Tectonostratigraphic framework and depositional history of the deepwater Ulleung Basin,East Sea/Sea of Japan

The Ulleung Basin, East Sea/Japan Sea, is a Neogene back-arc basin and occupies a tectonically crucial zone under the influence of relative motions between Eurasian, Pacific and Philippine Sea plates. However, the link between tectonics and sedimentation remains poorly understood in the back-arc Ulleung Basin, as it does in many other back-arc basins as well, because of a paucity of seismic data and controversy over the tectonic history of the basin. This paper presents an integrated tectonostratigraphic and sedimentary evolution in the deepwater Ulleung Basin using 2D multichannel seismic reflection data. The sedimentary succession within the deepwater Ulleung Basin is divided into four second-order seismic megasequences (MS1 to MS4). Detailed seismic stratigraphy interpretation of the four megasequences suggests the depositional history of the deepwater Ulleung Basin occurred in four stages, controlled by tectonic movement, volcanism, and sea-level fluctuations. In Stage 1 (late Oligocene through early Miocene), syn-rift sediment supplied to the basin was restricted to the southern base-of-slope, whereas the northern distal part of the basin was dominated by volcanic sills and lava flows derived from initial rifting-related volcanism. In Stage 2 (late early Miocene through middle Miocene), volcanic extrusion occurred through post-rift, chain volcanism in the earliest time, followed by hemipelagic and turbidite sedimentation in a quiescent open marine setting. In Stage 3 (late middle Miocene through late Miocene), compressional activity was predominant throughout the Ulleung Basin, resulting in regional uplift and sub-aerial erosion/denudation of the southern shelf of the basin, which provided enormous volumes of sediment into the basin through mass transport processes. In Stage 4 (early Pliocene through present), although the degree of tectonic stress decreased significantly, mass movement was still generated by sea-level fluctuations as well as compressional tectonic movement, resulting in stacked mass transport deposits along the southern basin margin. We propose a new depositional history model for the deepwater Ulleung Basin and provide a window into understanding how tectonic, volcanic and eustatic interactions control sedimentation in back-arc basins.     

东北现象再解析和东北振兴预判研究——对影响国土空间开发保护格局变化稳定因素的初探

从“东北现象”的新近表现,提出影响国土空间开发保护格局变化的3个稳定因素：资源环境承载能力、地缘关系、文化和体制机制。分别对3个稳定因素在东北地区的特征状况进行了解析,结果表明东北资源环境承载能力本底强,但开发利用效益不佳,突出表现在优化开发区和重点开发区面积过小、限制性开发区收益较低、资源环境承载力预警超载低;位于全球三大经济圈之一的东北亚核心区,地缘优势突出,但未能转换为经济优势,突出表现为外向型经济比重过小、对日韩贸易地位不凸显;文化和体制机制成为限制东北地区发展的核心障碍,突出表现在产业结构不合理、国有经济比重过高。以五大发展理念为指引,结合东北振兴的问题导向,着重对东北地区提高科技创新能力解决发展驱动力的转型、创新国有企业改革模式和促进多种所有制经济协调发展、围绕“一带一路”战略实现开放经济的转型以及腾出国内市场促进东北优势产业继续保持活力、以共享发展理念消除城市贫困增进东北地区民生福祉、采取经济社会生态效益相统一的原则实现东北地区按照主体功能定位进行发展等开展预判研究。     

Natural and anthropogenic aquatic environmental changes reconstructed by paleolimnological analyses in Lake Kitaura,central Japan

