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Spatial extent of the mid- to late Holocene sedimentary record of tsunamis along the Southern Kuril Trench, Hokkaido, Japan
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  • Ryo Nakanishi,
  • Juichiro Ashi,
  • Yosuke Miyairi,
  • Yusuke Yokoyama
Ryo Nakanishi
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Juichiro Ashi
University of Tokyo, University of Tokyo
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Yosuke Miyairi
University of Tokyo, University of Tokyo
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Yusuke Yokoyama
University of Tokyo, University of Tokyo
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Abstract

Infrequent megathrust earthquakes, with their complex cycles and rupture modes, require a high-resolution spatiotemporal record of tsunami inundations over thousands of years to provide more accurate long-term forecasts. The geological record suggests that Mw>8 earthquakes in the Kuril Trench occurred at intervals of several hundred years. However, uncertainties remain regarding the rupture zone, owing to the limited survey areas and chronological data. Therefore, we investigated the tsunami deposits in a coastal wetland of southeastern Hokkaido, Japan, to characterize the tsunamis that have originated from the Kuril Trench over the last 4000 years. On the Erimo coast, more than seven sand layers exhibited the common features of tsunami deposits, such as sheet distributions of several hundred meters, normal grading structures, and sharp basal contacts. According to numerical tsunami simulations, the 17th-century sand layer could be reproduced by using a multiple rupture zone model (Mw~8.8). We used high-resolution radiocarbon dating and tephras to correlate the tsunami deposits from the last 4000 years with those reported from regions ~100 km away. The tsunami history revealed here shows good agreement with histories of adjacent regions. However, the paleotsunamis reported to have occurred in regions > 200 km away include some events that differ from those in this study, which suggests a diversity of Mw>8 earthquakes in the Kuril Trench. We clarified the history and extents of earthquake-generated tsunamis along the southwestern end of the Kuril Trench, which were previously unknown. Our results provide a framework for magnitude estimations and long-term forecast of earthquakes.