Seismic activity associated with the 2010 M4.6 Sapporo Earthquake in central Ishikari region, Hokkaido

On December 2, 2010, MJMA4.6 shallow felt earthquake occurred beneath southeastern part of Sapporo city. Three temporal seismic stations were installed near epicentral area. Reliable hypocenter data estimated by double difference procedure with local seismic velocity structure indicated clear southeastern-dipping distribution. Fault plane from focal mechanism estimated from P-wave polarization well agreed with this hypocenter distribution. Geometry of hypocenter distribution was also well consistent with an anticline structure and possible buried active fault estimated for earthquake disaster damage assumption by local government. Recalculation of hypocenters of the 1985, 1990, and 2010 felt earthquakes under equal condition implied that epicentral locations of these three events were approximately same. These facts implied possible stress concentration in epicentral region.