Possible Miocene rifting of the Izu–Ogasawara (Bonin) arc deduced from magnetic anomalies |
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| Authors: | TOSHITSUGU YAMAZAKI & MAKOTO YUASA |
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| Institution: | Geological Survey of Japan, 1–1-3 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305, Japan |
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| Abstract: | A magnetic anomaly map of the northern part of the Philippine Sea plate shows two conspicuous north–south rows of long-wavelength anomalies over the Izu–Ogasawara (Bonin) arc, which are slightly oblique to the present volcanic front. These anomalies are enhanced on reduced-to-pole and upward-continued anomaly maps. The east row is associated with frontal arc highs (the Shinkurose Ridge), and the west row is accompanied by the Nishi-Shichito Ridge. Another belt of long-wavelength anomalies very similar to the former two occurs over the Kyushu–Palau Ridge. To explain the similarity of the magnetic anomalies, it is proposed that after the spreading of the Shikoku Basin separated the Izu–Ogasawara arc from the Kyushu–Palau Ridge, another rifting event occurred in the Miocene, which divided the Izu–Ogasawara arc into the Nishi-Shichito and Shinkurose ridges. The occurrence of Miocene rifting has also been suggested from the geology of the collision zone of the Izu–Ogasawara arc against the Southwest Japan arc: the Misaka terrain yields peculiar volcanic rocks suggesting back-arc rifting at ～ 15 Ma. The magnetic anomaly belts over the Izu–Ogasawara arc do not extend south beyond the Sofugan Tectonic Line, suggesting a difference in tectonic history between the northern and southern parts of the Izu–Ogasawara arc. It is estimated that the Miocene extension was directed northeast–southwest, utilizing normal faults originally formed during Oligocene rifting. The direction is close to the final stage of the Shikoku Basin spreading. On a gravity anomaly relief map, northeast–southwest lineaments can be recognized in the Shikoku Basin as well as over the Nishi-Shichito Ridge. We thus consider that lines of structural weakness connected transform faults of the Shikoku Basin spreading system and the transfer faults of the Miocene Izu–Ogasawara arc rifting. Volcanism on the Nishi-Shichito Ridge has continued along the lines of weakness, which could have caused the en echelon arrangement of the volcanoes. |
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| Keywords: | Izu–Ogasawara (Bonin) arc Kyushu–Palau Ridge magnetic anomaly rifting |
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