Fig. 7.

Rupture domains of interplate megathrust faults. Schematic cross-section, scaled appropriately for the subduction zone off the northeast coast of Honshu where the great 2011 Tohoku earthquake occurred, indicating 4 domains of megathrust rupture characteristics: A—near-trench domain where tsunami earthquakes or anelastic deformation and stable sliding occur; B—central megathrust domain where large slip occurs with minor short-period seismic radiation; C—down-dip domain where moderate slip occurs with significant coherent short-period seismic radiation; D—transitional domain, only present in some areas, typically with a young subducting plate, where slow slip events, low frequency earthquakes (LFEs), and seismic tremor can occur. At yet greater depths the megathrust slides stably or with episodic slow slip or by with plastic deformation that does not generate earthquakes. (From Lay et al., 2012).