Rapid mantle flow with power-law creep explains deformation after the 2011 Tohoku mega-quake

Ryoichiro Agata; Sylvain D. Barbot; Kohei Fujita; Mamoru Hyodo; Takeshi Iinuma; Ryoko Nakata; Tsuyoshi Ichimura; Takane Hori

doi:10.1038/s41467-019-08984-7

Nature Communications (Mar 2019)

Rapid mantle flow with power-law creep explains deformation after the 2011 Tohoku mega-quake

Ryoichiro Agata,
Sylvain D. Barbot,
Kohei Fujita,
Mamoru Hyodo,
Takeshi Iinuma,
Ryoko Nakata,
Tsuyoshi Ichimura,
Takane Hori

Affiliations

Ryoichiro Agata: R&D Center for Earthquake and Tsunami, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Sylvain D. Barbot: Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California
Kohei Fujita: Earthquake Research Institute & Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Tokyo
Mamoru Hyodo: R&D Center for Earthquake and Tsunami, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Takeshi Iinuma: R&D Center for Earthquake and Tsunami, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Ryoko Nakata: R&D Center for Earthquake and Tsunami, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Tsuyoshi Ichimura: Earthquake Research Institute & Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Tokyo
Takane Hori: R&D Center for Earthquake and Tsunami, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-08984-7
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

Read online

Large subduction zone earthquakes like the M 9.0 Tohoku earthquake of 2011 are followed by transient surface deformation. Here, the authors show this to be caused by rapid flow taking place in the asthenosphere due to temporarily decreased viscosity because of coseismic stress.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

About the journal