰⁷Pb-²⁰⁴Pb spike. The isotopic composition and concentration of Pb in the sample are then obtained by utilising the principle of isotope dilution. Using this technique, replicate determinations of Pb from NIST SRM 981 and GSJ JP-1 (peridotite; 0.07 μg g⁻¹ Pb) were performed. The measured concentration and isotopic data were identical, within uncertainty, to published data or to data that were determined independently in this study. The application of this method to U-Pb dating and the determination of the "initial" Pb isotopic composition was also tested. Lead isotopic compositions and the concentrations of Pb, Th and U were determined for a single batch of samples, through the addition of ²⁰⁵pb-²⁰⁴pb, ²³⁰Th and ²³⁵U spikes to samples prior to chemical separation. Also in these experiments, we confirmed that this routine gives accurate data for Pb, Th and U concentrations and Pb isotopic compositions.