Trace elements in skin of Dall's porpoises (Phocoenoides dalli) from the northern waters of Japan: an evaluation for utilization as non-lethal tracers

Concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu, Se, Mn, Mo, Hg, Cd, Cr, Ag, Pb, Sr and V were determined in skins of Dall's porpoises (Phocoenoides dalli) of the Pacific coast truei-type population (PT population) (N=45), and the Sea of Japan-Okhotsk dalli-type population (JD population) (N=31) from the northern waters of Japan. Cutaneous Hg concentrations in both PT and JD populations were significantly correlated with age, indicating a possible alternative method of age estimation. A significant correlation was also noted between Hg concentrations in skin and liver, suggesting that biopsy samples of skin can provide a non-lethal surrogate for monitoring Hg contamination in this species. Trace element accumulation patterns differed strongly between PT and JD populations, when analyzed by principal component analysis, suggesting these patterns could be utilized as non-lethal tracers of population identification.     

利用场地观测计算地表通量

高原地表的感热和潜热通量在亚洲季风系统中有很重要的作用。由于高原地域辽阔，且自然环境较严酷，不利于建立完善的地面观测系统。因此，卫星遥感观测就成为测算高原整体感热和潜热通量的有效工具。地面场地的观测结果作为地表通量的真实值，对于卫星遥感测算是非常重要的。它也为构建陆面—大气模型提供了科学依据，是卫星资料的资料同化系统中的重要组成部分。 计算场地热量通量有几种不同的处理方法。最简单的方法利用有效的观测和试验的参数，可以给出稳定连续的估计。愈精确的Bowen比或者廓线的观测能给出愈精确的信息。综合了湍流测量及辐射测量、土壤热通量的观测结果的估计对陆面—大气相互作用进行了详细的描述，以适应模式的发展。从1998年开始，这些方法联合应用到青藏高原；场地通量观测方面的成果以及目前对其理解将在本文中做一概述。     

Groundwater-level Changes Due to Pressure Gradient Induced by Nearby Earthquakes off Izu Peninsula, 1997

Anomalous water level changes were observed at two wells associated with seismic swarm activity off Izu Peninsula on March, 1997. These are coseismic water level drops followed by gradual postseismic water level rise at the time of large earthquakes during the swarm activity. The post-seismic water level rises, which can be fitted by an exponential function with a time constant of about six hours, are explained in terms of the horizontal pressure diffusion due to the pressure gradient in the aquifer induced by the coseismic static strain.     

1975年海城7.3级地震在朝鲜半岛的震害及对日本九州地区的影响s

1975年中国海城7.3级地震波及整个朝鲜半岛，乃至日本九州地区. 本文系统收集了该震有关资料，并通过整理分析勾画出其烈度分布，以探讨该震的震害特点. 在半岛的北部， 除局部地区为Ⅵ度之外，大部分地区为Ⅴ度区，其震害情况与相同烈度的典型特征基本相符； 半岛南部大部分地区为Ⅳ度区. 然而，韩国首尔等大城市，除高层建筑强烈振动之外，还有人出现眩晕症状等特别的感觉，个别街区变压器跳闸造成一时停电. 这些可能是大震的长周期波在远场的效应所致.      

On-going orogeny in the outer-arc of the Timor–Tanimbar region, eastern Indonesia

