The sudden disappearance of a dark filament observed on October 26, 1989

We present H monochromatic and spectroscopic observations of the sudden disappearance of a dark filament located near the center of the solar disk on October 26, 1989. The event was not associated with the flare activity. The dark filament first disintegrated into two loop-like components, and then each component successively showed ascending motion with a velocity greater than 30 km s^–1. Comparison of the H pictures taken before and after the start of this event suggests that the dark filament was originally composed of two magnetic flux loops.     

Process of Housing Damage Assessment: The 1995 Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Disaster Case

Rebuilding of victims' livelihoods was a crucial issue in the restoration process in the1995 Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Disaster. Housing damage assessment influencedmost of the rebuilding of the livelihood in the long term, because the Victim Certificatesissued by the local governments based on the results of the Housing damage assessmentwas required to receive most of the individual assistance measures. In the process ofHousing damage assessment, many complex problems arose, leading to extensivework on the part of the disaster responders. Consequently, a considerable number ofvictims were dissatisfied with the assessment and applied for a resurvey. Due to a floodof requests for resurvey, disaster responders had to work on damage assessment, leavingrelief activities aside.In order to facilitate Housing damage assessment, this paper discusses thefollowing five points: (1) the processes and the problems of assessments performedin the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Disaster, (2) the changes in the nature of informationneeded by the victims, (3) the improvements over the present damage assessment, (4)the housing situation in Japan, and (5) the international situation on damage assessment.It is obvious from the results that a poor damage assessment system and the size ofthe disaster produced a very large work load. Differences in appreciation among theinvestigators also contributed to unfair assessments and led to the victims beingincreasingly dissatisfied by the survey results. Finally, a design concept for acomprehensive damage assessment system, which has been derived from theabove five points, is proposed for post-disaster management.     

1.5 Ma以来黄土高原风尘堆积的岩石磁学记录与中更新世气候转型

通过对黄土高原中部朝那剖面黄土-古土壤序列系统的岩石磁学分析,建立了1.5Ma以来黄土高原高分辨率岩石磁学指标演化序列。岩石磁学记录表明本区1.5Ma以来以0.93和0.62Ma为界经历了3个不同的气候演化阶段。在1.5～O.93和0.62～0Ma期间各种磁学参数大致呈同步变化趋势,能较好地与深海氧同位素（MIS）曲线相对应,而在0.93～0.62Ma期间（相当于L9底到L6顶,MIS24-MISl6）,尽管磁化率、饱和剩磁强度（Mr）、饱和磁化强度（Ms）与剩磁矫顽力（Bcr）、矫顽力（Bc）曲线的峰谷能与MIS的峰谷相对比,但该阶段的磁学参数变化幅度和形式明显不同于1.5～0.93和0.62Ma以来的两个演化阶段。磁化率、Mr和Ms在0.93Ma突然降低,此后变幅很小,反映夏季风较弱且相对稳定,一直维持到0.62Ma前后。在0.9Ma前后Bc、Bcr突然增大,可能反映了冬季风突然增强,然后宽幅波动下降。这种变化可能是黄土高原风尘堆积对中更新世气候转型事件的响应。黄土高原岩石磁学记录的中更新世气候转型事件发生于0.93Ma,结束于0.62Ma。造成这次气候转型事件的原因除了与全球冰量和太阳辐射变化有关之外,还可能与中更新世青藏高原急剧隆升而激发的亚洲内陆干旱化加剧,从而导致亚洲内陆沙漠的形成与扩张有关。     

Seismological asperities from the point of view of dynamic rupture modeling: the 2007 Mw6.6 Chuetsu-Oki,Japan, earthquake

We study the ground motion simulations based on three finite-source models for the 2007 Mw6.6 Niigata Chuetsu-oki, Japan, earthquake in order to discuss the performance of the input ground motion estimations for the near-field seismic hazard analysis. The three models include a kinematic source inverted from the regional accelerations, a dynamic source on a planar fault with three asperities inferred from the very-near-field ground motion particle motions, and another dynamic source model with conjugate fault segments. The ground motions are calculated for an available 3D geological model using a finite-difference method. For the comparison, we apply a goodness-of-fit score to the ground motion parameters at different stations, including the nearest one that is almost directly above the ruptured fault segments. The dynamic rupture models show good performance. We find that seismologically inferred earthquake asperities on a single fault plane can be expressed with two conjugate segments. The rupture transfer from one segment to another can generate a significant radiation; this could be interpreted as an asperity projected onto a single fault plane. This example illustrates the importance of the fault geometry that has to be taken into account when estimating the very-near-field ground motion.     

