Measuring hydraulic permeability in a streambed using the packer test

Permeability of a streambed is an important factor regulating nutrient and oxygen availability for aquatic biota. In order to investigate the relationship, an accurate permeability should be measured. However, it is difficult to measure permeability in a coarse gravel bed using a conventional permeability test. Moreover, turbulent flow may occur in coarse bed material, and then deviations from Darcy's law do occur. Thus, permeability calculated following Darcy's law may be overestimated under turbulent flow conditions and should be corrected. The packer test can be used in highly permeable gravel beds. We developed a field method applicable to a gravel bed using the packer test and derived an equation adopting a law of turbulent flow to study the problems under any type of flow condition. The accuracy of the equation was examined using a laboratory flume with a gravel bed. The results suggested that permeability calculated from Hvorslev's equation is overestimated for turbulent flow. In contrast, our equation, developed here, could evaluate permeability accurately under any type of flow condition. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

AMS analysis of I in Japanese soil samples collected from background areas far from nuclear facilities

Analytical procedures in the determination of iodine-129 (half-life: 1.6×10⁷ y) have been studied using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), with special references to the separation procedures of iodine from soil samples for the AMS measurement. Iodine was successfully volatilized from soil samples by pyrohydrolysis at 1000 °C and collected in a trap solution. Iodine was purified from the matrix by solvent extraction. Finally, it was precipitated as silver iodide to make a target for AMS. In order to obtain information on the ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratio in a chemical blank (or iodine carrier), we have determined the ratios in several iodine reagents and found that the ratios fell in a narrow range around 1.7×10⁻¹³. The detection limit for soil sample (1 g material) by the present method was about 0.01 mBq/kg or 4×10⁻¹¹ as the ratio of stable iodine (¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratio), i.e. these values were much better than that by neutron activation analysis (NAA) used in our previous studies. We have applied this method in the analysis of soil samples collected from different places in Japan. We could successfully determine ¹²⁹I in soil samples with low ¹²⁹I concentrations, which could not be detected by NAA. Sample size necessary for the soil analysis by AMS was only about 0.5 g or less, whereas about 100 g of the sample were required for NAA [Muramatsu, Y., Ohmomo, Y., 1986. Iodine-129 and iodine-127 in environmental samples collected from Tokaimura/ Ibaraki, Japan. Sci. Total Environ. 48, 33-43]. Using this method, new data were obtained for the ¹²⁹I levels in 20 soil samples collected from background areas far from nuclear facilities, and the ranges were 1.4×10⁻⁵−4.5×10⁻³ Bq/kg as ¹²⁹I concentrations and 3.9×10⁻¹¹−2.2×10⁻⁸ as ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratios. These values are useful in understanding the ¹²⁹I levels in Japanese environments. Higher ¹²⁹I concentrations were observed in forest soils than those in field and rice paddy soils should be related to the interception effect of atmospheric ¹²⁹I due to tree canopies. Relatively high ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratios found in rice paddy soils could be explained by their low stable iodine concentrations which were caused by the desorption of stable iodine from the rice paddies during the cultivation.     

Transition of solar cycle length in association with the occurrence of grand solar minima indicated by radiocarbon content in tree-rings

