The reduction effects of mangrove forest on a tsunami based on field surveys at Pakarang Cape,Thailand and numerical analysis

Using an integrated approach including satellite imagery analysis, field measurements, and numerical modeling, we investigated the damage to mangroves caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami at Pakarang Cape in Pang Nga Province, Thailand. Comparing pre- and post-tsunami satellite imagery of the study area, we found that approximately 70% of the mangrove forest was destroyed by the tsunami. Based on field observations, we found that the survival rate of mangroves increased with increasing stem diameter. Specifically, we found that 72% of Rhizophora trees with a 25–30 cm stem diameter survived the tsunami impact, whereas only 19% with a 15–20 cm stem diameter survived. We simulated the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami using the nonlinear shallow-water wave theory to reproduce the tsunami inundation flow and investigated the bending moment acting on the mangrove trees. Results of the numerical model showed that the tsunami inundated areas along the mangrove creeks, and its current velocity reached 5.0 m s⁻¹. Based on the field measurements and numerical results, we proposed a fragility function for mangroves, which is the relationship between the probability of damage and the bending stress caused by the maximum bending moment. We refined the numerical model to include the damage probability of mangrove forests using the obtained fragility function to investigate the tsunami reduction effect of mangrove forest. Under simple numerical conditions related to the mangrove forest, ground level, and incident wave, the model showed that a mangrove forest of Rhizophora sp. with a density of 0.2 trees m⁻² and a stem diameter of 15 cm in a 400 m wide area can reduce the tsunami inundation depth by 30% when the incident wave is assumed to have a 3.0 m inundation depth and a wave period of 30 min at the shoreline. However, 50% of the mangrove forest is destroyed by a 4.5 m tsunami inundation depth, and most of the mangrove forest is destroyed by a tsunami inundation depth greater than 6 m. The reduction effect of tsunami inundation depth decreased when the tsunami inundation depth exceeded 3 m, and was mostly lost when the tsunami inundation depth exceeded 6 m.     

Oxygen isotopic compositions of chondrules: Implications for evolution of oxygen isotopic reservoirs in the inner solar nebula

We review the oxygen isotopic compositions of minerals in chondrules and compound objects composed of a chondrule and a refractory inclusion, and bulk oxygen isotopic compositions of chondrules in unequilibrated ordinary, carbonaceous, enstatite, and Kakangari-like chondrites, focusing on data acquired using secondary ion mass-spectrometry and laser fluorination coupled with mass-spectrometry over the last decade. Most ferromagnesian chondrules from primitive (unmetamorphosed) chondrites are isotopically uniform (within 3–4‰ in Δ¹⁷O) and depleted in ¹⁶O (Δ¹⁷O>−7‰) relative to amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs) and most calcium–aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) (Δ¹⁷O<−20‰), suggesting that these classes of objects formed in isotopically distinct gaseous reservoirs, ¹⁶O-poor and ¹⁶O-rich, respectively. Chondrules uniformly enriched in ¹⁶O (Δ¹⁷O<−15‰) are exceptionally rare and have been reported only in CH chondrites. Oxygen isotopic heterogeneity in chondrules is mainly due to the presence of relict grains. These appear to consist of chondrules of earlier generations and rare refractory inclusions; with rare exceptions, the relict grains are ¹⁶O-enriched relative to chondrule phenocrysts and mesostasis. Within a chondrite group, the magnesium-rich (Type I) chondrules tend to be ¹⁶O-enriched relative to the ferrous (Type II) chondrules. Aluminum-rich chondrules in ordinary, enstatite, CR, and CV chondrites are generally ¹⁶O-enriched relative to ferromagnesian chondrules. No systematic differences in oxygen isotopic compositions have been found among these chondrule types in CB chondrites. Aluminum-rich chondrules in carbonaceous chondrites often contain relict refractory inclusions. Aluminum-rich chondrules with relict CAIs have heterogeneous oxygen isotopic compositions (Δ¹⁷O ranges from −20‰ to 0‰). Aluminum-rich chondrules without relict CAIs are isotopically uniform and have oxygen isotopic compositions similar to, or approaching, those of ferromagnesian chondrules. Phenocrysts and mesostases of the CAI-bearing chondrules show no clear evidence for ¹⁶O-enrichment compared to the CAI-free chondrules. Spinel, hibonite, and forsterite of the relict refractory inclusions largely retained their original oxygen isotopic compositions. In contrast, plagioclase and melilite of the relict CAIs experienced melting and ¹⁶O-depletion to various degrees, probably due to isotopic exchange with an ¹⁶O-poor nebular gas. Several igneous CAIs experienced isotopic exchange with an ¹⁶O-poor nebular gas during late-stage remelting in the chondrule-forming region. On a three-isotope diagram, bulk oxygen isotopic compositions of most chondrules in ordinary, enstatite, and carbonaceous chondrites plot above, along, and below the terrestrial fractionation line, respectively. Bulk oxygen isotopic compositions of chondrules in altered and/or metamorphosed chondrites show evidence for mass-dependent fractionation, reflecting either interaction with a gaseous/fluid reservoir on parent asteroids or open-system thermal metamorphism. Bulk oxygen isotopic compositions of chondrules and oxygen isotopic compositions of individual minerals in chondrules and refractory inclusions from primitive chondrites plot along a common line of slope of 1, suggesting that only two major reservoirs (gas and solids) are needed to explain the observed variations. However, there is no requirement that each had a permanently fixed isotopic composition. The absolute (²⁰⁷Pb–²⁰⁶Pb) and relative (²⁷Al–²⁶Mg) chronologies of CAIs and chondrules and the differences in oxygen isotopic compositions of most chondrules (¹⁶O-poor) and most refractory inclusions (¹⁶O-rich) can be interpreted in terms of isotopic self-shielding during UV photolysis of CO in the initially ¹⁶O-rich (Δ¹⁷O−25‰) parent molecular cloud or protoplanetary disk. According to these models, the UV photolysis preferentially dissociates C¹⁷O and C¹⁸O in the parent molecular cloud and in the peripheral zones of the protoplanetary disk. If this process occurs in the stability field of water ice, the released atomic ¹⁷O and ¹⁸O are incorporated into water ice, while the residual CO gas becomes enriched in ¹⁶O. During the earliest stages of evolution of the protoplanetary disk, the inner solar nebula had a solar H₂O/CO ratio and was ¹⁶O-rich. During this time, AOAs and the ¹⁶O-rich CAIs and chondrules formed. Subsequently, the inner solar nebula became H₂O- and ¹⁶O-depleted, because ice-rich dust particles, which were depleted in ¹⁶O, agglomerated outside the snowline (5 AU), drifted rapidly towards the Sun and evaporated. During this time, which may have lasted for 3 Myr, most chondrules and the ¹⁶O-depleted igneous CAIs formed. We infer that most chondrules formed from isotopically heterogeneous, but ¹⁶O-depleted precursors, and experienced isotopic exchange with an ¹⁶O-poor nebular gas during melting. Although the relative roles of the chondrule precursor materials and gas–melt isotopic exchange in establishing oxygen isotopic compositions of chondrules have not been quantified yet, mineralogical, chemical, and isotopic evidence indicate that Type I chondrules may have formed in chemical and isotopic equilibrium with nebular gas of variable isotopic composition. Whether these variations were spatial or temporal are not known yet.     

