JpGU Fellowship

Yuji Sano

Commendation

For outstanding achievements in global material cycle studies using noble gases as tracers and geochronology by secondary ion mass spectrometry

A list of five representative papers

  • Sano, Y. and Marty, B., Origin of carbon in fumarolic gas from island arcs. Chemical Geology, 119, 265-274, 1995. (Citation = 418)
  • Sano, Y., Takahata, N., Nishio, Y., Fischer, T.P. and Williams, S.N., Volcanic Flux of Nitrogen from the Earth. Chemical Geology, 171, 263-271, 2001. (Citation = 140)
  • Sano, Y., Terada, K. and Fukuoka, T., High mass resolution ion microprobe analysis of rare earth elements in silicate glass, apatite and zircon: Lack of matrix dependency. Chemical Geology, 184, 217-230, 2002. (Citation = 145)
  • Sano, Y., Kobayashi, S., Shirai, K., Takahata, N., Matsumoto, K., Watanabe, T., Sowa, K. and Iwai, K., Past daily light cycle recorded in strontium/calcium ratios of giant clam shell. Nature Communications 3, 761, 2012. (Citation = 69)
  • Sano, Y., Hara, T., Takahata, N., Kawagucci, S., Honda, M., Nishio, Y., Tanikawa, W., Hasegawa, A. and Hattori, K,. Helium anomalies suggest a fluid pathway from mantle to trench during the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake. Nature Communications 5, 3084, 2014.

Major achievements

Dr. Sano has made many world-leading achievements in volcanic and environmental chemistry using volatile elements such as noble gases, carbon and nitrogen, and contribution in uranium-lead dating, trace element geochemistry, etc. In particular, he developed a new method for measuring helium isotopes, and has been involved in research on subduction zone tectonics, earthquakes and volcanism. Using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SHRIMP and NanoSIMS), he invented an ultra-high resolution trace element analysis method for carbonate and uranium-lead dating of phosphate. Using this new analytical method, he discovered the oldest traces of life on the Earth, proposed a new formation age of the lunar ocean, and precisely reconstructed the past marine environment.

Nominator

Yoshio Takahashi