Barrier Layer and Relevant Variability of the Salinity Field in the Equatorial Pacific Estimated in an Ocean Reanalysis Experiment

This paper investigates the feasibility of an ocean data assimilation system to analyze the salinity variability associated with the barrier layer in the equatorial Pacific. In order to validate reproducibility of the temperature and salinity fields, we perform an assimilation run where some temperature and salinity observations by TRITON buoys and Argo floats are withheld. The assimilation run reproduces interannual variability of salinity in the equatorial Pacific exhibited in the data that are withheld. Statistics shows that salinity values and variations in the assimilation run are closer to the data than the climatology and in the model free run. We also confirm that zonal currents in the equatorial Pacific in the reanalysis, where all available temperature and salinity data are assimilated, are consistent with an observation-based mapping and the data of the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler mounted on TAO buoys. Variability of the barrier layer and relevant salinity field in the reanalysis is consistent with former studies. A thick barrier layer area generally exists west of the equatorial salinity front and is displaced zonally with the migration of the front in the response to El Niño-Southern Oscillation, although the area moved to the east over the front in the 1997 El Niño. It is confirmed that the barrier layer thickness is closely correlated with the near-surface temperature in the equatorial Pacific.     

Detailed measurements of thickness and grain size of a widespread onshore tsunami deposit in Phang‐nga Province,southwestern Thailand

Measurements of thickness and grain size along flow‐parallel transects across onshore deposits of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami revealed macroscopic horizontal variations and provided new insights into tsunami sedimentation. The tsunami caused severe erosion of beaches, river mouths, and the shallow seafloor along the coast of southwestern Thailand and supplied sufficient sediment to deposit a kilometer‐wide blanket of sand on the land surface. The tsunami deposits generally fine landward with some fluctuations caused by local entrainment and settlement of sediments. Sediments of medium and fine sand are restricted to a few hundreds of meters inland from their source, whereas finer grained sediments were suspended longer and deposited 1 km or more inland. Although the thickness of the tsunami deposits is strongly influenced by local topography, they generally thin landward. In areas of low‐relief topography, the rate of landward thinning is exponential and reflects the dominance of sediment supply to nearshore areas over that to areas farther inland.     

Seasonal Transition Features of Large-Scale Moisture Transport in the Asian-Australian Monsoon Region

Using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data for the period of 1957-2001, the climatological seasonal transition features of large-scale vertically integrated moisture transport （VIMT） in the Asian-Australian monsoon region are investigated in this paper. The basic features of the seasonal transition of VIMT from winter to summer are the establishment of the summertime ＂great moisture river＂ pattern （named the GMR pattern） and its eastward expansion, associated with a series of climatological events which occurred in some ＂key periods＂, which include the occurrence of the notable southerly VIMT over the Indochina Peninsula in mid March, the activity of the low VIMT vortex around Sri Lanka in late April, and the onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon in mid May, among others. However, during the transition from summer to winter, the characteristics are mainly exhibited by the establishment of the easterly VIMT belt located in the tropical area, accompanied by some events occurring in ＂key periods＂. Further analyses disclose a great difference between the Indian and East Asian monsoon regions when viewed from the meridional migration of the westerly VIMT during the seasonal change process, according to which the Asian monsoon region can be easily divided into two parts along the western side of the Indochina Peninsula and it may also denote different formation mechanisms between the two regions.     

Petrological constraints on the formation conditions and retrograde P–T path of the Kotsu eclogite unit, central Shikoku

A largely undocumented region of eclogite associated with a thick blueschist unit occurs in the Kotsu area of the Sanbagawa belt. The composition of coexisting garnet and omphacite suggests that the Kotsu eclogite formed at peak temperatures of around 600 °C synchronous with a penetrative deformation (D1). There are local significant differences in oxygen fugacity of the eclogite reflected in mineral chemistries. The peak pressure is constrained to lie between 14 and 25 kbar by microstructural evidence for the stability of paragonite throughout the history recorded by the eclogite, and the composition of omphacite in associated eclogite facies pelitic schist. Application of garnet‐phengite‐omphacite geobarometry gives metamorphic pressures around 20 kbar. Retrograde metamorphism associated with penetrative deformation (D2) is in the greenschist facies. The composition of syn‐D2 amphibole in hematite‐bearing basic schist and the nature of the calcium carbonate phase suggest that the retrograde P–T path was not associated with a significant increase or decrease in the ratio of P–T conditions following the peak of metamorphism. This P–T path contrasts with the open clockwise path derived from eclogite of the Besshi area. The development of distinct P–T paths in different parts of the Sanbagawa belt shows the shape of the P–T path is not primarily controlled by tectonic setting, but by internal factors such as geometry of metamorphic units and exhumation rates.     

A 3600 years paleoclimatic change inferred from organic δ13C and TOC/TN of the Gucheng Lake sediments, southeast China

A 6.2 m thick core of Gucheng Lake sediment provided a 3600 years record of climate change. The contents of the TOC in the core changed from 2.63% to 8.48%, and the δ¹³C values of organic matter were from −21.54% to −27.3%. The TOC/TN ratios indicated that the organic materials in sediments were from lake plankton and land-derived plants. The 2.9–22 m core interval with high TOC/TN ratios, low δ¹³C values and low contents of TOC indicated a cold climate stage. The 6.2–5.5 m and 0.4–0.1 m intervals were characterized by low TOC/TN ratios, high δ¹³C values and high contents of TOC, and reflected temperate climate stages. Project 49372129 supported by NSFC.     