In this paper, we review the variation of the 11-year solar cycle since the 15th century revealed by the measurement of radiocarbon content in single-year tree-rings of Japanese cedar trees. Measurements of radiocarbon content in absolutely dated tree-rings provide a calibration curve for accurate dating of archaeological matters, but at the same time, enable us to examine the variations of solar magnetic activity in the pre-historical period. The Sun holds several long-term quasi-cyclic variations in addition to the fundamental 11-year sunspot activity cycle and the 22-year polarity reversal cycle, and it is speculated that the property of the 11-year and the 22-year solar cycle varies in association with such long-term quasi-cycles. It is essential to reveal the details of solar variations around the transition time of solar dynamo for illuminating the mechanisms of the long-term solar variations. We therefore have investigated the property of the 11-year and 22-year cycles around the two grand solar minima; the Maunder Minimum (1645–1715 AD) and the Spoerer Minimum (1415–1534 AD), the periods of prolonged sunspot minima. As a result, slight stretching of the “11-year” and the “22-year” solar cycles was found during these two grand solar activity minima; continuously during the Maunder Minimum and only intermittently during the Spoerer Minimum. On the contrary, normal or slightly shortened 11-year cycles were detected during the interval period of these two minima. It suggests the inverse correlation between the solar cycle length and solar magnetic activity level, and also the change of meridional flow during the grand solar activity minima. Further measurements for the beginning of the grand solar minima will provide a clue to the occurrence of such prolonged sunspot disappearance. We also discuss the effect of solar variations to radiocarbon dating.     

Probabilistic evaluation of seismic performance of 3‐story 3D one‐ and two‐way steel moment‐frame structures

This paper presents the results of a probabilistic evaluation of the seismic performance of 3D steel moment‐frame structures. Two types of framing system are considered: one‐way frames typical of construction in the United States and two‐way frames typical of construction in Japan. For each framing system, four types of beam–column connections are considered: pre‐Northridge welded‐flange bolted‐web, post‐Northridge welded‐flange welded‐web, reduced‐beam‐section, and bolted‐flange‐plate connections. A suite of earthquake ground motions is used to compute the annual probability of exceedence (APE) for a series of drift demand levels and for member plastic‐rotation capacity. Results are compared for the different framing systems and connection details. It is found that the two‐way frames, which have a larger initial stiffness and strength than the one‐way frames for the same beam and column volumes, have a smaller APE for small drift demands for which members exhibit no or minimal yielding, but have a larger APE for large drift demands for which members exhibit large plastic rotations. However, the one‐way frames, which typically comprise a few seismic frames with large‐sized members that have relatively small rotation capacities, may have a larger APE for member failure. The probabilistic approach presented in this study may be used to determine the most appropriate frame configuration to meet an owner's performance objectives. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A preparation zone for volcanic explosions beneath Naka-dake crater,Aso volcano,as inferred from magnetotelluric surveys

The 1st crater of Naka-dake, Aso volcano, is one of the most active craters in Japan, and known to have a characteristic cycle of activity that consists of the formation of a crater lake, drying-up of the lake water, and finally a Strombolian-type eruption. Recent observations indicate an increase in eruptive activity including a decrease in the level of the lake water, mud eruptions, and red hot glows on the crater wall. Temporal variations in the geomagnetic field observed around the craters of Naka-dake also indicate that thermal demagnetization of the subsurface rocks has been occurring in shallow subsurface areas around the 1st crater. Volcanic explosions act to release the energy transferred from magma or volcanic fluids. Measurement of the subsurface electrical resistivity is a promising method in investigating the shallow structure of the volcanic edifices, where energy from various sources accumulates, and in investigating the behaviors of magma and volcanic fluids. We carried out audio-frequency magnetotelluric surveys around the craters of Naka-dake in 2004 and 2005 to determine the detailed electrical structure down to a depth of around 1 km. The main objective of this study is to identify the specific subsurface structure that acts to store energy as a preparation zone for volcanic eruption. Two-dimensional inversions were applied to four profiles across the craters, revealing a strongly conductive zone at several hundred meters depth beneath the 1st crater and surrounding area. In contrast, we found no such remarkable conductor at shallow depths beneath the 4th crater, which has been inactive for 70 years, finding instead a relatively resistive body. The distribution of the rotational invariant of the magnetotelluric impedance tensor is consistent with the inversion results. This unusual shallow structure probably reflects the existence of a supply path of high-temperature volcanic gases to the crater bottom. We propose that the upper part of the conductor identified beneath the 1st crater is mainly composed of hydrothermally altered zone that acts both as a cap to upwelling fluids supplied from deep-level magma and as a floor to infiltrating fluid from the crater lake. The relatively resistive body found beneath the 4th crater represents consolidated magma. These results suggest that the shallow conductor beneath the active crater is closely related to a component of the mechanism that controls volcanic activity within Naka-dake.     

