Survival of a proto-atmosphere through the stage of giant impacts: the mechanical aspects

When a giant impact occurs, atmosphere loss may occur due to global ground motion excited by a strong shock wave traveling in the planetary interior. Here, the relations between the ground motion and the amount of the lost atmosphere are systematically investigated through calculations of a spherically one-dimensional atmospheric motion for various initial atmospheric conditions. The fraction of the lost atmosphere to the total mass of the atmosphere is found to be controlled only by the ground velocity and, insensitive to the initial atmospheric conditions. Unlike the previous studies (Ahrens, 1990, Origin of the Earth, H.E. Newson, J.H. Jones (Eds.), pp. 211-227; Ahrens, 1993, Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 21, 525-555; Chen and Ahrens, 1997, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 100, 21-26); the estimated loss fraction for the giant impact is only 20%. Significant escape occurs only when the ground velocity is close to the escape velocity. Thus, most of the atmosphere should survive the giant impact. The cause of the difference from previous estimates is discussed from energetic and dynamic points of view. Moreover, if our estimates are applied to the atmosphere of the impactor planet, a significant fraction of it is carried to the target planet. Survival of the proto-atmosphere has very important effects on the origin and evolution of the terrestrial planets' volatile budget.     

Analytic black hole perturbation approach

In this talk, I review an analytic method for calculating gravitational radiation from a small mass particle orbiting a massive black hole. This method allows a systematic evalutation of the gravitational radiation to a very high order in post-Newtonian expansion, hence gives us useful information on the evolution of coalescing compact binary stars.     

Are small rodents key promoters of ecosystem restoration in harsh environments? A case study of abandoned croplands on Mongolian grasslands

We focused on the potential contribution of fossorial rodents to recovery of degraded abandoned Mongolian croplands. From field observations and the literature, we determined that plant litter and soil crusting were the main factors preventing establishment or growth of the perennial grass Elymus chinensis (Poaceae) on these croplands. We hypothesized that small fossorial rodents such as Mongolian gerbils promote grass establishment and growth by clearing litter and destroying crusts. We designed a path model linking number of burrows to patch size and plant volume of E. chinensis. As we hypothesized, small rodents increased the patch size of E. chinensis through reduction of litter cover. However, unexpectedly, we could not find significant effects on E. chinensis via crust thickness. Our results suggest that litter removal by the rodents gave E. chinensis suitable space that was free of competitors; this allowed expansion of the E. chinensis patches. Any effect of soil crusting on plant volume could not be explained simply by the variables we used, probably because some other mechanism, such as temporal variation in the crust, was involved. We demonstrate that small rodents are key agents in the recovery of degraded grasslands.     

Zircon U–Pb ages of plutonic rocks in the southern Abukuma Mountains: Implications for Cretaceous geotectonic evolution of the Abukuma Belt

Plutonic rocks in the southern Abukuma Mountains include gabbro and diorite, fine‐grained diorite, hornblende–biotite granodiorite (Ishikawa, Samegawa, main part of Miyamoto and Tabito, Kamikimita and Irishiken Plutons), biotite granodiorite (the main part of Hanawa Pluton and the Torisone Pluton), medium‐ to coarse‐grained biotite granodiorite and leucogranite, based on the lithologies and geological relations. Zircon U–Pb ages of gabbroic rocks are 112.4 ±1.0 Ma (hornblende gabbro, Miyamoto Pluton), 109.0 ±1.1 Ma (hornblende gabbro, the Hanawa Pluton), 102.7 ±0.8 Ma (gabbronorite, Tabito Pluton) and 101.0 ±0.6 Ma (fine‐grained diorite). As for the hornblende–biotite granodiorite, zircon U–Pb ages are 104.2 ±0.7 Ma (Ishikawa Pluton), 112.6 ±1.0 Ma (Tabito Pluton), 105.2 ±0.8 Ma (Kamikimita Pluton) and 105.3±0.8 Ma (Irishiken Pluton). Also for the medium‐ to fine‐grained biotite granodiorite, zircon U–Pb ages are 106.5±0.9 Ma (Miyamoto Pluton), 105.1 ±1.0 Ma (Hanawa Pluton) and the medium‐ to coarse‐grained biotite granodiorite has zircon U–Pb age of 104.5 ±0.8 Ma. In the case of the leucogranite, U–Pb age of zircon is 100.6 ±0.9 Ma. These data indicate that the intrusion ages of gabbroic rocks and surrounding granitic rocks ranges from 113 to 101 Ma. Furthermore, K–Ar ages of biotite and or hornblende in the same rock samples were dated. Accordingly, it is clear that these rocks cooled down rapidly to 300 °C (Ar blocking temperature of biotite for K–Ar system) after their intrusion. These chronological data suggest that the Abukuma plutonic rocks in the southern Abukuma Mountains region uplifted rapidly around 107 to 100 Ma after their intrusion.     

