Journal of Natural Disaster Science
Journal of Natural Disaster Science, Volume 8, Number 1, 1986, pp.85f.
LIQUEFACTION DAMAGE TO THE GROUND DURING THE 1983 NIHONKAI-CHUBU (JAPAN SEA) EARTHQUAKE IN AOMORI PREFECTURE, TOHOKU, JAPAN
(Received 6 Feb., 1986 and in revised form 30 June, 1986)
Abstract
On May 26th, 1983, the northwest Tohoku District in Japan was shaken by a very strong earthquake of magnitude 7.7. This earthquake was named the 1983 Nihonkai-Chubu (Japan Sea) earthquake by the Japanese Meteorological Agency. Liquefaction phenomena occurred widely from Aomori to Akita Prefectures. The severest damage caused by liquefaction was to lowlands between sand dunes, as shown, in particular, by blow-out depressions in the Byobuyama sand dune zone. Reliquefaction occurred at many locations in Aomori Prefecture.
For 40 days after this earthquake, we investigated the damage caused by liquefaction, mapped the liquefaction sites in Aomori Prefecture and made studies of the soil-mechanical properties of the sands of the liquefied and Quaternary deposits. We concluded that areas damaged by liquefaction in Aomori Prefecture can be separated into two types; sand dunes and flood-plains. The deposits affected made of sandy soils of eolian and fluvial origin, are Hollocene in age.
Key words
liquefaction, site investigation, earthquake damage, ground disaster, sandy soil, geomorphological feature