New buoy observation system for tsunami and crustal deformation

We have developed a new system for real-time observation of tsunamis and crustal deformation using a seafloor pressure sensor, an array of seafloor transponders and a Precise Point Positioning (PPP ) system on a buoy. The seafloor pressure sensor and the PPP system detect tsunamis, and the pressure sensor and the transponder array measure crustal deformation. The system is designed to be capable of detecting tsunami and vertical crustal deformation of ±8 m with a resolution of less than 5 mm. A noteworthy innovation in our system is its resistance to disturbance by strong ocean currents. Seismogenic zones near Japan lie in areas of strong currents like the Kuroshio, which reaches speeds of approximately 5.5 kt (2.8 m/s) around the Nankai Trough. Our techniques include slack mooring and new acoustic transmission methods using double pulses for sending tsunami data. The slack ratio can be specified for the environment of the deployment location. We can adjust slack ratios, rope lengths, anchor weights and buoy sizes to control the ability of the buoy system to maintain freeboard. The measured pressure data is converted to time difference of a double pulse and this simple method is effective to save battery to transmit data. The time difference of the double pulse has error due to move of the buoy and fluctuation of the seawater environment. We set a wire-end station 1,000 m beneath the buoy to minimize the error. The crustal deformation data is measured by acoustic ranging between the buoy and six transponders on the seafloor. All pressure and crustal deformation data are sent to land station in real-time using iridium communication.     

Teshima pyroclastics: Onset of characteristic Setouchi magmatism induced by slab melting at 14.8 Ma

Ar-Ar ages, and petrographical and geochemical characteristics of pyroclastics and an overlying lava from Teshima Island, southwest Japan are presented. Although previous geological and age data suggested Teshima pyroclastics were products of magmatism > 3 my prior to lava flows of Setouchi volcanic rocks generated in association with southward migration of the southwest Japan arc sliver during opening of the Sea of Japan backarc basin at ~ 15 Ma, the present results led to the conclusion that a sequence of Setouchi volcanism, induced by slab melting and subsequent melt-mantle reactions, produced both pyroclastics and lava at 14.6–14.8 Ma. This age is oldest among those reported so far and may represent the timing of onset of characteristic Setouchi magmatism immediately posterior to and hence as a result of the mega-tectonic event including rotation of the southwest Japan arc sliver.     

Crust-mantle interaction during the tectono-thermal reactivation of the North China Craton: constraints from SHRIMP zircon U–Pb chronology and geochemistry of Mesozoic plutons from western Shandong

Chronological, geochemical and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic analyses have been carried out on the Mesozoic plutons in western Shandong with the aim of characterizing crustal–mantle evolution during the tectono-thermal reactivation of the craton. Detailed SHRIMP zircon U–Pb dating reveals two main periods of Mesozoic activity with contrasting compositions. The older magmatic pulse is manifested by monzonites and monzodiorites from Tongshi for which zircon rims yield a concordant age of 177±4 Ma and the cores have a discordant age of ca. 2.5 Ga. Low MgO and Cr, high Na₂O contents and especially their isotopic compositions (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr < 0.7042, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 16.8 and _Nd ~ –12) are consistent with derivation from late Archean–Paleoproterozoic lower crust. Relatively high HREE contents in these Jurassic plutons indicate a garnet-free source (<32 km), in contrast to the garnet-bearing source (>40 km) of the late Mesozoic high Sr and low Y granitoids from the same region. Distinctively different depths of crustal melting suggest dynamic thickening of the crust by magmatic underplating during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. The younger dioritic plutons from Laiwu and Yinan were emplaced at 132–126 Ma and show relatively high MgO and Cr contents and large isotopic variability. They were likely derived from enriched lithospheric mantle source and were subjected to crustal contamination during magma evolution. Early Cretaceous mantle melting is coeval with the widespread late Yanshanian granitic magmatism in North China. Early Cretaceous time may correspond to a critical period when a temperature increase due to lithospheric thinning allowed the intersection of the local geotherm and the wet peridotite solidus. While some mantle-derived magmas were erupted, most were trapped at variable crustal depths, triggering large-scale concomitant melting of the crust. Lithospheric thinning must have continued until the late Cretaceous because of the change in the source of mafic magmas from lithospheric to asthenospheric at that time. It is proposed that removal of the lithospheric keel beneath the North China craton may have been initiated as early as the Jurassic, but with the most intense period in the Cretaceous between 130–75 Ma. Such a relatively long timescale (~100 Ma) emphasizes the role of thermomechanical erosion by convective mantle in lithospheric thinning beneath this region.     

