Acoustic Emission/Seismicity at Depth Beneath an Artificial Lake After the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake
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applied sciences Article Acoustic Emission/Seismicity at Depth Beneath an Artificial Lake after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake Hirokazu Moriya Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-04, Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan; [email protected]; Tel.: +81-22-795-7996 Received: 20 July 2018; Accepted: 16 August 2018; Published: 20 August 2018 Abstract: Acoustic emission (AE)/seismicity activity increased near the city of Sendai, Japan, after the 11 March 2011 Tohoku earthquake in a newly seismically active region near the Nagamachi-Rifu fault, which caused a magnitude 5.0 earthquake in 1998. The source of this activity was around 12 km beneath an artificial lake. At the same time, activity on the Nagamachi-Rifu fault nearly ceased. More than 1550 micro-earthquakes were observed between 11 March 2011 and 1 August 2012, of which 63% exhibited similar waveforms and defined 64 multiplets. It appears that crustal extension of about 2 m during the Tohoku earthquake and additional extension of about 1 m during the following year changed the stress field in this region, thus generating micro-earthquakes and controlling their frequency. However, it has been presumed that crustal movement during the Tohoku earthquake did not affect the direction of principal stress, and that these events induced repeated quasi-static slips at asperities and the resultant micro-earthquakes. Keywords: acoustic emission swarm; 2011 Tohoku earthquake; repeating earthquake; multiplet; crustal movement 1. Introduction Acoustic emission (AE)/seismicity is important for evaluating the stability of geological structures; for instance, the delineation of fracture systems from AE activity in geothermal reservoirs is indispensable for thermal energy extraction [1]. The stability evaluation of fractures during hydraulic stimulation in geothermal reservoirs is necessary to avoid inducing large AE events, where the relationship between large AE events and the pore-pressure distribution in reservoirs is studied [2]. The stability of geological structures is also important from the viewpoint of disaster prevention. The dynamic behavior of geological structures has been studied by many seismologists who have examined repeating earthquakes and slow slip at seismic zones [3–5]. The 11 March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and its many aftershocks brought widespread destruction to eastern Japan [6–8]. This seismic activity occurred on both offshore and inland faults. Although thrust events dominated seismicity before and during the Tohoku earthquake, eastward movement of the shallow crust of the overriding tectonic plate caused extension that relaxed the subduction-related horizontal compressional stress locally, resulting in normal movement on some inland faults after the Tohoku earthquake [9]. Close observations of seismic activity are indispensable for the monitoring of the stability of geological structures. This paper describes a seismic swarm that occurred beneath an artificial lake near the plane of an active fault in Sendai city, Japan, after the Tohoku earthquake. It has long been known that changes in the water level of reservoirs can trigger substantial earthquakes, and it is shown that the seismic activity was sensitive to the small change of tectonic stress caused by the water level of the artificial lake. Appl. Sci. 2018, 8, 1407; doi:10.3390/app8081407 www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci Appl. Sci. 2018, 8, 1407 2 of 9 2. StudyAppl. Sci. Area 2018, 8, x 2 of 9 The2. Study study Area area is in the western part of Sendai city, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, about 150 km west of the TohokuThe study earthquake area is in epicenterthe western (Figure part of 1Sendaia). Here, city,a Miyagi river terracePrefecture, is present Japan, about on both 150 km sides west of the Hiroseof River.the Tohoku A double earthquake arch dam, epicenter built (Figure across a1a). tributary Here, a toriver the terrace Hirose is River present in 1961,on both created sides aofreservoir the 2 7 3 namedHirose Lake River. Okura, A double with a arch 1.6 kmdam,surface built across area a and tributary a storage to the capacity Hirose ofRiver 2.8 in× 1961,10 m created. The a water levelreservoir is normally named maintained Lake Okura, between with a 1.6 240 km and2 surface 270 m area above and a sea storage level capacity (masl), of which 2.8 × corresponds107 m3. The to waterwater depths level of is 0normally to 30 m maintained (Miyagi Prefecture, between 240 http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/snd-dam/data/okdam- and 270 m above sea level (masl), which corresponds cyosui.htmto water). depths The Nagamachi-Rifu of 0 to 30 m (Miyagi fault Prefectu extendsre, approximatelyhttp://www.pref.miyag 15 kmi.jp/snd-dam under Sendai/data/okdam- city, striking northeast–southwestcyosui.htm). The andNagamachi-Rifu dipping about fault 45 ◦extendsto the northwestapproximately [10 ,1115]. km Estimates under Sendai of the city, stress striking field made by thenortheast–southwest multiple inverse methodand dipping [12] indicateabout 45° that to the no directionrthwest of[10,11]. minimum Estimates principal of the stressstress isfield vertical made by the multiple inverse method [12] indicate that the direction of minimum principal stress is and the direction of maximum principal stress varies from east–west to northwest–southeast. vertical and the direction of maximum principal stress varies from east–west to northwest–southeast. FigureFigure 1. 