Kinematic model for the opening of the Sea of Japan and the bending of the Japanese islands

Research Article| January 01, 1987 Kinematic model for the opening of the Sea of Japan and the bending of the Japanese islands Michael Celaya; Michael Celaya 1Department of Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Robert McCabe Robert McCabe 1Department of Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1987) 15 (1): 53–57. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<53:KMFTOO>2.0.CO;2 Article history first online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Michael Celaya, Robert McCabe; Kinematic model for the opening of the Sea of Japan and the bending of the Japanese islands. Geology 1987;; 15 (1): 53–57. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<53:KMFTOO>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract We have analyzed paleomagnetic data from Japan reported over the past 25 years in combination with marine geophysical and on-land geologic data to reconstruct the opening of the Sea of Japan and the bending of Honshu. From these data, we propose that the Sea of Japan opened by a two-stage back-arc spreading event. (1) In the early to middle Tertiary, Japan began to rift off the Asian coast as a single rigid block, rotated clockwise approximately 25°, and formed the Japan Basin. (2) In the Miocene, the Yamato and Tsushima basins opened, and shortly thereafter (19 Ma) the Japan arc collided with another island arc in central Hokkaido. At this stage, Honshu began to behave as two rigid blocks—southwest Honshu and northeast Honshu. Southwest Honshu continued to rotate clockwise approximately 45° as the Yamato and Tsushima basins continued to open. Northeastern Honshu rotated counterclockwise approximately 40° as Hokkaido was held fixed by the arc collision while the Yamato Basin continued to open. These two events—the opening of the Tsushima and Yamato basins and the arc collision in Hokkaido—resulted in the early to middle Miocene bending of the Japan arc observed in the paleomagnetic data. After 12 Ma, back-arc spreading ceased. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.