I can't quite figure out what is supposed to be anomalous in those papers.
Nothing. "Anomaly" in geology doesn't mean the same thing as it means in the philosophy of science --- in geology, an anomaly is just a reading which is different from the average or background signal. So the answer to this question ...
What is it that is unique in this case when compared to other subduction zones?
... is, again, nothing. All active subduction zones have anomalies associated with them, because the slab of crust sinking into the mantle looks different from the mantle.
Edited by Dr Adequate, : No reason given.