January 14, 2015
Earthquake Research Committee,
Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion

Evaluation of Seismic Activities for December 2014

1 Major Seismic Activities

There was no remarkable activity.

2 Nationwide Seismic Activities by Region

(1) Hokkaido Region

* On December 19, there was a magnitude (M) 5.3 earthquake at a depth of approximately 45 km, offshore Kushiro. The focal mechanisms of this event showed a reverse fault type with a compression axis in an NW-SE direction. This event occurred at the boundary between the Pacific and the continental plates.

(2) Tohoku Region

* On December 18, there was a M4.6 earthquake at a depth of approximately 45 km, offshore Miyagi prefecture.

* On December 20, there was a M6.0 earthquake at a depth of approximately 45 km, offshore Fukushima prefecture. The focal mechanism of this event showed a reverse fault type with a compression axis in a WNW-ESE direction. This event occurred at the boundary between the Pacific and the continental plates.

* On December 25, there was a M5.6 earthquake at a depth of approximately 35 km, offshore Fukushima prefecture. The focal mechanism of this event showed a normal fault type with a tension axis in a WNW-ESE direction. This event occurred within the continental plate.

(3) Kanto-Chubu Region

* On December 11, there was a M4.3 earthquake at a depth of approximately 25 km, in eastern Yamanashi prefecture - Fujigoko. The focal mechanism showed a reverse fault type with a compression axis in an NW-SE direction.

* In the GNSS data for the Tokai region, there have been no changes of activity which are likely to be associated with the Tokai earthquake.

(4) Kinki-Chugoku-Shikoku Region

* On December 26, there was a M4.2 earthquake at a depth of approximately 15 km in the northern Shiga prefecture. The focal mechanism showed a strike-slip fault type with a compression axis in a WNW-ESE direction. This event occurred within the crust.

(5) Kyushu-Okinawa Region

* On December 11, there was a M6.1 earthquake at a depth of approximately 250 km, offshore northwest of Ishigakijima. The focal mechanism had a compression axis in the subducting direction of the Philippine Sea plate. This event occurred within the Philippine Sea plate.

Supplement

* On January 1, there was a M4.5 earthquake at a depth of approximately 30 km, offshore Tomakomai. The focal mechanism had a compression axis in an NE-SW direction. This event occurred within the crust of the continental plate.

* On January 9, there was a M5.5 earthquake at a depth of approximately 125 km under northern Nemuro region [Central Nemuro Region]. The focal mechanism had a tension axis in an NNE-SSW direction. This event occurred within the Pacific plate.


Note:  [ ] was the regional name of the epicenter used in the Japan Meteorological Agency announcement.
     GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is a general name of satellite positioning system such as GPS.



Supplementary Information to the Evaluation of Seismic Activities for December 2014

January 14, 2015
Earthquake Research Committee

1 Major Seismic Activities

The following are the numbers of earthquakes by magnitude that occurred in Japan and the surrounding area during December 2014.

(reference)

The following events for the period from November 2013 to late October 2014 have been listed as "Major Seismic Activities" in monthly "Evaluation of Seismic Activities".

  – Northern Ibaraki Prefecture  M5.4 on December 31, 2013
(Depth of approximately 5 km)
  – Iyonada  M6.2 on March 14, 2014
(Depth of approximately 80 km)
  – Along the Northern Coast of Chile  Mw8.1 on April 2, 2014
  – Ocean Area Near the Izu-Oshima  M6.0 on May 5, 2014
(Depth of approximately 160 km)
  – Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands  Mw7.9 on June 24, 2014
  – Offshore IwatePrefecture  M5.9 on July 5, 2014
(Depth of approximately 50 km)
  – Middle Eastern Iburi Region  M5.6 on July 8, 2014
(Depth of approximately 5 km)
  – Offshore Fukushima Prefecture  M7.0 on July 12, 2014
  – Offshore East of Aomori Prefecture  M6.1 on August 10, 2014
(Depth of approximately 50 km)
  – Northern Tochigi Prefecture  M 5.1 on September 3, 2014
(Depth of approximately 5 km)
  – Southern Ibaraki Prefecture  M 5.6 on September 16, 2014
(Depth of approximately 45 km)
  – Northern Nagano Prefecture  M 6.7 on November 22, 2014
(Depth of approximately 5 km)

2 Nationwide Seismic Activities by Region

(1) Hokkaido Region

There is no supplementary information for Hokkaido region.

