Rina Fukuchi

Changes in illite crystallinity within an ancient tectonic boundary thrust caused by thermal, mechanical, and hydrothermal effects: an example from the Nobeoka Thrust, southwest Japan

Illite crystallinity (IC), the full width at half maximum of the illite (001) peak in clay-fraction X-ray diffraction (XRD), is a common geothermometer widely applied to various tectonic settings. Paleotemperature estimation using IC presents methodological ambiguity because IC is not only affected by background temperature but also by mechanical, hydrothermal, and surface weathering effects. To clarify the influences of these effects on IC in the fault zone, we analyzed the IC and the illite 001 peak intensity of continuous borehole core samples from the Nobeoka Thrust, a fossilized tectonic boundary thrust in the Shimanto Belt, the Cretaceous-Paleogene Shimanto accretionary complex in southwest Japan. We also carried out grinding experiments on borehole core samples and sericite standard samples as starting materials and investigated the effect of mechanical comminution on the IC and illite peak intensity of the experimental products. We observed the following: (1) the paleotemperatures of the hanging wall and footwall of the Nobeoka Thrust are estimated to be 288°C to 299°C and 198°C to 249°C, respectively, which are approximately 20°C to 30°C lower than their previously reported temperatures estimated by vitrinite reflectance; (2) the fault core of the Nobeoka Thrust does not exhibit IC decrease; (3) the correlation of IC and illite peak intensity in the hanging wall damage zone were well reproduced by the grinding experiment, suggesting that the effect of mechanical comminution increases toward the fault core and; (4) the abrupt increase in IC value accompanied by high illite peak intensity is explained by hydrothermal alterations including plagioclase breakdown and the formation of white micas. Our results indicate that IC has potential for quantifying the effects of mechanical comminution and hydrothermal alteration within a fault zone.

Friction properties of the plate boundary megathrust beneath the frontal wedge near the Japan Trench: an inference from topographic variation

The 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake (Mw 9.0) produced a fault rupture that extended to the toe of the Japan Trench. The deformation and frictional properties beneath the forearc are keys that can help to elucidate this unusual event. In the present study, to investigate the frictional properties of the shallow part of the plate boundary, we applied the critically tapered Coulomb wedge theory to the Japan Trench and obtained the effective coefficient of basal friction μb′ and Hubbert-Rubey pore fluid pressure ratio (λ) of the wedge beneath the lower slope. We extracted the surface slope angle and décollement dip angle (which are the necessary topographic parameters for applying the critical taper theory) from seismic reflection and refraction survey data at 12 sites in the frontal wedges of the Japan Trench. We found that the angle between the décollement and back-stop interface generally decreases toward the north. The measured taper angle and inferred effective friction coefficient were remarkably high at three locations. The southernmost area, which had the highest coefficient of basal friction, coincides with the area where the seamount is colliding offshore of Fukushima. The second area with a high effective coefficient of basal friction coincides with the maximum slip location during the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. The area of the 2011 earthquake rupture was topographically unique from other forearc regions in the Japan Trench. The strain energy accumulation near the trench axis may have proceeded because of the relatively high friction, and later this caused a large slip and collapse of the wedge. The location off Sanriku, where there are neither seamount collisions nor rupture propagation, also has a high coefficient of basal friction. The characteristics of the taper angle, effective coefficient of basal friction, and pore fluid pressure ratio along the Japan Trench presented herein may contribute to the understanding of the relationship between the geometry of the prism and the potential for generating seismo-tsunamigenic slips.

Spatial variability in sediment lithology and sedimentary processes along the Japan Trench: use of deep-sea turbidite records to reconstruct past large earthquakes

Abstract Large earthquakes and related tsunamis serve as triggering mechanisms that generate turbidity currents which form turbidites. The event deposits from the recent 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake and tsunami are observed throughout a wide area along the Pacific coast of Tohoku, northern Japan, extending from the coast through the shelf and slope, to the trench floor. Spatio-temporal correlation of turbidites and other tsunamigenic deposits, such as those generated in the 2011 event, can be used to reconstruct the recurrence history of large earthquakes and tsunamis. Here we use sediment cores and sub-bottom profiles to analyse the depositional setting along the Japan Trench, and show that the environment is ideal for preserving turbidites. The subducting Pacific Plate creates graben or basins along the trench floor that accommodate the episodic deposition of fine-grained turbidites; and interseismic hemipelagic deposits that form with high sedimentation rates along the Japan Trench effectively cover earthquake-induced turbidites and preserve the deposits as a geological record of large earthquakes. Therefore, small deep-sea basins with high sedimentation rates, such as in and around the Japan Trench floor, are favourable environments for studies of turbidite palaeoseismology.

Paleothermal structure of the Nankai inner accretionary wedge estimated from vitrinite reflectance of cuttings

The paleothermal structure and tectonic evolution of an accretionary prism is basic information for understanding subduction zone seismogenesis. To evaluate the entire paleotemperature profile of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site C0002 located in the off-Kumano region of the Nankai Trough and penetrates the inner accretionary wedge down to 3058.5 m below the seafloor (mbsf), we performed a vitrinite reflectance analysis for cuttings and core samples during IODP Expeditions 338 and 348: Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment. Although vitrinite reflectance values (Ro) tend to increase with depth, two reversals of these values suggested the existence of thrust fault zones with sufficient displacements to offset the paleothermal structure. The estimated maximum paleotemperatures are 42–70°C at 1200–1300 mbsf, 44–100°C at 1600–2400 mbsf, and 56–115°C at 2600–3000 mbsf, respectively. These temperatures roughly coincide with estimated modern temperatures; however, at a smaller scale, the reconstructed partial paleogeothermal gradient (∼60–150°C/km) recorded at the hanging- and footwall of the presumed thrust fault zone is higher than the modern geothermal gradient (∼30–40°C/km). This high paleogeothermal gradient was possibly obtained prior to subduction, reflecting the large heat flow of the young Philippine Sea Plate.