Abyssal current along the northern periphery of Shikoku Basin

Abyssal currents along the northern periphery of the Shikoku Basin south of Japan were measured by current meters moored off Cape Daio-zaki, Cape Shiono-misaki and Cape Ashizuri-misaki and on the eastern foot of the northernmost part of the Kyushu-Palau Ridge. Total length of observation off Cape Shiono-misaki was about five years including the periods of the Kuroshio large meander and no meander. Analyses of current data show:

1. Mean currents with a magnitude of 5–10 cm sec^?1 were observed during the whole observation period at all of current meters which were set 400 m above the sea bottom that was deeper than 4,500 m. The mean current for each current meter was parallel to the local bottom contour arond each station and was toward a direction looking the Nankai Trough (a trough located along the northern end of the Shikoku Basin) to the left.
2. At each station located above the shelf toe off Cape Daio-zaki and off Cape Shiono-misaki and on the foot of the Kyushu-Palau Ridge, the mean current increases with depth (a bottomward intensification of the mean current), and the vertical extent of the mean current is estimated to be about 2,000 m above the sea bottom.
3. At a station located at 2,600 m depth on the continental slope off Cape Shiono-misaki, no bottom-ward intensification of currents was observed.

These results strongly suggest that a steady abyssal flow exists in the depths deeper than about 3,000 m along the northern and northwestern peripheries of the Shikoku Basin. Existence of the abyssal circulation system is also suggested, at least, in the north of the Shikoku Basin.     

Eduction of hydrodynamical processes from cross-channel electric-potential differences in the Kuroshio area around the Izu Ridge

The paper comprises analysis of telluric electric-potential differences measured across channels west and south of Oshima in the Kuroshio area to the south of Tokyo Bay during one to two years around 1960. The records are shown to involve ionospheric and magnetospheric induction noises, which are at the same or higher energy level compared to signals induced by Oceanic-dynamic processes in a frequency range of the daily and higher cycles. Channel transports estimated from potential records through eliminating the noises are verified, in reference to hydrographic observations as well as cross-channel difference in sea-level observations, to represent well the actual transport not only in the baroclinic geostrophic mode but also in the barotropic geostrophic mode and the mode deviated from geostrophy. The channel transports, which are obtained continuously in time, are proved to reveal especially well the detailed time-varying processes, on illustrating the case of an inverse-current burst happened in the Oshima-West Channel. At the end, results from spectral analyses of potential records in relation to reference quantities are presented.     

Variation of rare earth concentrations in pigeonitic and hypersthenic rock series from Izu-Hakone region,Japan

The abundances of rare earth elements in 5 each of aphyric volcanic rocks of pigeonitic and hypersthenic rock series from Izu-Hakone region have been determined by neutron activation analysis. Pigeonitic rock series show rare earth patterns with relative depletion of lighter rare earths (low lanthanum type) and large increase in rare earth abundances with differentiation. Hypersthenic rock series show higher lanthanum abundances (high lanthanum type) compared with pigeonitic rock series. The differences in rare earth patterns between two rock series are compatible with the theory of independent magmatic generation of these two series. Variation of rare earth patterns in both series have been examined by a model of magmatic differentiation based on the observed rare earth partition coefficients.     

Velocity of finer fragments from impact

We describe the method and the result of a new experiment to obtain velocity distribution of fine ejecta fragments, from a few to a hundred microns in size, produced from basalt targets by impacts of nylon projectiles at a velocity of 3.7 km s⁻¹. The size distribution of holes perforated by the ejecta fragments on thin films and foils placed around the targets was investigated, and the size-velocity relation was determined with the aid of an empirical formula for threshold penetration (McDonnell and Sullivan, Hypervelocity Impacts in Space, Unit for Space Sciences, University of Kent, 1992). The velocity of the fastest fragments, at a given size, is from the extrapolation of the size-velocity relation for 1–100 mm fragments (Nakamura and Fujiwara, Icarus92, 132–146, 1991; Nakamura et al, Icarus100, 127–135, 1992). The laboratory results are also compared with those obtained from the study of secondary craters around large lunar craters (Vickery, Icarus67, 224–236, 1986, Geophys. Res. Lett. 14, 726–729, 1987). All these data provide a smooth size-velocity relationship in the normalized fragment size range of four orders of magnitude.     

