The partition of minor transition metals between manganese oxides and seawater

The behavior of transition metals (Co, Ni, Cu and Zn) on precipitation of manganese oxides from seawater pumped up from a well at the site of the Marine Science Museum, Tokai University, and collected from several tanks along the water supply system to an aquarium was investigated. The distribution coefficients of cobalt and nickel between manganese oxides and seawater were different at different sampling points along the water supply system. At sampling points with high rates of manganese oxide precipitation, the distribution coefficients were about one order of magnitude smaller than those at the points with low precipitation rates, while there were no remarkable differences in the distribution coefficients of copper and zinc among the sampling points. The distribution coefficients of minor transition metals, with the exception of copper, observed at the points with low precipitation rates were comparable to those measured experimentally using manganese dioxides.     

Sulphide and oxide minerals from the Ohmine granitic rocks in Kii Peninsula,central Japan,and their primary paragenetic relations

In the Ohmine granitic rocks of Kii Peninsula, central Japan, ilmenite, rutile, pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite commonly occur, but no magnetite is present. Their primary paragenetic relations were confirmed by examining their mode of occurrences as inclusion species in major silicate minerals and the phase relations in the Cu-Fe-S system, though their parageneses changed in cooling of the rocks. This makes it possible to estimate the fugacities of oxygen and sulfur in the granitic rocks based upon their paragenetic relations, and to discuss the nature of volatiles in the granitic rocks. Significant subsolidus reactions for sulfide minerals continued until the rocks cooled below 300° C and took place in two types of mineral grains, in groundmass and as inclusions. The removal of sulfur and copper through the silicate crystals was too easy to preserve the chemistry of sulfides included in silicates.     

Tectonoelectricity

Anomalous earth-current changes in association with an earthquake occurrence have often been reported since the 19th century. Changes reported in classical as well as recent literature are reviewed, although it is hard to say that any physically clear relationship between earth-current changes and earthquakes has been established. Even though a strong correlation between precursory earthcurrent changes and earthquakes has often been reported in the U.S.S.R. and the People's Republic of China in recent years, it appears that a general rule governing the earthquake-related earth-current changes is still very much unknown, partly because of contamination by artificial and natural noise.In contrast to the difficulty in understanding earth-current changes, monitoring of earth-resistivity seems to provide a much clearer means for interpreting geoelectric phenomena in association with tectonic processes in the Earth. Soviet and American work showed that the resistivity decreases to a considerable extent in the focal region prior to an earthquake. Such a change seems to be closely correlated to dilatancy generation in the Earth's crust. This finding doubtless provides an important means for earthquake prediction.An ususual, highly sensitive resistivity variometer, developed by the writer, disclosed that a resistivity change takes place at a teleseismic distance when an earthquake of large and medium magnitude occurs. Many of the resistivity changes thus observed are preceded by a premonitory change, which is supposed to reflect the preliminary rupture at a focal region.     

Seismic return motion

Possibilities of backswing of fault displacement are investigated on the basis of a simple crack model. Although it has been suggested that the backswing would not occur in real earthquakes because of friction, there is evidence that some earthquakes might have caused return motion “locally” on the fault surface. This paper attempts to derive conditions for such local return motion. Spatial extension of the crack beyond the stress-filled region into the stress-deficient region gives a favorable site for the return motion, the site being just outside the stress-filled region. In our model the return motion occurs at this site when the frictional stress is less than about 30% of the regional stress in the stress-filled region. The overall return motion, on the other hand, would not occur unless the frictional stress is less than 10% of the regional stress.     

Incorporation of U,Pb and Rare Earth Elements in Calcite through Crystallisation from Amorphous Calcium Carbonate: Simple Preparation of Reference Materials for Microanalysis

Uncertainty for elemental and isotopic measurements in calcite by LA‐ICP‐MS is largely controlled by the homogeneity of the reference materials (RMs) used for calibration and validation. In order to produce calcite RMs with homogeneous elemental and isotopic compositions, we incorporated elements including U, Pb and rare earth elements into calcite through heat‐ and pressure‐induced crystallisation from amorphous calcium carbonate that was precipitated from element‐doped reagent solution. X‐ray absorption spectra showed that U was present as U(VI) in the synthesised calcite, probably with a different local structure from that of aqueous uranyl ions. The uptake rate of U by our calcite was higher in comparison with synthetic calcite of previous studies. Variations of element mass fractions in the calcite were better than 12% 2RSD, mostly within 7%. The ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ratio in the calcite showed < 1% variations, while the ²³⁸U/²⁰⁶Pb ratio showed 3–24% variations depending on element mass fractions. Using the synthetic calcite as primary RMs, we could date a natural calcite RM, WC‐1, with analytical uncertainty as low as < 3%. The method presented can be useful to produce calcite with controlled and homogeneous element mass fractions and is a promising alternative to natural calcite RMs for U‐Pb geochronology.     

