3-D Simulation of Steady Plate Subduction with Tectonic Erosion: Current Crustal Uplift and Free-Air Gravity Anomaly in Northeast Japan

Free-air gravity anomaly in plate subduction zones, characterized by island-arc high, trench low and outer-rise gentle high, reflects the cumulative effects of long-term crustal uplift and subsidence. In northeast Japan the island-arc high of observed free-air gravity anomaly takes its maximum about the eastern coastline. On the other hand, the current vertical crustal motion estimated from geological and geomorphological observations shows a gentle uplift in the land area and steep subsidence in the sea area with the neutral point near the eastern coastline. Such a discrepancy in spatial patterns between the free-air gravity anomaly and current vertical crustal motion can be ascribed to a change in the mode of crustal uplift and subsidence associated with the initiation of tectonic erosion at the North American-Pacific plate interface. We developed a realistic 3-D simulation model of steady plate subduction with tectonic erosion in northeast Japan on the basis of elastic/viscoelastic dislocation theory. Through numerical simulations with this model we found that simple steady plate subduction brings about the crustal uplift characterized by island-arc high with its maximum about the eastern coastline, while steady plate subduction with tectonic erosion, which is represented by the landward retreat of the plate interface, brings about gentle uplift in the land area and steep subsidence in the sea area with the neutral point near the eastern coastline. Therefore, if we suppose that tectonic erosion started 3–4 million years ago after the long duration of simple steady plate subduction, we can consistently explain both patterns of free-air gravity anomaly and current crustal uplift in northeast Japan.     

Head-wave parametric rolling of a surface combatant

Complementary CFD, towing tank EFD, and nonlinear dynamics approach study of parametric roll for the ONR Tumblehome surface combatant both with and without bilge keels is presented. The investigations without bilge keels include a wide range of conditions. CFD closely agrees with EFD for resistance, sinkage, and trim except for Fr>0.5 which may be due to free surface and/or turbulence modeling. CFD shows fairly close agreement with EFD for forward-speed roll decay in calm water, although damping is over/under predicted for largest/smaller GM. Most importantly CFD shows remarkably close agreement with EFD for forward-speed parametric roll in head waves for GM=0.038 and 0.033 m, although CFD predicts larger instability zones at high and low Fr, respectively. The CFD and EFD results are analyzed with consideration ship motion theory and compared with Mathieu equation and nonlinear dynamics approaches. Nonlinear dynamics approaches are in qualitative agreement with CFD and EFD. The CFD and nonlinear dynamics approach results were blind in that the actual EFD radius of gyration k_xx was not known a priori.     

Physical property anisotropy of foliated fault rocks: Study from the Nobeoka Thrust,Shimanto Belt,southwest Japan

To investigate the physical property anisotropies of foliated fault rocks in subduction zones, the hanging wall phyllites and footwall cataclasites exhumed along the Nobeoka Thrust, a fossilized out‐of‐sequence‐thrust in the Shimanto Belt, Japan, was focused. Discrete physical property (electric resistivity, P‐ and S‐wave velocities, and porosity) measurements were conducted employing geologic coordinates (depth‐parallel direction, strike direction, and maximum dip direction of foliation), using the core samples obtained from the Nobeoka Thrust Drilling Project and compared the data to borehole geophysical logs. A higher sample P‐wave velocity (Vp), lower S‐wave velocity (Vs), higher Vp/Vs, and lower sample porosity and resistivity compared to the logs, are inferred to have been caused by the larger sampling scale of the logs and lower fluid saturation of the borehole. The phyllites and cataclasites exhibited substantial vertical and horizontal anisotropy of Vp (0.4–17.3 % and 2.7–13.8 %, respectively), Vs (0.5–56 % and 7.7–43 %, respectively), and resistivity (0.9–119 % and 2.0–65.9 %, respectively). The physical property anisotropies are primarily affected by the dip angles of foliation. The fault rocks that have gentler dip angles exhibit a higher Vp in the strike and maximum dip direction and a lower Vp in the depth‐parallel direction. In contrast, the fault rocks that have steeply dipping structures show a higher Vp in the strike and depth‐parallel directions with a lower velocity in the maximum dip direction. Resistivity anisotropy show a trend opposite to that of the Vp in relation to the dip angles. Our results show lower Vp anisotropy than those obtained in previous studies, which measured wave speeds perpendicular or parallel to foliation under confining pressure. This study highlights the significance of dip angles on vertical properties in geophysical surveys across foliated fault rocks.     

