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Change of strain rate and seismicity in the Chubu district, central Japan, associated with a Tokai slow event

Earth, Planets and Space volume 59, pages 351–361 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

We have evaluated temporal variation in strain rates in the Chubu and Kinki districts, central Japan, between 1997 and 2004 using continuous GPS data of GEONET. We found that strain rates throughout the southern part of Chubu district, including the Yoro fault and Nobi fault zone, have significantly deviated from the secular crustal deformation pattern since at least 2001. The results of an inversion procedure show that the strain rate change can be well explained by a slow slip beneath the Tokai area, suggesting that the Tokai slow event has significantly affected the crustal deformation not only in the Tokai area but also in an area located more than 100 km from the main slip area of the event. We also found that the seismicity rate has clearly decreased by approximately 50% around the Yoro fault since the latter half of 2000. The δCFF inferred from our Tokai slow slip model agrees with the observed reduction in seismicity. These results were interpreted as indicating that the seismicity, which has been decreasing for several years, is controlled by the reduction in the shear stressing-rate due to the Tokai slow slip.

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Author notes

  1. Tomokazu Kobayashi

    Present address: Institute of Seismology and Volcanology, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10 nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan

    Tomokazu Kobayashi & Manabu Hashimoto

Authors
  1. Tomokazu Kobayashi
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  2. Manabu Hashimoto
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Correspondence to Tomokazu Kobayashi.

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Kobayashi, T., Hashimoto, M. Change of strain rate and seismicity in the Chubu district, central Japan, associated with a Tokai slow event. Earth Planet Sp 59, 351–361 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03352695

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03352695

Key words

  • Strain rate change
  • seismicity change
  • Tokai slow event
  • static stress change