The Timor–Tanimbar islands of eastern Indonesia form a non-volcanic arc in front of a 7 km deep fore-arc basin that separates it from a volcanic inner arc. The Timor–Tanimbar Islands expose one of the youngest high P/T metamorphic belts in the world, providing us with an excellent opportunity to study the inception of orogenic processes, undisturbed by later tectonic events.Structural and petrological studies of the high P/T metamorphic belt show that both deformation and metamorphic grade increase towards the centre of the 1 km thick crystalline belt. Kinematic indicators exhibit top-to-the-north sense of shear along the subhorizontal upper boundaries and top-to-the-south sense in the bottom boundaries of the high P/T metamorphic belt. Overall configuration suggests that the high P/T metamorphic rocks extruded as a thin sheet into a space between overlying ophiolites and underlying continental shelf sediments. Petrological study further illustrates that the central crystalline unit underwent a Barrovian-type overprint of the original high P/T metamorphic assemblages during wedge extrusion, and the metamorphic grade ranged from pumpellyite-actinolite to upper amphibolite facies.Quaternary uplift, marked by elevation of recent reefs, was estimated to be about 1260 m in Timor in the west and decreases toward Tanimbar in the east. In contrast, radiometric ages for the high P/T metamorphic rocks suggest that the exhumation of the high P/T metamorphic belt started in western Timor in Late Miocene time and migrated toward the east. Thus, the tectonic evolution of this region is diachronous and youngs to the east. We conclude that the deep-seated high P/T metamorphic belt extrudes into shallow crustal levels as a first step, followed by doming at a later stage. The so-called ‘mountain building’ process is restricted to the second stage. We attribute this Quaternary rapid uplift to rebound of the subducting Australian continental crust beneath Timor after it achieved positive buoyancy, due to break-off of the oceanic slab fringing the continental crust. In contrast, Tanimbar in the east has not yet been affected by later doming. A wide spectrum of processes, starting from extrusion of the high P/T metamorphic rocks and ending with the later doming due to slab break-off, can be observed in the Timor–Tanimbar region.     

Paleozoic submarine volcanoes in the high-P/T metamorphosed Chichibu system of Eastern Shikoku, Japan

The Sawadani greenstone in the Chichibu Paleozoic System is an ancient submarine volcanic complex consisting of pillow lavas and hyaloclastites. The volcanism is divided into two periods. Alkali basalt was erupted in the first period and two shield-shaped cones were formed. After a period of dormancy the volcanism of the second period took place and a cone was formed by eruptions of lavas ranging in composition from mildly alkaline to tholeiitic basalt. The top of the volcano nearly reached the sea surface and was finally about 3.7 km above the base. A limestone cap and volcanic conglomerate were deposited on the summit. The base rests conformably on upper Carboniferous sandstone and subordinate mudstone derived from a continent or mature island arc. Many feeding channels of lava cut the volcanic body and underlying sedimentary formation. Sedimentation proceeded concurrently on the surrounding sea floor, so that volcanic and sedimentary material is interlayered.The Sawadani greenstone, although it occurs in the high-P/T metamorphic belt, is not believed to be a fragment of oceanic crust (ophiolite complex) formed by oceanic ridge volcanism and later carried into a convergent zone. It is a seamount formed on and within a sedimentary sequence near a continent or island arc. The magma changed from alkaline to tholeittic as the volcano grew.It cannot be assumed that all metavolcanic rocks formed in high-pressure metamorphic terranes are fragments of oceanic crust.     

Design and Long-Term Monitoring of Tokyo International Airport Extension Project Constructed on Super-Soft Ground

To meet the increasing demand for air transportation, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport had carried out the offshore extension project at Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport). The airport should be constructed to be perfectly level, but the ground conditions with very thick layers of super soft dredged soils and need for reclamation made the task very difficult. Because of large amount of consolidation settlement, ground improvement by combined vertical drain method was applied to decrease residual and differential settlement after opening of new airport. This paper is aimed to introduce the design concept and method of ground improvement for this project. In addition the result of ground improvement is keeping satisfactory performance for operating airport confirmed by long-term monitoring for airport facilities.     

A high-resolution ocean-atmosphere coupled downscaling of the present climate over California

A fully coupled regional ocean-atmosphere model system that consists of the regional spectral model and the regional ocean modeling system for atmosphere and ocean components, respectively, is applied to downscale the present climate (1985–1994) over California from a global simulation of the Community Climate System Model 3.0 (CCSM3). The horizontal resolution of the regional coupled modeling system is 10 km, while that of the CCSM3 is at a spectral truncation of T85 (approximately 1.4°). The effects of the coupling along the California coast in the boreal summer and winter are highlighted. Evaluation of the sea surface temperature (SST) and 2-m air temperature climatology shows that alleviation of the warm bias along the California coast in the global model output is clear in the regional coupled model run. The 10-m wind is also improved by reducing the northwesterly winds along the coast. The higher resolution coupling effect on the temperature and specific humidity is the largest near the surface, while the significant impact on the wind magnitude appears at a height of approximately 850-hPa heights. The frequency of the Catalina Eddy and its duration are increased by more than 60 % in the coupled downscaling, which is attributed to enhanced offshore sea-breeze. Our study indicates that coupling is vital to regional climate downscaling of mesoscale phenomena over coastal areas.