Magnetotelluric Investigation of the Hydrothermal System and Heat Source in the Muine-Toyoha Geothermal Area, Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract. Magnetotelluric (MT) surveys were carried out around the Muine volcano, Hokkaido, Japan, where it is expected that the heat and metal source forming the polymetallic Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu-In Toyoha deposit is present at depth. Measurements were performed at 20 sites, 18 of which were located along a WSW-ENE profile traversing the north ridge of Mt. Muine. A resistivity model obtained from 2D inversion of the MT data shows subsurface specific conductive and resistive features. Conductive layers are present at the surface of Mt. Muine. The low resistivity is probably due to the clay-rich rocks associated with the hydrothermal alteration. A high resistivity layer, which corresponds to the pre-Tertiary Usubetsu Formation, crops out east of Mt. Muine and dips westward. At the west foot of Mt. Muine, relatively high resistive layers are widely exposed. The resistivity increases with depth and exceeds 1000 ohm-m. This fact indicates that this region is not influenced by the recent hydrothermal activity. An extremely conductive zone about 3–6 km wide and 6–9 km thick exists at a depth of 2 km below Mt. Muine. This zone mostly corresponds to an elastic wave attenuation zone detected by a seismic survey. It is interpreted as a large hydrothermal reservoir or melted magma, which is a heat source of the hydrothermal system in this area.