Project Details
Projekt
Pore Pressure and Its Role in Shallow Slip in the Japan Trench Subduction Zone
Applicant
Dr. Junli Zhang
Subject Area
Geology
Term
since 2025
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 565939711
Pore pressure plays a crucial role in determining the shear strength of sediments and rocks. A major gap in understanding the shallow slip mechanisms of the Japan Trench lies in the lack of quantitative pore pressure estimates. To address this, the proposed research aims to quantify pore pressure in the main rupture zone of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake through multiple approaches including laboratory consolidation experiments, a critical state soil mechanics-based pore pressure prediction method, and numerical simulations of pore pressure dissipation and chemical transport. Under stress conditions constrained by this proposed research, the cohesive and frictional properties of the fault zone will be reevaluated through laboratory shear tests. These properties, together with pore pressure estimates, will then inform the modeling of fault slip behavior, which incorporates rate- and state-dependent friction laws and dynamic weakening mechanisms. By systematically varying pore pressure conditions in these models, the role of pore pressure in shallow slip dynamics can be evaluated, potentially contributing to a better understanding of tsunamigenic earthquakes in the Japan Trench. The integration of pore pressure quantification, evaluation of fault mechanical properties, and fault slip simulations will establish a comprehensive framework for analyzing the mechanisms driving large shallow slips in subduction zones, and the findings are applicable worldwide. Consequently, this proposed research could hold global significance for improving tsunami hazard assessments and informing more effective mitigation strategies.
DFG Programme
Infrastructure Priority Programmes
International Connection
France, USA
Co-Investigators
Matt Ikari, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Achim Kopf
Cooperation Partners
Professorin Dr. Marianne Conin; Professor Dr. Patrick M. Fulton
