A bump on the upper surface of the Philippine Sea plate beneath the Boso Peninsula, Japan inferred from seismic reflection surveys: A possible asperity of the 1703 Genroku earthquake

To reveal a subsurface structure beneath the southern part of the Boso Peninsula, Japan, where the Philippine Sea plate is subducting and great interplate earthquakes associated with the subduction occur repeatedly, we conducted a new seismic reflection survey from March to April 2005 (Boso05). We also reanalyzed old multi-channel seismic (MCS) survey data that had been collected off the Boso Peninsula in 1978 (SK78). We found clear strong reflectors beneath the southern coast of the Boso Peninsula. Since common mid points (CMPs) were distributed widely beneath the study area owing to the design of the receiver and shot lines of Boso05, we selected appropriate directions of stacking lines to get the best image of the dipping reflectors by optimum azimuth search (OAS) processing. We carefully checked the seismic profiles at the intersections of the survey lines to confirm the NNE-dipping configuration of the strong reflectors. These strong reflectors were interpreted as the upper surface of the subducting PHS plate from their locations and the estimated velocities beneath the reflectors. Furthermore, these reflectors revealed a topographic high (bump) beneath the southern coast of the Boso Peninsula where the source fault of the Genroku earthquake of 1703 is thought to be located.