Volume transport and distribution of deep circulation at 165°W in the North Pacific

We conducted full-depth hydrographic observations between 8°50′ and 44°30′N at 165°W in 2003 and analyzed the data together with those from the World Ocean Circulation Experiment and the World Ocean Database, clarifying the water characteristics and deep circulation in the Central and Northeast Pacific Basins. The deep-water characteristics at depths greater than approximately 2000 dbar at 165°W differ among three regions demarcated by the Hawaiian Ridge at around 24°N and the Mendocino Fracture Zone at 37°N: the southern region (10–24°N), central region (24–37°N), and northern region (north of 37°N). Deep water at temperatures below 1.15 °C and depths greater than 4000 dbar is highly stratified in the southern region, weakly stratified in the central region, and largely uniform in the northern region. Among the three regions, near-bottom water immediately east of Clarion Passage in the southern region is coldest (θ<0.90 °C), most saline (S>34.70), highest in dissolved oxygen (O₂>4.2 ml l^?1), and lowest in silica (Si<135 μmol kg^?1). These characteristics of the deep water reflect transport of Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW) due to a branch current south of the Wake–Necker Ridge that is separated from the eastern branch current of the deep circulation immediately north of 10°N in the Central Pacific Basin. The branch current south of the Wake–Necker Ridge carries LCDW of θ<1.05 °C with a volume transport of 3.7 Sv (1 Sv=10⁶ m³ s^?1) into the Northeast Pacific Basin through Horizon and Clarion Passages, mainly through the latter (～3.1 Sv). A small amount of the LCDW flows northward at the western boundary of the Northeast Pacific Basin, joins the branch of deep circulation from the Main Gap of the Emperor Seamounts Chain, and forms an eastward current along the Mendocino Fracture Zone with volume transport of nearly 1 Sv. If this volume transport is typical, a major portion of the LCDW (～3 Sv) carried by the branch current south of the Wake–Necker and Hawaiian Ridges may spread in the southern part of the Northeast Pacific Basin. In the northern region at 165°W, silica maxima are found near the bottom and at 2200 dbar; the minimum between the double maxima occurs at a depth of approximately 4000 dbar (θ～1.15 °C). The geostrophic current north of 39°N in the upper deep layer between 1.15 and 2.2 °C, with reference to the 1.15 °C isotherm, has a westward volume transport of 1.6 Sv at 39–44°30′N, carrying silica-rich North Pacific Deep Water from the northeastern region of the Northeast Pacific Basin to the Northwest Pacific Basin.     

The Variation of Stresses due to Aseismic Sliding and its Effect on Seismic Activity

— Numerical simulation of recurring large interplate earthquakes in a subduction zone is conducted to explore the effects of aseismic sliding on the variation of stresses and the activity of small earthquakes. The frictional force obeying a rate- and state-dependent friction law is assumed to act on the plate interface in a 2-D model of uniform elastic half-space. The simulation results show that large earthquakes repeatedly occur at a constant time interval on a shallow part of the plate interface and that aseismic sliding migrates from the upper aseismic zone as well as from the lower aseismic zone into the central part of the seismogenic zone before the occurrence of a large interplate earthquake. This spatiotemporal variation of aseismic sliding significantly perturbs the stresses in the overriding plate and in the subducting oceanic plate, leading to the precursory seismic quiescence in the overriding plate and the activation of the intermediate-depth earthquakes of down-dip tension type. After the occurrence of a large interplate earthquake, the activity of the intermediate-depth earthquakes of down-dip compression type in the subducting slab is expected to increase and migrate downward. This is because the downward propagation of postseismic sliding causes the downward migration of compressional-stress increase in the down-dip direction of the plate interface. The simulation result further indicates that episodic events of aseismic sliding may occur when the spatial distributions of friction parameters are significantly nonuniform. The variation of stresses due to episodic sliding is expected to cause seismicity changes.     

