Anomalously large seismic amplifications in the seafloor area off the Kii peninsula

Seismic wave amplifications were investigated using strong-motion data obtained from the ground’s surface (K-net) on the Kii peninsula (southwestern Japan) and from the network of twenty seismic stations on the seafloor (DONET) located off the peninsula near the Nankai trough. Observed seismograms show that seismic signals at DONET stations are significantly larger than those at K-net stations, independent of epicentral distances. In order to investigate the cause of such amplifications, seismic wavefields for local events were simulated using the finite-difference method, in which a realistic 3D velocity structure in and around the peninsula was incorporated. Our simulation results demonstrate that seismic waves are significantly amplified at DONET stations in relation to the presence of underlying low-velocity sediment layers with a total thickness of up to 10 km. Our simulations also show considerable variations in the degree of amplification among DONET stations, which is attributed to differences in the thickness of the sediment layers. The degree of amplification is relatively low at stations above thin sediment layers near the trough axis, but seismic signals are much more amplified at stations closer to the Kii peninsula, where sediment layers are thicker than those at the trough axis. Simulation results are consistent with observations. This study, based on seafloor observations and simulations, indicates that because seismic signals are amplified due to the ocean-specific structures, the magnitude of earthquakes would be overestimated if procedures applied to data observed at land stations are used without corrections.     

Predominant hosting lead(II) in ternary mixtures of heavy metal ions by a novel of diethylaminomethyl-calix[4]resorcinarene

Heavy metal ions from single and ternary systems of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) adsorbed by calix[4]resorcinarenes in water–chloroform extraction were studied. Comparison was made of calix[4]resorcinarenes, 2,8,14,20-tetraundecyl calix[4]resorcinarene-4,6,10,12,16,18,22,24-octol, and diethylaminomethyl-calix[4]resorcinarene, 5,11,17,23-tetra(diethylaminomethyl)-2,8,14,20- tetraundecylcalix[4]resorcinarene-4,6,10,12,16,18,22,24-octol, for predominant extraction of their ions from the ternary mixture of aqueous solution at different pH in a water layer. The hosting of Pb(II) by the diethylaminomethyl-calix[4]resorcinarene occurred efficiently at pH 6–7. The hosting of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) ions for the ternary aqueous mixture was applied to the Langmuir isotherm. Adsorption was studied using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a water–deuterium chloroform extraction system. Results showed that as the heavy metal ions were included into the host cavity, the observation of shifted peaks of water molecules from downfield to higher field was visible in the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, meaning that water molecules were included with heavy metal ion into the host cavity. The spectra also showed that the diethylamino group expressed formation of the coordination complex between the diethylaminomethyl-calix[4]resorcinarene and Pb(II) for the purpose of predominant hosting of Pb(II).     

Degassing, crystallization and eruption dynamics at Stromboli: trace element and lithium isotopic evidence from 2003 ashes

During its 1800-year-long persistent activity the Stromboli volcano has erupted a highly porphyritic (HP) volatile-poor scoriaceous magma and a low porphyritic (LP) volatile-rich pumiceous magma. The HP magma is erupted during normal Strombolian explosions and lava effusions, while the LP one is related to more energetic paroxysms. During the March–April 2003 explosive activity, Stromboli ejected two typologies of juvenile glassy ashes, namely highly vesicular LP shards and volatile-poor HP shards. Their textural and in situ chemical characteristics are used to unravel mutual relationships between HP and LP magmas, as well as magma dynamics within the shallow plumbing system. The mantle-normalized trace element patterns of both ash types show the typical arc-lava pattern; however, HP glasses possess incompatible element concentrations higher than LP glasses, along with Sr and Eu negative anomalies. HP shards are generally characterized by higher Li contents (to ~20 ppm) and lower δ⁷Li values (+1.2 to −3.8‰) with respect to LP shards (Li contents of 7–14 ppm and δ⁷Li ranging between +4.6 and +0.9‰). Fractional crystallization models based on major and trace element compositions, combined with a degassing model based on open-system Rayleigh distillation and on the assumption that ^melt/fluidD_Li > 1, show that abundant (~30%) plagioclase precipitation and variable degrees of degassing can lead the more primitive LP magma to evolve toward a differentiated (isotopically lighter) HP magma ponding in the upper conduit and undergoing slow continuous degassing-induced crystallization. This study also evidences that in March 2003 Stromboli volcano poured out a small early volume of LP magma that traveled slower within the conduit with respect to later and larger volumes of fast ascending LP magma erupted during the April 5 paroxysm. The different ascent rates and cooling rates of the two LP magma batches (i.e., pre- and post-paroxysm) resulted in small, but detectable, differences in their chemical signatures. Finally, this study highlights the high potential of in situ investigations of juvenile glassy ashes in petrologic and geochemical monitoring the volcanic activity and of Li isotopes as tracers of degassing processes within the shallow plumbing system.     

