Kyushu-Palau Ridge facts for kids
Kyushu-Palau Ridge (KPR) is an ocean floor feature in the Philippine Sea. It is named after the nearby islands. At the northern end is the Japanese island of Kyushu. At the southern end is the Pacific island nation of Palau.
The seabed ridge begins in an area about 900 km from the eastern end of the Bungo Channel or "Bungo strait" between the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Shikoku. The ridge creates a line on the ocean floor which runs southeast in the direction of the island of Palau.
There is a chain of extinct volcanos on this line. It was created by movement at the northern edges of the Philippine Plate.
Related pages
Images for kids
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The IBM arc system in the Western Pacific. Lines with arrows show approximate locations of E–W profiles across arc.
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Cross-section through the shallow part of a subduction zone showing the relative positions of an active magmatic arc and back-arc basin, such as the southern part of the Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc.
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Simplified tectonic history of the IBM arc system, viewed along E-W profiles. Red corresponds to regions of magmatic activity, blue is magmatically extinct.
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Simplified bathymetric and topographic profile along the IBM magmatic arc
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Simplified bathymetric profiles across the IBM arc system, approximate locations shown in first figure. T indicates position of trench.
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Simplified geologic and magnetic map of the western Pacific, based on the work of Nakanishi 1992. Relative motion of the Pacific Plate with respect to the Philippine Sea Plate is shown with arrows, numbers correspond to velocities (mm/year), after Seno, Stein & Gripp 1993. Numbers with asterisks represent scientific drilling sites, especially Ocean Drilling Project and Deep Sea Drilling Program drillsites.
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Map view of bathymetry and seismicity in the IBM subduction zone using the earthquake catalog of Engdahl, van der Hilst & Buland 1998. Circles denote epicentral locations; lighter circles represent shallower events, darker circles represent deeper events. Black lines denote cross sectional areas depicted in 6 profiles on right, organized from N to S. Black circles represent hypocentral locations in volume ~60 km to each side of the lines shown on the map at left. Large variations in slab dip and maximum depth of seismicity are apparent. Distance along each section is measured from the magmatic arc. A) Northern Izu–Bonin region. Slab dip is ~45°; seismicity tapers off from ~175 km to ~300 km depth but increases around 400 km, and terminates at ~475 km. B) Central Izu Bonin region. Slab dip is nearly vertical; seismicity tapers off from ~100 km to ~325 km but increases in rate and extends horizontally around 500 km, and terminates at ~550 km. C) Southern Izu Bonin region. Slab dip is ~50°; seismicity is continuous to ~200 km, but a very few anomalous events are evident down to ~600 km. D) Northern Mariana region. Slab dip is ~60°; seismicity is continuous to ~375 km and terminates at ~400 km, but a very few anomalous events are evident down to ~600 km. E) Central Mariana region. Slab dip is vertical; seismicity tapers off slightly between ~275 km and ~575 km, but is essentially continuous. A pocket of deep events around 600 km exists, as well as 1 deep event at 680 km. F) Southern Mariana region. Slab dip is ~55°; seismicity is continuous to ~225 km, with an anomalous event at 375 km. Figure courtesy of Dr. Matt Fouch, Arizona State University
See also
In Spanish: Arco de Izu-Bonin-Mariana para niños
