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Outline of landforms and geology of Japan
Fig. Strike-slip fault blocks (Kaizuka 1983)
Fig.
Faults in central Honshu
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Fig.
Hida Highland
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Fig.
Amount of uplift and subsidence in the Quaternary
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Strike-slip faults concentrate in central and southwestern Honshu (Chubu and Kinki) to the west of the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line. Heights of fault scarps formed by these faults are generally lower than those of reverse and normal fault scarps because of the small vertical offsets. Strike-slip fault blocks are distributed only in western Chubu and northern Kinki, such as Hida Highland and Tamba Highland. Northeastern trending and northwestern trending active faults run reticulately in these areas. Mountains in the Hida Highland show clearly accordance of summit levels. Although mountains have been well dissected to make many valleys, the topography looks like plateau when taking bird’s-eye view. The landform of the Hida Highland is considerably different from that of the adjacent Hida Range with sharp ridges (knife-edges).
Many mountain ranges began to rise in the Pliocene, and the uplift rates increased in the Quaternary. The present mean uplift rates of the mountains are estimated <1 to 5 mm per year. The highest peak of nonvolcanic mountains in Japan is 3192 m high in the Akaishi Range.
[Morphology]
Japanese mountains are much smaller compared to the Himalayas and the Andes; heights of highest mountain ranges in Japan slightly exceed 3000 m, which are a third height of the Himalayas and a half height of the Andes. Small geological structure units are responsible for the mountain sizes. The mountain morphology is characterized by dense valleys (busy alternation of valley and ridge), convex or straight slopes, erosional low-relief surfaces on summits, and poorly independent peaks (horns).
Fig.
Common mountain
forms []
The right figure shows the profile of common mountains in Japan. The uppermost slope draws a roundish line and the bottom of valley is V-shaped. Many Japanese mountains have a low-relief summit surface called an erosional low-relief surface, while there are few knife-edges seen in the Himalayas. Pluvial climate and high uplift rates in the Quaternary are responsible for active erosion to make deep valleys. Accordingly, the profile of mountainside demonstrates a convex or straight line. Concave mountainsides are found in mountains dominated by glacial erosion, such as the Himalayas and the Alps.
Fig.
Kitakami Mountains []
Erosional low-relief surfaces of Japanese mountains are principally remnants of uplifted peneplain formed during the mild crustal movement period in the Late Tertiary. Some of them are upland denudation surfaces or piedmont benchlands. The low-relief surfaces are broadly distributed in mountain ranges in central Hokkaido, the outer arc side of Tohoku, the inner zone of southwestern Japan, especially in the Kitakami, Abukuma, and Chugoku Mountains, but in limited areas in the inner arc side of Tohoku and the outer zone of southwestern Japan. The presence of erosional low-relief surfaces, early dissection stage due to recent uplift of mountains, and poor experiences of glacial erosion resulted in that mountains have few independent peaks (horns). Therefore, most ranges have flat skylines (accordance of summit levels).
Although Japanese mountains possess the characteristics mentioned
above, there are regional variations reflecting local crustal movement
and climates.
The Sea of Japan side from central Honshu to Hokkaido is a heavy snow
fall region in which maximum snow depths are over one meter (two to
three meters in places). The quantities of snow affect erosion in
addition to running water agent. For example, straight or concave
slopes are found rather than convex slopes in the Echigo Range situated
in the region.
