Convergent tectonics in the Huon Peninsula region,Papua New Guinea

The anticlinal nappe which forms the Huon Peninsula and adjacent ranges extends offshore as the Huon Ridge. The frontal thrust of the nappe is the Ramu-Markham Fault (onshore) and a deformation front along the line of the Markham Canyon (offshore). The timing and geometry of the Finisterre arc-continent collision is controversial, and the origin of the Finsch Deep is unresolved.     

Age of the Solomon Sea Basin from magnetic lineations

Magnetic anomalies measured in the central to western half of the Solomon Sea, when considered with other magnetic data, reveal the existence of linear patterns. Magnetic lineation anomaly models of the Cenozoic, 65 to 0 Ma, suggest that an age between 34 and 28 Ma and a half-rate spreading speed of 5.8 cm/yr for the northern flank of a former spreading center best fits our present magnetic data in the Solomon Sea Basin. Heat flow and bathymetry data support this preferred model.     

Modification to the crystal structure of chlorite during early stages of its dissolution

Early stage processes of Mg-rich chlorite (clinochlore) dissolution were examined, focusing especially on the structural modification at grain edges during dissolution. Focused ion beam transmission electron microscopy sample preparation was applied to crystals dissolved in a flow-through reaction system at pH 3.0 and 25°C for 31 days. The obtained Si and Mg dissolution rates are −11.49 and −11.14 (logR, mol/(m²/s)), respectively, implying dissolution is non-stoichiometric. TEM-EDX analyses of dissolved samples reveal the development of 20–50-nm thick amorphous zone at an outermost rim with a chemical gradient of Mg, lower towards the solid surface, and Si enrichment in this amorphous zone. Crystalline material is partially interwoven with amorphous one at the interface between the amorphous and crystalline regions. These results indicate that the amorphous zone was produced by selective leaching of cations except for Si. Chlorite dissolution may proceed via the formation and thickening of leached layer as a by-product of release to solution of Si at slightly slower rate than Mg.     

Stability of the Triangular Libration Points in the Unrestricted Planar Problem of a Symmetric Rigid Body and a Point Mass

In papers (Godziewski and Maciejewski, 1998a, b, 1999), we investigate unrestricted, planar problem of a dynamically symmetric rigid body and a sphere. Following the original statement of the problem by Kokoriev and Kirpichnikov (1988), we assume that the potential of the rigid body is approximated by the gravitational field of a dumb-bell. The model is described in terms of a 2D Hamiltonian depending on three parameters.In this paper, we investigate the stability of triangular equilibria permissible by the dynamics of the model, under the assumption of low-order resonances. We analyze all resonances of order smaller than four, and we examine the stability with application of theorems by Markeev and Sokolsky. These are the possible following cases: the non-diagonal resonance of the first order with two null characteristic frequencies (unstable); resonances of the first order with one nonzero frequency (diagonal and non-diagonal, stable and unstable); the second-order resonance, which is non-diagonal and stable, and the third-order resonance which is generically unstable, except for three points in the parameters' space, corresponding to stable equilibria.We discuss a perturbed version of Kokoriev and Kirpichnikov model, and we find that if the perturbation is small and depends on the coordinates only, the triangular equilibria persist, except if for the unperturbed equilibria the first-order resonance occurs. We show that the resonances of the order higher than two are also preserved if the perturbation acts.     

Estimating photosynthetically available radiation at the ocean surface from ADEOS-II global imager data

A simple, yet efficient and fairly accurate algorithm is presented to estimate photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) at the ocean surface from Global Imager (GLI) data. The algorithm utilizes plane-parallel radiation-transfer theory and separates the effects of the clear atmosphere and clouds, i.e., the planetary atmosphere is modeled as a clear atmosphere positioned above a cloud layer. PAR is computed as the difference between the incident 400–700 nm solar flux at the top of the atmosphere (known) and the solar flux reflected back to space by the atmosphere and surface (derived from GLI radiance), taking atmospheric absorption into account. Knowledge of pixel composition is not required, eliminating the need for cloud screening and arbitrary assumptions about sub-pixel cloudiness. For each GLI pixel, clear or cloudy, a daily PAR estimate is obtained. Diurnal changes in cloudiness are taken into account statistically, using a regional diurnal albedo climatology based on 5 years of Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) data. The algorithm results are verified against other satellite estimates of PAR, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis product, and in-situ measurements from fixed buoys. Agreement is generally good between GLI and Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) estimates, with root-mean-squared (rms) differences of 7.9 (22%), 4.6 (13%), and 2.7 (8%) Einstein/m²/day on daily, weekly, and monthly time scales, and a bias of only 0.8–0.9 (about 2%) Einstein/m²/day. The rms differences between GLI and Visible and Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer (VISSR) estimates and between GLI and NCEP estimates are smaller and larger, respectively, on monthly time scales, i.e., 3.0 (7%) and 5.0 (14%) Einstein/m²/day, and biases are 1.1 (2%) and −0.2 (−1%) Einstein/m²/day. The comparison with buoy data also shows good agreement, with rms inaccuracies of 10.2 (23%), 6.3 (14%), and 4.5 (10%) Einstein/m²/day on daily, weekly, and monthly time scales, and slightly higher GLI values by about 1.0 (2%) Einstein/m²/day. The good statistical performance makes the algorithm suitable for large-scale studies of aquatic photosynthesis.     

