Large Coseismic Slip Research Articles

Spatio-temporal changes in the seismic velocity induced by the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and slow slip event revealed from seismic interferometry, using ocean bottom seismometer\u2019s records

Seismic interferometry is one of the most effective techniques for detecting temporal variations in seismic velocity caused by large earthquakes. Before the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake (Mw9.0) near the Japan Trench, a slow slip event (SSE, Mw7.0) and low-frequency tremors were observed near the trench. Here, we applied a seismic interferometry technique using ambient noise to data from 17 ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs) installed above the focal region before the main shock. We used our technique to detect temporal variations in seismic velocity caused by the main shock, SSE, and low-frequency tremors. In the region above the large coseismic slip area, we detected a 1–2% seismic velocity decrease after the main shock. In addition, we observed very small temporal increases in seismic velocity near the SSE fault during the initial SSE stage. Moreover, for most of the OBSs, we observed temporal variations in the autocorrelation functions (ACFs) during the low-frequency tremors. These may have been caused by temporal variations in the ambient noise source distributions, resulting from low-frequency tremors. These results suggest the possibility of detecting low-frequency tremors using ACF monitoring.

Coseismic Radiation of the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake and Its Relationship to Fault Complexities

The long rupture length and complex fault geometries of the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake offer a great opportunity to investigate the relationship between coseismic radiation and fault complexities. In this study, we first improved the compressive-sensing back-projection method (CS-BP) with window time adjustment and parallel computation to enhance its spatial–temporal resolution and computational efficiency. Then we applied the CS-BP to invert for the coseismic radiation of the Wenchuan earthquake in multiple frequency bands. Our results show that the coseismic radiation of the Wenchuan earthquake is frequency-dependent and strongly associated with the fault geometries: low-frequency radiation sources are concentrated on smooth fault segments with large coseismic slip, while higher-frequency sources are mainly related to fault complexities (e.g., Xiaoyudong fault, Gaochuan fault-bend, Leigu fault-bend, and Nanba fault step-over). An acceleration of rupture speed from ~ 1.5 to ~ 3.0 km/s is also observed the near Xiaoyudong fault, where strong high-frequency energies were radiated. Finally, we discuss the role of rupture speed in mediating the relationship between coseismic radiation and fault complexities. On one hand, sudden changes of rupture speeds contribute to strong high-frequency radiation. On the other hand, fault complexities can also strongly affect the rupture speed: a sudden break of a large asperity is able to propel the acceleration, while rupture front may decelerate when it jumps across geometric barriers.

Insights Into the Kinematic Rupture of the 2015 Mw 8.3 Illapel, Chile, Earthquake From Joint Analysis of Geodetic, Seismological, Tsunami, and Superconductive Gravimeter Observations

AbstractWe investigated the spatiotemporal slip distribution of the 2015 Illapel earthquake (Mw = 8.3) by joint analyses of geodetic, seismological, tsunami, and superconductive gravimeter observations. The coseismic rupture directly overlaps the interseismic coupling zone determined by onshore geodetic measurements. The main slip asperity is located north of the hypocenter with a peak slip of ~9.2 m, and the rupture spans ~200 km along strike and ~150 km along dip with an average rupture speed of ~2.0 km/s. Most aftershocks reveal a clear complementary distribution with the coseismic rupture; that is, aftershock clusters are located at the border of unbroken barriers and regions of sudden transition from high to low rupture area. The calculated Coulomb failure stress changes indicate that 80% of the aftershocks were triggered by the main event. The low‐frequency radiation corresponds to the large coseismic rupture at the shallow portion of the megathrust, while the high‐frequency radiation is associated with the edge of large slip asperity or an isolated patch at a deeper position. The large coseismic slip region correlates well with the high Vp/Vs ratio of the subduction interface, which implies that the Illapel earthquake might nucleate at a relatively weak patch within a strong coupled zone. Furthermore, we argue that the coseismic slip did reach to the trench from tsunami simulations, and historical earthquakes analyses indicate a complex strain accumulation and release in central Chile.