Photographic observations of the stalked crinoidMetacrinus rotundus carpenter in Suruga Bay,central Japan

Photographic observations were carried out at depths of the shelf edge at the mouth of Uchiura Inlet, Suruga Bay, central Japan in order to clarify the life style of the isocrinid stalked crinoid,Metacrinus rotundus (Echinodermata). The distribution of the species was found to be restricted to a narrow area where boulders and rock outcrops were locally present. Mean density of the crinoid was 0.05 m^–2, and this value was an order of magnitude smaller than that of the deeper isocrinid,Diplocrinus wyvillethomsoni, reported from the Bay of Biscay.Metacrinus rotundus formed a parabolic filtration fan with its arms recurved into the bottom current, and was thought to be a passive suspension feeder elevating the fan into the water column by its stalk. The distal half of the stalk lay along the hard substratum and about ten groups of cirri grasped the substratum. This mode of attachment was similar to that ofCenocrinus rather than that ofDiplocrinus. Metacrinus rotundus collect food at the layer between 10 and 50 cm above the sea floor, and do not utilize a higher layer even when this layer could be utilized by climbing over a larger boulder. Resuspended benthic materials are thought to be important as a food source forM. rotundus, and the crinoids seek not only locations of stronger currents but also the position where much resuspended matter is available.     

Density,biomass and community structure of demersal fishes off the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan

Demersal fish communities were studied on the lower continental shelf and the upper continental slope along the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan. Species composition, number and weight of each species were examined based on otter trawl samples at 45 stations. Mean density and biomass of demersal fishes were 131 ha^–1 and 21 kg ha^–1, respectively. The ten most abundant species comprised of about 95% of total number and weight of overall catch indicating simple species composition. Gadiform fishesTheragra chalcogramma, Gadus macrocephalus andPhysiculus maximowiczi were the most important species by number, weight and frequency of occurrences, and three main community types represented by the three key species were recognized.Theragra-dominant community showed higher density and biomass, and lower diversity thanPhysiculus-dominant community did. Species diversity of demersal fish community was negatively correlated to density and biomass. Density and biomass of demersal fish community were high on the uppermost slope, and the high abundance resulted from low-diversity communities dominated byT. chalcogramma andG. macrocephalus.     

Improved Estimates of Wide-Ranging Sea Surface Temperature from GMS S-VISSR Data

We have developed an algorithm to estimate the wide-ranging Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data from the GMS-5 (Geostationary Meteorological Satellite) S-VISSR (Stretched-Visible Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer). Better SST estimates are realized by averaging the temporal variation of the VISSR calibration table and decreasing noise of the split-window terms using a spatial filter. The effects of the satellite zenith angle were examined in detail for better estimates, and VISSR-derived SSTs with root-mean-square (rms) error of 0.8 K were achieved using a new algorithm. The accuracy of SST estimates has been improved by using the temporal-spatial average of the split-window terms. Using the new techniques, we demonstrate that the hourly wide-ranging SST image data can be used to study the daily variations of SSTs in the Northern and Southern Pacific Oceans.     

High-velocity frictional behavior of Longmenshan fault gouge from Hongkou outcrop and its implications for dynamic weakening of fault during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

High-velocity friction experiments were conducted on clayey fault gouge collected from Hongkou outcrop of Beichuan fault,located at the southwestern part of Longmenshan fault system that caused the disastrous 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.The ultimate purpose of this study is to reproduce this earthquake by modeling based on measured frictional properties.Dry gouge of about 1 mm in thickness was deformed dry at slip rates of 0.01 to 1.3 m/s and at normal stresses of 0.61 to 3.04 MPa,using a rotary-shear high-...     

The delineation of dyanmical characteristics of circulations and their changes in the surface,subsurface, mid-depth and deep layers of the westernmost part of the North Pacific

Configurational structure of ocean circulation in the westernmost part of the North Pacific and its time-vayring processes are revealted through the combination of various means of measurements, that is, the measurements of cross-channel voltage, velocity profile, deep-water velocity, water characteristics together with hydrographic observations. The layered structure of circulation and current bursts of 10 to 20 days are clearly shown as well as the departure of the Kuroshio velocity-field from geostrophy. As a major process which modify the density structure of circulation, an intensified generation of internal tides over the Izu Ridge is also treated.Special lecture presented by the recipient of the prize of the Ocenographic Society of Japan for 7 April 1995.     

Spin rates of fast-rotating asteroids and fragments in impact disruption

We present a new experimental result of fragment spin-rate in impact disruption, using a thin glass plate. A cylindrical projectile impacts on a side (edge) of the plate. Dispersed fragments are observed using a high-speed camera and the spin rates of fragments are measured. We find that the measured fragment spin-rate decreases with increasing size. Assuming that the rotational energy of fragments is supplied from the residual stress, the spin rate ω decreases with increasing fragment size r as ω∼r−1, which explains the above experimental results. This size-dependence is similar to that of the observed spin rates of small fast-rotating asteroids. Our results suggest that spin rates of fragments of small asteroids immediately after disruption may have a similar size-dependence, and can provide constraints on the subsequent spin-state evolution of small asteroids due to thermal torques.