Structure and composition of the plate-boundary slip zone for the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake

Frederick M. Chester; Christie Rowe; Kohtaro Ujiie; James Kirkpatrick; Christine Regalla; Francesca Remitti; J. Casey Moore; Virginia Toy; Monica Wolfson-Schwehr; Santanu Bose; Jun Kameda; James J. Mori; Emily E. Brodsky; Nobuhisa Eguchi; Sean Toczko

doi:10.1126/science.1243719

Structure and composition of the plate-boundary slip zone for the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake

Frederick M. Chester, Christie Rowe, Kohtaro Ujiie, James Kirkpatrick, Christine Regalla, Francesca Remitti, J. Casey Moore, Virginia Toy, Monica Wolfson-Schwehr, Santanu Bose, Jun Kameda, James J. Mori, Emily E. Brodsky, Nobuhisa Eguchi, Sean Toczko

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

232 Scopus citations

Abstract

The mechanics of great subduction earthquakes are influenced by the frictional properties, structure, and composition of the plate-boundary fault. We present observations of the structure and composition of the shallow source fault of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and tsunami from boreholes drilled by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 343 and 343T. Logging-while-drilling and core-sample observations show a single major plate-boundary fault accommodated the large slip of the Tohoku-Oki earthquake rupture, as well as nearly all the cumulative interplate motion at the drill site. The localization of deformation onto a limited thickness (less than 5 meters) of pelagic clay is the defining characteristic of the shallow earthquake fault, suggesting that the pelagic clay may be a regionally important control on tsunamigenic earthquakes.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1208-1211
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	342
Issue number	6163
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1243719
State	Published - 2013
Externally published	Yes

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Chester, F. M., Rowe, C., Ujiie, K., Kirkpatrick, J., Regalla, C., Remitti, F., Moore, J. C., Toy, V., Wolfson-Schwehr, M., Bose, S., Kameda, J., Mori, J. J., Brodsky, E. E., Eguchi, N., & Toczko, S. (2013). Structure and composition of the plate-boundary slip zone for the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. Science, 342(6163), 1208-1211. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1243719

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title = "Structure and composition of the plate-boundary slip zone for the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake",

abstract = "The mechanics of great subduction earthquakes are influenced by the frictional properties, structure, and composition of the plate-boundary fault. We present observations of the structure and composition of the shallow source fault of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and tsunami from boreholes drilled by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 343 and 343T. Logging-while-drilling and core-sample observations show a single major plate-boundary fault accommodated the large slip of the Tohoku-Oki earthquake rupture, as well as nearly all the cumulative interplate motion at the drill site. The localization of deformation onto a limited thickness (less than 5 meters) of pelagic clay is the defining characteristic of the shallow earthquake fault, suggesting that the pelagic clay may be a regionally important control on tsunamigenic earthquakes.",

author = "Chester, \{Frederick M.\} and Christie Rowe and Kohtaro Ujiie and James Kirkpatrick and Christine Regalla and Francesca Remitti and Moore, \{J. Casey\} and Virginia Toy and Monica Wolfson-Schwehr and Santanu Bose and Jun Kameda and Mori, \{James J.\} and Brodsky, \{Emily E.\} and Nobuhisa Eguchi and Sean Toczko",

year = "2013",

doi = "10.1126/science.1243719",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "342",

pages = "1208--1211",

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publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

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T1 - Structure and composition of the plate-boundary slip zone for the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake

AU - Chester, Frederick M.

AU - Rowe, Christie

AU - Ujiie, Kohtaro

AU - Kirkpatrick, James

AU - Regalla, Christine

AU - Remitti, Francesca

AU - Moore, J. Casey

AU - Toy, Virginia

AU - Wolfson-Schwehr, Monica

AU - Bose, Santanu

AU - Kameda, Jun

AU - Mori, James J.

AU - Brodsky, Emily E.

AU - Eguchi, Nobuhisa

AU - Toczko, Sean

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - The mechanics of great subduction earthquakes are influenced by the frictional properties, structure, and composition of the plate-boundary fault. We present observations of the structure and composition of the shallow source fault of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and tsunami from boreholes drilled by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 343 and 343T. Logging-while-drilling and core-sample observations show a single major plate-boundary fault accommodated the large slip of the Tohoku-Oki earthquake rupture, as well as nearly all the cumulative interplate motion at the drill site. The localization of deformation onto a limited thickness (less than 5 meters) of pelagic clay is the defining characteristic of the shallow earthquake fault, suggesting that the pelagic clay may be a regionally important control on tsunamigenic earthquakes.

AB - The mechanics of great subduction earthquakes are influenced by the frictional properties, structure, and composition of the plate-boundary fault. We present observations of the structure and composition of the shallow source fault of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and tsunami from boreholes drilled by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 343 and 343T. Logging-while-drilling and core-sample observations show a single major plate-boundary fault accommodated the large slip of the Tohoku-Oki earthquake rupture, as well as nearly all the cumulative interplate motion at the drill site. The localization of deformation onto a limited thickness (less than 5 meters) of pelagic clay is the defining characteristic of the shallow earthquake fault, suggesting that the pelagic clay may be a regionally important control on tsunamigenic earthquakes.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84889240496

UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84889240496&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/science.1243719

DO - 10.1126/science.1243719

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84889240496

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 342

SP - 1208

EP - 1211

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6163

ER -

Structure and composition of the plate-boundary slip zone for the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake

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