Interpretation from large-scale shake table tests on piles undergoing lateral spreading in liquefied soils

Results from a benchmark test on full-scale piles are used to investigate the response of piles to lateral spreading. In the experiment, two single piles, a relatively flexible pile that moves together with the surrounding soil and a relatively stiff pile that does not follow the ground movement have been subjected to large post-liquefaction ground displacement simulating piles in laterally spreading soils. The observed response of the piles is first presented and then the results are used to examine the lateral loads on the pile from a non-liquefied soil at the ground surface and to evaluate the stiffness characteristics of the spreading soils. The measured ultimate lateral pressure from the crust soil on the stiff pile was about 4.5 times the Rankine passive pressure. The back-calculated stiffness of the liquefied soil was found to be in the range between 1/30 and 1/80 of the initial stiffness of the soil showing gradual decrease in the course of lateral spreading.     

Unusual dark clasts in the Vigarano CV3 carbonaceous chondrite: Record of parent body process

Abstract— Two unusual dark clasts found in the Vigarano CV3 chondrite were examined using an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Both clasts lack chondrules, Ca-Al-rich inclusions, and coarse-grained mineral fragments; they, instead, contain abundant inclusions that consist of fine grains (<1 μm) of homogeneous Fe-rich olivine, thus resembling the fine-grained variety of dark inclusions in CV3 chondrites. The external shapes of inclusions in the clasts bear a close resemblance to those of chondrules and chondrule fragments; some of the inclusions are surrounded by dark rims similar to chondrule rims. Our SEM observations reveal the following unusual characteristics: 1) the inclusions are not mere random aggregates of olivine grains but have peculiar internal textures, that is, assemblages of round or oval shaped outlines, which are suggestive of pseudomorphs after porphyritic olivine chondrules; 2) one of thick inclusion rims contains a network of vein-like strings of elongated olivine grains; 3) an Fe-Ni metal aggregate in one of the clasts has an Fe-, Ni-, S-rich halo suggesting a reaction between its precursor and the surrounding matrix; and 4) olivine in the clasts commonly shows a swirly, fibrous texture similar to that of phyllosilicate. These characteristics suggest that the dark clasts in Vigarano are not primary aggregates of dust in the solar nebula but were affected by aqueous alteration and subsequent dehydration by heating after accretion to the meteorite parent body. The fine olivine grains in these clasts were presumably produced by thermal transformation of phyllosilicate, as is the case with those in the two thermally metamorphosed Antarctic CM chondrites, Belgica-7904 and Yamato-86720. From textural and mineralogical similarities, some of the dark inclusions and clasts previously reported from CV3 chondrites and other types of meteorites may have origins common with these clasts in Vigarano.     

Cretaceous granitoids and their zircon U–Pb ages across the south‐central part of the Abukuma Highland,Japan

Zircons separated from Cretaceous granitoids are dated from a south‐central transect of the Abukuma metamorphic and granitic terrane. The zircon ages do not follow ‘older’ and ‘younger’ granitoid ages that are used conventionally. In the western part of the study area (Zones I, II and III) where the Takanuki and Gosaisho metamorphic rocks are exposed, the Iritono quartz dioritic stock intruding the greenschist facies rocks in Zone III exhibits the oldest age of 121 Ma in the studied region. Quartz diorite located northward shows 112 Ma, but the other four granitoids intruding into the Takanuki and Gosaisho metamorphic rocks are younger and 103–99 Ma. Two‐mica and biotite granites belong to the youngest age group of 99 Ma. The granitic activities of both the Abukuma and Ryoke belts were initiated by intrusion of quartz dioritic magmas and were ended by two‐mica granite activity. The ages of the eastern two batholiths vary from 110 to 106 Ma (four samples), and show no age common to the Kitakami granitoids farther to the north. Throughout the Japanese Islands arc, Cretaceous granitic activities became younger toward the marginal sea side from the Kitakami Mountains, to the Abukuma Highland, and the Ryoke Belt, then to the Sanin belt of the Inner Zone of Southwest Japan.     

Oxygen Isotopic Compositions of the Cape Ashizuri Granitoids in Southwest Japan

Oxygen isotopic composition was determined on representative samples of the Cape Ashizuri plutonic rocks, in order to estimate the genetic background of the biotite granite and alkaline granitoids. The biotite granite (70.1–76.1% SiO₂) ranged from 8.61 to 9.30‰ δ¹⁸O and averaged as 8.9‰ δ¹⁸O (n = 3), which is much smaller than the same Miocene granitoids of the Okueyama (avg. 10.1‰) and Takakumayama (11.6‰) granitic bodies, which are associated with tin mineralization. Among the alkaline granitoids, quartz syenites also have values as low as 7.14–8.70‰, with an average of 8.0‰ (n = 3), and monzonite and gabbro vary from 6.14 to 7.86‰, with an average of 7.0‰ (n = 3). These alkaline granitoids may be lower crustal in origin. The gabbroids containing 12.5% MgO at the maximum with low Sr initial ratio, are considered to be derived from the upper mantle through the fore‐arc tectonic break‐up on the subducting slab.     

