利用断层应力积累探讨大地震发生的地点——以日本2011年东北9级大地震为例

大地震在哪里发生是地震预报首先要解决的问题.利用反演GNSS观测数据得到的2011年日本东北9级大地震前7年（2004—2010年）断层上的应力变化,我们发现了这次地震断层的孕震区.为了进一步研究该孕震区的演化过程,本文继续反演这次大地震在1997—2003年间的断层应力变化过程.通过这两期的反演工作,我们看到,在这14年中,断层应力的年变化图案的主要特征基本是稳定的,并存在明显的应力增加区和降低区.前者与地震的破裂区吻合,后者与前震、重复小地震和无震滑动的区域一致.显著的剪切应力增加区不但与主震,而且还与大余震的破裂区相符合.我们发现断层面上高应力积累区的零剪应力和零正应力变化的等值线不重合,前者在断层面上的深度大于后者,这意味着在剪应力增加区存在着正应力降低区或剪切强度降低区（由于剪切强度与正应力成正比）.断层初始破裂点似乎更偏好零正应力等值线附近的位置,这是因为该处不但靠近剪切强度降低区,而且位于剪应力积累最显著的地方.研究结果表明,正应力变化对大地震的初始破裂有影响;本文所使用的断层应力变化反演方法,可以用来作为预测大地震发生位置的一种手段.

     

Inverted metamorphism in the Pre-Siwalik foreland basin sediments beneath the crystalline nappe, western Nepal Himalaya

One of the Pre-Siwalik foreland basin sedimentary units, the Dumri Formation, is tectonically covered by the Lesser Himalayan Crystalline nappe and the Kuncha-Naudanda thrust sheet. It is narrowly distributed in the eastern margin of the Karnali klippe along the NNE–SSW trending Chakure Fault. The whole sequence of the fluvial Dumri Formation attaining 1500 m in thickness is weakly metamorphosed to muscovite phyllite and foliated phyllitic sandstone. The metamorphic grade decreases stratigraphically downward and underlying Nummulitic limestone of the middle Eocene Bhainskati Formation is converted into a slaty limestone. No metamorphic mica is detected from the late Cretaceous to Paleocene Amile Formation below the Bhainskati Formation. These facts indicate that the Tansen Group has undergone inverted metamorphism.A ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau age of 25.69±0.13 Ma was obtained from garnetiferous biotite gneiss in the lower part of the crystalline nappe. Another ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age spectrum from muscovite phyllite of the Dumri Formation suggests that metamorphism occurred at 16–17 Ma. The origin of the inverted metamorphism limited to the uppermost part of the Lesser Himalayan autochthon can be attributed to heat from the hot crystalline nappe and shearing along the sole thrust of the Kuncha-Naudanda thrust sheet. The depositional age of the Dumri Formation is estimated to be 26–17 Ma.Provenance of the Dumri Formation is considered to be from the Naudanda Quartzite, the Kuncha Formation and the Tibetan Tethys sediments, because the sandstone contains orthoquartzite pebbles, phyllitic lithic fragments and a sparry calcite cement. The sedimentary facies indicates deposition by meandering rivers on flood-plains in the distal part of the foreland basin. No proximal facies, such as alluvial fan and pebbly braided river deposits, could be detected from the formation, though it is near the Main Central Thrust (MCT). The northern continuation of the foreland basin sediments must be concealed beneath the Higher Himalayan Crystalline. Judging from the present distribution of the Dumri Formation from the south of the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) to near the MCT and from the shortening of the Lesser Himalayan sediments by thrusts and folds, the width of the foreland basin where the Dumri Formation was deposited is estimated to have been more than 300 km.     

Structure and Instabilities of Irradiated Protoplanetary Disks: Effects of Dust Particle Growth

We have constructed self-consistent temperature and density profiles of irradiated active protoplanetary disks, using a two-dimensional radiative transfer calculation. By means of these profiles we have studied the stabilization of the convective instability by radiative heating and the magnetorotational instability (MRI) via ohmic dissipation, taking into account the effect of dust particle growth. Simple chemistry such as ionization by cosmic rays and recombination on dust grains are used to calculate the ionization degree of gas in the disks. Our results show that the dust growth stabilizes the convective instability due to the 2D effect of radiative transfer, while it enhances the MRI through the decrease in the recombination of ions on the dust grains. In addition, the influences of the dust settling toward the midplane of the disks on the instabilities are discussed.     

