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Continental rifting and breakup of eastern Gondwana during the Cretaceous separated northern Zealandia from eastern Australia, but the processes leading to this highly extended and largely submerged block of continental crust are unknown. We acquired and processed multichannel seismic reflection data across northern Zealandia and examine the stratigraphy of the Middleton Basin. We identified a two‐phase formation process for the basin, as evidenced by an unconformity separating two postrift units. After initial basin formation and slow deposition of the lower postrift unit, deposition rates within the Middleton Basin rapidly increased in response to the latest stage of subsidence and to create the modern basin. We propose a tectonic model wherein the Middleton Basin initiated through oceanic spreading and the subsequent postrift subsidence of the newly created oceanic lithosphere was delayed due to thermal buoyancy associated with nearby oceanic spreading in the Tasman Basin. Our results provide new constraints on rifting and breakup processes of wide, magma‐poor, and asymmetric margins and indicate that multiple regions of weak lithosphere may have influenced the breakup. Plain Language Summary: Tens of millions of years ago, an elongate continental fragment now known as Zealandia broke away from eastern Australia. Because most of Zealandia is underwater in a remote part of the southwest Pacific, little is known about the processes that led to its submergence and isolation. We have used a common subsurface imaging technique based on sound waves bouncing off deep rock layers to map sediments below the seafloor that record the geological events leading to the formation of Zealandia. Our focus is on the Middleton Basin, an elongate trough between two continental blocks that has a uniquely flat seafloor and is filled with up to 3.5 km of sediments. Our results suggest that the geological history of the Middleton Basin initially involved formation of a new, narrow ocean between two continents—like the Red Sea today. Ocean formation then jumped further to the west, ultimately resulting in the wide and deep Tasman Sea. This stop‐start formation of two new oceans during the fragmentation of a continent is uncommon and highlights Zealandia's role in revealing the intriguing geological history of Earth's continents. Key Points: Thick postrift sediments covering the oceanic Middleton Basin are divided by an unconformity indicative of delayed subsidenceThis delayed subsidence resulted from dynamic support linked to hot mantle associated with later spreading in the adjacent Tasman BasinThis dual ocean basin formation suggests that multiple zones of lithospheric weakness affected the breakup of the eastern Gondwana margin [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) workshop was held at Sydney University, Australia, from 13 to 16 June 2017 and was attended by 97 scientists from 12 countries. The aim of the workshop was to investigate future drilling opportunities in the eastern Indian Ocean, southwestern Pacific Ocean, and the Indian and Pacific sectors of the Southern Ocean. The overlying regional sedimentary strata are underexplored relative to their Northern Hemisphere counterparts, and thus the role of the Southern Hemisphere in past global environmental change is poorly constrained. A total of 23 proposal ideas were discussed, with ∼ 12 of these deemed mature enough for active proposal development or awaiting scheduled site survey cruises. Of the remaining 11 proposals, key regions were identified where fundamental hypotheses are testable by drilling, but either site surveys are required or hypotheses need further development. Refinements are anticipated based upon regional IODP drilling in 2017/2018, analysis of recently collected site survey data, and the development of site survey proposals. We hope and expect that this workshop will lead to a new phase of scientific ocean drilling in the Australasian region in the early 2020s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the Red Relief Image Map (RRIM) method which is an effective tool for the extraction of slight active fault traces hidden under vegetation on land. It mentions that it is difficult to image the deformation of both the frontal thrust and the protothrust zone by conventional bathymetric mapping due to the different scale of their deformation. It states that the Generic Mapping Tools software was used to execute some bathymetric maps.

