Durham Scientist Participates in International Research on 2011 Tohoku Earthquake

A Durham scientist joins an international team drilling off Japan to investigate the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. The project aims to understand the fault dynamics and other processes that led to the earthquake and consequent tsunami. The research is crucial for improving our understanding of subduction zone behavior and enhancing preparedness for future seismic events.

A Durham University scientist is participating in a global research initiative that involves drilling into the ocean floor off Japan’s eastern coast to further investigate the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. This earthquake, one of the most significant in recent times, induced a catastrophic tsunami that affected Japan and devastated coastal regions. The disaster inflicted extensive infrastructural damage, culminating in the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, resulting in approximately 18,500 fatalities and displacing over 160,000 individuals.

The Japan Trench Fast Drilling Project (JFAST), initiated in 2013, has already gathered valuable samples from the Japan Trench’s tectonic plates to examine the earthquake’s causes. Now, a team of experts, including Dr. Rebecca Robertson from Durham’s Earth Sciences department, is onboard the Chikyu deep-sea drilling vessel as part of the Tracking Tsunamigenic Slip Across the Japan Trench (JTRACK) project. This mission aims to extract additional data by drilling through the fault line where the 2011 Tohoku earthquake originated.

Currently, the research team has surpassed the halfway mark of their four-month expedition, having successfully drilled through the overriding continental plate and reached the subducting Pacific plate. They have established an observatory at the fault site and are now meticulously sampling both the deep-sea sediments and material from the fault zone while acquiring high-resolution imaging to supplement their findings.

Prior to the 2011 quake, researchers maintained that only the deeper sections of the subduction zone faults produced significant earthquakes, with the shallow portions remaining inactive. The Tohoku earthquake, however, contradicted this assumption as it exhibited the greatest fault displacement ever recorded from a single seismic event. The JTRACK team aspires to enhance understanding of this exceptional occurrence through continued exploration and analysis of the fault’s characteristics.

The 2011 Tohoku earthquake holds significant historical and scientific importance due to its unprecedented magnitude and the causation of a devastating tsunami. Its consequences on human life and infrastructure were profound, leading to widespread destruction and loss. In the aftermath of this disaster, geological research has focused on understanding the mechanics of earthquakes occurring at subduction zones, particularly addressing the anomalies revealed by the Tohoku event. The ongoing projects, such as JFAST and JTRACK, seek to unearth insights into tectonic processes that govern such formidable seismic occurrences.

The involvement of Dr. Rebecca Robertson and her colleagues in the JTRACK project signifies a crucial step towards understanding the intricate dynamics of seismic activity along the Japan Trench. By examining the fault structures linked to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, the research team hopes to illuminate the underlying processes contributing to such extraordinary seismic events. The findings from this expedition may enhance predictive capabilities and preparedness for future earthquakes, providing critical knowledge to mitigate their impacts.

Original Source: www.durham.ac.uk