Interplate Earthquakes and the Asperity Model

Generation Mechanism of Giant Earthquakes in Subduction Zones with Smaller-Size Interplate Earthquakes During Interseismic Period

Rheological profile across the NE Japan interplate megathrust in the source region of the 2011 Mw9.0 Tohoku-oki earthquake

A strength profile across the NE Japan interplate megathrust was constructed in the source region of the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake (Mw9.0) using friction, fracturing, and ductile flow data of the oceanic crustal materials obtained from laboratory experiments. The depth-dependent changes in pressure, temperature, and pore fluid pressure were incorporated into a model. The large tsunamigenic sli...

Strain waves, earthquakes, slow earthquakes, and afterslip in the framework of the Frenkel-Kontorova model.

The one-dimensional Frenkel-Kontorova (FK) model, well known from the theory of dislocations in crystal materials, is applied to the simulation of the process of nonelastic stress propagation along transform faults. Dynamic parameters of plate boundary earthquakes as well as slow earthquakes and afterslip are quantitatively described, including propagation velocity along the strike, plate bound...

Effect of an outer-rise earthquake on seismic cycle of large interplate earthquakes estimated from an insta- bility model based on friction mechanics

A numerical simulation study is conducted to examine the effect of a large outerrise earthquake on seismic cycle of large interplate earthquakes in a subduction zone. A model of 2D uniform elastic half-space is set up to exactly evaluate static elastic interactions. The frictional force acting on a plate interface is assumed to obey a laboratory-derived rateand state-dependent friction law. The...

Aftershock Area Expansion and Mechanical Heterogeneity of Fault Zone within Subduction Zones

We investigate global variations in the pattern of aftershock area expansion associated with large subduction zone earthquakes. The expansion of aftershock areas with time is relatively small in the subduction zones of Alaska, the Aleutians, Mexico, and parts of the Kuriles and South America. These subduction zones are interpreted to be characterized by moderate to strong interplate coupling. I...