Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology carried out seismic surveys using ocean bottom seismographs (OBSs) and a multi-channel reflection survey system from 2004 to understand the structural characteristics and the continuity of the Izu–Ogasawara Arc crust. The Izu–Ogasawara Arc developed from the oceanic crust and produced andesitic middle crusts. The velocity is similar to that identified in the continental crust, and the initial continental crust might have been produced during development of the arc crust. To investigate the process of the Izu–Ogasawara Arc crust, many 2-D velocity structures are compared using unified specifications of data acquisition and analysis, and structural commonalities and differences are evaluated. The specification was confirmed previously through simulation studies using the structure obtained. These arc crustal structures have common characteristics, which are an upper crust with a Vp of 4.5–6.0 km/s, a middle crust with a Vp of 6.0–6.5 km/s, and a lower crust with a Vp of 6.5–7.5 km/s. The lower crust is composed of two layers; the upper part has a Vp of 6.5–6.8 km/s and the lower part has a Vp of 6.8–7.5 km/s. The uppermost mantle has a Vp of less than 8.0 km/s. Development of the arc crust results in crustal thickening accompanied by rifting. Back arc opening after rifting plays the role of crustal thinning. The Shikoku Basin, which is the older backarc basin, has a relatively thin crust with a thickness of approximately 10 km, and the eastern part has a high velocity lower crust with a Vp of over 7 km/s. In addition, the upper crust of the eastern part of the Shikoku Basin has some intrusive materials and strike slip faults with few vertical displacements. Such a high-velocity lower crust is not distributed in the Parece Vela basin. The Ogasawara Ridge has different characteristics from the above arc crust, which are a crustal thickness of approximately 20 km but a complicated structure including a narrow and thin crust in the N–S direction. Here, we introduce the structural characteristics of the entire Izu–Ogasawara Arc crusts based on unified seismic surveys and data analysis methods.
