Stratigraphy and Subsurface Structure of Holocene Deposits Around Uemachi Upland in the Central Osaka Plain
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Journ~1 of Geosciences, Osaka City University Vol. 37, Act. 7, p. 183-212 Ma'Ch, 1994 Stratigraphy and Subsurface Structure of Holocene Deposits around Uemachi Upland in the Central Osaka Plain 2 l Muneki MITAMURAl), Noriko MATSUYAMA ), Koichi NAKAGAWA ), 2 2 Koji YAMAMOT0 ) and Seiji SUWA ) (With 17 Figures and 2 Tables) Abstract This .paper presents results of a recent geological study of the Holocene deposits in the Osaka Basin, especially at the central area around Uemachi Upland. The study was based upon the analysis of a large number of borehole data compiled in the computer database. 14C datings of fossils sampled by boring and excavation sites were carried out at several key sites and used to interpret the processes of deposition. The Holocene deposit, named the Umeda Formation, is subdivided into three layers by facies. In some marginal zones at Tenma around the Uemachi Upland, where the Holocene deposit fades out, dense sand and gravel layers were found and were considered Pleistocene deposits without any geological indication. The subground structures in the Osaka Plain were obtained in vertical sections along eight lines; they show not only Holocene but also Upper Pleistocene structures in the area. Based upon 14C dating, the marginal facies of sand and gravel layers around the Uemachi Upland were identified as Holocene deposits. They are interfingered with the main clay layer facies of the Umeda Formation. Other tectonic structures like flexures as well as geotechnical aspects are also discussed. Key Words: stratigraphy, geological structure, ground subsidence, consistency, Holocene, Osaka Plain 1. Introduction The underlying, unconsolidated formation in the Osaka Plain was defined as the Umeda Formation (Holocene) by YAMANE (1930). A great deal of effort has been made to detamine the stratigraphy of the formations underlying the Osaka Plain (Table 1; Ikebe et ai., 1970; MAEDA, 1976; FURUTANI, 1978). This formation has been recognized as a problem from the standpoint of the civil engineering; its identification was based on standard penetration tests (N-value) (The Publication Committee of the Ground of Osaka, 1966 ; MU(I et ai., 1987). We have investigated the formation in the West Osaka area of the Osaka Plain (Fig. 1) with the database system of borehole data (HAYASHIDA et ai., 1987a ; IWASAKI et at., 1990 ; YAMAMOTO et at., 1992) and 14C dating (MITAMURA, 1991; MITAMURA 1) Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, Osaka City University, Sugimoto 3-3-138, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558, Japan 2) Geo-Research Institute, Osaka Soil Test Laboratory, Nishihonmachi 3-1-23, Nishi-ku, Osaka 550, Japan 184 MITAMURA M., MATSUYAMA N., NAKAGAWA K., YAMAMOTO K. and SUWA S. et ai., 1992 ; MITAMURA and MII{I, 1992). This paper presents the results of detailed studies of the stratigraphy and the geological characteristics, of the Holocene formation in this area. 2. Alluvial Formation The Alluvial Formation was at first defined as Holocene and named the Umeda Formation by YAMANE (1930). Since then, the Publication Committee of the Ground of Osaka (1966) sorted the Alluvial Formation with the civil engineering properties of the strata, for example, sands of less than 30 in N-values and unconsolidated clays. Hence, the formation is included with the Upper Pleistocene deposits from the Wurm Maximum Stage (about 20000 years ago in age). Almost all the 14C ages of the formation are younger than 10000 years, with the exception of the peaty beds at Fukono and Shin-Osaka Station sites which are from 20000 to 10000 years old (KAJIYAMA and ITIHARA, 1972). From this viewpoint, the Alluvial Formation in the Osaka Plain was defined as the Namba Formation (KAJIYAMA and ITIHARA, 1972) and the Osaka Bay Formation (MAEDA, 1976), which are included in the uppermost Pleistocene. The coarse facies at less than 20 m depth, which were correlated with the upper Pleistocene, for example, with the gravelly bed in the Tenma area and the sands In the west side of the Uemach Upland, were reconsidered as Holocene deposits (MIKI et ai., 1987). The 14C ages of the sands, including molluscan fossils at Azuchimachi on the west side of the Uemachi Upland, are from 6000 to 3000 years old (MITAMURA, 1991). The age of the wood fossil from the sand bed underlying the gravel bed at Tenma area is 8400±120 years B.P. (MITAMURA et ai., 1992). It follows from what has been Table 1. Correlation of the stratigraphy of the Pleistocene - Holocene formations in the Osaka Plain. Ground of Ikebe el al. Ground of Yamane(1930) Maeda(1976) Furutani(1978) This study Osaka(1966) • (1970) Osaka(1987)" c: .2 Upper part Upper part Upper Q) Umeda ro c: sand bed c: Umeda c: Umeda c: etI.Q Q) ~2 i] E Middle ,,- Middle (J Umeda bed 0 Middle part -ro2 0 ",,,, .