About stability of libration points in the restricted photogravitational three body problem

Nonlinear stability of the triangular libration point in the photogravitational restricted three body problem was investigated in the whole range of the parameters. Some results obtained earlier are corrected. The method for proper determination of cases when stability cannot be determined by four order terms of the hamiltonian was proposed.     

Change in habitat selection by Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) and habitat fragmentation analysis using temporal remotely sensed data in Niigata Prefecture,Japan

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in macaque habitat selection during a 29-year period. We focused on the 1970s, when little crop damage was caused by Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), and the 2000s, when the damage became remarkable. Landsat/MSS from 1978 and ALOS/AVNIR-2 from 2007 were employed for land-cover mapping. For the 2007 land-cover classification, we applied an object-oriented image classification and a classification and regression tree. The Kappa coefficient of the 2007 land-cover map was 0.89. For the 1978 land-cover classification, change detection using principal component analysis and object-oriented image classification were applied to reduce resolution difference errors. The Kappa coefficient of the 1978 land-cover map was 0.84. We applied a Random Forest model for machine learning and data mining to predict the habitat selection of macaques. Several important environmental factors were identified for macaque habitat selection: the ratio of coniferous forest to farmland, distance to farmland, and maximum snow depth. The Random Forest model was extrapolated to the 1978 land-cover map. Over the 29-year period, coniferous forest changed to broad-leaved forest and/or mixed forest within the macaque habitat area. Coniferous forests were not selected as food resources by Japanese macaques. Furthermore, large-scale patches of farmland were used as food resources over the 29-year period. These changes indicated that habitat selection by Japanese macaques changed over the study period. The results show that the home range of macaques expanded, and macaques may now be distributed over a wider area as a result of changes in landscape configuration. Thus, forest planning, such as sustainable management of artificial conifer forests, is important for reducing crop damage.     

Does heavy oil pollution induce bacterial diseases in Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus?

As basic research for the effect of heavy oil on the fish immune system, in this study, the number of leukocyte was counted in Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus, after exposure to heavy oil at a concentration of 30 g/8L for 3 days. To compare the numbers of bacteria in the skin mucus between oil-exposed and control fish, viable bacteria were enumerated by counting colony forming unit (CFU). Compared with 5.79+/-1.88 x 10(7)leukocytes/mL in the controls, the exposed fish demonstrated higher counts, averaging 1.45+/-0.45 x 10(8)cells/mL. The bacterial numbers of control fish were 4.27+/-3.68 x 10(4)CFU/g, whereas they were 4.58+/-1.63 x 10(5)CFU/g in the exposed fish. The results suggest that immune suppression of the fish occurred due to heavy oil stressor, and bacteria could invade in the mucus, resulting in the increasing leukocyte number to prevent infectious disease.     

TBB DATA-REVEALED FEATURES OF ASIAN-AUSTRALIAN MONSOON SEASONAL TRANSITION AND ASIAN SUMMER MONSOOM ESTABLISHMENT

Based on T_BB data from Meteorological Institute Research of Japan, study is carried out of the features of seasonal transition of Asian-Australian monsoons and Asian summer monsoon establishment,indicating that the transition begins as early as in April, followed by abrupt change in May-June; the Asian summer monsoon situation is fully established in June. The winter convective center in Sumatra moved steadily northwestward across the "land bridge" of the maritime continent and the Indo-China Peninsula as time goes from winter to summer, thus giving rise to the change in large scale circulations that is responsible for the summer monsoon establishment over SE Asia and India; the South China Sea to the western Pacific summer monsoon onset bears a close relation to the active convection in the Indo China Peninsula and steady eastward retreat of the subtropical TBB high-value band,corresponding to the western Pacific subtropical high.