Generation of greenhouse effect gases from different landfill types

Recently much attention is focussed on the problems of global warming due to greenhouse effect gases, notably carbon dioxide and methane. Because these gases cause important problems to the global environment, their generation from landfill sites containing solid wastes has drawn attention and their environmental impact is causing concern.

Generally, the gases associated with a greenhouse effect include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. However, there are no general basic data available concerning gases generated from biodegradation of solid wastes in landfill sites. Specifically, no assessment has been made concerning greenhouse effect gases from different landfill types.

This paper proposes a quantitative model for estimating the gasification rate by different landfill types. The model is based on measurement data for a long-term material balance for an aerobic landfill and an anaerobic landfill, obtained with two types of large-scale lysimeters.

This paper will also give an estimate for the amount of greenhouse effect gases by for different types of landfill and propose countermeasures for their reduction.     

A Continuous Mapping of Tidal Current Structures in the Kanmon Strait

Tidal current structures at the Hayatomono-Seto of the Kanmon Strait are mapped continuously during March 17 to 20, 2003, including a spring tide, by the eight coastal acoustic tomography (CAT) systems distributed on both the sides of the strait. Detailed structures of strong tidal currents and their associated vortices are well reconstructed by the inverse analysis of travel-time difference data obtained from the reciprocal sound transmission between the paired CAT systems located at both sides of the strait mainly. The results are well compared to the shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data at the correlation rate of 0.84/0.82 and the RMS difference of 0.47/0.48 ms⁻¹ for the east-west/north-south current after the selection of good data. During the observation period, the maximum hourly mean volume transport for the upper 7 m layer across the strait reached 13,314 m³ s⁻¹ for the eastward and 5,547 m³ s⁻¹ for the westward. The daily mean transport is directed to the eastward and estimated 1,470 m³ s⁻¹ and 2,140 m³ s⁻¹ for March 18 and 19, respectively, when a spring tide occurs.     

Differential Fractionation of Rare Earth Elements in Oxidized and Reduced Granitic Rocks: Implication for Heavy Rare Earth Enriched Ion Adsorption Mineralization

Ion adsorption rare earth element (REE) deposits in southern China are the exclusive source of heavy REEs (HREEs) in the world, and this HREE‐enriched character of the deposits is inherited from the REE compositions of the underlying granitic rocks. Such HREE‐enriched rocks form from heavy fractionation of reduced granitic magmas. We explore why reduced granitic magmas are enriched in HREEs during the fractionation, based on the REE geochemistry of granitic rocks and abundance of REEs in their constituent minerals in the southwestern Japan arc of Cretaceous to Paleogene age. The compilation of the whole rock geochemistry and REE compositions of the granitic rocks of the Sanin (oxidized), Sanyo (reduced) and Ryoke (reduced) belts in the southwestern Japan arc indicates that: (i) light REEs (LREEs) decease with fractionation of the granitoids in the Sanin belt but this trend is not clear in the granitoids in the Sanyo belt and LREEs rather increase in the Ryoke granitoids; (ii) Eu decreases with fractionation in all the belts; and (iii) HREEs slightly, but steadily decrease in the Sanin belt but enrich significantly in the Sanyo and Ryoke belts with fractionation. Analytical results of REE concentrations by scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscope and laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer in the constituent minerals in a granodiorite sample from the Sanin belt show a moderate concentration of REEs in hornblende (577 ppm) in addition to high concentrations in allanite (~20 %), britholite (~30 %), primary titanite (8922 ppm), apatite (4062 ppm), and zircon (1693 ppm). Because primary titanite and allanite are commonly present in the oxidized granitoids but not in the reduced ones, the REE depletion in the fractionated, oxidized granites is attributed to the crystallization of these minerals. In contrast, scarcity of these minerals in the reduced granitoids enriches REEs, in particular HREEs in the fractionated magmas, which finally precipitate REEs in the granites and pegmatites. Both positive, but different correlation ratios between the Nb and Dy concentrations in the granitoids of the Sanin and Sanyo‐Ryoke belts suggest that columbite–pyrochlore‐group and fergusonite‐group minerals are the major HREE host in the oxidized and reduced granites, respectively.     

Production of the Blood Pressure Lowing Peptides from Brown Alga （ Undaria pinnatifida ）

Brown alga （ Undaria pinnatifida） was treated with alginate lyase and hydrolyzed using 17 kinds of proteases and the inhibitory activity of the hydrolysates for the angiotensin-I-converting enzyme （ACE） was measured. Four hydrolysates with potent ACE-inhibitory activity were administered singly and orally to spontaneously hypertensive rats （SHRs）. The systolic blood pressure of SHRs decreases significantly after single oral administration of the brown alga hydrolysates by pro- tease S ＇ Amano＇ （from Bacillus stearothermophilus） at the concentration of 10 （mg protein） （kg body weight）^ - 1. In the 17 weeks of feeding experiment, 7-week-old SHRs were fed standard diet supplemented with the brown alga hydrolysates for 10 weeks. In SHRs fed 1.0 and 0.1% brown alga hydrolysates, elevating of systolic bloodpressure was significantly suppressed for 7 weeks. To elucidate the active components, the brown alga hydrolysates were fractionated by 1-butanol extraction and HPLC on a reverse-phase column. Seven kinds of ACE-inhibitory peptides were isolated and identified by amino acid composition analysis, sequence analysis, and LC-MS with the results Val-Tyr, Ile-Tyr, Ala-Trp, Phe-Tyr, Val-Trp, Ile-Trp, and Leu-Trp. Each peptide was determined to have an antihypertensive effect after a single oral administration in SHRs. The brown alga hydrolysates were also confirmed to decrease the blood pressure in humans.     