An experimental study of non-equilibrium vapour condensation in a shock-tube

Filmwise non-equilibrium condensation of methanol vapour is investigated on a shock-tube endwall behind a reflected shock wave. The theoretical prediction of a transition phenomenon during the growth of a liquid film is experimentally demonstrated: the film grows approximately in proportion to the time at the early stages after the reflection of the shock wave and, after a transition period, it grows in proportion to the square root of the time. The condensation parameter of the vapour is obtained from the conformity between experiment and theory. It is found that the condensation parameter of the methanol vapour is of the magnitude of one tenth of the value for the complete capture of the molecules on the liquid surface.     

Great earthquake at 7.3 ka inferred from tsunami deposits in the Sukumo Bay area,Southwestern Japan

Tsunami deposits in Kyushu Island, Southwestern Japan, have been attributed to the 7.3 ka Kikai caldera eruption, but their origin has not been confirmed. We analyzed an 83-cm-thick Holocene event deposit in the SKM core, obtained from incised valley fill in the coastal lowlands near Sukumo Bay, Southwestern Shikoku Island. We confirmed that the event deposit contains K-Ah volcanic ash from the 7.3 ka eruption. The base of the event deposit erodes the underlying inner-bay mud, and the deposit contains material from outside the local terrestrial and marine environment, including angular quartz porphyry from a small inland exposure, oyster shell debris, and a coral fragment. Benthic foraminifers and ostracods in the deposit indicate various habitats, some of which are outside Sukumo Bay. The sand matrix contains low-silica volcanic glass from the late stage of the Kikai caldera eruption. We also documented the same glass in an event deposit in the MIK1 core, from the incised Oyodo River valley in the Miyazaki Plain on Southeastern Kyushu. These two 7.3 ka tsunami deposits join other documented examples that are widely distributed in Southwestern Japan including the Bungo Channel and Beppu Bay in Eastern Kyushu, Tachibana Bay in Western Kyushu, and Zasa Pond on the Kii Peninsula as well as around the caldera itself. The tsunami deposits near the caldera have been divided into older and younger 7.3 ka tsunami deposits, the younger ones matching the set of widespread deposits. We attribute the younger 7.3 ka tsunami deposits to a large tsunami generated by a great interplate earthquake in the Northern part of the Ryukyu Trench and (or) the Western Nankai Trough just after the late stage of the Kikai caldera eruption and the older 7.3 ka tsunami deposits to a small tsunami generated by an interplate earthquake or Kikai caldera eruption.     

