A Simple Single-Layer Urban Canopy Model For Atmospheric Models: Comparison With Multi-Layer And Slab Models

We developed a simple, single-layer urban canopy model, and comparedit to both multi-layer and slab models. Our single-layer model has thefollowing features: (a) It is a column model of energy and momentumexchange between an urban surface and the atmosphere, (b) it includesthe influence of street canyons, which are parameterized to representthe urban geometry, (c) it includes shadowing from buildings andreflection of radiation, and (d) it estimates both the surfacetemperatures of, and heat fluxes from, three surface types: roof, wall,and road. In the simulation of the single-layer model, the roof washottest during the daytime, but coolest from midnight to early morning.This is consistent with output from the multi-layer model and fieldobservations at a residential area on a clear, summer day. The diurnalvariation of the energy budget from the single-layer model agrees wellwith that from the multi-layer model. Our single-layer model'sperformance is nearly that of a multi-layer model for studyingmesoscale heat islands. Nevertheless, it is simply parameterized,and thus easily included in larger-scale atmospheric models. The slabmodel has the largest nighttime cooling rate of the three models. Toovercome this, it needs more adjustments than for the canopy models.     

Metamorphic and cooling history of the Shimanto accretionary complex,Kyushu, Southwest Japan: Implications for the timing of out‐of‐sequence thrusting

Illite crystallinity, K–Ar dating of illite, and fission‐track dating of zircon are analyzed in the hanging wall (Sampodake unit) and footwall (Mikado unit) of a seismogenic out‐of‐sequence thrust (Nobeoka thrust) within the Shimanto accretionary complex of central Kyushu, southwest Japan. The obtained metamorphic temperatures, and timing of metamorphism and cooling, reveal the tectono‐metamorphic evolution of the complex, and related development of the Nobeoka thrust. Illite crystallinity data indicate that the Late Cretaceous Sampodake unit was metamorphosed at temperatures of around 300 to 310°C, while the Middle Eocene Mikado unit was metamorphosed at 260 to 300°C. Illite K–Ar ages and zircon fission‐track ages constrain the timing of metamorphism of the Sampodake unit to the early Middle Eocene (46 to 50 Ma, mean = 48 Ma). Metamorphism of the Mikado unit occurred no earlier than 40 Ma, which is the youngest depositional age of the unit. The Nobeoka thrust is inferred to have been active during about 40 to 48 Ma, as the Sampodake unit started its post metamorphic cooling after 48 Ma and was thrust over the Mikado unit at about 40 Ma along the Nobeoka thrust. These results indicate that the Nobeoka thrust was active for more than 10 million years.     

Ca, Al-rich inclusions in Yamato 791717 (CO3) carbonaceous chondrite: Formation and alteration

In three polished thin sections of Yamato 791717 (CO3). fifty-five Ca, Al-rich inclusions were found, which include two hibonite-bearing, eight melilite-rich and forty-five spinel-pyroxene inclusions. Based on the petrography and mineral chemistry of the inclusions, it is proposed that the melilite-rich inclusions and spinel-pyroxene inclusions condensed in the solar nebula, and the hibonite-bearing inclusions crystallized from melts. The heavy alteration of the inclusions in Yamato 791717, which probably took place under a very oxidizing condition in the solar nebular, is also confirmed. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49673200). and by the Japanese Society for Promotion of Sciences (JSPS).     

