Expected changes in future agro-climatological conditions in Northeast Thailand and their differences between general circulation models

We have studied future changes in the atmospheric and hydrological environments in Northeast Thailand from the viewpoint of risk assessment of future cultural environments in crop fields. To obtain robust and reliable estimation for future climate, ten general circulation models under three warming scenarios, B1, A1B, and A2, were used in this study. The obtained change trends show that daily maximum air temperature and precipitation will increase by 2.6°C and 4.0%, respectively, whereas soil moisture will decrease by c.a. 1% point in volumetric water content at the end of this century under the A1B scenario. Seasonal contrasts in precipitation will intensify: precipitation increases in the rainy season and precipitation decreases in the dry season. Soil moisture will slightly decrease almost throughout the year. Despite a homogeneous increase in the air temperature over Northeast Thailand, a future decrease in soil water content will show a geographically inhomogeneous distribution: Soil will experience a relative larger decrease in wetness at a shallow depth on the Khorat plateau than in the surrounding mountainous area, reflecting vegetation cover and soil texture. The predicted increase in air temperature is relatively consistent between general circulation models. In contrast, relatively large intermodel differences in precipitation, especially in long-term trends, produce unwanted bias errors in the estimation of other hydrological elements, such as soil moisture and evaporation, and cause uncertainties in projection of the agro-climatological environment. Offline hydrological simulation with a wide precipitation range is one strategy to compensate for such uncertainties and to obtain reliable risk assessment of future cultural conditions in rainfed paddy fields in Northeast Thailand.     

An experimental study of non-equilibrium vapour condensation in a shock-tube

Filmwise non-equilibrium condensation of methanol vapour is investigated on a shock-tube endwall behind a reflected shock wave. The theoretical prediction of a transition phenomenon during the growth of a liquid film is experimentally demonstrated: the film grows approximately in proportion to the time at the early stages after the reflection of the shock wave and, after a transition period, it grows in proportion to the square root of the time. The condensation parameter of the vapour is obtained from the conformity between experiment and theory. It is found that the condensation parameter of the methanol vapour is of the magnitude of one tenth of the value for the complete capture of the molecules on the liquid surface.     

266 E+A galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 2: the origin of E+A galaxies

E+A galaxies are characterized as galaxies with strong Balmer absorption lines but without any [O  ii ] or Hα emission lines. The existence of strong Balmer absorption lines indicates that E+A galaxies have experienced starburst within the past one gigayear. However, the lack of [O  ii ] and Hα emission lines indicates that E+A galaxies do not have any on-going star formation. Therefore, E+A galaxies are interpreted as post-starburst galaxies. For many years, however, it has been a mystery why E+A galaxies started starburst and why they quenched star formation abruptly. Using one of the largest samples of 266 E+A galaxies carefully selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 2, we have investigated the environment of E+A galaxies from 50 kpc to 8 Mpc scale, i.e. from a typical distance to satellite galaxies to the scale of large-scale structures. We found that E+A galaxies have an excess of local galaxy density only at a scale of <100 kpc (with a 2σ significance), but not at the cluster scale (∼1.5 Mpc) nor at the scale of large-scale structure (∼8 Mpc). These results indicate that E+A galaxies are not created by the physical mechanisms associated with galaxy clusters or the large-scale structure, but are likely to be created by dynamical interaction with closely accompanying galaxies at a <100 kpc scale. The claim is also supported by the morphology of E+A galaxies. We have found that almost all E+A galaxies have a bright compact core, and that ∼30 per cent of E+A galaxies have dynamically disturbed signatures or tidal tails, which quite strongly suggest the morphological appearance of merger/interaction remnants.     