Short term variability of Particle fluxes and its relation to variability in sea surface temperature and chlorophylla field detected by Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (OCTS) off Sanriku, northwestern North Pacific in the spring of 1997

A sediment trap experiment was carried out in conjunction with an over flight of Ocean Color Temperature Scanner (OCTS) on board Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) at 40°N, 143°E off Sanriku in April to May 1997. Short term variability of particle fluxes was examined at depths of 450 m and 600 m from April 6 to May 1 with a sampling interval of two days, and at 450 m with one day interval from 2nd to 10th May. Daily averaged mass flux at 450 m and 600 m was 815 mg m⁻²d⁻¹ and 862 mg m⁻²d⁻¹, respectively. A sharp increase in mass flux was observed during the period from April 26 to April 29 with the highest mass flux of 8 g m⁻²d⁻¹. About 85% of the total mass flux for the entire duration (26 days) was collected within these 4 days. Trapped material during the peak flux period was mainly composed of diatoms dominated byThalassiosira spp. and resting spores ofChaetoceros spp. This suggested that the peak flux was the result of (a) diatom bloom(s) in the euphotic column. Current meter records at 420 m showed that on April 26 and 27, the period when the peak flux was observed, the southwestward current had diminished in strength and changed its direction northwestward. Low current speeds appeared to have enhanced trap efficiency to help form the peak flux. A time series of OCTS Intensive-LAC (Local Area Coverage: Region B) images from mid-March to early May was examined todetect phytoplankton bloom(s). In the March 26th Chl image, high concentration region was restricted to the southwest off Cape Erimo, but spread around the warm core ring (WCR) 93A by April 10. East of the WCR93A, high Chl concentration remained steady until May, but to the west of the WCR93A, Chl decreased rapidly before the 19th of April. From this observation we suspect that the peak flux observed at the end of April originated from a bloom, which ceased on the 17th or 18th of April, in the region north of 40°N and west of 143°E. Taking the current meter records into account, the source region for the trapped material is most likely around southwest of the Cape Erimo.     

Midnight reversal of ionospheric plasma bubble eastward velocity to westward velocity during geomagnetically quiettime: Climatology and its model validation

In an effort to better understand the dynamics of westward velocities of the nocturnal F-region plasma, the climatology of the westward traveling plasma bubbles – WTB – occurring during quiettime is studied here. The climatology of the WTB is analyzed here based on airglow images obtained during 14 quiet days between 2001 and 2006 at the Brazilian station São João do Cariri (Geographic 7.45°S, 36.5°W, dip ～20°S). The frequency of occurrence of the WTB maximizes in the descending phase of the solar cycle. The WTB velocities ranged between ～20 and 40 ms^?1. The frequency of occurrence had a peak value of only 3.65% at 2345 LT. The maximum occurrence of the WTB was in July–September. No WTB have been observed from November until April in all years 2001–2006. We show for the first time theoretically that the WTB dominant forcing mechanisms during geomagnetically quiet days are westward thermospheric winds.     

Microbial responses using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis to oil and chemical dispersant in enclosed ecosystems

Microbial responses to the addition of oil with or without a chemical dispersant were examined in mesocosm and microcosm experiments by using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of bacterial ribosomal DNA and direct cell counting. When a water-soluble fraction of oil was added to seawater, increases in cell density were observed in the first 24h, followed by a decrease in abundance and a change in bacterial species composition. After addition of an oil-dispersant mixture, increases in cell density and changes in community structure coincided, and the amount of bacteria remained high. These phenomena also occurred in response to addition of only dispersant. Our results suggest that the chemical dispersant may be used as a nutrient source by some bacterial groups and may directly or indirectly prevent the growth of other bacterial groups.     

Study of the effect of water-soluble fractions of heavy-oil on coastal marine organisms using enclosed ecosystems,mesocosms

