Potential tsunamigenic faults of the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake

Abstract

Faults related to the tsunamigenic 2011 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake (Mw 9.0) were investigated by using multi-channel seismic reflection data acquired in 1999 and submersible seafloor observations from 2008. The location of the fault system interpreted in the seismic reflection profile is distributed around the area with largest slip and tsunami induction of the 2011 event. Cold-seep communities along the trace of the branch reverse fault and a high scarp associated with the trace of a normal fault suggest current activity on these faults. We interpret the fault system in the seismic profile as a shallow extension of the seismogenic fault that may have contributed to the resulting huge tsunami.