Sites of Reliquefaction Caused by the 1983 Nihonkai-Chubu Earthquake

Abstract

The Nihonkai-chubu Earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.7, occurred on May 26, 1983 in northwest Japan and produced liquefaction sites in the coastal plain of Akita and Aomori Prefectures. About one month later, the maximum aftershock, with a magnitude of 7.1, again induced liquefaction at several sites in Aomori Prefecture. The authors surveyed the affected area and discovered almost ten reliquefaction sites. Initial liquefaction at these sites had not occurred solely because of the main shock of the Nihonkai-chubu Earthquake. Initial liquefaction at some sites was attributable to the Niigata Earthquake in 1964, the Tokachi-oki Earthquake in 1968, and other earlier earthquakes. Although it had earlier been thought that the occurrence of reliquefaction would be improbable, the authors’ investigation shows that reliquefaction occurs frequently, even when the acceleration caused by a later earthquake was less than that caused by a former earthquake. It can therefore be said that a site liquefied by an earthquake can be reliquefied by a subsequent earthquake.