Mesocosm facilities composed of 4 experimental and 2 reservoir tanks (1.5 m in diameter, 3.0 m in depth and 5 tons in capacity) made of FRP plastics, were constructed in the concrete fish rearing pond in the Fisheries Laboratory, The University of Tokyo. The water-soluble fraction of Rank A heavy residual oil was formed by mixing 500 g of the oil with 10 l of seawater, which was introduced to the 5000 l-capacity tanks. Experimental Run 4 was conducted from May 31 to June 7, 2000. Oil concentrations in the tanks were 4.5 microg/l called LOW, and 13.5 microg/l, called HIGH tank. Bacterial growth rates very quickly accelerated in the HIGH tank just after the loading of oil which corresponded with a high increase of bacterial cells in the same tank after 2 days. Later, bacterial numbers in HIGH tank rapidly decreased, corresponding with the rapid increase of heterotrophic nano-flagellates and virus numbers on the same day. Sediment traps were deployed at the bottom of the experimental tanks, and were periodically retrieved. These samples were observed both under light microscope and epi-fluorescent microscope with UV-excitation. It was observed that the main components of the vertical flux were amorphous suspended matter, mostly originating from dead phytoplankton and living diatoms. It was further observed from the pictures that vertical transport of oil emulsions were probably conducted after adsorption to amorphous suspended matter and living diatoms, and were settling in the sediment traps at the bottom of the tanks. This means that the main force which drives the soluble fraction of oil into bottom sediment would be vertical flux of such amorphous suspended particles and phytoplankton. Further incubation of the samples revealed that the oil emulsions were degraded by the activity of autochtonous bacteria in the sediment in aerobic condition.     

Geologic age of the lower Josoji Formation,Shimane Peninsula,Southwest Honshu,Japan: Implications for an abrupt change to deep-water during the earlier opening stage of the Japan Sea

The lower part of the Josoji Formation, Shimane Peninsula, contains clues for figuring out changes in deep-water characteristics during the opening of the Japan Sea. The foraminiferal assemblage includes early to middle Miocene biostratigraphic index taxa such as planktonic foraminiferal Globorotalia zealandica and Globorotaloides suteri. The occurrence of these two species, together with the absence of praeorbulinids, suggests that the lower part of the Josoji Formation is assigned to the top of planktonic foraminiferal Zone N7/M4 (16.39 Ma). The benthic foraminiferal assemblage, which is characterized by Cyclammina cancellata and Martinottiella communis, clearly suggests that the lower Josoji Formation was deposited at bathyal depths, and that it developed in association with the abrupt appearance of deep-sea calcareous forms. Such bathyal taxa are the main constituents of the Spirosigmoilinella compressa–Globobulimina auriculata Zone of the Josoji Formation and also of the Gyrodina–Gyroidinoides Zone at Ocean Drilling Program Site 797 in the Japan Sea. The base of these benthic foraminiferal zones can be correlated with the base of the nannofossil Sphenolithus heteromorphus Base Zone (= CNM6/CN3); thus, its estimated age is 17.65 Ma. This biostratigraphic information suggests that the lower Josoji Formation was deposited from shortly before 17.65–16.39 Ma in upper limit age. Evidence that fresh to brackish and shallow-water basins formed in the rifting interval of 20–18 Ma in the Japan Sea borderland suggests that the abrupt appearance of deep-sea calcareous foraminifera occurred about 1 my earlier in this area than in other sedimentary basins and suggests that a significant paleoceanographic change occurred in the proto-Japan Sea at 17.65 Ma.     

Linkage of deep sea rapid acidification process and extinction of benthic foraminifera in the deep sea at the Paleocene/Eocene transition

Ocean Drilling Program Leg 199 Site 1220 provides a continuous sedimentary section across the Paleocene/Eocene (P/E) transition in the carbonate‐bearing sediments on 56–57 Ma oceanic crust. The large negative δ¹³C shift in seawater is likely due to the disintegration of methane hydrate, which is expected to be rapidly changed to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and well‐oxygenated seawater, leading to a reduction in deep‐sea pH. A pH decrease was very likely responsible for the emergence of agglutinated foraminiferal fauna as calcareous fauna was eliminated by acidification at the P/E transition at Site 1220. The absence of the more resistant calcareous benthic foraminifera and the presence of the planktonic foraminifera at Site 1220 is interesting and unique, which indicates that calcareous benthic foraminifera suffered greatly from living on the seafloor. Box model calculation demonstrates that, assuming the same mean alkalinity as today, pCO₂ must increase from 280 ppm to about 410 ppm for the calcite undersaturation in the deep ocean and for the oversaturation in the surface ocean during the P/E transition. The calculated increased pCO₂ coincides with paleo‐botanical evidence. The current global emission rate (～7.3 peta (10¹⁵) gC/y) of anthropogenic carbon input is approximately 30 times of the estimate at the P/E transition. The results at the P/E transition give an implication that the deep sea benthic fauna will be threatened in future in combination with ocean acidification, increased sea surface temperature and more stratified surface water.