Rainfall variability may modify the effects of long-term exclosure on vegetation in Mandalgobi,Mongolia

Starting in 2005, we examined differences in vegetation for three consecutive years across an airport fence that separated heavily grazed areas from areas in which grazing had been excluded for 24 years in Mandalgobi, Mongolia. We performed repeated-measures analysis separately on two community types (dominated by Allium polyrrhizum and Achnatherum splendens, respectively) to compare the effects of fencing and year on the cover of different plant functional types. There was a significant fence × year interaction for grass cover in the Allium type (but not the Achnatherum type), due to greater cover of grasses inside the fence only when rainfall was sufficient during the growing season. The effect of grazing exclusion on perennial forb cover was confounded by a significant fence × year interaction in both types. In 2007, perennial forbs were found outside the fence, but had almost disappeared inside the fence, resulting in this interaction. Annual forbs only had much greater cover values inside the fence than outside in 2006, also resulting in a significant fence × year interaction in both community types. This study thus suggests that the high rainfall variability in arid and semi-arid rangelands may modify the effects of long-term exclosure on vegetation.     

Magnetic field and current sheets in the corona above active regions

A new method for the calculation of coronal magnetic field is proposed and it is shown to reproduce the EUV features in the corona as observed by Skylab experiments satisfactorily well. One of the remarkable points is that it reproduces the loopy threads in the active region corona and also the large scale field lines connecting active regions. The existence of coronal current is expected wherever the present coronal-current-free model fails to represent the feature. A method of calculating the coronal sheet-current is also developed with the purpose of knowing the shape of the current sheet and the amount of magnetic stress energy stored due the the presence of it by comparing the calculated field configuration with the observed local distortion of the EUV threads. This may be used in pinning down the possible site of the flare and in discussing the flare occurrence in terms of the energy stored there.During the preparation of this work, Poletto et al. (1975) calculated the magnetic field shape in Schmidt's method to compare with the soft X-ray feature obtained by Skylab.     

Behavior of fresh water injected at the surface of a uniformly rotating ocean

The behavior of low density fresh water injected at the surface of a uniformly rotating saline water was investigated on the basis of a tank experiment. The injected water mass shows a clockwise circulation and grows gradually with an axisymmetric convex shape, until it breaks into two vortices at a critical size. An experimental formula for the change of radius of the water mass with time for the axisymmetric stage is obtained. It is shown that within our experimental range of values the radius of the water mass increases almost in proportion tot ^1/2, wheret is the elapse time, while the inviscid theory indicates that the radius should increase in proportion tot ^1/4. The dependence of the radius on elapse time is essential for forecasting the extent of discharged waters. The position of the maximum azimuthal velocity is fixed at \(V = - ge^{ - a^2 q^2 } \) within our experimental range of values wherer is the radial coordinate,f the Coriolis parameter,v the viscosity coefficient andQ the flow rate of injection, respectively. This radius corresponds to the radial scale derived by Gillet al. (1979). The steadiness of the position of the maximum azimuthal velocity may be essential in partition of the water mass into inner and outer regions and in the understanding the derived experimental formula. The critical radius for breaking is also investigated. The radius is shown to be independent ofQ and to be almost proportional to (Δ _ρ / _ρ )^1/2 f ^-1 whereρ is the density of the saline water andΔρ the density difference between the saline and injected waters. Even after the water supply is cut off in the axisymmetric stage, the radius of the water mass increases at almost the same rate as before, while its thickness decreases. The behavior after supply cut-off is discussed in the Appendix.     

