Cloning of cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) genes from the hermaphrodite fish Rivulus marmoratus and the Japanese medaka Oryzias latipes

To use two small fish Rivulus marmoratus (Cyprinodontiformes, Rivulidae) and the Japanese medaka Oryzias latipes (Belloniformes) as testing models in molecular ecotoxicology, we have cloned the cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) gene after screening of both genomic DNA libraries, and sequenced 11,863 and 7,243 bp including all the exons and introns with promoter regions, respectively. The Rivulus and the medaka CYP1A gene consisted of seven exons (including non-coding exons) with high homology to mammals. In the promoter region, Rivulus CYP1A gene has seven xenobiotic response elements (XREs) and two metal response elements (MREs), while the Japanese medaka CYP1A gene has six XREs and four MREs. Interestingly, medaka CYP1A gene has a number of MREs at the promoter, which may affect its response on metal exposure. We describe here the gene structure of both fish CYP1A genes.     

Spatiotemporal characteristics of the displacement field revealed with principal component analysis and the mode-rotation technique

Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the displacement field recorded at 147 GPS stations in the Kanto-Tokai district, Japan, for the period from January 1999 to February 2003. Some prominent geophysical events occurred during this period. Using PCA, we attempted to decompose the displacement field into some representative spatial modes and their corresponding temporal modes to quantitatively extract the primary geophysical events that have caused rapid crustal deformation in this region. The displacement field was roughly decomposed into modes corresponding to the following three major events: (1) The Miyake-Kozu volcanic event, which occurred in the region south of Tokyo in 2000. It included large-scale dyke intrusion and intensive earthquake swarm between the Miyakejima and Kozushima islands. (2) The Tokai slow-slip event, which is considered to have begun just after the Miyake-Kozu volcanic event and is ongoing as of November 2005. It occurred on the boundary between the subducting Philippine Sea Plate and the overriding Eurasian (Amurian) Plate in the Tokai district. (3) The Boso slow-slip event, which lasted for approximately 10 days in October 2002. It occurred on the boundary between the subducting Pacific Plate and the overriding North American Plate near the Boso Peninsula. In the decomposition process, we combined the mode-rotation technique with ordinary PCA. This is because PCA causes contamination between modes, i.e., a mode obtained with PCA is contaminated by other modes. For example, the first principal mode corresponding to the Miyake-Kozu volcanic event, which is by far the largest in magnitude, was clearly seen in many other modes. In order to remove such contamination, we applied the mode-rotation technique, in which the principal axes derived from PCA are rotated so as to minimize the correlation coefficients between different temporal modes for a time period in which some prominent change occurs. Combining the mode-rotation technique with PCA exhibited a better performance in separating the displacement field.     

Advanced sea surface temperature retrieval using the Japanese geostationary satellite,Himawari-6

Producing high-quality match-ups coupling the Japanese geostationary satellite, Himawari-6 (H6), and buoy SST observations, we have developed the new SST retrieval method. Kawamura et al. (2010) developed the previous version of SST product called MTSAT SST, which left several scientific/technical questions. For solving them, 6,711 algorithm tuning match-ups with precise navigation and 240,476 validation match-ups are generated for covering all seasons and wide ocean coverage. For discriminating the previous MTSAT SST, we call the new version of SST H6 SST. It is found that the SZA dependences of MTSAT SST algorithm are different from area to area of SZA > 40–50° N/S. The regionally different SZA dependences are treated by dividing the H6 disk coverage into five areas by the latitude lines of 40° N/S first and the longitude lines of 100° K and 180° K. Using the algorithm tuning match-ups, Nonlinear SST (NLSST) equations are derived for all of the five areas. Though the sun zenith angle dependency correction term is also examined, there is no significant regional difference. Therefore, this term is used in the H6 SST algorithm again. The new H6 SST equation is formed by the areal NLSST and the sun zenith angle dependency term for each area. The statistical evaluation of H6 SST using the validation match-ups show the small negative biases and the RMS errors of about 0.74° K for each area. For the full H6 disk, the bias is −0.1° K and the RMS error 0.74° K. The histogram of H6 SST minus the in situ SST for each area has a similar Gaussian shape with small negative skewness, and the monthly validation of H6 SST for each area is consistent with those for the whole period and the histograms     

Numerical experiment for strontium-90 and cesium-137 in the Japan Sea

A numerical experiment is carried out to reproduce distribution of concentration of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs, estimate their total amount and verify their source in the Japan Sea. Model results are in good agreement with observational findings in the Japan Sea expeditions between 1997 and 2002 by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. Vertical profiles of the concentration of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs show exponential decreases with depth from the sea surface to the sea bottom. From the model and observational results, it is suggested that the concentration of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs in the surface layer is approximately in the range of 1.0–1.5 Bq/m³ and 2.0–2.5 Bq/m3, respectively. On the other hand, it is found that the concentration in the intermediate and deep layer is higher than that observed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, suggesting active winter convection in the Japan Sea. The total amount of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs in the seawater is evaluated to be 1.34 × 10¹⁵ Bq and 2.02 × 10¹⁵ Bq, respectively, in the numerical experiment, which demonstrates an estimation by observational data obtained in the Japan Sea expeditions. The total amount of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs changed during the second half of 20th century corresponding to deposition at the sea surface with the maximums of 4.86 × 10¹⁵ Bq for ⁹⁰Sr and 7.33 × 10¹⁵ Bq for ¹³⁷Cs, respectively, in the mid-1960s. The numerical experiment suggests that the main source of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs has been global fallout, although there have been some potential sources in the Japan Sea.     

