Deep groundwater discharge after the 2011 Mw 6.6 Iwaki earthquake, Japan

Abstract

Hot spring discharge was linked to the 2011 Mw 6.6 Iwaki earthquake. Periodic surveys revealed that the discharge continued for more than 7 years, which is a rare and valuable long-term record of hot spring discharge triggered by an earthquake in a non-volcanic area. In terms of coseismic changes, based on a comparison of the spatial distribution of changes in the coseismic water head and calculated crustal volumetric strain using a fault model, hot spring water discharge was found to be caused by a change in the coseismic crustal volumetric strain. As for the postseismic changes, observations over 7 years revealed a gradual rise in the temperature and chloride ion concentration of the hot spring water. Such long-term hot spring discharge may be explained by the following two causes: the rise of thermal water from the deep part and the permeability changes along the hot spring channels.[Figure not available: see fulltext.].