In order to assess the recent anthropogenic environmental changes in Lake Kitaura, central Japan, changes during the past few centuries were reconstructed from results of radiometric and tephrochlonological age determination, magnetic susceptibility measurements, total organic carbon analyses, total nitrogen analyses and fossil diatom analyses on a sediment core from the lake. A total of six major and sub-zones are recognized according to the diatom fossil assemblages, and we discuss aquatic environmental change in Lake Kitaura mainly based on these diatom assemblage change. Zone Ia and Zone Ib (older than AD 1707) are marine to brackish. In Zone IIa (AD␣1707–AD 1836), most of the brackish diatoms disappeared, and were replaced by freshwater species indicating a decrease in salinity. We interpret the salinity decrease in Zone I–IIa as a sea-level fall during the Little Ice Age. The salinity of the lake decreased to near freshwater conditions in Zone IIb (AD 1836–AD 1970), which could arise from alteration in River Tone or development of a sandspit in the mouth of River Tone in addition to sea-level change. In Zone IIIa (AD 1970–AD 1987), the diatom assemblage indicates a freshwater environment, and sedimentation rates increase rapidly. These changes reflect sedimentary environment change and an ecosystem transition due to the construction of the tide gate. In Zone IIIb (AD 1987–AD 2002), the diatom flux (valves cm⁻² y⁻¹) increased and species composition changed. The changes in Zone IIIb show a good agreement with limnological monitoring data gathered from the lake. These paleolimnological data suggest that the recent human-induced changes of the aquatic environment of the lake after the 1970s exceed rates during the period concerned in this study.     

Contextualizing other political ecologies: Japan's environmental aid to the Philippines

This paper argues for the utility of a focus on contextualized sources of environmental change to address the ever more diverse contexts of political ecology. In order to overcome the conventional approach to contextual sources that has tended to be analytically one‐dimensional and limited, I seek to provide a more nuanced account, notably by examining the neglected case of green aid of a nonwestern aid donor, Japan. Using conceptual tools that are both conjuncture‐based and multiscalar, the paper examines the way in which a post‐Rio international policy drive to promote so called green aid during the 1990s was translated into and conditioned by the historically and geographically specific contexts of Japan and the aid recipient featured herein, the Philippines. This focus on contextual sources helps to elucidate (i) how the ambiguous nature of international aid criteria combined together with Japan's own domestic political economy to render problematic an ostensibly environmental project, (ii) the manner in which neoliberal economic restructuring was translated into one of Japan's key policy initiatives in the 1990s and formed the backdrop to the specific aid case project discussed here, (iii) how Japan's environmental aid process in the Philippines was shaped through a repoliticization of various green discourses, and (iv) how the complex dynamics among stakeholders ended up compromising the very nature of the case study project.     

A comparison of three marine ecosystems surrounding the Korean peninsula: Responses to climate change

This study uses a comparative approach to examine responses of marine ecosystems to climatic regime shifts. The three seas surrounding the Korean peninsula, the Japan/East Sea, the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea represent three contiguous but distinct ecosystems. Sampling has been carried out by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute of South Korea since 1965, using the same methods in all three seas. Sampling was generally synoptic. Amplitude time series of 1st EOF modes for temperature, salinity, zooplankton biomass and concentrations of four major zooplankton taxa were used to determine whether the three marine ecosystems respond in a similar manner to climate variations. Temporal patterns of the variables were strongly similar among the three seas at decadal time scales, but very weakly similar at interannual scales. All three seas responded to a climatic regime shift that occurred in 1989. Temperature, zooplankton biomass and copepod concentrations increased in the late 1980s or early 1990s in all three seas. Concentrations of amphipods, chaetognaths and euphausiids also increased in the Japan/East Sea and the East China Sea, but not the Yellow Sea. The Yellow Sea ecosystem differs strongly from the other two seas, and water exchange between the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea is much weaker than that between the East China Sea and Japan/East Sea. Spatial patterns of zooplankton determined by the EOF analysis were closely related to currents and fronts in each of the three seas.     

Conservation of wetlands especially as waterfowl habitat in northeast China

Wetland is a special ecological system in the earth, which can provide a good habitat for many wild animals. It is a reproduction and overwintering area for many rare waterfowls, too. The northeast region, including Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning provinces, and the east of Inner Mongolia, is a district with the maximum areas and types of wetlands in China. It is the center of the waterfowls reproduction in Northeast Asia and the necessary region moving to the south. The conservation of wetland and waterfowls habitats in northeast China plays an important role in international waterfowls habitats conservation. The northeast weterfowls’ types, number and distribution specific features are studied in three aspects in the paper, so do the rare waterfowls. Existing problems and the administration polices on waterfowls and their habitats conservation in the northeast are also discussed. It shows that the conservation of wetland waterfowls habitats in northeast China is important.     

