Incoming plate structure at the Japan Trench subduction zone revealed in densely spaced reflection seismic profiles

The structure of the incoming plate is an important element that is often considered to be related to the occurrence of great earthquakes in subduction zones. In the Japan Trench, where the 2011 Tohoku earthquake occurred, we collected seismic profiles along survey lines separated by 2-8 km to examine the structural characteristics of the incoming Pacific plate in detail. The average thickness of the incoming sediments was < 500 m along most of the Japan Trench, and it was < 300 m at similar to 38 degrees N, where the large shallow megathrust slip occurred during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. We mapped bending-related normal faults, including their dip direction and amount of throw. The numbers of eastward (oceanward) and westward (trenchward) dipping normal faults were generally comparable in the Japan Trench. Eastward dipping normal faults were dominant in the northern and southern parts of the Japan Trench, whereas westward dipping normal faults were more numerous in the central part. Graben-fill sediments deposited at the landward edge of the graben were bounded by eastward dipping normal faults. Trench-fill sediments were also observed along the trench axis. The sediment fills locally increased the thickness of the input sediments where they were deposited. The along-axis variation in input sediment and sediment fill distribution, and the variations in normal fault dip direction between the central and other parts of the Japan Trench may correspond to different slip styles along the plate boundary.

Automated summary

By collecting seismic profiles along the Japan Trench, this study examined the structural characteristics of the incoming Pacific plate. It found that the thickness of the incoming sediments decreased closer to the earthquake occurrence zone, with a minimum thickness near the 2011 Tohoku earthquake location. The distribution and dip direction of normal faults also varied along the trench, potentially corresponding to different slip styles along the plate boundary.