Groundwater resources management under environmental constraints in Shiroishi of Saga plain, Japan

A sinking of the land surface due to the pumping of groundwater has long been recognized as an environmental issue in the Shiroishi plain of Saga, Japan. Land subsidence can have several negative economic and social implications such as changes in groundwater and surface water flow patterns, restrictions on pumping in land subsidence prone areas, localized flooding, failure of well casings as well as shearing of structures. To minimize such an environmental effect, groundwater management should be considered in this area. In this study, a new integrated numerical model that integrates a three-dimensional numerical groundwater flow model coupled with a one-dimensional soil consolidation model and a groundwater optimization model was developed to simulate groundwater movement, to predict ground settlement and to search for optimal safe yield of groundwater without violating physical, environmental and socio-economic constraints. It is found that groundwater levels in the aquifers greatly vary from season to season in response to the varying climatic and pumping conditions. Consequently, land subsidence has occurred rapidly throughout the area with the Shiroishi plain being the most prone. The predicted optimal safe yield of the pumping amount is about 5 million m³. The study also suggests that pumping with this optimal amount will minimize the rate of land subsidence over the entire area. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Spatiotemporal characteristics of the displacement field revealed with principal component analysis and the mode-rotation technique

Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the displacement field recorded at 147 GPS stations in the Kanto-Tokai district, Japan, for the period from January 1999 to February 2003. Some prominent geophysical events occurred during this period. Using PCA, we attempted to decompose the displacement field into some representative spatial modes and their corresponding temporal modes to quantitatively extract the primary geophysical events that have caused rapid crustal deformation in this region. The displacement field was roughly decomposed into modes corresponding to the following three major events: (1) The Miyake-Kozu volcanic event, which occurred in the region south of Tokyo in 2000. It included large-scale dyke intrusion and intensive earthquake swarm between the Miyakejima and Kozushima islands. (2) The Tokai slow-slip event, which is considered to have begun just after the Miyake-Kozu volcanic event and is ongoing as of November 2005. It occurred on the boundary between the subducting Philippine Sea Plate and the overriding Eurasian (Amurian) Plate in the Tokai district. (3) The Boso slow-slip event, which lasted for approximately 10 days in October 2002. It occurred on the boundary between the subducting Pacific Plate and the overriding North American Plate near the Boso Peninsula. In the decomposition process, we combined the mode-rotation technique with ordinary PCA. This is because PCA causes contamination between modes, i.e., a mode obtained with PCA is contaminated by other modes. For example, the first principal mode corresponding to the Miyake-Kozu volcanic event, which is by far the largest in magnitude, was clearly seen in many other modes. In order to remove such contamination, we applied the mode-rotation technique, in which the principal axes derived from PCA are rotated so as to minimize the correlation coefficients between different temporal modes for a time period in which some prominent change occurs. Combining the mode-rotation technique with PCA exhibited a better performance in separating the displacement field.     

Organic-walled phytoplankton from Paleogene sections of Kamchatka

Organic-walled phytoplankton assemblages from Eocene and Oligocene reference sections of western Kamchatka are analyzed. They are close in taxonomic composition to coeval assemblages of northern Japan and Sakhalin that is a good opportunity to correlate regional units and verify their age. The euryhaline species Trinovantedinium boreale that is associated with Paralecaniella indentata and Micrhystridium preferring shallow low-salinity waters, on the one hand, and taxa dwelling in normal-salinity open sea environments, on the other, are dominant in most assemblages, which are examined. The suggested variant of bed succession with dinocyst assemblages may be valid for Japan, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, and the Bering Sea.     

