3D Finite Element Analysis of Fault Displacements in the Nobi Fault Zone, Japan

Abstract

The Nobi fault zone, which generated the 1891 Nobi Earthquake (M8.0), includes five or six faults distributed in and around Gifu and Aichi prefectures, Japan. Because large cities are located near the fault zone (e.g., Gifu and Nagoya), and because the zone will likely be reactivated in the future, relatively thorough surveys have been conducted on the 1891 Nobi earthquake event, examining the fault geometry, house collapse rate, and the magnitude and distribution of earthquake intensity and fault displacement. In this study, we calculated the earthquake slip along faults in the Nobi fault zone by applying a 3D numerical analysis. The analysis shows that a zone with slip displacements of up to 100 mm included all areas with house collapse rates of 100%. In addition, the maximum vertical displacement was approximately ± 1700 mm, which is in agreement with the ± 1400 mm or greater vertical displacements obtained in previous studies. The analysis yielded a fault zone with slip displacements of > 30 mm that is coincident with areas in which house collapse rates were 60% of more. The analysis shows that the regional slip sense was coincident with areas of uplift and subsidence caused by the Nobi earthquake.