Prediction of subsurface water level change from satellite data

This study explores the potential for predicting the spatial variation in subsurface water level change with crop growth stage from satellite data in Thabua Irrigation Project, situated in the northern central region of Thailand. The relationship between subsurface water level change from pumping water to irrigate rice in the dry season and the age of the rice was analysed. The spatial model of subsurface water level change was developed from the classification using greenness or (normalized difference vegetation index NDVI) derived from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper data. The NDVI of 52 rice fields was employed to assess its relationship to the age of the rice. It was found that NDVI and rice age have a good correlation (R² = 0·73). The low NDVI values (−0·059 to 0·082) in these fields were related to the young rice stage (0–30 days). NDVI and subsurface water level change were also correlated in this study and found to have a high correlation (Water level change (m day⁻¹) = 0·3442 × NDVI − 0·0372; R² = 0·96). From this model, the water level change caused by rice at different growth stages was derived. This was used to show the spatial variation of water level change in the project during the 1998–99 dry‐season cropping. This simple method of using NDVI relationships with water level change and crop growth stages proves to be useful in determining the areas prone to excessive lowering of the subsurface water level during the dry season. This could assist in the appropriate planning of the use of subsurface water resources in dry‐season cropping. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chondrites with peculiar rare-earth patterns

Rare-earth elements and Ba in Khohar, Abee, Indarch, Atlanta, Jajh deh Kot Lalu, and Nakhla were determined accurately by isotope dilution technique; for Atlanta only, Fe (total), Mg and Ca were also determined. Khohar shows in two aliquants a strikingly large, positive anomaly for Ce. A fragment of Abee is outstanding in having a large positive Yb anomaly and a zigzag RE pattern. It is considered that the Yb anomaly is not necessarily associated with the zigzaggedness in question. Anyway, these facts corroborate our previous observations that abundances of Ce and/or Yb could be sometimes anomalous in meteoritic and lunar materials.Atlanta also has a significant negative Eu anomaly, similar to the Eu depletions observed in lunar basalts and Ca-poor achondrites by other workers. Besides, this enstatite chondrite has a RE pattern which indicates that this meteorite is cumulate-type (solid-type) material separated perhaps from a considerably fractionated melt. Accordingly, it is suggested that it is not always appropriate to classify this type II enstatite chondrite as “chondrite”. Two fragments from Abee and Atlanta show different RE patterns. It is also observed that Ba abundances are sometimes sporadically and irregularly high.     

Ridge collision and in situ greenstones in accretionary complexes: An example from the Late Cretaceous Ryukyu Islands and southwest Japan margin

Abstract Mélange units containing greenstones are common throughout the Cretaceous-Miocene Shimanto Supergroup in the Ryukyu Is and southwest Japan. Most greenstones in the accretionary complex originated in oceanic spreading ridges and seamounts, and they formed far from the convergent margin. Some mélange-like units in the supergroup, however, contain greenstones that were extruded upon and intruded into unconsolidated fine-grained terrigenous clastic sediments. It is inferred that eruption of the in situ greenstones resulted from igneous activity in the trench area. Geochemical signatures indicate that the greenstone protoliths were similar to mafic lavas generated at spreading ridges. Fossil ages of the strata containing in situ greenstones become younger over a distance of 1300 km eastward from Amami-Oshima (Cenomanian-Turonian) in the Ryukyu Is to central Japan (Late Maestrichtian-earliest Paleocene), implying that a site of igneous activity in the trench area migrated eastward along the Ryukyu Is and southwest Japan margin. Plate reconstructions of the northwest Pacific Ocean suggest the presence of the Kula-Pacific ridge near Late Cretaceous to early Paleogene Japan. In this context, it is suggested that the greenstones formed in response to Kula-Pacific ridge-forearc collision.
Ancient ridge-forearc collisions are best recognized by the presence of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) extruded on sediments inferred to have accumulated in the trench area. Diachronous occurrences of the strata associated with these MORB in an orogenic belt are useful for documenting the ridge collision through time.     

REE Tetrad Effects in Rare—metal Granites

Described in this paper are the characteristics of tetrad effects of REE in rare-metal granites.Based on the analytical data and experimental geochemical data available,it is pointed out that the tetrad effects of REE in the granites are produced in the metal-fluid system.Intense fractional crystallization of granitic melt(containing REE accessary minerals)and its interaction with volatile-rich(F,Cl)fluid are the major factors leading to the tetrad effects of REE.From this,this paper presents a composite genetic model for high-degree fractional crystallization-volatile-rich fluid metasomatism of rare-metal granites.With the model,quantitative calculations have been made.Meanwhile,it is pointed out that the tetrad effects of REE can be used as an important indicator to distinguish mineralized granites from barren ones.     

Urban albedo as a function of the urban structure — A two-dimensional numerical simulation

Urban albedo change as a function of urban geometrical structure has been examined by using a two-dimensional urban block-canyon array model. The complex multiple reflections of incident photons in the urban canyon are simulated by using a Monte-Carlo method. The photons are tracked until they leave the canyon or are completely absorbed. In the model, the direct and diffuse components of incident solar radiation are introduced and the specular and isotropic reflection characteristics are considered for the relevant urban surfaces. The result shows that the urban albedo decreases as the urban irregularity increases as indicated by the model experiment of Aida (1982). The dependence of albedo on the incident solar zenith angle observed in the experiment is also confirmed for various urban models.As an application, some actual urban structures in the Marunouchi area in Tokyo are examined. Urban planning for absorption and reflection of solar radiation in urban areas is also discussed based on the analysis of the change in albedo with canyon dimensions and solar zenith angle.     

A new fracture criterion for brittle rocks

A general form of a “fracture function” for isotropic brittle materials is expressed in terms of the three invariants of the stress tensor. The coefficients in the function are determined by use of the small number of experimental data under specific conditions. This function is applicable to an estimate of the fracture condition of brittle rocks under a general stress state i.e., σ₁ ≠ σ₂ ≠ σ₃. The application of this function is attempted for the data of three brittle rocks i.e., Dunham dolomite, Mizuho trachyte, and Westerly granite, reported by previous workers. For the first two, this criterion gives a good estimation of the effect of the intermediate principal stress σ₂ on failure. For the last, the fracture strength at high confining pressure is estimated by use of the several data obtained under very low confining pressures, and the agreement with experimental data is also satisfactory.     

A Microstructural sequence of quartz schists in central Shikoku, south-west Japan

This paper describes a microstructural sequence of quartz schists (metamorphosed chert) in the Asemi river region of the Sambagawa metamorphic terrain in central Shikoku, southwest Japan. The Asemi river region is divided into three areas on the basis of characteristics of microstructures of quartz schists observed under the optical microscope: areas I, II and III, in ascending order of metamorphic grade. Microstructures in area I consist of finer, equant, equidimensional and polygonal quartz grains free from internal deformation features. Microstructures in area II are characterized by oblate or elliptical grains with remarkable undulatory extinction surrounded by serrated grain boundaries. Microstructures in area III consist mainly of coarser and equant grains without distinct internal deformation features.The formation conditions of these microstructures are discussed in the light of recent experimental results.