The deep structure of active continental margins of the Far East (Russia)

N. I. Filatova
Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

V. B. Piip
Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

V. A.  Rashidov
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, FED RAS, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia

Abstract

[1]  In the frame of the international project "InterMARGINS'', the research in the deep structure of active continental margins of the transition zone from the Eurasian continent to the Pacific was conducted along the deep cross-section of the tectonosphere including the lithosphere and the asthenosphere. The deep section profile runs across the Mesozoic structures of Sikhote Alin, rift structure of Tatar Strait, Cenozoic formations of Sakhalin, Kuril Basin of the Sea of Okhotsk, volcanic structures of Kuril Island Arc, Kuril deep trench and the Mesozoic plate of Northwest Pacific Basin. The length of the profile is 2000 km. The depth of penetration into the earth's interior is 100 km. A distinctive feature of the transition zone structure is the asthenospheric layer occurrence in the upper mantle; diapirs of hot anomalous mantle branch off from this layer and processes going on in them cause the formation of the region geological structures. A correlation is noted between geological structures, tectonic and magmatic activity and the upper mantle structure. Tectonically active regions like island arcs and rift structures of marginal seas correspond to thick and most distinct asthenosphere generating magma.

Received 6 March 2008; accepted 20 March 2008; published 24 May 2008.

Keywords: deep structure, active continental margins, transition zone, upper mantle, marginal seas.

Index Terms: 0905 Exploration Geophysics: Continental structures; 0930 Exploration Geophysics: Oceanic structures; 1645 Global Change: Solid Earth; 3001 Marine Geology and Geophysics: Back-arc basin processes; 3002 Marine Geology and Geophysics: Continental shelf and slope processes.

Citation: Rodnikov, A. G., N. A. Sergeyeva, L. P. Zabarinskaya, N. I. Filatova, V. B. Piip, and V. A.  Rashidov (2008), The deep structure of active continental margins of the Far East (Russia), Russ. J. Earth Sci., 10, ES4002, doi:10.2205/2007ES000224.