Ridge topography and subduction process within the Kuril-Kamchatka Trough

Abstract

The Small Kuril Ridge is a typical example of non-volcanic island arc resulted from the process of subduction. The islands topography analysis reveals the structure having been formed under stable tectonic regime and strong tangential compression directed from the trough towards the arc. In spite of high values of the residual gravity anomaly within the islands, they did not submerge and continued to «float» for a long period because of dynamic support from the subsiding oceanic plate in the Kuril-Kamchatka trough.