1.(a ()a) Map Map of northeastern northeastern Honshu, Honshu, Japan, Japan, with inset with showing inset location showing of study location area. of The study solid area. The solidstar marks star the marks epicenter the of epicenter the Tohoku of earthquake; the Tohoku (b) Map earthquake; showing epicenters (b) Map of showing micro-earthquakes epicenters of from 5 February 2005 to 1 August 2012; (c) Vertical cross section showing hypocenters of micro- micro-earthquakes from 5 February 2005 to 1 August 2012; (c) Vertical cross section showing earthquakes projected onto line A–B. Open stars show the location of the magnitude 5.0 earthquake hypocenters of micro-earthquakes projected onto line A–B. Open stars show the location of the of 15 September 1998. magnitude 5.0 earthquake of 15 September 1998. At Sendai city, very high seismic intensities (greater than 6 on the Japan Meteorological Agency Atscale) Sendai were city, recorded veryhigh during seismic the Tohoku intensities eart (greaterhquake. thanGPS 6(Global on the JapanPositioning Meteorological System) data Agency scale)documented were recorded crustal during movements the Tohoku of more earthquake. than 5 m GPSat the (Global coast and Positioning about 2.5 System)m in Sendai data city. documented The crustalNagamachi-Rifu movements of fault more is known than 5 to m be at theactive coast in the and Sendai about area 2.5 [10,13,14]. m in Sendai Seismic city. activity The Nagamachi-Rifu increased near this fault after the Tohoku earthquake, and more than 1550 events were observed between 11 fault is known to be active in the Sendai area [10,13,14]. Seismic activity increased near this fault March 2011 and 1 August 2012. A micro-earthquake is physically the same to as an AE and the term after the Tohoku earthquake, and more than 1550 events were observed between 11 March 2011 and 1 August 2012. A micro-earthquake is physically the same to as an AE and the term “AE” is generally Appl. Sci. 2018, 8, 1407 3 of 9 Appl. Sci. 2018, 8, x 3 of 9 used for much smaller seismic events with smaller magnitude, and this paper discusses the stability of geological“AE” is structuresgenerally used using for micro-earthquakes much smaller seismic in the events same with manner. smaller magnitude, and this paper discusses the stability of geological structures using micro-earthquakes in the same manner. 3. Tectonic Conditions before and after the Tohoku Earthquake 3. Tectonic Conditions before and after the Tohoku Earthquake On 15 September 1998, an earthquake of magnitude (M) 5.0 occurred at a 12.4 km depth, on the deepestOn part 15 of September the Nagamachi-Rifu 1998, an earthquake fault [14]. of The magnitud mechanisme (M) of5.0 this occurred earthquake at a 12.4 and km its depth, aftershocks on the was reversedeepest faulting, part of and the Nagamachi-Rifu the P-axes of the fault events [14]. described The mechanism a line orientedof this earthquake east–west and to northwest–southeast;its aftershocks was reverse faulting, and the P-axes of the events described a line oriented east–west to northwest–southeast; the maximum principal stress direction in the deep part of the active fault was northwest–southeast. the maximum principal stress direction in the deep part of the active fault was northwest–southeast. On the basis of GPS data from an observation point about 6 km southeast of the dam, the On the basis of GPS data from an observation point about 6 km southeast of the dam, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) reported crustal movement of 2.55 m eastward and Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) reported crustal movement of 2.55 m eastward and 16 cm16 cm ground ground subsidence subsidence during during the the Tohoku Tohoku earthquakeearthquake (e.g., [15]). [15]). The The GSI GSI also also measured measured eastward eastward crustalcrustal movements movements of of 1.85 1.85 m m in in Tendo Tendo city,city, 3030 kmkm toto the west, and and 3.98 3.98 m m in in Higashi-Matsushima Higashi-Matsushima city,city, 70 70 km km to to the the east east (GSI, (GSI, http://www.gsi.go.jp/index.html http://www.gsi.go.jp/index.html; Figure; Figure 1a).1 Froma). From these thesedata plus data the plus theassumption assumption of of an an elastic elastic rock rock mass mass in inthe the area, area, the the strain strain change change resulting resulting from from the the Tohoku Tohoku −5 earthquakeearthquake was was estimated estimated to be be 2.13 2.13 × ×10−105 in thein study the studyarea.