世界の海底泥火山の分布と山体形態に関する一考察

<p>Mud volcanism is tied closely to subsurface cycling of sediment, fluid and carbon, and thus plays an important role in the whole earth system. Yet, our understanding of mud volcanism falls far behind that of "magmatic" volcanism. This paper briefly overviews fundamental topics of submarine mud volcanoes, including their geological distribution and morphological features. The compilation of distribution represents that submarine mud volcanoes are found widely in most plate subduction margins, except for those in subpolar regions. The morphological study suggests that the shapes of submarine mud volcanoes are highly variable and likely related to geological properties of the proximal subduction margins. All the fundamental studies reviewed here lead to an increase in our understanding of mud eruption dynamics, as well as the dynamic interplay between mud volcanism and subsurface material cycling in plate subduction margins.</p>