Abrupt change of sedimentation rate recorded in lacustrine sediment from coastal lakes, Nankai subduction zone

Abstract:

Nankai earthquakes are plate-boundary earthquakes associated with the Nankai subduction zone that have occurred repeatedly during historic times. In order to reveal pre-historical evidence of Nankai earthquakes, we investigated lacustrine sediments of small lakes on the coastal area of Shikoku Island, along the Nankai Trough. We studied over 150 piston- and vibro- core samples from 20 small lakes in this region, and found out many sedimentary evidences of tsunami events. Only three small lakes, Tadasu-Ike, Kaniga-Ike and Kamoda- Ike have over 5000 yaers sedimentary record. Tadasu-Ike and Kaniga-Ike have kept ten and several times tsunami events, on the other hand only one event preserved in though 6500 years sediments of Kamoda- Ike.

These three small lakes have characteristic sedimentary conditions. Abrupt change of sedimentation rate was recorded 1-2 times through 5000-7000 years their history. This change was thought to reflect subsidence of the surrounding area. Co-seismic subsidence and gradual uplift during inter-seismic period are well known in this region. Several thousand-year cycle subsidences are assumed in addition to subsidences accompanied with 100-year cycle earthquakes.