The thermal structure of subduction zones is fundamental to our understanding of physical and chemical processes that occur at active convergent plate margins. These include magma generation and related arc volcanism, shallow and deep seismicity, and metamorphic reactions that can release fluids. Computational models can predict the thermal structure to great numerical precision when models are fully described but this does not guarantee accuracy or applicability. In a trio of companion papers, the construction of thermal subduction zone models, their use in subduction zone studies, and their link to geophysical and geochemical observations are explored. In part I, the motivation to understand the thermal structure is presented based on experimental and observational studies. This is followed by a description of a selection of thermal models for the Japanese subduction zones.

俯冲带的热结构对于我们理解活跃聚合板块边缘发生的物理和化学过程至关重要。其中包括岩浆生成和相关的弧火山活动、浅层和深层地震活动以及可以释放流体的变质反应。当模型得到充分描述时，计算模型可以以很高的数值精度预测热结构，但这并不能保证准确性或适用性。在三篇配套论文中，探讨了热俯冲带模型的构建、它们在俯冲带研究中的应用以及它们与地球物理和地球化学观测的联系。在第一部分中，基于实验和观察研究提出了理解热结构的动机。