Slip-partitioning above a shallow, weak décollement beneath the Indo-Burman accretionary prism

The Indo-Burman Ranges (IBR) are an ∼375 km wide accretionary prism that accommodates oblique convergence of the ∼13–20 km thick Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta on the Indian plate with the Shan Plateau to the east and Shillong massif to the north. The IBR are entirely subaerial and adjacent to one of the most densely populated (>140 M people) regions on the planet, with the potential to generate a Mw ≥ 8.2 megathrust earthquake. To determine the kinematic evolution, décollement geometry, and geologic deformation rates near the front of the IBR, we combined geologic field mapping, detrital thermochronology, and structural analysis of eight antiforms that define the ∼120 km wide outer belt. The antiforms are bivergent fault-propagation or detachment folds that record plane-strain and east-trending horizontal shortening perpendicular to the axial trace of the folds, indicating nearly full slip-partitioning with the fold-belt normal and parallel components of convergence dominating, respectively, the front and back of the IBR. At 24°N the antiforms have accommodated ∼38.4 ± 16 km of shortening since ∼8 Ma above a ∼3–4 km deep, weak, subhorizontal décollement. Results indicate a shortening rate of ≥4.8 mm/yr, at least 28–37% of the arc-normal geodetic rate, and thrust front propagation rate of ≥15 km/Myr. The shallow décollement is laterally continuous with a regional detachment previously imaged by industry seismic reflection profiles to the west, north, and south of the study area. We interpret this décollement to be the up-dip part of the megathrust that has the potential to accommodate large coseismic slip during a great earthquake.

Evolution and Distribution of the Early Aftershocks Following the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake in Sichuan, China

AbstractUsing seismic data recorded by a dense temporary seismic array, we apply a waveform matched‐filter technique and obtain an early aftershock catalog around the mainshock rupture zone of the 2008 Wenchuan, Sichuan, China, earthquake. Specifically, we use 1,273 events in a relocated aftershock catalog as templates and scan through the waveforms within 7 days following the mainshock. We obtain up to ∼5.3 and ∼10 times more aftershocks than the standard and relocated catalogs, respectively. We find that early aftershocks mostly occurred below 10 km depth, downdip to large coseismic slip areas. Early aftershocks also show minor along‐strike migration with time since the mainshock, indicating triggering of afterslip following the mainshock. From the epicentral region to Beichuan where the mainshock slip was primarily reverse faulting, early aftershocks illustrated the Yingxiu‐Beichuan and Guanxian‐Jiangyou faults as high‐angle listric feature and rooted to a gentle dipping plane at the depth of ∼20 km. The aftershocks in the northeast segment of the Longmen Shan faults mostly occurred along a near‐vertical dipping fault, consistent with the primary strike‐slip component of mainshock slip in this region. In addition, differences in early and long‐term aftershock distribution indicate significant postseismic deformation along the conjugate Xiaoyudong fault. Our results help to illuminate the deep geometry of the Longmen Shan fault zone and the early evolution after the Wenchuan mainshock, which provides additional constraints to the mechanism of plateau uplifting.

Relocation of mainshock and aftershock sequence of the <italic>M</italic><sub>s</sub>7.0 Sichuan Jiuzhaigou earthquake

