A new climatology of the Okhotsk Sea derived from the FERHRI database

This paper introduces a new hydrographic climatology of the Okhotsk Sea; this climatology was constructed from the Far Eastern Regional Hydrometeorological Research Institute (FERHRI) database. The FERHRI database has a volume of data three to five times larger than the data used in previous studies because unpublished Russian observation data have been included in the FERHRI database. After removing erroneous data from the database by pertinent quality control methods, the climatology for 1/4°?×?1/4° grids is produced by applying objective analysis procedures. Features similar to those in previous studies are seen in the intermediate layers in the Okhotsk Sea, whereas our climatology provides values that fill in gaps in previous climatologies. It is obvious from the monthly climatologies that temperature and salinity distributions evolve in accordance with seasonal variations in the Eastern Sakhalin Current and inflow from the North Pacific. We also reconstructed climatologies for the winter mixed layer and dense shelf water from data obtained from the temperature minimum waters identified as the remnants of these two layers. Free access to the 1°?×?1° versions of all climatologies constructed in this study is available through the website.     

Changes in magnetic and fractal properties of fractured granites near the Nojima Fault, Japan

Abstract Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) has been used to infer finite strain fabrics in plastically deformed rocks, but there are few studies of magnetic properties in fractured fault rocks. Changes in magnetic and fractal properties of fractured granites from the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University (DPRI) 500 m drilling core towards the Nojima Fault and of the well-foliated fault gouge are described. Fractal analysis of fractured granites shows that the fractal dimension ( D ) increases linearly toward the gouge zone of the fault. In weakly fractured granites ( D = 1.05–1.24), it was found that the degree of AMS correlates positively with the fractal dimension, suggesting a fracture-related magnetic fabric due to fracturing. In strongly fractured granites ( D = 1.25–1.50), weaker, nearly isotropic AMS is found, suggesting erasure by the fragmentation of the magnetic minerals. Within the fault gouge zone, an isotropic AMS fabric was found, as well as twofold increases in magnetic intensity and susceptibility. These changes reflect the production of new magnetite grains, subsequently confirmed by hysteresis studies, which suggests that fault gouge might be regarded as the source of the regional geomagnetic field contrast along active faults. Thus, AMS is clearly a potentially useful tool for inferring the fracturing texture of magnetic minerals in fractured rocks and detecting active faults from the high susceptibility contrast of fault gouge.     

Evolutionary computations of the early-type contact binary SV Centauri

Evolutionary models of the early-type contact binary SV Centauri are recalculated with contact condition taken into account. Two types of the contact condition are employed in the contact phase. With the initial masses of 13.4 and 7.0M for the component stars, the observed features such as the rate of mass transfer, the degree of contact, and the positions of both components in the H-R diagram can be reproduced. In agreement with the conclusion given in the previous paper (Nakamuraet al., 1978), this indicates that the binary system SV Cen is actually in the rapid phase of mass transfer preceding the reversal of the mass ratio.In contrast to the steadily increasing character of the rate of mass transfer shown in the previous paper, however, the rate of mass transfer suddenly turns to decrease as soon as the system evolves into the contact phase. This decreasing character continues until the rate drops to a minimum. In such contact phase the radius of the primary component remains almost unchanged, the secondary component increases its radius slowly, and the degree of contact increases in a definite way. Except a slight difference in the degree of contact evaluated, the use of different expressions for the contact condition does not produce practically any appreciable difference in the results.     

Combining IR and X‐ray microtomography data sets: Application to Itokawa particles and to Paris meteorite

In the near future, a new generation of sample return missions (Hayabusa2, OSIRIS‐REx, MMX, etc.) will collect samples from small solar system bodies. To maximize the scientific outcome of laboratory studies and minimize the loss of precious extraterrestrial samples, an analytical sequence from less destructive to more destructive techniques needs to be established. In this work, we present a combined X‐ray and IR microtomography applied to five Itokawa particles and one fragment of the primitive carbonaceous chondrite Paris. We show that this analytical approach is able to provide a 3‐D physical and chemical characterization of individual extraterrestrial particles, using the measurement of their 3‐D structure and porosity, and the detection of mineral and organic phases, and their spatial co‐localization in 3‐D. We propose these techniques as an efficient first step in a multitechnique analytical sequence on microscopic samples collected by space missions.     

The effect of YORP on Itokawa

The effect of solar radiation on the near-term rotation rate of Asteroid Itokawa via the YORP effect is predicted using the detailed shape model, rotation pole, mass estimate, and optical properties derived from the Hayabusa mission to Itokawa. Based on these estimates Itokawa is decelerating at a rate which will halve its rotation rate in only 50-90 thousand years, a large deceleration that should be detectable in a future appartion. The implications of such a large deceleration for Itokawa's past history are discussed and related to possible seismic shaking.     

Alkali (Rb/K) abundances in Allende barred-olivine chondrules: Implications for the melting conditions of chondrules

Abstract— In order to study abundances of alkali metals in chondrules, 25 petrographically characterized chondrules, including 18 barred olivine (BO) chondrules from the Allende (CV3) meteorite, were analyzed for alkalis (K and Rb) and alkaline earths (Sr, Ba, Ca and Mg) by mass spectrometric isotope dilution. Most BO chondrules with higher alkalis (>CI level) have nearly CI-chondritic Rb/K ratios, while those with lower alkalis clearly show higher Rb/K ratios than the CI-chondritic. In general, BO chondrules with higher Rb/K exhibit more depletion of alkalis relative to Ca. The mean olivine Fa for individual chondrules positively correlates with bulk alkali concentrations in BO type but not in porphyritic type chondrules. These observations suggest that some BO chondrules formed from more reducing assemblages of precursor minerals, which experienced more intensive vaporization losses of alkalis, accompanied by Rb/K fractionation, during the chondrule-formation melting.     

Test of the extrapolation method for the numerical integration of the Keplerian motion

Two extrapolation methods (Gragg's method and GBS method) were tested for the numerical integration of the Keplerian motion. The tests cleared that the Gragg's method is better for the orbit computation and is 1) easy to control, 2) highly accurate, 3) tough, 4) economic, and 5) very flexible against the close encounter.     

Terrestrial heat flow around the aseismic front of the Japanese Island Arc

Very few data on heat flow are available in the area around the aseismic front of the Japanese Islands. In order to remedy this situation, measurements of the terrestrial heat flow were made at three locations in the eastern part of Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Honshu, Japan. The observed values of heat flow were 37 mW/m² (0.88 μcal/cm²·s) at Soma, 52 mW/m² (1.25 μcal/cm²·s) at Kashima and 19 mW/m² (0.46 μcal/cm²·s) at Naraha, respectively. These data partially fill the gaps in the terrestrial heat flow data on land in northeastern Honshu, Japan. These values are considerably lower than the average heat flow over the world, but agree well with the previous estimation for the area.