Active fault traces along Bhuj Fault and Katrol Hill Fault, and trenching survey at Wandhay, Kachchh, Gujarat, India

Several new active fault traces were identified along Katrol Hill Fault (KHF). A new fault (named as Bhuj Fault, BF) that extends into the Bhuj Plain was also identified. These fault traces were identified based on satellite photo interpretation and field survey. Trenches were excavated to identify the paleoseismic events, pattern of faulting and the nature of deformation. New active fault traces were recognized about 1km north of the topographic boundary between the Katrol Hill and the plain area. The fault exposure along the left bank of Khari River with 10m wide shear zone in the Mesozoic rocks and showing displacement of the overlying Quaternary deposits is indicative of continued tectonic activity along the ancient fault. The E-W trending active fault traces along the KHF in the western part changes to NE-SW or ENE-WSW near Wandhay village. Trenching survey across a low scarp near Wandhay village reveals three major fault strands F1, F2, and F3. These fault strands displaced the older terrace deposits comprising Sand, Silt and Gravel units along with overlying younger deposits from units 1 to 5 made of gravel, sand and silt. Stratigraphic relationship indicates at least three large magnitude earthquakes along KHF during Late Holocene or recent historic past.     

The latest batch-to-batch difference table of standard seawater and its application to the WOCE onetime sections

An updated batch-to-batch difference table of IAPSO standard seawater (SSW) up to P145 is proposed. The batch-to-batch difference table is based on several recent SSW comparison experiments, including the experiments conducted independently at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and Woods Hole Institute of Oceanography (WHOI) at about the same time using the same procedure. Proposed batch-to-batch differences range from 1.2 × 10⁻³ to −1.9 × 10⁻³ with reference to the average of those from P91 to P102. Batch-to-batch differences from P29 to P145 with reference to the recent batches and this average over every 5 years since 1960 are also presented, together with standard deviation. This reveals that inconsistency among batches has improved since 1980s. In particular, the standard deviation was 0.3 × 10⁻³ in this decade, which is about one-half the value reported previously and almost equal to the modern measurement precision (0.2 × 10⁻³) and is within-batch difference (<0.3 × 10⁻³). Proposed batch-to-batch differences were applied to the observational results of the WOCE hydrographic onetime section (WHP onetime) in the Indian Ocean. Average absolute salinity differences at 14 crossover points in the Indian Ocean were slightly larger, from 1.2 × 10⁻³ to 1.5 × 10⁻³, when the batch-to-batch difference table was applied; however, when results from the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans were combined, application of the batch-to-batch difference table yielded statistically acceptable salinity differences. The table was also applied to WHP sections P1 and P17 (revisited about 10 years after the original observations during the WOCE period) and sections I1, I7, and I8 (visited twice by different research vessels in the same year). In all cases, the table corrected unrealistically large salinity changes in space and time. The results suggest that the application of the batch-to-batch table to well-controlled salinity data such as WOCE datasets would be effective in making the datasets more consistent in space and time.     

Hydrodynamic derivatives and motion response of a submersible surface ship in unbounded water

A submersible surface ship (SSS) is based on a novel concept that the SSS goes on surface like conventional ships in moderate seas but goes underwater in rough seas to the depth sufficient to avoid wave effects. The SSS has a wing system that produces downward lift to go underwater with preserving the residual buoyancy for its safety. The SSS is expected to be able to keep both safety and punctuality even if it encounters unexpected bad weather.The motion of the SSS is studied. The equations of motion are formulated and the procedures for estimating hydrodynamic derivatives are presented. The hydrodynamic derivatives are estimated for a SSS having a configuration, a hull with a pair of main wings and a pair of horizontal tail wings. Using these estimated hydrodynamic derivatives, calculation of the SSS motion is carried out.The calculation results show some specific aspects of the SSS especially for effects of the elevator of main wings and horizontal tail wings, aileron of main wings, rudder and propeller revolution. It is confirmed that the existence of static roll restoring moment and having large hull comparing with wing area play important roles in the motion of the SSS.     

Habitat selection of stone and starry flounders in an estuary in relation to feeding and survival

Juveniles of both stone flounder Platichthys bicoloratus and starry flounder Platichthys stellatus utilize estuaries as nursery grounds. To understand their habitat selection and the functions of habitats such as food supply, we defined the seasonal distribution of recently settled fish of these species in shallow nursery areas and investigated their feeding habits in the Natori River estuary, Japan. Distribution of stone flounder was limited to the lower estuary (<3 km upriver from the mouth) and stone flounder were most abundant near the mouth. Recently settled starry flounder were first detected further upstream in areas characterized by low salinity <10 and by the absence of the predatory sand shrimp Crangon uritai. Early juvenile stone and starry flounders consumed mainly siphons of the bivalve Nuttallia olivacea and the mysid Neomysis awatschensis, respectively; however, 1- and 2-yr-old fish of both stone and starry flounders fed mainly on the bivalve siphons. These results indicate that habitat selections of juvenile stone and starry flounders enable utilization of preferred prey and predator avoidance, respectively, and that non-overlap of these species' habitats results in avoidance of inter-specific competition for food between these two species.     

