A chum scale pattern analyzer and stock identification based onscale patterns by discriminant function and power spectrum analysis

An optoelectronic instrument has been developed to analyze the scales and scale patterns of chum salmon. This device, with specially developed software, has been used to study populations of salmon. Fish from two different rivers approximately 200 km apart from each other were grouped with an accuracy of 82% or more. Machine-measured ages coincided with those derived from visual estimation in approximately 80% of the fish sampled. These results suggest the proposed system could be of practical use for measuring and analyzing the scale patterns that allow one to accurately measure both natural and farmed populations of salmon     

Relationship between Salinity and Nutrients in the Subsurface Layer in the Suruga Bay

We investigated the water structure and nutrient distribution in the Suruga Bay from April 2000 to July 2002, especially the Offshore Water, which occupies a large part of the bay. The maximum salinity in the upper 200 m varied between 34.49 and 34.71, indicating a temporal change in the influence of Kuroshio Water on the Offshore Water. Seasonal variation in nutrient concentrations was largest from surface to 50 m. On the other hand, the variance in nutrient concentrations within each season was largest in the subsurface layer of 100–300 m in spring, summer and fall. In the Offshore Water, the change of nutrients was negatively correlated with that of salinity in each season. This suggests that an increasing intrusion of saline water brings about a lower nutrient concentration in the Offshore Water. Likewise, negative correlations were observed between the change of the maximum salinity and chlorophyll a (Δ [chl.a-int])/nutrients integrated in the upper 200 m. Δ[chl.a-int] was significantly correlated with the changes of nitrate and phosphorus, but there were no significant correlations between Δ[chl.a-int] and the change of silicate. These results suggest that the concentrations of chlorophyll a and nutrients in the Offshore Water were decreased due to the increasing intrusion of Kuroshio Water. The Offshore Water is likely to be related to the regulation of primary production by nitrate.     

Microbial Diversity in Nankai Trough Sediments at a Depth of 3,843 m

Dense populations of bivalves, primarily Calyptogena sp., were observed at cold seeps of the Nankai Trough. Bacterial input to the sediment was estimated through determination of phospholipid ester-linked fatty acid (PLFA) and DNA profiles. Results indicated a bacterial biomass of 10⁹ cells (g dry wt)^-1 while individual fatty acid profiles revealed a predominance of monounsaturated fatty acids, mainly 18:1 isomers. The presence of these fatty acids can be interpreted to reflect a response to low temperature and a predominance of psychrophilic bacteria. DNA fragments encoding bacterial ribosomal RNA small-subunit sequences (16S rDNA) were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction method using DNA extracted directly from the sediment samples. From the sequencing results, at least 19 kinds of bacterial 16S rDNAs related to mostly the Proteobacteria and a few gram-positive bacteria were identified. These results suggest that the bacterial community in the Nankai Trough sediments consists of mainly bacteria belonging to the Proteobacteria , , and subdivisions. Bacteria belonging to the and subdivisions, which are known to include epibiont and sulfate reducing bacteria, respectively, were mostly detected in the sediment obtained from inside the area of the Calyptogena community, and the -Proteobacteria may function to supply reduced sulfur to bacterial endosymbionts of Calyptogena.     

Quaternary bedrock erosion and landscape evolution in the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica: Reevaluating rates and processes

Rates and processes of rock weathering, soil formation, and mountain erosion during the Quaternary were evaluated in an inland Antarctic cold desert. The fieldwork involved investigations of weathering features and soil profiles for different stages after deglaciation. Laboratory analyses addressed chemistry of rock coatings and soils, as well as ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al exposure ages of the bedrock. Less resistant gneiss bedrock exposed over 1 Ma shows stone pavements underlain by in situ produced silty soils thinner than 40 cm and rich in sulfates, which reflect the active layer thickness, the absence of cryoturbation, and the predominance of salt weathering. During the same exposure period, more resistant granite bedrock has undergone long-lasting cavernous weathering that produces rootless mushroom-like boulders with a strongly Fe-oxidized coating. The red coating protects the upper surface from weathering while very slow microcracking progresses by the growth of sulfates. Geomorphological evidence and cosmogenic exposure ages combine to provide contrasting average erosion rates. No erosion during the Quaternary is suggested by a striated roche moutonnée exposed more than 2 Ma ago. Differential erosion between granite and gneiss suggests a significant lowering rate of desert pavements in excess of 10 m Ma^− 1. The landscape has been (on the whole) stable, but the erosion rate varies spatially according to microclimate, geology, and surface composition.     