(2) Tohoku Region

There is no supplementary information for Tohoku region.

(3) Seismic activities and crustal deformations associated with the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake

– Within the aftershock area, the number of earthquakes of M4.0 or over, during one year from March 2012 (from March 2012 to February 2013) became under one fifth smaller, and during one year from March 2013 (from March 2013 to February 2014) became under one tenth smaller, than the number during about one year just after the Tohoku Earthquake.
In case of the earthquake (Mw 9.1) offshore west of the northern Sumatra Island in 2004, there were Mw8.6 event after four months, Mw8.5 event after about two and a half years, Mw7.5 event after about five and a half years, and Mw8.6 event after about seven and a half years in the region of outer rise. Thus, there have been large earthquakes for long period within the source area and its surroundings.
According to the GNSS data, crustal deformation which is thought to be postseismic deformation has still been observed in a wide area from the Tohoku through the Kanto-Chubu regions. During about one month just after the Tohoku Earthquake, at the maximum value, the horizontal movement was 30 cm, and the vertical subsidence and upheaval were 6 cm and 5 cm, respectively. The deformation is decaying: the horizontal deformation was up to around 1 cm, and the vertical deformation was 1 cm or so during the recent one month.
Although the aftershock activity is gradually decaying as a whole, the activity is still in higher state than the one before the Tohoku Earthquake. In addition, there are overseas examples for gigantic earthquakes. Synthetically judging from these facts, within the aftershock area and its surroundings, there is a fear that large earthquakes will occur from now on, and there is a possibility that it will be hit by strong shaking and high tsunami. It is necessary to do care continuously for it.

(4) Kanto-Chubu Region

– For the aftershock activity of the earthquake (M6.7) in the northern Nagano prefecture on November 22, there was a M4.4 aftershock on December 22 at almost the same place of the main shock. It is decaying as a whole.

"In the GNSS data for the Tokai region, there have been no changes of activity which are likely to be associated with the Tokai earthquake":
(This evaluation is in agreement with the views presented at the regular meeting on December 22 of the Assessment Committee for Areas under Intensified Measures against Earthquake Disaster (reference below).)

(Reference)

Recent seismic and crustal activity in the Tokai region and its vicinity (Seismological and Volcanological Department, Japan Meteorological Agency, December 22, 2014)
"No changes of activity which are likely to be associated with the Tokai earthquake have been observed until now.(Excerpted)"

(5) Kinki-Chugoku-Shikoku Region

– Non-stationary crustal deformation around the Bungo Channel that was observed in the summer of 2014 is now decaying. This deformation is considered to be caused by the gradual slip (slow-slip) at the boundary between the Philippine Sea and the continental plates.

(6) Kyushu-Okinawa Region

There is no supplementary information for Kyushu-Okinawa region.

Reference 1
Earthquakes that are described in the "Evaluation of Seismic Activity" (Monthly Report of Seismic Activity in Japan) have the following features.

  1. Events of M6.0 and greater, or events that have maximum seismic intensity 4 or greater
  2. Onshore events of M4.5 and greater that have maximum seismic intensity 3 or greater
  3. Events under the ocean areas of M5.0 or greater that have maximum seismic intensity 3 or greater

Reference 2
Information that is described in the "Supplementary Information to the Evaluation" includes:

  1. Reference information related to seismic activity described in the "Evaluation of Seismic Activity"
  2. Recent earthquake activity over the past year related to the events described in "Major Seismic Activity" in the "Evaluation of Seismic Activity"
  3. Seismic activity that has been evaluated, but not included in the "Evaluation of Seismic Activity" because it is within normal bounds and not prominent