Chemostratigraphic documentation of a complete Miocene intermediate-depth section in the Southern Ocean: Ocean Drilling Program Site 1120, Campbell Plateau off New Zealand

An integrated chemostratigraphic (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O) study of benthic foraminifera is presented for a 210 m-thick, intermediate depth (upper/middle bathyal transition), Miocene nannofossil ooze section of Ocean Drilling Program Site 1120, Campbell Plateau off New Zealand. Our results indicate that new ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O profiles are wholly consistent with their respective Miocene reference curves. These observations facilitate identification of a total of five reliable chemostratigraphic datums, which are based on the fundamental structural changes in the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr curve and paired simultaneous δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O events. The resultant age–depth relationship clearly shows that the Miocene (20–5 Ma) biopelagic sedimentation on the Campbell Plateau was essentially continuous at a moderate to high, linear sedimentation rate (17.5 m/m.y. with an exception of the uppermost 13 m). Our findings do not support the shipboard biostratigraphic age model, which assumes that the critical early–middle Miocene transition was interrupted by a major hiatus (<~3 m.y.). Because of its unique bathymetric setting at a paleowater-depth of ~ 600 m, which is among the shallowest of the coeval isotopically studied deep-sea sections in the South Pacific/Southern Ocean, Site 1120 will serve as a reference section for surveying the evolution of intermediate-water paleoceanography in the Southern Hemisphere across the middle Miocene climatic transition.     

Detection of systematic errors in XBT data and their correction

Comparison experiment between XBT of T-7 probe and CTD was conducted at 15 stations in the sea area centered on 29°N, 135°E in December 1985. There were systematic errors in XBT temperature profiles in comparison with CTD temperature profiles. The main cause of errors was attributed to an error in the free-fall speed of the XBT probes which was provided by the XBT maker. A previous equation for depth correction proposed by Heinmilleret al. (1983) could not give effective correction for our data. A new equation between the probe depth and the elapsed time from landing of the probe on the water was obtained by the method of adjusting temperature gradients of XBT profiles to those of CTD profiles. This equation agreed with the theoretical result given by Seaver and Kuleshov (1982) much better than that of Heinmilleret al. (1983). Systematic errors due to a scatter of values of the reference resistance and variation of B-constant of thermistors used in XBT also seemed to exist. After an adjustment using the temperature difference between XBT and CTD in the mixed layer with depths of about 100 m, the standard deviation of temperature difference between XBT and CTD from the surface to the depth of 750 m was 0.14°C.     

The characteristic distribution of silica over the East China Sea shelf slope

The localized near-bottom water with silica content higher than that in the adjacent shelf water was observed to exist at the eastern margins of the East China Sea continental shelf. The core of the high silica water possessed the silica content corresponding to that in the Kuroshio at depths greater than on the shelf. The mixing analysis of water masses using temperature (T) and silica (Si) showed that the core water can be produced through the vertical mixing of intermediate water of the Kuroshio deeper than 100 m. This study provides us a conclusion that the intermediate water of the Kuroshio is strongly mixed on the shelf slope and then upwelled to form the ridge-like distribution of water masses with low temperature and high silica content at the shelf edge.     

A note on internal wavetrains and the associated undulation of the sea surface observed upstream of seamounts

An internal wavetrain, generated by a tidal current in superposition with the Tsushima Warm Current, has been observed by use of an acoustic echo-sounder upstream of the Shichiri-Ga-Sone Seamounts in the East Tsushima Strait of the Japan Sea. The sea surface above the internal wavetrain was simultaneously observed and was found to be undulated at the wavelength of the internal wave.     

Sulfate reduction using methane in sediments beneath a bathyal “cold seep” giant clam community off Hatsushima Island, Sagami Bay, Japan

Two sandy sediment cores (Cores D227-120 and D380) were collected from inside a deep-sea giant clam (Calyptogena soyoae) community off Hatsushima Island, western Sagami Bay, central Japan (35°59.9′N, 139°13.6′E; 1160 m deep) and a muddy sediment core (Core D227-202) was obtained from outside the community by the submersibleShinkai 2000. The chloride concentration of the pore waters is constant vertically and sulfate reduction using sedimentary organic matter occurs in Core D227-202 (21 cm long). The chloride concentrations are lower by 7% at the 7.5–9 cm depth in Core D227-120 (9 cm long) and by 3% at the 11–12 cm depth in Core D380 (16 cm long) than those of the overlying bottom waters in the cores from inside of the community. Sulfate concentration decreases remarkably and dissolved inorganic carbon, alkalinity, ammonium-N, and hydrogen sulfide concentrations increase significantly with increasing depth in Core D380.δ³⁴S values of sulfate ions increase from +20.5 to +35.3‰ andδ¹³C values of dissolved inorganic carbon decrease drastically from −7.0 to −45‰ with increasing depth from the top to the bottom of the core, although theδ¹³C values of the organic carbon of the sediments are−23.7 ± 0.9‰ in Core D380. These results indicate that sulfate reduction using methane is active within the sediments just beneath the living clams and that the hydrogen sulfide produced can be used by endosymbiotic sulfur oxidizing bacteria living in the gills ofC. soyoae in the community.     

