Annual variation of methane in seawater in Funka bay,Japan     

Shuichi Watanabe  Naoto Higashitani  Nobuo Tsurushima  Shizuo Tsunogai 《Journal of Oceanography》1994,50(4):415-421

The concentration of methane in seawater was determined approximately once a month for one year from August 1990 to July 1991 at a station close to the center of Funka bay (92 m depth) and some supplementary observations were also carried out. The concentration of methane was usually increased with increasing depth, suggesting that methane was emitted from the bottom of the bay. While highly variable both spatially and temporally, the emission was intense in March and April, a period immediately after the spring bloom of phytoplankton. The maximum of methane found in the intermediate water suggests its source from the slope of the bay. The concentration of methane in the surface water changed seasonally and also interannually. The annually averaged flux of methane transferred to the atmosphere in the bay was estimated to be 6×10^–3 gCH₄m²/day. The coastal zone in the world may be a significant source of the atmospheric methane, although its source strength has yet to be accurately estimated from more data in different coastal seas.  相似文献   

Influence of Mesoscale Eddies on Variations of the Kuroshio Path South of Japan     

Naoto Ebuchi  Kimio Hanawa 《Journal of Oceanography》2003,59(1):25-36

The influences of mesoscale eddies on variations of the Kuroshio path south of Japan have been investigated using time series of the Kuroshio axis location and altimeter-derived sea surface height maps for a period of seven years from 1993 to 1999, when the Kuroshio followed its non-large meander path. It was found that both the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies may interact with the Kuroshio and trigger short-term meanders of the Kuroshio path, although not all eddies that approached or collided with the Kuroshio formed meanders. An anticyclonic eddy that revolves clockwise in a region south of Shikoku and Cape Shionomisaki with a period of about 5–6 months was found to propagate westward along about 30°N and collide with the Kuroshio in the east of Kyushu or south of Shikoku. This collision sometimes triggers meanders which propagate over the whole region south of Japan. The eddy was advected downstream, generating a meander on the downstream side to the east of Cape Shionomisaki. After the eddy passed Cape Shionomisaki, it detached from the Kuroshio and started to move westward again. Sometimes the eddy merges with other anticyclonic eddies traveling from the east. Coalescence of cyclonic eddies, which are also generated in the Kuroshio Extension region and propagate westward in the Kuroshio recirculation region south of Japan, into the Kuroshio in the east of Kyushu, also triggers meanders which mainly propagate only in a region west of Cape Shionomisaki. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.  相似文献   

Seasonal and interannual variations in the East Sakhalin current revealed by TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data     

Naoto Ebuchi 《Journal of Oceanography》2006,62(2):171-183

Seasonal and interannual variations in the East Sakhalin Current (ESC) are investigated using ten-year records of the sea level anomaly (SLA) observed by the TOPEX/POSEIDON (T/P) altimeter. The T/P SLA clearly documents seasonal and interannual variations in the ESC along the east coast of Sakhalin Island, although sea ice masks the region from January to April. Estimates of surface current velocity anomaly derived from T/P SLA are in good agreement with drifting buoy observations. The ESC is strong in winter, with a typical current velocity of 30–40 cm s⁻¹ in December, and almost disappears in summer. Southward flow of the ESC is confined to the shelf and slope region and consists of two velocity cores. These features of the ESC are consistent with short-term observations reported in previous studies. Analysis of the ten-year records of T/P SLA confirms that the structure of the ESC is maintained each winter and the seasonal cycle is repeated every year, although the strength of the ESC shows large interannual variations. Seasonal and interannual variations in the ESC are discussed in relation to wind-driven circulation in the Sea of Okhotsk, using wind stress and wind stress curl fields derived from European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis data and a scatterometer-derived wind product. Seasonal and interannual variations of the anticyclonic eddy in the Kuril Basin are also revealed using T/P SLA.  相似文献   

A laboratory experiment to monitor the contact state of a fault by transmission waves   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Naoto Yoshioka  Koji Iwasa 《Tectonophysics》2006,413(3-4):221-238

