Abstract
Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark is characterized as a place “Where the ocean and the land meet—the forefront for the birth of new habitable land.” This “meeting” takes place over a tectonic plate boundary known as the “Nankai Trough.” Tectonic processes have formed the relief and landscape of Cape Muroto: continuous distribution of marine terraces is observed over the sandstone and mudstone base layers in this area. The Muroto Geopark is located at the southern tip of the Muroto Peninsula, southeastern Shikoku Island, and encompasses the administrative district of Muroto City. The geopark covers an area of 248.2 km2, stretching 18.6 km from east to west and 27 km from north to south, and has a coastline length of 53.3 km. The wedge-shaped cape of Muroto is a distinctive feature of Muroto Geopark. This chapter describes the geological background and the use that Muroto Geopark is making of this by introducing specific aspects of Muroto’s Geological Heritage.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Furumura T, Maeda T, Imai K (2012) Tsunami taiseki –butsu kara Kataru Nankai Torafu Kyodai Jishin no Jitsuzo (The real image of the great Nankai trough earthquake derived from Tsunami Deposits. Kagaku) Sci J 82195–200 (In Japanese)
Hamamoto R, Sakai H. (1987) Muroto-oki Hanrei-gantai ni Tomonau Bunsho-hangan no Rb-Sr Nenrei (Rb–Sr Age of Granophyre associated with the Muroto-misaki Gabbroic Complex). Sci Rep Fac Sci Kyushu Univ Geol 15:131–135 (In Japanese with English abstract)
Hirono T, Tsuda K, Tanikawa W, Ampuero J-P, Shibazaki B, Kinoshita M, Mori JJ (2016) Near-trench slip potential of megaquakes evaluated from fault properties and conditions. Sci Rep 6(1):28184. doi:10.1038/srep28184
Imamura A. (1930) Shikoku Nanbu no Seikyuteki Narabini Manseiteki Chikei Hendo ni Tsuite (Rapid and constant topographical movement in southern Shikoku). Jishin (J Seismol Soc Jpn) 2:357–371 (In Japanese)
Kitahara I, Matsu’ura R Kimura R (eds) (2012) Nihon Rekishi-saigai Jiten (Encyclopedia of historical disasters in Japan). Yoshikawakobunkan, 838p (In Japanese)
Koike K. Machida H (eds) (2001) Nihon Kaisei Dankyu Atorasu (Atlas of quaternary marine terraces in the Japanese Islands). University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo (In Japanese)
Maemoku H (1988) Muroto Hanto no Kanshinse Chikaku Hendo (Holocene crustal movement in Muroto Peninsula, Southwest Japan). Chirigaku Hyoron (Geogr Rev Jpn) Ser A 61:747–769 (In Japanese with English abstract)
Maemoku H (2006) Muroto hanto no daiyonki Chikaku Hendo to Jishin Ryuki (Quaternary crustal movement and Coseismic uplift along Muroto Peninsula). Chishitsugaku Zasshi (J Geol Soc Jpn) 112:S17–S26 (In Japanese)
Matsu’ura T (2015) Late Quaternary uplift rate inferred from Marine Terraces, Muroto Peninsula, Southwest Japan: forearc deformation in an oblique subduction zone. Geomorphology 234:133–150
Mino Y (1931) Kochi-shi shikin ni okeru Shinshoku-men no Taihi to Tosa-wan Tohanbu no Kaigan Chikei-shi (Correlation of eroded surfaces around Kochi City and coastal topography of eastern part of Tosa bay). Chigaku Zasshi (J Geogr) 43:256–267 (In Japanese)
Miyazaki S, Heki K (2001) Crustal velocity field of Southwest Japan: subduction and Arc-Arc collision. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 106:4305–4326
Mizoguchi S, Kiminami K, Imaoka T, Kamei A. (2009) Muroto Misaki Chiiki ni okeru Chushin se no Kaiko Kinbo Kasei Katsudo (Miocene near-trench magmatism in the Cape Muroto area, Shikoku, SW Japan). Chishitsugaku Zasshi (J Geol Soc Jpn) 115:17–30 (In Japanese with English abstract)
Nara M, Ikari Y (2011) “Deep-sea Bivalvian Highways”: an ethological interpretation of branched Protovirgularia of the Palaeogene Muroto-Hanto Group, Southwestern Japan. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 305:250–255
Okamura Y (1990) Shikoku Oki no Kaitei Chishitsu Kozo to Seinan Nihon Gaitai no Daiyonki Chikaku Hendo (Geologic structure of the upper continental slope off Shikoku and quaternary tectonic movement of the outer zone of southwest Japan). Chishitsugaku Zasshi (J Geol Soc Jpn) 96:223–237 (In Japanese with English abstract)
Okamura M, Matsuoka H (2012) Tsunami Taisekibutsu kara Wakaru Nankai Jishin no Kurikaeshi (Nankai Earthquake recurrences from Tsunami sediment). Kagaku (Sci J) 82:182–191 (In Japanese)
Seno T, Stein S, Gripp A (1993) A model for the motion of the Philippine Sea Plate consistent with NUVEL-1 and geological data. J Geophys Res 98(B10):17941–17948
Taira A (1990) Nihon Retto no Tanjo (Birth of Japanese Islands). Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo, 226p
Taira A, Tashiro M, Okamura M, Katto J. (1980) Kochi ken Shimanto tai no Chishitsu to sono Kigen (The geology of the Shimanto Belt in Kochi Prefecture, Shikoku, Japan). In: Taira A, Tashiro M (eds) Shimanto tai Chishitsugaku to Koseibutsugaku (Geology and paleontology of the Shimanto Belt). Rinyakosaikai Press, Kochi, pp 319–389 (In Japanese with English abstract)
Taira A, Katto J, Tashiro M, Okamura M, Kodama K (1988) The Shimanto Belt in Shikoku, Japan-evolution of Cretaceous to Miocene accretionary prism. Mod Geol 12:5–46
Taira A, Byrne T, Ashi J (1992) Photographic atlas of an accretionary prism: geologic structures of the Shimanto Belt, Japan. University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo
Taniguchi M (2001) Muroto kaiyo Shinsui to wa?: Muroto kaiyo Shinsui no Kenkyu to Genjo (What is Muroto deep sewater?: research and current statsu of deep sewater off Muroto) Chishitsu News 565:6–10 (In Japanese)
Watanabe A (1932) The geomorphology of the coastal district of Southeastern Sikoku; a contribution to the knowledge of the recent crustal movements of the area under discussion. Bull Earthquake Res Inst 10:209–234
Watanabe H (1998) Nihon Higai Tsunami Sokan (Comprehensive list of damaging Tsunamis in the Japanese Islands), 2nd edn. University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo
Yoshikawa T, Kaizuka S, and Ota Y (1964) Tosa-wan Hokuto-gan no Kaigan Dankyu to Chikaku Hendo (Mode of crustal movement in the late quaternary on the Southeast Coast of Shikoku, Southwestern Japan). Chirigaku Hyoron (Geogr Rev Jpn) 37:627–648 (In Japanese with English abstract)
Yoshino M, (1978) Kikogaku (Climatology). Taimeido, Osaka
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Nakamura, Y., Yuhora, K. (2018). Muroto Geopark: Understanding the Moving Earth. In: Chakraborty, A., Mokudai, K., Cooper, M., Watanabe, M., Chakraborty, S. (eds) Natural Heritage of Japan. Geoheritage, Geoparks and Geotourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61896-8_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61896-8_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-61895-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-61896-8
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)