Incessant excitation of the Earth's free oscillations: global comparison of superconducting gravimeter records

Records of superconducting gravimeters (SGs) at Canberra (Australia), Esashi (Japan), Metsähovi (Finland) and Syowa Stations (Antarctica) were analyzed to search for further evidence of background free oscillations of the Earth. Spectrograms for 1-year period and averaged power spectra for seismically quiet periods were obtained for each of the stations. Anomalous features of the oscillations observed at Syowa Station, such as an apparent seasonal variation and a high intensity at frequencies between 3 and 4 mHz, were absent at the other SG stations. Among the SG stations used in this study, the background free oscillations were detected most consistently and distinctly at Canberra, where the noise level was comparable to that at the IDA quietest station, while that at Syowa Station was close to the critical limit for detecting the oscillations. The background free oscillations provide a good reference to evaluate the noise level in the milliHertz band.     

Iron–bentonite interactions in the Kawasaki bentonite deposit,Zao area,Japan

Greenish veins occurring in brecciated bentonite were found in the Kawasaki bentonite deposit of the Zao region in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Their occurrence possibly indicates the interaction of bentonite with Fe-rich hydrothermal solutions. In order to prove the hypothesis and understand the long-term mineralogical and petrographic evolution of bentonite during such interactions, the greenish veins and the surrounding altered bentonite were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA), scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersed spectroscopy (STEM-EDS) and micro X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES). The greenish veins resulting from hydrothermal solution are composed of mixed-layer minerals consisting of smectite and glauconite (glaucony), pyrite and opal. The occurrences indicate that glaucony and pyrite formed almost simultaneously from hydrothermal solution prior to opal precipitation. The mineral assemblages of the greenish veins and their surroundings indicate that the hydrothermal activity had most likely taken place at a temperature of less than 100 °C and that the pH and Eh conditions of the reacted solution were neutral to alkaline pH and reducing. The unaltered bentonite is composed mainly of Al smectite and opal. These minerals coexist as a mixture within the resolution level of the microprobe analyses. On the other hand, the bentonite in contact with the greenish veins consists of discrete opal grains and dioctahedral Al smectite containing Fe and was altered mineralogically and petrographically by the hydrothermal activity. Both the clay minerals and the opal were formed by dissolution and subsequent precipitation from the interaction of the original bentonite with the hydrothermal solution.     

Postglacial anthropogenic fires related to cultural changes in central Japan,inferred from sedimentary charcoal records spanning glacial–interglacial cycles

We examined long-term charcoal records spanning the glacial–interglacial cycles that are evident in two cores collected from Lake Biwa in central Japan. We found that the records of the two cores have a similar long-term variation pattern of charcoal concentrations and abundant large charcoal fragments in postglacial sediments, which indicates that frequent fires occurred near the shores of Lake Biwa during the postglacial period. Analogous natural conditions in the early postglacial period and the early part of the last interglacial period strongly suggest that the frequent fires that occurred only during the postglacial period were anthropogenic. A comparison between the charcoal records of Lake Biwa sediments and the cultural changes and human populations in this district suggests that anthropogenic fires in this district were influenced by the lifestyle and culture of each era rather than by the populations. Humans tended to use more fire at the start of the settlement during the early Neolithic era in this region, in spite of the small population size.     

Assessing land-use and carbon stock in slash-and-burn ecosystems in tropical mountain of Laos based on time-series satellite images