Finite‐element analysis of laminated rubber bearing of building frame under seismic excitation

Finite element analysis is carried out for a building frame supported by laminated rubber bearings to simultaneously investigate global displacement and local stress responses under seismic excitation. The frame members and the rubber bearings are discretized into hexahedral solid elements with more than 3 million degrees of freedom. The material property of rubber is represented by the Ogden model, and the frame is assumed to remain in elastic range. It is shown that the time histories of non‐uniform stress distribution and rocking behavior of the rubber bearings under a frame subjected to seismic excitation can be successfully evaluated, and detailed responses of base and frame can be evaluated through large‐scale finite element analysis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photo-inhibition of phytoplankton photosynthesis as a function of exposure time

The photo-inhibition of phytoplankton photosynthesis at higher intensities was examined with a cultured marine diatom,Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and natural samples. The question was to determine whether photo-inhibition results from excretion of photosynthetic products from cell or from an actual decrease in photosynthetic rate. P. tricornutum cultured at 15 klux showed very little photo-inhibition up to 70 klux, and, in the sample cultured at 1 klux, most marked photo-inhibition was observed in 3 hours experiment. Extracellular release was less than 30% of particulate fixation, and did not show any extreme increase to supplement photosynthesis depression at higher light intensities. When the photosynthesis was measured during 10 minutes, both samples showed no photo-inhibition. The photosynthesis by low light sample lost the linearity of time-course with prolonged exposure at high light intensity. Observed photo-inhibition, therefore, we explained with the actual decrease in photosynthetic rate. Similar photo-inhibition could be seen in marine phytoplankton samples concentrated by filtration.     

Upwelling plumes in sagami bay and adjacent water around the Izu Islands,Japan

Water plumes, 20 km long or less, identified by low temperature, high salinity and high nutrient concentrations, were observed on the eastern side of Izu Islands where the Kuroshio Current or its branch flowed eastward. The T-S diagrams and the vertical profiles of oceanographic variables indicated that the water plumes resulted from the upwelling of subsurface water. A newly formed plume, characterized by a sharp temperature front and high nutrient concentrations, contained less chlorophyll than did old plumes. It is suggested that the upwelling plumes are maintained for a period long enough to allow luxuriant growth of phytoplankton.     

The escape of ionizing photons from supernova-dominated primordial galaxies

In order to assess the contribution of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) and Lyman α emitters (LAEs) at redshifts  3 < z < 7  to the ionization of intergalactic medium (IGM), we investigate the escape fractions of ionizing photons from supernova-dominated primordial galaxies by solving the three-dimensional (3D) radiative transfer. The model galaxy is employed from an ultra-high-resolution chemodynamic simulation of a primordial galaxy by Mori & Umemura, which well reproduces the observed properties of LAEs and LBGs. The total mass of model galaxy is  10¹¹ M_⊙  . We solve not only photoionization but also collisional ionization by shocks. In addition, according to the chemical enrichment, we incorporate the effect of dust extinction, taking the size distributions of dust into account. As a result, we find that dust extinction reduces the escape fractions by a factor of 1.5–8.5 in the LAE phase and by a factor of 2.5–11 in the LBG phase, while the collisional ionization by shocks increases the escape fractions by a factor of  ≈2  . The resultant escape fractions are 0.07–0.47 in the LAE phase and 0.06–0.17 in the LBG phase. These results are well concordant with the recent estimations derived from the flux density ratio at 1500 to 900 Å of LAEs and LBGs. Combining the resultant escape fractions with the luminosity functions of LAEs and LBGs, we find that high- z LAEs and LBGs can ionize the IGM at   z = 3–5  . However, ionizing radiation from LAEs as well as LBGs falls short of ionizing the IGM at   z > 6  . That implies that additional ionization sources may be required at   z > 6  .     