永清浅牛6井动水位异常与远震关系分析

通过分析浅牛６井４次突跳异常特征及与日本海５次地震的关系,认为这４次突跳异常分别属于日本海５次地震前的“场兆”异常。这４次异常为板块边缘的构造活动引起井孔所处区域构造应力场发生变化,从而引起含水层下部的含油气层中气体上涌所致。     

Paleomagnetism of a pyroclastic flow deposit and its correlative widespread tephra in central Japan: Possible tectonic rotation since the late Pleistocene

Abstract The late Pleistocene Kamitakara Pyroclastic Flow Deposit (KPFD) and its correlative Kasamori (Ks22) Tephra in central Japan are found to preserve stable thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) and detrital remanent magnetization (DRM), respectively. Untilted site‐mean declinations of the KPFD are characterized by a fairly large scatter with easterly deflection, while those of the Ks22 show significantly smaller deflections. Because northerly paleomagnetic directions consistently characterize shallow marine sediments intercalating the Ks22 layer, the directional discordance is not attributed to different acquisition timing between TRM and DRM, but is probably due to a recent tectonic rotation in central Japan. Large scatter in TRM declinations of the KPFD implies that a number of right‐lateral active faults around the depositional area of the pyroclastic flow raised differential rotation of crustal blocks in central Japan, even during the late Pleistocene.     

Long-term changes in distribution and chemistry of middle Miocene to Quaternary volcanism in the Chokai-Kurikoma area across the Northeast Japan Arc

Abstract To understand the characteristics of long‐term spatial and temporal variation in volcanism within a volcanic arc undergoing constant subduction since the cessation of back‐arc opening, a detailed investigation of middle Miocene to Quaternary volcanism was carried out within the Chokai‐Kurikoma area of the Northeast Japan Arc. This study involved a survey of available literature, with new K–Ar and fission track dating, and chemical analyses. Since 14 Ma, volcanism has occurred within the Chokai‐Kurikoma area in specific areas with a ‘branch‐like’ pattern, showing an east–west trend. This is in marked contrast to the widespread distribution of volcanism with a north–south trend in the 20–14 Ma period. The east–west‐ trending ‘branches’ are characterized by regular intervals (50–100 km) of magmatism along the arc. These branches since 14 Ma are remarkably discrepant to the general northwest–southeast or north‐northeast–south‐southwest direction of the crustal structures that have controlled Neogene to Quaternary tectonic movements in northeast Japan. In addition, evidence indicating clustering and focusing of volcanism into smaller regions since 14 Ma was verified. Comparison of the distribution and chemistry of volcanic rocks for three principal volcanic stages (11–8, 6–3 and 2–0 Ma) revealed that widely but sparsely distributed volcanic rocks had almost the same level of alkali and incompatible element concentrations throughout the area (with the exception of Zr) in the 11–8 Ma stage. However, through the 6–3 Ma stage to the 2–0 Ma stage, the concentration level in the back‐arc cluster increased, while that in the volcanic front cluster remained almost constant. Therefore, the degree of partial melting has decreased, most likely with a simultaneous increase in the depth of magma segregation within the back‐arc zone, whereas within the volcanic front zone, the conditions of magma generation have changed little over the three stages. In conclusion, the evolution of the thermal structure within the mantle wedge across the arc since 14 Ma has reduced the extent of ascending mantle diapirs into smaller fields. This has resulted in the tendency for the distribution of volcanism to become localized and concentrated into more specific areas in the form of clusters from the late Miocene to Quaternary.     

Constraints on the state of in situ effective stress and the mechanical behavior of ODP Leg 186 claystones in the Japan Trench forearc

Abstract The Japan Trench forearc offshore Honshu Island in northeast Japan, where the 130‐m.y.‐old Pacific oceanic plate is presently subducted, was drilled during the Ocean Drilling Program Leg 186. Results from mechanical and sedimentological studies of claystones recovered from Sites 1150 and 1151 in the overlying erosional forearc wedge are reported in the present study. Although many physical properties are similar in the seismic (Site 1150) and aseismic portion (Site 1151) of the shallow forearc, Site 1150 displayed a higher abundance of open fractures, two prominent fault zones and enigmatic pore fluid signatures in the claystones. The abundance of weak mineral phases, together with high smectite contents (from X‐ray diffraction), control the low friction coefficients of 0.33–0.39 of the claystones in ring‐shear experiments. Results from triaxial testing proposed overall low magnitudes of in situ effective vertical stress, with somewhat lower values at Site 1150 than at Site 1151. Similarly, samples from Site 1150 displayed slightly higher pore fluid pressures than those at Site 1151. The high sediment porosities, which are in part also a result of intact diatom tests (from scanning electron microscope), together with the anomalous fluid signatures and elevated pore fluid pressures, could very likely result from upward migration and influx of deep‐seated waters. Dewatering reactions at depth result in enhanced pore fluid pressure transients along out‐of‐sequence thrusts and consequently lower effective stress. At depths greater than that of Leg 186 drilling, elevated pressure–temperature conditions trigger mineral transformation and cementation, which result in increasing friction, unstable sliding and seismic rupture. Such earthquakes could have repeatedly disaggregated the consolidated claystone fabrics at the seismic site, and could be responsible for differences in yield strength and cementation when compared to the aseismic Site 1151.     

