Spatial Distribution of Viscoelastic Relaxation Following a Subduction Earthquake

Abstract

<p>Viscoelastic relaxation is generally considered as the dominant process of the long-term post-seismic deformation, while viscoelastic characteristic relaxation time represents the time scale of deformation caused by viscoelastic relaxation effect after the earthquake. The subduction earthquakes which occurred at the boundary of the ocean and continental plates often release greater stress, and the stress relaxation of mantle materials is more significant due to the response to viscoelasticity. Satellite gravity mission GRACE (gravity recovery and climate experience) is able to observe the corresponding co-seismic and post-seismic gravity changes. Therefore, in this study, we use the monthly gravity field model data of GRACE RL06 to study the post-seismic gravity changes of 2011 Tohoku earthquake and 2004 Sumatra earthquake. After removing the influence of sea level changes, GIA changes and GLDAS on the seasonal precipitation changes in the land area, as well as the sea water correction, we get the post-seismic deformation only related to the deformation of the solid earth. Then we use the attenuation function to fit each grid value and obtain the spatial distribution of viscoelastic characteristic relaxation time after rejecting the afterslip from the total post-seismic deformation. Thus，we can capture  the viscous structure in the subduction area.</p>