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Marginal parts of a plate and subducting slab can play important roles in geodynamics. This is because in areas where a plate interacts with other plates or with the mantle thermal, geochemical, and mechanical interactions are expected. The Philippine Sea (PHS) slab that subducts beneath the Japan arcs has such an edge. To examine the relationship between arc magmatism and the slab edge in the transition zone from Northeast Japan to Central Japan, we investigated isotopic systematics of the regional volcanic rocks, incorporating data from literature and new data for five isotopic ratios of Sr, Nd, and Pb. The new data included major element compositions of 22 samples from the back-arc area, and 5 isotopic ratios for 6 samples selected from Pleistocene to early Quaternary epochs. Consequently, several findings were determined based on the spatial variation of the isotopic ratios and the estimated amount of slab-derived fluid: (1) the amount of fluid derived from the two subducting slabs (i.e., the Pacific slab and the PHS slab) decreases northward from a significantly high value (~ 5 wt% fluid added to the source mantle), away from the seismically determined edge of the PHS slab; (2) the proportion of the PHS component in the total slab-derived fluid also decays northward; and (3) the PHS component spreads to the north beyond the seismically determined edge of the PHS slab. These observations strongly suggest that the existence of an aseismic PHS slab beneath southernmost parts of Northeast Japan delivers the PHS component to the arc magmatism. As was indicated by previous geodynamical studies, subduction of the PHS and PAC slabs may generate suction force towards the corner of mantle wedge, which might account for the large amount of fluid near the seismically determined slab edge as described in (1) above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the 3-D P and S wave velocity structure of the East Japan forearc using a large number of high-quality arrival-time data of local earthquakes recorded by a permanent seafloor seismic network (S-net) and the land-based Kiban seismic network. Geometries of the subducting slab boundary and the Conrad and Moho discontinuities under the forearc are refined by referring to results of previous studies including active-source seismic soundings and seismicity located by the S-net. The obtained P and S wave velocity images are quite similar to each other, suggesting that they reflect robust features of the 3-D seismic structure. The subducting Pacific slab exhibits high velocities, whereas significant low-velocity (low-V) anomalies are revealed in the overlying Okhotsk plate beneath the forearc, which may reflect accretionary materials containing abundant fluids. The subducting oceanic crust atop the Pacific slab is revealed clearly as a thin low-V layer extending from the trench axis down to ~100 km depth under the volcanic front. Our results of earthquake relocation using the 3-D velocity model indicate that the double seismic zone in the subducting Pacific slab occurs from the trench axis down to ~180 km depth. The occurrence and focal mechanisms of the double seismic zone are caused by slab deformation during its subduction, such as slab bending or unbending, as well as other processes including hydration, dehydration, compositional variations, and phase changes in the subducting slab. [Display omitted] • Seafloor S-net and Kiban network data are used to study the 3-D forearc structure. • The Conrad, Moho and Pacific slab geometries in the East Japan forearc are refined. • P and S wave velocity images are quite similar, reflecting robust structural features. • The subducting oceanic crust is revealed down to ~100 km depth under the volcanic front. • The intraslab double seismic zone occurs from the trench axis down to ~180 km depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]