8.8 M - NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Preliminary Earthquake Report Magnitude 8.8 M
Date-Time 11 Mar 2011 05:46:23 UTC
11 Mar 2011 14:46:23 near epicenter
11 Mar 2011 05:46:23 standard time in your timezone

Location 38.322N 142.369E
Depth 24 km
Distances 130 km (81 miles) E (86 degrees) of Sendai, Honshu, Japan
179 km (111 miles) ENE (68 degrees) of Fukushima, Honshu, Japan
188 km (117 miles) SE (145 degrees) of Morioka, Honshu, Japan
376 km (234 miles) NE (37 degrees) of TOKYO, Japan

Live coverage on News Channels

Oh my god

Ive seen some footage on bbc this morning; their are houses literaly floating away. There hasnt been any news on casualties yet, but i hope their are very few or none at all.

Its just been said on bbs that a roof caved in on a school graduation. words fail. thought are with the people of japan

more footage of the tsunami, its horrible. the japanme government has warned there may be another tsunami on the way. the first one is still going.

Coverage from CNN and ABC

Just seeing the wave keep going and going is incredible. And that the debris its carrying is so thick that a burning house is carried on top, still burning, despite sitting on top of a wall of water.

Just terrible

Just seen some extraordinary footage from Ofunato showing a river of buildings and shipping containers being swept along by the Tsunami.

In Kesennuma City there appears to be a series of fires burning out of control....
Video ....

2012

The footage of the wave crashing over the fields and then coming to a town was astonishing. Cars were going along the highway, reversing and then trying to get away. This must be one of the most astinishing events recorded. The carnage was devastating. I hope that the numbers of dead aren't too great but I don't hold out much hope judging from the footage.

The footage is just jaw dropping...

Awful

I might be going to Japan in the summer

I'm going this summer.

I hope that things get better soon and that the nation recovers.

... Technical question that interests me, for insurance people

In the UK when a property is burnt down or severely damaged, the rebuilding cost excludes the cost of the land as that's retained. However as Christchurch (and I presume this Honshu Coastal one) has shown, land becomes so unstable as a result of liquifaction of the ground in major quakes, and subsequent re-building is impossible.

So are insurance policies in these areas significantly more expensive as in addition to the earthquake risk do they have to account for possible loss of the land too?

Don't worry everybody...

The Twilight cast are okay...

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a...nami-fears.html

It seems the big concern continues to be the Fukushima nuclear plant. The original 3KM 'exclusion zone' placed around the plant, has now been increased to 10KM.

Erm, did you not read what I just put up there ^

The big concern is now over.

I suppose you're right - potentially 1000s dead, a nuclear reactor that experts are struggling to keep under control, and localised aftershocks that are bigger than the biggest Earthquakes that have ever occured in the UK,

But at least grumpy, Sparkle Motion, and Werewolf boy, are all safe

I don't think it's a joking matter. Poor Japan
Sing them better namie.

I just wanted to point out the absurdity of the fact that a website decided to use that as a news story amongst all the awfulness of today.

We get quite a few thousand hits each month from Japan.

All the best wishes to our Japanese pals !!

It's frightening

I've for many years followed these Earthquake events, the United States Geological Survey monitors these globally.

Even during the Boxing Day Indonesian disaster I don't recall one of their 10-degree maps noting in a 24 hour period 131 recorded significant quakes and aftershocks.

Friday's 24 hour period ending 235959, in the zone +-5 Deg N/S and W/E of 140 Deg E, 40 Deg N has recorded that very number.

For those interested here's their scientific analysis of the first of these the M8.9 one ....

more….

EARTHQUAKE.USGS.GOV/EARTHQUAKES
12-Mar-2011 @ 00:29

I'm just totally amazed that the effects of the Tsunami can be felt as far away as here in California, the dock where my dad has his boat has been smashed with wave after wave piling boats on top of boats, we can only count our blessings with these small inconveniences and feel for the poor people of Japan with loss of homes, property and way of life.

Looks as if the situation at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant has got a lot worse, with an explosion being reported along with other reports of the presence of radioactive caesium in the vicinity.

Are we sure that this isn't really being caused by Mothra ?

o fuck.

Actually keep bursting into tears.

Even though I've never been there, Japan is one of my favourite places in the world, in terms of history, culture, food and art.

As you all know, I've been playing videogames all my life, a lot of those come from Japan, so I have had this connection with this beautiful and interesting country size I was 5.

Watching the coverage, I wish there was something I could do to help.

Japan, you have helped me in so many ways, I just wish I could give back at this heart wrenching and devastating time.

Well the Mail seems to want to pin the blame on the Moon .....

here….

WWW.DAILYMAIL.CO.UK/SCIENCETECH
12-Mar-2011 @ 10:20

(acknowledgement link as posted on Facebook by an FMF member)

I doubt that's really had much of an effect, just a lack of understanding of tectonic science.

My friend in Tokyo said aftershocks were every 20 mins or so last night, he's had it pretty bad. He's OK though which is the main thing. Apparently lots of people in Tokyo are starting to get back to normal fairly quick.

