Seasonal variation of horizontal material transport through the eastern channel of the Tsushima Straits

We conducted hydrographic observations ten times in the Tsushima Strait to reveal seasonal variations of horizontal material transports such as of heat, freshwater, chlorophyll a, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP) through the eastern channel of the Tsushima Strait (ECTS). The volume, freshwater, and heat transport results are of nearly the same order as results reported in previous studies. The annual mean DIN and DIP transports of 3.59 kmol/s and 0.29 kmol/s are large relative to those of the Changjiang and the Taiwan Strait and are horizontally transported through the ECTS. Nutrient transports are high in July–August and October and low in April and November. Increased nutrient transports in July–August and October are due to the appearance of a cold saline water mass in the bottom layer of the ECTS. Changes in DIN transports in summer and autumn, which account for two-thirds of the total annual DIN transport, would have a large effect on the nitrogen budget and biological productivity in the Tsushima Warm Current region.     

On the atmospheric muon energy spectrum in the deep ocean and its parameterization

The energy spectrum of those muons in the deep ocean ( 1000 m) that have been produced in the terrestrial atmosphere and have penetrated sea-water is calculated by Monte Carlo simulation and presented in a simplified form for easy use.     

Evaluation of tidal error in altimetry data in the Asian marginal seas

The magnitude and geographical distribution of the error in the Archiving, Validation and Interpretation of Satellite Oceanographic data (AVISO) altimetry data associated with tidal correction around Asian marginal seas has been revealed. The errors were evaluated by harmonic analysis of the AVISO corrected sea surface heights data (CorSSH). Errors of more than 15 cm of tidal correction were recognized in the western and northern parts of the Yellow Sea, Celebes Sea, Kuril Islands, and the northwestern part of the Okhotsk Sea. It was found that the CorSSH and sea level anomaly (SLA) data downloaded from the AVISO are not available for direct use in those marginal seas. To reduce the tidal correction error, the harmonic constants calculated from the latest tide model and regional tide model were applied as the tidal correction of the Altimetry data. The tidal errors in the Yellow Sea and the northwestern part of the Okhotsk Sea were reduced by approximately 20 cm and 10 cm, respectively. Root mean square differences between the harmonic constants derived from tide models and those derived from altimetry data were calculated. The root mean square differences were large in the Yellow and the Okhotsk Seas. Root sum squares for four principal tidal constituents in the Yellow and East China Seas and Okhotsk Sea were 7.72 cm and 8.36 cm, respectively.     

Investigation of cutting methods for small samples of Hayabusa and future sample return missions

We report the investigation of cutting methods for Hayabusa samples. The purpose of our study is to explore the possibility of applying multiple analyses to a single particle effectively. We investigated the cutting performance of a blade dicing saw, laser, focused ion beam (FIB), and physical breaking by microindenter. Cutting performance was examined by estimating the aspect ratio of the cut slit, i.e., depth over width of the slit. We also investigated the possible contamination and sample damage by cutting. The result of the investigation shows that we can cut the samples from <50 μm to 500 μm using those methods with aspect ratios from 10 to 20, although they would introduce some contamination or damage to the samples. Our investigations also provide an important basis for the analysis of samples obtained by future sample return missions.     

Subaqueous geothermal activity revealed by lacustrine sediments of the acidic Nakadake crater lake, Aso Volcano, Japan

Lacustrine sediments were sampled from the inaccessible acidic (pH = 0.43) Nakadake crater lake of Aso Volcano, Japan by a simple method. The sediments contain an extremely high content (74 wt.%) of sulfur, which exits as elemental sulfur, gypsum and anhydrite. The abundant elemental sulfur is likely formed by the reaction of SO₂ and H₂S gases and by the SO₂ disproportionation reaction in magmatic hydrothermal system below the crater lake. Based on the sulfur content of sediments and measurements of elevation change of the crater bottom, the sulfur accumulation rate at the Nakadake crater lake was calculated as 250 tonne/day, which is comparable with the SO₂ emission rate (200–600 tonne/day) from the Nakadake crater. The sediments include a small amount (9%) of clear glass shards that are apparently not altered in spite of the high reactivity of hyperacid lake water. This finding suggests that the clear glass shards are fragments of recently emitted magmas from fumaroles on the bottom of the crater lake and the magma emissions continuously occur even in quiescent periods.     

Variation of carbon and nitrogen uptake capacity in a regional upwelling area around Hachijo Island

Capacities for inorganic carbon, nitrate and ammonium uptake were measured around Hachijo Island, 300 km south of Tokyo, where local upwelling occurred. The phytoplankton population inside the upwelling area had a high capacity for nitrate uptake and a low capacity for uptake of ammonium. Nutrient concentration and phytoplankton biomass were higher in the upwelling plume than outside. On a chlorophylla basis, phytoplankton populations inside the upwelling area showed a lower capacity for carbon and nitrogen uptake than those outside the upwelling. Low temperature, relatively limited availability of light caused by extensive water mixing within the upwelling plume, and the difference in species composition of phytoplankton must be considered in explaining these lower uptake capacities.     

