Ultrasonic P-wave velocity measurements with variable effective pressure at the boundary between slope basin sediments and the accretionary prism: IODP Expedition 315 Site C0001

IODP Expedition 315 Site C0001 is located on the hanging wall of the midslope megasplay fault in the Nankai subduction zone off Kii peninsula (SW Japan), and penetrated an unconformity between ~200 m thick slope basin sediments and the accretionary prism. While a down-section porosity increase was clearly observed at the boundary from ~50% to ~60%, logging velocity does not appear to decrease at the boundary, which suggests that different diagenetic processes might exist above and below the boundary. In this study, we conducted ultrasonic P-wave velocity measurements with pore pressure control. We also conducted observations of sediment and chemical analysis. We examined the relationships between the acoustic properties, sediment textures, logging data from IODP Expedition 314 Site C0001 and data from shipboard core analysis. The ultrasonic P-wave velocity measurements were conducted under constant pore pressure (500 kPa) and varying confining pressure to control effective pressure. The confining pressure ranges from 550 kPa to a maximum calculated from the density of overlying sediments (lithostatic pressure - hydrostatic pressure). 8 samples were analyzed, located from ~70 m to ~450 m below the sea floor. P-wave velocity ranges from ~1620 m/s to ~1990 m/s under the hydrostatic pressure condition. These velocities are in good agreement with the logging data. Porosity-velocity relationship in the analyzed data also coincide with that observed in the logging data. Samples shallower than ~300 m fall within previously-defined empirical relationships for normal- and high- consolidation. The deeper samples (at ~370 m and ~450 m below sea floor) show much higher velocity than that predicted by the empirical relationship, suggesting that significant cementation is present in those samples. The textural observations of sediments indicate a decrease in pore space with depth. Quartz and feldspar grains are surrounded by clay mineral matrices. Grain size seems to be almost constant through the site. Quartz or carbonate cements are not observed. Instead, authigenic pyrites are abundant in deeper samples.