The crustal structure of the Yamato Bank, the central Yamato Basin, and the continental shelf in the southern Japan Sea back-arc basin is obtained based on a seismic survey using ocean bottom seismographs and seismic shot to elucidate the back-arc basin formation processes. The central Yamato Basin can be divided into three domains based on the crustal structure: the deep basin, the seamount, and the transition domains. In the deep basin domain, the crust without the sedimentary layer is about 12–13 km thick. Very few units have P-wave velocity of 5.4–6.0 km/s, which corresponds to the continental upper crust. In the seamount and transition domains, the crust without the sedimentary layer is about 12–16 km thick. The P-wave velocities of the upper and lower crusts differs among the deep basin, the seamount, and the transition domains. These results indicate that the central Yamato Basin displays crustal variability in different domains. The crust of the deep basin domain is oceanic in nature and suggests advanced back-arc basin development. The seamount domain might have been affected by volcanic activity after basin opening. In the transition domain, the crust comprises mixed characters of continental and oceanic crust. This crustal variation might represent the influence of different processes in the central Yamato Basin, suggesting that crustal development was influenced not only by back-arc opening processes but also by later volcanic activity. In the Yamato Bank and continental shelf, the upper crust has thickness of about 17–18 km and P-wave velocities of 3.3–4.1 to 6.6 km/s. The Yamato Bank and the continental shelf suggest a continental crustal character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the crustal structure of a site proposed for International Ocean Discovery Program drilling, the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology carried out seismic surveys in the Izu rear arc between 2006 and 2008, using research vessels Kaiyo and Kairei. High-resolution dense grid surveys, consisting of three kinds of reflection surveys, generated clear seismic profiles, together with a seismic velocity image obtained from a seismic refraction survey. In this paper, we compare the seismic profiles with the geological column obtained from the drilling. Five volcaniclastic sedimentary units were identified in seismic reflection profiles above the 5 km/s and 6 km/s contours of P-wave velocity obtained from the velocity image from the seismic refraction survey. However, some of the unit boundaries interpreted from the seismic images were not recognised in the drilling core, highlighting the difficulties of geological target identification in volcanic regions from seismic images alone. The geological core derived from drilling consisted of seven lithological units (labelled I to VII). Units I to V were aged at 0-9 Ma, and units VI and VII, from 1320-1806.5m below seafloor (mbsf) had ages from 9 to ~15 Ma. The strong heterogeneity of volcanic sediments beneath the drilling site U1437 was also identified from coherence, calculated using cross-spectral analysis between grid survey lines. Our results suggest that use of a dense grid configuration is important in site surveys for ocean drilling in volcanic rear-arc situations, in order to recognise heterogeneous crustal structure, such as sediments from different origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted multibeam bathymetric surveys crossing the northern Japan Trench offshore Sanriku and examined seafloor displacement by means of the difference in bathymetry before and after the 11 March 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake. The seafloor displacements were less than several meters in vertical displacement and less than 20 m in trench-normal horizontal displacement; consequently, lower amplitude seafloor displacements were evaluated. Comparatively, the landward lower slope near the trench was uplifted, the middle slope was subsided, and the midslope terrace was depressed after the earthquake. Therefore, localized very large fault slip or very large submarine landslide is unlikely. Instead, smaller uplift of the lower slope near the trench extending broader along the trench seems to be plausible explanation for the devastating tsunami source in the northern Japan Trench area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subduction erosion is a commonly invoked model that is used to explain the tectonic subsidence of the Japan Trench forearc slope, although other models have explained the morphology and history of the margin. New multichannel seismic reflection and bathymetric data collected after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake provide the opportunity to investigate the detailed structure of the overriding plate near the earthquake epicenter and obtain new constraints on tectonic models. We use regional-residual separation of the local bathymetry to constrain fault scarp extents and local landward-dipping forearc basins. Seismic images of these basins clearly show landward-dipping horizons in the shallow section. The strata in these basins imply a different mechanism for formation than the surrounding forearc slope, and we propose that these basins formed from local uplift. A regional basal unconformity mapped ∼150 km along-trench has highly variable relief, indicating that forearc slope subsidence occurs at multiple wavelengths in response to multiple different sources. We characterize