Assessment of carbon- and fluorescence-based primary productivity in Ariake Bay,southwestern Japan

A comparative account of primary productivity (PP), in the characteristically turbid and highly dynamic waters of Ariake Bay, measured by ¹³C uptake and fast repetition rate fluorometer (FRRF) was conducted to ensure compatibility between the two methods. Estimates from both methods depicted strong linearity for both short-term (r² > 0.90) and daily (r² = 0.42–0.93) measurements, except in the near-surface (∼0 m) layer. ¹³C-based short-term (1 h; in situ) PP estimates showed similar magnitudes and trend with the instantaneous PP measured by FRRF concurrently. Whereas, unlike short-term measurements, the daily PP estimates from both methods showed large difference, with FRRF-based time integrated daily PP resulting in 1.09–1.82 times higher than the carbon-based daily (24 h; simulated in situ) PP. This difference between daily PP estimates was mainly due to: (1) the temporal variation of water column chlorophyll a (Chl a) because of frequent moving of water mass, and (2) the dissimilarity in ambient light field conditions between the two methods. Results revealed that considering the above two environmental factors invariable over a daylength, fairly close approximation of daily PP, compared to ¹³C-based daily PP, could be obtained from FRRF. Hence, FRRF-based daily PP can be considered as more realistic in this highly dynamic water body like Ariake Bay where water column parameters are subjected to strong temporal variation. The relationship between Chl a-specific photosynthetic rate (P^B) and the corresponding photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in the water column (PAR–P^B relationship) was found to be linear for FRRF and curvilinear for ¹³C-based measurements in the near-surface layer, for the same intensities of incident PAR, and this is thought to be the primary basis for the higher difference in PP estimates at the near-surface layer. Considering the minor variations in FRRF-based time series of PAR–P^B relationships, a combined and/or instantaneous PAR–P^B relationship in combination with incubation Chl a and light field condition was used to obtain fairly close estimates of daily water column integrated PP from FRRF.     

In-situ survey of nanomolar manganese in seawater using an autonomous underwater vehicle around a volcanic crater at Teishi Knoll,Sagami Bay,Japan

We present the results of a chemical survey at a submarine volcano, Teishi Knoll, obtained using a submersible in-situ Mn analyzer (GAMOS) mounted on an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) platform. During this survey, high-resolution data of dissolved Mn were obtained in three dimensions in nearly real time. The AUV enabled continuous detailed observations along a preprogrammed pathway, which could not have been performed with conventional CTD hydrocasts. During this observation, anomalously high dissolved Mn concentrations were obtained within the crater, corresponding to high water temperatures. The anomalies might be a hydrothermal signature due to volcanic activity from the crater.     

Orientation of Galaxies in the Local Supercluster: A Review

The progress of the studies on the orientation of galaxies in the Local Supercluster (LSC) is reviewed and a summary of recent results is given. Following a brief introduction of the LSC, we describe the results of early studies based on two-dimensional analysis, which were mostly not conclusive. We describe next the three-dimensional analysis, which is used widely today. Difficulties and systematic effects are explained and the importance of selection effects is described. Then, results based on the new method and modern databases are given, which are summarized as follows. When the LSC is seen as a whole, galaxy planes tend to align perpendicular to the LSC plane with lenticulars showing the most pronounced tendency. Projections onto the LSC plane of the spin vectors of Virgo cluster member galaxies, and to some extent, those of the total LSC galaxies, tend to point to the Virgo cluster center. This tendency is more pronounced for lenticulars than for spirals. It is suggested that ‘field’ galaxies, i.e., those which do not belong to groups with more than three members, may be better objects than other galaxies to probe the information at the early epoch of the LSC formation through the analysis of galaxy orientations. Field lenticulars show a pronounced anisotropic distribution of spin vectors in the sense that they lay their spin vectors parallel to the LSC plane while field spirals show an isotropic spin-vector distribution.     

Subducting seamounts and deformation of overriding forearc wedges around Japan

Two subducting seamounts under inner trench slopes have been identified around Japan on the basis of magnetic anomalies, morphology and geological structure. The first one is located under the foot of the inner trench slope at the junction between the Japan Trench and the Kuril Trench. Another one occurs beneath the slope slightly seaward of the Tosabae (the basement high at the trench slope break along the Nankai Trough off Shikoku). The magnetic anomalies of seamount origin are accompanied by the characteristic morphology of a forearc wedge i.e., a swell landward and a depression seaward. The seamounts beneath the inner trench slopes have preserved magnetization showing reasonably consistent directions, which suggests that the subducting seamounts have kept roughly their original shapes. The morphology of the forearc wedge can be explained by a subducting seamount on the oceanic crust pushing the forearc material forward and upward. Deformation of the forearc wedge by the subducting seamount extends to the forearc basin. The seamounts are stronger and less deformable than the inner slope material and are not offscraped onto inner trench slopes.

