Abstract We investigated the origin of marine sediments and their transfer by water currents using the spatial distribution patterns of multi-elements in terrestrial and marine areas of Kyushu, western Japan. Quaternary volcanic material covers Cretaceous granitic rock and Jurassic–Paleogene sedimentary rock of an accretionary complex in this region. Cluster analysis based on chemical compositions identified the origin of marine sediments from stream sediments originating from the above lithologies. Pyroclastic-flow deposits associated with caldera formation, particularly that of the Kikai Caldera (7.3 ka), were characterized by low Cr/Ti and La/Yb ratios. In contrast, the La/Yb ratio was very high in sediments derived from granitic rock and sedimentary rock of the accretionary complex. The spatial distributions of low Cr/Ti and La/Yb ratios suggest that marine sediments containing pyroclastic materials, which are found within an 80 km radius of the Kikai Caldera, were distributed on the shelf and transported northeastwards by a branch of the Kuroshio Current. The continuous distribution of the medium Cr/Ti and high La/Yb ratios from the land to the coast, slope and deep basin on the Pacific Ocean side suggests that sediments supplied from the terrestrial area were transferred by gravitational transport from the shelf to the deep basin.

Abstract The bonanza-grade, low-sulfidation epithermal Hishikari gold deposit is located in the Plio-Pleistocene volcanic area of southern Kyushu, Japan. The concealed veins were discovered in 1981 and the mine has since produced 5.462 million metric tons (Mt) of ore averaging 44.3 g/t Au (242 t Au) from 1985 to the end of 2018, at which time reserves were 7.98 Mt at 20.9 g/t Au. The Hishikari deposit consists of the Honko, Sanjin, and Yamada ore zones, which occur in a NE-trending area 2.8 km long and 1.0 km wide. The veins are hosted by basement sedimentary rocks of the Cretaceous Shimanto Supergroup and by overlying Hishikari Lower Andesites of Pleistocene age. Sinter occurs about 100 m above the Yamada ore zone. Temperature-controlled hydrothermal alteration zones occupy an area of >5 km long and 2 km wide. The Honko and Sanjin veins occur within a chlorite-illite alteration zone (paleotemperature >230°C), whereas the Yamada veins occur within an interstratified clay mineral zone (150°–230°C). The marginal alteration comprises quartz-smectite (100°–150°C) and cristobalite-smectite (<100°C) zones. Ore-grade veins are located between –60- and 120-m elev, with the paleowater table over the Honko-Sanjim veins at ~300-m elev. Overall, the Ag/Au wt ratio is about 0.6. Vein-forming minerals consist of quartz, adularia, and clay minerals plus truscottite, with electrum and minor pyrite, chalcopyrite, naumannite, galena, and sphalerite. The major veins formed from repeated episodes of boiling and strong fluid flow inferred from bands of quartz, adularia, and smectite with bladed quartz, columnar adularia, and truscottite.

Abstract LavaSIM is a lava -flow simulator to carry out three-dimensional (3D) analysis of solid–liquid two-phase lava flows. Heat transfer between molten lava and solidified crust into the air, water and ground is calculated using radiation equations, so we can simulate not only the lava-flow distribution but also its physical characteristics: for instance, the internal convectional structure. Lava viscosity can be treated as a function of temperature, and is associated with the percentage of crystallization. The stop condition for the lava flow is determined by calculating the minimum spreading thickness, taking into consideration the yield strength. This paper also discusses whether LavaSIM, the deterministic lava-flow simulation, can be applied to basaltic lava flows and allow lava-flow characteristics, such as inundated area, temperature distribution, crust–melt distribution, velocity and pressure field, to be quantitatively evaluated.