Influence of the Atmospheric Model on Hanle Diagnostics

We clarify the uncertainty in the inferred magnetic field vector via the Hanle diagnostics of the hydrogen Lyman-\(\upalpha\) line when the stratification of the underlying atmosphere is unknown. We calculate the anisotropy of the radiation field with plane-parallel semi-empirical models under the nonlocal thermal equilibrium condition and derive linear polarization signals for all possible parameters of magnetic field vectors based on an analytical solution of the atomic polarization and Hanle effect. We find that the semi-empirical models of the inter-network region (FAL-A) and network region (FAL-F) show similar degrees of anisotropy in the radiation field, and this similarity results in an acceptable inversion error (e.g., \({\sim}\, 40~\mbox{G}\) instead of 50 G in field strength and \({\sim}\,100^{\circ}\) instead of \(90^{\circ}\) in inclination) when FAL-A and FAL-F are swapped. However, the semi-empirical models of FAL-C (averaged quiet-Sun model including both inter-network and network regions) and FAL-P (plage regions) yield an atomic polarization that deviates from all other models, which makes it difficult to precisely determine the magnetic field vector if the correct atmospheric model is not known (e.g., the inversion error is much larger than 40% of the field strength; \({>}\,70~\mbox{G}\) instead of \(50~\mbox{G}\)). These results clearly demonstrate that the choice of model atmosphere is important for Hanle diagnostics. As is well known, one way to constrain the average atmospheric stratification is to measure the center-to-limb variation of the linear polarization signals. The dependence of the center-to-limb variations on the atmospheric model is also presented in this paper.     

Discriminating Weathering Degree by Integrating Optical Sensor and SAR Satellite Images for Potential Mapping of Groundwater Resources in Basement Aquifers of Semiarid Regions

Natural Resources Research - Unlike in coastal and sedimentary basins, regional-scale exploration of groundwater resources using only geophysical methods is costlier in consolidated rocks such as...     

Petrology of peridotite xenoliths in lamprophyre from Shingu,Southwestern Japan: Implications for origin of Fe-rich mantle peridotites

Summary Xenoliths of harzburgite, lherzolite, dunite and wehrlite (= Group I rocks) in lamprophyre dikes from Shingu are accompanied by large amounts of ultramafic-mafic xeno liths with Al- and Ti-rich clinopyroxene and/or kaersuite (websterite, clinopyroxenite, kaersutite rock, gabbro and anorthosite) (= Group II rocks). The latter rocks often crosscut the Group I rocks as veinlets, indicating that Group II rocks are younger. Although harzburgites and lherzolite from Shingu have ordinary modal compositions, the constituent minerals have extraordinary chemical characteristics; low Mg and Cr and high Ti, Al and Fe³⁺. Fo values of olivine range from 91 to 77. Cr/(Cr + Al) atomic ratios of spinel are lower than 0.5 even in harzburgites. Fe³⁺/(Cr+Al+Fe³⁺) atomic ratios of spinel are sometimes over 0.1. TiO₂ contents of clinopyroxene often exceed 0.5 wt%. These characteristics are revealed when Group I rocks are veined or selvaged by Group 11 rocks; chemical compositions of minerals in peridotites systematically change forwards the latter. This strongly suggests that injections of melts with alkali basaltic affinity which had precipitated Group 11 rocks resulted in diffusion metasomatism on the Group I rocks.It is likely that the metasomatized peridotites are widespread underneath the areas where alkali basalt magmatism had fluorished, such as southwestern Japan. Some of Fe-rich lherzolite and harzburgite xenoliths reported in the literature are possibly metasomatites.

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Petrologie von Peridotit-Xenolithen in Lamprophyren von Shingu, Südwest-Japan: Hinweise auf die Herkunft Fe-reicher Mantel-Peridotite

