The 2011 Magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake: Mosaicking the Megathrust from Seconds to Centuries

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1206731
• Publication Date: 2011-05-20T03:12:56Z
• Authors: Mark Simons; Sarah E. Minson; Anthony Sladen; Francisco Ortega; Junle Jiang; Susan E. Owen; Lingsen Meng; Jean-Paul Ampuero; Shengji Wei; Risheng Chu; Donald V. Helmberger; Hiroo Kanamori; Eric Hetland; Angelyn W. Moore; Frank H. Webb
• Keywords: 550; 13. Climate action; [SDU.STU] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences; 500; [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences; 01 natural sciences; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Geophysical observations from the 2011 moment magnitude (M(w)) 9.0 Tohoku-Oki, Japan earthquake allow exploration of a rare large event along subduction megathrust. Models for this indicate that distribution coseismic fault slip exceeded 50 meters in places. Sources high-frequency seismic waves delineate edges deepest portions and do not simply correlate with locations peak slip. Relative to M(w) 8.8 2010 Maule, Chile earthquake, Tohoku-Oki was deficient radiation--a difference we attribute its relatively shallow depth. Estimates total surface secular strain accumulation on millennial time scales suggest need consider potential future just south event.