Structural characteristics controlling the seismicity crustal structure of southern Japan Trench fore-arc region, revealed by ocean bottom seismographic data

The Japan Trench is a plate convergent zone where the Pacific Plate is subducting below the Japanese islands. Many earthquakes occur associated with plate convergence, and the hypocenter distribution is variable along the Japan Trench. In order to investigate the detailed structure in the southern Japan Trench and to understand the variation of seismicity around the Japan Trench, a wide-angle seismic survey was conducted in the southern Japan Trench fore-arc region in 1998. Ocean bottom seismometers (15) were deployed on two seismic lines: one parallel to the trench axis and one perpendicular. Velocity structures along two seismic lines were determined by velocity modeling of travel time ray-tracing method. Results from the experiment show that the island arc Moho is 18–20 km in depth and consists of four layers: Tertiary and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, island arc upper and lower crust. The uppermost mantle of the island arc (mantle wedge) extends to 110 km landward of the trench axis. The P-wave velocity of the mantle wedge is laterally heterogeneous: 7.4 km/s at the tip of the mantle wedge and 7.9 km/s below the coastline. An interplate layer is constrained in the subducting oceanic crust. The thickness of the interplate layer is about 1 km for a velocity of 4 km/s. Interplate layer at the plate boundary may cause weak interplate coupling and low seismicity near the trench axis. Low P-wave velocity mantle wedge is also consistent with weak interplate coupling. Thick interplate layer and heterogeneous P-wave velocity of mantle wedge may be associated with the variation of seismic activity.     

Compressional wave velocity of granite and amphibolite up to melting temperatures at 1 GPa

Compressional wave velocities (V_P) at above-solidus temperatures and at 1 GPa were obtained for a granite and amphibolite, which are considered to be major constituents of the continental crust. The temperature variation of velocities showed that the V_P values of granite decreased with rising temperature, but substantially increased beyond the melting temperature (850–900 °C). Such an increase may be caused by the α–β transition of quartz. The velocities of amphibolite decreased linearly with increasing temperature and dropped sharply at temperatures above the solidus (700 °C), indicating that partial melting of amphibolite acts to significantly lower the seismic velocities.     

K–Ar geochronology of a Quaternary monogenetic volcano group in Ojika Jima District, Southwest Japan

 An unspiked K–Ar dating method using a mass-fractionation correction procedure was applied to a Quaternary independent group of monogenetic volcanoes, Ojikajima Volcano Group, located in northwestern Kyushu in Southwest Japan, in order to clarify in detail secular variations in eruptive volume, locations of eruptive vents, and magma compositions in a single monogenetic volcano group. The major results were as follows: (a) K–Ar ages of monogenetic volcanoes distribute from 1.08 to 0.30 Ma, with voluminous peaks at approximately 1.0 and 0.6 Ma. (b) The volcanic activity commenced in the central part of the field, expanded to the whole field at approximately 0.6 Ma, and then shrank to the central area. (3) Concentrations of incompatible elements, such as Ba, K, and Nb, increase with decreasing age, whereas P, Y, and Zr concentrations remain constant. These concentrations suggest gradual decrease in the degree of partial melting from an identical mantle source with residual garnet. Received: 15 December 1997 / Accepted: 23 May 1998     

