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Subsurface structure of the Myojin Knoll pumiceous volcano obtained from multichannel seismic reflection data

Earth, Planets and Space volume 60, pages721–726(2008)Cite this article

Abstract

The Myojin Knoll is a submarine volcano that has a classically beautiful conical-shaped silicic caldera whose surface is covered by pumice. To determine the tectonic structure inside the caldera wall and beneath the caldera floor of this pumicious submarine volcano, we carried out a structural interpretation study using newly collected deep-penetrating multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection data. We also conducted a detailed velocity analysis of the MCS data, which facilitated the interpretation study. The results demonstrate that approximately 90% of the caldera wall is composed of pumiceous volcanic breccia. This finding supports those of previous researchers who, based on seafloor observations, single-channel seismic reflection, and gravity and geomagnetic data, concluded the Myojin Knoll is a knoll having a pumiceous caldera wall underlain by a pre-caldera rhyolitic stratovolcano edifice. We also determined a down-warping reflector approximately 800 m beneath the caldera floor. A seismic unit immediately above the reflector has a higher P-wave velocity than the pumice units and shows a chaotic seismic reflection pattern. We interpreted the reflector to be the bottom of a possible shallow magma chamber where the magma would undergo repeated expansion and contraction as a result of recurrent eruption activities.

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Author notes

  1. Tetsuro Tsuru

    Present address: Cosmo Energy Exploration & Development Ltd, 2-2-24, Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 140-000, Japan

  2. Ayumi Okuda

    Present address: Keisen Junior/Senior High School, 5-8-1, Funabashi, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-0055, Japan

Affiliations

  1. Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Showa-machi 3173-25, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0001, Japan

    Tetsuro Tsuru, Tetsuo No & Yoshiyuki Kaneda

  2. University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan

    Ayumi Okuda & Kensaku Tamaki

Authors
  1. Tetsuro Tsuru
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  2. Ayumi Okuda
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  3. Tetsuo No
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  4. Yoshiyuki Kaneda
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  5. Kensaku Tamaki
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Correspondence to Tetsuro Tsuru.

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Tsuru, T., Okuda, A., No, T. et al. Subsurface structure of the Myojin Knoll pumiceous volcano obtained from multichannel seismic reflection data. Earth Planet Sp 60, 721–726 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03352820

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Key words

  • Myojin Knoll
  • caldera
  • pumice
  • seismic reflection
  • magma
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