Petrology of Aoso volcano,northeast Japan arc: temporal variation of the magma feeding system and nature of low-K amphibole andesite in the Aoso-Osore volcanic zone

The Aoso volcano is a member of the newly defined volcanic front of Northeast Japan, characterized by the occurrence of low-K and hornblende andesites. Its activity can be divided into three stages: the early, caldera-forming, and late stages. While petrographic and geochemical data show all products underwent magma mixing or co-mingling, Sr and Nd isotopic ratios indicate that all are consanguineous. The end-member magmas are basaltic and andesitic in the early stage, but basaltic and dacitic in the late stage. In the caldera-forming stage, hornblende-free and hornblende-rich andesites co-mingled, which triggered an explosive eruption leading to caldera formation. Hornblende occurs also in the dacite from the early part of the late stage. These hornblende andesites and dacites are lower in magmatic temperature compared to hornblende-free andesites. The estimated basaltic end-member is low-K and high in magmatic temperature, and can be derived by a high degree of partial melting of mantle under the volcanic front. The estimated andesitic and dacitic end-members cannot be derived from the basaltic end-member magma through fractional crystallization, but can be derived from partial re-melting of the solidified low-K basalt, leaving amphibolitic and gabbroic residues, respectively.     

Sweeping-magnetic-twist mechanism for the acceleration of jets in the solar atmosphere

A magnetodynamic mechanism for the acceleration of jets in the solar atmosphere (surges, Brueckner's EUV jets, and so on) is proposed, and a 2.5-dimensional MHD simulation is performed to show how this mechanism operates in the situation of the chromosphere-corona region of the solar atmosphere. It is seen from the result of simulation that together with the release of the magnetic twist, e.g., into a reconnected open flux tube, the mass in the high density twisted loop is driven out into the open flux tube due both to the pinch effect progressing with the packet of the magnetic twist into the open flux tube, and to the j × B force at the front of the packet of the unwinding twist in the off-axis part of the tube. The former, the progressing pinch, is accompanied by an accelerated hot blob, while the latter, the unwinding front of the magnetic twist, drives a cool cylindrical flow, both with velocities of the order of the local Alfvén velocity. One of the characteristic properties of the jet in our model is that the jet, consisting of hot core and cool sheath, has a helical velocity field in it, explaining the thus-far unexplained observed feature.The sudden release of the magnetic twist into an open flux tube is most likely to be due to the reconnection between a twisted loop and the open flux tube. The mass is driven out in the relaxation process of the magnetic twist from the twisted loop to the open flux tube.     

YOHKOH/HXT EVIDENCE FOR A HYPERHOT LOOP-TOP SOURCE IN THE PRE-IMPULSIVE PHASE OF A LOOP FLARE

A loop flare that occurred on 22 April 1993 near the disk center is examined using the Yohkoh Hard X-ray Telescope (HXT). We specifically looked into the faint early phase of the flare prior to the start of the strong impulsive phase. The pre-impulsive phase, though weak in intensity, is expected to contain essential clues to the mechanism of loop flares according to the causality principle, but it has not received attention previously, probably due to the insufficient dynamic range and cadence of observations by the instruments on earlier satellites. Observations with Yohkoh/HXT can clarify what occurs in this phase. This flare, like many other flares of this type, shows a relatively weak emission with a smooth and gradual increase during this pre-impulsive phase, followed by impulsive bursts, and then turns into a smooth decay phase without impulsive bursts. First, we found that the spectrum for the initial smooth rise part is consistent with a thin-thermal source at a temperature around 80 MK. Imaging of this phase in the HXT/L and M bands shows a single source between the footpoint sources that will come up in the impulsive phase following this phase, suggesting that this hyperhot source is located at a high part of the loop between the footpoints, since this flare takes a form of a loop. Furthermore, as we go up to the earliest times of the flare before this `hyperhot' source phase, two fainter sources are found near the footpoint sources that will appear later in the impulsive phase. The spectra of these sources at this earliest time of the flare, in contrast to the `hyperhot' source, cannot be determined from the HXT because the instrument was not in flare mode, and HXT/M1, M2, and H-band data are, unfortunately, not available at this very initial time. We can guess, however, that they are also of thermal character because the time profile is smooth without any spikes just as in the following `hyperhot' thermal phase, and in the post-impulsive `superhot' thermal phase coming up much later. These findings suggest that there is an important, and probably dynamic, early phase in loop flares that has been unnoticed in the still dark pre-impulsive phase, because the very early footpoint sources change into the loop top source in a matter of 20–30 s, comparable to the dynamic Alfvén time scale. Some implications of our new findings are discussed.     

