Abstract
Deep tectonic tremors occur in the Nankai subduction zone, defining a
belt-like zone with a width of a few ten km located at depths between 30
and 55 km along upper surface of the subducting Philippine sea slab. We
interpret the geometry of the tremor belt based on temperature
calculations. Time evolution of temperature is calculated using a 3-D
heat conduction assuming constant geometry of the slab and the
present-day plate convergence velocity. The results show that the
tremors occur along the 450°C isotherm along the slab surface where the
mantle wedge can be non-convective and already well-serpentinized. Two
gaps of the tremor belts are explained by different mechanisms. The Ise
gap is where the hanging wall is not mantle wedge but crust. The Kii Gap
is not a gap orthogonal to the plate convergence direction, but only
appears to be a gap because the isotherm of the plate surface steps in
the plate convergence direction. The tremors can be caused by high
pore-fluid pressure conditions due to aqueous fluids released by
dehydration reactions in blueschist-facies oceanic crust to form
eclogite facies. The depth of the tremor belt corresponds to that of
decoupled, non-convective mantle wedge. Since the temperature and
pressure are within the serpentinite stable condition, the released
fluid would normally be absorbed by serpentinization of the mantle wedge
peridotite. However, since the non-convective mantle wedge is already
well serpentinized from exposure to previously released fluids, the
newly released fluid is not absorbed and increases the pore pressure.