Acoustic properties of deformed rocks in the Nobeoka thrust,in the Shimanto Belt,Kyushu, Southwest Japan

Laboratory measurements for compressional and shear wave velocities (Vp and Vs, respectively) and porosity were conducted with core samples from the Nobeoka Thrust Drilling Project (NOBELL) under controlled effective pressure (5–65 MPa at 5 MPa intervals) and wet conditions. Samples were classified according to deformation texture as phyllite, foliated cataclasite, or non‐foliated cataclasite. Measured values of Vp, Vs, and porosity are within a range of 5.17–5.57 km/s, 2.60–2.71 km/s, and 2.75–3.10 %, respectively, for phyllite; 4.89–5.23 km/s, 2.46–2.57 km/s, and 3.58–4.53 %, respectively, for foliated cataclasite; and 4.90–5.32 km/s, 2.51–2.63 km/s, and 3.79–4.60 %, respectively, for non‐foliated cataclasite, which are all consistent with the previous laboratory experiments conducted with outcrop samples under dry conditions. However, our results also indicate higher Vp and Vs and lower porosity than those measured by the previous studies that adopted the wire‐line logging methods. The variations in Vp, Vs, and porosity are controlled by deformation structure and are greater for phyllite and foliated cataclasite than for non‐foliated cataclasite.     

The Hayabusa Spacecraft Asteroid Multi-band Imaging Camera (AMICA)

The Hayabusa Spacecraft Asteroid Multi-band Imaging Camera (AMICA) has acquired more than 1400 multispectral and high-resolution images of its target asteroid, 25143 Itokawa, since late August 2005. In this paper, we summarize the design and performance of AMICA. In addition, we describe the calibration methods, assumptions, and models, based on measurements. Major calibration steps include corrections for linearity and modeling and subtraction of bias, dark current, read-out smear, and pixel-to-pixel responsivity variations. AMICA v-band data were calibrated to radiance using in-flight stellar observations. The other band data were calibrated to reflectance by comparing them to ground-based observations to avoid the uncertainty of the solar irradiation in those bands. We found that the AMICA signal was linear with respect to the input signal to an accuracy of ?1% when the signal level was <3800 DN. We verified that the absolute radiance calibration of the AMICA v-band (0.55 μm) was accurate to 4% or less, the accuracy of the disk-integrated spectra with respect to the AMICA v-band was about 1%, and the pixel-to-pixel responsivity (flat-field) variation was 3% or less. The uncertainty in background zero level was 5 DN. From wide-band observations of star clusters, we found that the AMICA optics have an effective focal length of 120.80 ± 0.03 mm, yielding a field-of-view (FOV) of 5.83° × 5.69°. The resulting geometric distortion model was accurate to within a third of a pixel. We demonstrated an image-restoration technique using the point-spread functions of stars, and confirmed that the technique functions well in all loss-less images. An artifact not corrected by this calibration is scattered light associated with bright disks in the FOV.     

Mineral chemistry of MUSES‐C Regio inferred from analysis of dust particles collected from the first‐ and second‐touchdown sites on asteroid Itokawa

The mineralogy and mineral chemistry of Itokawa dust particles captured during the first and second touchdowns on the MUSES‐C Regio were characterized by synchrotron‐radiation X‐ray diffraction and field‐emission electron microprobe analysis. Olivine and low‐ and high‐Ca pyroxene, plagioclase, and merrillite compositions of the first‐touchdown particles are similar to those of the second‐touchdown particles. The two touchdown sites are separated by approximately 100 meters and therefore the similarity suggests that MUSES‐C Regio is covered with dust particles of uniform mineral chemistry of LL chondrites. Quantitative compositional properties of 48 dust particles, including both first‐ and second‐touchdown samples, indicate that dust particles of MUSES‐C Regio have experienced prolonged thermal metamorphism, but they are not fully equilibrated in terms of chemical composition. This suggests that MUSES‐C particles were heated in a single asteroid at different temperatures. During slow cooling from a peak temperature of approximately 800 °C, chemical compositions of plagioclase and K‐feldspar seem to have been modified: Ab and Or contents changed during cooling, but An did not. This compositional modification is reproduced by a numerical simulation that modeled the cooling process of a 50 km sized Itokawa parent asteroid. After cooling, some particles have been heavily impacted and heated, which resulted in heterogeneous distributions of Na and K within plagioclase crystals. Impact‐induced chemical modification of plagioclase was verified by a comparison to a shock vein in the Kilabo LL6 ordinary chondrite where Na‐K distributions of plagioclase have been disturbed.     

