Open AccessGeological evidence for prior earthquakes near Tokyo
Author(s) -
Balcerak Ernie
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2012eo080016
Subject(s) - seismology , geology , intraplate earthquake , earthquake swarm , magnitude (astronomy) , remotely triggered earthquakes , earthquake casualty estimation , interplate earthquake , slow earthquake , seismic hazard , tsunami earthquake , foreshock , subduction , seismic gap , earthquake prediction , plate tectonics , aftershock , urban seismic risk , induced seismicity , tectonics , physics , astronomy
In 1923 a magnitude 7.9 earthquake devastated the Tokyo area, resulting in more than 100,000 deaths. About 200 years earlier, in 1703, a magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck the same region, causing more than 10,000 deaths. These earthquakes, which occurred just south of the area hit by the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake, were produced by slip on the boundary between the subducting Philippine Sea plate and the overlying plate. To estimate the average recurrence time between earthquakes in this region, and thus learn more about earthquake hazard, scientists need to know when earthquakes occurred before 1703. There are few historical documents describing earlier earthquakes, though some records indicate that earthquakes occurred in 1293 and 1433.