Stratigraphy of deep-sea marine sediment using paleomagnetic secular variation: Refined dating of turbidite relating to giant earthquake in Japan Trench

Abstract

Recent studies of the sedimentary record of the Japan Trench indicate unique earthquake-induced depositional characteristics. To correlate such deposits to historical earthquakes, we studied the stratigraphy of two sedimentary cores obtained from basins of the Japan Trench at 7400 m and 7600 m water depth using paleomagnetic secular variation (PSV). Because of their high sedimentation rates, results show that excellent geomagnetic records are preserved in the sediments in spite of the great water depth. Paleomagnetic secular variation, especially declination during the past 3000 years revealing a distinctive feature of large oscillation, offers an opportunity to make precise stratigraphic correlations. Identification of boundaries between thick fine turbidite intervals and hemipelagite intervals was made based on rock magnetic properties. Successful applications of extraction of paleomagnetic data solely from the hemipelagic interval demonstrate that stratigraphic positions of turbidite in paleomagnetic secular variation record are mutually well correlated in PSV variations. Even over long distances between sites, the turbidites induced by earthquakes can be correlated exactly. The turbidite ages were determined by referring to the PSV master curve. Especially, the ages of turbidite units regarded as induced by the Jogan earthquake can be inferred from two cores that closely approximate its documented age.