Kazushige Obara
Commendation
For outstanding contributions to the discovery of slow earthquake phenomena at plate convergence regions and to the development of the research field of slow earthquakes
A list of five major papers
- K. Obara, Nonvolcanic Deep Tremor Associated with Subduction in Southwest Japan, SCIENCE, 296, 1679-1681, 2002.
- K. Obara, H. Hirose, F. Yamamizu and K. Kasahara, Episodic slow slip events accompanied by non-volcanic tremors in southwest Japan subduction zone, Geophysical Research Letters, 31, L23602, 2004.
- K. Obara and Y. Ito, Very low frequency earthquakes excited by the 2004 off the Kii peninsula earthquakes: A dynamic deformation process in the large accretionary prism, Earth, Planets and Space, 57, 321-326, 2005.
- K. Obara and A. Kato, Connecting slow earthquakes to huge earthquakes, Science, 353, (6296), 253-257, 2016.
- K. Obara, Characteristic activities of slow earthquakes in Japan, Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B, 96, 297-315, 2020.
Major achievements
Dr. Kazushige Obara conducted a detailed analysis of continuous waveform data recorded by NIED Hi-net, a highly sensitive seismic observation network, and discovered the phenomenon of very weak, long-lasting deep low-frequency tremors. He also identified and reported a series of slow earthquake phenomena along subducting plate boundaries, such as slow slip events lasting for several days and very low-frequency earthquakes characterized by signals with periods of several tens of seconds. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of various slow earthquake phenomena occurring along plate boundaries. His discoveries have led to the identification of slow earthquakes in subduction zones worldwide, establishing a new field within seismology. As a pioneer in this domain, he has played a key role in shaping its development. Additionally, he has spearheaded the development of a new scientific research area, “Science of Slow Earthquakes”, aimed at achieving a comprehensive understanding of these phenomena. Through this initiative, he has fostered interdisciplinary collaboration across geophysics, material science, and statistical mathematics. These achievements have made outstanding contributions to the academic development of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
Nominator
Aitaro Kato
Supporters
Kate Huishuan Chen, Kelin Wang, Zhigang Peng