Anomalous change in atmospheric radon concentration sourced from broad crustal deformation: A case study of the 1995 Kobe earthquake

Before the Kobe earthquake, an anomalous increase in atmospheric Rn concentration was observed. By separating the measured concentration of atmospheric Rn into three components according to the distance from the monitoring station, the variation of Rn exhalation rate can be estimated for the respective area using the daily minimum and maximum concentrations. The mean rate of Rn exhalation gradually increased in an area of 20 km around the monitoring station, becoming five times higher than normal in the period between October 1994 and the date of the earthquake. This area had a large co-seismic displacement of up to 30 cm, which roughly corresponds to the crustal strain of 10⁻⁶-order, and it is considered the main source for the atmospheric Rn prior to the Kobe earthquake. Analyses revealed that the pre-seismic change in the atmospheric Rn concentration exhibited an anomalous pattern which would yield information on the spatial distribution of the mechanical response of the ground.     

Reaction-induced grain boundary cracking and anisotropic fluid flow during prograde devolatilization reactions within subduction zones

Devolatilization reactions during prograde metamorphism are a key control on the fluid distribution within subduction zones. Garnets in Mn-rich quartz schist within the Sanbagawa metamorphic belt of Japan are characterized by skeletal structures containing abundant quartz inclusions. Each quartz inclusion was angular-shaped, and showed random crystallographic orientations, suggesting that these quartz inclusions were trapped via grain boundary cracking during garnet growth. Such skeletal garnet within the quartz schist formed related to decarbonation reactions with a positive total volume change (?V _t > 0), whereas the euhedral garnet within the pelitic schists formed as a result of dehydration reaction with negative ?V _t values. Coupled hydrological–chemical–mechanical processes during metamorphic devolatilization reactions were investigated by a distinct element method (DEM) numerical simulation on a foliated rock that contained reactive minerals and non-reactive matrix minerals. Negative ?V _t reactions cause a decrease in fluid pressure and do not produce fractures within the matrix. In contrast, a fluid pressure increase by positive ?V _t reactions results in hydrofracturing of the matrix. This fracturing preferentially occurs along grain boundaries and causes episodic fluid pulses associated with the development of the fracture network. The precipitation of garnet within grain boundary fractures could explain the formation of the skeletal garnet. Our DEM model also suggests a strong influence of reaction-induced fracturing on anisotropic fluid flow, meaning that dominant fluid flow directions could easily change in response to changes in stress configuration and the magnitude of differential stress during prograde metamorphism within a subduction zone.     

In situ strength measurements on natural upper-mantle minerals

Using in situ strength measurements at pressures up to 10 GPa and at room temperature, 400, 600, and 700°C, we examined rheological properties of olivine, orthopyroxene, and chromian-spinel contained in a mantle-derived xenolith. Mineral strengths were estimated using widths of X-ray diffraction peaks as a function of pressure, temperature, and time. Differential stresses of all minerals increase with increasing pressure, but they decrease with increasing temperature because of elastic strain on compression and stress relaxation during heating. During compression at room temperature, all minerals deform plastically at differential stress of 4–6 GPa. During subsequent heating, thermally induced yielding is observed in olivine at 600°C. Neither orthopyroxene nor spinel shows complete stress relaxation, but both retain some stress even at 700°C. The strength of the minerals decreases in the order of chromian-spinel ≈ orthopyroxene > olivine for these conditions. This order of strength is consistent with the residual pressure of fluid inclusions in mantle xenoliths.     

松嫩平原西部碱尘气溶胶的元素特征分析

碱尘暴期间松嫩平原西部碱尘气溶胶的主要元素质量浓度排序为Na、Al、Fe、Ca、Mg、K、Ti、Ba、Zn,与当地盐碱化土壤的元素组成吻合,而与沙尘、城市气溶胶的元素组成有差别。风力对碱尘气溶胶元素组成有明显的影响,当风速在8.0~17.1 m/s时,元素组成的质量浓度排序为Na、Ca、Al、Fe、Mg、K、Ba、Ti、Zn。Na元素质量浓度的激增是碱尘暴元素组分的一大特征,明显富集元素为Na和B;相对于当地背景大气气溶胶的富集情况,Zn、Cu、Ba、B的富集因子值在碱尘暴期间明显降低;在各种天气情况下,B、Cu均具有较高的富集因子。碱尘中Ti元素的富集因子值均小于1,而Ca、Fe、K、Mg、Mn、Sr、V的富集因子值为1~4。两个采样点的Ca、Na、Al、Fe、Mg、Ti、Zn的富集因子近似,表明该区碱尘的主要元素具有特定的一致性;而B、Ba、Cu、V的富集因子相差较大,可以作为区分不同碱尘源的标志性元素。