Application of a Numerical Inverse Laplace Integration Method to Surface Loading on a Viscoelastic Compressible Earth Model

Normal mode approaches for calculating viscoelastic responses of self-gravitating and compressible spherical earth models have an intrinsic problem of determining the roots of the secular equation and the associated residues in the Laplace domain. To bypass this problem, a method based on numerical inverse Laplace integration was developed by Tanaka et al. (2006, 2007) for computations of viscoelastic deformation caused by an internal dislocation. The advantage of this approach is that the root-finding problem is avoided without imposing additional constraints on the governing equations and earth models. In this study, we apply the same algorithm to computations of viscoelastic responses to a surface load and show that the results obtained by this approach agree well with those obtained by a time-domain approach that does not need determinations of the normal modes in the Laplace domain. Using the elastic earth model PREM and a convex viscosity profile, we calculate viscoelastic load Love numbers (h, l, k) for compressible and incompressible models. Comparisons between the results show that effects due to compressibility are consistent with results obtained by previous studies and that the rate differences between the two models total 10–40%. This will serve as an independent method to confirm results obtained by time-domain approaches and will usefully increase the reliability when modeling postglacial rebound.     

An Application of Hydraulic Tomography to a Large‐Scale Fractured Granite Site,Mizunami, Japan

While hydraulic tomography (HT) is a mature aquifer characterization technology, its applications to characterize hydrogeology of kilometer‐scale fault and fracture zones are rare. This paper sequentially analyzes datasets from two new pumping tests as well as those from two previous pumping tests analyzed by Illman et al. (2009) at a fractured granite site in Mizunami, Japan. Results of this analysis show that datasets from two previous pumping tests at one side of a fault zone as used in the previous study led to inaccurate mapping of fracture and fault zones. Inclusion of the datasets from the two new pumping tests (one of which was conducted on the other side of the fault) yields locations of the fault zone consistent with those based on geological mapping. The new datasets also produce a detailed image of the irregular fault zone, which is not available from geological investigation alone and the previous study. As a result, we conclude that if prior knowledge about geological structures at a field site is considered during the design of HT surveys, valuable non‐redundant datasets about the fracture and fault zones can be collected. Only with these non‐redundant data sets, can HT then be a viable and robust tool for delineating fracture and fault distributions over kilometer scales, even when only a limited number of boreholes are available. In essence, this paper proves that HT is a new tool for geologists, geophysicists, and engineers for mapping large‐scale fracture and fault zone distributions.     

Influence of the Oyashio Current and Tsugaru Warm Current on the circulation and water properties of Otsuchi Bay,Japan

Mooring and hydrographic observations were conducted from September 2012 to May 2014 at the mouth of Otsuchi Bay, a ria along the Pacific coast of Japan. Our observations quantitatively demonstrated that the circulation and the water properties of Otsuchi Bay are strongly influenced by the Tsugaru Warm Current (TWC) and Oyashio Current (OY) at seasonal and subseasonal time scales. Two bottom-mounted velocity profilers and temperature and salinity measurements beneath the near-surface halocline showed a counterclockwise lateral circulation pattern related to the TWC, which was enhanced from summer to autumn. From winter to early spring, the lateral circulation patterns related to the TWC weakened and the influence of the OY occasionally increased. When the OY was weak, surface flows became an overturning structure, with outflows in the upper layer and inflows in the lower layer. When the OY was strong and passed close to the Sanriku coast, the circulation became highly variable and intermittent. Intrusions of the markedly low-salinity OY water were observed on two occasions and persisted for periods of several weeks to several months. Salinity was sometimes less than 33.7, the lower limit of the typical TWC from late summer to autumn even when the TWC dominates. We suggested that this is the seasonal fluctuations of the TWC itself, as the upstream current of the Tsushima Warm Current is freshened in summer as a result of the influence of the Changjiang River. The surface water was generally fresher in the south of the bay than in the north, suggesting the Coriolis deflection of the river plume.     

Geotechnical sealing material for coastal disposal facility for soils and wastes contaminated by radioactive cesium

Safe disposal of wastes produced due to the process of decontamination in and around Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is an urgent requirement. The purpose of this study was to develop a sealing material which can be used as an engineered barrier for a final disposal facility for the soils and wastes contaminated by radioactive cesium. The analyses conducted based on 4-m-thick sealing layer revealed that the hydraulic conductivity of the sealing material needs to be kept below 5.0?×?10^?10?m/s to avoid the seepage of contaminants below the environmentally safe limits. Sealing material was developed using marine clay–bentonite mixture and the engineering characteristics were examined. The results of laboratory experiments showed that, with the addition of bentonite, the hydraulic conductivity equal to or less than 5.0?×?10^?10?m/s was achieved when the effective consolidation stress is equal to or more than 27?kPa. From the tests for adsorption properties for cesium, it was found that the sealing material showed the significant capacity of adsorption for cesium in seawater. It was concluded that the construction of waste disposal facility on the sandy seafloor is feasible using the sealing layer proposed in this study.     

