2011 Sendai earthquake and Tsunami in Japan

2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami

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Date: March 11, 2011 (2011-03-11)
Origin time: 05:46:23 UTC (2:46 p.m. JST)
Magnitude : 8.9 Mw
Depth : 15.2 mi (24 km)
Epicenter location : 38°19′19″N 142°22′08″
Type : Earthquake resulting in a Tsunami
Countries or regions affected : Japan
Total damage : Unknown
Tsunami : Yes
Landslides : No
Aftershocks : At least 24 (13 above 6.0 Mw)
Casualties : At least 26 dead, several missing[1]

The 2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami was an 8.9-magnitude earthquake and resultant tsunami waves.[2] It was measured at 7 on the JMA seismic intensity scale in the northern Miyagi prefecture, while the Japan Meteorological Agency's tsunami warning listed the magnitude as 8.4.[3][4] Reportedly, the epicenter was located off the east coast of Tohoku, Japan on Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46 UTC (2:46 p.m. local time) at a depth of 24.4 kilometres (15.2 mi).[5]

The magnitude of 8.9 makes it the largest earthquake to hit Japan in recorded history[2] and the 7th largest in the world since records began.[6]

Earthquake

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The refinery fire at Ichihara, Chiba

The earthquake occurred 130 kilometres (81 mi) east of Sendai, Honshu, Japan. Its epicenter was 373 kilometres (232 mi) from Tokyo, according to the United States Geological Survey. A 7.1 magnitude aftershock was reported 40 minutes following the initial quake.[7] At least twenty aftershocks of magnitude 5.5 or greater have occurred since the initial quake.

Initially reported as 7.9 by the USGS, the magnitude was quickly restated as 8.8 and then 8.9.

The effects of the quake included visible smoke rising from a building in the Port of Tokyo. Shinkansen bullet train services in and out of Tokyo were suspended, though no derailments have happened while Narita and Haneda Airport has both suspended operation after the quake, with majority of flights diverted to other airports until further notice.[8] Various train services around Japan were also canceled.

An oil refinery was set ablaze by the quake at Ichihara, Chiba prefecture to the east of Tokyo.[9]

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has said that nuclear power plants have shut down, but that no radioactive material leaked,[10] although an abnormality at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, and a fire at Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant was reported by Kyodo News.

Tsunami

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In Tokyo

The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning for Japan's Pacific coast and more than 20 countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Russia, Guam, Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Hawaii, Northern Marianas (USA), Taiwan and pacific coastal countries in North, South and Central America including United States, Mexico. Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Peru.[11][12] The tsunami warning issued by Japan was the most serious on its warning scale, implying that the wave was expected to be 10 meters high.[13] A 0.5 meter high wave hit Japan's northern coast.[14] Kyodo news agency has reported a four-metre-high tsunami hitting Iwate Prefecture in Japan. A 10-meter high tsunami was observed at Sendai Airport located near the coast of Miyagi prefecture,[15] which has been flooded, with waves sweeping along cars and buildings as they traveled inland.[16]

Present alert status

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At 9:40 a.m (GMT), a widespread tsunami wave warning is in effect for:

The Northern Marianas
Guam
Wake Is
Northern Taiwan
Yap Island
Marshall Islands
Philippines
Midway Is, Taiwan
Palau
Chuuk Attol
Kosrae Island
Indonesia
northern Papua New Guinea
Nauru
Johnston Is
Northern Solomon Islands
Kiribati
Howland-Baker island
Hawaii
Tuvalu (the 10 metre tsunami is taller than the island)
Palmyra Is,
Vanuatu,
Cook Islands,
Eastern Russia
Niue,
northern Australia,
Fiji,
Wallis and Futuna,
Samoa,
American Samoa,
New Caledonia,
Tonga,
Kermadec Is,
Possibly French Polynesia,
New Zealand,
Easter Island
Possibly Pitcairn Island.

Casualties

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As of 1:13 a.m. (PST) 9.33 a.m. (UTC), Google Person Finder, which was previously used in the Haiti and Christchurch earthquakes, has begun to collect information about survivors and their locations.[18][19] Latest news report by Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) has confirmed a death toll of 26 in six different prefectures.[1]

Destruction

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Based on data from the Japan Meteorological Agency, it is estimated the town of Kurihara has been completely destroyed.[20][21]

References

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# ^ a b NHK TV, March 11, 2011
# ^ a b "Magnitude 8.9 – NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN 2011 March 11 05:46:23 UTC". 11 March 2011. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0001xgp.php. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ "Tsunami Warnings/A dvisories". Japan Meteorological Agency. Japan Meteorological Agency. http://www.jma.go.jp/en/tsunami/. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ "東北を中心に震度7の地震宮城県で4・2メートルの津波建物も流される". MSN産経ニュース. 11 March 2011. http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/110311/dst11031114530002-n1.htm. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ "Tsunami hits north-eastern Japan after massive quake". BBC News. 11 March 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709598. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ "Japan quake – 7th largest in recorded history". 11 March 2011. http://www.3news.co.nz/Japan-quake---7th-largest-in-recorded-history/tabid/417/articleID/201998/Default.aspx. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ "Magnitude 7.1 – OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN". USGS. 11 March 2011. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0001xig.php. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ "Japan issues top tsunami warning after major quake". MediaCorp Channel NewsAsia. 11 March 2011. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1115777/1/.html. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ Japan earthquake causes oil refinery inferno Daily Telegraph, London, 11 March 2011
# ^ "Tsunami Hits Japan After 8.9 Megaquake". Sky News. 11 March 2011. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Japan-Earthquake-Tokyo-Tsunami-Fears-After-79-Magnitude-Quake-Rocks-Buildings-In-Capital/Article/201103215950160. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ "TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 003". Pacific Tsunami Warning Center/NOAA/NWS. 11 March 2011. http://www.weather.gov/ptwc/text.php?id=pacific.2011.03.11.073000. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ By the CNN Wire Staff (26 December 2004). "Tsunami warnings issued for at least 20 countries after quake - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/11/tsunami.warning/index.html. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ "Japan hit by massive earthquake". BBC News. 11 March 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709598.
# ^ "Quake causes many injuries in Japan, tsunami". Reuters. 11 March 2011. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/11/us-japan-quake-idUSTRE72A0SS20110311.
# ^ "10-meter tsunami observed in area near Sendai in Miyagi Pref". The Mainichi Daily News. 11 March 2011. http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110311p2g00m0dm056000c.html. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ "Japan 8.9-magnitude earthquake sparks massive tsunami". Herald Sun. Associated Press. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/japan-on-tsunami-alert-after-another-quake/story-e6frf7jo-1226019884379. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ Cite error: Invalid tag; no text was provided for refs named autogenerated1; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text
# ^ Shinde, Jayesh (11 March 2011). "Google Person Finder for Japan Earthquake/Tsunami launched". PC World. http://www.pcworld.in/news/google-person-finder-japan-earthquaketsunami-launched-46662011. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ "Person Finder: 2011 Japan Earthquake". http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/?lang=ja. (English)
# ^ "Japan Meteorological Agency | Earthquake Information". Jma.go.jp. http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/20110311150154391-111446.html. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
# ^ "Massive 8.9 aftershock / earthquake along the Japanese coast". Earthquake-report.com. http://earthquake-report.com/2011/03/11/massive-earthquake-out-of-the-honshu-coast-japan/. Retrieved 11 March 2011.

External links

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