Occurrence of Free-Gas Associated with Methane-Hydrate-Bearing Formations in the MITI Nankai Trough Wells, Offshore Tokai, Japan

Abstract. The MITI Nankai Trough wells were drilled for exploration of methane-hydrate-bearing sediments in association with seismic inferred bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs). In this project, log data showed low velocity compressional-wave (P-wave) layers below methane-hydrate-bearing formations. Dipole shear sonic acoustic tools (DSI) could not acquire accurate compres-sional velocity in this zone, thus it was not possible to accurately correlate between logging, VSP and surface seismic profiles.
Small amount of gas was presumed to cause the problem in obtaining the low velocity P-wave data. VSP interval velocity data was used to assess the DSI inferred low-velocity layer, which showed lower values than the velocity of the drilling muds. Synthetic seismogram was created by VSP-compensated velocity to compare against corridor stack of VSP. As a result, the depths above and below the methane-hydrate-bearing interval were correlated with synthetic seismograms and reflectivity events on the VSP profiles. By using this correlation technique, distribution of methane-hydrate-bearing formations and free-gas-bearing formations can be determined.     

Deformation history and exhumation process of the Horoman Peridotite Complex, Hokkaido, Japan

The Horoman Peridotite Complex is an Alpine-type orogenic peridotite massif in the Hidaka metamorphic belt, Hokkaido, Northern Japan. Because of wide exposure and extremely limited serpentinization, the complex provides important information on uplift and emplacement processes of an Alpine-type peridotite massif into the crust. Based on microstructures, the massif can be divided into five structural units parallel to the lithological layering as follows; (1) Equigranular Zone, (2) Internal Shear Zone (ISZ), (3) Transition Zone, (4) Porphyroclastic Zone and (5) Basal Shear Zone (BSZ). A top-to-the-north sense of shear deformation in the Porphyroclastic Zone and the Basal Shear Zone implies that the Horoman Peridotite Complex had uplifted from the upper mantle to the lower crust along a northward dipping extensional shear-zone systems. After incorporation of the mantle peridotite with lower crustal rocks, the upper part of the massif (i.e. the Equigranular Zone and the Internal Shear Zone) was overprinted by a top-to-the-south sense of shear deformation that was comparable with the sub-horizontal displacement of the crustal granulite sequences in the Hidaka metamorphic belt under transpressive tectonic environment.     

Morphotectonics of a high plateau on the northwestern flank of the Continental Rift of southeastern Brazil

Integration of landform and structural analysis allowed the identification of Late Pleistocene–Holocene pulses of tectonic activity in the Campos do Jordão Plateau with ages and regimes similar to the ones from the continental rift. Fault reactivation along Precambrian shear zones give rise to a series of conspicuous morphotectonic features, determine the formation of stream piracy phenomena, and divide the plateau into smaller blocks. Recognition of these tectonic pulses as well as of their effects in landform development—particularly clear on the Campos de São Francisco at the highest area of the SE edge of the plateau—show that besides the climate-related Quaternary environmental changes significant neotectonic instability should be considered in the geomorphic evolution of the Campos do Jordão Plateau.     

Three-dimensional P-wave velocity structure beneath the Indonesian region

We present the P-wave seismic tomography image of the mantle to a depth of 1200 km beneath the Indonesian region. The inversion method is applied to a dataset of 118,203 P-wave travel times of local and teleseismic events taken from ISC bulletins. Although the resolution is sufficient for detailed discussion in only a limited part of the study region, the results clarify the general tectonic framework in this region and indicate a possible remnant seismic slab in the lower mantle.

Structures beneath the Philippine Islands and the Molucca Sea region are well resolved and high-velocity zones corresponding to the slabs of the Molucca Sea and Philippine Sea plates are well delineated. Seismic zones beneath the Manila, Negros and Cotabato trenches are characterized by high-velocity anomalies, although shallow structures were not resolved. The Molucca Sea collision zone and volcanic zones of the Sangihe and Philippine arcs are dominated by low-velocity anomalies. The Philippine Sea slab subducts beneath the Philippine Islands at least to a depth of 200 km and may reach depths of 450 km. The southern end of the slab extends at least to about 6°N near southern Mindanao. In the south, the two opposing subducting slabs of the Molucca Sea plate are clearly defined by the two opposing high-velocity zones. The eastward dipping slab can be traced about 400 km beneath the Halmahera arc and may extend as far north as about 5°N. Unfortunately, resolution is not sufficient to reveal detailed structures at the boundary region between the Halmahera and Philippine Sea slabs. The westward dipping slab may subduct to the lower mantle although its extent at depth is not well resolved. This slab trends N-S from about 10°N in the Philippine Islands to northern Sulawesi. A NE-SW-trending high-velocity zone is found in the lower mantle beneath the Molucca Sea region. This high-velocity zone may represent a remnant of the former subduction zone which formed the Sulawesi arc during the Miocene.

