Species diversity of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Skeletonema</Emphasis> (Bacillariophyceae) in the industrial harbor Dokai Bay,Japan

Seven Skeletonema species were identified at one station in the industrial harbor Dokai Bay, Japan, in October 2007 and then monthly from January 2008 to December 2009 by morphological scanning electron microscopy observations and molecular analyses of mainly the large subunit (LSU) rDNA. We refer to one species identified as S. dohrnii using LSU rDNA, but as S. marinoi using the small subunit (SSU) rDNA and consequently we use the term S. marinoi-dohrnii complex. This is the first time that S. ardens, S. costatum s.s., and S. pseudocostatum have been recorded in Japan and that S. menzelii and S. tropicum have been identified by molecular methods in Japan. The S. marinoi-dohrnii complex was isolated with high frequency all year-round, and S. japonicum was also isolated with high frequency but not so in summer. S. Tropicum was isolated from September to December, but S. ardens and S. costatum s.s. were isolated only when the water temperature exceeded 20°C. S. pseudocostatum bloomed just once, in summer, but S. menzelii was isolated in May and again in October. The continuous year-round occurrence of S. costatum s.l. in the bay is supported by the succession of these seven species. Six of the species, except S. menzelii, were important components of algal blooms in the bay. One to four species of Skeletonema were isolated every month. Monthly species diversity was higher when S. ardens, S. costatum s.s., and S. tropicum that are usually associated with tropical or subtropical waters, were isolated. In general, species diversity of the genus Skeletonema was very high in Dokai Bay.     

Single particle analysis of oceanic suspended matter during the SEEDS II iron fertilization experiment

Suspended particles collected from surface seawater during the SEEDS II (Subarctic Iron Experiment for Ecosystem and Dynamics Study II) experiment were analyzed individually using an electron probe X-ray micro analyzer and characterized by size and elemental composition. Their numbers, relative abundances, and relative particle volume all showed clear differences between samples collected inside vs. outside the phytoplankton bloom that developed following the addition of iron. Throughout the study, Si-rich, Ca-rich and Organic particles were dominant and their number increased inside the fertilized patch; these particles accounted for 21%, 13% and 58% of the particles examined, respectively. Si-rich or Ca-rich particles commonly consisted of fragments of diatom frustules and coccolithophorids. There was consistently greater percentage of Ca-rich particles and lower percentage of Si-rich particles inside the patch than outside of it in number, but both types of these particles apparently occupied a larger volume inside the patch than outside of it. Organic particles, that showed having peaks in smaller diameter particles, increased apparently inside the patch with time after iron fertilization. The Organic particles had a more diverse mixture of both bio-related and crustal trace elements than the other types of particles. These results suggest that the increase in suspended particles following the iron enrichment was due to a combination of detrital material and live phytoplankton.     

Sedimentary inorganic nitrogen and its isotope ratio in the western subarctic Pacific over the last 145 kyr

We have measured inorganic nitrogen (IN) content and the isotope ratio of IN (δ¹⁵N_IN) in a sediment core covering the last 145 kyr in the western subarctic Pacific (WSAP). IN content was generally high during glacial periods and shows positive correlations with both eolian dust content and the ratio of organic carbon (C) to organic nitrogen (ON) (C/ON) found in our previous studies. This means that IN was transported from continental areas to the WSAP together with eolian dust and that the IN was not contaminated by volcanic materials, because the eolian dust content was reconstructed using metal components to remove contaminating volcanic materials. Therefore, IN content in the WSAP sediments, the clay fraction of which is not greatly affected by drift deposits seen at the other sites in this region, may potentially be an effective proxy for eolian dust, without the need to consider contamination by volcanic materials. δ¹⁵N_IN was generally low during glacial periods and shows negative correlations with IN, eolian dust, and C/ON. The possible causes of the observed variations in δ¹⁵N_IN are as follows: (1) authigenic fixation of NH₄ ⁺ in water-column and pore water of sea-floor sediments to clay minerals; (2) contamination of measured IN by highly resistant organic matter; or (3) variations in the continental source region of the eolian dust supplied to the WSAP and climatically induced changes in δ¹⁵N of soil organic matter there. The last mechanism shows the potential for δ¹⁵N_IN to be used as a proxy for climate change on land, and is consistent with other published explanations of the spatial distribution of δ¹⁵N_IN in modern sea-floor sediments.     

Seasonal variation of bivalve larvae on an exposed sandy beach on Kashima-nada: Tips for the sandy beach recruitment process

Bivalves are often the dominant macrobenthos species in exposed sandy beach environments. However, our understanding of their recruitment processes before post-settlement stages on sandy beaches with highly energetic environments is incomplete. To clarify the characteristics of the free-swimming planktonic stage that affects recruitment efficiency in sandy shore ecosystems, we investigated the temporal (weekly–biweekly) variation of bivalve planktonic larval concentration coupled with oceanographic conditions on an exposed sandy shore on the sea of Kashima-nada, Japan, from summer 2003 to autumn 2005. Larvae were observed throughout the year, but the surge of larval concentration composed of sandy beach and sessile bivalves occurred most prominently in summer, from August to September. The peak concentration of larvae during this season was more than 1000 times higher than in other seasons. The larval concentration was positively correlated with water temperature and northward wind velocity and negatively correlated with each of the nutrient concentrations. On the other hand, chlorophyll a concentration and salinity seemed to have little effect on the larval concentration. Based on this fundamental knowledge, further investigations about planktonic larvae in sandy beaches are needed.     

