Atmospheric Science

Research is conducted on various weather and climate phenomena that occur on regional to global scale. Research is done through the observation of weather in the subject area, various data analysis and numerical simulations using models.

• Hiroshi TANAKA (Professor)
  General Circulation, Blocking
• Hiroaki UEDA (Professor)
  Climate System, Climate Change, Monsoon
• Hiroyuki KUSAKA (Professor)
  Urban Climate, Mountain Meterology, Climate of Southeast Asia, Applied Meteorology
• Kenichi UENO (Associate Professor)
  Mountain Meteorology, Land-atmosphere Interaction
• Mio MATSUEDA (Assistant Professor)
  Ensemble Forecast, Weather Predictability
• Yoichi KAMAE (Assistant Professor)
  Climate Change, Paleoclimatology
• Mariko HARADA (Assistant Professor)
  Paleoclimatology

Website: English / Japanese

Geomorphology

Geomorphology is the study of the forms of the land surface, the materials they consist of, and the processes which produce and modify them. Process geomorphology analyses the mechanics of geomorphic processes, whereas historical geomorphology focuses on histories or trajectories of landscape evolution. Applied geomorphology analyses, manipulates, and predicts geomorphic processes, which affect and are affected by human activities. In our laboratory we cover all three approaches by field work, laboratory experiments and analysis using Geographical Information Systems. Our main focus is on landforms related to weathering, landslides, gully erosion, sedimentary processes and ground freezing.

• Atsushi IKEDA (Associate Professor)
• Geomorphological dynamics of Alpin zone associated with changes in water circulation
• Tsuyoshi HATTANJI (Associate Professor)
  Geomorphological dynamics of mountainous area; especially slope failure and erosion
• Tomohiro SEKIGUCHI (Assistant Professor)
  Sedimentary processes of coastal/fluvial environment
• Thomas PARKNER (Assistant Professor)
  Soil erosion, deposition and the effects of human activity on them

Website: English / Japanese

Hydrological Science

Our interests are the water cycle and terrestrial hydrological processes such as rainfall-runoff, evaporation, infiltration into soil, groundwater flow, and so on.  Transport of substances (pollutants, dissolved inorganic compounds, and carbon dioxide, etc.) and their impacts to the environments are also the target of our studies. Field studies are the main tools, but computer models, laboratory experiments are as important to solve hydrological problems.

• Michiaki SUGITA (Professor)
  Physical hydrology, Evapotranspiration, Lakes, Arid-regions
• Jun ASANUMA (Professor)
  Atmospheric water, evapotranspiration, water use, etc.
• Maki TSUJIMURA (Professor)
  Study on water environment using multi-tracers
• Tsutomu YAMANAKA (Associate Professor)
  Tracing hydrological cycle using stable isotopes and numerical models

Website: English / Japanese

Human Geography

The purpose is to comprehensively and systematically research the spatial characteristics that are created by humans and the ground, including the relationship with the natural environment. Research is conducted multilaterally through statistical analysis and investigations of materials using demonstrative methods based on field work in topics such as cities, rural areas, social and economic activities transportation, and the relationship between human beings and environment.

• Keisuke MATSUI (Professor)
  Human geography, cultural geography, space and politics
• Tomoko KUBO (Assistant Professor)
  Human geography, urban geography, housing studies
• Chiaki AKIYAMA (Junior Assistant Professor)
  Environmental geography, land use analysis, GIS

Website: Japanese

Regional Geography

Regional Geography reveals the comprehensive man-land relationship from the viewpoint of a specific region while focusing on the socio-economic differences in urban and rural areas. Amid globalization and technological innovation progresses, our regional geography group is engaged in a variety of land-use change issues and subsequent problems in different scales. We are working on empirical analysis for various regions across the world such as Japan, Asia, Oceania, Europe and Americas.

• Masaaki KUREHA (Professor)
  Regional geography of Europe, Geography of tourism
• Jun TSUTSUMI (Professor)
  Australian Studies, Urban Geography, GIS
• Kennichi MATSUI (Associate Professor)
• Akio YAMASHITA (Assistant Professor)
  Water Environment in Urban Area, Water Supply and Demand on Watershed Scale

Website: Japanese

Analysis of Environmental Dynamics

The objectives of our laboratry are to develop a deep understanding of dynamics and changes in global and regional environment through analysis of water and material cycle on the Earth’s surface using environmental isotope or integrating remote sensing and GIS techniques.

