Aomori Bay West Coast Fault Zone

The Aomori Bay West Coast Fault Zone (青森湾西岸断層帯, Aomoriwan-seigan Dansō-tai) is an active fault zone on the Tsugaru Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture and its capital city, Aomori. It is paralleled to east by the west coast of Aomori Bay and to the west by the Tsugaru Mountains, running from north-northwest to south-southeast on the peninsula, through the city of Aomori, and finally extending south toward the Hakkōda Mountains. The zone is made up of three faults: the Aomori Bay West Fault, the Nogiwa Fault, and the Nyunai Fault. The Nyunai fault is a reverse fault.[1][2]

Aomori Bay West Coast Fault Zone
青森湾西岸断層帯
Aomoriwan-seigan Dansō-tai
Aomori Prefecture with the Aomori Bay West Coast Fault Zone shown in red
Location in Japan
Coordinates40°53′58.3″N 140°38′07.8″E
CountryJapan
RegionTōhoku
CitiesAomori, Yomogita
Characteristics
SegmentsAomori Bay West Fault, Nogiwa Fault, Nyunai Fault
Length31 km (19 mi)
Displacement0.4–0.8 m (1.3–2.6 ft)/1000 years
Tectonics
PlateOkhotsk (maybe North America)
StatusActive
Typereverse fault
AgeMiocene-recent
OrogenyNorth Kitakami Belt

Earthquakes

No major earthquakes can be directly attributed to the Aomori Bay West Coast Fault Zone during recorded history. There is a history of destructive earthquakes originating in the area, but they could have come from other faults on the peninsula.[3][4]

It has been estimated that the fault zone could produce an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 Mj. There is a 5-10 percent chance of an earthquake occurring on the zone in the next 300 years.[5]

See also

References
  1. "青森湾西岸断層帯" (in Japanese). Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  2. "Gravity survey and subsurface structure across the Aomoriwan-Seigan Fault Zone, Northeast Japan". 28 May 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  3. Hatori, Tokutaro. "Investigations of the Seismic Intensity and Tsunami of Historical Earthquakes (1964～1810) Occurring in the West Tsugaru to Oga Regions, the Japan Sea". University of Tokyo. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  4. "青森県" (in Japanese). 地震調査研究推進本部. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  5. "青森湾西岸断層帯の長期評価について" (in Japanese). 地震調査研究推進本部. 14 April 2004. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.