Delineation of shallow volcanic structures from audio-frequency magnetotelluric data beneath Ulleung Island, East Sea (Sea of Japan)

As volcanoes are closely related to the living environment of humans, in particular via natural hazards and geothermal energy, scientific studies on volcanic edifice structures are required. Ulleung Island is a Quaternary volcanic island located in the mid-western East Sea (Sea of Japan). In this study, we conducted an audio-frequency magnetotelluric (AMT) survey to image the substructure of the Ulleung volcanic edifice. In addition, the electrical structure was interpreted from the geothermal system perspective, geochemical compositions of volcanic rocks, and the possibility of the presence of a magma reservoir. AMT data were obtained from 25 stations and processed using the remote reference technique. Then, the three-dimensional (3-D) approach was reasonably adopted according to dimensionality analysis. Before conducting the 3-D inversion, the effects on topography and ocean were analyzed using a simplified 3-D synthetic model, because Ulleung Island is surrounded by sea and the topography is undulating. Most AMT stations on Ulleung Island are distorted by topographical and oceanic effects; in particular, oceanic effects are significant at frequencies lower than 10 Hz. The 3-D inversion was conducted with full impedance components and vertical magnetic transfer functions in a frequency range of 10,000–1 Hz. The results show that the Ulleung volcanic edifice is characterized by two layers of electrical structures as follows: near-surface resistive anomalies and an underlying conductive layer. Considering the high geothermal gradient on Ulleung Island, we suggest that the conductive layer of the volcanic edifice is due to hydrothermal alteration of basaltic rocks, with a potential heat source underneath. Based on the geochemical characteristics of the Ulleung volcanic rocks, the possibility of heat transfer from a trachytic magma reservoir within the shallow crustal is suggested. In summary, this study presents a geological interpretation of shallow volcanic structures beneath Ulleung Island and the possibility of an active magma reservoir as a potential heat source for the volcanic edifice. Graphical Abstract