Classification and distribution of Oligocene Aetiocetidae (Mammalia; Cetacea; Mysticeti) from western North America and Japan

Abstract Fossil whales in the very rare, primitive, extinct cetacean family Aetiocetidae are small, relict, toothed mysticetes that persisted into Late Oligocene time after more highly derived baleen-bearing mysticetes had already evolved. No known aetiocetid could be ancestral to baleen-bearing mysticetes, but aetiocetid morphology is in many ways intermediate between archaeocetes and baleen-bearing mysticetes, demonstrating the probable transitional steps passed through in the evolution of baleen-bearing mysticetes. Their discovery indicates that mysticetes evolved from Archaeocetes, and supports theories of the monophyly of Cetacea. Late Oligocene aetiocetids have been found on both sides of the North Pacific Ocean: on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada; in Oregon and Washington, USA; in Baja California Sur, México; and the islands of Kyushu and Hokkaido, Japan. The most primitive North American aetiocetid, Chonecetus sookensis Russell, 1968, is from the early Late Oligocene Hesquiat Formation on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. A more derived, Late Oligocene species, Chonecetus goedertorum Barnes and Furusawa, new species, from the Late Oligocene Pysht Formation, Olympic Peninsula, Washington, has the primitive placental mammalian tooth count of 11/11. The type genus of the family, Aetiocetus Emlong, 1966, has as its type species, A. cotylalveus Emlong, 1966, known only from the Late Oligocene Yaquina Formation on the coast of Oregon. It has 11 upper teeth on each side of the rostrum. A more derived species, Aetiocetus weltoni Barnes and Kimura, new species, from a higher stratigraphic level in the Yaquina Formation, has a more posteriorly positioned cranial vertex and a tooth count of 11/12. We describe four new species of aetiocetids in three genera from the Late Oligocene Morawan Formation near Ashoro, Hokkaido, Japan. The most primitive, Ashorocetus eguchii Barnes and Kimura, new genus and species, has a primitive stage of cranial telescoping, and is closely related to Chonecetus Russell, 1968. Another, Morawanocetus yabukii Kimura and Barnes, new genus and species, in some ways intermediate between Chonecetus and Aetiocetus, has a suite of unique derived characters, including a much foreshortened brain case. The third, Aetiocetus tomitai Kimura and Barnes, new species, is the most primitive species of Aetiocetus yet discovered. The fourth, Aetiocetus polydentatus Sawamura, new species, the most derived species of Aetiocetus known, has a highly telescoped cranium, homodonty, polydonty and a dental count of 13–14/14–15. The fossil record now indicates considerable diversity in the family, with several different contemporaneous lineages in three new subfamilies: Chonecetinae, Morawanocetinae and Aetiocetinae. Aetiocetids are not known outside the North Pacific. Many Recent mysticetes are essentially cosmopolitan, and aetiocetids might have also been relatively widely dispersed. We suspect that with time their remains will be found around other ocean basins also. If so, then they may be potentially useful in trans-oceanic geological correlations.     

Estimation of surface soil water content from surface temperatures in dust source regions of Mongolia and China

Surface conditions, such as surface roughness and soil moisture, control wind erosion and dust emission in northeast Asia. Data on spatial and temporal changes of surface soil water content are needed for dust-modeling systems used to predict dust events with the aim of preventing damage from them. A modified temperature-vegetation dryness index (MTVDI) was tested to see if it could reproduce surface soil water contents measured during the dust event season in Bayan Unjuul, Mongolia, and Shenmu, China. MTVDI was calculated from land surface temperature and aerodynamic minimum and maximum surface temperatures estimated from meteorological data. The standard deviation of the error of estimations of soil water content from MTVDI was ±1.5% in Bayan Unjuul when soil water content was lower than 4%. This compares favorably with the observational error of ±1% of the soil moisture sensors used.     

Measurements of wave normal direction of whistler mode signals in the ionosphere by means of the Rocket-Doppler technique

Wave normal directions of VLF signals propagating through the ionosphere can be determined by measuring Doppler frequency shift of the signals by means of rocket borne receivers. Two rockets were launched to detect the NWC signal of 22.3 kHz which was transmitted from Australia and propagated on two completely different paths, one being propagated through the Earth-ionosphere waveguide and up to the rocket, the other propagated down to the rocket by the whistler mode directly from the source in the opposite hemisphere. The wave normal directions of the latter mode were almost vertically downward in the ionosphere in the northern hemisphere, although substantial error was involved in the determination of the wave normal direction for a part of the upgoing flight of the rockets, due to the relative geometry of the directions of the rocket flight and the geomagnetic field. The effect of the horizontal gradients of the ionosphere on the above results were found to be not significant. From the experimental results it is concluded that field aligned ducts stretching down to the rocket altitudes did not exist, at least, during the rocket flights.     

