Decaying Post-Seismic Deformation Observed on the Korean Peninsula Following the 2011 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake

We investigated decaying post-seismic deformation observed on the Korean Peninsula associated with the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The GNSS velocity vectors were estimated in five periods from 2005 to 2019. A co-seismic offset of the Korean Peninsula caused by the 2011 earthquake was inversely proportional to epicentral distances. According to the temporal variations of two components (magnitude and direction) of the GNSS velocity vector with the epicentral distance, the difference between the eastern and western regions for the two components becomes smaller over time. For approximately nine years after the 2011 event, the direction for the crustal movement in South Korea showed a recovery pattern returning to the pre-earthquake motion. In addition, the recovery patterns of the crustal movement were observed differently with the regional geologic structure (e.g., the crustal thickness) and each period. Our estimates of the decay in post-seismic deformation of the Korean Peninsula suggest that post-seismic relaxation will be complete within 5–20 years after the 2011 earthquake. The results suggest that the crustal movement on the Korean Peninsula is gradually recovering to its pre-earthquake motion.