Ambient noise tomography in the Naruko/Onikobe volcanic area, NE Japan: Implications for geofluids and seismic activity 4. Seismology

To understand the earthquake generation in volcanic areas, it is important to investigate the presence of geofluids in the uppermost crust. We applied ambient noise tomography to the Naruko/Onikobe volcanic area and constructed a detailed 3-D S-wave velocity (V _s) model using continuous records from a dense seismic network and surrounding stations. The low-velocity zones were found beneath Naruko Volcano, Onikobe Caldera, and Mt. Kurikoma. The low-velocity zone beneath Onikobe Caldera may correspond to a magma reservoir, which is also characterized by surrounding S-wave reflectors. The molten magma originates from the upwelling flows in the mantle wedge. We also conducted the relocation of aftershocks of the 2008 Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake by double-difference tomography based on the obtained velocity model. Beneath Mt. Kurikoma, aftershock distribution delineates one of the unfavorably oriented fault planes of the main shock, which implies that the low-velocity zone around the fault plane is related to the presence of overpressurized fluid.