Research Spotlight: Split tectonic plate beneath western Japan explains earthquake activity

Anelastic properties beneath the Niigata–Kobe Tectonic Zone, Japan

We estimate the three-dimensional (3D) P-wave attenuation structure beneath the Niigata–Kobe Tectonic Zone (NKTZ), central Japan, using high-quality waveform data from a large number of stations. The obtained results confirm the segmentation of the NKTZ into three regions, as suggested by 3D seismic velocity models, and reveal characteristic structures related to surface deformation, shallow su...

Earthquake Mechanisms at the Head of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Southern Kanto District, Japan

An analysis has been made of the rupture mechanism of two earthquakes which occurred in the vicinity of the oblique collision beneath the tip of the descending Philippine Sea plate and the Pacific plate beneath Chiba, Japan. The M=6.5 1956 Chiba earthquake occurred in a dense nest of seismicity at a depth of between 70 and 80km beneath Chiba city, and may represent deformation at the tip of the...

Pre - Plate - Tectonic

Geological models of subduction zones impact thinking about many of the central problems in the structure, dynamics, chemistry, and history of the solid earth. Should those models change, the effects will reach across the earth sciences. We are currently in the midst of such a change, brought on by several causes. First, the earth science community recently began an organized, multi-disciplinar...

Tectonic Background of the Wenchuan Earthquake

Research Spotlight

Introduction Recent natural and man-made disastrous events underscore the importance of emergency evacuation planning and management for buildings and facilities (Averill et al., 2005). Although building codes include provisions for egress design, their prescriptive nature poses many limitations in terms of providing effective evacuation for specific buildings, each of which is unique. Human be...