Directors

Osamu Fujiwara (Director)
Kazutoshi Imanishi (Deputy Director)

My research interests focus on investigating stress state at depth based on microearthquake observation and data analysis. So far, I have primarily investigated the stress accumulation process of inland earthquakes, the generation mechanism of non-volcanic deep tremor, and developed a method for estimating absolute crustal stress. Together with developing these studies, I aim to elucidate the generation mechanism of earthquakes step by step through discussions with group member and the people who possess various skill and background.

https://researchmap.jp/imani

Yoshihiro Ishizuka (Deputy Director)
Yukari Miyashita (Associate Manager)
Osamu Ishizuka (Prime Senior Researcher)
Hiroshi Shinohara (Invited Senior Researcher)

My main interest is to understand eruption and degassing processes based on surveillance of volcanic gases and volatiles in magmas. I recently developed Multi-GAS (a portable instrument to measure volcanic gas composition) and applied to active degassing plumes of various volcanoes in many countries as well as to conduct continuous monitoring. We evaluate the volcanic activity and model eruption and degassing processes based on the spatial and temporal variation of the volcanic gases. We also investigate volcanic activity with hydrothermal system based on the surveillance of fumarolic gases.

HP: Magmatic Activity Research Group

Koji Masuda (Invited Senior Researcher)

I am studying on earthquake generation and faulting processes based on high-pressure and high-temperature experiments in the laboratory. My research interests include experimental rock deformation, effects of water on rock deformation, earthquake mechanics, and high-pressure mineralogy.

Akikazu Matsumoto (Invited Senior Researcher)
Takahiro Yamamoto (Invited Senior Researcher)

I focus on research in reconstruction of paleoearthquake events of major active faults in Japan to evaluate earthquake potential caused by the faults. I also try to develop a new fault activity evaluation method using mineral, chemical and textural features of fault gouges. My final research target is to understand evolution process of active faults through overlap relation analyses of geological structures and fault rocks from middle crust (seismogenic zone) to land surface.

Tsutomu Kiguchi (Career Expert)

Since 1989 I have been working in the field of measurement and interpretation of borehole geophysical data, for example, Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP), geophysical logging and rock stress. My current interests include estimating crustal stress orientation at shallow depth from borehole creep deformation just after drilling.

Nobuo Matsushima (Career Expert)