Accumulation of an earthquake-induced extremely turbid layer in a terminal basin of the Nankai accretionary prism

Abstract

Seismic shaking is a major trigger for sediment redistribution in subduction zones, and clouds of dilute suspended sediment have been reported in association with large earthquakes. Dive observations in a basin on the slope of the central Nankai accretionary prism soon after the 2004 off-Kii Peninsula earthquakes documented a layer of suspended sediment with extremely high turbidity. We estimated the thickness of this bottom turbid layer to be more than 2.5 m by comparison of seafloor depths between surveys in 2004 and 2010 and about 2.6 m from instrumental evidence involving the submersion of a heat-flow probe. A high-resolution subbottom profiling survey across the basin revealed acoustically transparent layers thicker than 2 m. Because the slope basin is a terminal basin completely enclosed by topographic highs, we examined the possibility that the uppermost transparent layer was deposited as a consequence of the 2004 earthquakes. Considering the sediment source area and the volume of the basin fills, the mobilization and redeposition of thin surface sediments on the prism slope can account for the volume of the transparent layer. We conclude that the 2004 earthquakes caused widespread disturbance of the prism slope and concentrated surface sediments in this terminal basin. Our results emphasize the utility of a terminal basin in a subduction zone as an earthquake recorder.