Title of article :
3-D Simulation of Tectonic Loading at Convergent Plate Boundary Zones: Internal Stress Fields in Northeast Japan
Author/Authors :
Chihiro Hashimoto، نويسنده , , Mitsuhiro Matsuura ، نويسنده ,
Issue Information :
ماهنامه با شماره پیاپی سال 2006
Abstract :
The evidence of east-west compression in northeast Japan has been reported by many
investigators on the basis of geodetic, geologic and geomorphic data, but its origin still remains far from
understood. In the present study we have proposed a mechanical model of tectonic loading at convergent
plate boundary zones, and demonstrated its validity through the numerical simulation of internal stress
fields in northeast Japan with realistic 3-D geometry of plate interfaces. At convergent plate boundary
zones, in general, a part of plate convergence is consumed by steady slip along plate interfaces, and the
remaining part by inelastic deformation (seismic faulting, aseismic faulting, and active folding) of
overriding plates. Such a plate boundary process to be called ‘‘partial collision’’ can be quantitatively
described by introducing a collision rate defined as c = 1 ) steady slip rate at plate interfaces/plate
convergence rate. By this definition, we can simply represent the mechanical process of partial collision,
which includes total subduction (c = 0) and total collision (c = 1) as two extreme cases, in terms of steady
slip rates at plate interfaces. On the basis of elastic dislocation theory, first, we numerically computed the
internal stress fields in northeast Japan produced by the total subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the
North American plate, however the computed stress pattern was opposite in sense to observations. Then,
we computed the internal stress fields by taking c = 0.1 on average, and succeeded in reproducing the
observed east-west compression in northeast Japan. This indicates that the concept of partial collision is
essential to understand the mechanism of intraplate tectonic loading.
Keywords :
elastic dislocationtheory. , collision rate , partial collision , tectonic loading , Plate convergence
Journal title :
Pure and Applied Geophysics
Journal title :
Pure and Applied Geophysics