[1] Interseismic GPS data along the Hualien-Suao coast (NE Taiwan) shows a pattern of strain accumulation that is consistent with a potential future large shallow earthquake along the southernmost Ryukyu subduction zone. The measured shortening rate parallel to the Ryukyu Trench is 80 mm/yr, about twice of the shortening rate perpendicular to the Ryukyu Trench. We invert for slip-deficit rates ...

Great earthquakes, the few largest earthquakes that account for most of the Earth’s seismic energy release, have occurred at only a few subduction zones around the world. Strong locking, or ‘seismic coupling’, of the interface between plates at certain subduction zones is often invoked to explain these great earthquakes. Although past studies have correlated strong seismic coupling with a compr...

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...

[1] We develop a theory of using difference wavefields of repeated sources to locate and quantify temporal medium change and apply the theory to locate temporal change of seismic properties beneath the Japan subduction zone using repeated earthquakes. Our theory states the difference wavefields of two repeated sources in a temporally changed medium can be equivalently treated as wavefields prop...

Earthquake performance of wood-frame shear walls was evaluated by comparing fully and partially anchored walls under monotonic, cyclic, and earthquake loads and comparing with code measures. Suitability of monotonic and cyclic testing to predict seismic performance was examined. Earthquake tests were conducted on 2440-mm-square walls with Douglas-fir studs. Two oriented strandboard panels were ...

The 2011 Tohoku earthquake (Mw 9.0) produced a very large slip on the shallow part of a megathrust fault that resulted in destructive tsunamis. Although multiple causes of such large slip at shallow depths are to be expected, the frictional property of sediments around the fault, particularly at coseismic slip velocities, may significantly contribute to large slip along such faults. We have thu...

Abstract Deep-focus earthquakes in the Tonga–Fiji subduction zone make up greater than 66% of the globally recorded deep seismicity. The high number of deep-focus seismicity in this active subduction zone allows us to search for deep-focus similar earthquake pairs and repeating earthquakes. We compile a waveform dataset for deep earthquakes with magnitude above 4.7 occurring in the Tonga–Fiji–K...

The 2015 Mw8.3 Illapel, Chile earthquake is the latest megathrust event on the central segment of that subduction zone. It generated strong ground motions and a large (up to 11m runup) tsunami which prompted the evacuation of more than 1 million people in the first hours following the event. Observations during recent earthquakes suggest that these phenomena can be associated with rupture on di...

The hydrology of the subducting plate and its dewatering behavior through the shallow subduction zone is linked to the structure and deformation of the forearc prism, the nature of the seismogenic zone, the composition of seawater for selected elements, and the composition of the residual slab subducted to depths of magma generation at the volcanic arc. Two locally independent systems of fluid ...