Evaluation of recent tectonic movement in northeast Japan by using long-term GNSS and tide gauge measurements

Abstract

The study investigates tectonic movements in northeast Japan by using long-term (2000–2022) global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and tide gauge measurements. The effect of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake including the other eight seismic events that occurred within this period is also discussed using GNSS time-series. The result showed the break in GNSS-time series because of occurred earthquakes and pointed out tectonic movements significantly. The GNSS sites located in the central and southern parts of northeast Japan showed that the velocity vectors have strong internal variation and suggest the existence source of alternative deformation because of geological terranes within the region. A least square approach was used, and the trend of sea-level measurements was fitted with the straight line. The obtained results from tide gauge measurements showed a rising trend at almost every site and indicated lithospheric uprising movement because of tectonic activities. This is possible because of the ongoing subduction of the Pacific and Philippine Sea plates beneath the Eurasian and North American plates.