Despite the decreases in temperature and permeability of oceanic plates with increasing age, hydrothermal circulation (HC) can be rejuvenated in the 130-Ma old Pacific plate in the vicinity of the Japan Trench, substantially affecting the thermal structure and remaining amount of magnetization (RAM). To decipher the roles of HC in the thermal structure and the RAM, the vigor and extent of HC in the vicinity of the Japan Trench should be quantitatively evaluated. Here we numerically show that HC is rejuvenated in the outer-rise zone but ceases after subduction owing to permeability evolution. The calculated thermal structure explains the measured heat flow evolution but negates the HC-driven thermal demagnetization, which was thought to decrease the RAM after subduction. Instead, we propose that the pressure-driven processes decrease the RAM after subduction through the demagnetizations of titanomaghemite and magnetite and the mineral phase transitions from maghemite to hematite.

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and paleomagnetic data from Quaternary basalt outcrops along the Hantangang River, Korea. A total of 554 samples were collected from 20 sites, representing three distinct units, Unit I, Unit II, and Unit III. Paleomagnetic data reveal a difference in the timing of eruptions between Units I and II, suggesting distinct periods by volcanic episodes. The mineral magnetic analysis identified titanomagnetite as the dominant magnetic carrier in the samples. AMS results indicated weak anisotropy and scattered AMS directions, indicating a low degree of preferred orientation of grains within the basalt rocks. The inverse AMS fabrics observed at specific sites are attributed to single-domain (SD) grains. Comparing the AMS data with the anisotropy of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (AARM) data, three distinct types of magnetic fabrics (normal, intermediate, and inverse) were discerned. The magnetic fabric was utilized to ascertain the flow direction based on the findings obtained from the AMS results. The findings suggest that the Quaternary basalts in this study’s area were primarily confined to the Hantangang River channel and its immediate vicinity during lava flow. However, distinct flow patterns are observed in the southwestern region, implying the presence of unknown volcanic sources.