Basin development and active faulting in the Kitakami Lowland, northeast Japan

Abstract

Here, active reverse faults, which mark the region of mountain uplift and basin subsidence, are well developed. The Kitakami Lowland, which is a typical tectonic basin, has been separated from the Backbone Ranges (Ou Mountains) since at least the Pliocene. This paper discusses the basal surface of the Quaternary sedimentary rocks, geological structures of the Neogene and Quaternary systems, and tectonic features of active faults in the Kitakami Lowland in relation to basin development. In order to detect the basal surfaces of Quaternary sedimentary rocks, 79 vertical electric soundings were performed in the central part of the Lowland. -from English summary