The Structure of Young Stellar Jets and Winds Revealed by High Resolution [Fe II] λ1.644μm Line Observations

We present high angular resolution spectra taken along the jets from L1551 IRS 5 and DG Tau obtained with the Subaru Telescope. The position-velocity diagrams of the [Fe II] λ 1.644 μmemission line revealed remarkably similar characteristics for the two sources, showing two distinct velocity components separated from each other in both velocity and space with the entire emission range blueshifted with respect to the stellar velocity. The high velocity component (HVC) has a velocity of –200 ––300 km s^-1 with a narrow line width, while the low velocity component (LVC) is around –100 km s^-1 exhibitinig a broad line width. The HVC is located farther away from the origin and is more extended than the LVC. Our results suggest that the HVC is a well-collimated jet originating from the region close to the star, while the LVC is a widely-opened wind accelerated in the region near the inner edge of the accretion disk.     

Experimental Study of the Applicability of the Remotely Positioned Laser Doppler Vibrometer to Rock-Block Stability Assessment

This paper examines a new method for evaluating the stability of rock blocks on slopes using a remotely positioned Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV). A series of experiments using physical models were conducted to evaluate the validity of this new method. Based on the experimental studies, the applicability of LDV was examined by comparing results with a conventional seismometer measurement. To examine the quantitative correlations between vibration properties and the stability of a rock block, the effects on the vibration properties of the size of the rock block, the initial block position, the slope incline, and the type of ground surface were studied. The experimental results showed that LDV measurements agreed with conventional seismometer measurements. There was also a good correlation between vibration properties and rock-block stability. On the other hand, it was found that for a boulder on tightly compacted ground, the application of block stability assessment by tonometry was difficult when measuring microtremors or sloppy vibration due to nearby vehicle traffic. Furthermore, numerical analysis of the slope model was carried out to examine the validity of the model experiment and application of the suggested technique. The results of the analysis demonstrated that the suggested technique was effective for application to stability monitoring of a block and evaluation of the effect of stability measures.     

Stress field change around the Mount Fuji volcano magma system caused by the Tohoku megathrust earthquake, Japan

Crustal deformation by the M _w 9.0 megathrust Tohoku earthquake causes the extension over a wide region of the Japanese mainland. In addition, a triggered M _w 5.9 East Shizuoka earthquake on March 15 occurred beneath the south flank, just above the magma system of Mount Fuji. To access whether these earthquakes might trigger the eruption, we calculated the stress and pressure changes below Mount Fuji. Among the three plausible mechanisms of earthquake–volcano interactions, we calculate the static stress change around volcano using finite element method, based on the seismic fault models of Tohoku and East Shizuoka earthquakes. Both Japanese mainland and Mount Fuji region are modeled by seismic tomography result, and the topographic effect is also included. The differential stress given to Mount Fuji magma reservoir, which is assumed to be located to be in the hypocentral area of deep long period earthquakes at the depth of 15 km, is estimated to be the order of about 0.001–0.01 and 0.1–1 MPa at the boundary region between magma reservoir and surrounding medium. This pressure change is about 0.2 % of the lithostatic pressure (367.5 MPa at 15 km depth), but is enough to trigger an eruptions in case the magma is ready to erupt. For Mount Fuji, there is no evidence so far that these earthquakes and crustal deformations did reactivate the volcano, considering the seismicity of deep long period earthquakes.     

Mid-Quaternary decoupling of sediment routing in the Nankai Forearc revealed by provenance analysis of turbiditic sands

Coring during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expeditions 315, 316, and 333 recovered turbiditic sands from the forearc Kumano Basin (Site C0002), a Quaternary slope basin (Site C0018), and uplifted trench wedge (Site C0006) along the Kumano Transect of the Nankai Trough accretionary wedge offshore of southwest Japan. The compositions of the submarine turbiditic sands here are investigated in terms of bulk and heavy mineral modal compositions to identify their provenance and dispersal mechanisms, as they may reflect changes in regional tectonics during the past ca. 1.5 Myrs. The results show a marked change in the detrital signature and heavy mineral composition in the forearc and slope basin facies around 1 Ma. This sudden change is interpreted to reflect a major change in the sand provenance, rather than heavy mineral dissolution and/or diagenetic effects, in response to changing tectonics and sedimentation patterns. In the trench-slope basin, the sands older than 1 Ma were probably eroded from the exposed Cretaceous–Tertiary accretionary complex of the Shimanto Belt and transported via the former course of the Tenryu submarine canyon system, which today enters the Nankai Trough northeast of the study area. In contrast, the high abundance of volcanic lithics and volcanic heavy mineral suites of the sands younger than 1 Ma points to a strong volcanic component of sediment derived from the Izu-Honshu collision zones and probably funnelled to this site through the Suruga Canyon. However, sands in the forearc basin show persistent presence of blue sodic amphiboles across the 1 Ma boundary, indicating continuous flux of sediments from the Kumano/Kinokawa River. This implies that the sands in the older turbidites were transported by transverse flow down the slope. The slope basin facies then switched to reflect longitudinal flow around 1 Ma, when the turbiditic sand tapped a volcanic provenance in the Izu-Honshu collision zone, while the sediments transported transversely became confined in the Kumano Basin. Therefore, the change in the depositional systems around 1 Ma is a manifestation of the decoupling of the sediment routing pattern from transverse to long-distance axial flow in response to forearc high uplift along the megasplay fault.