A Durham scientist, Rebecca Robertson, is part of an international team currently drilling the seafloor off Japan’s coast as part of the JTRACK project. This initiative aims to understand the mechanisms behind the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, one of the largest quakes in history, which caused immense destruction and loss of life. The team is analyzing drill samples to gain insights into unusual subduction zone behaviors.
A scientist from Durham, Rebecca Robertson, is currently participating in an international drill aboard the Chikyu research vessel off the eastern coast of Japan. This expedition aims to investigate the Tohoku earthquake of 2011, one of the most significant seismic events in modern history, which resulted in catastrophic tsunamis, extensive destruction, and profound loss of life. The research team is focused on drilling through the boundary plate fault to sample sediments and analyze the conditions that contributed to the earthquake’s unprecedented characteristics.
The JTRACK (Tracking Tsunamigenic Slip Across the Japan Trench) project is a follow-up to the 2013 Japan Trench Fast Drilling Project (JFAST), which collected initial samples to enhance understanding of the earthquake’s causative factors. During this ongoing four-month expedition, the team has transitioned from the continental plate to the Pacific plate, having successfully established an observatory within the fault. The researchers are now engaged in meticulous sampling of the fault material and conducting high-resolution imaging, promising to yield valuable insights into earthquake dynamics.
Leading up to the 2011 event, the scientific community held the belief that the shallow areas of subduction zones did not experience rupture comparable to deeper fault lines. However, the Tohoku earthquake contradicted this notion by exhibiting substantial fault displacement. The JTRACK team intends to analyze the samples in hopes of uncovering the mechanisms behind this anomalous seismic behavior, providing vital contributions to earthquake prediction and safety measures. Rebecca Robertson is among a select few UK scientists participating in this extensive initiative alongside experts from Japan, the United States, and Europe.
The Tohoku earthquake of March 11, 2011, registered a magnitude of 9.0, resulting in a tsunami that devastated large portions of Japan’s northeastern coastline. It caused damage to critical infrastructure, including the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, leading to one of the most severe nuclear disasters in history. This incident not only resulted in approximately 18,500 fatalities but also left more than 160,000 individuals displaced. The significance of studying this event is underscored by the need to understand the geological processes behind such catastrophic natural disasters, particularly as scientists aim to advance earthquake prediction methods.
In summary, the ongoing JTRACK expedition aims to deepen the understanding of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, which reshaped knowledge regarding subduction zone dynamics. By drilling through the fault responsible for the earthquake, researchers hope to gather critical data that elucidates the processes contributing to such significant seismic events. The involvement of international experts, including Durham’s Rebecca Robertson, highlights the collaborative effort to enhance global seismic safety and preparedness.
Original Source: www.durham.ac.uk
