Crustal structure and origin of the northeast Japan arc

Abstract

Abstract Northeast Japan is a typical island arc region and its topographic arrangement reflects the geophysical characteristics of the island arc system. However, the structural style of the arc is very complicated and varied due to the repeated superposing of faults and folds on to earlier structures. Geotectonic events that involved creation of the fundamental framework of the island arc crust occurred in east Asia in the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous and were probably induced by accretion and collision tectonics. The fragmentation and subsequent displacement of the crust took place during the Early Neogene in response to the terrane collision and the change in oceanic plate motion, leading to the opening of the Japan Sea. Huge amounts of volcano-sedimentary rocks buried the tilted fault blocks of pre-Tertiary basement with the development of the island arc.