Structural controls on the 1998 volcanic unrest at Iwate volcano: Relationship between a shallow, electrically resistive body and the possible ascent route of magmatic fluid

Magnetotelluric (MT) measurements were conducted at Iwate volcano, across the entirety of the mountain, in 1997, 1999, 2003, 2006, and 2007. The survey line was 18 km in length and oriented E–W, comprising 38 measurements sites. Following 2D inversion, we obtained the resistivity structure to a depth of 4 km. The surface resistive layer (~ several hundreds of meters thick) is underlain by extensive highly conductive zones. Based on drilling data, the bottom of the highly conductive zone is interpreted to represent the 200 °C isotherm, below which (i.e., at higher temperatures) conductive clay minerals (smectite) are rare. The high conductivity is therefore mainly attributed to the presence of hydrothermally altered clay. The focus of this study is a resistive body beneath the Onigajo (West-Iwate) caldera at depths of 0.5–3 km. This body appears to have impeded magmatic fluid ascent during the 1998 volcanic unrest, as inferred from geodetic data. Both tectonic and low-frequency earthquakes are sparsely distributed throughout this resistive body. We interpret this resistive body as a zone of old, solidified intrusive magma with temperatures in excess of 200 °C. Given that a similar relationship between a resistive body and subsurface volcanic activity has been suggested for Asama volcano, structural controls on subsurface magmatic fluid movement may be a common phenomenon at shallow levels beneath volcanoes.     

Synthesis of crystallographically oriented olivine aggregates using colloidal processing in a strong magnetic field

This study develops a fabrication technique to obtain Fe-free and Fe-bearing (Fe:Mg = 1:9) olivine aggregates not only with high density and fine grain size but with crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO). A magnetic field (≤12 T) is applied to synthetic, fine-grained (~120 nm), olivine particles dispersed in solvent. The alignment of certain crystallographic axes of the particles with respect to a magnetic direction is anticipated due to magnetic anisotropy of olivine. The dispersed particles are gradually consolidated on a porous alumina mold covered with a solid–liquid separation filter during drainage of the solvent. The resultant aligned consolidated aggregate is then isostatically pressed and vacuum sintered. We find that (1) preparation of fully reacted olivine particles, with less propensity to coalesce; (2) preparation of a suspension with highly dispersed particles; and (3) application of a certain strength of the magnetic field are essential to obtain well-sintered and well-aligned aggregates. High density (i.e., <1 vol% porosity) and fine grain size (~1 μm) Fe-free and Fe-bearing olivine aggregates were successfully synthesized with uniaxially aligned a- and c-axes, respectively. Attempts to uniaxially align the magnetization hard axis and to triaxially align Fe-bearing olivine by rotating the suspension in the magnetic field succeeded in obtaining weakly developed CPO aggregates.     

Isochemical breakdown of garnet in orogenic garnet peridotite and its implication to reaction kinetics

An isochemical kelyphite (orthopyroxene+spinel+plagioclase) that has nearly the same bulk chemical composition as the precursor garnet was found within a matrix of ordinary kelyphites (orthopyroxene+clinopyroxene+spinel±amphibole) in garnet peridotites from the Czech part of the Moldanubian Zone. It was shown that the kelyphitization of garnet took place in three stages: (1) the garnet-olivine reaction, accompanied by a long-range material transfer across the reaction zone, and (2) the isochemical breakdown of garnet, essentially in a chemically-closed system, and finally, (3) an open-system hydration reaction producing a thin hydrous zone (amphibole+spinel+plagioclase), which is located between the isochemical kelyphite and relict garnet. The presence of relict garnet suggests that this breakdown reaction of the second stage did not proceed to a completion probably being hindered by the formation of the hydrous zone at the reaction front. It was found by electron back-scattered diffraction method that orthopyroxene and spinel do not show any topotaxic relationship in the first type of kelyphite; whereas they show locally topotaxic relationship in the isochemical kelyphite. The transition from the first type to the second type of kelyphite is discussed on the basis of the detailed observations in the transition zone between the two kelyphites. More widespread occurrence of isochemical kelyphite is expected to occur in orogenic peridotites as well as from xenoliths brought by volcanics.     

Palaeomagnetism of Neogene Ocros dyke swarm, the Peruvian Andes: implication for the Bolivian orocline

Summary. Remanent magnetization directions of 32 dykes and lava flows sampled near Ayacucho, the Peruvian Andes revealed 14.2°± 5.5° counterclockwise rotation after the Neogene intrusion of this dyke swarm. Palaeo-magnetic results of these rocks and other palaeomagnetic evidences from the Central Andean Mesozoic rocks suggest relatively recent occurrence of the Andean oroclinal bending around the axis at the Peru-Chile border.     

The solubility of alumina in enstatite and the phase equilibria in the join MgSiO3-MgAl2SiO6 at 10–25 kbar

The solubility of alumina in enstatite was determined in the range of 1100–1500° C and 10–25 kbar. The alumina content in enstatite coexisting with sapphirine and quartz increases with increasing temperature and pressure, while that in enstatite coexisting with sapphirine and sillimanite or with pyrope decreases with increasing pressure and decreasing temperature. Two univariant lines, pyrope = enstatite_ss + sillimanite + sapphirine_ss and enstatite_ss + sillimanite =sapphirine_ss + quartz were confirmed. The invariant point involving these phases is metastable. The alumina content of orthopyroxene can not be used either as a pressure indicator or as a temperature indicator without taking the mineral assemblage into account.     