the upper to middle slope transition and propose that this region may be the landward limit of major subduction erosion and also the main region for large mass wasting. Normal faults found in this setting have maximum lengths of ∼20 km, limiting their role in margin processes. Our results place constraints on the extent of major subduction erosion at the Japan Trench margin, and indicate that subduction erosion should be revisited as the sole model of formation to include additional tectonic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conduct seismic tomography to model subsurface seismicity between 2010 and 2012 and structural heterogeneity off the Kii Peninsula, southwestern Japan, and to investigate their relationships with segmentation of the Nankai and Tonankai seismogenic zones of the Nankai Trough. In order to constrain both the shallow and deep structure of the offshore seismogenic segments, we use both active- and passive-source data recorded by both ocean-bottom seismometers and land seismic stations. The relocated microearthquakes indicate a lack of seismic activity in the Tonankai seismogenic segment off Kumano, whereas there was active intraslab seismicity in the Kii Channel area of the Nankai seismogenic segment. Based on comparisons among the distribution of seismicity, age, and spreading rate of the subducting Philippine Sea plate, and the slip-deficit distribution, we conclude that seismicity in the subducting slab under the Kii Channel region nucleated from structures in the Philippine Sea slab that pre-date subduction and that fluids released by dehydration are related to decreased interplate coupling of these intraslab earthquakes. Our velocity model clearly shows the areal extent of two key structures reported in previous 2-D active-source surveys: a high-velocity zone beneath Cape Shionomisaki and a subducted seamount off Cape Muroto, both of which are roughly circular and of 15–20 km radius. The epicenters of the 1944 Tonankai and 1946 Nankai earthquakes are near the edge of the high-velocity body beneath Cape Shionomisaki, suggesting that this anomalous structure is related to the nucleation of these two earthquakes. We identify several other high- and low-velocity zones immediately above the plate boundary in the Tonankai and Nankai seismogenic segments. In comparison with the slip-deficit model, some of the low-velocity zones appear to correspond to an area of strong coupling. Our observations suggest that, unlike the Japan Trench subduction zone, in our study area there is not a simple correspondence between areas of large coseismic slip or strong interplate coupling and areas of high velocity in the overriding plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Nankai and Hyuga-nada seismogenic segments, in the western part of the Nankai subduction zone off southwestern Japan, have sometimes ruptured separately and sometimes simultaneously. To investigate the relationships among heterogeneities of seismic structure, spatial variation of the incoming plate, and the seismogenic segments, we carried out seismic observations in the western Nankai subduction zone and modeled the area with 3D seismic tomography using both onshore and offshore seismic data. Our seismic observations suggested that the pattern of seismicity is related to heterogeneities within the subducted plate rather than the seismogenic segments. The up-dip depth limit of seismicity along the plate boundary and in the oceanic crust is typically around 15 km, corresponding to the depth of dehydration of the oceanic crust. In addition, the seaward-extended seismicity observed where the subducted plate was considered to have rough internal structures. In the resulting velocity model, the up-dip limit of the area where the P-wave velocity just above the plate boundary exceeds 6 km/s corresponds to the up-dip limit of coseismic slip in the 1968 Hyuga-nada and 1946 Nankai earthquakes. Between the two coseismic rupture zones is an area of lower P-wave velocity about 40 km wide that is evidence of lateral heterogeneities in the upper plate along the trough-parallel direction. Structural heterogeneities in the upper plate may explain the variety of coseismic slip patterns in this region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We performed 3D seismic tomography of the Hyuga-nada region, western Nankai subduction zone, to investigate the relationship of the subducted part of Kyushu-Palau Ridge (KPR) to coseismic rupture propagation, seismicity, and shallow very low frequency earthquakes. Combining active-source and passive-source data recorded both onshore and offshore, we imaged the deep slab from near the trough axis to the coastal area. Our results show the subducted KPR as a low-velocity belt oriented NW–SE extending down the plate boundary to around 30km depth. At this depth, we suggest that the subducted KPR detaches from the slab and becomes underplated on the overriding continental plate. As the coseismic slip areas of past