Factors regulating the distribution of elements in marine sediments predicted by a simulation model

The contents of oxyanionic elements (V, Se and Mo) and cationic transition metals (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn) in sediments from near-shore to deep-sea environments were measured to clarify factors regulating the distribution of these elements in marine sediments. For cationic transition metals of which contents increase from near-shore to deep-sea environments, the chemical composition of pelagic clays is modeled by a mixture of aluminosilicates having the chemical composition of average shale and Fe–Mn oxides having the chemical composition of associated manganese nodules. The content of V is fairly constant in sediments from near-shore to deep-sea areas. The mixture model of average shale and manganese nodules holds also for V, although most of the V is located in the aluminosilicate lattices. The content of Se in the near-shore sediments is higher and that in the deep-sea sediments is lower than that in average shale. The high content in the near-shore sediments is interpreted as the addition of biogenic materials to aluminosilicates with average shale composition and the low content in deep-sea sediments is explained by oxidative release of Se from aluminosilicates. The content of Mo in sediments increases from near-shore to deep-sea environments. The general distribution of Mo in marine sediments is expressed by the mixture model. An anomalously high content of Mo in a near-shore sediment is attributed to adsorption of molybdate on manganese oxides.     

Influence of housing and urban development on debris flow flooding and deposition

Debris flows form deposits when they reach an alluvial fan until they eventually stop.However,houses located in the alluvial fan might affect the debris flow flooding and deposition processes.Few previous studies have considered the effects of houses on debris flow flooding and deposition.This study conducted model experiments and numerical simulations using the Kanako2D debris flow simulator to determine the influence of houses on debris flow flooding and deposition.The model experiments showed that when houses are present,the debris flow spreads widely in the cross direction immediately upstream of the houses,especially when the flow discharge is large or the grain size is small.Houses located in the alluvial fan also influence the deposition area.The presence of houses led to flooding and deposition damage in some places and reduced the damage in others.The simulation also demonstrated the influence of houses.Both the model experiment and the simulation showed that houses change the flooding and deposition areas.     

Ugandan geosites

Geosites are important and/or unique geological or geographical features of significance. Typically they comprise geological, palaeontological, as well as archaeological sites. Geosites should be regarded as deserving to be preserved and protected, either from the elements or from destructive human activities, both for the community and future generations. A good knowledge of geological heritage, and a healthy respect for it, is an important factor in the holistic approach for sustainable development. Very often, these sites bear a multi‐faceted ‘story’, which may date back from very recent times to billions of years ago. As such, geosites are of great educational and scientific value. In Africa, such sites have not been receiving the attention they deserve. Only a few countries on the continent acknowledge their importance. Within the framework of a Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources Project (SMMRP), geological mapping, geochemical surveys and mineral resources assessment in selected areas of Uganda have been completed under the umbrella of the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), and the Department of Geological Survey and Mines (DGSM, Uganda). Apart from recording ‘hard‐tough’ geology, 62 geosites were documented in 2010 and 2011. For the first time, such sites have been incorporated in the new geological maps of the country (at a scale of 1: 250 000). It is possible that this is the first time that such places have been shown on geological maps of Africa. Currently, the extreme north‐east of the country is being geologically mapped by DGSM, with the eventuality of more possible geosites being discovered.     

Late Paleozoic serpentinites and mafic schists from the Coast Range accretionary complex,central Chile: their relation to aeromagnetic anomalies

Regional structural trends within the poorly exposed metamorphic basement complex of central Chile between 39°30' and 41°30'S latitudes are evident on total intensity aeromagnetic maps. Field and laboratory measurements of magnetic susceptibility indicate that anomalies are related to relic magnetite and rare ilmenite phase concentrations in serpentinites and lower greenschist facies mafic schists.Serpentinites and mafic schists representing fragmented ophiolites are common throughout a broad, highly magnetic central zone which separates a low-magnetic metaturbidites terrain in the Northeast from a southwestern, low susceptibility, metavolcanic rich area with isolated anomalies. One of the isolated anomalies represents a polyphase deformed serpentinite emplacement overlain by coarse grained eclogitic blueschist, highly magnetic undeformed serpentinites and amphibolite boulders thought to have been transported within the ultramafic body.The trend of the regional magnetic anomaly pattern is controlled by the main foliation, a crenulation cleavage (S2), rather than by primary factors, such as emplacement pattern of the ultramafics. This structural grain was established during the early Carboniferous event which culminated pre-Andean accretion in the area. The overall zonation, however, seems to reflect the composition of slices in a composite prism accreted during oblique subduction along the margin of Gondwanaland.

