Japan is the Latest Country to Be Hit by a Huge Earthquake
The Pacific Ring of Fire Has Been Highly Active so Far in 2011
Only weeks after the devastating earthquake that hit Christchurch in New Zealand, a staggering 8.9 tremor occurred on 11th March off the island of Honshu in Japan, triggering a 30 foot high tidal wave that swept away cars as it washed inland, and causing buildings to catch fire and collapse.
According to the BBC , the effect of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake was 8,000 times stronger than the one that hit Christchurch, and some early video that was released showed people in an office building struggling to hang on to their desks as their building rocked with the force of the tremor.
It was in some ways fortunate that the earthquake struck at 2:26pm local time, so that people were generally at work and not caught at home sleeping, especially given the force of the tsunami. Some amazing aerial footage (see HERE ) showed the tidal wave rushing inland at a tremendous pace.
A succession of tremors began on Wednesday 9th March, beginning with a 7.2 magnitude, followed by a number of others ranging from 5.0 to 6.0. A strong 6.5 tremor also hit Papua New Guinea, while a succession of weaker ones were felt as far away as the Aleutian Islands off Alaska.
More tremors were felt around what is commonly referred to as the Ring Of Fire on Thursday, with milder tremors again off the coast of Honshu, as well as a 6.5 magnitude off the island of Bali, and some smaller tremors off the islands of Hawaii.
Friday's 8.9 earthquake was followed 20 minutes later by a 6.4 magnitude tremor, , another 6.4 just a minute later, and a 6.8 magnitude just 8 minutes after that.
Eleven further shocks with a magnitude greater than 6.0 have been felt in the area in the following four hours, with a succession of other tremors between magnitude 5 and 6.
The US Geological Survey web site shows a complete list of recent earthquakes as they happen, and it's a really enlightening view of just how common earthquakes are, and where they occur. The Iris Seismic Monitor site shows a map pinpointing the locations of recent earthquakes and their magnitude, and this really brings the significance of the Pacific Ring Of Fire to life.
The problem with earthquakes like the one off the coast of Japan is that they can trigger tsunamis, huge tidal waves that can travel at up to 500 miles per hour, washing away everything in their path.
The islands of Japan felt the force of a wave that was up to 30 feet high today, while the island of Taiwan was also affected.
Tsunami warnings have been issued for more than 20 countries around the Pacific, from Australia and New Zealand, to Russia, Indonesia, Micronesia, Polynesia and of course the islands of Hawaii, with evacuation orders being sent for both Hawaii and the Philippines.
Warnings have also been issued for the Americas, all the way from Alaska, Oregon and California, to Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Costa Rica further south.
As the news unfolds, we can only hope that the size of the tsunami is reduced as it travels across the vast expanse of ocean, since many smaller islands and atolls are barely more than a few feet above sea level.
It is important to understand that even if a tidal wave is only a few feet in height, with it traveling at hundreds of miles an hour, the force and damage from this can still be very significant.
Sources:
Published by Tony Payne
Tony Payne is a freelance writer who lives on the South Coast of England with his wife Debbie. He has worked in the IT Industry all his life, and has been writing on various sites for the last 10 years. T... View profile
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26 Comments
Post a CommentThank you for sharing your thoughts!
This keeps getting worse and worse.
A catastrophe in so many ways. Good reporting Tony.
The past few days have been horrific; we've been watching the updates this morning. It is all very scary and tragic news. A good report Tony.
I'm reading this a day late, and the earthquake-created tsunami also reached the other side of the Pacific and hit California, but with less destruction.
Praying for recovery.
Apparently already the after shocks are up to over 100! This is just devastating.
I have been transfixed by this all day... Thanks, Tony.
Very tragic incident and thanks for your update.
NOT A GUEST - Excellent report, Tony. It is just horrifying to watch on TV news coverage here in Australia. A lot of Aussies work there teaching English and we are sure to have loss of life of our citizens.