Correlation of cylindrical tank wall buckling with an earthquake motion recorded at a small distance from the tank

The bulging observed on the wall of a ground supported cylindrical storage tank, located at the Chiba Experimental Station of the University of Tokyo, is investigated. This damage is correlated with a ground motion recording obtained very near the tank base during a moderately strong earthquake that occurred on September 25, 1980 not far from the Chiba Experimental Station. From this correlation the importance of the horizontal excitation in amplitude and direction is clearly established. In addition, good agreement can be seen between the predicted tank wall earthquake performance, derived by an empirical approach proposed by the first author, and the shell deformation observed at the Chiba Experimental Station.     

Paleomagnetic study of the Central Andes: Counterclockwise rotation of the Peruvian block

Paleomagnetic study was performed on Mesozoic and Tertiary rocks from Peru and northernmost Chile. Comparisons of these results as well as other data from the Central Andes with paleomagnetic poles from South American craton strongly support the orocline hypothesis of Carey for the formation of the Arica (Santa Cruz) deflection. Paleomagnetic declinations of Jurassic and Cretaeous rocks are quite similar to the direction of the present-day structural trend in the Central Andes, which suggests that the mountain belt has rotated in a coherent fashion (i.e., rigid body rotation) in sections of the Central Andes. The occurrence of this deformation is certainly post-Cretaceous, with some suggestion that rotation still continued as recently as Neogene. The mechanism of this deformation is not well known, but a differential stretching of the Amazon Basin behind the Peruvian Andes is a possibility.     

Effect of chromium on phase relations in the join forsterite-anorthite-diopside in air at 1 Atm

The effect of Cr on the silicate system has been studied in air at 1 atm by adding a small amount of MgCr₂O₄ (0.2–0.5 wt.%) to the join Mg₂SiO₄ (forsterite) — CaAl₂Si₂O₈ (anorthite) — CaMgSi₂O₆ (diopside), which has been considered to form a thermal divide in the system CaO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂. The spinel primary field is enlarged compared with that in the Cr-free join at the expense of the anorthite primary field. The piercing points forsterite+anorthite+diopside+liquid and forsterite+anorthite+spinel+liquid approach each other with increasing MgCr₂O₄, meet at the join with 0.25 wt.% MgCr₂O₄ (0.20 wt.% Cr₂O₃) to form the ‘isobaric quaternary invariant point’ forsterite+anorthite+diopside+spinel+liquid, and then separate again as new ‘piercing points’ of diopside+spinel+anorthite+liquid and forsterite+diopside+ spinel+liquid. This process indicates that the join Mg₂SiO₄-CaAl₂Si₂O₈-CaMgSi₂O₆ containing more than 0.2 wt.% Cr₂O₃ cannot be a thermal divide in the basalt tetrahedron. The results of the present study show that the presence of a minor amount of Cr causes a significant effect on the phase relations and therefore, the role of Cr must be taken into account in the formulation of a petrologic model.     

An assessment of uncertainties in VS profiles obtained from microtremor observations in the phased 2018 COSMOS blind trials

Journal of Seismology - Site response is a critical consideration when assessing earthquake hazards. Site characterization is key to understanding site effects as influenced by seismic site...     

Zircon U–Pb geochronology of “Sashu mylonite”, eastern extension of Higo Plutono‐metamorphic Complex,Southwest Japan: Implication for regional tectonic evolution

Geochronological and geochemical studies reveal the possible origin of the restricted body of mylonite rocks occurring at the eastern edge of Kyushu Island, Japan, just in contact with the Sashu Fault, a part of the Paleo‐Median Tectonic Line (Paleo‐MTL). The LA‐ICP‐MS zircon U–Pb dating of the quartz diorite mylonite in this mylonitic body indicates a crystallization age of 114.0 ±1.7 Ma. Moreover, the two tonalite samples appear as thin layers within the Permian fine‐grained mafic mylonite; a part of the same body yields the age of 113.7 ±2.3 Ma and 116.9 ±1.3 Ma, with extremely low Th/U ratio. These quartz diorite mylonite and tonalite are consistent with the late Early Cretaceous magmatism and coeval metamorphism similar to those in the Higo Plutono‐metamorphic Complex in western Kyushu, Japan. This newly characterized complex occurs just south of the Cretaceous Sambagawa metamorphic rocks. The newly characterized mylonitic rocks are lying structurally above the Sambagawa Metamorphic Complex and are distributed along the Paleo‐MTL. The extension of the Higo Plutonometamorphic Complex, as well as the structural relationship between this complex and the Sambagawa Metamorphic Complex, is still controversial but holds a key to reconstruct the tectonic evolution of Southwest Japan during the Late Mesozoic to Early Cenozoic period. Hence, this article provides new insight into the reconstruction of the evolution history of East Asia as an active convergent margin.