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Zusammenfassung Reliktische präkinematische (prä-S2) Magnetitanreicherungen kommen in Serpentiniten und Metabasiten der Grünschieferfazies des spätpaläozoischen Grundgebirges der Küstenkordillere Chiles häufig vor. Zwischen 39°30' und 41 °30' südlicher Breite wurden magnetische Messungen in situ in diesen Gesteinen durchgeführt, die deren enge räumliche Beziehung zu regionalen NW-SO streichenden Anomalien bestätigen.Die Serpentinite stellen Teile eines zerscherten Ophiolithkomplexes dar, der zwischen einer schwach-magnetischen Metaturbidit-Zone und einer schlecht aufgeschlossenen Metapyroklastit-Zone diapirartig intrudierte. Ein mehrfach deformierter Serpentinitkörper ist von Gerollen aus eklogitischem Blauschiefer überlagert, die höchstwahrscheinlich ursprünglichen tektonischen Einschlüssen entsprechen.Der regionale Trend der Anomalien ist eher vom Streichen und Einfallen der Hauptschieferung als von primären Strukturen kontrolliert. Es handelt sich um eine Krenulationsschieferung (S2) die durch eine frühkarbonische Phase entstanden ist. Sie stellt den Höhepunkt einer prä-Andinen Schrägakkretion dar. Die regionale lithologische Gliederung scheint jedoch die Zusammensetzung der einzelnen Akkretionskeile widerzuspiegeln.

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Résumén Serpentinitas y esquistos máficos metamorfizados en condiciones de facies esquistos verdes baja forman parte del basamento metamorfico de la Cordillera de la Costa de Chile central entre los 39°30' y los 41°30'l.s. Mediciones in situ y en laboratorio de suceptibilidad magnética muestran que sus concentraciones de magnetita pretectonica con respecto a la foliación principal son responsables de anomalías de rumbo NW-SE.Las serpentinitas constituyen parte de una asociación »ofiolítica« fragmentada que aflora dentro de una ancha banda entre metaturbiditas débilmente magnéticas al NE y metapiroclastitas con aisladas anomalías al SW. Una serpentinita del último sector presenta evidencias de deformación polifásica y esta recubierta por bolones de esquistos azules eclogíticos y anfibolitas, los cuales podrían representar inclusiones originalmente transportadas por el cuerpo ultramáfico.El diseño regional de las anomalías magnéticas está controlado por la actitud de la foliación principal, más que por el diseño del emplazamiento original. Esta, un clivaje de crenuación S2, se originó durante un evento carbonífero temprano que representa el climax de la acreción pre-andina en el área. La zonación litológica regional, sin embargo, parece reflejar más bien la composición de lonjas individuales dentro de un prisma compuesto acrecionado mediante subducción oblicua.

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一次性免堆载预压技术研究与应用

软土地基处理恰当与否,关系到整个工程质量、投资和进度,其重要性已越来越多地被人们所认识。通过开展一次性免堆载预压技术研究,根据排水固结原理及桩体自身抗拔力,用三维固结筒实现饱和软土无外来荷载条件下的一次性快速排水固结,提高地基土抗剪强度、降低压缩性、改善透水性及动力特征。     

Helium isotopic ratio in Vulcano island fumaroles: temporal variations in shallow level mixing and deep magmatic supply

Intensive gas emanations occur throughout the island of Vulcano, Italy. Sharp fluctuations recorded in the crater gas composition suggest the presence of two separate volcanic reservoirs and continuous mixing with another source, “crustal” waters. This mixing differs between the beach and crater fumaroles. Gas samples from three crater fumaroles with temperatures ranging from 200 to 550 ° C were sampled repeatedly over a one year period. During the same interval of time, six samples from submarine and subaerial beach fumaroles and water well gases were also sampled. Gases from one crater fumarole (F5) showed variations of (³He/⁴He)_fumarole to (³He/⁴He)_air between 5 and 6 correlated with variations of several chemical species. High ³He/⁴He ratios for the beach fluids, similar to those of crater fluids, suggest the existence of a unique large magmatic reservoir at depth feeding both the crater and beach intermediate reservoirs. However, temporal changes clearly indicate variable degrees of fluids mixing, and the geographic distribution of the ³He/⁴He ratios as well as the chemical composition of the fluids suggest the existence between the magma reservoir and the surface of two intermediate different reservoirs, independently related to crater and to beach fumaroles.