Source process of the recurrent Tokachi-oki earthquake on September 26, 2003, inferred from teleseismic body waves

Abstract

On September 26, 2003, a large earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 occurred along the Kuril trench off Tokachi, Hokkaido, Japan. We investigated the source process by using teleseismic P- and SH-wave data. The main source parameters are as follows: the seismic moment 1.0 × 10²¹ Nm (Mw= 8.0); (strike, dip, rake) = (230°, 20°, 109°); the depth of initial break point 25 km; source duration 40 sec; and the maximum slip 5.8 m. We estimated the fault area to be 90 × 70 km², the average slip 2.6 m, and the stress drop 5.0 MPa. This earthquake was an interplate earthquake associated with the subduction of the Pacific plate. The rupture propagated northward from a shallow to a deep region. In this area, a great earthquake (magnitude 8.2) occurred in 1952. We also made limited inversion of nearfield records of the 1952 event and found that the 2003 asperity was also ruptured in 1952. Our result suggests that the 2003 Tokachi-oki earthquake was a recurrent event of the 1952 Tokachi-oki earthquake.