Wet deposition of radionuclides derived from the Chernobyl accident

Chernobyl radioactivity in precipitation was measured at Tsukuba, Japan, as were both surface-air concentrations and particle-size distributions of Chernobyl-released radionuclides. To understand the wet removal processes of the Chernobyl radionuclides, i.e.¹³⁷Cs,¹⁰³Ru, and⁹⁰Sr, wet deposition velocities were calculated. The wet deposition velocities of the Chernobyl radioactivity for individual rainfall events varied largely. The wet deposition velocity is given as the product of washout ratio and rainfall rate. Typically, it was found that the washout ratios of⁹⁰Sr are systematically larger than those of¹³⁷Cs. In order to explain this fact, we examined the relationship between the washout ratios and particle sizes of radionuclide-bearing aerosols. A positive correlation between corrected washout ratios and particle size was found with a particle diameter range from 0.35 to 1.2 µm. The result strongly suggests that the factors controlling the wet removal of the Chernobyl radioactivity for individual rainfall events are surface air concentration, particle size, and rainfall rate, rather than precipitation amount, which is in agreement with previous understandings. This suggests that high contamination areas of radioactivity are formed during heavy rainfall events with high rainfall rates in the case of tropospheric injection such as the Chernobyl accident.     

Growth anomalies on Acropora cytherea corals

This ten-year study examined the morphological, physiological, and ecological characteristics of coral growth anomalies on Acropora cytherea on Amuro Island, Okinawa, Japan. The objectives of the study were to assess whether the growth anomalies, identified as diffuse disruptions on the skeleton: (i) were more prevalent on large colonies than on small colonies, (ii) were more common near the center of the colonies than peripherally, (iii) affected colony growth and mortality, and (iv) affected coral-colony fecundity and photosynthetic capacity. We hypothesized that the growth anomalies were signs of the onset of aging. The growth anomalies were more prevalent on colonies >2 m diameter, and were concentrated near the central (older) portions of the colonies. The growth anomalies were also associated with reduced productivity and dysfunctional gametogenesis. Still, the growth anomalies did not appear to affect colony survival. The contact experiments showed that the growth anomalies were not contagious, and were most likely a sign of aging that was exacerbated by thermal stress.     

琵琶湖沉积物中磷释放的潜在变化

日本琵琶湖沉积物中磷的释放量是随强风（例如台风）以及接近底部的氧气消耗而增加。为了研究这个过程，我们于1997年至1999年的夏初和夏末收集了沉积物芯样。通过对孔隙水中的硫酸盐、硝酸盐成份和沉积物中的易挥发性酸性硫酸盐成份的测试所反映出的沉积物中氧化过程的变化表明有很大的季节性和空间分布的差异性。在1997年和1999年测试的硝酸盐和硫酸盐所反映的沉积物氧化过程主要出现在湖盆深水处的北端。沉积物中最大酸性浓度的位置分布在深水中，其位置的变化表明最大磷溶解量的空间位置可能随年度而改变。     

Effects of longshore variation of coastline geometry and bottom topography on coastal upwelling in a two-layer model

Effects of the longshore variation of the coastline geometry and the bottom topography on coastal upwelling are discussed. Longshore variations of the topography cause local enhancing or weakening of upwelling in the process of the generation and propagation of internal Kelvin and the shelf waves.     

International Pellet Watch: Global monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in coastal waters. 1. Initial phase data on PCBs, DDTs, and HCHs

Samples of polyethylene pellets were collected at 30 beaches from 17 countries and analyzed for organochlorine compounds. PCB concentrations in the pellets were highest on US coasts, followed by western Europe and Japan, and were lower in tropical Asia, southern Africa and Australia. This spatial pattern reflected regional differences in the usage of PCBs and was positively correlated with data from Mussel Watch, another monitoring approach. DDTs showed high concentrations on the US west coast and in Vietnam. In Vietnam, DDT was predominant over its metabolites (DDE and DDD), suggesting the principal source may be current usage of the pesticide for malaria control. High concentrations of pesticide HCHs were detected in the pellets from southern Africa, suggesting current usage of the pesticides in southern Africa. This study demonstrates the utility and feasibility of the International Pellet Watch approach to monitor POPs at a global scale.