IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v11y2020i1d10.1038_s41467-020-19541-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Stagnant forearc mantle wedge inferred from mapping of shear-wave anisotropy using S-net seafloor seismometers

Author

Listed:
  • Naoki Uchida

    (Tohoku University)

  • Junichi Nakajima

    (School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology)

  • Kelin Wang

    (Geological Survey of Canada)

  • Ryota Takagi

    (Tohoku University)

  • Keisuke Yoshida

    (Tohoku University)

  • Takashi Nakayama

    (Tohoku University)

  • Ryota Hino

    (Tohoku University)

  • Tomomi Okada

    (Tohoku University)

  • Youichi Asano

    (National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience)

Abstract

Shear-wave anisotropy in Earth’s mantle helps constrain the lattice-preferred orientation of anisotropic minerals due to viscous flow. Previous studies at the Japan Trench subduction zone using land-based seismic networks identified strong anisotropy in the mantle wedge, reflecting viscous flow induced by the subducting slab. Here we map anisotropy in the previously uninvestigated offshore region by analyzing shear waves from interplate earthquakes that are recorded by a new seafloor network (the S-net). The newly detected anisotropy is not in the mantle wedge but only in the overlying crust (∼0.1 s time delay and trench-parallel fast direction). The distinct lack of anisotropy indicates that the forearc mantle wedge offshore is decoupled from the slab and does not participate in the viscous flow, in sharp contrast with the rest of the mantle wedge. A stagnant forearc mantle wedge provides a stable and cold tectonic environment that is important for the petrological evolution and earthquake processes of subduction zones.

Suggested Citation

  • Naoki Uchida & Junichi Nakajima & Kelin Wang & Ryota Takagi & Keisuke Yoshida & Takashi Nakayama & Ryota Hino & Tomomi Okada & Youichi Asano, 2020. "Stagnant forearc mantle wedge inferred from mapping of shear-wave anisotropy using S-net seafloor seismometers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-19541-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19541-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19541-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-020-19541-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-19541-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.