Determination of indium in natural waters by flow injection inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Two methods have been developed to measure indium (In) in natural waters by flow injection inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). One is the isotope dilution technique using an¹¹³In enriched spike and the other utilizes natural yttrium present in the sample as an internal standard. In the former, optimization of the¹¹³In spike to minimize error is often difficult for samples in which In concentrations are variable, whereas in the latter method, a separate determination of Y in the sample is necessary and hence more sample is required. Using about 1 liter of a water sample, 200 fold preconcentration of In was performed by solvent extraction and back extraction technique and then introduced into the ICPMS to measure the¹¹³In/¹¹⁵In or¹¹⁵In/⁸⁹Y ratios. The detection limits were 0.01–0.02 pmol kg⁻¹ for both methods. Application of the methods to seawater samples yielded the concentrations of 0.06–0.15 pmol kg⁻¹ for the Pacific and 0.6–1.5 pmol kg⁻¹ for the Atlantic. The large inter-oceanic variation of In best resembles that of Al amongst the 3B group of elements in the periodic table. River and estuarine samples gave a more variable range of concentrations of 0.01–15 pmol kg⁻¹. Most of the In supplied by rivers is removed by scavenging in the estuarine mixing zone, suggesting that the fluvial input of In to the ocean is small.     

Behaviors of 210Pb and 210Po around hydrothermal vents in the Okinawa Trough

Vertical profiles for the uranium-series radioisotopes 210Pb and 210Po were obtained at thetwo hydrothermal vent sites, the Iheya Ridge and the Minami-Ensei Knoll, in the Mid-Okinawa Trough in 1993 and 1994, respectively. In 1995, both radioisotopes were measured at the Minami-Ensei Knoll a-gain. At the Iheya Ridge, where the hydrothermal activity is not active as reflected by the CH_4, and 222Rn data, both the total 210Pb and 210Po activities show deficiency relative to their parents, and the mean residence time of 210Pb and 210Po is approximately equal to 20 and 2-5 a, respectively. At the Minami-Ensei Knoll, which is characterized by black smokers, the total 210Pb(0.167 × 10~(-3)-2.5 × 10~(-3)_ Bq/kg) around the plumes is deficient relative to 226Ra but the total 210Po activities (1.83 × 10 ~(-3) - 2.83 × 10~(-3) Bq/kg) are in excess relative to 210Pb. The 210Po activities are higher than those in the East China Sea and the Okinawa Trough and excess 210Po has been found. The 210Pb/226Ra and 210Po/     

Spatial variations of rare earth elements in north pacific surface water

The concentration of dissolved rare earth elements (REE) were determined at 47 stations in the North Pacific surface waters. Combining with other previous data, we present the surface REE distribution in the North Pacific and discuss the controlling factors. The surface concentrations increase toward the high latitude and continental margin (e.g. [Nd] > 10 pmol kg⁻¹) from the central North Pacific (e.g. [Nd] < 5 pmol kg⁻¹). The North Pacific Deep Water-normalized REE patterns are varied, indicating that two or more factors contribute to the REE distribution. We examined four factors making the regional variation of surface REE concentrations mainly; a) particle scavenging, b) atmospheric dust input, c) vertical mixing and d) lateral transport from the coastal region. Flux calculations for Nd showed that the influence of atmospheric dust was less significant than the vertical input even in the western upwelling zone. Moreover, the longitudinal and latitudinal transitions of surface REE seem to reflect the lateral supply from the coastal areas. We constructed the diagram of surface Er/Lu and Er/Yb molar ratios in order to assess the origin and the input processes of the surface REE. Both molar ratios showed increasing trend toward PEW (Er/Lu (>10.5) and Er/Yb (>1.4)) from PSUW (Er/Lu (>7) and Er/Yb (>1.2)). The high Er/Lu and Er/Yb ratios in PEW indicate that the lateral supply of terrestrial materials from the coastal area is possibly the important factor in PEW, because only weathering and dissolution of rocks can explain such high Er/Lu and Er/Yb ratios to our knowledge.     

Lead-210 in the Japan Sea

This is the first detailed study on the distribution of lead-210 in the Japan Sea water. The content of lead-210 ranged from 9.3±2.1 dph/l in the surface water to 3.4+-0.8 dph/l in the deep water—a quite low content as compared to that in the deep water of the North Pacific. Vertical profiles show that the content of lead-210 abruptly decreases below the seasonal thermocline (10–20 m in depth) and nearly uniform in the deep water. It is suggested that a significant amount of air-borne lead-210 deposited over the Japan Sea is transported along with the Tsushima Current to the open ocean. The budget of lead-210 is calculated by using a simple box-model and the mean residence time of lead-210 in the Japan Sea is estimated to be 15 yr.