Trace element geochemistry of K-rich impact spherules from howardites

The howardite–eucrite–diogenite (HED) achondrites are a group of meteorites that probably originate from the asteroid Vesta. Howardites are complex polymict breccias that sometimes contain, in addition to various rock debris, impact melt glasses which show an impressive range of compositions. In this paper we report on the geochemistry and O isotopes of a series of 6 Saharan polymict breccias (4 howardites and 2 polymict eucrites), and on the trace element abundances of high-K impact spherules found in two of them, Northwest Africa (NWA) 1664 and 1769, which are likely paired.The high-K impact spherules found in the howardites NWA 1664 and NWA 1769 display remarkable trace element patterns. Compared to eucrites or howardites, they all show prominent enrichments in Cs, Rb, K, Li and Ba, strong depletion in Na, while the REE and other refractory elements are unfractionated. These features could not have been generated during impact melting of their host howardites, nor other normal HED target materials. The involvement of Na-poor rocks, and possibly rocks of granitic composition, appears likely. Although these lithologies cannot be well constrained at present, our results demonstrate that the surface of Vesta is certainly more diverse than previously thought. Indeed, despite the large number of available HED meteorites (about 1000 different meteorites), the latter are probably not sufficient to describe the whole surface of their parent body.     

Volume transport of the Soya Warm Current revealed by bottom-mounted ADCP and ocean-radar measurement

The vertical structure of the Soya Warm Current (SWC) was observed by a bottom-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) in the region of the SWC axis near the Soya Strait during a 1-year period from May 2004. The ADCP data revealed a marked seasonal variability in the vertical structure, with positive (negative) vertical shear in summer and fall (winter and spring). The volume transport of the SWC is estimated on the basis of both the vertical structure observed by the ADCP and horizontal structure observed by the ocean radars near the strait. The transport estimates have a minimum in winter and a maximum in fall, with the yearly-averaged values in the range of 0.94–1.04 Sv (1 Sv = 10⁶ m³ s⁻¹). These lie within a reasonable range in comparison to those through other straits in the Japan Sea.     

SHRIMP and electron microprobe chronology of UHT metamorphism in the Napier Complex,East Antarctica: implications for zircon growth at >1,000 °C

Zircons in ultra-high-temperature (UHT) metamorphosed paragneisses from Mt. Riiser-Larsen in the Napier Complex, East Antarctica, were dated by using ion microprobe (SHRIMP) and electron microprobe (EMP). Both SHRIMP and EMP analyses yield consistent 2520–2460 Ma age populations for garnet–orthopyroxene-bearing paragneiss and leucosomes enclosed within. The peak UHT event was dated at 2480 Ma by SHRIMP analyses on metamorphic zircons from the garnet–orthopyroxene paragneiss and those on magmatic zircons from the leucosomes which are interpreted to be formed at syn-UHT. As obtained by SHRIMP, the UHT metamorphic event was terminated no later than 2460 Ma. Minor 2520-Ma SHRIMP age suggests either the onset of prograde metamorphism or another high-grade metamorphic event unrelated to the UHT. EMP analyses on metamorphic zircons from sapphirine–quartz and osumilite-bearing magnesian paragneisses give c. 2500–2450 Ma ages. Inherited igneous zircon cores of the magnesian paragneisses yield relatively scattered EMP ages ranging over c. 3000–2650 Ma, suggesting that igneous materials of these ages sourced the protoliths of the paragneisses and that they were deposited during the interval c. 2650–2520 Ma.     

Multi-functional heat pulse probe measurements of coupled vadose zone flow and transport

Simultaneous measurement of coupled water, heat, and solute transport in unsaturated porous media is made possible with the multi-functional heat pulse probe (MFHPP). The probe combines a heat pulse technique for estimating soil heat properties, water flux, and water content with a Wenner array measurement of bulk soil electrical conductivity (EC_bulk). To evaluate the MFHPP, we conducted controlled steady-state flow experiments in a sand column for a wide range of water saturations, flow velocities, and solute concentrations. Flow and transport processes were monitored continuously using the MFHPP. Experimental data were analyzed by inverse modeling of simultaneous water, heat, and solute transport using an adapted HYDRUS-2D model. Various optimization scenarios yielded simultaneous estimation of thermal, solute, and hydraulic parameters and variables, including thermal conductivity, volumetric water content, water flux, and thermal and solute dispersivities. We conclude that the MFHPP holds great promise as an excellent instrument for the continuous monitoring and characterization of the vadose zone.     

The Meteoritical Bulletin,No. 96, September 2009

Abstract— The Meteoritical Bulletin No. 96 contains a total of 1590 newly approved meteorite names with their relevant data. These include 12 from specific locations within Africa, 76 from northwest Africa, 9 from the Americas, 13 from Asia, 1 from Australia, 2 from Europe, 950 from Antarctica recovered by the Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE), and 527 from the American Antarctic program (ANSMET). Among these meteorites are 4 falls, Almahata Sitta (Sudan), Sulagiri (India), Ash Creek (United States), and Maribo (Denmark). Almahata Sitta is an anomalous ureilite and is debris from asteroid 2008 TC3 and Maribo is a CM2 chondrite. Other highlights include a lunar meteorite, a CM1 chondrite, and an anomalous IVA iron.