Edit...although breaking news about the power plant isn't good

Surely nuclear power in high risk earthquake areas is not such a good idea?

Japanese PM Naoto Kan looks close to collapse in his latest public statement.

Just saw the video of the explosion at the nuclear plant. Bloody hell....

Seems that attempts to reassure the population about the condition of the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant are countered by the authorities making preparations to distribute iodine to residents in the area.

Whether this develops into a Three Mile Island type nuclear incident or further into a Chernobyl time will tell.

This can't develop into a Chernobyl-esque situation. Anyone with a basic rudimentary understanding of the technology in those reactors, should be able to attest to that. Different technology, vastly superior safety systems (had reactors of the same design as the Chernobyl ones been in the area, you'd be looking at a catastrophic disaster by now. That is, on top of the damage already caused by the quake and Tsunami) and a different approach by the Government.

That said, a Three Mile Island type scenario, is already somewhat underway, in terms of the number of people being evacuated.

News reports saying that they've just been hit by another earthquake, magnitude 6, in the last 15 minutes.


EDIT: They're calling it an aftershock.

What's the difference?

What's worrying is that the aftershock took place at Fukushima.

Basically, after an Earthquake, there are always aftershocks. They happen as the fault planes, which have been moved out of place in the initial quake, adjust themselves. There's been a quite a few 6.0 Magnitude aftershocks, that have occured in the last 24hrs.

Edit: As KK pointed out, upto 23:59:59 last night, there had been 131 'significant' Aftershocks recorded.

Aaaaah, right. But, technical terms aside, it just feels like another earthquake, right?

The one they just reported hit the area where the nuclear power plant exploded earlier.

Pretty much yeah - they can occur for a number of days 'post quake', and somtimes are actually more powerful the the 'original' Earthquake. In those instances, the original Earthquake is reclassified as a Foreshock. Somtimes you feel them, sometimes you don't. I've 'felt' an Earthquake, but slept through the Aftershock that occured the following day. To be fair, however, the initial quake was a 4.7 with the aftershock registering at 2.7

Usually the USGS maintain their website within 10 mins of a quake, however they are lagging today ... expected .... their current list is relevant reports is available

here….

EARTHQUAKE.USGS.GOV/EARTHQUAKES
12-Mar-2011 @ 14:20

It's easy to navigate away to see the detail of each report.

... and again at 2212 GMT A Serious Mag6.3 Aftershock occurred at a very shallow depth of 14.3KM only 115kM SE of Sendai. This occurred after a reasonably quiet three hours.

Stats for the 24 hours to
23:59:59GMT / 12 Mar 2011 -

133 Aftershocks recorded by the USGS in the 10-degree Centered area at 40°N, 140°E

Eight of which were M6.0 or greater.

The area pver which these aftershocks are occurring is expanding out eastwards into the Pacific Ocean.

It's the Nuclear meltdown that I'm worried about at this point, that will effect the whole planet.

Now, as well as looking like a second reactor's gonna blow, they're saying with the lack of power stations and damage to lines there's not enough electricity for hospitals etc.

Shocking. Just seems to get worse and worse.

I haven't caught that much of the 'broadcast' news, but the the white elephant in the room, from what I can gather, is the 'big' aftershock. Typically there'll be an aftershock that's 1 degree of Magnitude less than the main Earthquake - so the possibility of a 7.0+ aftershock is still quite possible. Depending on where said Aftershock occurs, it could trigger a second Tsunami.

Who the hell has the brilliant idea of building a nuclear power plant right on the coast in a dangerous area?

To be fair... The reactors have been there for 40 years and are designed to withstand a quake.

The buildings are designed to fall apart but the casings, which house the reactors, are reinforced.

Nippon Hoso Kyokai have opened up live internet feeds worldwide via UStream for the immediate future covering their English Language NHK World News on a 24/7 basis ....

Stream here….

WWW.USTREAM.TV
13-Mar-2011 @ 12:52

For those who have failed to see the announcement at the top of each page..... Here's the link to the UK Red Cross Appeal for Japan

WWW.REDCROSS.ORG.UK

Those in the path of the Tsunami had no real hope .. Watch the waterfront at Mitako ... get swamped and carnage ensue in just 80 seconds ...



Seems that the 'worst is over' with regards to the Nuclear Reactors, according to Professor Patrick Regan a radiation and environmental protection expert from Surrey University, reported on the BBC Breaking page tonight. It seems according to his sources that ALL the power station containment vessels are intact.

Japan as it starts the working week is coming to terms with the consequences of the expected rota power outages announced today.

The economic consequences will become clearer in the coming hours as the Japanese and other Far Eastern Financial Markets open, there's been widespread estimates of the impact, some thinking that losses of up to 5pct could occur. One things certain, with every aftershock during business hours there'll be a hit. Exporters will be hit badly as production has all but ceased temporarily with Toyota and Honda recently announcing a halt.

Thankfully the seismic activity has dropped tonight (UK time), although inevitably there'll be more to come in the weeks ahead.

That footage really does show the incredible power of nature.