Projects

In ERI, there are several externally funded project such as researches supported by the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research. Below are the list of the running projects. Press + to see in detail.

Present Projects

Synergy effect Through Human and Artificial Intelligence Towards New Era in Seismology (SYNTHA-Seis)

SYNTHA-Seis explores a new horizon to accelerate data analysis methods and modeling techniques related to earthquakes/tremors, and contributes to earthquake disaster prevention/mitigation by integrating human intelligence that has been brewed over a long history of seismology and state-of-the-art artificial intelligence. This project is supported by many information scientists and seismologists in the universities and research institutes in Japan including Earthquake Research Institute, The University of Tokyo. This project also contributes to generation and spreading of an interdisciplinary field of information science and seismology, and education of young researchers in the relevant area.

Project Website

Integrated Research Project on Seismic and Tsunami Hazards Around the Sea of Japan

To estimate quantitatively Tsunami and seismic hazards along the coastal area of the Sea of Japan, a new research project funded by MEXT, “Integrated Research Project on Seismic and Tsunami Hazards Around the Sea of Japan” has begun since FY 2013. This science oriented research project includes onshore-offshore deep seismic reflection profilings to obtain geometries and distributions of seismic source faults, long-term offshore seismic observation by use of ocean bottom seismometers to reveal lithospheric structure of the Sea of Japan, and reevaluations of focal mechanisms of the past large earthquakes and historical documents.

Project Website

MUOGRAPHIX
Established to accelerate research innovation in Japan and the EU, MUOGRAPHIX is committed to generating and disseminating our expertise with muography worldwide. Towards this end, MUOGRAPHIX is dedicated to expanding the capabilities of muography by utilizing our interdepartmental university community, industry and international partner resources.
Project Website
Intelligent Seismic Data Processing Based on Integration of Next-Generation
Seismic Observations and the Forefront of Bayesian Statistics (iSeisBayes) H29-H35
In our country, more than 1,000 seismic stations have been continuously acquiring high-resolution digital seismic data. A large amount of instrumentally measured vibration data, which can be so-called big-data, will be available in near future. The data consist of both the conventional high-quality seismic data by well-calibrated seismometers and many kinds of new vibration data measured by accelerometers based on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), which are installed in such as infrastructures, lifelines and smartphones. The aim of this project is to develop, collaborating with the forefront of Bayesian statistics, a set of algorithms that enable us to comprehensively analyze the seismic data obtained by sensors of various types, which eventually contributes to prevention/mitigation of seismic disasters and clarification of earthquake phenomena.
Project Website
The Collaborative Research Organization for Historical Materials on Earthquakes and Volcanoes H29-H36
The Collaborative Research Organization for Historical Materials on Earthquakes and Volcanoes has been established as a collaboration between the Earthquake Research Institute and the Historiographical Institute at the University of Tokyo. In this interdisciplinary organization, historians and seismologists work together to develop a scientific database that can provide long-term information about seismic and volcanic activities in Japan by compiling and analyzing historical materials. This historical data is essential for long-term forecasts of future seismic and volcanic hazards.
Project Website
Science of Slow Earthquakes H28-H32
Our research will shed light on the mystery of “slow earthquakes”, which have been detected in succession in recent years. This will require an approach integrating the conventional fields of geophysics, seismology, and geodesy with materials science and non-equilibrium statistical physics, among others. By explaining the mechanisms, environmental conditions and principles of slow earthquakes, our goal is to accelerate a unified understanding of all earthquake events, from low-speed deformation to high-speed slip, and at the same time, to rebuild the way research is conducted on earthquakes.
Project Website