An earthquake of M s7.0 struck Jiuzhaigou Country in Sichuan Province on 8 August 2017. It occurred at the northeastern boundary of the Bayan Har block. The Jiuzhaigou earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes in continental China since the 2013 M s7.0 Lushan earthquake, and it was widely felt across Sichuan and adjacent provinces. The earthquake left 25 dead and up to 500 injured. Because the Jiuzhaigou earthquake did not produce obvious surface ruptures, the causative fault of this event was much debated. The shape of the seismogenic fault, the focal depth of the mainshock and the characteristics of the aftershock sequence were also not very clear. The Sichuan earthquake administration deployed 6 temporary seismic stations around the source region within 4 d of the mainshock. In this study, we collected seismic waveform data and phase arrival data recorded by permanent and temporary stations. We present a systematic investigation about the location of the Jiuzhaigou earthquake sequence with high precision. These results provide new constraints for refining earthquake rupture process, constructing seismogenic models, and evaluating regional earthquake risks. The mainshock of the Jiuzhaigou M s7.0 earthquake was relocated using a 3D velocity model. The procedure takes station elevation, topography and the Earth’s ellipticity into consideration. The location of the mainshock was found to be 103.806°E, 33.201°N, and the focal depth to be 20.4 km. The depth of the initial rupture point of the mainshock was estimated to be below 14 km with S-P arrival time difference recorded at the nearest strong motion station. The locations of early aftershocks were corrected with latter aftershocks recorded using dense temporary seismic stations. A double difference algorithm was used to relocate 1-month aftershock sequence of the Jiuzhaigou earthquake. The locations of 3030 aftershocks were here determined. The average location error was found to be 0.16, 0.15, and 0.18 km in the E-W, N-S, and U-D directions, respectively. The relocation results showed that the aftershocks spread approximately 42 km, trending NWW. The aftershock zone was found to connect the Tazang fault to the north and to the Huya fault to the south. The mainshock is located at the center of the aftershock zone, with similar aftershock length at the both sides. There is a ~5 km sparse aftershock segment to the NW of the mainshock which is consistent with large coseismic slip area. This phenomenon can be explained due to the large amount of stress released during the mainshock rupture. The depth of the aftershock in the northwest end was relatively shallow, and the aftershock zone was about 6 km wide. The depth of aftershock in the southeast section was deeper and the area was narrower, about 4 km. The predominant distribution of the focal depth is 4–20 km. The dip angle of the seismogenic fault is steep, with an average value of about 84°, and changes obviously along the strike direction. The seismogenic fault inclined to the southwest in the shallow part and to the northeast in the deep part. The complex fault shape should be considered when constructing seismogenic model and inverting earthquake rupture process. The depth of the initial rupture point of the mainshock is deeper than the centroid depth and average depth of the aftershock sequence, indicating that the earthquake rupture spreads from deep space to shallow. We find that the aftershocks migrated in the along-strike direction with logarithmic time since the mainshock. The length of the aftershock area expanded from 25 to 42 km in 2 d. The rate of spread was approximately 1.3 km/log(s), consistent with aftershock expansion caused by propagating afterslip. There may be afterslip in the source area of the Jiuzhaigou earthquake.

Composite Megathrust Rupture From Deep Interplate to Trench of the 2016 Solomon Islands Earthquake

AbstractThe deep plate boundary has usually been recognized as an aseismic area, with few large earthquakes occurring at the 60–100 km depth interface. In contrast, we use a finite‐fault rupture model to demonstrate that large slip in the 2016 M7.9 Solomon Islands earthquake may have originated from the deep subduction interface and propagated all the way up to the trench. The initial rupture occurred at a depth of about 100 km, forming a deep asperity and then propagating updip to the middle‐depth large coseismic slip area. Our proposed source model indicates that the depth‐varying rupture characteristics of this event could shift to deeper depths with respect to other subduction zones. This result also implied that the deep subducting plate boundary could also be seismogenic, which might trigger rupture at the typical middle‐depth stress‐locked zone and develop into rare composite megathrust events.

Prestate of Stress and Fault Behavior During the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake (M7.3)

AbstractFault behavior during an earthquake is controlled by the state of stress on the fault. Complex coseismic fault slip on large earthquake faults has recently been observed by dense seismic networks, which complicates strong motion evaluations for potential faults. Here we show the three‐dimensional prestress field related to the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. The estimated stress field reveals a spatially variable state of stress that forced the fault to slip in a direction predicted by the “Wallace and Bott Hypothesis.” The stress field also exposes the pre‐condition of pore fluid pressure on the fault. Large coseismic slip occurred in the low‐pressure part of the fault. However, areas with highly pressured fluid also showed large displacement, indicating that the seismic moment of the earthquake was magnified by fluid pressure. These prerupture data could contribute to improved seismic hazard evaluations.

Spatial pattern in stress drops of moderate-sized earthquakes on the Pacific Plate off the south-east of Hokkaido, Japan: implications for the heterogeneity of frictional properties

