Low-Frequency Tremors Immediately After the 2011 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake Detected by Near-Trench OBS Observations

Abstract We used temporal seismic observation using pop-up type ocean-bottom seismometers to detect a number of low-frequency tremors (LFTs) immediately after the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake in the northern periphery of its aftershock area. The near-field observation clearly distinguished LFTs from regular earthquakes based on their spectral shape in the frequency band of 1–4 Hz. In addition to the LFTs accompanied by known very low frequency earthquakes (VLFEs), more than 130 LFTs without known VLFE activity were detected during April–October, 2011. The newly detected LFTs were in the vicinity of a sequence of small repeating earthquakes indicating mixed distribution of LFTs and regular interplate earthquakes in the region. The LFTs and repeating earthquake activities show a periodicity of 60–100 days, which is similar to that of the LFT activity in the later period (2016–2018). This suggests that the LFT activity is modulated by sustained background aseismic slip events throughout the postseismic period of the 2011 mainshock.