Tectonic evolution of lower crustal rocks in an exposed magmatic arc section in the Hidaka metamorphic belt, Hokkaido, northern Japan

Abstract : The Hidaka metamorphic belt consists of an island-arc assembly of lower to upper crustal rocks formed during early to middle Paleogene time and exhumed during middle Paleogene to Miocene time. The tectonic evolution of the belt is divided into four stages, D₀rs, D₁, D₂rs, and D₃, based on their characteristic deformation, metamorphism, and igneous activity. The premetamorphic and igneous stage (D₀) involves tectonic thickening of an uppermost Cretaceous and earliest Tertiary accretionary complex, including oceanic materials in the lower part of the complex. D₁ is the stage of prograde metamorphism with increasing temperatures at a constant pressure during an early phase, and with a slight decrease of pressure at the peak metamorphic phase, accompanying flattening of metamorphic rocks and intrusions of mafic to intermediate igneous rocks. At the peak, incipient partial melting of pelitic and psammitic gneisses took place in the amphibolite–granulite facies transition zone, the melt and residuals cutting the foliations formed by flattening. In the deep crust, large amounts of S-type tonalite magma formed by crustal anatexis, intruded into the granulite facies gneiss zone and also into the upper levels of the metamorphic sequence during the subsequent stage. During D₁ stage, mafic and intermediate magmas supplied and transported heat to form the arc-type crust and at the same time, the magmatic underplating caused extensional doming of the crust, giving rise to flattening and vertical uplifting of the crustal rocks. D₂ stage is characterized by subhorizontal top-to-the-south displacement and thrusting of lower to upper crustal rocks, forming a basal detachment surface (décollement) and duplex structures associated with intrusions of S-type tonalite. Deformation structures and textures of high-temperature mylonites formed along the décollement, as well as the duplex structures, show that the D₂ stage movement occurred under a N-S trending compressional tectonic regime. The depth of intra-crustal décollement in the Hidaka belt was defined by the effect of multiplication of two factors, the fraction of partial melt which increases downward, and the fluid flux which decreases downward. The crustal décollement, however, might have extended to the crust-mantle boundary and/or to the lithosphere and asthenosphere boundary. The subhorizontal movement was transitional to a dextral-reverse-slip (dextral transpression) movement accompanied by low-temperature mylonitization with retrograde metamorphism, the stage defined as D₃. The crustal rocks from the basal décollement to the upper were tilted eastward on the N–S axis and exhumed during the D₃ stage. During D₂ and D₃ stages, the intrusion of crustal acidic magmas enhanced the crustal deformation and exhumation in the compressional and subsequent transpressional tectonic regime.     

Recent developments in seismically isolated buildings in Japan

The Building Standard Law of Japan and related Enforcement Order and Notifications have been substantially revised since the year 2000 to introduce a performance-based regulatory and deregulation system for building control systems. Up to then, time-history analyses were mandatory for isolated buildings and had to be specially approved by the Minster of the Ministry of Construction (MOC). Simplified design procedures based on the equivalent linear method for seismically isolated buildings have been issued as “Notification 2009 — Structural calculation procedure for buildings with seismic isolation” from MOC, and are now integrated into the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation (MLIT). Along with Notification 2009, “Notification 1446 of year 2000 — Standard for specifications and test methods for seismic isolation devices” was also issued. Buildings with heights equal to or less than 60m and that are designed according to these Notifications, including base isolated buildings, only need approval from local building officials, and no longer require the special approval of the Minister of MLIT. This paper summarizes: 1) some statistics related to buildings with seismic isolation completed up to the end of 2001; 2) simplified design procedures required by Notification 2009 of year 2000; and 3) performance of seismic isolation devices required by Notification 1446 of year 2000.