Two other examples of deformed inner trench slopes around Japan which can be explained by subduction of topographic highs are presented. One example is a depression on the foot of the inner trench slope northeast of the junction between the Kyushu-Palau Ridge and the Nankai Trough. Another one is an area of complex morphology of the inner trench slope along the Japan Trench around the Daiichi-Kashima Seamount.     

Liquefied soil pressures on vertical walls with adjacent embankments

Horizontal earth pressures on rigid vertical walls in liquefied soils have extensively been studied by many researchers for the level ground surface condition. In this paper, a series of centrifuge tests was conducted to investigate the effects of embankments resting on ground surfaces on the pressure on the rigid vertical walls. In the tests, earth pressures on the rigid walls were successfully measured with built-in earth pressure cells with small accelerometers attached on them. The earth pressure cells are capable of measuring both normal and shear stresses simultaneously with a good accuracy. It appears that dynamic component of the earth pressure of liquefied sand is in proportion to the acceleration of the rigid wall irrespective of amplitude and frequency of the input motion, and increases with increasing average embankment load. On the other hand, the residual component of the earth pressure is found to be well estimated from FEM assuming the liquefied soil as an incompressible elastic body. A practical formula of the earth pressures is established for the purpose of practical use.Another series of centrifuge tests was carried out on models with solidification or densification zones below embankment toes as a remedial countermeasure against liquefaction-induced embankment failure. It was found that the proposed formulae holds valid independently of the movement of walls as long as the liquefied soil behaves as a heavy fluid, and the countermeasure does not soften significantly.     

Analbite → monalbite transition in a heat treated twinned amelia albite

Amelia albite annealed at > 1080 °C for 3200 hrs by Duba and Piwinskii (1974) shows very fine twin lamellae (～1 μm) after the albite law, suggesting that it once underwent transformation into monalbite. A fragment of this specimen was investigated at 27 °C, 300 °C, 550 °C, 800 °C and 930 °C using the high-temperature precession technique. As the temperature increases, the splitting angle of c ^*-axes (likewise c ^*-axes) of two twin individuals continues to decrease. The photographs taken at 930 °C show that these two splitting angles have converged to 0^o, indicating completion of the transformation into monalbite. The transition point we observe supports the results of MacKenzie (1952) (920±20 °C) and Grundy et al. (1967) (930 °C) rather than those of Sueno et al. (1973) and Prewitt et al. (1974) (> 1080 °C); the discrepancy is most likely due to the differences in the degree of Al-Si disorder of the samples used in the experiments.     

Geochemistry of Mesozoic intracontinental basalts from Yunnan, southern China: Implications for geochemical evolution of the subcontinental lithosphere

Summary Southwestern Yunnan, comprising the Yangtze and Shan-Thai microcontinents and the Simao block, has successively undergone subduction of an oceanic plate, followed by a collision of the microcontinents and intracontinental rifting associated with basaltic volcanism during Late Paleozoic to Mesozoic.The Triassic Nanjian basalts, erupted on the Yangtze microcontinent, have more enriched isotopic ratios and higher LREE/HFSE and LREE/HREE ratios. This suggests the existence of an enriched subcontinental lithosphere under the Yangtze microcontinent which stabilized over long periods of the earth's history (> 2Ga).The Middle Jurassic Simao basalts have more depleted geochemical features and also have element enrichments characteristic of a subduction zone environment, although the basalts were erupted in an intracontinental graben. It may be inferred that the lithospheric mantle of the Simao block was modified by subduction processes during Latest Carboniferous to Late Triassic prior to the onset of the Middle Jurassic continental rifting. The lack of correlation between depletion of HFSE, Y and HREE, and relative enriched Nd isotopic ratios suggests that the source depletion of the Simao basalts is not an old feature and has been contemporaneous with the subduction-related enrichment through mantle metasomatism shortly before the basalts were produced.The Middle Jurassic Baoshan basalts which erupted during the continental rifting on the Shan-Thai microcontinent have an Sr-Nd isotopic composition similar to the bulk earth and higher concentrations of incompatible trace elements. These features suggest that the subcontinental lithosphere under the Shan-Thai microcontinent underwent mantle metasomatism just prior to eruption of the Baoshan basalt.

