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Ocean Bottom Seismology and Tsunami Lab
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The lab studies earthquakes and tsunamis that originate beneath the sea to get at the true nature of giant earthquakes.
AboutAbout the lab
Tracking seafloor earthquakes and tsunamis
The Ocean Bottom Seismology and Tsunami Lab conducts research aimed at predicting the occurrence of megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis.
Many of the earthquakes that occur on Earth originate beneath the seafloor, and large earthquakes at plate boundaries generate tsunamis that cause major damage.
The lab investigates how they occur using two approaches: offshore earthquake observation with ocean bottom seismometers, and surveys of past and recent tsunamis.
To advance this research, the lab conducts joint research with a variety of researchers and institutions in Japan and abroad.
Key terms
- Megathrust earthquake
- An earthquake caused by a large slip at a plate boundary on the seafloor. It can be accompanied by a large tsunami.
- Ocean bottom seismometer
- A device placed on the seafloor to record ground shaking. It is carried by ship, sunk into the sea, and recovered later.
- Fiber-optic sensing
- A technology that uses the optical fiber cables used for communications as sensors themselves, measuring shaking in fine detail.
NewsLab news
Paper estimating the slip distribution of the 2025 Kamchatka earthquake from tsunami waveforms published in BSSA
Paper using tsunami deposits in Hokkaido to investigate historical tsunamis in the Sea of Japan published in Coastal Engineering Journal
Paper investigating sedimentary layers and crustal structure off Sanriku using fiber-optic observations published in PEPS
The Institute of Seismology and Volcanology held an orientation session on lab assignment for third-year students in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Research team with JAMSTEC and others conducted a second emergency survey cruise aboard the Hakuho Maru in the source region of the Noto Peninsula earthquake
ResearchResearch themes
To approach the prediction of megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis, the lab pursues research with two approaches: offshore earthquake observation using ocean bottom seismometers, and the survey and analysis of tsunamis.
*Illustrative imageExploring where earthquakes originate with ocean bottom seismometers
Through offshore earthquake observation with ocean bottom seismometers, the lab clarifies seismic activity in the regions where giant earthquakes occur, as well as the structure beneath the seafloor. It has also conducted artificial-source seismic surveys using air guns at the Kuril Trench and the Japan Trench.
*Illustrative imageReading the history of giant earthquakes from tsunami surveys
Through surveys and analysis of recent and past tsunamis, the lab investigates how frequently and at what magnitudes giant earthquakes have occurred, seeking to understand how they occur.
*Illustrative imagePredicting tsunamis immediately
The lab also works on developing methods for immediate tsunami prediction using the latest observation networks, and on analyzing tsunami mechanisms. Because tsunami behavior becomes complex in coastal areas, it conducts surveys and observations in addition to numerical computation.
*Illustrative imageCapturing offshore earthquakes with optical fibers
In addition to ocean bottom seismometers, the lab observes earthquakes in sea areas in Japan and abroad using fiber-optic sensing, an observation technique that has attracted attention in recent years. It is also developing new theories and analysis techniques.
MembersFaculty
Members of the Ocean Bottom Seismology and Tsunami Lab consist of faculty, part-time researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorYoshio Murai
- Associate ProfessorYusuke Yamanaka
- Assistant ProfessorShun Fukushima
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Blooms off Japan (MODIS )” MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC / Public domain (cropped)
- Exploring where earthquakes originate with ocean bottom seismometers: “Campagne MAYOBS15 - Préparation des OBS (Ocean Bottom Seismometer) (Ifremer )” Ifremer / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Reading the history of giant earthquakes from tsunami surveys: “Storegga tsunami deposits, Montrose basin (Maryton)” Stozy10 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Predicting tsunamis immediately: “NOAA tsunami warning siren at Ocean Shores” Andrew Kvalheim / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Capturing offshore earthquakes with optical fibers: “RibbonCutout1” Infestor / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Volcanic Activity Lab): “Mount Usu from Shōwa-shinzan ( )” Hiroshi Nakai / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Seismic Observation Lab): “Seismogram at Weston Observatory” Z22 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Seismology Lab): “Ashio Seismological Observatory” Qurren / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics Lab (Genta Mizuta)): “Global Sea Surface Currents and Temperature (hd video) ( )” NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA / Public domain (cropped)
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