Upward Earthquake Swarm Migration in the Northeastern Noto Peninsula, Japan, Initiated From a Deep Ring-Shaped Cluster: Possibility of Fluid Leakage From a Hidden Magma System

This study describes an ongoing intense earthquake swarm in the crust of the northeastern Noto Peninsula, Japan, that began around the end of 2019. Fluid movement related to volcanic activity is often involved in earthquake swarms in the crust. However, no volcanic activity has occurred in this region since the Middle Miocene (15.6 Ma). This study investigates the cause of this earthquake swarm based on the spatiotemporal evolution of earthquake hypocenters and seismic reflectors. The hypocenter relocation of 10,940 earthquakes (M > 1) reveals that they are all crustal and migrated upward, activating a complex network of faults at depths shallower than 20 km. The initiation of this earthquake swarm occurred at a locally deep depth (z = 17 km), and the local hypocenter distribution shows a characteristic circular pattern. We find a distinctive S-wave reflector in the immediate vicinity. A low-velocity anomaly exists below the reflector, and a high helium isotope ratio and a low-gravity anomaly were observed at the surface. These observations suggest that the current seismicity is associated with fluids released by ancient or possibly unrecognized modern magmatic activity, although no volcanic activity has been documented in this area for 15 million years. Significant crustal deformation was observed during this swarm and is probably related to the fluid movement and aseismic deformation that contributed to this earthquake swarm. The strongest M5.4 earthquake (as of October 2022) occurred near the migration front on the largest planar structure, leaving the shallow extension unruptured.

Automated summary

This study investigates an ongoing intense earthquake swarm in the northeastern Noto Peninsula, Japan, which commenced at the end of 2019. Despite the absence of volcanic activity in the region for the past 15 million years, the research suggests that the seismicity is associated with fluids released by ancient or unrecognized modern magmatic activity. The seismic activity has resulted in significant crustal deformation and has activated a complex network of faults at depths shallower than 20 km.