large earthquakes do not extend into the subducted KPR, we suggest that it may inhibit rupture propagation. The interior of the subducted KPR shows active intraslab seismicity with a wide depth distribution. Shallow very low frequency earthquakes are continuously active above the location of the subducted KPR, whereas they are intermittent to the northeast of the subducted KPR. Thus, the subducted KPR appears to be an important factor in coseismic rupture propagation and seismic phenomena in this region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The location of the seismogenic zone across the To-nankai margin segment has been widely investigated using geodetic, tsunami, seismologic, and heat-flow data as well as thermal models. Seafloor heat-flow measurements show large scatter, raising questions about the thermal state of the incoming and overriding plates. In this study, new temperature and conductivity measurements recorded in the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) and in the accretionary prism during IODP Expedition 333 are integrated with recent data on the margin structure and seismicity to improve constraints on the thermal structure of the incoming plate and the subduction zone as well as the thermal conditions within the seismogenic zone. IODP Expedition 333 measurements provide heat-flow values that are lower than the average of nearby seafloor measurements. Thermal modeling for the PSP suggests that hydrothermal warming is insignificant in the trench. Thus, an observed widespread positive thermal anomaly in the Shikoku Basin that peaks at the Kashinozaki knoll more likely results from vigorous thermal convection in the upper mantle in back-arc context. The modeled thermal structure of the margin from the trench to the mantle shows a significantly colder interplate contact than in previous studies. The seismogenic zone is likely to be 30–170km from the deformation front, corresponding to the 100–340°C temperature range. The 1944 co-seismic slip zone extends farther southward where temperatures are about 60°C. Slow-slip earthquakes are located in the downdip transition zone between 340 and 440°C across the intersection of the Moho and the megathrust fault. This improved thermal structure from the trench to the mantle results mainly from a better estimate of oceanic plate age, slab dip and sedimentation rate variations in the trench. This last parameter cools the interplate contact until a depth of ∼35km, shifting the thermally defined seismogenic zone landward by ∼20km and significantly diminishing its influence near the corner flow area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Information on The MoHole: A Crustal Journey and Mantel Workshop in Kanazawa, Japan held on June 3-5, 2010 is presented. Topics include identification of potential issues in coring engineering and drilling from ocean drilling expeditions and find answers to the problems encountered. The workshop featured several technological experts including marine geophysicists, ocean lithosphere specialist, and engineers.

The ∼50 Myr old Izu–Bonin–Mariana (IBM) arc consists mostly of Oligocene middle and lower crust that underlies the upper crust; these units are in turn covered by Quaternary volcanic rocks. Seismic imaging, forearc geology, Ocean Drilling Program drilling and magnetic anomalies suggest that most IBM arc crust was created in Eocene–Oligocene times. However, remnants of this old crust have never been found at the northern end of the arc, where it is colliding with the Honshu arc (Izu collision zone). Two batholiths in this collision zone (the Tanzawa tonalites and the Kofu Granitic Complex) were emplaced during the Miocene (4–17 Ma). Major elements, Zr/Y, rare earth element ratios and normalized abundance patterns, and Sr–Nd isotopic data indicate that these plutonic bodies are compositionally similar to the Oligocene IBM volcanic rocks, and that they are dissimilar to the Miocene, Pliocene and Quaternary IBM lavas and volcaniclastic rocks. We suggest that the Miocene plutonic rocks in the Izu collision zone were derived from partially melted Oligocene middle crust. A model is proposed in which IBM arc middle crust in the collision zone was partially melted during the collision and then intruded into the overlying upper crust of the Honshu and IBM arcs. This resulted in the complete loss of chronological information related to their original source. