#17,844
While some of the more dramatic `video' being posted on Twitter/X purporting to show today's 7.5 earthquake and tsunami is - in fact, archival footage from the 2011 9.0 TÅhoku earthquake - western Japan has apparently seen significant damage and some tsunamis have been reported.
Just as we saw last November with the premature (read: fake) eruption videos out of Iceland, false or misleading posts on social media are nothing new, but they are becoming more pervasive, and with the help of AI; more convincing. Caveat Visum
The USGS Earthquake page shows a cluster of 17 medium to large earthquakes over the past couple of hours in the region (see map below), and there is the possibility of seeing another 7.5 or greater quake in the days ahead.
It will take some time to get accurate damage reports. There is one (currently offline) nuclear power plant (Shika) on the peninsula near the epicenter, which is undergoing inspection for potential damage.
The preliminary (translated) statement from Japan's Meteorological Agency reads:
| Earthquake overview | |
|---|---|
Detection time (time when the earthquake was first detected) | January 1st 16:10 |
| Occurrence time (time when the earthquake occurred) | January 1st around 16:10 |
| magnitude | 7.6 (preliminary value) |
| place of occurrence | Noto region, Ishikawa prefecture (nearly 30km east-northeast of Wajima) Very shallow |
| Anti-corruption agency | Reverse fault type with pressure axis in northwest-southeast direction (Breaking news) |
| seismic intensity | [Maximum seismic intensity 7] Seismic intensity 7 was observed in Shika Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, and seismic intensity 6 upper to 1 was observed from Hokkaido to Kyushu region |
| Seismic activity status as of 17:30 on the 1st | Since 16:00, 19 earthquakes with a seismic intensity of 1 or higher have occurred (intensity 7: 1 time, seismic intensity 5 upper: 3 times, seismic intensity 5 lower: 1 time, seismic intensity 4: 8 times, seismic intensity 3: 6 times) |
| Observation status of long-period earthquake motions | Long-period ground motion class 4 observed in Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture |
| Announcement status of tsunami warnings, etc. (announced at 16:22 on January 1st) | |
| Major tsunami warning | Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture |
| Tsunami warning | Yamagata Prefecture Niigata Prefecture Kaminakagetsu Sado Toyama Prefecture Ishikawa Prefecture Kaga Fukui Prefecture Northern Hyogo Prefecture |
| Tsunami warning | Western Hokkaido Pacific Coast Northern Hokkaido Sea of Japan Coast Southern Hokkaido Sea of Japan Coast Aomori Prefecture Sea of Japan Akita Prefecture Kyoto Prefecture Tottori Prefecture Shimane Prefecture Izumo/Iwami Oki Yamaguchi Prefecture Sea of Japan Coast Fukuoka Prefecture Sea of Japan Coast Northern Saga Prefecture Iki/Tsushima |
A large tsunami has been observed and there is a risk of severe damage. People in coastal areas or along rivers should immediately evacuate to a safe location such as higher ground or an evacuation building. Tsunamis strike repeatedly. Do not leave your safe area until the warning has been lifted.
In areas where the shaking was strong, there is an increased risk of house collapses and landslides, so please pay close attention to future seismic activity and rainfall conditions, and take precautions such as not entering dangerous areas unless there are unavoidable circumstances. Please take care to ensure your safety.
In past cases, 10 to 20% of earthquakes of the same magnitude occurred after a major earthquake, so in areas with strong shaking, people should be careful about earthquakes with a maximum seismic intensity of about 7 for about a week after the earthquake. please. Especially over the next few days, large earthquakes are likely to occur. Additionally, seismic activity has continued in this area for over three years and is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, so please continue to be careful. The shaking of this earthquake was spread over a wider area than before.
For the full text of the document, including figures and tables, please refer to "Full text of document" below.
Over the years we've looked at the earthquake risk in Japan - and other countries (including the U.S.) many times. Like it or not, many of us live on shaky ground. While we await more definitive information, you may with to revisit:
#Natlprep: You Don't Have To Live In A High-Risk Seismic Zone To Need An Earthquake Plan
Japan's Earthquake Preparedness Messaging - Tokyo's X Day
National Tsunami Awareness Week 2023
The Natural Disaster Most People Don't Think About
OSU: Pragmatic Action - Not Fatalism - In Order To Survive The `Big One’
