A massive earthquake has hit the north-east of Japan, triggering a tsunami that has caused extensive damage.
Japanese television showed cars, ships and even buildings being swept away by a vast wall of water after the 8.9-magnitude earthquake.
Earthquake Details
- This is a computer-generated message — this event has not yet been reviewed by a seismologist.
| Magnitude | 8.9 |
|---|---|
| Date-Time |
|
| Location | 38.322°N, 142.369°E |
| Depth | 24.4 km (15.2 miles) set by location program |
| Region | NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN |
| Distances | 130 km (80 miles) E of Sendai, Honshu, Japan 178 km (110 miles) E of Yamagata, Honshu, Japan 178 km (110 miles) ENE of Fukushima, Honshu, Japan 373 km (231 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan |
| Location Uncertainty | horizontal +/- 13.5 km (8.4 miles); depth fixed by location program |
| Parameters | NST=350, Nph=351, Dmin=416.3 km, Rmss=1.46 sec, Gp= 29°, M-type=”moment” magnitude from initial P wave (tsuboi method) (Mi/Mwp), Version=A |
| Source |
|
| Event ID | usc0001xgp |
How to measure earthquakes
There are thousands of earthquakes around the world each year, but only a few cause serious damage.
 |
| Earthquakes are measured in magnitude, on a scale ranging from micro to great. A magnitude of 6.0 and above is classified as strong and can cause severe damage, like the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand.The largest earthquake in recent years was in Sumatra in 2004. It measured 9.3 and triggered the devastating Asian tsunami. |
The figures above seek to measure an earthquake in terms of the energy it releases.
The scale used to measure earthquakes is unusual. For example, the difference in strength between an earthquake of magnitude 5 and magnitude 6 earthquake is much more dramatic than a rise of just one unit would suggest.
In fact, a magnitude 6 earthquake possesses 32 times more energy than a magnitude 5 quake, as seismologists use a logarithmic scale to record these natural disasters.
This means that a gap of two steps, from 5 to 7, represents an earthquake nearly 1,000 times stronger.
Quakes likely to cause the most destruction measure 7.0 and above.
The 2004 earthquake which triggered the Asian tsunami was the third biggest quake since 1900. It measured 9.3.
There are an estimated 20 major quakes in the world every year according to the US Geological Survey.
The 2010 Haiti quake measured 7.0 and because the epicentre was so close to the ill-prepared capital, Port-au-Prince, the damage was severe, and over 200,000 people died as a result.
The death toll in Haiti is in stark contrast to the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile in February 2010 where less than 1,000 people died.
Chile has a long history of strong earthquakes. The largest recorded earthquake took place there in 1960. It measured 9.5 and was also followed by tsunamis.
About 1,655 people were killed – it’s thought the casualties were comparatively light because there were a number of warning shocks that sent people running out of their homes before the main quake.
Full article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709598
A massive earthquake has hit the north-east of Japan, triggering a tsunami that has caused extensive damage.
Japanese television showed cars, ships and even buildings being swept away by a vast wall of water after the 8.9-magnitude earthquake.
The quake has sparked fires in several areas including Tokyo, with at least 15 people reported dead.
It struck about 250 miles (400km) from the capital at a depth of 20 miles. There have been powerful aftershocks.
The tremor hit at 1446 local time (0546 GMT). Seismologists say it is one of the largest earthquakes to hit Japan for many years.
A tsunami warning was extended across the Pacific to include the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hawaii, the Pacific coast of Russia and North and South America.
Strong waves hit Japan’s Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, officials said, damaging dozens of coastal communities. Kyodo news agency said a 10-metre wave (33ft) struck the port of Sendai in Miyagi prefecture.
Japan’s NHK television showed a massive surge of debris-filled water sweeping away buildings, cars and ships and reaching far inland.
Motorists could be seen trying to speed away from the wall of water.
Farmland around Sendai was submerged and the waves pushed cars across the runway of the city’s airport.
Kyodo said at least 15 people had been killed in the earthquake and tsunami. It was believed the death toll could rise significantly.
Deadliest earthquakes
26 Dec 2004, Sumatra, Indonesia: 9.1 quake and tsunami kills 227,898 across Pacific region
12 Jan 2010, Haiti: 222,570 killed, 7.0
12 May 2008, Sichuan, China: 87,587 killed, 7.9
8 Oct 2005, Pakistan: 80,361 killed, 7.6
20 June 1990, Manjil, Iran: 40,000 killed, 7.4
26 Dec 2003, Bam, Iran: 31,000 killed, 6.6
16 Jan 2001, Gujurat, India: 20,023 killed, 7.7
17 Aug 1999, Izmit, Turkey: 17,118 killed, 7.6
30 Sep 1993 Latur, India: 9,748 killed, 6.2
16 Jan 1996, Kobe, Japan: 5,530 dead, 6.9
Source: USGS
The earthquake also triggered a number of fires, including one at an oil refinery in Ichihara city in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo, engulfing storage tanks.
There were reports of about 20 people injured in Tokyo after the roof of a hall collapsed on to a graduation ceremony.
Residents and workers in Tokyo rushed out of apartment buildings and office blocks and gathered in parks and open spaces as aftershocks continued to hit.
Many people in Tokyo said they had never felt such a powerful earthquake.
In central Tokyo, Jeffrey Balanag said he was stuck in his office in the Shiodome Sumitomo building because the elevators had stopped working.
“There’s no panic but we’re almost seasick from the constant rolling of the building,” he told the BBC.
Bullet train services to northern Japan were halted, rapid transit in Tokyo was suspended and some nuclear power plants automatically shut down.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan said there had been no radiation leaks.
In a televised address, he extended his sympathy to the victims of the disaster and said an emergency response headquarters had been set up.
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