ᅟWe show that the spatial heterogeneity in the coseismic displacement of large earthquakes likely reflects the spatial characteristics of the frictional properties and that it can be inferred from the stress drop of moderate-sized earthquakes. We analyzed stress drops of 686 earthquakes with magnitudes of 4.0 to 5.0 off the south-east of Hokkaido, Japan, and investigated the spatial heterogeneity between the difference of shear strength and dynamic stress level on the Pacific Plate. We deconvolved observed P and S waves with those of collocated small earthquakes and derived the source effect of the earthquakes. We then estimated the corner frequencies of the earthquakes and calculated stress drops using a circular fault model. The values of stress drops showed a spatial pattern consistent with slip distributions of historical large earthquakes. Earthquakes that occurred in the area with a large coseismic slip during the 1968 Tokachi-oki (MW 8.2) and the 2003 Tokachi-oki (MW 8.0) earthquakes had large values of stress drop, whereas earthquakes in the afterslip area of the 2003 Tokachi-oki earthquake showed smaller values. In addition, an area between coseismic ruptures of the 1973 Nemuro-oki (MW 7.8) and the 2003 Tokachi-oki earthquakes had a large value of stress drop. Ruptures occurred in this area during the 1952 Tokachi-oki earthquake (MW 8.1), and the area acted as a barrier during the 2003 Tokachi-oki earthquake. These facts suggest that the frictional properties of the plate interface show little temporal change, and their spatial pattern can be monitored by stress drops of moderate-sized earthquakes. The spatial heterogeneity provides important information for estimating the slip pattern of a future large earthquake and discussing a policy for disaster mitigation, especially for regions in which slip patterns of historical large earthquakes are unclear.Graphical abstract

On the relationship between structure, morphology and large coseismic slip: A case study of the Mw 8.8 Maule, Chile 2010 earthquake

Subduction megathrust earthquakes show complex rupture behaviour and large lateral variations of slip. However, the factors controlling seismic slip are still under debate. Here, we present 2-D velocity-depth tomographic models across four trench-perpendicular wide angle seismic profiles complemented with high resolution bathymetric data in the area of maximum coseismic slip of the Mw 8.8 Maule 2010 megathrust earthquake (central Chile, 34°–36°S). Results show an abrupt lateral velocity gradient in the trench-perpendicular direction (from 5.0 to 6.0 km/s) interpreted as the contact between the accretionary prism and continental framework rock whose superficial expression spatially correlates with the slope-shelf break. The accretionary prism is composed of two bodies: (1) an outer accretionary wedge (5–10 km wide) characterized by low seismic velocities of 1.8–3.0 km/s interpreted as an outer frontal prism of poorly compacted and hydrated sediment, and (2) the middle wedge (∼50 km wide) with velocities of 3.0–5.0 km/s interpreted as a middle prism composed by compacted and lithified sediment. In addition, the maximum average coseismic slip of the 2010 megathrust event is fairly coincident with the region where the accretionary prism and continental slope are widest (50–60 km wide), and the continental slope angle is low (<5°). We observe a similar relation along the rupture area of the largest instrumentally recorded Valdivia 1960 Mw 9.5 megathrust earthquake. For the case of the Maule event, published differential multibeam bathymetric data confirms that coseismic slip must have propagated up to ∼6 km landwards of the deformation front and hence practically the entire base of the middle prism. Sediment dewatering and compaction processes might explain the competent rheology of the middle prism allowing shallow earthquake rupture. In contrast, the outer frontal prism made of poorly consolidated sediment has impeded the rupture up to the deformation front as high resolution seismic reflection and multibeam bathymetric data have not showed evidence for new deformation in the trench region.

Coseismic slip propagation on the Tohoku plate boundary fault facilitated by slip‐dependent weakening during slow fault slip

AbstractSlow slip phenomena, including earthquake afterslip and discrete slow slip events (SSEs), may have a major effect on megathrust earthquakes in subduction zones; however, the nature of this effect is still incompletely understood. Here we report that in friction experiments using samples from the plate boundary fault zone in the 2011 Tohoku‐Oki earthquake, an increase in sliding velocity can induce a change from steady state frictional strength or slip‐strengthening friction to slip‐weakening frictional behavior. Specifically, significant slip weakening is caused by velocity steps with initial slip rates consistent with afterslip observed after the largest Tohoku earthquake foreshock on 9 March 2011. This suggests that the foreshock afterslip, which is slightly faster than discrete SSEs, is favorable for fault weakening that may have contributed to the large coseismic slip during the main shock on the shallow plate boundary fault during the Tohoku‐Oki earthquake.

