Daily Journal

Day 9 | July 26, 2005

The Geological Survey of Japan

We continued our interaction with local experts by visiting part of our team at the Geological Survey of Japan. Kohei and Nori (Kazahaya and Morikawa, respectively) work about an hour outside Tokyo at a government scientific research park. They were happy to hear our presentations (the same as yesterday!) and to give us a tour of their laboratories. They have an extensive array of instrumentation and expertise in a number of areas of geo-technical research. We were particularly impressed by an apparatus that simulates conditions within a magma chamber. They use this equipment to study how magmas vesiculate (i.e. form bubbles) as a function of magma ascent rates. In this way, they can look at volcanic rocks and learn how quickly and from what depths the parental magma originated in the crust - fundamental information important for understanding the formation of volcanic rocks.

Our hosts at the Geological Survey threw us a noodle party in the evening and we were treated to the delights of the various types of pasta on offer in Japan. We also had a slide show of pictures taken during our first trip to the islands. It looks like a full strength typhoon has not developed so tomorrow will be wet and (hopefully) not so windy. Onward to the islands (again!).