Space weathered rims found on the surfaces of the Itokawa dust particles

On the basis of observations using Cs‐corrected STEM, we identified three types of surface modification probably formed by space weathering on the surfaces of Itokawa particles. They are (1) redeposition rims (2–3 nm), (2) composite rims (30–60 nm), and (3) composite vesicular rims (60–80 nm). These rims are characterized by a combination of three zones. Zone I occupies the outermost part of the surface modification, which contains elements that are not included in the unchanged substrate minerals, suggesting that this zone is composed of sputter deposits and/or impact vapor deposits originating from the surrounding minerals. Redeposition rims are composed only of Zone I and directly attaches to the unchanged minerals (Zone III). Zone I of composite and composite vesicular rims often contains nanophase (Fe,Mg)S. The composite rims and the composite vesicular rims have a two‐layered structure: a combination of Zone I and Zone II, below which Zone III exists. Zone II is the partially amorphized zone. Zone II of ferromagnesian silicates contains abundant nanophase Fe. Radiation‐induced segregation and in situ reduction are the most plausible mechanisms to form nanophase Fe in Zone II. Their lattice fringes indicate that they contain metallic iron, which probably causes the reddening of the reflectance spectra of Itokawa. Zone II of the composite vesicular rims contains vesicles. The vesicles in Zone II were probably formed by segregation of solar wind He implanted in this zone. The textures strongly suggest that solar wind irradiation damage and implantation are the major causes of surface modification and space weathering on Itokawa.     

Contribution of benthic microalgae to the whole water algal biomass and primary production in Suo Nada,the Seto Inland Sea,Japan

Biomass and primary productivity of benthic microalgae (BMA) and planktonic algae in Suo Nada, the western part of the Seto Inland Sea, Japan were compared in terms of unit area with regard to their seasonal and spatial distribution in 2002. Judging from light compensation depth and water depth, the southwestern part of Suo Nada was considered to be a potential habitat for BMA. Whereas the contribution of sedimented planktonic algae was high in biomass at the sediment surface, BMA was obviously significant both in biomass and primary production in the shallow southwestern part. However, the contribution of BMA to the total biomass in the entire water column was 7% in winter and 2% in summer. The primary production of BMA varied between 4.0 and 74.0 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹ in the southwestern part, accounting for 2–12% of the whole water column primary production. The ecological roles of BMA in the Suo Nada ecosystem are discussed, such as reduction of benthic nutrient flux, oxidation of surface sediments and feed for higher animals.     

Temporal stress variations along a seismogenic megasplay fault in the subduction zone: An example from the Nobeoka Thrust,southwestern Japan

The Nobeoka Thrust, an ancient megasplay fault in the Shimanto Belt, southwestern Japan, contains fault rocks from the seismogenic zone, providing an accessible analog of active megasplay faults in deep subduction settings. In this study, the paleostress along the Nobeoka Thrust was analyzed using multiple inversion techniques, including k‐means clustering of fault datasets acquired from drillcores that intersected the thrust. The six resultant stress orientation clusters can be divided into two general groups: stress solutions with north–south‐trending σ₁ axes, and those with east–west‐trending σ₁ axes. These groups are characterized by the temporal changes for the orientations of the σ₁ and σ₃ principal stress axes that involve alternation between horizontal and vertical. The findings are probably due to a change in stress state before and after earthquakes that occurred on the fault; similar changes have been observed in active tectonic settings, such as the 2011 Tohoku‐Oki earthquake (Japan).     

Consistent DOF reduction of tall steel frames

This paper presents an energy‐consistent approach for reducing the number of degrees‐of‐freedom (DOFs) in tall steel frames. In the present approach, the moment resistance of beams and columns in each story is represented by the moment resistance of a rotational spring and a beam‐column element, respectively. The shear resistance provided by braces in each story is represented by the shear resistance of a shear spring. Furthermore, the resistance to the overturning moment provided by axial resistance of columns in each story is represented by the moment resistance of a rotational spring. These representations are carried out by achieving the equivalence between the strain energy stored and dissipated in the elements in the full (unreduced) DOF models and the strain energy stored and dissipated in the corresponding elements in the reduced DOF models. The accuracy of the present approach is demonstrated through numerical examples, which compare the results of nonlinear time history analyses obtained using the full and reduced DOF models. In the numerical examples, the response is estimated for 20‐story and 40‐story steel frames with and without buckling‐restraint braces subjected to a suite of near‐fault and far‐fault ground motions. The present approach is useful in estimating the response of tall steel frames having non‐regular member arrangements to a suite of intense ground motions including near‐fault ones, where it is crucial to capture the influence of higher mode effects on collapse mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.