Spatial extension of the mid to late Holocene sedimentary record of
tsunamis along the Southern Kuril Trench, Hokkaido Japan
Abstract
Infrequent megathrust earthquakes, with their complex cycles and rupture
modes, require a high-resolution spatiotemporal record of tsunami
inundation over thousands of years for more accurate long-term
predictions. Geological records suggest that prior to the
17th century, Mw>8 earthquakes on the
Kuril Trench occurred at intervals of several hundred years. However,
uncertainties remain about the rupture zone, owing to limited survey
areas and chronological data. Therefore, we investigated tsunami
deposits in a coastal wetland of southeastern Hokkaido, Japan, to
characterize tsunamis originating from the Kuril Trench over the last
4000 years. On the eastern Erimo coast, ten sand layers were identified
that exhibit the common features of tsunami deposits, such as a sheet
distribution of several hundred meters, normal grading structure, and a
sharp basal contact. According to numerical simulations, the
17th-century sand layer could be reproduced by
tsunamis generated using a multiple rupture zone model
(Mw~8.8). We used high-resolution radiocarbon dating and
tephras to correlate tsunami deposits from the last 4000 years with
those reported from regions ~100 km away. The tsunami
history revealed by this study show good agreement with those of the
compared regions. However, paleo-tsunamis reported from regions
> 200 km away include some events that differ from those in
this study, suggesting a diversity of Mw>8 earthquakes in
the Kuril Trench. We clarified the history and extent of
earthquake-generated tsunamis along the southwestern end of the Kuril
Trench, which was previously unknown. Our results provide a framework
for magnitude estimations and long-term prediction of earthquakes.