2014年12月至2015年2月T639、ECMWF及日本模式中期预报性能检验

文章对2014年12月至2015年2月T639、ECMWF（文中简称EC）及日本数值模式的中期预报产品进行了对比分析和检验。结果表明：三个模式对亚洲中高纬环流形势的调整和演变及850 hPa温度转折性变化具有较好的中期预报性能,但都存在随时效增长的系统性偏差;对北方地区温度的预报, EC模式表现为预报较零场偏高,而T639模式表现为预报较零场偏低;对于海平面气压场,EC模式对冷空气前锋的预报与零场更加一致。     

西南日本中央剪切构造带晚第四纪以来位错特征与地震

野外考察和室内综合分析表明,日本中央构造线的右旋位错自上新世以来一直延续至今.资料表明,晚更新世以来的平均位错速率达6 .1 m m/a .高滑动速率而近1 ka 来无强破坏性地震发生的事实意味着该断裂现今可能处在蠕滑运动为主的相对稳滑状态.断裂带结构简单、走向稳定、高角度而无横向断裂切割等特点有利于断裂的蠕滑运动.     

Petrology and geochemistry of prograde deserpentinized peridotites from Happo-O’ne, Japan: Evidence of element mobility during deserpentinization

The prograde deserpentinized peridotites from the talc zone in the Happo-O’ne complex, central Japan, show differences in their field relation and mineral assemblage with the high-P retrograde peridotites of the other part of the complex. They show a mineral assemblage, olivine + talc + antigorite ± prograde tremolite ± chlorite, formed by thermal metamorphism around the granitic intrusion at T, 500-650 °C and P < 7 kbar. The olivine has numerous opaque inclusions and high Fo (91.5-96.5) relative to the retrograde olivine, reflecting its formation by deserpentinization. The prograde tremolite, which is low in Al₂O₃ (<1.0 wt.%), Cr₂O₃ (<0.35 wt.%), and Na₂O (<0.6 wt.%) but high in Mg# (up to 0.98) and SiO₂ (up to 59.9 wt.%), is different in size, shape and chemistry from the retrograde tremolite. The prograde peridotites display a U-shaped REE pattern (0.02-0.5 times PM), similar to diopside-zone retrograde metaperidotites, possible protoliths. They are enriched in LILE (e.g., Cs, Pb, Sr, Rb) relative to HFSE (e.g., Ta, Hf, Zr, Nb), like their protoliths, because of their local re-equilibration with the fluid released during dehydration of the protoliths. They have high contents of REE and some trace elements (e.g., Cs, Th, U, Ta) relative to their protoliths because of an external-element addition from the granitic magma. In-situ analyses of peridotitic silicates confirmed that the prograde tremolite and talc display a spoon-shaped primitive mantle (PM)-normalized REE pattern (0.1-3 times PM) in which LREE are higher than HREE contents. The prograde tremolite is depleted in Al, Na, Cr, Sc, V, Ti, B, HREE and Li, but is enriched in Si, Cs, U, Th, HFSE (Hf, Zr, Nb, Ta), Rb and Ba relative to the retrograde tremolite; the immobile-element depletion in this tremolite is inherited from its source (antigorite + secondary diopside), whereas the depletion of mobile elements (e.g., Li, B, Na, Al) is ascribed to their mobility during the deserpentinization and/or the depleted character of the source of tremolite. The enrichment of HFSE and LILE in the prograde tremolite is related to an external addition of these elements from fluid/melt of the surrounding granitic magma and/or in situ equilibrium with LILE-bearing fluid released during dehydration of serpentinized retrograde metaperidotites and olivine-bearing serpentinites (protoliths). The prograde olivine is higher in REE and most trace-element contents than the retrograde one due to the external addition of these elements; it is enriched in B, Co and Ni, but depleted in Li that was liberated during deserpentinization by prograde metamorphism.