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Effect of elastic inhomogeneity on the surface displacements in the northeastern Japan: Based on three-dimensional numerical modeling

Earth, Planets and Space volume 59, pages 1083–1093 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

In geodetic inversions such as estimation of coseismic slip and/or afterslip distribution on faults, the displacements on the surface calculated under an assumption of homogeneous elastic half space have been mostly used as the Green’s functions (GF’s). However, this seems not adequate for better estimations of such slip distribution, because the subsurface structures are more or less inhomogeneous, especially those in and around Japan where the structure must be much complicated. In this study, to examine how much the inhomogeneous subsurface structure affects on the surface displacements, we conduct some 3-D finite element calculations with a grid for the region of 1400 km (EW) × 1200 km (NS) × 200 km (depth) including the Tohoku and Hokkaido, northeastern Japan. Assuming homogeneous and inhomogeneous elastic models with various values for the Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio, we calculated the surface displacements due to a dip-slip type dislocation of 1 m on many cell-like subfaults assumed on the interface between the Pacific and land side plates. Comparing the results, we find a large discrepancy in the surface displacements between the homogeneous and inhomogeneous elastic models and less dependency of the surface displacements on the Poisson’s ratio. The discrepancy is found to be more than 20% and can be as large as ~40% in some cases. Such a large discrepancy indicates that the surface displacements calculated for inhomogeneous elastic medium with realistic subsurface structure, unlike as in usual cases, should be used as the GF’s for better geodetic inversions.

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Author notes

  1. Naoya Minagawa

    Present address: Tokiwa-shobo Corporation, Chishirodaikita 3-21-1, Wakabaku, Chiba, 264-0005, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, Nukuikita-machi 4-1-1, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8501, Japan

    Kachishige Sato

  2. Graduate School of Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, Nukuikita-machi 4-1-1, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8501, Japan

    Naoya Minagawa

  3. Earth Simulator Center, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Showa-machi 3173-25, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0001, Japan

    Mamoru Hyodo

  4. Institute for Research on Earth Evolution, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Showa-machi 3173-25, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0001, Japan

    Toshitaka Baba & Takane Hori

  5. Department of Oceanfloor Network System Development for Earthquakes and Tsunamis, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Natsushima-cho 2-15, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan

    Yoshiyuki Kaneda

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  1. Kachishige Sato
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Correspondence to Kachishige Sato.

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Sato, K., Minagawa, N., Hyodo, M. et al. Effect of elastic inhomogeneity on the surface displacements in the northeastern Japan: Based on three-dimensional numerical modeling. Earth Planet Sp 59, 1083–1093 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03352051

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