The multiple chronological techniques applied to the Lake Suigetsu SG06 sediment core,central Japan

The varved sediment of Lake Suigetsu (central Japan) provides a valuable opportunity to obtain high‐resolution, multi‐proxy palaeoenvironmental data across the last glacial/interglacial cycle. In order to maximize the potential of this archive, a well‐constrained chronology is required. This paper outlines the multiple geochronological techniques being applied – namely varve counting, radiocarbon dating, tephrochronology (including argon–argon dating) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) – and the approaches by which these techniques are being integrated to form a single, coherent, robust chronology. Importantly, we also describe here the linkage of the floating Lake Suigetsu (SG06) varve chronology and the absolute (IntCal09 tree‐ring) time scale, as derived using radiocarbon data from the uppermost (non‐varved) portion of the core. This tie‐point, defined as a distinct (flood) marker horizon in SG06 (event layer B‐07–08 at 1397.4 cm composite depth), is thus derived to be 11 255 to 11 222 IntCal09 cal. years BP (68.2% probability range).     

Preferred orientation of antiphase boundaries in pigeonite as a cooling ratemeter

Antiphase domains (APD's) of pigeonite lamellae in natural and heated augite crystals from the Hakonetoge andesite have been examined by a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Antiphase boundaries (APB's) of the pigeonite lamellae in natural specimens have a sigmoidal shape cutting the c axis in (010) sections. APB's in specimens heated at temperatures above the high-low inversion and then quenched are nearly parallel to the c axis with almost straight boundaries. These observations indicate that the preferred orientation of APB's in (010) sections depends on cooling rate; at fast colling rates the APB's are nearly parallel to the c axis, whereas at slower cooling rates they are inclined to the c axis. The cooling rate of the natural augite specimen from Hakonetoge is estimated to be about 0.01 °C/h from the experimentally determined time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram for the APB orientations. APD sizes are large in specimens quenched from above the inversion temperature; they are at a minimum after cooling rates of around 1–0.1 °C/h, and then become larger with slower cooling rates.     

Classification and distribution of Oligocene Aetiocetidae (Mammalia; Cetacea; Mysticeti) from western North America and Japan

Abstract Fossil whales in the very rare, primitive, extinct cetacean family Aetiocetidae are small, relict, toothed mysticetes that persisted into Late Oligocene time after more highly derived baleen-bearing mysticetes had already evolved. No known aetiocetid could be ancestral to baleen-bearing mysticetes, but aetiocetid morphology is in many ways intermediate between archaeocetes and baleen-bearing mysticetes, demonstrating the probable transitional steps passed through in the evolution of baleen-bearing mysticetes. Their discovery indicates that mysticetes evolved from Archaeocetes, and supports theories of the monophyly of Cetacea. Late Oligocene aetiocetids have been found on both sides of the North Pacific Ocean: on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada; in Oregon and Washington, USA; in Baja California Sur, México; and the islands of Kyushu and Hokkaido, Japan. The most primitive North American aetiocetid, Chonecetus sookensis Russell, 1968, is from the early Late Oligocene Hesquiat Formation on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. A more derived, Late Oligocene species, Chonecetus goedertorum Barnes and Furusawa, new species, from the Late Oligocene Pysht Formation, Olympic Peninsula, Washington, has the primitive placental mammalian tooth count of 11/11. The type genus of the family, Aetiocetus Emlong, 1966, has as its type species, A. cotylalveus Emlong, 1966, known only from the Late Oligocene Yaquina Formation on the coast of Oregon. It has 11 upper teeth on each side of the rostrum. A more derived species, Aetiocetus weltoni Barnes and Kimura, new species, from a higher stratigraphic level in the Yaquina Formation, has a more posteriorly positioned cranial vertex and a tooth count of 11/12. We describe four new species of aetiocetids in three genera from the Late Oligocene Morawan Formation near Ashoro, Hokkaido, Japan. The most primitive, Ashorocetus eguchii Barnes and Kimura, new genus and species, has a primitive stage of cranial telescoping, and is closely related to Chonecetus Russell, 1968. Another, Morawanocetus yabukii Kimura and Barnes, new genus and species, in some ways intermediate between Chonecetus and Aetiocetus, has a suite of unique derived characters, including a much foreshortened brain case. The third, Aetiocetus tomitai Kimura and Barnes, new species, is the most primitive species of Aetiocetus yet discovered. The fourth, Aetiocetus polydentatus Sawamura, new species, the most derived species of Aetiocetus known, has a highly telescoped cranium, homodonty, polydonty and a dental count of 13–14/14–15. The fossil record now indicates considerable diversity in the family, with several different contemporaneous lineages in three new subfamilies: Chonecetinae, Morawanocetinae and Aetiocetinae. Aetiocetids are not known outside the North Pacific. Many Recent mysticetes are essentially cosmopolitan, and aetiocetids might have also been relatively widely dispersed. We suspect that with time their remains will be found around other ocean basins also. If so, then they may be potentially useful in trans-oceanic geological correlations.     

Oxygen isotope exchange rate between dissolved sulfate and water at hydrothermal temperatures

Oxygen isotope exchange rate between dissolved sulfate and water was experimentally determined at 100, 200 and 300°C. The isotope exchange rate is strongly dependent on temperature and pH of the solution. Combining the temperature and pH dependence of the reaction rate, the exchange reaction was estimated to be first-order with respect to sulfate. The logarithm of apparent rate constant of exchange reaction at a given temperature is a function of the pH calculated at the experimental temperatures. From the pH dependence of the apparent rate constant, it was deduced that the isotope exchange reaction between dissolved sulfate and water proceeds through collision between H₂SO⁰₄ and H₂O at low pH, and between HSO^?₄ and H₂O at intermediate pH. The isotope exchange rate obtained indicates that oxygen isotope geothermometry utilizing the studied isotope exchange is suitable for temperature estimation of geothermal reservoirs. The extrapolated half-life of this reaction to oceanic temperature is about 10⁹ years, implying that exchange between oceanic sulfate and water cannot control the oxygen isotope ratio of oceanic sulfates.     