Japan Trench and tectonics of the Japanese Island Arcs

Abstract Seven chronostratigraphic stages were established based on the correlation of magneto‐biostratigraphic marker horizons within the Deep Sea Drilling Project and Ocean Drilling Program cores from the forearc of the Japan Trench. Because the stages are coeval with changes in the rate of sedimentation, lithofacies, magnetic intensity and composition of fossil assemblages, they probably reflect the tectonic situation in the Japan Trench forearc and also in the arc–trench system. The stages correlate to the tectonic events of the Japanese Island Arcs; for example, evolution of the Boso triple junction, initiation of Philippine Sea Plate subduction and the Japan Sea opening.     

Magma Mingling/mixing vs. Magmatic Fractionation: Geneses of the Shirakawa Mo-mineralized Granitoids, Central Japan

Abstract. Leucocratic biotite granites are main components in the Hatogaya pluton and the Hirase stock in the Shirakawa region of central Japan. Molybdenite‐quartz vein mineralizations are widespread in and around the Hatogaya pluton and the Hirase stock, in which the largest is vein swarm of the Hirase mine. Mafic enclaves occur abundantly with granitic to granodi‐oritic matrix in the northern part of the Hatogaya pluton, while they are rare in the Hirase granitic stock. The enclaves with generally round shape have mostly diabasic to fine plutonic textures under the microscope, and show interfingering and lobate contacts with the felsic matrix. The enclaves are quartz monzodiorite in composition containing SiO>₂ mostly around 60 %. They have felsic blebs, thus are considered a mingled magma of basaltic compositions originated in depth and a felsic magma generated from the Hida metamorphic‐plutonic complexes or their basement. The mingled magma further mixed with and reacted with the felsic magma with SiO₂ 70 %, and then formed granodiorite‐granite of the high Na group (Na₂O higher than 4.25 %). Thus, compositional variation of the northern part of the Hatogaya pluton was caused by the magma mingling. The mingling happened to be deeper level produced homogeneous granodiorite of the Mihoro pluton. Biotite granite of the low Na group (less than 4.25 %) could have originated in a granitic magma generated also from the Hida metamorphic‐plutonic complexes or their basement. Most of the granites, occurring in the southern part of the Hatogaya pluton and Hirase stock, show high Rb/Sr ratio, strong Eu negative anomalies and flat REE patterns, and are thus considered as fractionated products of the SiO₂ 70 % original magma. The strong concentration of molybdenum in the Hirase stock can be explained by high degree of magmatic fractionation which produced MoS₂‐rich residual melts, suitable fractures developed at the latest Cretaceous time, and preservation of the mineralized fractures at the present level of erosion.     

Lower crustal fluid distribution in the northeastern Japan arc revealed by high-resolution 3D seismic tomography

The Ou Backbone Range strikes northwards through the central northeastern Japan arc and is bounded on both sides by the active reverse Uwandaira and Sen'ya faults. We have applied a traveltime inversion method (seismic tomography) with spatial velocity correlation to active and passive seismic data in order to investigate a three-dimensional (3-D) velocity structure. The data set contains 33,993 P- and 18,483 S-wave arrivals from 706 natural sources and 40 blasts, as well as 2803 P-wave traveltime data from 10 explosions detonated during the 1997 controlled source experiment. The traveltime inversion reveals a zone beneath the Ou Backbone Range in which P-wave velocities (V_P) are approximately 6–8% lower than the average velocity at equivalent depths. The low V_P and a low V_P to S-wave velocity (V_S) ratio (V_P/V_S) of about 1.65 suggest the presence of aqueous fluids in the middle crust.