| Aomori Bay West Coast Fault Zone | |
| Other Name: | 青森湾西岸断層帯 Aomoriwan-seigan Dansō-tai |
| Pushpin Map: | Japan Tohoku |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Tohoku |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Country: | Japan |
| Region: | Tōhoku |
| Cities: | Aomori, Yomogita |
| Segments: | Aomori Bay West Fault, Nogiwa Fault, Nyunai Fault |
| Length: | 31km (19miles) |
| Displacement: | 0.4-/1000 years |
| Plate: | Okhotsk (maybe North America) |
| Status: | Active |
| Type: | reverse fault |
| Age: | Miocene-recent |
| Orogeny: | North Kitakami Belt |
The is an active fault zone on the Tsugaru Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture and its capital city, Aomori. It is paralleled to east by the west coast of Aomori Bay and to the west by the Tsugaru Mountains, running from north-northwest to south-southeast on the peninsula, through the city of Aomori, and finally extending south toward the Hakkōda Mountains. The zone is made up of three faults: the Aomori Bay West Fault, the Nogiwa Fault, and the Nyunai Fault. The Nyunai fault is a reverse fault.[1] [2]
No major earthquakes can be directly attributed to the Aomori Bay West Coast Fault Zone during recorded history. There is a history of destructive earthquakes originating in the area, but they could have come from other faults on the peninsula.[3] [4]
It has been estimated that the fault zone could produce an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 Mj. There is a 5-10 percent chance of an earthquake occurring on the zone in the next 300 years.[5]