Comparative Studies of the Petrochemistry of Sn–W‐Mineralized Granitoids: Continent vs. Island Arc

Granitic rocks obtained during field excursions of the famed mineralized regions of the Erzgebirge, Germany (mainly tin‐bearing), and South China (mainly tungsten‐bearing) have been geochemically analyzed and their results are compared with similar (mainly tungsten‐bearing) granites in the island‐arc setting of Southwest Japan. The studied granitoids all belong to the ilmenite‐series. The collision‐related Erzgebirge granitoids are rich in K₂O and P₂O_5, have high A/CNK ratios (1.11–1.24, i.e. S type), but are also high in Ga/Al ratio (i.e., having some A‐type characteristics). In South China, the Xihuashan granites, in contrast, are very low in P₂O₅, and have A/CNK slightly above 1.0 (1.01–1.05), indicative of I type granites. The (Sn‐) W‐related granites of southwest Japan have similarly low P₂O₅ and A/CNK ratios, indicative also of I‐type. Both in the Xihuashan and southwest Japan, the tungsten‐related granites have high whole‐rock δ¹⁸O values implying involvement of W‐rich crustal rocks. Sn and W contents of the unaltered granites are lowest in the island‐arc setting where the related Sn–W deposits are smallest in size relative to the collision and continental margin settings of the Erzgebirge and South China.     

Deformation and seismic precursors to dome-collapse and fountain-collapse nuées ardentes at Merapi Volcano, Java, Indonesia, 1994–1998

Following the eruption of January 1992, episodes of lava dome growth accompanied by generation of dome-collapse nuées ardentes occurred in 1994–1998. In addition, nuées ardentes were generated by fountain-collapse in January 1997, and the 1998 events also suggest an explosive component. Significant tilt and seismic precursors on varying time scales preceded these events. Deformation about the summit has been detected by electronic tiltmeters since November 1992, with inflation corresponding generally to lava dome growth, and deflation (or decreased inflation) corresponding to loss of dome mass. Strong short-term (days to weeks) accelerations in tilt rate and seismicity occurred prior to the major nuées ardentes episodes, apart from those of 22 November 1994 which were preceded by steadily increasing tilt for over 200 days but lacked short-term precursors. Because of the combination of populated hazardous areas and the lack of an issued warning, about 100 casualties occurred in 1994. In contrast, the strong precursors in 1997 and 1998 provided advance warning to observatory scientists, enabled the stepped raising of alert levels, and aided hazard management. As a result of these factors, but also the fortunate fact that the large nuées ardentes did not quite descend into populated areas, no casualties occurred. The nuée ardente episode of 1994 is interpreted as purely due to gravitational collapse, whereas those of 1997 and 1998 were influenced by gas-pressurization of the lava dome.     

Three-year investigations into sperm whale-fall ecosystems in Japan

We report the first study of sperm whale‐fall ecosystems, based on mass sinking of whale carcasses at shelf depths in the northwest Pacific. We conducted three observations over a 2‐year period on replicate sperm‐whale carcasses implanted at depths of 219–254 m off the southern part of Japan from July 2003 to August 2005. The study was made possible by a mass stranding of sperm whales in January 2002, and the subsequent sinking of 12 carcasses in the waters off Cape Nomamisaki. Dense aggregations of unique chemosynthesis‐based fauna had formed around the whale carcasses after 18 months (July 2003). The mytilid mussel Adipicola pacifica was the most abundant macrofaunal species and covered most of the exposed bone surfaces. The general composition of the fauna was similar to that of deep‐water reducing habitats, but none of the species appearing in this study has been found at hydrothermal vents, cold seeps or deep‐water whale falls. A new species of lancelet, which was the first record of the subphylum Cephalochordata from reducing environments, a new species of Osedax; a rarely encountered benthic ctenophore, and a rare gastropod species were discovered at this sperm whale‐fall site. Benthic communities were similar across all the carcasses studied, although the body sizes of the whales were very different. The succession of epifaunal communities was relatively rapid and the sulphophilic stage was considerably shorter than that of other known whale falls.     

Chemical Evolution of Zircons in the Paleogene Naegi Granite,Central Japan

The chemical composition of zircons from S‐ and I‐type ilmenite‐series granitic rocks in the Chubu district is summarized based upon recent electron probe microanalysis. Zircons in S‐type Busetsu granite of the Ryoke Metamorphic Belt have a homogeneous composition with minimum impurities, whereas those of I‐type Naegi granite in the non‐metamorphic Sanyo Belt are enriched in Hf, Y, REE, Th and U along the crystal rims. Similar enrichment has been observed in a variety of zircon called Naegite. These minor components are concentrated in the F‐rich fluid phase of residual melts of the Naegi granite magma, and are crystallized in pegmatites during the latest magmatic stage. High values of Nb and Ta in some Naegite reported previously are attributed to micro‐inclusion of fergusonite.     

Unique Geochemistry of Sedimentary Iron Deposit Formed by Biologically Induced Mineralization

Abstract: Major, trace, and rare earth element contents were determined for sedimentary iron ores from the Gunma iron deposit. The deposit was precipitated from a spring water on the hillside of the active Kusatsu-Shirane Volcano. The ores are mainly composed of goethite and jarosite with various proportions of silicified andesitic detritus. Microbial fossils are often preserved well in goethite-rich ores. Goethite was likely precipitated by both inorganic and biogenic (biologically induced mineralization; BIM) processes, whereas jarosite was precipitated inorganically from the spring water. Si, Ti, Al, Mn, Mg, Ca, Na, Co, Rb, Y, Zr, Nb, Hf, Ta, U, and middle-heavy REEs (Sm-Lu) in the ores are dominantly derived from a detrital component (silicified andesitic rocks). On the other hand, Zn and V are likely to have been inorganically coprecipitated with goethite. Preferential uptake of P, Sc, Cu, Mo, Ba, Th, and light REEs occurs in the BIM ores. Unique enrichment of these elements is a promising indicator of biomineralization for ancient sedimentary iron deposits.