Degree of serpentinization in the forearc mantle wedge of Kyushu subduction zone: quantitative evaluations from seismic velocity

Abstract

Serpentinization is an important phenomenon for understanding the water cycle and geodynamics of subduction zones in the upper mantle. In this study, we evaluate quantitatively the degree of serpentinization using the seismic velocity. The results show that serpentinization mainly occurs in the forearc mantle wedge along the subducted oceanic crust, and the degree of serpentinization in the forearc mantle wedge of Kyushu is strongly heterogeneous and varies from 0 to 12 %, containing about 0–1.8 % water contents. In general, the degree of serpentinization gradually decreases with depth from 40 to 80 km and the largest degree usually occur in about 40–50 km depth. Localized high anomalies of serpentinization are revealed in the northern and southern portions of Kyushu, respectively. We suggest that in the northern portion of the forearc mantle wedge, the water contents are relatively large, which might result from the abundant fractures and cracks with more fluids in the subducting slab because of the subduction of Kyushu-Palau ridge and the sudden change in its subduction angle of Philippine Sea lithosphere. But the high degree of serpentinization in the southern portion is closely associated with the active left-lateral shear zone revealed by global positioning system site velocities and earthquake focal mechanisms. In addition, the present results also display that the low degree of serpentinization in the central domain of the forearc mantle wedge is consistent with the location of anomalous arc volcano. The distribution of water contents is closely associated with the degree of serpentinization in the forearc mantle wedge.