日本地震预警系统在2011年3月11日地震中的效能、不足与改进

自2007年10月以来,成熟的公共紧急地震速报(earthquake early warning,EEW)系统(国内称为地震预警系统)在日本得到应用。2011年日本东北近海(Tohokuoki)地震和海啸(也被称为3·11)发生时,震中附近的几百万人在最严重的振动发生前约15~20s,收到了地震预警(EEW)信息,同时更多周边地区的人在不太严重的振动开始前,有更多的预警时间。这些人中大约90%能够预先采取行动拯救自己及其家庭成员的生命,或根据事先计划采取其他措施,有些行为措施是基于对警报的直观反应。如此高的效率,取决于学校及社会中关于EEW系统知识的教育。尽管EEW系统存在着一些不足,但其有效性促使日本加密现有的地震与海啸监测台网。该台网在日本东部近海岛弧有约150个台站,并提供一个特殊的终端,使EEW系统更进一步应用在超过53 000名学生的学校中。当前对其分析和发布方案的改进也正在进行中。     

A near-infrared survey of Miras and the distance to the Galactic Centre

We report the results of a near-infrared survey for long-period variables in a field of view of 20× 30 arcmin² towards the Galactic Centre (GC). We have detected 1364 variables, of which 348 are identified with those reported in Glass et al. We present a catalogue and photometric measurements for the detected variables and discuss their nature. We also establish a method for the simultaneous estimation of distances and extinctions using the period–luminosity relations for the JHK _s bands. Our method is applicable to Miras with periods in the range 100–350 d and mean magnitudes available in two or more filter bands. While J band means are often unavailable for our objects because of the large extinction, we estimated distances and extinctions for 143 Miras whose H - and   K _s  -band mean magnitudes are obtained. We find that most are located at the same distance to within our accuracy. Assuming that the barycentre of these Miras corresponds to the GC, we estimate its distance modulus to be  14.58 ± 0.02 (stat.) ± 0.11 (syst.) mag  , corresponding to  8.24 ± 0.08 (stat.) ± 0.42 (syst.) kpc  . We have assumed the distance modulus to the Large Magellanic Cloud to be 18.45 mag, and the uncertainty in this quantity is included in the above systematic error. We also discuss the large and highly variable extinction. Its value ranges from 1.5 mag to larger than 4 mag in     except towards the thicker dark nebulae and it varies in a complicated way with the line of sight. We have identified mid-infrared counterparts in the Spitzer /IRAC catalogue of Ramírez et al. for most of our variables and find that they follow rather narrow period–luminosity relations in the 3.6–8.0 μm wavelength range.     

Turbulent Airflow and Wave-Induced Stress Over the Ocean

We examine the structure of turbulent airflow over ocean waves. Based on an analysis of wind and wave observations derived from a moored and floating Air–Sea Interaction Spar buoy during the Shoaling Waves Experiment field campaign, we show that the cospectra of momentum flux for wind–sea conditions follow established universal scaling laws. Under swell-dominant conditions, the wave boundary layer is extended and the universal cospectral scaling breaks down, as demonstrated previously. On the other hand, the use of peak wave frequency to reproduce the universal cospectra successfully explains the structure of the turbulent flow field. We quantify the wave-coherent component of the airflow and this clarifies how ocean waves affect momentum transfer through the wave boundary layer. In fact, the estimated wave-induced stresses for swell-dominant conditions explain the anomalous cospectral shapes observed near the peak wave frequency.     

Thermal Energy Balance Analysis of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area Using a Mesoscale Meteorological Model Incorporating an Urban Canopy Model

The summer climate around the Tokyo metropolitan area has been analysed on an urban scale, and the regional characteristics of the thermal energy balance of a bayside business district in the centre of Tokyo (Otemachi) have been compared with an inland residential district (Nerima), using a mesoscale meteorological model incorporating an urban canopy model. From the results of the analysis, the mechanism of diurnal change in air temperature and absolute humidity in these areas is quantitatively demonstrated, with a focus on the thermal energy balance. Moreover, effective countermeasures against urban heat-islands are considered from the viewpoint of each region’s thermal energy balance characteristics. In addition to thermal energy outflux by turbulent diffusion, advection by sea-breezes from Tokyo Bay discharges sensible heat in Otemachi. This mitigates temperature increases during the day. On the other hand, because all sea-breezes must first cross the centre of Tokyo, it has less of a cooling effect in Nerima. As a result, the air temperature during the day in Nerima is higher than that in Otemachi.     