Zusammenfassung In lamprophyrischen Gängen von Shingu kommen Xenolithe von Harzburgit, Lherzolith, Dunit and Wehrlit (= Gesteinsgruppe I) vor. Sie werden von einer Vielzahl von ultramaf-isch-mafischen Xenolithen mit Al- and Ti-reichem Klinopyroxen and/oder Kaersutit (Websterit, Klinopyroxenit, Kaersutit-Gestein, Gabbro and Anorthosit) (=Gesteinsgruppe II) begleitet, die die Xenolithe der Gruppe I häufig gangförmig durchkreuzen, was auf ein jü ngeres Alter der Gesteinsgruppe II hinweist. Obwohl die Harzburgite and Lherzolithe von Shingu übliche modale Mineralbestände aufweisen, sind die Mineralchemismen außergewöhnlich: Niedrige Mg- and Cr- and hohe Ti-, Al- and Fe³⁺-Gehalte. Die Fo-Gehalte von Olivin reichen von 91 bis 77. Die Cr/(Cr+Al)-Atom-Verhältnisse der Spinelle sind kleiner als 0,5, sogar in den Harzburgiten; die Fe³⁺/(Cr+Al+Fe³⁺)-Atom-Verhaltnisse teilweise größer als 0,1. Der TiO₂-Gehalt im Klinopyroxen ist meist über 0,5 Gew.%. Diese Charakteristika zeigen sich dort, wo die Gesteinsgruppe II die Gesteinsgruppe I durchschlägt oder kontaktiert. Der Mineralchemismus in den Peridotiten ändert sich dabei systematisch. Es wird vermutet, daß Schmelzinjektionen mit alkali-basaltischer Affinität, von denen die Gesteinsgruppe II herstammt, eine Diffusions-Metasomatose der Gesteinsgruppe I verursacht hat.Es wird angenommen, daß metasomatisierte Peridotite an der Basis von alkali-basaltischem Magmatismus weft verbreitet sind, wie zum Beispiel in Südwest-Japan. Einige in der Literatur aufscheinende Fe-reiche Lherzolith- and Harzburgit-Xenolithe sind möglicherweise metasomatisch entstanden.

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With 6 Figures     

Long-term temperature monitoring in a borehole drilled into the Nojima Fault, southwest Japan

Abstract Long-term monitoring of temperature distribution in an active fault zone was carried out using the optical fiber temperature-sensing technique. An optical fiber cable was installed in a borehole drilled into the Nojima Fault in Awaji Island, south-west Japan, and the temperature profile to a depth of 1460 m had been measured for 2.5 years (July 1997–January 2000). Although the obtained temperature records showed small temporal variations due to drifts of the measurement system all along the cable, local temperature anomalies were detected at two depths. One at around 80 m seems to correspond to a fracture zone and may be attributed to groundwater flow in the fracture zone. This anomaly had been stable throughout the monitoring period, whereas the other anomaly at around 500 m was a transient one. The water level in the borehole could be estimated from the diurnal temperature variations in the uppermost part of the borehole and may provide information on the hydrological characteristics of the fault zone, which is connected to the borehole through perforations on the casing pipe. Except for these minor variations, the temperature profile had been very stable for 2.5 years. The conductive heat flow calculated from this profile and the thermal conductivity measured on core samples increases with depth, probably resulting from errors in thermal conductivity due to sampling problems and/or from advective heat transfer by regional groundwater flow. Assuming that the middle part of the borehole (less fractured granite layer) is least affected by these factors, heat flow at this site is estimated to be approximately 70 mW/m².     

Occurrence of Spadella cephaloptera During One Year at Ischia Island (Gulf of Naples)

Abstract. The life cycle of the benthic arrowworm, Spadella cephaloptera , which inhabits the Posidonia meadow at Ischia (Gulf of Naples, Italy), was examined by a one-year systematic sampling survey and by laboratory culture. The seasonal fluctuations in abundance and the reproductive characteristics indicate that there were two generations of S. cephaloptera in one year; these generations have a different life span. The habitat of S. cephaloptera depends on the growth of the Posidonia meadow; the influence of different factors on the S. cephaloptera population, especially of the Posidonia vagile fauna, is discussed.     

Evolving fluid composition during prograde metamorphism in subduction zones: A new approach using carbonate-bearing assemblages in the pelitic system

The changing XCO₂ in fluids during the progressive metamorphism in Sanbagawa belt of the Cretaceous subduction zone, Japan, was estimated by a newly proposed method. The subduction zone meta-sediments are characterized commonly by four-phase assemblages in the CaO–NaAlO₂–KAlO₂–Al₂O₃ system with excess quartz and a CO₂–H₂O binary fluid phase. Using the common assemblage of calcite–albite–muscovite–clinozoisite, XCO₂ of the fluid was estimated to be from about 0.0001–0.0005 (the lowest grade chlorite zone), through 0.004–0.01 (garnet zone), 0.01–0.05 (albite–biotite zone) to 0.06–0.2 (oligoclase–biotite zone).The paragenetic relationship of meta-sediments from the subduction zones was compared in a wide P–T range to cover the stability fields of aragonite and jadeite. As a result, an excellent P–T–XCO₂ relationship was delineated to serve as a quantitative monitor for the evolving fluid composition during the progressive metamorphism in subduction zones.