SST Availabilities of Satellite Infrared and Microwave Measurements

To investigate the feasibility and methodology of new generation sea surface temperature (SST) maps that combine various satellite measurements, we have quantitatively evaluated SST availabilities of NOAA AVHRR (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer), GMS S-VISSR (Geostationary Meteorological Satellite, Stretched-Visible Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer) and TRMM MI (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, Microwave Imager: TMI), during the one-year period from October 1999 to September 2000. The advantage of satellite microwave SST measurements is the ability to penetrate the clouds that contaminate satellite infrared measurements. Daily SST availabilities were calculated in the overlapping coverage from 20°N to 38°N and 120°E to 160°E. The annual-mean SST availabilities of AVHRR, S-VISSR and TMI are 48%, 56% and 78%, respectively. There are large seasonal variations in the availabilities of infrared measurements. The latitude-time plots of one-degree zonal mean SST availabilities of S-VISSR and TMI in the region from 38°S to 38°N and 80°E to 160°W show significant zonal variations, which are influenced by the atmospheric circulation such as the Subtropical High and the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The SST availabilities of S-VISSR and TMI in the five selected regions have large regional variations, ranging from 35% to 74% and 62% to 88% for S-VISSR and TMI, respectively. The present statistical analyses of SST availabilities in the infrared and microwave measurements indicate that 1) a daily cloud-free high-spatial resolution may be achieved by merging various SST measurements since their deficiencies compensate each other, and 2) nevertheless, it is necessary to take account of the seasonal and regional variations of SST availabilities of different satellite sensors for the development of merging technology. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Merging satellite infrared and microwave SSTs: Methodology and evaluation of the new SST

The Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) requires the availability of a global analyzed SST field with high-resolution in space (at least 10 km) and time (at least 24 hours). The new generation SST products would be based on the merging of SSTs from various satellites data and in situ measurements. The merging of satellite infrared and microwave SST data is investigated in this paper. After pre-processing of the individual satellite data, objective analysis was applied to merge the SST data from NOAA AVHRR (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer), GMS S-VISSR (Geostationary Meteorological Satellite, Stretched-Visible Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer), TRMM MI (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, Microwave Imager: TMI) and VIRS (Visible and Infrared Scanner). The 0.05° daily cloud-free SST products were generated in three regions, viz., the Kuroshio region, the Asia-Pacific Region and the Pacific, during one-year period of October 1999 to September 2000. Comparisons of the merged SSTs with Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) buoy SSTs show that, with considerable error sources from individual satellite data and merging procedure, an accuracy of 0.95 K is achieved. The results demonstrate the practicality and advantages of merging SST measurements from various satellite sensors.     

The sea surface temperature product algorithm of the Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (OCTS) and its accuracy

The Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (OCTS) aboard the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) can observe ocean color and sea surface temperature (SST) simultaneously. This paper explains the algorithm for the OCTS SST product in the NASDA OCTS mission. In the development of the latest, third version (V3) algorithm, the OCTS match-up dataset plays an important role, especially when the coefficients required in the MCSST equation are derived and the equation form is adjusted. As a result of the validation using the OCTS match-up dataset, the algorithm has improved the root mean square (rms) error of the OCTS SST up to 0.698°C although some problems remain in the match-up dataset used in the present study.     

Preface

ADEOS-II Ocean: Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-II Ocean

Preface     

Surface heat fluxes during hot events

We selected surface flux datasets to investigate the heat fluxes during “hot events”; (HEs), defined as short-term, large-scale phenomena involving very high sea surface temperature (SST). Validation of the heat fluxes against in-situ ones, which are estimated from in-situ observation in HE sampling conditions, shows the accuracies (bias ± RMS error) of net shortwave radiation, net long wave radiation, latent heat and sensible heat fluxes are 20 ± 45.0 W m⁻², −9 ± 12.3 W m⁻², −2.3 ± 31.5 W m⁻² and 1.5 ± 5.0 W m⁻², respectively. Statistical analyses of HEs show that, during these events, net solar radiation remains high and then decreases from 246 to 220 W m⁻², while latent heat is low and then increases from 100 W m⁻² to 124 W m⁻². Histogram peaks indicate net solar radiation of 270 W m⁻² and latent heat flux of 90 W m⁻² during HEs. Further, HEs are shown to evolve in three phases: formation, mature, and ending phases. Mean heat gain (HG) in the HE formation phase of 60 W m⁻² is larger than the reasonably estimated annual mean HG range of 0–25 W m⁻² in the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool. Such large daily HG in the HE formation phase can be expected to increase SSTs and produce large amplitudes of diurnal SST variations during HEs, which have been observed by both satellite and in-situ measurements in our previous studies.     

Research and development of the New Generation Sea Surface Temperature for Open Ccean (NGSST-O) product and its demonstration operation

Real-time generation and distribution of the New Generation Sea Surface Temperature for Open Ocean (NGSST-O) product began in September 2003 as a demonstration operation of the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) High-Resolution Sea Surface Temperature Pilot Project. Satellite sea surface temperature (SST) observations from infrared radiometers (AVHRR, MODIS) and a microwave radiometer (AMSR-E) are objectively merged to generate the NGSST-O product, which is a quality-controlled, cloud-free, high-spatial-resolution (0.05° gridded), wide-coverage (13–63° N, 116–166° E), daily SST digital map. The NGSST-O demonstration operation system has been developed in cooperation with the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and has produced six years of continuous data without gaps. Comparison to in situ SSTs measured by drifting buoys indicates that the root mean-square error of NGSST-O has been kept at approximately 0.9°C.