Stepwise enrichment of 15N along food chains: Further evidence and the relation between δ15N and animal age

The isotopic composition of nitrogen was measured in marine and fresh-water animals from the East China Sea, The Bering Sea, Lake Ashinoko and Usujiri intertidal zone. Primary producers, showed average δ¹⁵Nversus atmospheric nitrogen of +5.0%. (+3.4 to +7.5) in the Bering Sea and Lake Ashinoko, and +6.8%. (+6.0 to +7.6) in Usujiri intertidal zone. Blue green algae from the East China Sea show an average ?0.55%. (?0.8 to +1.2). All consumers, Zooplankton, fish and bird exhibited Stepwise enrichment of ¹⁵N with increasing trophic level. The ¹⁵N enrichment at a single feeding process ranged from +1.3 to +5.3 averaging +3.4 ± 1.1%.. This isotopic fractionation seems to be independent of habitat.The effect of age in animals was obtained by analyzing two marine mussels. The soft tissue nitrogen showed +2.0%. enrichment relative to that of primary producers, and the magnitude was almost constant with shell ages ranging from 0 to 8 years.A similar ¹⁵N enrichment occurs in all Molluscs, Crustaceans, Insecta, Amphibia, Fish, Ave and Mammal species regardless of the difference in the form of excreted nitrogen and in laboratory cultured fish, brine shrimp and mice (+2.9 to +4.9%.). The excreted ammonia from guppy was sufficiently light to balance the concentration of ¹⁵N to animal body.     

莱河矿(Fe0.52+Fe1.03+SiO4)的超结构

莱河矿于1976年在中国辽宁省的磁铁矿床中首次被发现,许多人对它进行过研究。该矿物为黑色、不透明,化学式为Fe_0.58²⁺Fe_1.0³⁺Mg_0.03Si_0.96O₄,虽然它的晶体结构近似于橄榄石,但已确定为单斜晶系,空间群为P2₁/b。本文作者利用X射线、电子探针、高分解能透过电子显微镜对该矿物进行了系统的研究,发现它具有假双晶、超结构和显微条纹结构。     

Turbulence Structure of Stable Boundary Layers with a Near-Linear Temperature Profile

By using a thermally stratified wind tunnel, we have successfullysimulated stably stratified boundary layers (SBL), in which the meantemperature increases upward almost linearly. We have investigated the flow structure and the effects of near-linearstable stratification on the transfer of momentum and heat. Thevertical profiles of turbulence quantities exhibit different behaviour in two distinct stability regimes of the SBLflows with weak and strong stability. For weak stability cases, theturbulent transfer of momentum and heat is basically similar to that for neutral turbulent boundary layers, although it is weakenedwith increasing stability. For strong stability cases, on the other hand,the time-mean transfer is almost zero over the whole boundary-layer depth.However, the instantaneous turbulent transfer frequently occurs in bothgradient and counter-gradient directions in the lower part of the boundary layer. This is due to the Kelvin–Helmholtz (K–H) shear instability and therolling up and breaking of K–H waves. Moreover, the internal gravity wavesare observed in the middle and upper parts of all stable boundary layers.     

Dynamical downscaling: Fundamental issues from an NWP point of view and recommendations

Dynamical downscaling has been recognized as a useful tool not only for the climate community, but also for associated application communities such as the environmental and hydrological societies. Although climate projection data are available in lower-resolution general circulation models (GCMs), higher-resolution climate projections using regional climate models (RCMs) have been obtained over various regions of the globe. Various model outputs from RCMs with a high resolution of even as high as a few km have become available with heavy weight on applications. However, from a scientific point of view in numerical atmospheric modeling, it is not clear how to objectively judge the degree of added value in the RCM output against the corresponding GCM results. A key factor responsible for skepticism is based on the fundamental limitations in the nesting approach between GCMs and RCMs. In this article, we review the current status of the dynamical downscaling for climate prediction, focusing on basic assumptions that are scrutinized from a numerical weather prediction (NWP) point of view. Uncertainties in downscaling due to the inconsistencies in the physics packages between GCMs and RCMs were revealed. Recommendations on how to tackle the ultimate goal of dynamical downscaling were also described.     

辽东地区沉积变质硼矿床及硼同位素研究

辽东地区元古界硼矿床属于沉积变质硼矿。根据现代盐湖沉积 ,认为硼矿物沉积通常为硼砂 ,然后在区域变质作用过程中 ,硼砂矿物转变为硼镁矿物或硼铁矿等硼酸盐矿物 ,但辽东硼矿床中不同硼矿物的硼同位素有一定差别。电气石富10 B ,δ11B值较低或呈负值 ;而硼镁石与硼镁铁矿类矿物明显富集11B ,δ11B值较高 ,为 +2 3‰～ +17 4‰。根据水岩作用过程中硼同位素分馏特征的研究 ,11B与10 B比较有下列 4个特征 :( 1) 11B属于极不相容元素 ,优先进入水相 ,因此在变质残余矿物相中形成低的δ11B值 ;( 2 )在蚀变和交代变质反应中硅优先替代11B进入矿物晶格 ,因此在硅化交代中可以降低δ11B值 ,而脱硅反应中可以提高δ11B值 ;水化作用中 ,OH-带入11B ,使富水矿物具有较高的δ11B值 ;( 3)热水沉积及热液交代成因电气石均具有较低的δ11B值或者为负值 ;( 4)通过最近的研究表明 ,在热蒸馏过程中 ,硼同位素会发生明显的分馏 ,11B倾向于进入蒸汽相 ,而使残余相或后蒸馏相亏损11B ,形成较低的δ11B值。因此可以认为辽东地区元古界硼矿床属于热水沉积电气石岩在后期区域变质或热变质过程中分解出硼酸气水溶液交代镁碳酸盐形成硼镁石或硼镁铁矿矿物 ,而非蒸发沉积变质矿床。