Phenomenological Complexity of Earthquakes and Inherent Uncertainties in Fault Rupture

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K13629
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 17040:Solid earth sciences-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Aso Naofumi 東京工業大学, 理学院, 助教 (70801223)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 地震

Outline of Final Research Achievements

For a given physics on the fault, we can calculate slip evolution deterministically. However, precise determination of microscopic heterogeneity is unrealistic, and therefore slip evolution appears to be a stochastic process. In this study, I tried to understand the complexity of earthquake phenomena based on my unique concept of inherent uncertainties in fault rupture. As a result, a simple model could explain a variety of earthquakes, from crack-like to pulse-like features, as well as slow earthquakes.

Free Research Field

地震学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

地震の物理的側面には未解決の問題が多く、例えば、大きな地震と小さな地震との根本的な違いでさえ、よく分かっていない。近年では、断層面がゆっくりと滑るスロー地震が巨大地震前に発生していることもわかっており、地震すべりの多様性を理解することは重要である。本研究の成果は、非常にシンプルなモデルながらも、断層破壊の多様性を再現する、世界で初めてのモデルである。