Effects of alkali and alkaline-earth cations on the high-pressure sound velocities of aluminosilicate glasses

Physics and Chemistry of Minerals - A black tourmaline sample from Seagull batholith (Yukon Territory, Canada) was established to be a schorl with concentrations of Fe2+ among the highest currently...     

Note on the relation between the equinox and Guinot's non-rotating origin

We show that the non-rotating origin introduced by Guinot is nothing but a departure point on the movable equatorial plane, and discuss that, even if this is introduced, the uncertainty of determining the equinox correction cannot be avoided. A difficulty still remains, furthermore, when we take into account nutational effect, since the (true) departure point is not fixed but moves in RA direction on the equator secularly and periodically with respect to space. We discuss thoroughly the interrelation between old and new concepts, and propose an exact treatment sufficient enough for the precise requirements.     

Subsurface structure under a basaltic monogenetic volcano near the active Atera fault

In this study, we examined the subsurface structure in the vicinity of the active Atera fault beneath at least one monogenetic volcano that forms the Sakashita body of the Ueno basalts, central Japan. Microgravity and seismic reflection surveys over an area of about 3×3 km (horizontal)×1 km (vertical from surface) revealed that (1) a low-density body interpreted as the damaged zone of the Atera fault reaches a depth more than 200 m below sea level; and (2) a weak zone of crust that may exist about 1.5 km southwest of the Atera fault in a direction parallel to it. By combining the shape of the Sakashita body and (2), we propose that a dyke extending in a NW–SE direction with several vent alignments in the same direction may exist along this weak zone. This suggests that the studied area was governed in the NW–SE compressional and NE–SW extensional stress field when the Sakashita body formed.     

Ostwald ripening of garnet in high P/T metamorphic rocks

This paper presents a theoretical formulation of Ostwald ripening of garnet and discusses the importance of the process during high pressure and low temperature (high P/T) metamorphism. The growth rate of garnet due to Ostwald ripening is formulated for the system consisting of minerals and an intergranular medium. Crystal size distribution (CSD) of garnets are examined and compared with the theoretical distribution for Ostwald ripening. Two types of CSDs are recognized. One is consistent with the theoretical prediction of size distribution while the other is wider than the theoretical distribution. The former CSD applies to samples in which garnets show homogeneous spatial distributions. The latter CSD applies to samples in which garnets show heterogeneous spatial distributions such as in clusters or layers. These relations suggest that the heterogeneity of spatial distributions results in a heterogeneity of concentration of garnet, causing the wide distributions. The mean diameter (dg) has a large variation in samples having narrow distributions. Ostwald ripening explains well the similar patterns of CSD in these samples with different dg because of a scaling law. Compositional profiles of garnets with different size are consistent with Ostwald ripening rather than nucleation and growth kinetics. This suggests that the CSDs result from Ostwald ripening. Magnitude of heating rate will determine which mechanism controls CSD. Nucleation and growth kinetics are dominant when heating rate is large. On the other hand, Ostwald ripening is dominant when heating rate is small. CSDs of garnets in high P/T metamorphic rocks are consistent with the latter case.     

Permian Peri‐glacial Deposits from Central Mongolia in Central Asian Orogenic Belt: A Possible Indicator of the Capitanian Cooling Event

A dropstone‐bearing, Middle Permian to Early Triassic peri‐glacial sedimentary unit was first discovered from the Khangai–Khentei Belt in Mongolia, Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The unit, Urmegtei Formation, is assumed to cover the early Carboniferous Khangai–Khentei accretionary complex, and is an upward‐fining sequence, consisting of conglomerates, sandstones, and varved sandstone and mudstone beds with granite dropstones in ascending order. The formation was cut by a felsic dike, and was deformed and metamorphosed together with the felsic dike. An undeformed porphyritic granite batholith finally cut all the deformed and metamorphosed rocks. LA‐ICP‐MS, U–Pb zircon dating has revealed the following ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U weighted mean igneous ages: (i) a granite dropstone in the Urmegtei Formation is 273 ± 5 Ma (Kungurian of Early Permian); (ii) the deformed felsic dike is 247 ± 4 Ma (Olenekian of Early Triassic); and (iii) the undeformed granite batholith is 218 ± 9 Ma (Carnian of Late Triassic). From these data, the age of sedimentation of the Urmegtei Formation is constrained between the Kungurian and the Olenekian (273–247 Ma), and the age of deformation and metamorphism is constrained between the Olenekian and the Carnian (247–218 Ma). In Permian and Triassic times, the global climate was in a warming trend from the Serpukhovian (early Late Carboniferous) to the Kungurian long and severe cool mode (328–271 Ma) to the Roadian to Bajocian (Middle Jurassic) warm mode (271–168 Ma), with an interruption with the Capitanian Kamura cooling event (266–260 Ma). The dropstone‐bearing strata of the Urmegtei Formation, together with the glacier‐related deposits in the Verkhoyansk, Kolyma, and Omolon areas of northeastern Siberia (said to be of Middle to Late Permian age), must be products of the Capitanian cooling event. Although further study is needed, the dropstone‐bearing strata we found can be explained in two ways: (i) the Urmegtei Formation is an autochthonous formation indicating a short‐term expansion of land glacier to the central part of Siberia in Capitanian age; or (ii) the Urmegtei Formation was deposited in or around a limited ice‐covered continent in northeast Siberia in the Capitanian and was displaced to the present position by the Carnian.     