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Three-dimensional seismic reflection data reveal the presence of a low seismic velocity zone (LVZ) with weak reflectivity character along the Nankai accretionary prism. This LVZ is intercalated between an upper, offscraped layer and a lower, underthrusting layer in the outer accretionary wedge. Wide-angle ocean bottom seismograph data also support the presence of the LVZ, which is estimated to be a maximum of ∼2 km thick, ∼15 km wide, and ∼120 km long. The LVZ could be an underthrust package underplated in response to the lateral growth of the Nankai accretionary prism. Underplating of the underthrusting layer beneath the overlying offscraped layer would maintain a critical taper of the accretionary prism so that the offscraped layer can continue to grow seaward. The LVZ could have elevated fl uid pressure, leading to rigidity reduction of the entire outer accretionary wedge. The rigidity-lowered outer wedge, containing the LVZ, may be more easily uplifted and thus eventually foster tsunami generation during a Nankai megathrust earthquake. If the fluid-rich LVZ supplies a significant amount of the fluid to the megasplay fault zone at depth, it may affect stick-slip behavior of the fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High-resolution 3-D P-wave velocity structure at depths of 0–400 km was determined to investigate the structural heterogeneities and their implications for mountain building, plate collision and tectonics beneath Taiwan by simultaneously inverting a large number of arrival-time data from local and teleseismic earthquakes. In the joint seismic tomography, 227,258 absolute arrival times from 8982 local and regional earthquakes and 18,869 relative arrival-time data collected from 3179 teleseismic events were used. Our tomographic images provide direct geophysical evidence for a tectonic model proposed by previous studies and revealed some new features of structural heterogeneity related to the subducted Eurasian lithosphere. The seismic images show that the Philippine Sea slab descends northwestward from the Ryukyu Trench down to a depth of 200 km, showing agreement with the previous seismic, geochemical and geophysical studies. Low-velocity anomalies beneath the Kueishan volcano are revealed at depths of 0–65 km in North Taiwan, indicating its close relationship to the subducting process of the Philippine Sea slab. The Eurasian lithosphere is generally imaged as a high-velocity zone with a thickness of 65–80 km and it has subducted down to a depth of 300 km under South Taiwan, whilst it is not visible beneath North Taiwan. Low-velocity anomalies above the subducted continental lithosphere are observed at depths of 0–200 km, which might reflect, at least part of the subducted continental crust. Our tomographic results indicate that the plate convergence of the Eurasian plate varies from subduction beneath South Taiwan to collision with the Philippine Sea slab under North Taiwan. These features of the structural heterogeneities in the crust and upper mantle suggest that the mountain building process in the central part of Taiwan, arc magmatism in northeast offshore region and seismotectonics are mainly attributed to the subduction-collision configuration at the boundary between the Eurasian continental lithosphere and the subducting oceanic lithosphere of the Philippine Sea slab. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The southwestern Kuril Arc, which is not affected by a series of accretion and collision processes, is one of the most important experimental sites among the world arc–trench systems for investigating the evolution of arc crust. Published petrological and seismic studies have shown that, in south-central Hokkaido, the upper part of the Kuril Arc crust is thrusting upward toward the west while the lower part is descending downward in the same direction. Among several hypotheses for formation of continental crust, we discuss the role of delamination of the island arc lower crust based on geochemical and seismic velocity structure models. Seismic velocity structure is obtained from an onshore–offshore seismic survey across the southwestern Kuril Arc–Trench system. The structure in the back-arc area shows a thick accretionary complex formed by Paleogene accretion and collision. Based on published seismic results, this accretionary complex is considered to continue on land to the Cretaceous accretionary complex observed in the Hidaka Belt. The structure of the Kuril Arc appears characteristic of upper crustal andesitic rocks (6.0–6.2 km/s) and thick middle to lower crust (6.5–7.3 km/s). Based on published geochemical study, we consider a geochemical model of simple crustal evolution explaining the mechanism of generation of andesitic rocks on the Kuril Arc. Each volume of andesitic, basaltic, and mafic layers estimated from the geochemical model is consistent with those obtained from the seismic velocity model. Crustal composition estimated from the geochemical model and major-element chemistry of the volcanic rocks in the Kuril Arc indicate that mechanical delamination is insufficient to cause the oceanic island arc crust to evolve into continental crust. