Occurred 506 times in the past 3 years… Anything larger than 7 is not expected.
NHK “At least 30 people dead… over 100 injured in 5 prefectures”
On New Year’s Day, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurred on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, Honshu, Japan, and Japanese earthquake experts warned that there is a high possibility that another earthquake of similar magnitude will occur in the future.
The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on the 2nd that since the magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurred on the 1st, 147 earthquakes of magnitude 1 or higher were observed until midnight on the 2nd. The Korea Meteorological Administration urged caution, saying that another earthquake of magnitude 7 or greater could occur within the next week.
In relation to this, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported that seismic activity has become active in the northern part of the Noto Peninsula since December 2020, and that 506 earthquakes of magnitude 1 or higher have occurred by the end of December last year. Last May, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake occurred, and this time, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake and a tsunami occurred.
Experts also expressed concern about additional large-scale earthquakes. Professor Junichi Nakajima of Tokyo Institute of Technology explained, “It is rare for a typical cluster earthquake (a phenomenon in which similar magnitude earthquakes occur in succession) to exceed magnitude 6,” adding, “That means the fault has moved a lot.”
He added, “It is currently unknown whether it is an existing fault known to be located off the Noto Peninsula or a new, unknown fault.”
Professor Takuya Nishimura of Kyoto University’s Disaster Prevention Research Institute said, “It is structurally the same as the earthquakes that have occurred so far on the Noto Peninsula, but I had no idea that an earthquake of this magnitude would occur. It is close to the largest earthquake ever recorded in the East Sea.” .
Professor Fumihiko Imamura of Tohoku University said, “We estimate that a tectonic shift occurred on the sea floor,” and added, “I don’t want you to think that this is the end of the earthquake.”
As a result of Japan’s NHK reporting on hospitals in various regions, it was reported that over 100 people were injured and at least 30 people were dead in five prefectures: Ishikawa Prefecture, Niigaka Prefecture, Fukui Prefecture, Toyama Prefecture, and Gifu Prefecture as of 1 p.m. on the 2nd. .
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.