孢粉记录的岱海盆地1500年以来气候变化

根据岱海盆地99A孔1.84m以上地层较高分辨率的孢粉资料,运用中国北方部分科属花粉-气候响应面定量恢复了岱海盆地1500aB.P.以来的七月平均气温和年均降水量。研究结果表明,岱海盆地的气候变化表现出明显的过渡带特征,1500aB.P.以来,七月平均气温除1500～1300aB.P.时段外,多低于现在;1500～980aB.P.岱海盆地的气候变化为温干-冷湿交替,980～400aB.P.以凉干-冷湿交替为特征,400aB.P.以来变为凉干-温湿的交替。980aB.P.以来,伴人植物草、荨麻花粉增加,表明人类活动加剧。是否是人类活动的加剧导致了400aB.P.以后岱海盆地气候变化格局的改变,值得进一步研究。     

Indigenous knowledge on soil classification of ethnic groups in Luang Prabang province of the Lao PDR

Introduction Traditional agriculture based on indigenous knowledge (IK) has been practiced in many areas for centuries. Such practices are often the basis of very sustainable technologies, which are potentially suitable for developmental programs. Polthanee (2001) reported that such farmer practices have been repeatedly found to be valid, rational and usually suited to the local environmental conditions. Moreover, with increased under- standing of agro-ecosystems, professionals in agricultura…     

Perturbations by the oblateness of the Earth and by the planets in the motion of the Moon

Perturbations in the motion of the Moon are computed for the effect by the oblateness of the Earth and for the indirect effect of planets. Based on Delaunay's analytical solution of the main problem, the computations are performed by a method of Fourier series operation. The effect of the oblateness of the Earth is obtained to the second order, partly adopting an analytical evaluation. Both in longitude and latitude are found a few terms whose coefficient differs from the current lunar ephemeris based on Brown's theory by about 0.01. While, concerning the indirect effect of planets, several periodic terms in the current ephemeris seem to have errors reaching 0.05.As for the secular variations of and due to the figure of the Earth and the indirect effect of planets, the newly-computed values agree within 1/cy with Brown's results reduced to the same values of the parameters. Further, the accelerations in the mean longitude, and caused by the secular changes in the eccentricity of the Earth's orbite and in the obliquity of the ecliptic are obtained. The comparison with Brown shows an agreement within 0.3/cy² for the former cause and 0.02/cy² for the latter. An error is found in the argument of the principal term for the perturbations due to the ecliptic motion in the current ephemeris.Proceedings of the Conference on Analytical Methods and Ephemerides: Theory and Observations of the Moon and Planets. Facultés universitaires Notre Dame de la Paix, Namur, Belgium, 28–31 July, 1980.     

Biogeochemical evidence of large diapycnal diffusivity associated with the subtropical mode water of the North Pacific

A profiling float equipped with a fluorimeter, a dissolved oxygen (DO) sensor, and temperature and salinity sensors was deployed in the subtropical mode water (STMW) formation region of the North Pacific. It acquired quasi-Lagrangian, 5-day-interval time-series records from March to July 2006. The time-series distribution of chlorophyll showed a sustained and sizable subsurface maximum at 50–100 m, just above the upper boundary of the STMW, throughout early summer (May–July). The DO concentration in this lower euphotic zone (50–100 m) was almost constant and supersaturated in the same period, becoming more supersaturated with time. On the other hand, the DO concentration at 100–150 m near the upper boundary of the STMW decreased much more slowly compared with the main layer of STMW below 150 m, even though oxygen consumption by organisms was expected to be larger in the former depth range. The small temporal variations of DO in the lower euphotic zone and near the upper boundary of the STMW were reasonably explained by downward oxygen transport because of large diapycnal diffusion near the top of the STMW. Assuming that the oxygen consumption rate at 100–150 m was the same as that in the main layer of STMW and compensated by the downward oxygen flux, the diapycnal diffusivity was estimated to be 1.7 × 10⁻⁴ m² s⁻¹. Nitrate transport into the euphotic zone by the same large diffusion was estimated to be 0.8 mmol N m⁻² day⁻¹. All of the transported nitrate could have been used for photosynthesis by the phytoplankton; net community production was estimated to be 5.3 mmol C m⁻² day⁻¹.