Name : SATO,  Hiroshi
            Position : Associate Professor
            Division/Center : Earthquake Prediction Research Center
            Research Area : Structural Geology
 
 
 
 

Research :

To reveal the detailed crustal architecture is very important to understand on-going, active tectonic processes and also crustal
       evolution of island arcs. Seismic reflection profiling is a strong tool to obtain high resolution images of crustal structure. I study the
       active tectonics and evolution of Japanese island arcs by an integrating method, including seismic reflection profiling, structural
       geology and morphotectonic research.

       Since 1996 using a new seismic reflection profiling system of the Earthquake Research Institute, several experiments of the shallow
       to crustal scale seismic reflection profiling across active faults were intensely carried out by our research team, including several
       university researchers and students. For example, the deep to shallow seismic reflection profiling in 1996-8 across the Ou Backbone
       Range, in northern Honshu, revealed the geometry and connectivity of active fault system; such as the pop-up structure of this range
       bounded by reverse faults. The existance of a mid-crustal detachment and the laminated lower crust in an active volcanic arc crust is a
       new foundings through this experiments. Several shallow seismic reflection profiles across active fold zone clearly demonstrated the
       applicability of thin-skinned tectonics; such as fault-propagation folds and fault-bend folds. Together with the morphotectonic data,
       geologic structure of fold belt provide the data of deep sited seismogenic faults, which is important to evaluation of seismic hazard.

       My short term scientific goal is a 3-D mapping of seismogenic faults of northern Japan. This result will contribute to the modeling of
       crustal activity, seismic hazard evaluation and evolution of island arcs.

Publication :

    1.Sato, H., Hirata, N., Ito, T., Tsumura, N., and Ikawa, T., Seismic reflection profiling across the seismogenic fault of the 1995 Kobe
       earthquake, southwestern Japan, Tectonophysics, 286, 19-30, 1998.
    2.Caputo, R. and H. Sato, An integrated study to recent tectonics in Central Japan: seismological, geodetic, morphotectonic and
       structural data compared, Tectonophysics, 262, 133-157, 1996.
    3.Sato, H., T. Shimamoto, A. Tsutsumi, and E. Kawamoto, Onshore tsunami deposits caused by the 1993 southwest Hokkaido and 1983
       Japan Sea earthqukakes, Pure Appl. Geophys., 145, 693-717, 1995.
    4.Sato, H., The relationship between late Cenozoic tectonic events and stress field and basin development in northeast Japan, J.
       Geophys. Res., 99, 22,261-22,274, 1994.