Insights into spatio-temporal slow slip events offshore the Boso Peninsula in central Japan during 2011–2019 using GPS data

Abstract

Using Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinate time series, we detect three transient slow slip events (SSEs) offshore the Boso Peninsula in central Japan during 2011–2019. To extract the tiny SSE signals obscured by the significant post-seismic deformation after the 2011 MW9.0 Tohoku earthquake, we develop a new GPS coordinate time series processing software to obtain these SSE-induced deformations from high-noise GPS data. In addition, we apply the principal component analysis-based inversion method (PCAIM) to get the spatio-temporal slip distribution of the three SSEs. The spatio-temporal evolutions of these slips reveal that the nucleation styles are different. Compared to the 2011 and 2018 SSEs, the 2013–2014 SSE displays faster slip spatio-temporal variation, deeper slip, shorter slip duration, minor seismic moment, and lower maximum slip rate. The 2018 SSE exhibits the most significant seismic moment, the maximum slip, and the maximum slip rate of these three SSEs. The spatio-temporal variations of the 2011 SSE are the most complex, containing two acceleration and deceleration phases. The slip zone expanded along the eastern side of the Boso Peninsula in the acceleration phase and shrank back in the deceleration phase. Furthermore, the recurrence interval of SSEs spans from 2.2 to 4 years during 2011–2019, suggesting that the recurrence interval might become shorter and non-periodic due to the enormous earthquake. After the 2013–2014 SSE, the recurrence interval of the SSE gradually returns to normal. Thus, we can infer that the SSE may occur every 4–7 years after the 2018 SSE if there is no large earthquake.