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We determined the three-dimensional Vp and Vs structures beneath Japan by applying seismic tomography to a large number of arrival times recorded at temporary stations in the Japan Sea and the Pacific Ocean, as well as those at permanent stations on the Japan Islands. As a result, we obtained more precise seismic images than previous studies. In the crust and the uppermost mantle, southwestern Honshu exhibited weaker heterogeneity than the other areas in Japan, corresponding to the distribution of active volcanoes. Stripe-like heterogeneities exist in the subducting Pacific slab. Relatively low-velocity zones correspond to low-seismicity areas in the Pacific slab, suggesting that the slab is possibly torn or thin around the areas. The fact that nonvolcanic deep tremors associated with the subducting Philippine Sea slab beneath Shikoku, Kii, and Tokai do not occur in zones of high Vp, high Vs, and low Vp/Vs ratio may reflect the existence of fluids generated by the dehydration processes of the slab. Prominent and wide low Vp and Vs zones exist beneath central Honshu at the depth range of 30–60km, where the volcanic front related to the subducting Pacific plate is located and seismicity around the Philippine Sea plate is very low. This condition may exist because magma genesis processes related to the subducting Pacific plate activate the same processes around the Philippine Sea plate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Japan Trench subduction zone, located east of NE Japan, has regional variation in seismicity. Many large earthquakes occurred in the northern part of Japan Trench, but few in the southern part. Off Miyagi region is in the middle of the Japan Trench, where the large earthquakes (M >7) with thrust mechanisms have occurred at an interval of about 40 years in two parts: inner trench slope and near land. A seismic experiment using 36 ocean bottom seismographs (OBS) and a 12,000 cu. in. airgun array was conducted to determine a detailed, 2D velocity structure in the forearc region off Miyagi. The depth to the Moho is 21 km, at 115 km from the trench axis, and becomes progressively deeper landward. The P-wave velocity of the mantle wedge is 7.9–8.1 km/s, which is typical velocity for uppermost mantle without large serpentinization. The dip angle of oceanic crust is increased from 5–6° near the trench axis to 23° 150 km landward from the trench axis. The P-wave velocity of the oceanic uppermost mantle is as small as 7.7 km/s. This low-velocity oceanic mantle seems to be caused by not a lateral anisotropy but some subduction process. By comparison with the seismicity off Miyagi, the subduction zone can be divided into four parts: 1) Seaward of the trench axis, the seismicity is low and normal fault-type earthquakes occur associated with the destruction of oceanic lithosphere. 2) Beneath the deformed zone landward of the trench axis, the plate boundary is characterized as a stable sliding fault plain. In case of earthquakes, this zone may be tsunamigenic. 3) Below forearc crust where P-wave velocity is almost 6 km/s and larger: this zone is the seismogenic zone below inner trench slope, which is a plate boundary between the forearc and oceanic crusts. 4) Below mantle wedge: the rupture zones of thrust large earthquakes near land (e.g. 1978 off Miyagi earthquake) are located beneath the mantle wedge. The depth of the rupture zones is 30–50 km below sea level. From the comparison, the rupture zones of large earthquakes off Miyagi are limited in two parts: plate boundary between the forearc and oceanic crusts and below mantle wedge. This limitation is a rare case for subduction zone. Although the seismogenic process beneath the mantle wedge is not fully clarified, our observation suggests the two possibilities: earthquake generation at the plate boundary overridden by the mantle wedge without serpentinization or that in the subducting slab. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present the results of a seismic refraction experiment conducted off eastern Aomori, northeastern Japan forearc region, where the detailed crustal structure was poorly known. An objective analysis using high-quality survey data allowed us to obtain the seismic velocity structure to about 30 km depth, and in particular, to obtain a well-constrained geometry of the plate boundary in the source region of the 1994 Sanriku-oki earthquake. Our results show that the subducting Pacific oceanic plate increases its dip from about 5° to approximately 15° around the longitude of 143.5° E, 80 km landward of the trench axis near the latitude of 40° N. The location of this bend in the plate is 40 km east of the bending point previously proposed on the basis of hypocenter distribution. A cluster of aftershocks of the 1994 Sanriku-oki earthquake occurred around the bending point. This is because the bending of the subducting plate appears to affect the stress state in the vicinity of the plate boundary. Furthermore, the plate geometry is also considered to be related to the coupling or slip features along the plate boundary as the bending point correlates with the spatial distribution of repeating earthquakes. Our results will lead to more reliable determinations of asperity areas because an accurate dip angle of the fault plane is necessary for