Journal of Natural Disaster Science

LIQUEFACTION DAMAGE TO THE GROUND DURING THE 1983 NIHONKAI-CHUBU (JAPAN SEA) EARTHQUAKE IN AKITA PREFECTURE, TOHOKU, JAPAN

Ikuo TOHNO
Chief Researcher, The National Institute for Environmental Studies
and
Yasuhiro SHAMOTO
Researcher, The Research Institute of Shimizu Construction Co. Ltd.

(Received 2 Oct., 1985 and in revised form 19 Dec., 1985)

Abstract

A very strong earthquake of magnitude 7.7 took place in northwest Tohoku District in Japan on May 26th, 1983. This earthquake was named the 1983 Nihonkai-Chubu (Japan Sea) earthquake by the Japanese Meteorological Agency. Liquefaction phenomena occurred widely from Akita to Aomori Prefectures. Structural damage and ground failure by earthquake-caused liquefaction was the worst in Japan since the 1964 Niigata earthquake.

We investigated the damage and mapped the liquefaction sites in Akita Prefecture, and concluded that the damaged areas in Akita Prefecture can be separated into two types: lowlands reclaimed from river beds, lagoons, marshs and weak paddies; and the borders between alluvial lowland and sand dune such as those located between sand dunes.

Key words

liquefaction, site investigation, earthquake damage, sandy soil, ground disaster, geomorphological feature