[M-TT05] Cryoseismology - a new proxy for detecting surface environmental variations of the Earth -

[MTT05-P07] A review of seismicity, structure and tectonics in the Arctic region

*Shigeru Toda¹, Masaki Kanao², Genti Toyokuni³, Seiji Tsuboi⁴ (1.Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Education, Aichi University of Education, 2.National Institute of Polar Research, 3.Research Center for Prediction of Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 4.JAMSTEC, Center for Earth Information Science and Technology)

Keywords:Arctic region, seismicity, crustal structure, tectonics, glacial earthquakes

The “Arctic” region, where the North Pole occupies the center of the Arctic Ocean, has been affecting the environmental variation of the Earth from geological time to the present. However, the seismic activities in the area are not adequately monitored. Therefore, by conducting long term monitoring of seismic phenomenon as sustainable parameters, our understanding of both the tectonic evolution of the Earth and the dynamic interaction between the cryosphere and geosphere in surface layers of the Earth will increase. In this paper, the association of the seismicity and structure of the Arctic region, particularly focused on Eurasian continent and surrounding oceans, and its relationship with regional evolution during the Earth’s history is studied. The target areas cover representative tectonic provinces in the Eurasian Arctic, such as the wide area of Siberia, Baikal Rift Zone, Far East Russia, Arctic Ocean together with Greenland and Northern Canada. Based on discussion including characteristics of seismicity, heterogeneous structure of the crust and upper mantle, tectonic history and recent dynamic features of the Earth’s surface in the Arctic are summarized.