Numerical experiment for strontium-90 and cesium-137 in the Japan Sea

A numerical experiment is carried out to reproduce distribution of concentration of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs, estimate their total amount and verify their source in the Japan Sea. Model results are in good agreement with observational findings in the Japan Sea expeditions between 1997 and 2002 by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. Vertical profiles of the concentration of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs show exponential decreases with depth from the sea surface to the sea bottom. From the model and observational results, it is suggested that the concentration of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs in the surface layer is approximately in the range of 1.0–1.5 Bq/m³ and 2.0–2.5 Bq/m3, respectively. On the other hand, it is found that the concentration in the intermediate and deep layer is higher than that observed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, suggesting active winter convection in the Japan Sea. The total amount of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs in the seawater is evaluated to be 1.34 × 10¹⁵ Bq and 2.02 × 10¹⁵ Bq, respectively, in the numerical experiment, which demonstrates an estimation by observational data obtained in the Japan Sea expeditions. The total amount of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs changed during the second half of 20th century corresponding to deposition at the sea surface with the maximums of 4.86 × 10¹⁵ Bq for ⁹⁰Sr and 7.33 × 10¹⁵ Bq for ¹³⁷Cs, respectively, in the mid-1960s. The numerical experiment suggests that the main source of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs has been global fallout, although there have been some potential sources in the Japan Sea.     

Partitioning of heavy metals into mineral and organic fractions in a sediment core sample from Osaka Bay

Partitioning of copper, zinc, iron and manganese into oxide, sulfide, organic and silicate fractions has been determined with a selective chemical leaching technique on sediment samples from a core collected in Osaka Bay. The samples have been dated by the²¹⁰Pb method. Most of the copper and zinc in the polluted surface sediment layer are contained in both oxide and sulfide fractions. This suggests that the transformation of oxides and hydroxides to sulfides under anoxic conditions within the sediment is significant for the fixation of copper and zinc discharged through human activities into the sediment. Manganese is apparently enriched in oxide and hydroxide fractions of the surface layer due to the post-depositional migration of manganese within the sediment. The copper, zinc and manganese contents of the 30 % H₂O₂ soluble fraction (mostly organic fraction) decrease with depth in the sediment core, and correlate significantly with the organic carbon content. The heavy metal (Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn) contents of the silicate fraction, without exchangeable sites, are almost constant with depth.     

Relating food and human hair to assess mercury exposure levels in Poboya,Central Sulawesi,Indonesia

Poboya is a major small-scale gold-mining area in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, that has been operating since 2009. About 200–500 kg of mercury is released each day as a result of gold-mining activities over a total area of 7000 ha. We examined mercury contamination by using two types of sample, namely food and human hair. Samples were obtained in Poboya and in the city of Palu, 11 km away. Samples of 22 foods were obtained from traditional markets in Poboya and Palu. Total mercury concentrations ranged from 0.003 to 0.31 µg/g in foods from Poboya and from 0.001 to 0.13 µg/g in those from Palu. The highest total mercury concentration in Poboya was found in unripe banana, which is frequently consumed by the local people. In Poboya, the weekly mercury intakes from foods were calculated at 180.3 µg/person from vegetables, 1.7 µg/person from processed foods, 51.4 µg/person from seafood, and 17.2 µg/person from meat and eggs. In Palu, the weekly mercury intakes were 2.9 µg/person from vegetables, 3.1 µg/person from processed foods, 60.8 µg/person from seafood, and 19 µg/person from meat and eggs. These findings delineated Poboya as an area polluted by mercury contamination. Intake of mercury-contaminated food influenced the results obtained in human hair. Hair concentrations of total mercury in Poboya ranged from 0.3 to 19.6 µg/g.     

Seasonal variations in coastal debris on Awaji Island, Japan

The subject of our study was Awaji Island, an island located in the west of Japan that is surrounded by sea and that has serious problems relating to coastal debris. We conducted a long-term investigation focusing on three beaches and evaluated the results. The study was designed to develop an understanding of the actual situation, to inform local citizens, and raise their concerns about the problem of debris with a view to taking action against it. We obtained the following results: the amount, type, and ratio of debris changed according to weather and ocean conditions; debris also differs according to geographical conditions; social and economic activities of the surrounding area influence the type of debris encountered. Following this study, we have continued our investigation, and are continuing to gather data. At the same time, it is important to spread our ideas and enlighten people so as to encourage them not to dump debris. We hope that these actions manage to raise the level of consciousness among local citizens and to expand their anti-debris activities.     

East Asian,Indochina and Western North Pacific Summer Monsoon - An update

This review provides a summary of the major research progress in the variability of East Asian, Indochina and Western North Pacific Summer Monsoon. Time scales of the reviewed phenomena range from diurnal to interannual and interdecadal. Research results published in the past decades are the major sources for this review.     

Upper ocean heat content and atmospheric anomaly fields in the off-equatorial North Pacific related to ENSO

We have investigated interannual-scale variations of oceanic and atmospheric anomaly fields, such as upper ocean heat content (OHC), sea surface temperature (SST), latent heat flux (LHF) through the sea surface, sea level pressure (SLP) and wind stress curl (WSC) in the tropical Pacific and their relationships to El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. The results reported here show that the OHC and SST anomalies are almost in phase and lead LHF anomalies in the western tropical Pacific (WTP) region, which are preferable to the generation of subsequent atmospheric anomalies in the WTP. We also describe linear relationships between the amplitudes of these variables in the WTP. In addition, the results show that the both WSC and LHF anomalies are in phase with the temporal trend of OHC anomalies in the WTP, and suggest a combined effect of the local WSC and LHF anomaly in the WTP and ENSO-related, off-equatorial, westward propagating OHC anomaly to generate a large OHC anomaly in the WTP. In contrast to the WTP, OHC and SST anomalies are not in phase to the east of the WTP. The results also indicate that OHC anomalies in the WTP have a potential effect on the generation of an equatorial OHC anomaly via both a reflection of waves at the western boundary and atmospheric variations, which force the enhancement of western equatorial OHC anomaly. Therefore, the WTP is a key region where ENSO events are significantly modulated, and OHC anomalies in the WTP play an important role in the subsequent ENSO event.     

Experimental studies on the possible influences of composition changes of pore water on the stability conditions of methane hydrate in marine sediments

Experiments with a set of electrolyte solutions have been carried out to investigate the effects of pore water composition changes on the stability conditions of methane hydrate in marine sediments. The results reveal that (1) SO₄²⁻ and Cl⁻ concentration changes can affect hydrate stability slightly, (2) the changes in both the type and the concentration of cations, which occur in normal diagenetic processes, do not exert a significant influence on the methane hydrate stability conditions, and (3) the shift of hydrate stability in pore water can be expressed as a function of the Cl⁻ concentration only. Based on the results above, an empirical equation ΔT (K)=0.00206 Cl⁻ (mmol/dm³) has been obtained for estimating the shift in the equilibrium temperature of methane hydrate in pore water at a given pressure.