• Yuichi ONDA  (Professor)
  
• Bunkei MATSUSHITA (associate professor)
• Hiroaki  KATO (associate professor)
• Junko TAKAHASHI  (assistant professor)

Website: English / Japanese1 / Japanese2

Paleobiological Science

Our research group aims to understand the history of the Earth and life using fossil materials. Through field works and laboratory analyses, we elucidate both global and regional events of organisms in deep time.

Our laboratory covers both micro- and macro-paleontology. Micropaleontology is a study of microscopic fossils, such as fossil plankton, pollen, and conodonts. Dr. Sachiko Agematsu especially focuses on conodonts, which are an enigmatic animal group that diversified in Paleozoic, along with other microfossils. By establishing conodont taxonomy and biostratigraphy, Dr. Agematsu is aiming to understand life history in ocean, such as mass extinction events in Phanelozoic and paleozoogeography from Paleozoic to today.

Dr. Kohei Tanaka, on the other hand, studies macro-paleontology. His specialty is fossil vertebrates (i.e., animals with back bones), particularly dinosaurs. Dr. Tanaka’s main projects include evolution of reproductive strategies in the lineage of reptiles, dinosaurs, and birds, using fossil eggs, nests, and babies.

• Sachiko AGEMATSU (Associate Professor)
• Kohei TANAKA (Assistant Professor)

Website: Japanese

Sedimentary Geology

Paleogeosphere Science Laboratory conducts fundamental research on the earth surface history through various methods of sedimentology, sedimentary petrology and paleontology. Our major research topics are (1) tectonic history at continental margins in and around the Tethys Sea, (2) Paleoenvironmental changes in Paleozoic and Mesozoic ocean, and (3) History of earthquakes and tsunamis in Asia.

• Ken-ichiro HISADA (Professor)
  Sedimentary rock in orogenic belt
• Kaoru SUGIHARA (Professor)
  Coral reef ecology/paleoecology, Geopark management, Nature conservation
• Yoshihito KAMATA (Associate Professor)
  Geology of accretionary complex, radiolarian biostratigraphy
• Shigehiro FUJINO (Associate Professor)
  Sedimentology, paleoseismology, tsunami history

Website: Japanese

Geodynamics

We, Geodynamics Laboratory, studies Earth’s dynamics, including, but not limited to, earthquake, tsunami, crustal deformation, and accretionary processes. We do analysis of geophysical data, fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and deep ocean drilling, aiming at better understanding of Geodynamics in a vast spatio-temporal scale.

• Yuji YAGI (Professor)
  Solid Geophysics, Seismology, Earthquake source physics
• Kohtaro UJIIE (Associate Professor)
  Structural geology, Tectonics, Fault mechanics
• Ryo OKUWAKI (Assistant Professor)
  Geophysics, Seismology

Website: Japanese

Petrology

This laboratory focuses on the petrological studies of igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks, as well as on the geochemical study of volcanic hydrothermal system. Main topics are the investigation and elucidation of the origin and generation mechanism of magmas in volcanic arc systems, and of the metamorphic conditions and processes associating with the formation of major orogenic belts. The research methods basically involve field observations and laboratory experiments.

• Youji ARAKAWA (Professor)
  Petrochemical study of volcanic and plutonic rocks in Japan
• Toshiaki TSUNOGAE (Professor)
  Metamorphism of orogenic belts in India and Africa
• Kei IKEHATA (Assistant Professor)
  Study of volatile and chalcophile elements in magma

Website: Japanese

Mineralogy

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid with a highly ordered atomic arrangement and definite but not fixed chemical composition. Studying minerals involve various aspects of sciences and industrial applications. The study that reveals physical properties of minerals is fundamental to a deeper understanding of the Earth’s past, present, and future. The application of inorganic chemistry to industry such as photonic crystals, functional materials, and semiconductors brings about an affluent society and hopeful future in the world. We welcome students with backgrounds in geology, physics, chemistry, and materials science.

• Masanori KUROSAWA (Associate Professor)
  Fluid inclusions, Trace and light elements, H2O, Mantle, Condrite, Granite, LAM-ICP-MS, PXIE, ERCS
• Atsushi KYONO (Associate Professor)
  Crystal structure analysis, X-ray diffraction, Synchrotron radiation, Raman spectroscopy, Ab initio calclation, High pressure, Crystal growth, Mantle mineral, Nano-mineral and mineral nanoparticle

Website: English / Japanese

Planetary Resource Dynamics

Our research interests include the field and laboratory studies of topics on the formation of ore deposits, and concentration and dispersion of metals in the terrestrial and extraterrestrial environment.

• Teruyuki MARUOKA (Associate Professor)
  Paleoenvironmental analysis

Website: Japanese