Sulfur isotope study of Quaternary volcanic rocks from the Japanese Islands Arc

The sulfide and sulfate contents and their δ³⁴S values were determined in Quaternary volcanic rocks from the Japanese Islands Arc. The total sulfur contents are much lower (less than 40 ppm) and the δ³⁴S values are higher (+4.4 ± 2.1) than those of ocean-floor basalts (800 ± 100 ppm and +0.8 ± 0.5, respectively; Moore and Fabbi, 1971; Sakaiet al., 1982). Lateral variations of both sulfur content and δ³⁴S values were observed in the four volcanic belts in Japan. In the Northeast Japan belt, the sulfur content (30 ± 10 ppm) of the rocks in the inner zone (the Japan Sea side) is 3 to 5 times that in the outer zone (the Pacific side), although the δ³⁴S values of the two zones are almost the same (+4.3 ± 1.0). The δ³⁴S values for the two belts in West Japan are on the average 2%. higher than those of East Japan.This study suggests that the primary magmas that formed the island arc volcanic rocks are initially depleted in sulfur (<120 ppm) and enriched in ³⁴S ($\text{δ}{}^{34}\text{S: +5 ～ +7}$) compared to ocean-floor tholeiitic basalts which formed at mantle under oceanic region. This indicates that the upper-mantle is heterogeneous in sulfur content and isotope composition.     

Streaming potential observations, using geothermal wells and in situ electrokinetic coupling coefficients under high temperature

In an attempt to detect streaming potentials induced by subsurface water flows, we have observed the horizontal electric field (self-potential) variations across stationary electric dipoles near geothermal wells in the Takinoue geothermal area, Japan. We observed variations of self-potential which seem to be associated with the water flows in the aquifer, induced by turning on and off the flow of the wells. Amplitudes of the variations are 3–5 mV across 60–200 m dipoles, and can be explained well with a proposed electrokinetic model: the streaming potential coefficient of − 15 mV/bar and/or the ζ-potential of −50 to −100 mV in the aquifer are appropriate to explain the observed data by the model. The obtained electrokinetic coupling coefficients are in situ ones and determined for crustal rock-water system under high temperature (˜200°C) condition. The present results, together with a laboratory study by Ishido and Mizutani (1981), give fundamental information on electrokinetic coupling coefficients in the earth's interior, and are very important when we make quantitative interpretations of self-potentials generated by geothermal activity on the basis of electrokinetic effects.     

ASCA observations of the Galactic superluminal sources GRO J1655–40 and GRS 1915+105

We summarize the ASCA observations of the two Galactic superluminal sources GRO J1655–40 and GRS 1915+105, focusing on theabsorption line features.The high spectroscopic capability of ASCA enabled us to detectiron-K absorption line features from both objects. This is direct evidence for the presence of highly ionized plasma in a non-spherical configuration around a black hole, and is considered to be a unique signature of superluminal jet systems. The candidate of the line-absorber would be a part of an accretion disk at a distance of 10^9-11 cm from the central X-ray source.     

Zinc-rich Pyrite from the TAG Active Mound, the TAG Hydrotherma Field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Abstract: Pyrite rich in Zn, up to 3.1 wt%, was found in the TAG active mound of the TAG hydrothermal field, the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 26°08'N and 44°49'W. The Zn-rich pyrite is characterized by an optical homogeneity, a homogeneous distribution of Zn in the back-scattered electron images, both at a magnification of about 500, a negative correlation between Fe and Zn contents of the pyrite and a rather small unit cell edge (a₀ = 5.4117 ± 0.0008Å), strongly indicating that the detected Zn is present in the pyrite in solid solution. Such Zn concentrations are observed exclusively in dendritic pyrite, suggesting that the Znrich pyrite grew from hydrothermal fluids of a high degree of supersaturation due to quenching on the seafloor.     

Research on the seismotectonics of the Jan－uary 17，1995 Hanshin M7．2 earthquake

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Nutrients adsorption from seawater by new porous carrier made from zeolitized fly ash and slag

This study investigated the adsorption and precipitation of phosphate by blast furnace slag (BFS) separately.

In order to evaluate the adsorption capacity of BFS, BFS was treated before its use by acid. The authors aim to develop a new porous carrier to adsorb simultaneously ammonium and phosphate from seawater under eutrophic conditions. The current paper deals with a promising new approach to improve the utilization of some industrial solid wastes such as BFS and zeolite synthesized from fly ash [ZFA(Fe)] by their solidification to cylindrical porous carriers using a hydrothermal hot-pressing (HHP) method.

Attempts to produce porous carriers using an arranged HHP method with different porosities (24%, 40% and 52% (v/v)) were carried out. Physical properties of carriers such as porosity, compressive strength and height have been investigated. Laboratory studies showed strong evidence that the porous carrier was very selective towards phosphate and ammonium. The results demonstrated the role of porosity in enhancing phosphate and ammonium adsorption by the increase of the surface area per weight. The estimates of the parameters and the correlation coefficients according to the Freundlich equations revealed that adsorption was related to the porosity of carriers and phosphate and ammonium were adsorbed well on the carriers having large porosity.

The results suggested that developing carrier with high porosity was a promising way to enhance nutrients adsorption.