Study on the managanese nodule

Chemical and X-ray analyses were performed on the fifteen manganese nodules collected from the Pacific Ocean floor. The results were discussed compared with the previous data on the manganese nodules. Minerals were found to be todorokite, δ-MnO₂ and other silicates, montmorillonite, illite, phillipsite and α-SiO₂. Average composition shows that copper is concentrated on the deep sea nodules more than the shallow ones, and that the todorokite rich nodules contain more copper and nickel than the δ-MnO₂ rich ones. The analyses of fresh water iron-manganese precipitates by bacterial activity suggest that biological process is one of the important factors on the genesis of the sedimentary iron-manganese deposits, including the manganese nodule. The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research     

Climate-related uncertainties in projections of the twenty-first century terrestrial carbon budget: off-line model experiments using IPCC greenhouse-gas scenarios and AOGCM climate projections

A terrestrial ecosystem model (Sim-CYCLE) was driven by multiple climate projections to investigate uncertainties in predicting the interactions between global environmental change and the terrestrial carbon cycle. Sim-CYCLE has a spatial resolution of 0.5°, and mechanistically evaluates photosynthetic and respiratory CO₂ exchange. Six scenarios for atmospheric-CO₂ concentrations in the twenty-first century, proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, were considered. For each scenario, climate projections by a coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model (AOGCM) were used to assess the uncertainty due to socio-economic predictions. Under a single CO₂ scenario, climate projections with seven AOGCMs were used to investigate the uncertainty stemming from uncertainty in the climate simulations. Increases in global photosynthesis and carbon storage differed considerably among scenarios, ranging from 23 to 37% and from 24 to 81 Pg C, respectively. Among the AOGCM projections, increases ranged from 26 to 33% and from 48 to 289 Pg C, respectively. There were regional heterogeneities in both climatic change and carbon budget response, and different carbon-cycle components often responded differently to a given environmental change. Photosynthetic CO₂ fixation was more sensitive to atmospheric CO₂, whereas soil carbon storage was more sensitive to temperature. Consequently, uncertainties in the CO₂ scenarios and climatic projections may create additional uncertainties in projecting atmospheric-CO₂ concentrations and climates through the interactive feedbacks between the atmosphere and the terrestrial ecosystem.     

An analytical and experimental investigation of the effect of impact on coarse granular rocks

SummaryAn Analytical and Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Impact on Coarse Granular Rocks The interaction between metallic strikers and coarse, granular rock, associated with many mechanical rock breaking methods was investigated by theoretical and experimental methods. Cylindrical steel strikers of 12.7 mm diameter with flat, conical and hemispherical tips and masses of about 18.5 g were fired by means of a gas gun at blocks of diorite and spessartite with initial energies ranging from 4 to 34 J, generating substantial fracturing. The damage pattern in the rocks was ascertained, partly with the aid of a scanning electron microscope. A synthetic model consisting of long square bars of cement paste bonded with an adhesive was constructed as a simulator of diorite and tested to further delineate the failure mechanisms in this material.As previously, it was also found here that the geometry of the striker tip significantly affects the damage pattern and extent in diorite. A crucial difference in this pattern was observed between that found in diorite, a coarsegrained rock, and in spessartite, a more finely-grained substance. The crack network in diorite consisted of numerous kinked fractures extending a distance not in excess of 20 grain lengths, whereas only 5 to 7 nearly straight cracks with a length in excess of 20 times the grain size were found in spessartite that appeared to have propagated without regard to the grain packing structure or material defects. The synthetic rock model successfully reproduced the crack pattern found in diorite under impact.An analytical model to predict the region of grain and grain boundary failure incorporating one failure criterion for grains and another for grain boundaries was constructed. The first involved the development of failure surfaces based on an empirical limiting strength analogous to the modified Griffith criterion. Grain boundary failure was stipulated upon attainment of a combination of critical tensile and Coulomb type of shear stress. The model successfully delineated the major features of damage in the synthetic rock and in diorite and established upper bound predictions for the extent of damage.With 19 Figures     

Solar radiation management and ecosystem functional responses

Geoengineering such as solar radiation management (SRM) can be an emergent option to avoid devastating climatic warming, but its ramifications are barely understood. The perturbation of the Earth’s energy balance, atmospheric dynamics, and hydrological cycling may exert unexpected influences on natural and human systems. In this study, I evaluate the impacts of SRM deployment on terrestrial ecosystem functions using a process-based ecosystem model (the Vegetation Integrative Simulator for Trace gases, VISIT) driven by the climate projections by multiple climate models. In the SRM-oriented climate projections, massive injection of sulphate aerosols into the stratosphere lead to increased scattering of solar radiation and delayed anthropogenic climate warming. The VISIT simulations show that canopy light absorption and gross primary production are enhanced in subtropics in spite of the slight decrease of total incident solar radiation. The retarded temperature rise during the deployment period leads to lower respiration, and consequently, an additional net terrestrial ecosystem carbon uptake by about 20%. After the SRM termination, however, along with the temperature rise, this carbon is released rapidly to the atmosphere. As a result of altered precipitation and radiation budget, simulated runoff discharge is suppressed mainly in the tropics. These SRM-induced influences on terrestrial ecosystems occurr heterogeneously over the land surface and differed among the ecosystem functions. These responses of terrestrial functions should be taken into account when discussing the costs and benefits of geoengineering.