---

Geochemie mesozoischer interkontinentaler Basalte aus Jünnan, Südchina: Hinweise auf die geochemische Entwicklung der subkontinentalen Lithosphäre

Zusammenfassung Südwestjünnan umfaßt den Jangtse und den Shan-Thai Mikrokontinent und den Simao Block. Das Gebiet wurde von aufeinander folgenden Subduktionsphasen einer ozeanischen Platte betroffen, auf die Kollision der Mikrokontinente und interkontinentales Rifting folgte. Dieses war mit basaltischem Vulkanismus während des späten Paläozoikums bis ins Mesozoikum assoziiert.Die triassischen Nanjian-Basalte, die auf dem Jangtse Mikrokontinent eruptierten, haben mehr angereicherte Isotopenverhältnisse und höhere LREE/HFSE und LREE/HREE Verhältnisse. Dieses weist auf eine angereicherte subkontinentale Lithosphäre unter dem Jangtse Mikrokontinent hin, die sich während langer Perioden der Erdgeschichte stabilisierte (>2Ga).Die mittel jurassischen Simao-Basalte haben eine mehr verarmte geochemische Signatur aber auch Elementanreicherungen, die für ein Subduktionszonen-Milieu charakteristisch sind, obwohl die Basalte in einem interkontinentalen Graben ausgetreten sind. Man kann daraus schließen, daß der lithosphärische Mantel des Simao-Blockes durch Subduktionsprozesse während des jüngsten Karbons bis in die späte Trias vor dem Beginn des mittel-jurassischen kontinentalen Riftings modifiziert worden war. Das Fehlen einer Korrelation zwischen der Anreicherung von HFSE, Y und HREE und relativ angereicherter Nd-Isotopenverhältnisse weist darauf hin, daß die Verarmung der Quelle der Simaobasalte nicht weit zurückreicht. Sie dürfte viel eher gleichaltrig mit der subduktions-bedingten Anreicherung durch Mantel-Metasomatose kurz vor der Entstehung der Basalte sein.Die mittel-jurassischen Baoshan-Basalte, die während des kontinentalen Riftings auf den Shan-Thai Mikrokontintent eruptierten, haben eine Sr-Nd-Isotopensignatur, die ähnlich der Gesamterde ist, jedoch höhere Konzentrationen inkompatibler Spurenelemente zeigt. All dies legt nahe, daß die subkontinentale Lithosphäre unter dem Shan-Thai-Mikrokontinent kurz vor der Eruption der Baoshan-Basalte von Mantel-Metasomatose betroffen worden ist.

---

---

With 8 Figures

---

Visiting Fellow, Geology Department, Australian National University, Australia     

Unstable forearc stress in the eastern Nankai subduction zone for the last 2 million years

Transpressional tectonics characterizes the SW Japan arc. However, we will show in this article that offshore seismic profiles and onshore mesoscale faults indicate that the eastern part of the forearc was subject to transtensional tectonics since ca. 2.0 Ma. Offshore normal faults imaged on the profiles run parallel to the Nankai Trough, and started activity at 1.0 Ma, but transtensional tectonics commenced the onshore area earlier. In order to understand the stress history in the forearc region, we collected fault-slip data from onshore mesoscale faults in Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary rocks in the Kakegawa area at the northeastern extension of the offshore normal faults. Most of the mesoscale faults are oblique-normal, indicating that the area was subject to transtensional tectonics. The faults suggest that the compressional tectonic regime was followed by the transtensional one at 2.0 Ma, in agreement with regional tectonostratigraphic data, which indicate that folding ceased at that time. Present compressional stress followed the transtensional tectonic regime sometime in the late Pleistocene. Transtensional or extensional tectonic zone shifted from the Kakegawa area to the offshore region.These observations indicate that the state of stress just behind the accretionary prism of the eastern Nankai subduction zone has been unstable in the last 2 million years, suggesting that the forearc wedge has been at critical state in that gravitational force and basal shear traction on the wedge have been balanced, but the forearc tectonics has been susceptible to small perturbations. Possible factors compatible with the observed stress history include the change of subduction direction of the plate at 1.0 Ma, and the rapid uplift of Central Japan thereafter.