We performed a series of laboratory experiments in which elastic waves were transmitted across a simulated fault. Two types of experiments were carried out: (1) Normal Stress Holding Test (NSHT): normal stress was kept constant for about 3 h without shear stress and transmission waves were observed. (2) Shear Stress Increasing Test (SSIT): shear stress was gradually increased until a stick-slip event occurred. Transmission waves were continuously observed throughout the process of stress accumulation. We focused on the change in transmission waves during the application of shear stress and especially during precursory slips.It was found in NSHT that the amplitude of transmission waves linearly increased with the logarithm of stationary contact time. The increase amounted to a few percent after about 3 h. Creep at asperity contacts is responsible for this phenomenon. From a theoretical consideration, it was concluded that the real contact area increased with the logarithm of stationary contact time.We observed in SSIT a significant increase in wave amplitude with shear stress application. This phenomenon cannot be attributed to the time effect observed in NSHT. Instead, it can be explained by the mechanism of “junction growth” proposed by Tabor. Junction growth yields an increase in real contact area. It is required for junction growth to occur that the material in contact is already plastic under a purely normal loading condition. A computer simulation confirmed that this requirement was satisfied in our experiments. We also found that the rate at which the amplitude increased was slightly reduced prior to a stick-slip event. The onset time of the reduction well coincides with the onset of precursory slip. The cause of the reduction is attributed to the reset of stationary contact time due to displacement. This interpretation is supported by the result of NSHT. Taking the time of stationary contact in SSIT into account, we may expect the change in wave amplitude to be, at most, only a few percent. The observed slight reduction in increasing rate is, in this sense, reasonable. The static stiffness of the fault also decreases with precursory slip. It was also found that low frequency waves are a better indicator of precursory slip than high frequency waves. This might suggest that low frequency waves with longer wavelength are a better indicator of average behavior of faults. The problem, however, merits a further investigation. The shifts in phase were also found to be a good indicator of the change in contact state of the fault. The changes in both amplitude and phase of transmission waves are unifyingly understood through the theory of transmission coefficient presented by Pyrak-Nolte et al. Rough surfaces have a tendency to give larger stick-slips than smooth surfaces. The amount of precursory slip is larger for rough surfaces than for smooth surfaces. Although it was confirmed by a computer simulation that rough surfaces have larger contact diameters than smooth surfaces, the rigorous relationship between the surface roughness (contact diameter) and the amount of precursory slips was not established.  相似文献   

Magnetic petrology of the 1991–1995 dacite lava of Unzen volcano,Japan: Degree of oxidation and implications for the growth of lava domes     

Takeshi Saito  Naoto Ishikawa  Hiroki Kamata 《Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research》2007

To understand the oxidation state and process of oxidation of lava domes, we carried out magnetic petrological analyses of lava samples obtained from domes and block-and-ash-flow deposits associated with the 1991–1995 eruption of Unzen volcano, Japan. As a result, we recognize three different types of magnetic petrology, each related to deuteric high-temperature oxidation during initial cooling. Type A oxides are characterized by homogenous titanomagnetite and titanohematite, indicating a low oxidation state and high titanomagnetite concentrations. Type B oxides are weakly exsolved and contain titanohematite laths and rutile lenses, indicating a higher oxidation state. Type C oxides, which represent the highest oxidation state, are completely exsolved and composed of Ti-poor titanomagnetite, titanohematite, rutile, and pseudobrookite, indicating high hematite concentrations. Some grains in Types A and B show indications of reduction, which was related to interaction with volcanic gases subsequent to high-temperature oxidation. In terms of geological occurrence, the oxidation processes probably differed for endogenous and exogenous domes. Endogenous dome lavas are oxidized concentrically and are classified into the three types according to their location within the dome: samples from the surface are strongly oxidized and classified as Type C, while the inner part is unoxidized and classified as Type A. Exogenous dome lavas are unoxidized and assigned to Type A. Some samples show signs of reduction, which may have occurred around fumaroles. We propose that location within the dome and the process of dome growth are the factors that control oxidation.  相似文献   

Mixed layer depth climatology of the North Pacific based on Argo observations   总被引：2，自引：1，他引：1  

Yuko Ohno  Naoto Iwasaka  Fumiaki Kobashi  Yoshiko Sato 《Journal of Oceanography》2009,65(1):1-16

A monthly mean climatology of the mixed layer depth (MLD) in the North Pacific has been produced by using Argo observations. The optimum method and parameter for evaluating the MLD from the Argo data are statistically determined. The MLD and its properties from each density profile were calculated with the method and parameter. The monthly mean climatology of the MLD is computed on a 2° × 2° grid with more than 30 profiles for each grid. Two bands of deep mixed layer with more than 200 m depth are found to the north and south of the Kuroshio Extension in the winter climatology, which cannot be reproduced in some previous climatologies. Early shoaling of the winter mixed layer between 20–30°N, which has been pointed out by previous studies, is also well recognized. A notable feature suggested by our climatology is that the deepest mixed layer tends to occur about one month before the mixed layer density peaks in the middle latitudes, especially in the western region, while they tend to coincide with each other in higher latitudes.  相似文献   

Distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nemopilema nomurai</Emphasis> in the southwestern Sea of Japan related to meandering of the Tsushima Warm Current     

Satoshi?KitajimaEmail author  Naoki?Iguchi  Naoto?Honda  Tatsuro?Watanabe  Osamu?Katoh 《Journal of Oceanography》2015,71(3):287-296

We investigated the horizontal distribution of Nemopilema nomurai medusae using a midwater trawl in the southwestern Sea of Japan from September to October of each year from 2006 to 2012. Numerous medusae of this species found in 2006, 2007, and 2009 were mainly distributed far (>40 km) from the mainland of Japan in the western part of the survey area, but were distributed in the stations closest (<25 km) to the mainland in the eastern part, particularly in 2006 and 2009. These distribution patterns were associated with the path of the second branch of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) that flows offshore to the west of Oki Islands and usually approaches the mainland of Japan to the east of Oki Islands. Differences in jellyfish distribution across the survey periods were related to the distribution of the second branch being associated with types, position and intensity of eddies in the eastern part of the survey area. Hence, the formations of eddies and consequent variation in the path of the TWC would be responsible for transporting medusae from offshore to near the mainland to the east of Oki Islands. Individuals with large bells accumulated in the northwestern part of the survey area, where a cyclonic eddy was present downstream of the third branch of the TWC. This variation in bell size distribution may be ascribed to differences in the physical and/or biological factors among the three branches of the TWC.  相似文献   