Cretaceous episodic growth of the Japanese Islands

Abstract The Japanese Islands formed rapidly in situ along the eastern Asian continental margin in the Cretaceous due to both tectonic and magmatic processes. In the Early Cretaceous, huge oceanic plateaus created by the mid-Panthalassa super plume accreted with the continental margin. This tectonic interaction of oceanic plateau with continental crust is one of the significant tectonic processes responsible for continental growth in subduction zones. In the Japanese Islands, Late Cretaceous-Early Paleogene continental growth is much more episodic and drastic. At this time the continental margin uplifted regionally, and intra-continent collision tectonics took place in the northern part of the Asian continent. The uplifting event appears to have been caused by the subduction of very young oceanic crust (i.e. the Izanagi-Kula Plate) along the continental margin. Magmatism was also very active, and melting of the young oceanic slab appears to have resulted in ubiquitous plutons in the continental margin. Regional uplift of the continental margin and intra-continent collision tectonics promoted erosion of the uplifted area, and a large amount of terrigenous sediment was abruptly supplied to the trench. As a result of the rapid supply of terrigenous detritus, the accretionary complexes (the Hidaka Belt in Hokkaido and the Shimanto Belt in Southwest Japan) grew rapidly in the subduction zone. The rapid growth of the accretionary complexes and the subduction of very young, buoyant oceanic crust caused the extrusion of a high-P/T metamorphic wedge from the deep levels of the subduction zone. Episodic growth of the Late Cretaceous Japanese Islands suggests that subduction of very young oceanic crust and/or ridge subduction are very significant for the formation of new continental crust in subduction zones.     

Petrogenesis of the Kaikomagatake granitoid pluton in the Izu Collision Zone, central Japan: implications for transformation of juvenile oceanic arc into mature continental crust

The Miocene Kaikomagatake pluton is one of the Neogene granitoid plutons exposed in the Izu Collision Zone, which is where the juvenile Izu-Bonin oceanic arc is colliding against the mature Honshu arc. The pluton intrudes into the Cretaceous to Paleogene Shimanto accretionary complex of the Honshu arc along the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line, which is the collisional boundary between the two arcs. The pluton consists of hornblende–biotite granodiorite and biotite monzogranite, and has SiO₂ contents of 68–75 wt%. It has high-K series compositions, and its incompatible element abundances are comparable to the average upper continental crust. Major and trace element compositions of the pluton show well-defined chemical trends. The trends can be interpreted with a crystal fractionation model involving the removal of plagioclase, biotite, hornblende, quartz, apatite, and zircon from a potential parent magma with a composition of ~68 wt% SiO₂. The Sr isotopic compositions, together with the partial melting modeling results, suggest that the parent magma is derived by ~53% melting of a hybrid lower crustal source comprising ~30% Shimanto metasedimentary rocks of the Honshu arc and ~70% K-enriched basaltic rocks of the Izu-Bonin rear-arc region. Together with previous studies on the Izu Collision Zone granitoid plutons, the results of this study suggest that the chemical diversity within the parental magmas of the granitoid plutons reflects the chemical variation of basaltic sources (i.e., across-arc chemical variation in the Izu-Bonin arc), as well as a variable contribution of the metasedimentary component in the lower crustal source regions. In addition, the petrogenetic models of the Izu Collision Zone granitoid plutons collectively suggest that the contribution of the metasedimentary component is required to produce granitoid magma with compositions comparable to the average upper continental crust. The Izu Collision Zone plutons provide an exceptional example of the transformation of a juvenile oceanic arc into mature continental crust.