Study on Factors Influencing Co-seismic Deformation of Major Earthquakes: Examples from the 2008 Wenchuan Mw 7.9 Earthquake and the 2011 Tohoku Mw 9.0 Earthquake

Summary Quantitative co-seismic deformations by major earthquakes are of great scientific significance for understanding seismic mechanisms, disaster assessment, crustal deformation, and improving engineering applications. The 2008 Wenchuan MW 7.9 earthquake and the 2011 Tohoku MW 9.0 earthquake are typical examples of intraplate and interplate strong earthquakes, respectively, causing intense co-seismic deformation and significant loss of life and property. This research quantitatively examines the characteristics and differences of co-seismic deformation from these two earthquakes. Based on this, we analyze the influence of different seismic mechanisms, fault dip angles, and fault depths on co-seismic deformation of major earthquakes, thus enhancing the understanding of co-seismic deformation.