Structure of the tsunamigenic plate boundary and low-frequency earthquakes in the southern Ryukyu Trench

Abstract

It has been recognized that even weakly coupled subduction zones may cause large interplate earthquakes leading to destructive tsunamis. The Ryukyu Trench is one of the best fields to study this phenomenon, since various slow earthquakes and tsunamis have occurred; yet the fault structure and seismic activity there are poorly constrained. Here we present seismological evidence from marine observation for megathrust faults and low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs). On the basis of passive observation we find LFEs occur at 15–18 km depths along the plate interface and their distribution seems to bridge the gap between the shallow tsunamigenic zone and the deep slow slip region. This suggests that the southern Ryukyu Trench is dominated by slow earthquakes at any depths and lacks a typical locked zone. The plate interface is overlaid by a low-velocity wedge and is accompanied by polarity reversals of seismic reflections, indicating fluids exist at various depths along the plate interface.

Abstract

Weakly coupled subduction zones may generate earthquakes that lead to tsunamis, but their structure and seismicity are poorly constrained with the Ryukyu subduction zone as one such example. Here, Arai et al. present seismological evidence from Ryukyu showing megathrust faults and low frequency earthquakes.