A Model for the Quiescent Phase of the Recurrent Nova U Scorpii

A theoretical light curve is constructed for the quiescent phase of the recurrent nova U Scorpii in order to resolve the existing distance discrepancy between the outbursts (d approximately 6 kpc) and the quiescences (d approximately 14 kpc). Our U Sco model consists of a very massive white dwarf (WD), an accretion disk (ACDK) with a flaring-up rim, and a lobe-filling, slightly evolved, main-sequence star (MS). The model properly includes an accretion luminosity of the WD, a viscous luminosity of the ACDK, and a reflection effect of the MS and the ACDK irradiated by the WD photosphere. The B light curve is well reproduced by a model of 1.37 M middle dot in circle WD + 1.5 M middle dot in circle MS (0.8-2.0 M middle dot in circle MS is acceptable) with an ACDK having a flaring-up rim and the inclination angle of the orbit i approximately 80&j0;. The calculated color is rather blue (B-V approximately 0.0) for a suggested mass accretion rate of 2.5x10-7 M middle dot in circle yr-1, thus indicating a large color excess of E(B-V) approximately 0.56 with the observational color of B-V=0.56 in quiescence. Such a large color excess corresponds to an absorption of AV approximately 1.8 and AB approximately 2.3, which reduces the distance to 6-8 kpc. This is in good agreement with the distance estimation of 4-6 kpc for the latest outburst. Such a large intrinsic absorption is very consistent with the recently detected period change of U Sco, which is indicating a mass outflow of approximately 3x10-7 M middle dot in circle yr-1 through the outer Lagrangian points in quiescence.     

Strain and tilt changes measured during a water injection experiment at the Nojima Fault zone, Japan

Abstract In order to make geophysical and geological investigations of the Nojima Fault on Awaji Island, Japan, three boreholes measuring 1800 m, 800 m and 500 m deep were drilled into the fault zone. The fault is one of the seismic source faults of the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake of M 7.2. A new multicomponent borehole instrument was installed at the bottom of the 800 m borehole and continuous observations of crustal strain and tilt have been made using this instrument since May 1996. A high-pressure water injection experiment within the 1800 m borehole was done in February and March 1997 to study the geophysical response, behavior, permeability, and other aspects of the fault zone. The injection site was located approximately 140 m horizontally and 800 m vertically from the instrument. Associated with the water injection, contraction of approximately 0.7 × 10⁻⁷ str (almost parallel to the fault) and tilt of approximately 1 × 10^-7 rad in the sense of upheaval toward the injection site were observed. In addition to these controlled experiments, the strainmeter and tiltmeter also recorded daily variations. We interpret strain and tilt changes to be related to groundwater discharge and increased ultra-micro seismicity induced by the injected water.     

Evolution of Mount Fuji,Japan: Inference from drilling into the subaerial oldest volcano,pre‐Komitake

A buried, old volcanic body (pre‐Komitake Volcano) was discovered during drilling into the northeastern flank of Mount Fuji. The pre‐Komitake Volcano is characterized by hornblende‐bearing andesite and dacite, in contrast to the porphyritic basaltic rocks of Komitake Volcano and to the olivine‐bearing basaltic rocks of Fuji Volcano. K‐Ar age determinations and geological analysis of drilling cores suggest that the pre‐Komitake Volcano began with effusion of basaltic lava flows around 260 ka and ended with explosive eruptions of basaltic andesite and dacite magma around 160 ka. After deposition of a thin soil layer on the pre‐Komitake volcanic rocks, successive effusions of lava flows occurred at Komitake Volcano until 100 ka. Explosive eruptions of Fuji Volcano followed shortly after the activity of Komitake. The long‐term eruption rate of about 3 km³/ka or more for Fuji Volcano is much higher than that estimated for pre‐Komitake and Komitake. The chemical variation within Fuji Volcano, represented by an increase in incompatible elements at nearly constant SiO₂, differs from that within pre‐Komitake and other volcanoes in the northern Izu‐Bonin arc, where incompatible elements increase with increasing SiO₂. These changes in the volcanism in Mount Fuji may have occurred due to a change in regional tectonics around 150 ka, although this remains unproven.     

Lunar gravity field determination using SELENE same-beam differential VLBI tracking data

A lunar gravity field model up to degree and order 100 in spherical harmonics, named SGM100i, has been determined from SELENE and historical tracking data, with an emphasis on using same-beam S-band differential VLBI data obtained in the SELENE mission between January 2008 and February 2009. Orbit consistency throughout the entire mission period of SELENE as determined from orbit overlaps for the two sub-satellites of SELENE involved in the VLBI tracking improved consistently from several hundreds of metres to several tens of metres by including differential VLBI data. Through orbits that are better determined, the gravity field model is also improved by including these data. Orbit determination performance for the new model shows improvements over earlier 100th degree and order models, especially for edge-on orbits over the deep far side. Lunar Prospector orbit determination shows an improvement of orbit consistency from 1-day predictions for 2-day arcs of 6 m in a total sense, with most improvement in the along and cross-track directions. Data fit for the types and satellites involved is also improved. Formal errors for the lower degrees are smaller, and the new model also shows increased correlations with topography over the far side. The estimated value for the lunar GM for this model equals 4902.80080±0.0009 km³/s² (10 sigma). The lunar degree 2 potential Love number k ₂ was also estimated, and has a value of 0.0255 ± 0.0016 (10 sigma as well).