Depth-dependence of post-seismic velocity changes in and near source area of the 2013 M7.0 Lushan earthquake revealed by S coda of repeating events

I investigated postseismic velocity changes within focal area of the 2013 M7.0 Lushan earthquake using coda-wave data of repeating small earthquakes. I employed template matching and grid search methods to identify well-defined repeating earthquakes in order to minimize artifacts induced by variations in source location. I identified a total of 3 isolated patches in a two-month period after the M7.0 mainshock. I applied the coda wave interferometry technique to the waveform data of the identified repeating earthquakes to estimate velocity changes between the first and subsequent events in each cluster. Up to 0.1–0.2% velocity increase is observed from the S coda of repeating events occurred at regions surrounding the large coseismic slip area at seismogenic depths. My observations suggest that a large percent of velocity changes may occur at surface near the stations or shallow, however, healing along the propagation paths in the deep (~5–20km) is likely have contributed to the amount of velocity changes observed after the Lushan earthquake.

Along-trench variation in seafloor displacements after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.

The 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake was the largest earthquake ever observed with seafloor geodetic techniques in and around its source region. Large crustal deformation associated with both the coseismic rupture and the rapid postseismic deformation has been reported. However, these observations are insufficient to describe the postseismic deformation processes occurring around the broad rupture area. We report the first results of seafloor Global Positioning System and acoustic ranging (GPS-A) observations based on repeated campaign surveys conducted over nearly 4 years using the extended GPS-A network deployed along the Japan Trench in September 2012. The observed postseismic displacement rates (DRs) show evident spatial variation along the trench: (i) distinct landward DRs in the large coseismic slip area [primary rupture area (PRA)], evidencing the predominance of viscoelastic relaxation; (ii) remarkable trenchward DRs in the south of the PRA, indicating rapid afterslip; and (iii) slight trenchward DRs in the north of the PRA. These features provide great insights into constructing a more complete model of viscoelastic relaxation, and they also indicate spatial variation of afterslip and fault locking along the plate interface with clear spatial resolution, providing invaluable information for the improvement of seismic hazard assessment.

Frequency-dependent rupture process, stress change, and seismogenic mechanism of the 25 April 2015 Nepal Gorkha M w 7.8 earthquake

On 25 April 2015, an M w 7.8 earthquake occurred on the Main Himalaya Thrust fault with a dip angle of ~ 7° about 77 km northwest of Kathmandu, Nepal. This Nepal Gorkha event is the largest one on the Himalayan thrust belt since 1950. Here we use the compressive sensing method in the frequency domain to track the seismic radiation and rupture process of this event using teleseismic P waves recorded by array stations in North America. We also compute the distribution of static shear stress changes on the fault plane from a coseismic slip model. Our results indicate a dominant east-southeastward unilateral rupture process from the epicenter with an average rupture speed of ~3 km s‒1. Coseismic radiation of this earthquake shows clear frequency-dependent features. The lower frequency (0.05–0.3 Hz) radiation mainly originates from large coseismic slip regions with negative coseismic shear stress changes. In comparison, higher frequency (0.3–0.6 Hz) radiation appears to be from the down-dip part around the margin of large slip areas, which has been loaded and presents positive coseismic shear stress changes. We propose an asperity model to interpret this Nepal earthquake sequence and compare the frequency-dependent coseismic radiation with that in subduction zones. Such frequency-dependent radiation indicates the depth-varying frictional properties on the plate interface of the Nepal section in the main Himalaya thrust system, similar to previous findings in oceanic subduction zones. Our findings provide further evidence of the spatial correlation between changes of static stress status on the fault plane and the observed frequency-dependent coseismic radiation during large earthquakes. Our results show that the frequency-dependent coseismic radiation is not only found for megathrust earthquakes in the oceanic subduction environment, but also holds true for thrust events in the continental collision zone.

Seismic structure off the Kii Peninsula, Japan, deduced from passive- and active-source seismographic data

