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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 31, L12304, doi:10.1029/2004GL019731, 2004

Linkages between turbidites in the southern Okinawa Trough and submarine earthquakes

Chih-An Huh

Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan


Chih-Chieh Su

Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan


Wen-Tzong Liang

Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan


Chiao-Yuen Ling

Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan


Abstract

Turbidite layers in surficial (<0.4 m) sediments of the southern Okinawa Trough and its vicinity were dated by 210Pb and further constrained by 137Cs and inter-site correlation of downcore profiles of particle size and porosity. Here we show striking temporal and spatial correspondence of such episodic deposits to large (ML > 6.8) submarine earthquakes recorded in the region since the 20th century. The repeating pattern of turbidite layers reported here on decadal to centennial time scales suggests what may be the long-term rhythm of seismic activities at this tectonically active plate boundary.

Received 16 February 2004; accepted 17 May 2004; published 18 June 2004.

Index Terms: 0932 Exploration Geophysics: Radioactivity methods; 1035 Geochemistry: Geochronology; 3022 Marine Geology and Geophysics: Marine sediments—processes and transport; 3025 Marine Geology and Geophysics: Marine seismics (0935); 7221 Seismology: Paleoseismology.

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Citation: Huh, C.-A., C.-C. Su, W.-T. Liang, and C.-Y. Ling (2004), Linkages between turbidites in the southern Okinawa Trough and submarine earthquakes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L12304, doi:10.1029/2004GL019731.