Mantle hornblendites of Naein ophiolite (Central Iran): Evidence of deep high temperature hydrothermal metasomatism in an upper mantle section

The Naein ophiolite is the most complete ophiolitic exposure in Cental Iran and considered as a remnant of the Mesozoic Central East Iranian microcontinent (CEIM) confining oceanic crust. In the northeastern part of this ophiolite (Darreh Deh area) within the mantle peridotites, a few hundred meters below the top of the Moho transition zone (MTZ), the hornblendites are present as dykes (former cracks and joints) from a few millimeters to nearly 50 cm wide. They have sharp boundaries with the surrounding mantle harzburgites and dunites. These hornblendites are pale green and coarse-grained in hand specimen and composed of magnesio-hornblende (Mg# = 0.93), chlorite (penninite and clinochlore, Mg# = 0.95), Cr-spinel (chromite, Cr# = 0.67 and Mg# = 0.55), tremolite, calcite and dolomite. Tremolites were formed by retrograde metamorphism of hornblendes. Calcite and dolomite occur as late-stage veins. Very high amount of primary hydrous phases (~94 vol % hornblende and chlorite), as well as peculiar mineralogical and chemical characteristics of the Naein ophiolite mantle hornblendites, do not match a magmatic origin. They are possibly products of the reaction between mantle peridotites and seawater-originated supercritical fluids, rich in silicate components. The presence of primary hydrous phases (hornblende and chlorite) may reveal high activity of H₂O in the involved solution. The chemical composition of chromite in the hornblendites is near to the average chromite composition from the surrounding harzburgite and dunite. This suggests that the main source of Cr should be chromites of nearby peridotites, which were totally or partly dissolved by hydrothermal fluids. The positive anomaly of Eu in the chondrite-normalized REE patterns of hornblendes, high modal abundance of Ca-rich hornblende, as well as presence of calcite and dolomite, point to seawater ingression through the gabbros in to the uppermost mantle peridotites. The higher value of MgO than CaO, presence of high-Cr chromite and Cr-enrichment of hornblendes and chlorites indicate a higher contribution of peridotites rather than gabbros to the chemical characteristics of the involved fluids. This study shows that circulation of possibly seawater-derived high temperature hydrous fluids in the upper mantle can leach and provide necessary elements to form hornblendite in joints and cracks of the uppermost mantle.     

New Nodosaurid Dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Lishui, Zhejiang Province, China

A new genus and species of nodosaurid dinosaur： Zhejiangosaurus lishuiensis gen. et sp. nov. is erected herein. It is characterized by the sacrum consisting of at least three true sacral vertebrae, 5 caudal dorsal vertebrae fused to form the presacral rod, wide divergence of long slender preacetabular process of the ilium from the middle line of the body, and the fourth trochanter located at the femoral mid-length.     

Reply to the Discussion by John Nott on ‘Coarse‐sand beach ridges at Cowley Beach,north‐eastern Australia: Their formative processes and potential as records of tropical cyclone history’ by Tamura et al. (2018), Sedimentology,65, 721–744

Tamura et al. (2018) refined our understanding of formative processes that have resulted in a series of coarse‐sand beach ridges at Cowley Beach in north‐eastern Australia. Nott (2018) claimed that there are several shortcomings in the findings Tamura et al. (2018) presented. However, his criticism mostly derived from his misunderstanding of the data and discussion presented in Tamura et al. (2018), which thus should be clarified here. This reply also reiterates how his method for estimating the magnitude of past tropical cyclones from beach ridges is inconsistent with our observations of beach morphology and beach‐ridge formative processes.     

A complete introduction to the SCJ proposal and its commentary on the development of seismically resilient cities

In modern society, the population, wealth and social functions are increasingly concentrated in a few large cities. Such concentration brings about efficiency while at the same time it increases the vulnerability of the society. To address this issue, the Science Council of Japan (SCJ) published a proposal entitled “Shape Cities and Societies Safer against Severe Earthquakes”. It makes a variety of suggestions for enhancing the seismic resilience of large cities, including: (1) comprehensive thinking based on the latest scientific knowledge and rich imagination; (2) selection of sites suitable for residence and social activities; (3) introducing the urban seismic coefficient; (4) promoting the enhancement of the seismic performance of buildings and civil structures; (5) easing the concentration of population and functions; (6) building communities that enable shelter and escape; (7) resilient technology of information and communication system and its effective utilization; (8) preparation and implementation of emergency response after earthquakes; (9) development and application of new structural seismic technology; (10) learning from domestic and foreign earthquake disasters and launching of international cooperation and knowledge sharing and (11) taking actions from a multidisciplinary perspective. The proposal is introduced in this paper.     

A simple approach to the high-redshift sub-millimeter galaxies

We aim at understanding the statistical properties of luminous sub-millimeter (submm) galaxies (SMGs) in the context of cosmological structure formation. By utilizing a cosmological N-body simulation to calculate the distribution of dark halos in the Universe, we consider the dust enrichment in individual halos by Type II supernovae (SNe II). The SN II rate is estimated under a star formation activity which is assumed to occur on a dynamical timescale in the dark matter potential. Our simple framework successfully explains the luminosity function, the typical star formation rate, and the typical dust mass of an observational SMG sample at z～3. We also examine the clustering properties of SMGs, since a positive cross correlation between SMGs and Lyα emitters (LAEs) is indeed observed by a recent observation. In the simulation, we select SMGs by FIR dust luminosity >10¹² L _⊙, while LAEs are chosen such that the age and the virial mass are consistent with the observed LAE properties. The SMGs and LAEs selected in this way show a spatial cross correlation whose strength is consistent with the observation. This confirms that the SMGs really trace the most clustered regions at z～3 and that their luminosities can be explained by the dust accumulation as a result of their star formation activities. We extend our prediction to higher redshifts, finding that a statistical sample of submm galaxies at z≥6 can be obtained by ALMA with a 100 arcmin² survey. With the same survey, a few submm galaxies at z～10 may be detected.