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The 2011 Mw9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake may be representative of “maximum”earthquakes: it ruptured the entire seismogenic depth range of the Japan megathrust, including the shallowest segment that reaches the trench where the displacement grew to 60 m and spawned a catastrophic tsunami. Models and direct seafloor measurements imply a comparably large initial relative motion and sustained long-period oscillations between sediment and water at the seafloor above the shallowest megathrust segment. This motion may develop enough shear to re-suspend sediment, but exclusively for the maximum earthquakes. This new co-seismic sediment-entrainment process should leave a recognizable sedimentary fingerprint of these earthquakes. Our physical experiments are testing effects of this shear between sediment and water and its interaction with high-frequency vertical shaking. We also investigate the impact of sediment properties and slope on the entrainment. We worked on several synthetic mixtures, defined according to the grain size distribution, clay mineralogy and water content with either freshwater or sea water. The grain size distribution is simplified but matches those of sediment cores from different subduction zones. For each mixture, we built matrices of the erosion rates according to the flow velocities, which shows the role of water content and vertical shaking. We have also identifi ed different mechanism during the runs:grain-by-grain or clasts entrainment, stripping, motion of the sediment interface, and formation of a dense sediment layer above the surface. These observations maybe recorded in the associated deposit, suggesting different fingerprinting by the tsunamigenic earthquakes depending on the characteristics of each subduction zone.
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This content will become publicly available on January 1, 2026
Surficial sediment remobilization by shear between sediment and water above tsunamigenic megathrust ruptures: experimental study
Abstract. Large subduction earthquakes can rupture the shallow part of the megathrust with unusually large displacements and tsunamis. The long duration of the seismic source and high upper-plate compliance contribute to large and protracted long-period motions of the outer upper plate. The resulting shear stress at the sediment–water interface in, for example, the Mw 9.0 2011 Tohoku–Oki earthquake could account for surficial sediment remobilization on the outer margin. We test this hypothesis by simulating in physical tank experiments the combined effects of high- and low-frequency seismic motions on sediment of different properties (chemistry, grain size, water content, and salinity). Our results show that low-frequency motion during a 2011-like earthquake can entrain several centimeters of surficial sediment and that entrainment can be enhanced by high-frequency vertical oscillations. These experiments validate a new mechanism of co-seismic sediment entrainment in deep-water environments.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2044915
- PAR ID:
- 10598999
- Publisher / Repository:
- https://hdl.handle.net/ 11299/263944 (Seibert et al., 2024b)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Earth Surface Dynamics
- Volume:
- 13
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2196-632X
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 341 to 348
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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