Thermochronology of hydrothermal alteration zones in the Kii Peninsula, southwest Japan; An Attempt for detecting the thermal anomalies and implications to the regional exhumation history

Sueoka, Shigeru; Iwano, Hideki*; Danhara, Toru*; Niwa, Masakazu; Kanno, Mizuho; Kohn, B. P.*; Kawamura, Makoto; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Kagami, Saya; Ogita, Yasuhiro; et al.

Earth, Planets and Space (Internet), 75(1), p.177_1 - 177_24, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-023-01921-5

Fluid-inclusion and thermochronometric analyses have been applied to hydrothermal alteration zones and their host rocks outcropping in the Hongu area of the Kii Peninsula, southwestern Japan in an attempt to detect thermal anomalies related to hydrothermal events and quantify the thermal effects on the host rocks. Hydrothermal events at ca 150 deg. C and ca 200 deg. C were identified by fluid-inclusion microthermometry of quartz veins in the alteration zones. For the host rocks and alteration zones, in the youngest population zircon yielded U-Pb dates ranging between ca 74.7-59.2 Ma, fission-track dates of ca 27.2-16.6 Ma, and (U-Th)/He single-grain dates of ca 23.6-8.7 Ma. Apatite yielded pooled fission-track ages of ca 14.9-9.0 Ma. The zircon U-Pb dates constrain the maximum depositional ages of the sedimentary samples. However, the fission-track and (U-Th)/He dates show no clear trend as a function of distance from the alteration zones. Hence, no thermal anomaly was detected in the surrounding host rocks based on the thermochronometric data patterns. The fission-track and (U-Th)/He dates are rather thought to record regional thermal and exhumation histories rather than a direct thermal imprint of fluid flow, probably because the duration of such activity was too short or because fluid flow occurred before regional cooling events and were later thermally overprinted. Apatite fission-track ages of ca 10 Ma may reflect regional mountain uplift and exhumation related to the obduction of the SW Japan lithospheric sliver onto the Shikoku Basin, or the rapid subduction of the Philippine Sea slab associated with the clockwise rotation of the Southwest Japan Arc.

Research plan on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of radioactive waste (Scientific program for fiscal year 2023)

Niwa, Masakazu; Shimada, Koji; Sueoka, Shigeru; Fujita, Natsuko; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Ogita, Yasuhiro; Fukuda, Shoma; Nakajima, Toru; Kagami, Saya; Ogata, Manabu; et al.

JAEA-Review 2023-017, 27 Pages, 2023/10

JAEA-Review-2023-017.pdf:0.94MB

This report is a plan of research and development (R&D) on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), in fiscal year 2023. The objectives and contents in fiscal year 2023 are described in detail based on the JAEA 4th Medium- and Long-term Plan (fiscal years 2022-2028). In addition, the background of this research is described from the necessity and the significance for site investigation and safety assessment, and the past progress. The plan framework is structured into the following categories: (1) Development and systematization of investigation techniques, (2) Development of models for long-term estimation and effective assessment, (3) Development of dating techniques.

Evaluation of suitability of zircon as standard materials based on thermal history; Example of the Wassogatake Formation in Ishikawa Prefecture

Nagata, Mitsuhiro; Nakajima, Toru; Fukuda, Shoma; Sueoka, Shigeru; Yagi, Koshi*; Yokoyama, Tatsunori

Fisshion, Torakku Nyusureta, (36), p.9 - 13, 2023/00

Zircon U-Pb and fission track (FT) dating and moonstone (sanidine) K-Ar dating of the Wassogatake Formation in the southern part of Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture were carried out as part of the search for zircon standard materials for dating. The weighted average U-Pb dates obtained from the three samples are ca. 21.9-21.7 Ma, overlapping within the uncertainty range. Zircon FT and moonstone K-Ar dates were obtained younger ages from some samples. In addition, the track lengths of the three samples are short. Based on the above results, the zircons of the Wassogatake Formation are effective for the high closure temperature dating method (e.g., U-Pb dating), but are not suitable for the low closure temperature dating method (e.g., FT dating).

Research plan on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of radioactive waste (Scientific program for fiscal year 2022)

Sasao, Eiji; Ishimaru, Tsuneari; Niwa, Masakazu; Shimada, Akiomi; Shimada, Koji; Watanabe, Takahiro; Sueoka, Shigeru; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Fujita, Natsuko; Ogita, Yasuhiro; et al.

JAEA-Review 2022-022, 29 Pages, 2022/09

JAEA-Review-2022-022.pdf:0.97MB

This report is a plan of research and development (R&D) on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), in fiscal year 2022. The objectives and contents in fiscal year 2022 are described in detail based on the JAEA 4th Medium- and Long-term Plan (fiscal years 2022-2028). In addition, the background of this research is described from the necessity and the significance for site investigation and safety assessment, and the past progress. The plan framework is structured into the following categories: (1) Development and systematization of investigation techniques, (2) Development of models for long-term estimation and effective assessment, (3) Development of dating techniques

Development of ARKADIA for the innovation of advanced nuclear reactor design process (Overview of optimization process development in design optimization support tool, ARKADIA-Design)

Tanaka, Masaaki; Doda, Norihiro; Yokoyama, Kenji; Mori, Takero; Okajima, Satoshi; Hashidate, Ryuta; Yada, Hiroki; Oki, Shigeo; Miyazaki, Masashi; Takaya, Shigeru

Dai-26-Kai Doryoku, Enerugi Gijutsu Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 5 Pages, 2022/07

https://doi.org/10.1299/jsmepes.2022.26.A221

To assist conceptual studies of various reactor systems conducted by private sectors in nuclear power innovation, development of an innovative design system named ARKADIA (Advanced Reactor Knowledge- and AI-aided Design Integration Approach through the whole plant lifecycle) is undergoing to achieve the design of an advanced nuclear reactor as a safe, economic, and sustainable carbon-free energy source. In this paper, focusing on the ARKADIA-Design as a part of it, the progress in the development of optimization processes on the representative problems in the fields of the core design, the plant structure design, and the maintenance schedule planning are introduced.

