Fusakichi Omori

Japanese: 大森房吉 - おおもり・ふさきち

Year of death: November 8, 1923
Year of birth: September 15, 1868 (October 30, 1868)
A Meiji and Taisho period seismologist. Born in Fukui. Graduated from the Department of Physics at the Faculty of Science, Imperial University in 1890. Studied earthquakes and meteorology at graduate school. Became a member of the Earthquake Disaster Prevention Research Committee when it was established in 1902. After studying abroad in Germany and Italy, he became a professor of seismology and devoted himself to seismology research for the rest of his life. During this time, he not only traveled to survey earthquakes in Japan but also major earthquakes overseas, and often attended international conferences as a representative of Japan. He published more than 200 survey reports and academic papers on these topics, both in Japanese and Western languages. One of his representative works from that time is Lectures on Seismology (1908). His achievements in seismology include: 1) the invention of the Omori-type seismometer and the microtremor meter; 2) the discovery of earthquake zones; 3) the relationship between initial tremors and epicenter distance (Omori formula); 4) the formula for aftershock frequency; 5) research on tides and tsunamis; and 6) vibration measurements of buildings (earthquake resistance tests). The work of Akitsune Imamura, a junior seismologist who assisted Omori, was also significant. Although they were on opposing sides in the debate over earthquake prediction theory, his achievements in systematizing the theory were great. The seismology established under Omori's leadership gained even more valuable and substantial data following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, which contributed to the development of seismology in Japan. He learned of the tragic news of the Great Kanto Earthquake while attending the Pan-Pacific Scientific Congress in Australia, and collapsed on the ship returning home in a hurry, dying the same year. <References> Yoichiro Fujii, Seismology in Japan

(Iino Sadao)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：大正12.11.8(1923)
生年：明治1.9.15(1868.10.30)
明治大正期の地震学者。福井の生まれ。明治23(1890)年帝大理科大学物理学科を卒業。大学院で地震および気象学を専攻。25年震災予防調査会設立とともに委員となる。ドイツ,イタリアに留学後,地震学教授となり終生地震学研究に専念する。この間,国内地震はもとより海外の大震災にも出張踏査したのをはじめ日本代表としてしばしば国際会議にも出席する。これらの調査報告および学術論文は和欧文を含めて200編以上にのぼる。当時を代表する著作に『地震学講話』(1908)がある。地震学上の業績に①大森式地震計,微動計の考案②地震帯の発見③初期微動と震源距離との関係(大森公式)④余震頻度の式⑤潮位,津波の研究⑥建築物の振動測定(耐震試験)などがあげられる。大森を助けた後輩の地震学者今村明恒の働きも大きく,地震予知説論争では相対立したが,体系をととのえた功績は大きい。大森を中心に樹立された地震学は,大正12(1923)年発生した関東大震災によりさらに多くの貴重な実質的資料が得られ,日本の地震学を発展させた。オーストラリアでの汎太平洋学術会議に出席中に関東大震災の悲報を知り,急ぎ帰国の船中で倒れ,同年死去。<参考文献>藤井陽一郎『日本の地震学』

(飯野貞雄)

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