Subsidence of the Miyako‐Sone submarine carbonate platform,east of Miyako‐jima Island,northwestern Pacific Ocean

Bathymetric mapping and observations of the seafloor using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV, Hyper‐Dolphin 3K) were carried out on the slopes of the Miyako‐Sone submarine platform, east of Miyako‐jima in the Ryukyu Islands, northwestern Pacific Ocean. The bathymetric map indicates that terraces are present at water depths of approximately 140 m, 330 m, 400 m, and 680 m on the northwestern slope of the platform. A number of NW–SE trending lineaments, probably faults, extend perpendicular to the axis of the Ryukyu Island Arc. Two ROV surveys were conducted at water depths ranging from 519 m (on the slope) to 121 m (shallowest part of the platform). The surveys revealed that well‐indurated carbonate rocks are exposed at terrace margins and on upper slopes, and that the lower slopes are covered with modern sediments consisting of unconsolidated, coarse‐sand‐sized bioclastic carbonates. Calcareous nannofossils from the well‐indurated carbonate rocks indicate a Middle–Late Pleistocene age, which suggests that the rocks correlate with the Quaternary reef and fore‐reef deposits of the Ryukyu Group (Ryukyu Limestone) on the Ryukyu Islands. No siliciclastic deposits corresponding to the upper Miocene–lower Pleistocene Shimajiri Group (as exposed on Okinawa‐jima and Miyako‐jima islands) were recovered during the surveys. Coeval well‐indurated carbonate rocks, all of which formed in a similar sedimentary environment, have been downthrown towards the west due to displacements on the western sides of normal faults. Subsidence of the Miyako‐Sone submarine platform was the result of large vertical displacements on such normal faults. The timing of initial subsidence cannot be tightly constrained, but the presence of the youngest limestone at progressively lower levels towards the west suggests the subsidence continued until after 0.265 Ma.     

Compaction of a Rock Fracture Moderated by Competing Roles of Stress Corrosion and Pressure Solution

Unusually rapid closure of stressed fractures, observed in the initial stages of loading and at low temperatures, is examined using models for subcritical crack growth and pressure solution. The model for stress corrosion examines tensile stress concentrations induced at the Hertzian contact of propping fracture asperities, and mediates fracture growth according to a kinetic rate law. Conversely, pressure solution is described by the rate-limiting process of dissolution, resulting from the elevated stresses realized at the propping asperity contact. Both models are capable of following the observed compaction of fractures in novaculite. However, closure rates predicted for stress corrosion cracking are orders of magnitudes faster than those predicted for pressure dissolution. For consistent kinetic parameters, predictions from stress corrosion better replicate experimental observations, especially in the short-term and at low temperature when mechanical effects are anticipated to dominate. Rates and magnitudes of both stress corrosion and pressure solution are dependent on stresses exerted over propping asperities. Rates of closure due to stress corrosion cracking are shown to be always higher than for pressure solution, except where stress corrosion ceases as contact areas grow, and local stresses drop below an activation threshold. A simple rate law is apparent for the progress of fracture closure, defined in terms of a constant and an exponent applied to the test duration. For current experimental observations, this rate law is shown to replicate early progress data, and shows promise to define the evolution of transport properties of fractures over extended durations.     

The role of tidal vortices in material transport around straits

The strong tidal current (tidal jet) in straits generates tidal vortices with a scale of several kilometers. The role of the vortices in material transport was investigated in the Neko Seto Sea, located in the western part of the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. A clockwise vortex with a diameter of about 0.8 km was observed in Nigata Bay (lying between two straits, the Neko Seto Strait and the Meneko Seto Strait). It was concluded that the clockwise vortex was the tidal vortex which was generated by the tidal jet in the Meneko Seto Strait. The vortex moved into the bay with the tide, but tended to stay on the sand bank in the bay. It was confirmed by current measurement with an ADCP and turbidity measurement that the secondary convergent flow was generated in the bottom layer of the vortex. This secondary flow seemed to contribute to the formation of the sand bank. It was suggested that tidal vortices may play an important role in the sediment transport and formation of topography in and around straits.     