Interaction between wind and snow surface

The horizontal and vertical wind velocity fluctuations were measured using two sonic anemometers at a height of 135 cm above a snow surface under a transverse snow wave-forming condition. A snow-wave was formed when the wind at a height of 1 m blew at a speed of more than 7 m s^–1 after an approximate accumulation of from 10 to 20 cm of new snow on a snowfield. For example, when a snow-wave had a wavelength of 10 m and a wave height of 15 to 20 cm, the measured horizontal and vertical velocity components showed that they had a frequency peak of 0.7 Hz in coherence and co-spectrum corresponding to this wavelength. The results suggest that wind turbulence and snow-wave formation interact with each other.     

Geometric Dependence of the Scalar Transfer Efficiency over Rough Surfaces

We performed a series of wind-tunnel experiments under neutral conditions in order to create a comprehensive database of scalar transfer coefficients for street surfaces using regular block arrays representing an urban environment. The objective is to clarify the geometric dependence of scalar transfer phenomena on rough surfaces. In addition, the datasets we have obtained are necessary to improve the modelling of scalar transfer used for computational simulations of urban environments; further, we can validate the results obtained by numerical simulations. We estimated the scalar transfer coefficients using the salinity method. The various configurations of the block arrays were designed to be similar to those used in a previous experiment to determine the total drag force acting on arrays. Our results are summarized as follows: first, the results for cubical arrays showed that the transfer coefficients for staggered and square layouts varied with the roughness packing density. The results for the staggered layout showed the possibility that the mixing effect of air can be enhanced for the mid-range values of the packing density. Secondly, the transfer coefficients for arrays with blocks of non-uniform heights were smaller than those for arrays with blocks of uniform height under conditions of low packing density; however, as the packing density increased, the opposite tendency was observed. Thirdly, the randomness of rotation angles of the blocks in the array led to increasing values of the transfer coefficients under sparse packing density conditions when compared with those for cubical arrays.     

利用TDR对土壤含水量及土壤溶液电导率的同步连续测量

土壤含水量和可溶解的土壤盐分浓度的测定, 对了解土壤盐分的分布及移动具有重要的意义. 在内蒙古黄河流域灌溉玉米田的一个野外实验中, 利用TDR对土壤含水量及土壤溶液电导率进行了同时连续测量. 结果表明: 在降雨量较少的时期内, 当土壤水分从地下含水层向地表面移动的同时, 地下水中含有的盐分也通过作物根区层向地表移动;当灌溉或有强降雨存在时, 土壤表面蓄积的盐分在未能完全溶解于灌溉水及雨水之前, 大量的灌溉水及降雨通过土壤内的大空隙快速渗入土壤下层;余下的水分在完全溶解了土壤表面的盐分之后, 缓慢通过土壤小空隙下渗.     

Post-collisional magmatism of western Chukotka and Early Cretaceous tectonic rearrangement in northeastern Asia

The paper presents new data on the isotopic age and chemical composition of volcanic rocks from the Tytyl’veem and Mangazeika basins of western Chukotka superposed on Mesozoides of the Verkhoyansk–Chukotka Tectonic Region. The results of SIMS U–Pb zircon dating (121.4 ± 2.8 and 118.0 ± 2.0 Ma) corroborate the Aptian age of the Tytyl’veem Formation. This age, in turn, indicates its formation after closure of the South Anyui ocean (Neocomian), but before origination of the Okhotsk–Chukotka Belt (Albian–Campanian). Post-collisional Aptian igneous rocks are widespread in the northern Verkhoyansk–Chukotka Tectonic Region; the legth of the corresponding igneous province is no less than 1400 km. In geochemical characteristics, the post-collisional volcanic rocks occurring in Western Chukotka are similar with the rocks from Andean-type igneous belts.