A new opportunity to detect paleo-earthquake events dating back to the past 10 millennia: a record from lacustrine sediment

Bulk density and grain density profiles of the uppermost 90 cm portion of lacustrine sediment from Lake Suigetsu, one of the five major lakes of Lake Mikatagoko, located in central Japan, indicate the occurrence of at least 10 depositional events characterized by anomalously high density spikes. Two events are accompanied by turbidites. The dates of the sedimentary events estimated here are correlated with the occurence of destructive earthquakes since 1100 A.D. Close examination of the sedimentological signatures recorded in the lake sediment and historical literature describing destructive earthquake phenomena provides a new opportunity to detect paleo-earthquake events in a high seismic area having a long history.