slip distribution studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Megathrust earthquake rupture is highly influenced by seafloor bathymetric features such as oceanic fracture zones, seamounts, and ridges in convergent plate margins where these features subduct. Recent seismic reflection and refraction data reveal a trough-parallel subducted oceanic ridge that is attached to the descending Philippine Sea Plate beneath the accretionary wedge of the overriding Eurasian Plate in the eastern Nankai Trough subduction zone consisting of the Tonankai and Tokai segments. The seismic survey data confirm the existence of subducted paleo-Zenisu ridge that was suggested by just magnetic data, and as a result, expands its distribution to the west. The newly constrained subducted ridge that spans the two segments is estimated to be a maximum of ∼2.5 km high, ∼20–30 km wide, and ∼200 km long. Spatial mapping of the ridge shows that it is located roughly at the seaward edge of the coseismic rupture zone of the 1944 Tonankai earthquake (M=8.1). This ridge appears to be in close contact with the seaward end of the rigid backstop in the Tonankai segment. Both the spatial correlation and the ridge–backstop collision geometry suggest that the subducted ridge might be strongly mechanically coupled and may thus play a significant role as a seaward barrier inhibiting the 1944 earthquake rupture from propagating farther seaward. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The geological evolution of the volcanic passive margin off mid-Norway, NE Atlantic, and the active volcanic arc in northern Honshu, related to the subduction of the Pacific plate beneath Japan, are similar in the sense that long periods of extensional deformation has shifted to recent compression with formation of domal structures. Seismic wide-angle data have been acquired across six contractional domes in the Vøring Basin, mid-Norwegian Margin, and over the Ou Backbone Range ‘pop-up’ structure, northern Honshu. The models derived from the seismic data reveal that the location of all investigated structures in the Vøring Basin is between, or in the vicinity of pre-Eocene high-velocity structures, which may act as rigid blocks during compression. It is proposed that the existence and trend of these structures, subject to mild NW–SE compression, is the most important factor controlling the formation, spatial distribution and trend of the domes. Structures in the high-velocity lower crust may be the single most important element in controling the domal formation; all modelled highs in the lower crustal early Tertiary intrusive layer seem to be related to the formation of domes in the NW–SE direction. The Ou Backbone Range pop-up structure is localised at a low rigidity zone mapped as low upper crustal seismic velocities. The structure coincides with the present day volcanic front, which may be interpreted as the main reason for the existence of low velocities and the main factor controling the localization of compressional deformation. The Ou Backbone Range is squeezed between a high velocity upper crustal block to the east and a high velocity lower crustal block to the west, and it is speculated that the corresponding lateral and vertical variations in crustal rigidity may have contributed to the actual localization of the present day volcanic front. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hypocenters within the subducted Explorer plate indicate slab deformation. • The oceanic slab is bending downward toward the northwest. • A complex sequence of focal mechanisms also indicates plate deformation. • Decreased seismic activity in the overriding plate indicates decoupling to the NW. • Deformation and decoupling could limit megathrust rupture propagation. At the northernmost extent of the Cascadia subduction zone, the Explorer plate subducts at approximately 2 cm/yr, less than half the rate of the Juan de Fuca plate to the south. The boundary between these two plates is known as the Nootka fault zone, which is one of the focuses of the Seafloor Earthquake Array Japan-Canada Cascadia Experiment (SeaJade). During this survey, an M W 6.4 earthquake occurred on 24 April 2014. This event and the subsequent aftershocks (referred to as the Nootka Sequence) reveal an approximately 40-km-long subducted fault within the Explorer Plate to the north of the Nootka fault zone. We infer that the fault is a subducted conjugate fault because of its nearly identical orientation to those seaward of the subduction front within the Nootka fault zone. The depth distribution and focal mechanisms of the aftershocks indicate significant margin-parallel deformation of the subducting plate. The subduction interface at the Nootka Sequence fault has been deflected downward to the northwest from a depth of approximately 15 – 25 km over a distance of 25 km. We propose two possible scenarios that are modified from previously suggested slab-tear model with induced margin-parallel mantle flow to explain the