We conduct seismic tomography to model subsurface seismicity between 2010 and 2012 and structural heterogeneity off the Kii Peninsula, southwestern Japan, and to investigate their relationships with segmentation of the Nankai and Tonankai seismogenic zones of the Nankai Trough. In order to constrain both the shallow and deep structure of the offshore seismogenic segments, we use both active- and passive-source data recorded by both ocean-bottom seismometers and land seismic stations. The relocated microearthquakes indicate a lack of seismic activity in the Tonankai seismogenic segment off Kumano, whereas there was active intraslab seismicity in the Kii Channel area of the Nankai seismogenic segment. Based on comparisons among the distribution of seismicity, age, and spreading rate of the subducting Philippine Sea plate, and the slip-deficit distribution, we conclude that seismicity in the subducting slab under the Kii Channel region nucleated from structures in the Philippine Sea slab that pre-date subduction and that fluids released by dehydration are related to decreased interplate coupling of these intraslab earthquakes. Our velocity model clearly shows the areal extent of two key structures reported in previous 2-D active-source surveys: a high-velocity zone beneath Cape Shionomisaki and a subducted seamount off Cape Muroto, both of which are roughly circular and of 15–20 km radius. The epicenters of the 1944 Tonankai and 1946 Nankai earthquakes are near the edge of the high-velocity body beneath Cape Shionomisaki, suggesting that this anomalous structure is related to the nucleation of these two earthquakes. We identify several other high- and low-velocity zones immediately above the plate boundary in the Tonankai and Nankai seismogenic segments. In comparison with the slip-deficit model, some of the low-velocity zones appear to correspond to an area of strong coupling. Our observations suggest that, unlike the Japan Trench subduction zone, in our study area there is not a simple correspondence between areas of large coseismic slip or strong interplate coupling and areas of high velocity in the overriding plate.

Spatial Variations of Aftershock Parameters and their Relation to Geodetic Slip Models for the 2010 Mw8.8 Maule and the 2011 Mw9.0 Tohoku-oki Earthquakes

Recent development in analysis tools and deployments of the geodetic and seismic instruments give an opportunity to investigate aftershock sequences at local scales, which is important for the seismic hazard assessment. In particular, we study the dependencies between aftershock sequences properties and deformational/geological data on a scale of the rupture extension of megathrust earthquakes. For this goal we use, on one hand, published models of inter-, co- and postseismic slip and geological information and, on the other hand, aftershock parameters, obtained by fitting a modified Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequence (ETAS) model. The altered ETAS model takes into account the mainshock rupture extension and it distinguishes between primary and the secondary aftershock triggering involved in the total seismicity rate. We estimate the Spearman correlation coefficients between the spatially distributed aftershock parameters estimated by the modified ETAS model and crustal physical properties for the Maule 2010 Mw8.8 and the Tohoku-oki 2011 Mw9.0 aftershock sequences. We find that: (1) modified ETAS model outperforms the classical one, when the mainshock rupture extension cannot be neglected and represented as a point source; (2) anomalous aftershock parameters occur in the areas of the reactivated fault systems; (3) aftershocks, regardless of their generation, tend to occur in the areas of high coseismic slip gradient, afterslip and interseismic coupling; (4) aftershock seismic moment releases preferentially in regions of large coseismic slip, coseismic slip gradient and interseismically locked areas; (5) b value tends to be smaller in interseismically locked regions.

Early aftershocks and afterslip surrounding the 2015 Mw 8.4 Illapel rupture

On 16 September 2015, the Mw 8.4 Illapel earthquake ruptured a section of the subduction thrust on the west coast of central Chile. The mainshock was followed by numerous aftershocks including some normal-faulting events near the trench. We apply a template matching approach to improve the completeness of early aftershocks within one month of the mainshock. To constrain the distribution of afterslip, we utilize repeating earthquakes among the aftershocks and perform a joint slip inversion of postseismic GPS and InSAR data. The results show that the aftershock zone abruptly expands to the south ∼14 h after the mainshock while growing relatively continuously to the north within the first day. The repeating earthquakes accompanying the early expansion suggest that aseismic afterslip on the subduction thrust surrounding the coseismic rupture is an important triggering mechanism of aftershocks in addition to stress transfer or poroelastic effects. An energetic earthquake sequence near the trench initiated with a M 4.6 event ∼3.5 h after the mainshock, suggesting delayed triggering by the static or dynamic stress changes induced by the mainshock. The spatial distribution of repeating earthquakes and the geodetic-inverted afterslip are consistent and appear to wrap around the large coseismic slip patch. Both data sets suggest that the largest cumulative afterslip is located at ∼30.5°S to the north of the mainshock rupture zone. The estimated postseismic moment released in the first ∼24 days of afterslip is equivalent to an earthquake of Mw 7.5. The afterslip illuminates the velocity strengthening sections of the plate interface that surround the mainshock rupture, consistent with plate coupling models inferred from interseismic GPS velocities.

Possible scenarios for occurrence of M ~ 7 interplate earthquakes prior to and following the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake based on numerical simulation.

