Gravity Variation Estimation of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake

Abstract

Gravity variations due to the 2011 Tohoku (M9.0) earthquake, which occurred at the plate boundaries near the northeastern coast of Japan, were estimated through the GRACE spherical harmonic (Stokes) coefficients derived from the CSR. About -5 μGal gravity variation by the GRACE data was found in the back-arc basin area with respect to a reference gravity model. The mean gravity variations in the back-arc basin area and the Japan Trench area were -4.4 and -3.2 μGal in order. The small negative gravity variations around the Japan Trench area can be interpreted by both crustal dilatation and the seafloor topography change in comparison with the large negative gravity variations in the back-arc basin area by co-seismic crustal dilatation of the landward plate. From the results of the gravity variations, vertical displacements generated from relatively short wavelength caused by the earthquake were estimated by use of multi-beam bathymetric measurements obtained from JAMSTEC. The maximum seafloor topography changes of about ±50 m were found at west side of the Japan Trench axis by the earthquake. The seafloor topography change by the megathrust earthquake can be considered as the results of the landslide of the seafloor throughout the landward side.