Past Project

Integrated research project for the Tachikawa Fault Zone
Tachikawa fault zone is located near the Tokyo metropolitan area, and regarded as one of the most important active structure that might generate hazardous earthquake. Although seismic hazards are dominated by great earthquakes on the subduction megathrusts, complex intraplate strain is also accommodated by active faults formed in response to subduction processes. In addition stress perturbation associated with M9 Tohoku-oki earthquake may enhance seismicity near them. Their proximity or location near Tokyo makes these faults disproportionally more hazardous. Therefore, more accurate estimates of strong ground motion is highly critical to mitigation of seismic hazards of this area. However, active structures in the Kanto basin are typically and little expression at highly urbanized earth’s surface, making understanding of recent slip histories across them elusive. We started a new multidisciplinary research project on the Tachikawa fault zone to understand subsurface fault geometries, present seismicity, paleoseismic behaviors, documented earthquakes, and strong ground motion calculation.
Project Website
Normal Oceanic Mantle Project
The oceanic mantle is an important region to understand the Earth system, as more than 2/3 of the Earth surface is covered by oceanic area. In the ‘normal oceanic mantle’ between mid oceanic ridge and subduction zone in particular, there remain a couple of most fundamental questions in Earth science: (a) “What is the physical condition for the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB)?” and (b) “Is the mantle transition zone (MTZ) a major water reservoir of the Earth?”. We propose to conduct a research program toward understanding of the mantle dynamics from an innovative observational approach.
Project Website
Promotion of Independence for Young Investigators
若手研究者の育成はこれまで個々の部局で取り組まれてきており、全学的な支援の仕組みはなかったが、本事業により、特に優秀な若手研究者の自立を全学的に支援する仕組みを構築する。本事業の支援対象となる気鋭の若手研究者を広く国際公募で募り、スタートアップ資金、スペース、研究サポートスタッフなどを一定期間提供し、厳正な審査を通過した研究者をテニュア制へと移行する。全学的な委員会を総長室の下に設置し、対象となる研究者の選考、受け入れ部局の決定、中間・最終評価およびテニュア審査を行う。
Project Website
Special Project for Earthquake Disaster Mitigation in Tokyo Metropolitan Area
A M 7 or greater (M 7+) earthquake in this region at present has high potential to produce devastating loss of life and property with even greater global economic repercussions. The Central Disaster Management Council of Japan estimates the next great earthquake will cause 11,000 fatalities and 112 trillion yen (1 trillion US$) economic loss. This great earthquake is evaluated to occur with a probability of 70 % in 30 years by the Earthquake Research Committee of Japan. We conducted the Special Project for Earthquake Disaster Mitigation in Urban Areas (2002-2006). This project revealed the detailed geometry of the subducted PSP and improved information needed for seismic hazards analyses of the largest urban centers.
Project Website
Multidisciplinary Project on the Eastern Japan Sea Deformation Zone
近年,「ひずみ集中帯」と呼ばれる褶曲-断層帯において立て続けに大きな被害地震が発生している(例えば,平成16年10月の新潟県中越地震や平成19年7月の新潟県中越沖地震など).しかしながら,これらの地域では地震調査観測がこれまで十分に行われておらず,ここで発生する地震像を明らかにするための調査研究を行う必要性が高まっている。 そこで,東北日本の日本海側の地域及び日本海東縁部に存在するひずみ集中帯等において重点的な調査研究・観測を実施し,ひずみ集中帯の活断層及び活褶曲等の活構造の全体像を明らかにし,震源断層モデルを構築することにより,ひずみ集中帯で発生する地震の規模の予測,発生時期の長期評価,強震動評価の高度化に資することを目的とする「ひずみ集中帯の重点的調査研究・観測」プロジェクトが実施されることとなった。
Project Website
Geophysical and geological studies of earthquakes and tsunamis for off-Tohoku district, Japan
東北地方太平洋沖地震については、M9.0 というこれまでに日本国内で観測された最大の地震であり、現在でも活発な余震活動や余効変動が続いています。今後も大きな余震やそれに伴う津波が発生する可能性が高いことから、今回の地震の震源域に隣接する領域を含めた広い陸海域での調査観測や研究を行い、今回の地震のような巨大な海溝型地震や津波の発生メカニズム等の解明を図り、防災・減災に資する情報を収集することが重要です。そのため、千島海溝から日本海溝沿い(根室沖から房総沖まで)の海域において、地震・津波の調査観測を行い、本海域で今後発生する地震・津波の規模や発生確率等の評価の高度化に資することを目的とし、平成23年度より、調査観測を実施しています。
Project Website
平成19年能登半島地震に関する総合的研究
大都市圏地殻構造調査
Special Project for Reducing Vulnerability for Urban Mega Earthquake Disasters
In the Tokyo metropolitan area, many problems specific to urban regions have been exposed: liquefaction damage, stranded commuters, paralyzed traffic, suspensions of business activities, power blackout, lost of lifelines, etc. Metropolitan areas in Japan concentrate sophisticated social functions and are the political and economic nerve centers of the country. As such, they are particularly vulnerable to natural hazards like earthquakes. When large earthquakes occur, unforeseen consequences are exposed and considerable damages may happen. We have just started the Special Project for Reducing Vulnerability in Urban Mega Earthquake Disasters (2012?2016), which is sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. This project is composed of three academic disciplines: Earth and physical sciences, engineering, and human social sciences. It seeks to (1) clarify the earthquake mechanism of southern Kanto region and develop evaluation technology for seismic damages in urban areas; (2) develop technology for rapid damage assessment of high-rise office buildings which may be damaged during earthquakes, and (3) develop strategies to increase earthquake social resilience. These three disciplines are usually studied independently. However, we have one common mission, to reduce the impact of seismic events. Multidisciplinary collaboration has an important role in our project.
Project Website