Adsorption of tributyltin by tributyltin resistant marine Pseudoalteromonas sp. cells

The isolate, Pesudoalteromonas sp. TBT1, could grow to overcome the toxicity of tributyltin chloride (TBTCl) up to 30 microM in the absence of Cl(-) in the medium until the cells reached an exponential phase of growth. The viability, however, was reduced after the cells reached a stationary phase. The degradation products, such as dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT), were not detected in the growth medium, indicating that the isolate has no ability to degrade TBT into less toxic DBT and MBT. Up to about 10(7.5) TBT molecules were adsorbed by a single cell. The observation of morphological changes with an electron microscope showed that the cell surface became wrinkled after exposure to the lethal concentration of 10 mM TBTCl. These results indicate that the resistance of the isolate toward the toxicity of TBTCl is not related to the unique cell surface, which seems to play an important role in preventing the diffusion of TBTCl into the cytoplasm.     

Hawaiian double volcanic chain triggered by an episodic involvement of recycled material: Constraints from temporal Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotopic trend of the Loa-type volcanoes

The two parallel loci of recent Hawaiian volcanoes, Kea and Loa, have been regarded as the best targets to interpret the chemical structure of an upwelling mantle plume derived from the lower mantle. Here we show that the Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotopic data of the shield-building lavas along the Loa locus form a systematic trend from the main shield stage of Koolau (> 2.9 Ma) to the active Loihi volcanoes. During the growth of the Koolau volcano, the dominant material in the melting region successively changed from the proposed KEA, DMK (depleted Makapuu), to EMK (enriched Makapuu) components. The proportion of EMK, dominated by a recycled mafic component, is typified by some Koolau Makapuu-stage and some Lanai lavas. Subsequently, the EMK component decreased and LOIHI component increased toward the Loihi lavas. The temporal coincidence between the episodically elevated magma production rate and the abrupt appearance of the typical Loa-type lavas that is restricted to the last 3 Myr should be linked to magma genesis. We suggest that the abrupt appearance of Loa-type magmatism should be attributed to the transient incorporation of the relatively dense recycled material and surrounding less degassed lower mantle material that accumulated near the core–mantle boundary into the upwelling plume. This episodic involvement could have been trigged by episodic thermal pulses and buoyancy increases in the plume. The continuous appearance of Kea-type lavas during the long history of Hawaiian-chain magmatism and the larger magma volume of Kea-type lavas relative to that of the Loa-type lavas in the last 3 Myr indicate that the Kea locus is closer to the thermal centre of the Hawaiian plume relative to that of the Loa locus.     

Adsorption of tributyltin by tributyltin resistant marine Pseudoalteromonas sp. cells

The isolate, Pesudoalteromonas sp. TBT1, could grow to overcome the toxicity of tributyltin chloride (TBTCl) up to 30 μM in the absence of Cl⁻ in the medium until the cells reached an exponential phase of growth. The viability, however, was reduced after the cells reached a stationary phase. The degradation products, such as dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT), were not detected in the growth medium, indicating that the isolate has no ability to degrade TBT into less toxic DBT and MBT. Up to about 10^7.5 TBT molecules were adsorbed by a single cell. The observation of morphological changes with an electron microscope showed that the cell surface became wrinkled after exposure to the lethal concentration of 10 mM TBTCl. These results indicate that the resistance of the isolate toward the toxicity of TBTCl is not related to the unique cell surface, which seems to play an important role in preventing the diffusion of TBTCl into the cytoplasm.     

Variation of the partial pressure of CO2 in surface water from Kuroshio to Oyashio and the relation between environmental factors and the partial pressure at 144°E off Sanriku, northwestern North Pacific in May, 1997

Partial pressure of CO₂ in surface sea water (pCO₂) was measured continuously off Sanriku in May, 1997 by a new pCO₂ measurement system. We have examined the relation of pCO₂ to physical factors such as temperature, salinity and density, chemical and biological factors such as nutrients and carbonate system and chlorophylla. In the Kuroshio region pCO₂ was not correlated to physical, chemical and biological factors in the range of 260 to 290 μatom. In transition water (Tr1) between Kuroshio and the Oyashio second branch, pCO₂ was weakly correlated to physical factors and strongly correlated to nutrients. In transition water (Tr2) between the Oyashio first and second branches, pCO₂ was highly correlated to temperature (SD: 10.9 μatom) and salinity (SD: 8.6 μatom) and also to nutrients. In transition water (Tr1+Tr2), pCO₂ was highly multivariately correlated to temperature (T), salinity (S), chlorophylla (CH) (or nitrate+nitrite (N)) as follows, pCO₂(μatom)= 10.8×T(°C)+27.7×S+2.57CH(μg/1) −769, R²= 0.86, SD = 20.9, or pCO₂(μatom)= 3.9×T(°C)+25.5×S+16.0NO₃(μM) −686, R²= 0.99, SD = 6.4. Moreover, pCO₂ was predicted by only two factors, one physical (S) and the other chemical/biological (N) as follows: pCO₂ (μatom)=32.8×S+19.4N−908, R²=0.97, SD=8.4. The pH measured at 25°C was well correlated with normalized pCO₂ at a fixed temperature. In the Oyashio region pCO₂ was decreased to 160 μatom, probably because of spring bloom, but was not correlated linearly to chlorophylla. The results obtained showed the possibility of estimating pCO₂ of the Oyashio and transition regions in May by satellite remote sensing of SST, but the problem of estimation of pCO₂ in Kuroshio water remains to be solved.