Low-temperature thermochronology of active arc-arc collision zone, South Fossa Magna region, central Japan

Sueoka, Shigeru; Kobayashi, Yumi*; Fukuda, Shoma; Kohn, B. P.*; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Sano, Naomi*; Hasebe, Noriko*; Tamura, Akihiro*; Morishita, Tomoaki*; Tagami, Takahiro*

Tectonophysics, 828, p.229231_1 - 229231_17, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2022.229231

The South Fossa Magna zone, central Japan, has been an active collision zone between the Honshu Arc and the Izu-Bonin Arc since the middle Miocene and provides an excellent setting for reconstructing the earliest stages of continent formation. Multi-system geo-thermochronometry was applied to different domains of the South Fossa Magna zone, together with some previously published data, to reveal mountain formation processes, i.e., vertical crustal movements. Nine granitic samples yielded zircon U-Pb ages of 10.2-5.8 Ma ( = 2), apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe) ages of 42.8-2.6 Ma ( = 7), and apatite fission-track (AFT) ages of 44.1-3.0 Ma ( = 9). Thermal history inversion modeling based on the AHe and AFT data suggested rapid cooling events confined within the study region at 6-2 Ma. The Kanto Mountains may have undergone a domal uplift in association with their collision with the Tanzawa Block at 5 Ma. However, this uplift may have slowed down following the migration of the plate boundary and late Pliocene termination of the Tanzawa collision. The Minobu Mountains and possibly adjacent mountains may have been uplifted by the motional change of the Philippine Sea plate at 3 Ma. Therefore, the mountain formation in the South Fossa Magna zone was mainly controlled by collisions of the Tanzawa and Izu Blocks and motional change of the Philippine Sea plate. Earlier collisions of the Kushigatayama Block at 13 Ma and Misaka Block at 10 Ma appeared to have had little effect on mountain formation. Together with a 90 deg. clockwise rotation of the Kanto Mountains at 12-6 Ma, these observations suggest that horizontal deformation predominated during the earlier stage of arc-arc collision, and vertical movements due to buoyancy resulting from crustal shortening and thickening developed at a later stage.

Estimation of denudation history of the Kitakami Mountains based on apatite fission-track thermochronology

Kajita, Yuya*; Sueoka, Shigeru; Fukuda, Shoma; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Kagami, Saya; Nagata, Mitsuhiro; Tagami, Takahiro*

Fisshion, Torakku Nyusureta, (34), p.14 - 16, 2021/12

For reconstructing the uplift/denudation history of the fore-arc side of the NE Japan Arc on geologic timescales, U-Pb dating and apatite fission-track (AFT) thermochronometry were applied to granitoids in Kitakami mountains. In addition, U-Pb dating for the Jodogahama rhyolite at the easternmost Kitakami mountains was also carried out to estimate the timing of volcanism and its thermal effect. Consequently, U-Pb ages of 122.7 Ma and 117.3 Ma for 2 samples of the Cretaceous granites and AFT ages ranging from 156.8 Ma to 70.3 Ma of 15 samples were obtained. Concerning the Jodogahama rhyolite, U-Pb age of 44.3 Ma was obtained. Integrated AFT data of this study and previous ones in Kitakami mountains, the trend of ages shows younging toward west. Although such age trend can be explained by volcanism of the Jodogahama reflecting the migration of a paleo-volcanic front, all AFT ages exhibited significantly older than U-Pb data of the Jodogahama and the thermal inverse modeling based on track length distributions provided slow cooling patterns. These observations did not supported the reheating of volcanism as a cause of age trend. As future prospects, we are planning to improve the reliability of age data based on additional analyses and apply an ultra low-temperature thermochronometer, e.g., ESR method.

Annual report for research on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of radioactive waste in fiscal year 2020

Ishimaru, Tsuneari; Ogata, Nobuhisa; Kokubu, Yoko; Shimada, Koji; Niwa, Masakazu; Shimada, Akiomi; Watanabe, Takahiro; Sueoka, Shigeru; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Fujita, Natsuko; et al.

JAEA-Research 2021-007, 65 Pages, 2021/10

JAEA-Research-2021-007.pdf:4.21MB

This annual report documents the progress of research and development (R&D) in the 6th fiscal year during the JAEA 3rd Mid- and Long-term Plan (fiscal years 2015-2021) to provide the scientific base for assessing geosphere stability for long-term isolation of the high-level radioactive waste. The planned framework is structured into the following categories: (1) Development and systematization of investigation techniques, (2) Development of models for long-term estimation and effective assessment, (3) Development of dating techniques. The current status of R&D activities with previous scientific and technological progress is summarized.

Solidification depth and crystallization age of the Shiaidani Granodiorite; Constraints to the average denudation rate of the Hida Range, central Japan

Kawakami, Tetsuo*; Sueoka, Shigeru; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Kagami, Saya; King, G. E.*; Herman, F.*; Tsukamoto, Sumiko*; Tagami, Takahiro*

Island Arc, 30(1), p.e12414_1 - e12414_11, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1111/iar.12414

Current status and prospects of FT and (U-Th)/He dating laboratory at Japan Atomic Energy Agency

Sueoka, Shigeru; Shimada, Koji; Kanno, Mizuho; Yokoyama, Tatsunori

Fisshion, Torakku Nyusureta, (33), p.15 - 18, 2020/10

no abstracts in English