~ ~ clay bed .2E>'" -"E "- E'" E'" clav bed 0 Formation Formation "'~ ~o J: <;;0 clay bed "'0 Nanko ~ «0 "- Lower "- 0"- E'" Lower part "- Lower part bed It''''rnat;on ~ z'" cC1l IIII Qj I1III1 III II I IIII III II I II II I IIIr I c: Tenma c: Upper part ro Tenma ~ Tenma ",0 Tenma Tenma ~ Q) E gravel bed E1ii c: '"c: Middle part a Q) ~ Tenma Uc: ~§ (J Formation § '" Formation Formation Formation .s "- clay bed ~.~ "- Lower part "'E iii'" D.-~ ~o IIIIII 0:: I II1I1 I II II 1i"- I II II I II1I 1 lilT Uemachi Uemachi Uemachi 0- Ma12 Ma12 Ma12 Formation Formation ~ Formation I1II II I II II Ma11 I II I II II II I IIII * The Pub II cat Ion Comm I ttee of the Ground of Osaka (1966) ** Miki et al. (1987) Stratigraphy and Structure oj Holocene Deposites around Uemachi Upland 185 Recent Alluvial Deposits o w o ~ Terrace Deposits oM lO M 1<'\:':'~1 Osaka Group .... []]J] Basemant Rocks ,/ / Fault o 10 20 30km Fig. 1. Generalized geologic map of the Keihanshin area (adapted from ITIHARA et al., 1991 and TANAKA et al., 1982). said that these facies are correlated with the Holocene deposits. In addition to the above 14C dating, seven fossil samples at SIX sites were tested, and the results of the 14C dating In this study are presented In Table 2 and Fig.3. These results indicate that the Alluvial Formation, defined froin the civil engineering side, is youngel- than 10000 years in age. In this paper, judging from the above, the Holocene deposits in the Osaka Plain are named the Umeda Formation. The Umeda Formation is described in detail below. 186 MlTAMURA M., MATSUYAMA N., NAKAGAWA K., YAMAMOTO K. and SUWA S. Table 2. 14C age of the Umeda Fonnation. Si te Locat i on Lat Itude AI t. Lab. No. "c Date Mater IaIs No. Long Itude (OP) (yrs. B. P. ) H Fukush Ima 4chome" 34· 4J"29"N 135· Z9' 1Z"E -Z7. Om OCU-45 9550± I 00 wood 1-2 De i r ibash i 2) 34·41'37"N 135· 29' 37"E -3.6m OCU-23 IBOO±70 wood -4.9m OCU-18 1680±60 shell -5.7m OCU-17 1570±60 shell -7. Om OCU-31 1930±60 shell -14.7m OCU-38 3350±70 she II 1-3 Umeda Icharnel) 34· 41' 42"N 135· 30' 04"E -26. 2m OCU-46 9750± 100 wood 1-4 Nishi-Tenma ll 34· 41' 40"N p Iant 135· 30' 35"E -25. 2m OCU-49 fragments 1-5 MI nam imor i mach i JI 34·41'40"N 135· 30' 49"E -19.5m OCU-14 8400± 120 wood 2 1-6 Ami sh ima ) 34· 41' 30"N 135' 31' 46"E -7. Om OCU-Z4 5520± 100 shell -7.5m OCU-30 5460±80 shell -13. Om OCU-33 7300±90 shell 1-7 Hi gash I-Nod a 34· 41' 39"N 2chome" 135' 32' 02"E -9. Om OCU-26 5100± 100 she II -21. Om OCU-27 8530±90 wood Doush in 1chome" 34· 41'51"N 135·31'06"E -19.6m OCU-48 wood Toyosak i 3chome" 34' 42' 25"N 135· 30' OI"E -24. Om OCU-47 9480± 100 wood Azuch Imach I 34· 40' 54"N 2chome" 135·31' 31'·E -I. 7m OCU-7 4290±60 shell -3.7m OCU-6 3530±60 shell -4.7m OCU-4 5230± 100 wood -4.7m OCU-5 6190±80 shell -9.7m OCU-I 7460±80 wood -II. 7m OCU-8 7340±70 she II -13.6m OCU-9 8330±90 wood MInatomach i 34· 39' 47·'N Ichome" 135·29' 55"E -2.9m OCU-19 990±60 shell -3.5m OCU-20 1280±60 shell -5. 3m OCU-28 1570±60 she II -7. Om OCU-32 1560±60 shell -10. Om OCU-39 5800±80 she II I) Th i s study 2) MITAIOlA and MIKI (1992) 3) MITAIIIJlA et al. ( 1992) 4) M1TAIOlA (1991) 3. Stratigraphy and geological structure of the Umeda Formation 3.1. Stratigraphy The Umeda Formation is the Holocene deposits which are piled up in the bay under coastal sedimentary environments by the Holocene transgression, The type locality of this formation is the area from the OD-l site (Minato-ku Tanakamotomachi) to Kita-ku Umeda and ranges less than 30 m in depth, The formation is divided into three members: the Lower alternation (the alternation of peaty clays and sands), the Middle clay bed (soft marine clay bed), and the Upper sand bed (well sorted loose sand bed), in ascending order, These typical facies extend in the western area of a line from Nishiyokobori to Umeda, In contrast to this, the Middle clay bed changes into gravels and sands in the marginal area of the Uemachi Upland, So, the formation is not able to be divided in Stratigraphy and Structure oj Holocene Deposites around Uemachi Upland 187 N ~ Osaka Bay o I ~2 ~ 08 Fig.