significant deformation of the young, warm subducting Explorer plate. To the northwest of this change in slab geometry, a lack of seismic activity above the plate interface indicates that the Explorer plate has partially decoupled from the overriding North America plate. We conclude that the geometric variation separating the southern Explorer plate from the north, along with decoupling and a possible intraslab tear, may be a significant combination to resist the propagation of a megathrust rupture across this boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A subduction geometry model beneath the northern Ryukyu forearc is established. • Slow earthquakes and regular interplate earthquakes are discretely located. • A seismically quiet, potential M8 seismogenic/tsunamigenic zone exists. • Intraslab seismicity indicates heterogeneities of slab age or hydration degree. In this study, the geometry of the subducted Philippine Sea Plate interface beneath the northern Ryukyu Trench subduction zone was estimated based on seismic tomography and focal mechanism estimations using passive data obtained from a temporary amphibious seismic network and permanent land stations. Using relocated low-angle thrust-type earthquakes and information obtained from previous studies, we constrained the plate geometry from the trench axis to a depth of 60 km with uncertainties of <2 km between the depths of 15 and 30 km. The estimated plate geometry model appears to be smooth; there is no clear evidence of the existence of large subducted seamounts or ridges in the forearc of the study area. The active earthquake region near the plate boundary was primarily limited to the depth range of 15–30 km. These upper and lower limits may be controlled by the temperature along the plate boundary and the existence of serpentinized mantle in the hanging-wall plate, respectively. Moreover, we determined that the active region of interplate earthquakes is clearly separated from the area dominated by short-term slow slip events and low-frequency tremors, suggesting that suitable frictional conditions along the plate boundary for regular and slow earthquakes are different. There are two areas that were nearly seismically quiet, indicating either full interplate coupling or full creeping conditions. On comparing the historical record in the seismic catalog, tsunami records, and the very-low frequency earthquake distribution, one of the areas has a plausible tsunamigenic potential for an M∼8 event. The spatial pattern of seismicity shows obvious variations between the northern and southern halves of the study area; intraslab earthquakes were dominant in the northern half, whereas interplate earthquakes were dominant in the southern half. Furthermore, the lower limit of the seismogenic zone in the northern half was ∼5–10 km deeper than that in the southern half. These regionalities indicate that differences in age and/or temperature or degree of hydration in the north–south direction exist in the slab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uppermost structures of incoming oceanic plates have been investigated by seismic exploration surveys, primarily based on two-dimensional profiles. However, their regional-scale lateral variations and shear wave velocity structures with higher-frequency components remain elusive. This study, using passive seismic records, attempted to retrieve Po-to-s converted waves (Pos) by cross-correlating Po wave coda from the radial and vertical components in the 2-6 Hz frequency band and to show lateral variations of the shear wave velocity within the oceanic crust, including crust-related seismic interfaces and layer-dependent anisotropic structures. Po waves were collected from continuous records acquired from active seismic surveys performed across wide areas of the Northwestern Pacific over shorter observation periods and passive seismic surveys performed near the Japan Trench over longer observation periods. As a result, this study obtained clear Pos waves converted at the basement and oceanic Moho of the seaward region, whereas weakened or no Pos waves were observed at ocean bottom seismometers near the trench. The primary reasons for Pos wave weakening or absence were considered to be structural changes, including normal faults due to the plate flexures in the outer-rise region, hydration at the uppermost oceanic plate, and fractures associated with volcanic activities that can be seen on the oceanic plate (petit spots). Furthermore, layer-dependent shear wave anisotropies were estimated for the sediment and crust. Fast polarization directions were oriented in trench-parallel directions near the trench and in the NNW-SSE directions in the seaward region. The pattern change to near-trench polarization directions would correspond to stress field-induced aligned fractures, including cracks and normal faults, created by stress fields induced by plate bending in the outer-rise region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]