We show possible scenarios for the occurrence of M ~ 7 interplate earthquakes prior to and following the M ~ 9 earthquake along the Japan Trench, such as the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. One such M ~ 7 earthquake is so-called the Miyagi-ken-Oki earthquake, for which we conducted numerical simulations of earthquake generation cycles by using realistic three-dimensional (3D) geometry of the subducting Pacific Plate. In a number of scenarios, the time interval between the M ~ 9 earthquake and the subsequent Miyagi-ken-Oki earthquake was equal to or shorter than the average recurrence interval during the later stage of the M ~ 9 earthquake cycle. The scenarios successfully reproduced important characteristics such as the recurrence of M ~ 7 earthquakes, coseismic slip distribution, afterslip distribution, the largest foreshock, and the largest aftershock of the 2011 earthquake. Thus, these results suggest that we should prepare for future M ~ 7 earthquakes in the Miyagi-ken-Oki segment even though this segment recently experienced large coseismic slip in 2011.

Seismological evidence of an active footwall shortcut thrust in the Northern Itoigawa–Shizuoka Tectonic Line derived by the aftershock sequence of the 2014 M 6.7 Northern Nagano earthquake

A destructive M 6.7 earthquake struck Northern Nagano prefecture on November 22, 2014. The main shock occurred on the Kamishiro fault segment of the northern Itoigawa–Shizuoka Tectonic Line (ISTL). We used data recorded at 41 stations of the local seismographic network in order to locate 2118 earthquakes that occurred between November 18 and November 30, 2014. To estimate hypocenters, we assigned low Vp models to stations within the Northern Fossa Magna (NFM) basin thus accounting for large lateral crustal heterogeneities across the Kamishiro fault. In order to further improve accuracy, the final hypocenter locations were recalculated inside a 3D velocity model using the double-difference method. We used the aftershock activity distribution and focal mechanism solutions of major events in order to estimate the source fault area of the main shock. Our analysis suggests that the shallow part of the source fault corresponds to the surface trace of the Kamishiro fault and dips 30°–45° SE, while the deeper part of the source fault corresponds to the downdip portion of the Otari–Nakayama fault, a high angle fault dipping 50°–65° SE that formed during the opening of the NFM basin in the Miocene. Along its surface trace the Otari–Nakayama fault has been inactive during the late Quaternary. We verified the validity of our model by calculating surface deformation using a simple homogeneous elastic half-space model and comparing it to observed surface deformation from satellite interferometry, assuming large coseismic slip in the areas of low seismicity and small coseismic slip in the areas of high seismicity. Shallowing of the source fault from 50°–65° to 30°–45° in the upper 4km, in the areas where both surface fault traces are visible, is a result of footwall shortcut thrusting by the Kamishiro fault off the Otari–Nakayama fault.

Spatial distribution of the faulting types of small earthquakes around the 2011 Tohoku‐oki earthquake: A comprehensive search using template events

AbstractWe developed a new method to classify the faulting types of small earthquakes using interevent waveform similarity and applied it to earthquakes in the northeast Japan subduction zone. In the method, we used separate time windows for P and S waves and established a relationship between waveform similarity and differences in focal mechanisms from event pairs whose focal mechanisms we know. Then we applied the relationship to many pairs of such focal‐mechanism‐known events (5607 from the moment tensor catalogue and 3623 events from the interplate repeating earthquakes catalogue) and focal‐mechanism‐unknown events for the period from 1984 to 2013. As a result, 8984 earthquakes were newly classified into interplate (N = 5401), noninterplate thrust (N = 631), normal (N = 1070), and strike‐slip faulting earthquakes (N = 165). From the new data set, which doubles the number of mechanism types, we confirmed that there have been almost no interplate earthquakes in the area of large coseismic slip of the Tohoku‐oki earthquake since that event. We also saw that this trend continued until at least the end of 2013, suggesting a nearly complete stress release and slow interplate stress recovery. The abundant interplate aftershocks also indicate the precise spatial extent of postsesimic slip, which is usually difficult to obtain from land‐based geodetic data. The postseismic slip also suggests stress concentration at the asperities of the 1968 Tokachi‐oki (M7.9) and 1994 Sanriku‐oki (M7.6) earthquakes. The present‐day faulting types offshore Tohoku correlated well with the static‐stress change from the Tohoku‐oki earthquake, suggesting a stress state change during the earthquake cycle of megathrust earthquakes.