Possible change in distribution of seaweed, Sargassum horneri, in northeast Asia under A2 scenario of global warming and consequent effect on some fish

Global warming effects on seaweed beds are already perceptible. Their geographical distributions greatly depend on water temperatures. To predict future geographical distributions of brown alga, Sargassum horneri, forming large beds in the northwestern Pacific, we referred to future monthly surface water temperatures at about 1.1° of longitude and 0.6° of latitude in February and August in 2050 and 2100 simulated by 12 organizations under an A2 scenario of global warming. The southern limit of S. horneri distribution is expected to keep moving northward such that it may broadly disappear from Honshu Island, the Chinese coast, and Korean Peninsula in 2100, when tropical Sargassum species such as Sargassum tenuifolium may not completely replace S. horneri. Thus, their forests in 2100 do not substitute those of S. horneri in 2000. Fishes using the beds and seaweed rafts consisting of S. horneri in East China Sea suffer these disappearances.     

长江干流主要营养盐含量的变化特征——1998~1999年日中合作调查结果分析

根据1998年和1999年秋季在长江干流从重庆至长江口进行的纵向采样和分析,对长江干流的各态氮、磷含量的沿江变化进行研究。从整体上了解长江干流的水质变化特性,特别是营养盐含量的分布状况。研究结果表明,长江干流的SS浓度很高,介于50~400 mg/l。TN、TP浓度分别在70~110 滋mol/L、2~25 滋mol/L之间,前者以NO3-N为主,后者以PTP为主,PO4-P含量仅占TP的10%~20%。DIN/PO4-P的比值在70~160之间,远高于浮游植物生长P限制值,表明长江口及临近海域中P可能是生物生命活动的主要限制因素。葛洲坝水库对SS、TP、TN、NH4-N、BOD、COD等水质有一定的净化作用。长江水体在通过各大城市以及两大湖泊时,BOD、NH4-N负荷的增加迅速,特别是通过重庆、武汉、南京、上海及洞庭湖和鄱阳湖之后尤为明显。N、P含量的上升与人口增长、生活污水排放量及流域内化肥施用量增加有关。洞庭湖和鄱阳湖水系以及周围的面源负荷,对长江流域的营养盐变动有很大的影响。     

Microbial responses using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis to oil and chemical dispersant in enclosed ecosystems

Microbial responses to the addition of oil with or without a chemical dispersant were examined in mesocosm and microcosm experiments by using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of bacterial ribosomal DNA and direct cell counting. When a water-soluble fraction of oil was added to seawater, increases in cell density were observed in the first 24h, followed by a decrease in abundance and a change in bacterial species composition. After addition of an oil-dispersant mixture, increases in cell density and changes in community structure coincided, and the amount of bacteria remained high. These phenomena also occurred in response to addition of only dispersant. Our results suggest that the chemical dispersant may be used as a nutrient source by some bacterial groups and may directly or indirectly prevent the growth of other bacterial groups.     

Long-term changes in the fish community structure from the Tsushima warm current region of the Japan/East Sea with an emphasis on the impacts of fishing and climate regime shift over the last four decades