Thermal equation of state of majorite with MORB composition

In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments were conducted using the SPEED-1500 multi-anvil press at SPring-8 on majoritic garnet synthesized from natural mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), whose chemical composition is close to the average of oceanic crust, at 19 GPa and 2200 K. Pressure-volume-temperature data were collected using a newly developed high-pressure cell assembly to 21 GPa and 1273 K. Data were fit to the high-temperature Birch-Murnaghan equation of state, with fixed values for the ambient cell volume (V₀ = 1574.14(4) Å³) and the pressure derivative of the isothermal bulk modulus (K^′T = 4). This yielded an isothermal bulk modulus of K_T0 = 173(1) GPa, a temperature derivative of the bulk modulus (∂K_T/∂T)_P = −0.022(5) GPa K⁻¹, and a volumetric coefficient of thermal expansivity α = a + bT with values of a = 2.0(3) × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹ and b = 1.0(5) × 10⁻⁸ K⁻². The derived thermoelastic parameters are very similar to those of pyrope. The density of subducted oceanic crust compared to pyrolitic mantle at the conditions in Earth's transition zone (410-660 km depth) was calculated using these results and previously reported thermoelastic parameters for MORB and pyrolite mineral assembledges. These calculations show that oceanic crust is denser than pyrolitic mantle throughout the mantle transition zone along a normal geotherm, and the density difference is insensitive to temperature at the pressures in lower part of the transition zone.     

Properties of winter mixed layer variability on the shelf-slope region facing the Kuroshio—study of Tosa Bay, southern Japan

To examine the properties of winter mixed layer (ML) variability in the shelf-slope waters facing the Kuroshio, we analyzed historical temperature records and the simulated results of a triply nested high-resolution numerical model. As a candidate of the shelf-slope waters, we focused on Tosa Bay, off the southern Japan. A time series of observed monthly mean ML temperatures and depths in the bay exhibits a remarkable seasonal variation. The period when the ML develops can be divided into two regimes: from September to November, when the sea surface cooling is gradually enhanced, the ML temperature and depth decreases and increases, respectively; from January to March, the ML temperature and depth are kept nearly constant, while the sea surface cooling in January reaches its annual maximum. In the latter regime, variance for the monthly mean ML depth is the largest of the year. To further study the ML properties in the latter regime corresponding to winter, we examined simulated results. It was found that the largest variance for ML depth is attributed to a dominant intramonthly variation. This is related to a submesoscale variation with typical spatial scales of 10–20 km, induced by the Kuroshio and its frontal disturbances. Simulated monthly mean heat balance within the ML showed that heat advection balances with heat flux at the sea surface and entrainment through the ML bottom. Moreover, the monthly mean heat advection is determined mainly by the intramonthly eddy heat advection, suggesting that the high-frequency intramonthly variation related to submesoscale variations contributes significantly to the low-frequency monthly variations of the ML in winter.     

The International Radiation Symposium 2016

正1.Overview The 2016 International Radiation Symposium,a joint venture between the IRC(International Radiation Commission)and IAMAS(International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences),took place at the University of Auckland from April 16th to 22nd.The wide scope of atmospheric radiation research was apparent,with focuses rang-     

The 1996 subaqueous eruption at Academii Nauk volcano (Kamchatka) and its effects on Karymsky lake

A subaqueous eruption in Karymsky lake in the Academii Nauk caldera dramatically changed its water column structure, water chemistry and biological system in less than 24 h, sending major floodwaves down the discharging river and eruption plumes with ash and gases high into the atmosphere. Prior to the eruption, the lake had a pH of about 7, was dominated by bicarbonate, and well stocked with fish, but turned in early 1996 into a stratified, initially steaming waterbody, dominated by sulfate with high Na and K levels, and devoid of fish. Blockage of the outlet led to rising waterlevels, followed by dam breakage and catastrophic water discharge. The total energy input during the eruption is estimated at about 10¹⁶ J. The stable isotope composition of the lake water remained dominated by the meteoric meltwaters after the eruption.