A mechanism of Alpine lee cyclogenesis as revealed by a quasigeostrophic variational filter

Summary Mechanisms associated with Alpine lee cyclogenesis during the early phase of their generation are investigated using a variational quasigeostrophic filter technique. It was possible to extract the quasigeostrophic signal from the available analyzed real data set.The results presented here are for the 11–12 March 1982, an example of so-called orographically induced lee cyclogenesis. Non-quasigeostrophic fields, calculated as a difference between observations and the quasigeostrophic fields, show significant magnitudes indicating the possible importance of non-quasigeostrophic processes. A dipole structure in the residual geopotential field was observed, similar to the results of numerical model experiments. Also, a strong upper-level non-quasigeostrophic divergence was found in the Alpine region 24 hours prior to lee cyclogenesis, lasting for 6–12 hours. On the other hand, quasigeostrophic results indicate only a local effect of mountain slopes, suggesting possibly a dominant role of the low-level blocking. A hypothetical scenario of Alpine lee cyclogenesis is proposed, based on results obtained here.With 14 Figures     

Discontinuity of the Mozumi–Sukenobu fault low-velocity zone, central Japan, inferred from 3-D finite-difference simulation of fault zone waves excited by explosive sources

We delineate shallow structures of the Mozumi–Sukenobu fault, central Japan, using fault zone waves generated by near-surface explosions and detected by a seismometer array. Two explosive sources, S1 and S2, were placed at a distance of about 2 km from the array, and the other two, S3 and S4, were at a distance of about 4 km. Fault zone head waves and fault zone trapped waves following direct P wave arrivals were clearly identified in the seismograms recorded by a linear seismometer array deployed across the fault in a research tunnel at a depth of 300 m. Synthetic waveforms generated by a 3-D finite-difference (3-D FD) method were compared with observed fault zone waves up to 25 Hz. The best fitting model indicates a 200-m-wide low-velocity zone extending at least to shot site S1 located 2 km east of the seismic array with a 20% decrease in the P wave velocity relative to the wall rock. The width of the low-velocity zone is consistent with the fault zone defined by direct geological observation in the research tunnel. However, the low-velocity zone should disappear just to the east of the site S1 to explain the observed fault zone waves for shot S3 and S4 located 4 km east of the seismometer array. Yet the observation and the simulation show notable trapped wave excitation even though shots S3 and S4 are outside the fault zone. These results indicate that (1) the effective waveguide for seismic waves along the fault does not exist east of source site S1 although the surface traces of the fault are observed in this region, and (2) considerable trapped waves can be excited by sources well outside the fault zone. These results highlight the along-strike variability in fault zone structure.     

Distribution of nitrous oxide dissolved in water masses in the eastern subtropical North Pacific and its origin inferred from isotopomer analysis

N₂O concentration and its isotopomer ratios were measured over a wide area from San Diego to Honolulu in the eastern subtropical North Pacific (ESNP). Waters in the study area had an N₂O maximum (38.2–50.5 nmol kg^?1) at 600–1000 m depth, which is similar to the profiles obtained previously in other areas in the North Pacific. We separated the seawater into five water masses (two for the surface layer, two for the middle layer, and one for the deep layer) and deduced N₂O production–consumption mechanisms in each water body by use of N₂O isotopomer ratios. The results showed that the mechanisms differ slightly among water masses. In the “coastal” surface layer, N₂O is produced by nitrification (NH₂OH oxidation). In the “open ocean” surface layer, it is produced mainly by nitrifier denitrification and to a lesser extent by nitrification under substrate-limited conditions. In both “upwelling” and “open ocean” middle layers it is produced mainly by denitrification and to a lesser extent by nitrifier denitrification. It is also partly reduced. In the deep layer, it is produced predominantly by denitrification with partial reduction. In this way, isotopomers aid elucidation of production–consumption mechanisms of N₂O in the sea even though the mechanisms cannot always be ascertained.