4th Kyoto Prize Symposium [Earth and Planetary Sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics] Asahiko Taira

4th Kyoto University-Inamori Foundation Joint Kyoto Prize Symposium
http://kuip.hq.kyoto-u.ac.jp/
https://ocw.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/opencourse-en/181
July 2, 2017

[Earth and Planetary Sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics]
Asahiko Taira
President, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)

Title of Presentation
“Plate Tectonics, Japanese Islands and Chikyu”

In the 1970s, plate tectonics revolutionized and triggered paradigm shift in earth science. Plate tectonics was initiated and advanced through the study of Mid-Atlantic Ridge. On the contrary, the understanding of plate subduction zone, especially the formation of geological structure was slow in progress.

Our research on the Shimanto Belt, Shikoku, Japan revealed that this geological terrane contains pillowed basalts and radiolarian chert that traveled over 3000km then later mixed with sandstone and mudstone deposited at the present latitude during the Cretaceous time. This was the first geological verification of plate subduction process and formation of accretionary complex. This study extended to a proposal of the origin of basement rocks of the Japanese Islands and evolution of continental crust.
Then I become involved with promotion of ocean drilling, construction of Chikyu and research in seismogenic zones. Presently, new fields of earth-life science are being created especially through the science programs related to Chikyu.