Japanese fisheries production in the Japan/East Sea between 1958 and 2003 increased to their peak (1.76 million tons) in the late 1980s and decreased abruptly with the collapse of Japanese sardine. Catch results for 58 fisheries and various environmental time-series data sets and community indices, including mean trophic level (MTL) and Simpson’s diversity index (DI), were used to investigate the impacts of fishing and climate changes on the structure of the fish community in the Tsushima warm current (TWC) region of the Japan/East Sea. The long-term trend in fisheries production was largely dependent on the Japanese sardine that, as a single species, contributed up to 60% of the total production in the Japanese waters of the Japan/East Sea during the late 1980s. Excluding Japanese sardine, production of the small pelagic species was higher during 1960s and 1990s but lower during 1970s and 1980s. This variation pattern generally corresponds with the trend in water temperature, warmer before early 1960s and after 1990s but colder during 1970s and 1980s. The warm-water, large predatory fishes and cold water demersal species show opposite responses to the water temperature in the TWC region, indicating the significant impact of oceanic conditions on fisheries production of the Japan/East Sea. Declines in demersal fishes and invertebrates during 1970s and 1980s suggested some impact of fishing. MTL and DI show a similar variation pattern: higher during 1960s and 1990s but lower during 1970s and 1980s. In particular, the sharp decline during the 1980s resulted from the abundant sardine catches, suggesting that dominant species have a large effect on the structure of the fish community in the Japan/East Sea. Principal component analysis for 58 time-series data sets of fisheries catches suggested that the fish community varied on inter-annual to inter-decadal scales; the abrupt changes that occurred in the mid-1970s and late 1980s seemed to correspond closely with the climatic regime shifts in the North Pacific. These results strongly suggest that the structure of the fish community in the Japan/East Sea was largely affected by climatic and oceanic regime shifts rather than by fishing. There is no evidence showing “fishing down food webs” in the Japan/East Sea. However, in addition to the impacts of abrupt shifts that occurred in the late 1980s, the large predatory and demersal fishes seem to be facing stronger fishing pressure with the collapse of the Japanese sardine.     

Hydrodynamic Instability of Ionization Front in HII Regions: From Linear to Nonlinear Evolution

A sample of 54 6.7-GHz methanol maser sources was monitored at HartRAO for 4 years, and 11 12.2-GHz methanol masers for 3 years. The majority of the maser features display a significant degree of variability but with a wide range of timescales and behaviors. Some maser features remained unvarying throughout the monitoring programme, while others showed sporadic flares or sudden drops in flux density. Yet another group show quasi-periodic and periodic variations. In some cases the maser features dropped below the detection limit for a significant length of time before increasing in intensity and reappearing.     

Interpretation of the GRACE-derived mass trend in Enderby Land, Antarctica

Monthly gravity solutions of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) reveal three areas in Antarctica with striking interannual mass trends. The positive mass trend in Enderby Land, East Antarctica, is poorly understood because of uncertainties in the surface ice-sheet mass balance, post-glacial rebound (PGR), and processing of GRACE data. In this study, we compare the GRACE mass trends with values estimated from in situ snow-stake measurements, and Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) data. The mass trends estimated from ICESat data show a strong correlation with GRACE mass trends. In contrast, the snow-stake data show discrepancies with temporal variations in GRACE mass, especially in 2006. The discrepancies are probably associated with basal ice-sheet outflow, which is difficult to observe using snow stakes. We conclude that the bulk of the GRACE mass trend can be explained by snow accumulation and basal ice-sheet outflow.     

Simulation of the Collection of Catch Crops for the Recovery of Agricultural Resources using Geographic and Statistical Data

The cultivation of catch crops has great potential in agricultural areas for the recovery of nutrients, mitigation of groundwater contamination, and secondary utilization of harvestry. To estimate the potential volume of catch crops that can be collected at prospective locations, we simulated the cultivation and collection process at a regional scale using geographic and statistical data. Three types of geographic data, namely the locations of greenhouses, collecting stations and road networks, were used in a geographic information system to compute the volume of collected catch crops and carrying distance between greenhouses and collecting stations. Carbon emission from transportation of the catch crop was calculated using an improved ton‐km method, and the results were compared with the carbon content of the catch crop to evaluate the carbon balance. We found that the total fresh weight of the collected catch crops was 67900 t, of which 70% was collected at the top 15 of 73 stations. Carbon emissions from transportation ranged from >1 to 12% of the carbon content of the catch crop. The analytical method used in this study can readily be applied to other environmental studies concerning the collection of agricultural products and other biomass resources.