Fumiaki TOMITA Fumiaki TOMITA Fumiaki TOMITA

we can know the world’s first information.

People

TOMITA

1.What kind of the research are you doing?

I study a process of occurrence of large offshore earthquakes, such as the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake, by observing movement of seafloor. Although it is known that large crustal deformation occurs due to the occurrence of a large earthquake, characteristic crustal deformation called “postseismic deformation” also occurs after the earthquake." Detail analysis of the postseismic deformation provides us valuable information on the plate interface and on the underground geophysical structure. Thus, it is quite important to observe the postseismic deformation for developing the assessment of seismic hazard. Meanwhile, in order to detect deformation due to earthquakes occurred in offshore regions, it is important to observe near the epicenters by deploying the observation instruments on the seafloor. Therefore, our research group engages in seafloor geodetic observations; especially, I focus on precisely detecting the postseismic deformation following the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake on the seafloor.

2.What is the reason for starting your study?

I had been vaguely interested in natural disasters from news since I was a child, and I wondered “how were the disasters occurred?”, “what should we do for predicting the disasters?”. In spite of such vague interest, I determined to study "geophysics" in Tohoku University as I heard the existence of “geophysics” which is a discipline on studying mechanisms of natural phenomena. Through my activities in the doctoral course, I found a lot of funs of observation activities on research vessels and of discovering new academic results, and I also found importance of our studies for society. Thus, I have had a valuable research life in the laboratory. Although I selected my course by the vague interest, it is good for me to select this course.

3.Message for prospective students

In our research group, to obtain important observation data in offshore regions, we have deployed instruments, and have conducted observations. In such studies focusing on “observation”, since we deal with original data collected by ourselves, we can progress the study based on the information that anybody else knows. Thus, our research has attraction that we can know the world’s first information from the original data. Then, I feel a lot of funs that we can further consider the physical mechanisms from the world’s first information. Although there are many difficulties in the seafloor observations, I think there are much more attractive points in them. I want you to know the interest of “observation” and to feel the funs of “research”.

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