富士山東ろくする河小山付近の第四系―とくに古地理の変遷と神なわ断層の変動について

Abstract

The tephrochronological study of the eastern foot of Mt. Fuji (Fig. 1) would provide abundant data for analyzing not only eruptive history of Fuji volcano but also other late-Quaternary events, because there lies a large quantity of tephra derived mainly from the volcano. Several marker pumice layers are found sandwiched within great numbers of scoria sheets and are correlated with those in south Kanto, where stratigraphic position and radiometric age of them were well established (Table 1, 2 and Fig. 3). The revised stratigraphy and chronology in this area should play significant role in discussing several Quaternary problems around there.1) Mt. Fuji volcano became active ca. 80, 000 y. B.P., when the most important marker pumice, the Ontake Pm-I, showered. Since then, the eruption of “Older Fuji stage” had occurred more or less continuously until ca. 10, 000 y. B. P. without any significant periods of quiescence. The Older Fuji tephras are estimated at approximately 250km3 in volume, which are distributed extensively in south Kanto (Fig. 6). These explosive activities ended at about 10, 000 y. B. P. and there followed a long quiescent period, succeeded by “Younger Fuji stage”.2) The fluvial formation formerly called “Suruga Gravels” is a deposit of the ancient Sakawa river ca. 80, 000 y. B. P. The ancient river took its rise in Tanzawa mountains and might have flowed west- or southwestward into Suruga bay, instead of Sagami bay, the present course flows into. The change in river course appears to have taken place during the period from 80, 000 to 60, 000 y. B. P., associated with the growth of the volcanic edifice of Mt. Fuji (Fig. 5).3) The Kannawa fault, one of the most important tectonic lines in central Japan, runs east to west along the northern margin of the area. It branches westwards into two faults; Kn and Ks. Along the Kn fault a thrust is found dipping northward, whereas along most of the course the fault plane is nearly vertical (Fig. 9). The movements of the both faults are younger than the Suruga Gravels, which is displaced vertically more than 50 metres during the last 80, 000 years.