In the tropical mountains of Southeast Asia, slash-and-burn (S/B) agriculture is a widely practiced and important food production system. The ecosystem carbon stock in this land-use is linked not only to the carbon exchange with the atmosphere but also with food and resource security. The objective of this study was to provide quantitative information on the land-use and ecosystem carbon stock in the region as well as to infer the impacts of alternative land-use and ecosystem management scenarios on the carbon sequestration potential at a regional scale. The study area was selected in a typical slash-and-burn region in the northern part of Laos. The chrono-sequential changes of land-use such as the relative areas of community age and cropping (C) + fallow (F) patterns were derived from the analysis of time-series satellite images. The chrono-sequential analysis showed that a consistent increase of S/B area during the past three decades and a rapid increase after 1990. Approximately 37% of the whole area was with the community age of 1–5 years, whereas 10% for 6–10 years in 2004. The ecosystem carbon stock at a regional scale was estimated by synthesizing the land-use patterns and semi-empirical carbon stock model derived from in situ measurements where the community age was used as a clue to the linkage. The ecosystem carbon stock in the region was strongly affected by the land-use patterns; the temporal average of carbon stock in 1C + 10F cycles, for example, was greater by 33 MgC ha⁻¹ compared to that in 1C + 2F land-use pattern. The amount of carbon lost from the regional ecosystems during 1990–2004 periods was estimated to be 42 MgC ha⁻¹. The study approach proved to be useful especially in such regions with low data-availability and accessibility. This study revealed the dynamic change of land-use and ecosystem carbon stock in the tropical mountain of Laos as affected by land-use. Results suggest the significant potential of carbon sequestration through changing land-use and ecosystem management scenarios. These quantitative estimates would be useful to better understand and manage the land-use and ecosystem carbon stock towards higher sustainability and food security in similar ecosystems.     

Integrated vegetation classification and mapping using remote sensing and GIS techniques

1INTRODUCTIONResearchonglobalenvironmentalchange,especiallyglobalvegetationchange,hasbeenmoreandmoreemphasizedbyscientistsandgovernments.HoWever,theinvestigationofvegetationcoveredinlargeareaneedagreatdealoffundandlaal.Asthesatelliteremotesensingdatahavebeenavailablesinceearly1980s,thesedataarebeingemployedtowardstOtheimprovementofvegetationclassification.NOAA--AVHRRdatahavebeenmoreandmoreusedbyscientistsbecauseOfitsshorttemPOralrefution,largescope,inexpensivecostandbreadwavebands.On…     

CaPtO3 as a novel post-perovskite oxide

Structural, morphological, magnetic, and thermal properties have been investigated for a novel post-perovskite oxide CaPtO₃ synthesized under high pressure. By comparing obtained structural parameters with those for known post-perovskite compounds, we argue that the chemical bond has a strong covalent character. Precise measurements of the Langevin susceptibility χ ₀ = −9.6 × 10⁻⁵ emu/mol and Debye temperature θ ∼ 470 K provide a good opportunity to confirm the reliability of first-principle calculations on predicting physical properties of the Earth’s D” layer.     

Selective detection of Fe and Mn species at mineral surfaces in weathered granite by conversion electron yield X-ray absorption fine structure

A new method for the speciation of Fe and Mn at mineral surfaces is proposed using X-ray absorption fine structure in conversion electron yield mode (CEY-XAFS). This method generally reflects information on the species at the sub-μm scale from the particle surface due to the limited escape depth of the inelastic Auger electron. The surface sensitivity of this method was assessed by experiments on two samples of granite showing different degrees of weathering. The XANES spectra of the Fe-K and Mn-K edge clearly gave different information for CEY and fluorescence (FL) modes. These XANES spectra of Fe and Mn show a good fit upon application of least-squares fitting using ferrihydrite/MnO₂ and biotite as the end members. The XANES spectra collected by CEY mode provided more selective information on the secondary phases which are probably present at the mineral surfaces. In particular, CEY-XANES spectra of Mn indicated the presence of Mn oxide in unweathered granite despite a very small contribution of Mn oxide being indicated by FL-XANES and selective chemical-extraction analyses. Manganese oxide could not be detected by micro-beam XANES (beam size: 5 × 5 μm²) in unweathered granite, suggesting that Mn oxide thinly and ubiquitously coats mineral surface at a sub-μm scale. This information is important, since Mn oxide can be the host for various trace elements. CEY-XAFS can prove to be a powerful tool as a highly sensitive surface speciation method. Combination of CEY and FL-XAFS will help identify minor phases that form at mineral surfaces, but identification of Fe and Mn oxides at mineral surfaces is critical to understand the migration of trace elements in water-rock interaction.     

Rotation of the elastic Earth: the role of the angular-velocity-dependence of the elasticity-caused perturbation

We calculate the so-called convective term, which shows up in the expression for the angular velocity of the elastic Earth, within the Andoyer formalism. The term emerges due to the fact that the elasticity-caused perturbation depends not only on the instantaneous orientation of the Earth but also on its instantaneous angular velocity. We demonstrate that this term makes a considerable contribution into the overall angular velocity. At the same time the convective term turns out to be automatically included into the correction to the nutation series due to the elasticity, if the series is defined by the perturbation of the figure axis (and not of the rotational axis) in accordance with the current IAU resolution. Hence it is not necessary to take the effect of the convective term into consideration in the perturbation of the elastic Earth as far as the nutation is related to the motion of the figure axis.     

A possible Caledonide arm through the Barents Sea imaged by OBS data

The assembly of the crystalline basement of the western Barents Sea is related to the Caledonian orogeny during the Silurian. However, the development southeast of Svalbard is not well understood, as conventional seismic reflection data does not provide reliable mapping below the Permian sequence. A wide-angle seismic survey from 1998, conducted with ocean bottom seismometers in the northwestern Barents Sea, provides data that enables the identification and mapping of the depths to crystalline basement and Moho by ray tracing and inversion. The four profiles modeled show pre-Permian basins and highs with a configuration distinct from later Mesozoic structural elements. Several strong reflections from within the crystalline crust indicate an inhomogeneous basement terrain. Refractions from the top of the basement together with reflections from the Moho constrain the basement velocity to increase from 6.3 km s⁻¹ at the top to 6.6 km s⁻¹ at the base of the crust. On two profiles, the Moho deepens locally into root structures, which are associated with high top mantle velocities of 8.5 km s⁻¹. Combined P- and S-wave data indicate a mixed sand/clay/carbonate lithology for the sedimentary section, and a predominantly felsic to intermediate crystalline crust. In general, the top basement and Moho surfaces exhibit poor correlation with the observed gravity field, and the gravity models required high-density bodies in the basement and upper mantle to account for the positive gravity anomalies in the area. Comparisons with the Ural suture zone suggest that the Barents Sea data may be interpreted in terms of a proto-Caledonian subduction zone dipping to the southeast, with a crustal root representing remnant of the continental collision, and high mantle velocities and densities representing eclogitized oceanic crust. High-density bodies within the crystalline crust may be accreted island arc or oceanic terrain. The mapped trend of the suture resembles a previously published model of the Caledonian orogeny. This model postulates a separate branch extending into central parts of the Barents Sea coupled with the northerly trending Svalbard Caledonides, and a microcontinent consisting of Svalbard and northern parts of the Barents Sea independent of Laurentia and Baltica at the time. Later, compressional faulting within the suture zone apparently formed the Sentralbanken High.     

Organizations and the interior characteristics of winter monsoon clouds by dual-polarization Doppler radar observation in Hokuriku, Japan

To understand the characteristics of winter monsoon clouds, dual-polarization Doppler radar observations were carried out at Mihama, Hokuriku, Japan. A series of organized disturbances associated with the passage of a cyclonic circulation was analyzed. The following scenario was proposed. Environmental circumstances, for example, temperature and wind profiles, surface heat and moisture fluxes, etc., determine the organizational style of mesoscale convections. This organization regulates the convection interior flow pattern including the location and intensity of updrafts. Subsequently, it influences interior microphysical properties, for example, the types of precipitation particles, their growth and distributions, their electrification, etc. In this paper, an observational example following this scenario is presented.