Intergranular trace elements in mantle xenoliths from Russian Far East: Example for mantle metasomatism by hydrous melt

Based on both major and trace element chemistry, the occurrence of the intergranular component in mantle-derived xenoliths from far eastern Russia has been constrained. Whole-rock trace element measurements of one xenolith show apparent negative anomalies in Ce, Th, and high field strength elements on normalized trace element patterns. The trace element pattern of the whole rock differs from those of constituent minerals, indicating that the anomalies in the whole rock are attributable to the presence of an intergranular component. That assumption was confirmed using in situ analysis of trace elements in the intergranular substance and melt inclusion using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. Both the intergranular component and the melt inclusions have identical trace element patterns, which mean that these materials are a cognate metasomatizing agent. The anomalies are regarded as mantle metasomatism related to an aqueous fluid. Hydrous minerals were observed on the wall of the melt inclusions using micro-Raman spectroscopy, indicating that the melt inclusions contained a large amount of water. Thus, this study reveals a trace element composition of a hydrous metasomatizing agent in the mantle.     

Characteristics of SSH Anomaly Based on TOPEX/POSEIDON Altimetry and in situ Measured Velocity and Transport of Oyashio on OICE

An observation line along the TOPEX/POSEIDON (T/P) ground track 060 was set to estimate the Oyashio transport. We call this line the OICE (Oyashio Intensive observation line off-Cape Erimo) along which we have been conducting repeated hydrographic observations and maintaining mooring systems. T/P derived sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) was compared with velocity and transport on OICE. Although the decorrelation scale of SSHA was estimated at about 80–110 km in the Oyashio region, the SSHA also contains horizontal, small-scale noise, which was eliminated using a Gaussian filter. In the comparison between the SSHA difference across two selected points and the subsurface velocity measured by a moored Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), the highest correlation (0.92) appeared when the smoothing scale was set at 30 km with the two points as near as possible. For the transport in the Oyashio region, the geostrophic transport between 39°30′ N and 42°N was compared with the SSHA difference across the same two points. In this case the highest correlations (0.79, 0.88 and 0.93) occurred when the smoothing scale was set at 38, 6 and 9 km for reference levels of 1000, 2000 and 3000 db, respectively. The annual mean transport was estimated as 9.46 Sv in the 3000 db reference case. The Oyashio transport time series was derived from the T/P SSHA data, and the transports are smaller than that estimated from the Sverdrup balance in 1994–1996 and larger than that in 1997–2000. This difference is consistent with baroclinic response to wind stress field. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Anomalous Rayleigh-Wave Propagation Along Oceanic Trench

A clear later phase of amplitude larger than the direct surface wave packet was observed at stations in Hokkaido, Japan, for several events of the December 1991 off-Urup earthquake swarm in the Kuril Islands region. From its particle motion, this phase is likely to be a fundamental Rayleigh wave packet that arrived with an azimuth largely deviated from each great-circle direction. As its origin, Nakanishi (1992) proposed that the sea-trench topography in this area as deep as 10 km may produce a narrow zone of low velocity for Rayleigh waves of periods around 15 sec. Following this idea, we compute ray paths and estimate how Rayleigh waves would propagate if we assume that lateral velocity variations are caused only by seafloor topography. We confirm that thick sea water in the trench indeed produces the phase velocity of Rayleigh waves to be smaller than in a surrounding area by the degree over 100%. Such a low-velocity zone appears only in a period range from 12 to 20 sec. Although this strong low-velocity zone disturbs the direction of Rayleigh wave propagation from its great circle, the overall ray paths are not so affected as far as an epicentre is outside this low-velocity zone, that is, off the trench axis. In contrast, the majority of rays are severely distorted for an event within the low-velocity zone or, in other words, in the neighborhood of the trench axis. For such an event, a part of wave energy appears to be trapped in this zone and eventually propagates outwards due to the curvature or bend of trench geometry, resulting in very late arriving waves of large amplitude with an incident direction clearly different from great circles. This phenomenon is observed only at a very limited period range around 16 sec. These theoretical results are consistent with the above mentioned observation of Nakanishi (1992).     

Regional variations in trace element concentrations in tissues of black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon (Decapoda: Penaeidae) from South Vietnam

The goal of the present study was to examine the specific bioaccumulation of 22 trace elements in muscle, exoskeleton and hepatopancreas of black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon from the Mekong River Delta (MRD), and the South Key Economic Zone (SKEZ), South Vietnam. The general tendency in most trace element concentrations among different tissues were hepatopancreas>exoskeleton>muscle. Comparisons of trace element levels in tissues between the two regions showed that concentrations of Se in muscle and As in all three tissues were higher in SKEZ; whereas in MRD, the higher concentrations of most elements such as Mn, Cu, Cd, Ba, Hg, were observed in tissues. These geographical variations in trace element levels may reflect the differences in human activities between the two regions of South Vietnam. The target hazard quotient (THQ) values for trace elements (<1) indicate that local residents are not exposed to potential health risks via the consumption of shrimp.     

