Abstract
Subducted seamounts are recognized as structures that influence seismicity in subduction zones. Understanding the detailed structures of seamounts, including before and during subduction, is essential for a comprehensive grasp of their influence. Of particular importance is their competency and deformation history during subduction. To better understand seamount subduction and related processes, we analyzed seismic reflection profiles around the Daiichi-Kashima Seamount, the Katori Seamount, and a knoll situated on the oceanward slope. These three features are located at different distances from the trench axis but all fall within the hinge-line of the subducting plate. The Daiichi-Kashima Seamount is currently subducting at the junction between the Japan and northern Izu-Ogasawara trenches, while the Katori Seamount and the knoll have not yet reached the trench axis. A thick limestone layer capping the Daiichi-Kashima Seamount indicates that the core of the Seamount is at least partially intact. On the other hand, our work reveals a large number of trench-parallel or sub-parallel faults within each of the edifices. The seismic profiles also reveal sediments draping the flanks of the edifices, interpreted as turbidite and/or debris flow deposits originating from slope failures. Consequently, our findings show that seamounts and other topographic features begin brittle deformation and failure due to flexural bending of the incoming oceanic plate long before actual subduction, with implications for the strength and competency of seamounts during subduction.
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Data availability
The multi-channel seismic reflection dataset is available in the seismic survey database of JAMSTEC (https://www.jamstec.go.jp/obsmcs_db/e/) and multi-beam bathymetric dataset is available at Data and Sample Research System for Whole Cruise Information (DARWIN) of JAMSTEC (http://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/darwin/e).
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank JAMSTEC for providing bathymetric and MCS data. Most of this work was done when M. Fujimoto was a graduate student at Chiba University. The authors are thankful to T. Sato, K. Hattori, and N. Tsumura for their insightful comments and suggestions. They would also like to express gratitude to S. Shimizu whose comments made enormous contribution to work. They thanks to R. A. Dunn for his encouragement to publish this manuscript. All the figures in this manuscript were made by GMT (Wessel et al. 2013). They thank dGB Earth Sciences for free access to OpendTect Pro.
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Fujimoto, M., Nakanishi, M. Upper crustal structure of the Daiichi-Kashima Seamount at the junction between Japan and Izu-Ogasawara trenches, northwestern Pacific Ocean. Mar Geophys Res 45, 9 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-024-09542-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-024-09542-7