Helium anomalies suggest a fluid pathway from mantle to trench during the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake

Yuji Sano (), Takahiro Hara, Naoto Takahata, Shinsuke Kawagucci, Makio Honda, Yoshiro Nishio, Wataru Tanikawa, Akira Hasegawa and Keiko Hattori
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Yuji Sano: Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa-noha
Takahiro Hara: Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa-noha
Naoto Takahata: Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa-noha
Shinsuke Kawagucci: Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science and Technology, Natsushima-cho
Makio Honda: Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science and Technology, Natsushima-cho
Yoshiro Nishio: Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science and Technology, Natsushima-cho
Wataru Tanikawa: Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science and Technology, Nankoku
Akira Hasegawa: Research Center for Prediction of Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions, Tohoku University, Sendai
Keiko Hattori: University of Ottawa

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract Geophysical evidence suggests that fluids along fault planes have an important role in generating earthquakes; however, the nature of these fluids has not been well defined. The 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake ruptured the interface between the subducting Pacific plate and the overlying Okhotsk plate. Here we report a sharp increase in mantle-derived helium in bottom seawater near the rupture zone 1 month after the earthquake. The timing and location indicate that fluids were released from the mantle on the seafloor along the plate interface. The movement of the fluids was rapid, with a velocity of ~4 km per day and an uncertainty factor of four. This rate is much faster than what would be expected from pressure-gradient propagation, suggesting that over-pressurized fluid is discharged along the plate interface.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4084

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