Evaluation of the resistance of coastal Pinus thunbergii Parlat. forests to the tsunami fluid force in Japan

Natural Hazards - Coastal forests can protect coastal areas from the effects of tsunamis. However, the coastal forests of Tohoku were destroyed by the Great East Japan Tsunami, which was triggered...     

Early reionization with primordial magnetic fields

Early reionization of the intergalactic medium (IGM), which is favoured from the WMAP temperature–polarization cross-correlations, contests the validity of the standard scenario of structure formation in the cold dark matter (CDM) cosmogony. It is difficult to achieve early enough star formation without rather extreme assumptions such as a very high escape fraction of ionizing photons from protogalaxies or a top-heavy initial mass function (IMF). Here, we propose an alternative scenario that additional fluctuations on small scales induced by primordial magnetic fields trigger early structure formation. We found that ionizing photons from Population III stars formed in dark haloes can easily reionize the Universe by   z ≃ 15  if the strength of primordial magnetic fields is between 0.7 and  1.5 × 10⁻⁹ G  .     

Deformation patterns associated with the M5.9 Athens (Greece) earthquake of 7 September 1999

The static displacement field of the Athens 1999 earthquake has been numerically modeled by a BEM method and analysed from SAR interferometry images with compatible results: (a) for a fault that reaches the surface the subsidence field coincides with the hangingwall domain of the Fili neotectonic normal fault with maximum amplitude, d _max, 5.5–7 cm, which is consistent with the possibly co-seismic displacement of 6–10 cm observed in the field, the average fault dislocation of 5–8 cm found by the application of circular source models, and the displacement up to 6 cm predicted by empirical relations between magnitude and displacement; the field of uplift covers the footwall domain of the fault with d _max1.5 cm;d gradually decreases with distance from the fault at a gradient of 0.4 cm/km, (b) for a blind fault d _max is only 1.8 and 0.3 cm in the hangingwall and footwall, respectively, and the decay gradient becomes 0.15 cm/km, (c) the total deformation area is 15 km × 15 km and the Fili fault, with a preferred mean dip of 60°, constitutes the natural boundary between the subsidence and uplift areas. The macroseismic field pattern is similar with that of the static ground deformation. The majority of intensity values VI (MM and EMS-98 scales), are distributed within the hangingwall of the Fili fault, while the highest intensities (VIII and IX) concentrate very close to the Fili fault within its hangingwall domain. A gradual decrease of the intensities with the distance from the Fili fault is evident. Because of the similarity between the intensity distribution pattern and the static ground deformation pattern, we make the hypothesis that the latter predicts well enough the main characteristics of the former although the ground displacement is dominated by relatively low frequency as compared to the ground acceleration.     

Eolian quartz flux variations in Cheju Island, Korea, during the last 6500 yr and a possible Sun-monsoon linkage

We have obtained a high-resolution sedimentary record covering the last 6500 yr from a maar in Cheju Island, Korea, in order to reconstruct the history of variations in the eolian quartz flux (EQF) and hence Asian dust. The long-term variation of EQF reveals three intervals: a period of high EQF (4000-2000 cal yr B.P.) and two periods of low EQF (6500-4000 cal yr B.P. and 2000 cal yr B.P. to present), which have been affected by the East Asian monsoon due to insolation change and the cold air activity in high latitudes correlated with polar high-pressure systems. This long-term variation is superimposed by millennial- and centennial-scale fluctuations with periodicities of 1137, 739, 214, 162, 137, 127, and 111 yr, implying drier conditions in the source areas in China. The detrended EQF record correlates visually and statistically (cross-spectral analysis) with the atmospheric Δ¹⁴C record (solar proxy). The centennial-scale variability in EQF may be affected by the solar activity through the Sun-East Asian monsoon linkage.