The blocks along the Sunda and Banda arcs are less well resolved than those in the Philippine Islands and the Molucca Sea region. Nevertheless, overall structures can be inferred. The bowl-shaped distribution of the seismicity of the Banda arc is clearly defined by a horseshoe-shaped high-velocity zone. The tomographic image shows that the Indian oceanic slab subducts to a depth deeper than 300 km i.e., deeper than its seismicity, beneath Andaman Islands and Sumatra and may be discontinuous in northern Sumatra. Along southern Sumatra, Java and the islands to the east, the slab appears to be continuous and can be traced down to at least a depth of the deepest seismicity, where it appears to penetrate into the lower mantle.     

Crustal deformations associated with the 1986 fissure eruption of Izu-Oshima volcano, Japan, and their tectonic significance

We have investigated crustal deformations associated with the 1986 eruption of Izu-Oshima volcano, Japan, which was accompanied by an intensive fissure eruption. Two fissure crater chains, with NW-SE trend were created in the northern part of the caldera and on its northwestern flank. Their trend is consistent with the direction of compressive stress in this region. Depression of > 30 cm in the central zone including the caldera, and in the northwestern and southeastern parts in the island, was detected by precise leveling. On the other hand, uplifts up to 20 cm in the northeastern and southwestern parts were observed. Tide observations revealed that the Okada tide station, the leveling datum in Izu-Oshima, may have subsided by 5 cm after the eruption. An 1 m opening of fissure craters was detected by distance measurements of the baselines which cross fissure craters. Horizontal displacements obtained by reoccupation of control points showed a symmetrical pattern which was consistent with the opening of fissure craters. Anomalous strain changes were also observed in the surrounding regions—contractions were observed in the Boso and the Miura peninsula, northeast of Izu-Oshima, and extensions in the Izu peninsula.

To interpret these crustal deformations, a model which consists of a nearly vertical tensile fault and a deflation source is presented. The tensile fault lies parallel to the fissures and is divided into two parts according to depth. The deeper part of the tensile fault is 12 km long, 10 km wide, and has 2 km burial depth and 2.7 m opening displacement. The shallower part, which may represent the fissure craters, is 4 km long, 2 km wide, and the amount of opening is estimated to be 1 m. However, the deflation source may be located at a depth of 10 km beneath the northwestern flank of the caldera and depression just above the source is estimated to be 30 cm. A deflation source is required to explain the subsidence at the Okada tide station and the extension in the Izu peninsula. This model suggests that the eruption might have released tensile stresses in and around the Izu region which result from bending of the subducting Philippine Sea plate.     

Elemental Concentrations in Nine New GSJ Rock Reference Samples "Sedimentary Rock Series"

Nine new rock reference samples of the "Sedimentary rock series", Chert JCh-1, Dolomite JDo-1, Lake sediment JLk-1, Limestone JLs-1, Stream sediments JSd-1 to JSd-3, and Slates JS1-1 and JSl-2 have been prepared by the Geological Survey of Japan(GSJ). Thirty major, minor and trace elements were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry, flame emission spectrometry, infrared absorption spectrometry and wet chemical techniques. The results of homogeneity tests showed that almost all elements, with a few exceptions, are considered to be distributed homogeneously in each reference sample.     

Tsunami ascending in rivers as an undular bore

At time of the 1983 Japan Sea tsunami, waves in the form of a bore ascended many rivers. In some cases, bores had the form of one initial wave with a train of smaller waves, and in other cases, such a wave train did not appear and only a step with a flat water surface behind was observed. In the present study, it is clarified that both undular-type and nonundular-type bores can be recognized as solutions of the KdV-Burger's equation which was introduced by Johnson in 1972. Numerically obtained analytical solutions and results of laboratory experiments are compared.     

Inflow and outflow in a rotating circular container—A laboratory model for the Loop Current of the Gulf of Mexico

The Loop Current of the Gulf of Mexico is simulated in the laboratory. A circular tank is filled with water and is placed off-center on a rotating table and the flow field is generated by injecting and withdrawing water at two openings on the wall. The free surface becomes parabolic due to balance of gravitational and centrifugal forces, simulating the latitudinal change of the Coriolis parameter (-effect) in the ocean. The flow characteristics depend on the influx and the rate of rotation and can be classified according to non-dimensional parameters (Rossby, Ekman and Froude numbers denoted byR ₀,E andF, respectively). When the influx is small and the rotation rate is large (smallR ₀,E andF) the flow will be almost linear, and the fluid flows along the side-wall boundary layer under constraint of the -effect. For a very large influx (largeR ₀ andE) inertial forces become very large compared to the Coriolis force and the flow behaves like a potential flow. The flow studied had characteristics between these two extreme cases and hasR ₀ andF similar to the Gulf circulation, though similarity inE is ambiguous. Photographs of the flow indicate that the inflow penetrates further into the interior when the rotation rate is increased while the influx is kept constant. The numerical analysis of the non-linear vorticity equation confirms this for the parameters corresponding to the experiment. In addition, the photographs reveal eddies embedded on both sides of the main stream, particularly near the inflow region. These eddies are intensified and become uniform in size as the influx increases. It is pointed out that such eddies were actually observed near the Loop Current north of the Yucatan Straits.