Dynamics of the Kuroshio large meander

The bimodality of the Kuroshio path is studied numerically with a barotropic inflow-outflow model. The dynamics that determines the path depends on the Rossby number,Ro (proportional to inlet velocity) and the Reynolds number (representing effects of viscosity). At lowRo (<Ro ₁) only a meander path occurs, while at highRo(Ro ₂) only a straight path is developed. Between these critical values (Ro ₁RoRo₂) either of the two paths can occur (multiple states), and the choice of path is determined by its history. Increase (decrease) inRo acrossRo ₂ (Ro ₁) leads to catastrophic transition from one path to the other. In the intermediate range (Ro ₁RoRo₂), the straight path is conditionally unstable to finite amplitude disturbances, and abrupt changes to the meander path take place. Absolute vorticity is almost conserved along the meander path, while along the straight path it is dissipated in large amount near the coast. At low Re, the flow tends to a viscous flow, and steady states are obtained. At highRe, time variations with different periods for the meander and straight paths become dominant. Intermittent transitions from one state to the other without any changes of external parameters are found at intermediateRo and at highRe.     

Silicate darkening in the Kobe CK chondrite: Evidence for shock metamorphism at high temperature

Abstract— The Kobe CK4 chondrite, like most metamorphosed CK chondrites, exhibits pronounced silicate darkening of matrix and chondrule mesostases. Our petrographic and scanning electron microscopic study reveals that the matrix of Kobe consists mostly of intermixtures of two types of fine‐grained olivine. One forms subhedral to anhedral normal crystals. The other fills interstices of the subhedral to anhedral olivine crystals, exhibiting a complex network of veinlets. The latter type of olivine contains high densities of small spherical vesicles (<0.05‐3 μm in diameter) and grains (<0.05‐5 μm) of magnetite and pentlandite as well as round to anhedral grains (1–10 μm) of plagioclase, low‐Ca pyroxene, diopside and chlorapatite. The vesicular olivine is particularly abundant in regions of matrix that exhibit a relatively high degree of darkening and commonly fills chondrule mesostases. The vesicular olivine is clearly the principal cause of the silicate darkening in Kobe. The internal texture of the vesicular olivine closely resembles those of local melts produced from the matrices of experimentally and naturally shocked carbonaceous chondrites. The occurrence and texture of the vesicular olivine suggest that it resulted from recrystallization of partially melted matrix olivine by shock. Kobe exhibits light shock effects in olivine that are consistent with shock stage S2 that is too low to explain the occurrence of olivine melting. We suggest that the vesicular olivine in Kobe was produced by shock metamorphism at a relatively mild shock pressure (<25 GPa) and a high temperature (>600 °C). Thus, it is probable that the shock effects in olivine, manifest as fracturing and deformation, were relatively minor, but heating was strong enough to cause partial melting of matrix olivine.     

Absolute Volume Transports of the Oyashio Referred to Moored Current Meter Data Crossing the OICE

During November 2000–June 2002, both direct current measurements from deployment of a line of five moorings and repeated CTD observations were conducted along the Oyashio Intensive observation line off Cape Erimo (OICE). All the moorings were installed above the inshore-side slope of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. Before calculating the absolute volume transports, we compared vertical velocity differences of relative geostrophic velocities with those of the measured velocities. Since both the vertical velocity differences concerned with the middle three moorings were in good agreement, the flows above the continental slope are considered to be in thermal wind balance. We therefore used the current meter data of these three moorings, selected among all five moorings, to estimate the absolute volume transports of the Oyashio referred to the current meter data. As a result, we estimated that the southwestward absolute volume transports in 0–1000 db are 0.5–12.8 × 10⁶ m³/sec and the largest transport is obtained in winter, January 2001. The Oyashio absolute transports in January 2001, crossing the OICE between 42°N and 41°15′ N from the surface to near the bottom above the continental slope, is estimated to be at least 31 × 10⁶ m³/sec. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Monitoring of DSP toxins in small-sized plankton fraction of seawater collected in Mutsu Bay,Japan, by ELISA method: relation with toxin contamination of scallop

Monitorings were conducted on DSP toxins in mid-gut gland of scallop (mouse assay), cell numbers of toxic dinoflagellate species of Dinophysis, and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins in small-sized (0.7-5 microm) plankton fraction of seawater collected from surface (0 m) and 20 m depth at a station in Mutsu Bay, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, in 2000. A specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed for the analysis of DSP toxins in small-sized plankton fraction using a mouse monoclonal anti-okadaic acid antibody which recognizes okadaic acid, dinophysistoxin-1, and dinophysistoxin-3. DSP toxins were detected twice in the mid-gut gland of scallops at 1.1-2.3 MU (mouse units) g(-1) on 26 June and at 0.6-1.2 MU g(-1) on 3 July, respectively. Relatively high cell densities of D. fortii were observed on 26 June and 11 September, and may only contribute to the bivalve toxicity during late June to early July. D. acuminata did not appear to be responsible for the toxicity of scallops in Mutsu Bay in 2000. ELISA monitoring of small-sized plankton fraction in seawater could detect DSP toxins two weeks before the detection of the toxin in scallops, and could do so two weeks after the loss of the bivalve toxicity by mouse assay. On 17 July, toxic D. fortii was detected at only small number, <10 cells l(-1), but DSP toxins were detected by the ELISA assay, suggesting a presence of other toxic small-sized plankton in seawater. For the purpose of reducing negative impacts of DSP occurrences, monitorings have been carried out hitherto on DSP toxins of bivalve tissues by mouse assay and on cell densities of "toxic" species of Dinophysis. Here we propose a usefulness of ELISA monitoring of plankton toxicity, especially in small-sized fraction, which are possible foods of mixotrophic Dinophysis, as a practical tool for detecting and predicting DSPs in coastal areas of fisheries grounds of bivalve aquaculture.