Abstract
Despite numerous observational and geodynamic modeling studies, the presence of the northwest Pacific slab tear and its influence on mantle dynamics remain controversial. By imaging the mantle transition zone (MTZ) discontinuities beneath the Japan Sea and adjacent areas, we demonstrate an ESE-WNW elongated zone with significant MTZ thinning extending from central Honshu, Japan, to the Korean Peninsula, which provides additional supporting evidence for the existence and distribution of a large-scale slab tear. Our results, when combined with other geophysical and geochemical evidence, indicate that the hot mantle material oceanward of the slab may flow through the slab tear and contribute to surface volcanism. Substantial MTZ thickening is widely observed in the region south of the slab tear and suggests the existence of slab stagnation, possibly related to the strong resistance at the bottom of the MTZ.
Recommended Citation
M. Sun et al., "Stagnation and Tearing of the Subducting Northwest Pacific Slab," Geology, vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 676 - 680, Geological Society of America, Jun 2022.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1130/G49862.1
Department(s)
Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
1943-2682; 0091-7613
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2023 Geological Society of America, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jun 2022
Comments
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant 42006058