266 E+A galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 2: the origin of E+A galaxies

E+A galaxies are characterized as galaxies with strong Balmer absorption lines but without any [O  ii ] or Hα emission lines. The existence of strong Balmer absorption lines indicates that E+A galaxies have experienced starburst within the past one gigayear. However, the lack of [O  ii ] and Hα emission lines indicates that E+A galaxies do not have any on-going star formation. Therefore, E+A galaxies are interpreted as post-starburst galaxies. For many years, however, it has been a mystery why E+A galaxies started starburst and why they quenched star formation abruptly. Using one of the largest samples of 266 E+A galaxies carefully selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 2, we have investigated the environment of E+A galaxies from 50 kpc to 8 Mpc scale, i.e. from a typical distance to satellite galaxies to the scale of large-scale structures. We found that E+A galaxies have an excess of local galaxy density only at a scale of <100 kpc (with a 2σ significance), but not at the cluster scale (∼1.5 Mpc) nor at the scale of large-scale structure (∼8 Mpc). These results indicate that E+A galaxies are not created by the physical mechanisms associated with galaxy clusters or the large-scale structure, but are likely to be created by dynamical interaction with closely accompanying galaxies at a <100 kpc scale. The claim is also supported by the morphology of E+A galaxies. We have found that almost all E+A galaxies have a bright compact core, and that ∼30 per cent of E+A galaxies have dynamically disturbed signatures or tidal tails, which quite strongly suggest the morphological appearance of merger/interaction remnants.     

Effects of sand content on initial gravel motion in gravel‐bed rivers

When fine sediments are present in gravel streambeds (gravel‐framework beds), the gravel can be more easily removed from its original position, compared with gravel in a streambed without fine sediment but otherwise under the same hydraulic conditions. In this study, the effect of the presence of sand on the initiation of gravel motion in gravel riverbeds was investigated using flume experiments. The relationship between the critical Shields stress for gravel motion initiation and the fraction of sand in the bed was determined experimentally. The results can be summarized as follows. (1) When the fraction of sand in the bed is smaller than about 0.4, the critical Shields stress for the initiation of gravel motion decreases with increasing fraction of sand. The critical Shields stress increases, however, with increasing fraction of sand when it is larger than about 0.4. (2) The difference between the value of the critical Shields stress predicted by the Egiazaroff equation and the value obtained from the experimental data becomes maximum at about 0.4 of the fraction of sand. Here an empirical relation between the critical Shields stress and the fraction of sand is proposed so as to consider the effects of the ratio of the characteristic gravel size to the mean size of the bed material on the critical Shields stress. (3) Gravel in armored beds can be more easily mobilized by supplying sand as part of a sediment augmentation scheme. The sand fraction in the subsurface layer of the bed appears to reduce the friction angle of exposed particles. Sediment augmentation using sand has been recently demonstrated to be a viable alternative for mobilizing gravel for the restoration of gravel‐bed rivers downstream of dams. The quantitative evaluation obtained through the experiments reported here may be useful for the design of augmentation schemes. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of the Atmospheric Model on Hanle Diagnostics

We clarify the uncertainty in the inferred magnetic field vector via the Hanle diagnostics of the hydrogen Lyman-\(\upalpha\) line when the stratification of the underlying atmosphere is unknown. We calculate the anisotropy of the radiation field with plane-parallel semi-empirical models under the nonlocal thermal equilibrium condition and derive linear polarization signals for all possible parameters of magnetic field vectors based on an analytical solution of the atomic polarization and Hanle effect. We find that the semi-empirical models of the inter-network region (FAL-A) and network region (FAL-F) show similar degrees of anisotropy in the radiation field, and this similarity results in an acceptable inversion error (e.g., \({\sim}\, 40~\mbox{G}\) instead of 50 G in field strength and \({\sim}\,100^{\circ}\) instead of \(90^{\circ}\) in inclination) when FAL-A and FAL-F are swapped. However, the semi-empirical models of FAL-C (averaged quiet-Sun model including both inter-network and network regions) and FAL-P (plage regions) yield an atomic polarization that deviates from all other models, which makes it difficult to precisely determine the magnetic field vector if the correct atmospheric model is not known (e.g., the inversion error is much larger than 40% of the field strength; \({>}\,70~\mbox{G}\) instead of \(50~\mbox{G}\)). These results clearly demonstrate that the choice of model atmosphere is important for Hanle diagnostics. As is well known, one way to constrain the average atmospheric stratification is to measure the center-to-limb variation of the linear polarization signals. The dependence of the center-to-limb variations on the atmospheric model is also presented in this paper.