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97585
From: jordan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake
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2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake On 1 January 2024, at 16:10 JST (07:10 UTC), a MJMA7.6 or Mw7.5 earthquake struck 7 km (4.3 mi) north- northwest of Suzu, located in the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. The northeastern tip of the Noto Peninsula has been subject to an earthquake swarm for three years; the earthquake is the largest event in this swarm so far, surpassing a Mw 6.3 event that took place in May 2023. [5] The earthquake was the strongest to hit the Sea of Japan region since 1983. Japan is situated on a convergent boundary between the Pacific, Philippine Sea, Okhotsk and Amurian Plates. Along the island arc's east and southeast coasts, subduction of the Pacific and Philippine Sea Plates occurs at the Japan Trench and Nankai Trough, respectively. The west coast of Honshu, bordering the Sea of Japan, is a north–south trending convergent boundary This boundary between the Amurian and Okhotsk Plates is thought to be an incipient subduction zone, consisting of eastward-dipping thrust faults. Convergent tectonics have been occurring in the region since the end of the Pliocene.[8] Earthquakes and tsunamis are produced on thrust faults that form the boundary, with magnitudes in the range of 6.8–7.9. Major earthquakes and tsunamis along this boundary occurred in 1741, 1833, 1940, 1964, 1983 and 1993, although the origin of the 1741 tsunami remains open to debate. According to a finite fault model released by the USGS, the earthquake rupture extended approximately 200 km (120 mi) from southeast of the Noto Peninsula to Sado Island along a southeast-dipping fault. The zones of the largest slip occurred northeast and southwest of the hypocenter. The latter patch produced the largest displacement of 3.67 m (12 ft) beneath the peninsula. Another zone of slip occurred between the peninsula and Sado Island, producing up to 1.86 m (6 ft) of slip. The fault likely ruptured towards the seafloor The 1983 Sea of Japan earthquake (Japanese: 日本海中部地 震) occurred on May 26, 1983 at 11:59:57 local time (02:59:57 UTC). It had a magnitude of 7.8 on the moment magnitude scale. It occurred in the Sea of Japan, about 100 km west of the coast of Noshiro in Akita Prefecture, Japan. Out of the 104 fatalities, all but four were killed by the resulting tsunami, which struck communities along the coast, especially Aomori and Akita Prefectures and the east coast of Noto Peninsula. Images of the tsunami hitting the fishing harbor of Wajima on Noto Peninsula were broadcast on TV. The waves exceeded 10 meters (33 ft) in some areas. Three of the fatalities were along the east coast of South Korea (whether North Korea was affected is not known). The tsunami also hit Okushiri Island, the site of a more deadly tsunami 10 years later. |
97587
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake
URL: https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/powerful-earthquakes-leave-at-least-four-dead-18584314.php
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Powerful earthquakes leave at least 55 dead, destroy buildings along Japan's western coast By HIRO KOMAE and YURI KAGEYAMA, Associated Press Updated Jan 2, 2024 7:43 a.m. People walk past collapsed buildings following an earthquake in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. A series of powerful earthquakes in western Japan damaged homes, cars and boats, with officials warning people on Tuesday to stay away from their homes in some areas because of a continuing risk of major quakes and tsunamis. (Kyodo News via AP) WAJIMA, Japan (AP) — A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan have left at least 55 people dead and damaged thousands of buildings, vehicles and boats. Officials warned Tuesday that more quakes could lie ahead. Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas a day after a magnitude 7.6 temblor slammed the area. Damage was so great that it could not immediately be assessed. Japanese media reports said tens of thousands of homes were destroyed. Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said 17 people were seriously injured and gave a slightly lower death toll, saying he was aware of the prefecture's tally. Water, power and cell phone service were still down in some areas. Residents expressed sorrow about their uncertain futures. "It’s not just that it’s a mess. The wall has collapsed, and you can see through to the next room. I don’t think we can live here anymore,” Miki Kobayashi, an Ishikawa resident, said as she swept around her house. The house was also damaged in a 2007 quake, she said. Although casualty numbers continued to climb gradually, the prompt public warnings, relayed on broadcasts and phones, and the quick response from the general public and officials appeared to have limited some of the damage. Toshitaka Katada, a University of Tokyo professor specializing in disasters, said people were prepared because the area had been hit by quakes in recent years. They had evacuation plans and emergency supplies in stock. “There are probably no people on Earth who are as disaster-ready as the Japanese,” he told The Associated Press. Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. Katada warned the situation remains precarious and unpredictable. The March 2011 quake and tsunami in northeastern Japan had been preceded by other quakes. “This is far from over,” Katada said. Predictions by scientists have repeatedly been proven wrong, such as with the 2016 quake in southwestern Kumamoto, an area previously seen as relatively quake-free. “Having too much confidence in the power of science is very dangerous. We are dealing with nature," Katada said. Japanese media's aerial footage showed widespread damage in the hardest-hit spots, with landslides burying roads, boats tossed in the waters and a fire that had turned an entire section of Wajima city to ashes. Japan’s military dispatched 1,000 soldiers to the disaster zones to join rescue efforts, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday. “Saving lives is our priority and we are fighting a battle against time,” he said. “It is critical that people trapped in homes get rescued immediately.” A quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook the Ishikawa area as he was speaking. Quakes continued to rock the area, reaching more than 100 aftershocks over the past day. Nuclear regulators said several nuclear plants in the region were operating normally. A major quake and tsunami in 2011 caused three reactors to melt and release large amounts of radiation at a nuclear plant in northeastern Japan. On Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu, as well as for the northern island of Hokkaido. The warning was downgraded several hours later, and all tsunami warnings were lifted as of early Tuesday. Waves measuring more than one meter (3 feet) hit some places. Still, half-sunken ships floated in bays where tsunami waves had rolled in, leaving a muddied coastline. People who were evacuated from their houses huddled in auditoriums, schools and community centers. Bullet trains in the region were halted, but service was mostly restored by Tuesday afternoon. Sections of highways were closed. Weather forecasters predicted rain, setting off worries about crumbling buildings and infrastructure. The region includes tourist spots famous for lacquerware and other traditional crafts, along with designated cultural heritage sites. U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that his administration was “ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people.” ___ Kageyama reported from Tokyo. Videographer Richard Columbo contributed from Wajima. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on X https://twitter.com/yurikageyama |
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97586
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake
| thanks jordan! |
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