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Weak interplate coupling beneath the subduction zone off Fukushima, NE Japan, inferred from GPS/acoustic seafloor geodetic observation

Abstract

We have been carrying out GPS/acoustic seafloor geodetic observations at several reference points situated along the Japan Trench, a major plate boundary of subduction. A time series of horizontal coordinates of one of the seafloor reference points, located off Fukushima, obtained from seven campaign observations for the period 2002-2008, exhibits a linear trend with a scattering root mean square of about 3 cm. A linear fit to the time series gives an intraplate crustal movement velocity of 3.1 cm per year in a westerly direction, which is significantly smaller than that at the other seafloor reference point 120 km away along the trench axis. This result implies weak interplate coupling in this region.

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Correspondence to Yoshihiro Matsumoto.

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Matsumoto, Y., Ishikawa, T., Fujita, M. et al. Weak interplate coupling beneath the subduction zone off Fukushima, NE Japan, inferred from GPS/acoustic seafloor geodetic observation. Earth Planet Sp 60, e9–e12 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03353114

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