Imaging the subducting slab and mantle upwelling under the Japan islands revealed by double-difference tomography

In this paper, we collected the seismic phase arrival data of 14,033 local natural earthquakes above magnitude 3.0 recorded by 435 seismograph stations in the study area provided by the International Seismological Centre (ISC), covering the period from January 2011 to April 2020. We selected the fir...

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Main Authors: Zhengshuai Zhang, Jianchang Zheng, Shuhao Wang, Cuiqin Li, Fangbin Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Earth Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.1019408/full
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author Zhengshuai Zhang
Zhengshuai Zhang
Jianchang Zheng
Shuhao Wang
Cuiqin Li
Fangbin Liu
author_facet Zhengshuai Zhang
Zhengshuai Zhang
Jianchang Zheng
Shuhao Wang
Cuiqin Li
Fangbin Liu
author_sort Zhengshuai Zhang
collection DOAJ
description In this paper, we collected the seismic phase arrival data of 14,033 local natural earthquakes above magnitude 3.0 recorded by 435 seismograph stations in the study area provided by the International Seismological Centre (ISC), covering the period from January 2011 to April 2020. We selected the first arrival P- and S-wave arrival time data and obtained 281,859 P- and 112,926 S-wave absolute arrival times and 528,250 P-differential and 207,968 S-differential arrival times. Then we determined 3-D P and S wave velocity structures from the Japan Trench to the back arc area under the Japan Islands by using double-difference tomography method. The results show strong lateral heterogeneities under the forearc region. The subducting Pacific slab is imaged clearly as a high-velocity (high-V) faster than the surrounding mantle. Low-velocity (low-V) zones are imaged in the mantle wedge with significant along arc variations under the volcanic front. The vertical section shows that the low velocity zone extends to a depth of approximately 70–150 km below the arc. The crust and mantle wedges beneath the front and back arcs of the volcanoes reveal a low-V anomaly, the likely main source of which is the partial melting of plate and mantle wedge material. Referring to the previous results of plate dehydration, mineral composition and thermal state, it is found that fluids play a crucial role in the arc magmatism and plate melting of mantle wedge behind Japan Trench. The fluids brought down by the Pacific subducting plate are released into the mantle wedge by dehydration and subsequently transported upward by the upwelling flow in the mantle wedge. The present results obtained using new and advanced imaging methods enrich the understanding of the velocity structure beneath Japan Islands, which may improve the understanding of the dynamic processes of subduction zones and mantle upwelling.
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spelling doaj.art-f704b5f4545b41968e4423ca5cc688982023-01-12T04:19:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632023-01-011010.3389/feart.2022.10194081019408Imaging the subducting slab and mantle upwelling under the Japan islands revealed by double-difference tomographyZhengshuai Zhang0Zhengshuai Zhang1Jianchang Zheng2Shuhao Wang3Cuiqin Li4Fangbin Liu5Shandong Earthquake Agency, Jinan, ChinaHebei Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics, Sanhe, ChinaShandong Earthquake Agency, Jinan, ChinaSchool of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, ChinaShandong Earthquake Agency, Jinan, ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems, Ministry of Education, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaIn this paper, we collected the seismic phase arrival data of 14,033 local natural earthquakes above magnitude 3.0 recorded by 435 seismograph stations in the study area provided by the International Seismological Centre (ISC), covering the period from January 2011 to April 2020. We selected the first arrival P- and S-wave arrival time data and obtained 281,859 P- and 112,926 S-wave absolute arrival times and 528,250 P-differential and 207,968 S-differential arrival times. Then we determined 3-D P and S wave velocity structures from the Japan Trench to the back arc area under the Japan Islands by using double-difference tomography method. The results show strong lateral heterogeneities under the forearc region. The subducting Pacific slab is imaged clearly as a high-velocity (high-V) faster than the surrounding mantle. Low-velocity (low-V) zones are imaged in the mantle wedge with significant along arc variations under the volcanic front. The vertical section shows that the low velocity zone extends to a depth of approximately 70–150 km below the arc. The crust and mantle wedges beneath the front and back arcs of the volcanoes reveal a low-V anomaly, the likely main source of which is the partial melting of plate and mantle wedge material. Referring to the previous results of plate dehydration, mineral composition and thermal state, it is found that fluids play a crucial role in the arc magmatism and plate melting of mantle wedge behind Japan Trench. The fluids brought down by the Pacific subducting plate are released into the mantle wedge by dehydration and subsequently transported upward by the upwelling flow in the mantle wedge. The present results obtained using new and advanced imaging methods enrich the understanding of the velocity structure beneath Japan Islands, which may improve the understanding of the dynamic processes of subduction zones and mantle upwelling.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.1019408/fulldouble-difference tomographyPacific platesubduction zonemantle wedgearc magmatism
spellingShingle Zhengshuai Zhang
Zhengshuai Zhang
Jianchang Zheng
Shuhao Wang
Cuiqin Li
Fangbin Liu
Imaging the subducting slab and mantle upwelling under the Japan islands revealed by double-difference tomography
Frontiers in Earth Science
double-difference tomography
Pacific plate
subduction zone
mantle wedge
arc magmatism
title Imaging the subducting slab and mantle upwelling under the Japan islands revealed by double-difference tomography
title_full Imaging the subducting slab and mantle upwelling under the Japan islands revealed by double-difference tomography
title_fullStr Imaging the subducting slab and mantle upwelling under the Japan islands revealed by double-difference tomography
title_full_unstemmed Imaging the subducting slab and mantle upwelling under the Japan islands revealed by double-difference tomography
title_short Imaging the subducting slab and mantle upwelling under the Japan islands revealed by double-difference tomography
title_sort imaging the subducting slab and mantle upwelling under the japan islands revealed by double difference tomography
topic double-difference tomography
Pacific plate
subduction zone
mantle wedge
arc magmatism
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.1019408/full
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