Development of arc-marginal sea
system as an
environmental basement from an
example of the
Circum-Japan Sea area
Shoji
Arai, Ph. D., Professor |
 |
The Sea of Japan is one of marginal seas (or back-arc basins), which are characteristically distributed almost exclusively in the western Pacific Ocean on the earth. In other words, the island arc-marginal sea system is rather common in Asia but is rare in the other part of the world. The arc-marginal sea system, especially when located at low to intermediate latitude, is densely populated, being faced with serious environmental problems. The system is also the very front of continental growth where magmatism is so active. It has been playing an important role in dynamic evolution of the earth.
The human being has been completely controlled by the geological structure of the arc-marginal sea system in a sense. The very locus on that we are living may be called “geoenvironmental basement”, and will be our important target in our COE project. We can obtain information on the nature and history of the goeenvironmental basement, including prediction of its future. In the course of our COE project we are planning to thoroughly understand the geological constitution and development of the Circum-Japan Sea area, i.e., the whole thing from subducting oceanic slab to the crust through mantle wedge. We will start the “Integrated Mantle Wedge Research Project”, where accurate analysis of rocks and minerals with the new equipment of La-ICP-MS just installed. is of vital importance. We will found a research center of worldwide reputation in this field. We will try to draw an ultra-deep drill site to the Sea of Japan in the future IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Project) through the COE activity.
