November 9, 2012
Earthquake Research Committee,
Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion
* On October 25, there was a M5.6 earthquake offshore Miyagi prefecture. This event had a maximum seismic intensity 5 Lower in Miyagi prefecture.
There was no remarkable activity.
* On October 2, there was a M6.3 earthquake offshore Sanriku. The focal mechanism showed a reverse fault with a compression axis in a WNW-ESE direction. This event occurred on the boundary between the Pacific and the continental plates.
* On October 6, there was a M4.9 earthquake at a depth of approximately 5 km in the northern inland, Akita prefecture. The focal mechanism showed a strike-slip fault with a compression axis in an ENE-WSW direction. This event occurred within the crust.
* On October 25, there was a M5.6 earthquake at a depth of approximately 50 km, offshore Miyagi prefecture. The focal mechanism showed a reverse fault with a compression axis in a WNW-ESE direction. This event occurred on the boundary between the Pacific and the continental plates.
* On October 12, there was a M5.1 earthquake at a depth of approximately 35 km in northeastern Chiba prefecture. The focal mechanism showed a reverse fault with a compression axis in an NNW-SSE direction. This event occurred near the boundary between the Philippine Sea and the continental plates.
* On October 17, there was a M4.5 earthquake at a depth of approximately 5 km in northern Ibaraki prefecture. The focal mechanism showed a normal fault with a tension axis in an NE-SW direction. This event occurred within the crust.
* On October 18, at 00:01 (JST), there was a M4.2 earthquake at a depth of approximately 5 km in the Chuetsu region, Niigata prefecture. The focal mechanism showed a reverse fault with a compression axis in an NW-SE direction. This event occurred within the crust. On the same day, there was a series of seismicity such as a M2.6 earthquake at 00:25 and a M3.3 earthquake at 01:16.
* 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.
* On October 27, there was a M4.5 earthquake at a depth of approximately 35 km in central Kochi prefecture. The focal mechanism showed a strike-slip fault with a compression axis in an N-S direction. This event occurred within the Philippine Sea plate.
There was no remarkable activity.
* On November 3, there was a M5.0 earthquake at a depth of approximately 30 km, offshore Fukushima prefecture. The focal mechanism showed a strike-slip fault with a tension axis in an NNW-SSE direction. This event occurred within the crust of the continental plate.
Note:GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is a general name of satellite positioning system such as GPS.
November 9, 2012
Earthquake Research Committee
The following are the numbers of earthquakes by magnitude that occurred in Japan and the surrounding area during October 2012.
(reference)
The following events for the period from October 2011 to late September 2012 have been listed as "Major Seismic Activities" in monthly "Evaluation of Seismic Activities"
| – Kumamoto Region, Kumamoto Prefecture | M4.5 on October 5, 2011 (Depth of approximately 10 km) |
|
| |
– Northern Ibaraki Prefecture | M5.3 on November 20, 2011 (Depth of approximately 10 km) |
| – Northern Hiroshima Prefecture | M5.4 on November 21, 2011 (Depth of approximately 10 km |
|
| – Offshore Urakawa | M6.2 on November 24, 2011 (Depth of approximately 45 km) |
|
| |
– Offshore Fukushima Prefecture | M5.1 on January 23, 2012 (Depth of approximately 50 km) |
| – Eastern Yamanashi Prefecture-Fujigoko | M5.4 on January 28, 2012 (Depth of approximately 20 km) | |
| |
– Near Sado | M5.7 on February 8, 2012 (Depth of approximately 15 km) |
| – Northern Ibaraki Prefecture | M5.2 on February 19, 2012 (Depth of approximately 5 km) |
|
| – Offshore Ibaraki Prefecture | M5.3 on March 1, 2012 (Depth of approximately 55 km) |
|
| – Northern Ibaraki Prefecture | M5.4 on March 10, 2012 (Depth of approximately 5 km) |
|
| – Offshore Sanriku | M6.9 on March 14, 2012 | |
| – Offshore East of Chiba Prefecture | M6.1 on March 14, 2012 (Depth of approximately 15 km) |
|
| – Offshore Iwate Prefecture | M6.6 on March 27, 2012 (Depth of approximately 20 km) |
|
| – Offshore Fukushima Prefecture | M5.9 on April 1, 2012 (Depth of approximately 55 km) |
|
| – Northeastern Chiba Prefecture | M5.8 on April 29, 2012 (Depth of approximately 50 km) |
|
| – Offshore East of Aomori Prefecture | M6.1 on May 24, 2012 (Depth of approximately 60 km) |
|
| – Northern Nagano Prefecture | M5.2 on July 10, 2012 (Depth of approximately 10 km) |
|
| – Southern Tokachi Region | M6.1 on August 25, 2012 (Depth of approximately 50 km) |
|
| – Offshore Miyagi Prefecture | M5.6 on August 30, 2012 (Depth of approximately 60 km) |
There is no supplementary information for the Hokkaido region.
There is no supplementary information for the Tohoku region.
– In the aftershock area of the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake, brisk seismicity has been seen. There is fear that large aftershocks will occur from now on, and there is a possibility that it will be hit by strong shaking and high tsunami. Crustal movements to the east which are thought to be the postseismic deformation have still been observed in a wide area from the Tohoku through the Kanto-Chubu regions, but they have gradually been decaying.
"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 October 23 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, October 23, 2012)
"No changes of activity which are likely to be associated with the Tokai earthquake have been observed until now. (Excerpted))"
There is no supplementary information for the Kinki-Chugoku-Shikoku region.
There is no supplementary information for the 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.
Reference 2
Information that is described in the "Supplementary Information to the Evaluation" includes: