Source rupture process of the 2016 central Tottori, Japan, earthquake (MJMA 6.6) inferred from strong motion waveforms

The source rupture process of the 2016 central Tottori, Japan, earthquake ( M JMA 6.6) was estimated from strong motion waveforms using a multiple-time-window kinematic waveform inversion. A large slip region with a maximum slip of 0.6 m extends from the hypocenter to the shallower part, caused by the first rupture propagating upward 0–3 s after rupture initiation. The contribution of this large slip region to the seismic waves in the frequency band of the waveform inversion is significant at all stations. Another large slip region with smaller slips was found in north-northwest of the hypocenter, caused by the second rupture propagating in the north-northwest direction at 3–5 s. Although the contribution of this slip region is not large, seismic waveforms radiating from it are necessary to explain the later part of the observed waveforms at several stations with different azimuths. The estimated seismic moment of the derived source model is 2.1 × 10 18 Nm ( M w 6.1). The high-seismicity area of aftershocks did not overlap with large-slip areas of the mainshock. Two wave packets in the high frequency band observed at near-fault stations are likely to correspond to the two significant ruptures in the estimated source model. Graphical Abstract .