Japan has issued its inaugural megaquake warning following tremors yesterday in the region that experienced “one of the world’s deadliest earthquakes” nearly 80 years ago.
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of Japan’s Kyushu Island, close to Nichinan City, at 16:43 local time.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning following a significant seismic event and has taken the extraordinary step of issuing an official advisory regarding a potential “mega-earthquake.”
Submarine surveys in the Nankai Trench, where the Eurasian and Philippine tectonic plates converge, indicate an increased likelihood of a major earthquake in the area.
Historically, earthquakes in the Nankai Trench occur every 100 to 150 years. The last significant event in this zone was in December 1946, registering a magnitude of 8.1 and resulting in 1,300 fatalities.
The Japanese government has issued an official warning about a potential Mega-earthquake
Municipalities have been instructed to ready bomb shelters and residents to secure furniture to the floors, among other precautions. In response to this situation, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has formed a crisis task force of seismologists, reminiscent of the actions taken in the movie about the year 2012.
The Nankai Trench serves as the subduction zone for the Philippine Plate beneath Japan.
Accordingly, it is expected to make an impact right here.
Previous experience for the Japanese the 2011 earthquake
The significant point is that in 2011, on March 9, an earthquake measuring 7.1 struck off Sendai, followed two days later by the catastrophic 9.0 magnitude earthquake that led to well-documented consequences.
Thirteen years ago, Japan’s experience showed that mega-earthquakes are often preceded by smaller tremors. While not all minor quakes lead to larger ones, a significant number do. Consequently, this pattern has prompted alertness among services, research institutions, and Civil Protection agencies.
Mega-earthquakes are essentially heralded in Japan by smaller magnitude earthquakes.
The government’s earthquake research committee estimates indicate that an earthquake with a magnitude of 8 to 9 could generate a wave 30 meters high in the area, potentially resulting in the deaths of approximately 230,000 people and the destruction or fire damage of around 2.09 million buildings.
This situation is extremely serious, and the Japanese are taking it more seriously than ever before, acknowledging the threat for the first time in history. However, questions arise about the source of this information and the references to submarines mentioned by the Daily Mail.
The Nankai Trench is also known as an accretionary prism or wedge, which is created by the material that the upper plate scrapes off the lower plate in the subduction zone.
This prism contains much, particularly vast reserves of methane hydrate that the Japanese are exploiting. With this development come wells, sensors, bathyscaphes, and even astronauts roaming the seabed—ample resources to collect data for forecasting.
