HR: 0800h
AN: T51B-0553 [Abstracts]
TI: Submarine landslides in subduction zones: insights from analogue and numerical models
AU: * Yamada, Y
EM: yamada@earth.kumst.kyoto-u.ac.jp
AF: Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo, Kyoto, 615-8540, Japan
AU: Matsuoka, T
EM: matsuoka@earth.kumst.kyoto-u.ac.jp
AF: Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo, Kyoto, 615-8540, Japan
AB:
Submarine landslides are common features at subduction zones. Detailed analysis of bathymetry around the
Japan Trench found numerous slope failures along the inflection lines in the ocean floor slope, sub-parallel to
the trench (Sasaki, 2003). Since the overriding plate at the Japan Trench has no accretion of ocean floor
sediments but subduction erosion, these slope failures may have strongly controlled by the surface topographic
relief of the subducting plate (Sasaki, 2003). In fact, several significant submarine landslide features are believed
to be formed by seamount subduction to the trench. Such mega-scale submarine landslides, which also believed
due to seamount subduction, have been recognized in Nankai Trough with typical accretionary prism
development.
The authors have been running analogue model experiments with granular materials and numerical simulation
that approximate the geologic body as particles to model the deformation of accretionary prisms. The analogue
model results are further analyzed by optical image correlation technique, PIV, to extract active deformation
features in detail. By using the same tectonic model for subduction margin tectonics, we examined the surface
deformation process by these two techniques.
The model results produce two-types of slope failures: one related to seamount subduction and the other at the
thrust front. The former examples are generally mega-scale and occur at the trench-side slope of the topographic
high formed after the seamount subduction. The latter ones are minor but commonly found at the active frontal
thrust. Such failures may be general features and expected to be found at drill holes of IODP (e.g. NanTroSEIZE).
UR: http://earth.kumst.kyoto-
u.ac.jp/yamada/index_e.html
DE: 3060 Subduction zone processes (1031, 3613, 8170, 8413)
DE: 3070 Submarine landslides
DE: 8100 TECTONOPHYSICS
DE: 8170 Subduction zone processes (1031, 3060, 3613, 8413)
SC: Tectonophysics [T]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting