Geophysical Exploration for Strengthening Disaster Resilience

Abstract

　This article is a contribution to the 75th anniversary of the Society of Exploration Geophysics of Japan (SEGJ) on the theme of "Current Status of Application of Geophysical Prospecting to Disaster Prevention". The 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake occurred on January 1st at a depth of 16 km in the Noto district of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, with a magnitude of 7.6 and strong ground motions of JMA seismic intensity 7, tsunamis, and crustal movements were observed. The earthquake caused human casualties, damage to residential buildings, and damage to multiple lifelines. In particular, delays in restoring water outage and road damage have become an issue from the perspective of disaster resilience. This paper discusses the application of geophysical exploration to disaster resilience through the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, focusing on four topics: liquefaction, slope failure and landslides, S-wave velocity structure estimation, and disaster mitigation. Geophysical exploration is an effective technique for disaster prevention and its prediction, but for strengthening disaster resilience, this earthquake suggests that existing geophysical exploration techniques need to be upgraded to adapt to rapid, wide-area surveys and to provide real-time monitoring. In addition, to build a more resilient society through geophysical exploration, persistent efforts must be made to disseminate information and collaborate until the existence of geophysical exploration itself and the knowledge obtained from survey results are rooted as "Indigenous knowledge" in the region, rather than just temporary information sharing.