Possible fluid discharge associated with faults observed by a high-resolution dense-2D seismic reflection survey in Uchiura Bay off Numazu, Japan

Abstract Although fluid behavior along faults has often been associated with earthquakes and hydrocarbon accumulation, few observations of active, ongoing fluid discharge along the faults exist. We conducted a dense-2D multi-channel seismic (MCS) reflection survey in Uchiura Bay off Numazu, Japan, in 2018 to obtain a high-resolution image of active faults. As a result, active faults cutting the seafloor and possibly active faults cutting reflections immediately below the seafloor have been clearly imaged on MCS profiles. The spatial variation in their displacement on the seafloor has also been quantified. The seafloor displacement of the most obvious active fault, Fault A, changes by more than 2 m within a short horizontal distance of 50 m. On one of the MCS profiles, an enigmatic wavefield (EWF) is observed within the water column above the seafloor near the faults. From careful observations of the raw field data and shot records, the EWF shows three patterns that suggest fluid flow. Based on a velocity analysis of the seawater, the velocity of the EWF zone was somewhat higher than that of its surroundings. Because the seawater velocity is a function of temperature and salinity at the same depth, the effect of temperature is generally greater than that of salinity, so that the higher velocity would suggest a higher temperature. If temperature of the fluid flow is higher than that of its surroundings, the fluid would rise with its buoyancy and spread out along the sea surface. This scenario could well explain the three EWF patterns. From the appearance and non-appearance of the most obvious EWF on adjacent seismic lines, some fluid discharge might have been occurring intermittently from the seafloor near the faults in Uchiura Bay.