An experimental study on felsic rock–artificial seawater interaction: implications for hydrothermal alteration and sulfate formation in the Kuroko mining area of Japan

Experimental studies on the interactions between artificial seawater (ASW) and fresh rhyolite, perlite and weakly altered dacitic tuff containing a small amount of smectite suggest changing cation transfer during smectite-forming processes. Initially, dissolution of K from the rocks accompanies incorporation of Mg and Ca from ASW during both earlier (devitrification stage) and later smectite formation, whereas Ca incorporated with early smectite formation redissolves with progressive reaction. Barium mobility increases toward the later smectite-forming reactions. Therefore, the large amounts of barite, anhydrite and gypsum in Kuroko ore deposits are considered to have precipitated from hydrothermal solutions derived from the interaction with previously altered felsic rocks during late smectite formation, rather than by the reaction with fresh felsic rocks.Editorial handling: D. Lentz     

地下水气体组分的潮汐变化

我们观察了日本中部Omaezaki地区地下水气体组分时间序列数据的周期性变化,Omaezaki是日本地震预报目录中即将到来的Tokai地震前兆信号观察的重要地区.我们已经开始在一口100 m深的井中对地下水中气体组分进行持续监测.     

Iron and zinc partitioning between coexisting stannite and sphalerite: a possible indicator of temperature and sulfur fugacity

Stannite and sphalerite coexisting with iron sulfides (pyrite and/or pyrrhotite) from Japanese ore deposits associated with tin mineralization were analyzed. Based on the iron and zinc partitioning between stannite and sphalerite, the formation temperature and sulfur fugacity for this mineral assemblage were estimated. A good correlation between stannite-sphalerite temperatures and filling temperatures of fluid inclusions and sulfur isotope temperatures was obtained. This good correlation suggests that the stannite-sphalerite pair is a useful indicator of temperature and sulfur fugacity. It is deduced that the formation temperatures are not different for skarn-type, polymetallic vein-type and Sn-W vein-type deposits, whereas the sulfur fugacities are different; sulfur fugacities increase from the skarn-type through the Sn-W vein-type to the polymetallic vein-type deposits.     

The Ag/Au ratio of native gold and electrum and the geochemical environment of gold vein deposits in Japan

The chemical composition of native gold and electrum from auriferous vein and gold-silver vein deposits in Japan has been analyzed and summarized. The Ag/Au ratios of native gold and electrum from these two types of deposits are distinct, i.e., 10–20 Ag at % (auriferous vein) and 30–70 Ag at % (gold-silver vein). Thermochemical calculations suggest that the Ag/Au ratio of native gold and electrum should decrease with increasing chloride concentration and temperature. This is consistent with analytical results of native gold and electrum and fluid inclusion studies. Based on the Ag content of native gold and electrum, the Fe content of sphalerite, and the estimated temperatures, it is deduced that the sulfur activity for auriferous vein-type systems was lower than that of gold-silver vein-type systems.     

GPS radio holography as a tool for remote sensing of the atmosphere, mesosphere, and terrestrial surface from space

GPS radio occultation (RO) signals are highly coherent and precise, and thus sufficient for holographic investigation of the atmosphere, ionosphere, and the Earth's surface from space. In principle, three-dimensional radio-holographic remote sensing is possible by using new radio holographic equations to retrieve the radio field within the atmosphere from a radio field known at some interface outside the atmosphere. A simplified two-dimensional form of the radio-holographic equations which are developed under an assumption of local spherical symmetry can be used to obtain two-dimensional radio images of the atmosphere and terrestrial surface. To achieve this, radio holograms recorded by a GPS receiver onboard a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite at two GPS frequencies can be used and focused synthetic aperture principle applied. Analysis of GPS/MET RO data is presented to show the effectiveness of a radio-holographic approach. It is shown that the amplitude of GPS radio signals (in addition to phase data) can be used to obtain detailed altitude profiles of the vertical gradient of refractivity in the atmosphere and electron density in the mesosphere. The results demonstrate the applicability of GPS radio holography for a detailed global study of the natural processes in the atmosphere and mesosphere. Electronic Publication