Nature of the Ore-Forming Fluid at the Quaternary Noya Gold Deposit in Kyushu,Japan     

Yuichi Morishita  Naoto Takeno 《Resource Geology》2010,60(4):359-376

We discuss the nature of the ore-forming hydrothermal fluid in the Noya gold-bearing calcite-quartz-adularia veins of central Kyushu, Japan on the basis of oxygen, carbon, and strontium isotope ratios, and aqueous speciation calculations for the present-day geothermal fluid. The isotopic values of the Noya ore-forming fluid were estimated to be −6.5‰ for δ¹³C and −7.5‰ for δ¹⁸O. The oxygen isotopic equilibrium temperatures for vein calcite are more than 180°C at the bottom of the Noya mineralization zone, and decrease with increasing elevation. As the temperature decreased, the dominant carbon species in the fluid changed from H₂CO₃ to HCO₃^- at about 120°C. The equilibrium temperatures for vein quartz are consistent with the calcite calculations. The carbon and oxygen isotope trends of the Noya vein calcite and the isotope ratios of strontium suggest that the fluids that precipitated the Noya veins were controlled by an andesite-dominated geology. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns for the white-colored veins from wells 51-WT-1 and 51-WT-2 displayed a light REE-rich pattern with positive Eu anomalies, suggesting the existence of a reducing environment for the fluid. The pyrite-rich gray-colored veins and a silicified rock from well 51-WT-2 showed higher REE concentrations than did the white veins. Altered host andesitic rocks have similar REE patterns to that of the silicified rock, and have higher REE contents than the others in the drill cores. Aqueous speciation calculations showed that the fluid in the hydrothermal reservoir is currently in muscovite stability. The fluid at the ore-mineralization stage may have contained more potassium or have had a higher pH, so that adularia precipitated with calcite and quartz, as well as gold. Fluid boiling at depth in the system produced the gold-bearing calcite-quartz-adularia veins.  相似文献   

Total organic carbon and nitrogen contents in surface sediments of Harima Nada,eastern Seto Inland Sea,Japan: a comparison under two different trophic states     

Hitomi Yamaguchi  Naoto Hirade  Miho Kayama  Kazuhiko Ichimi  Kuninao Tada 《Journal of Oceanography》2014,70(4):355-366

Phytoplankton abundance in the surface waters of Harima Nada, eastern Seto Inland Sea of Japan, decreased after around the late 1970s following a reduction of terrestrial phosphorous inputs, and relatively low levels persisted thereafter. This symptom of de-eutrophication in recent decades might have reduced organic matter storage in surficial sediments. To test this possibility, we examined total organic carbon (TOC) and nitrogen (TN) contents of Harima Nada sediments in 2011, and compared the results to past data from more eutrophic states. In 2011, the TOC and TN varied horizontally within the basin, in relation to physicochemical properties (water and mud content) and phytoplankton remnants (pheo-pigments) of the sediments. These horizontal patterns were fundamentally similar to those of the early 1980s (1982–1983), although discrepancies between the periods were observed in some areas. Differences of mean TOC and TN in the 0–2 cm layer at 63 stations from 1982–1983 to 2011 were consequently <10 %. Hence, the recent de-eutrophication in Harima Nada was associated with little overall change of TOC and TN storage in the sediment. In Harima Nada, changes in water clarity and particle size composition of the sediment seem to have occurred during recent decades. The aforementioned paradoxical phenomenon may therefore be explained by factors that are affected by these environmental changes. Such factors include the ratio of export flux to the seafloor to phytoplankton production, phytoplankton biomass and production in the entire euphotic zone, and accumulation rate of surface sediment.  相似文献   

Relations between load and settlement of circular foundations on or in a dense sand expressed by a function of diameter and depth     

Hiroaki Nagaoka  Masahiro Yamazaki  Naoto Kubota  Takashi Okamoto 《国际地质力学数值与分析法杂志》2005,29(6):551-576

When load acts on a circular foundation on or in a dense sand, average contact pressure on the lower surface of the foundation is q and settlement of the foundation is s. Diameter and depth of the foundation are B and D_f. When the sand, B and D_f are given, we can know the relation between q and s/B by, e.g. a loading test, i.e. the relation is determined by B and D_f for the sand. Using the results of numerical analyses, we express a relation between q and s/B up to s=0.1B by functions of a single variable which is a linear combination of B and D_f. Consequently when two foundations have different B's and different D_f's but have the same value of the variable, the relations are the same. Then we examine whether the functions can express the results of eleven tests of model foundations of wide range of B and/or D_f. In all the tests, the relations are expressed with sufficient accuracy. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献