Three-dimensional resistivity structure and its relationship to the rupture of the 1997 Kagoshima earthquake doublet (Mw 6.1 and 6.0), Japan

We estimated the resistivity structure in the region of the 1997 Northwestern Kagoshima earthquake doublet (March 26, Mw6.1; May 13, Mw6.0) by dense magnetotelluric (MT) observations to investigate the influence of low-resistivity zones on the initiation and termination of large inland earthquake ruptures. In addition to MT data from previous studies, we acquired new broadband MT and telluric data at 42 sites. With a total of 86 sites in approximately 50 km × 50 km area, we constructed a high-resolution resistivity structure through 3-D inversion. A comparison between the slip distribution and resistivity structure showed that the rupture of the mainshock in March initiated at the western edge of a low-resistivity zone, propagated westward (with a maximum slip of 0.8 m), and was ultimately arrested by another low-resistivity zone. Based on geological structures and ³He/⁴He ratios in hot springs, we suggest that magma-derived fluids, located beneath a shallow, low-permeability smectite-rich zone and granodiorite, contributed to the initiation of the mainshock rupture. Another smectite-rich zone, along with underlying high pore pressure fluids, played a role in arresting the rupture. The rupture of the mainshock in May initiated at the edge of another low-resistivity zone and propagated in two directions (with a maximum slip of 0.4 m): one along the edge of the low-resistivity zone and the other toward the low-resistivity zone, before finally stopping within the low-resistivity zone. Our findings are consistent with those from the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake (M7.3), supporting the idea that resistivity structures can help assess the spatial potential of large inland earthquakes.