Earthquake hits Area North of Tokyo Japan

[satori]

Planet Ark
Reuters
JAPAN: December 31, 2004

TOKYO - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5 jolted Japan's Miyagi Prefecture, some 300 km (190 miles) northeast of Tokyo, on Thursday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the quake, which occurred around 10:29 p.m. (1329 GMT), Kyodo news agency reported.

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/28752/story.htm

[Goldeneye]

1. how many earthqaukes have their actually been in the last week?

3?

[teach1st]

3. Lots..

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.html

[pnorman]

4. Counting small ones, quite a few.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.html
pnorman

[WebeBlue]

6. I've gotten 15 notices since I signed up for the alerts on

12-26. For maps, additional information, and subsequent updates,
please consult: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

[Catherine Vincent]

8. I got this from a DUer.

http://www.iris.edu/seismon/

[bloom]

19. That is a great visual....n/t

[shanti]

23. the ring of fire is burning

mother nature is PISSED!

[mrbassman03]

25. Ummm... The ring of fire is always burning...

Hence the name "Ring of Fire"... but I can't tell if you are kidding.

[nashville_brook]

28. they don't call it the Ring of Fire for nothing

but it's still creepy given that we have the antichrist in power here in the US.

(i'm wiating for the sentient razors and the Good Will Hunting screenplay.)

[exploited]

59. Japan is nicely poised on the Ring of Fire

It has some of the most volatile seismic activity on Earth.

Japan also derives about one third of it's energy from nuclear power. It has around 52 reactors... some 'just north of Tokyo'.
http://www.insc.anl.gov/pwrmaps/map/japan.php

Carry on.

[genieroze]

21. around 100

http://www.iris.edu/seismon/last30days.phtml

you count

[WebeBlue]

2. tx, I'm getting updates of new earthquakes from

USGS
National Earthquake Information Center but I didn't get one on earthquake in Japan today...got one yesterday about a quake in Japan.

I need to monitor, live on Pacific coastline, Pacific Rim, and will want to know if Pacific Rim starts having earthquakes.

[satori]

17. Could it be this? TOKYO, Dec. 28- Major earthquake jolts northeast Japan

CHINA VIEW
VIEW CHINA
2004-12-28 21:12:58

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-12/28/content_2389166.htm

TOKYO, Dec. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9 jolted the Chuetsu region in northeast Japan's Niigata Prefecture on Tuesday evening, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the quake, which occurred around 6:30 p.m. (0930 GMT). No tsunami warning was issued.

[Art_from_Ark]

52. That's a different earthquake from the one mentioned in the original post

The earthquake in the original post happened in Miyagi Prefecture (Province), on the Pacific coast. The earthquake in your article happened in Niigata Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast. Both Miyagi and Niigata have experienced destructive earthquakes in the past year or so, with the October 2004 quake in Niigata being the most destructive in Japan since the 1995 Kobe quake.

[Oreegone]

The reason you didn't get one

Is because it only sends them out if they are I believe either 5.0 or 5.5 and this was under that limit. If you got all of them it would take up your mailbox in a hurry.

[Shakespeare]

5. Yikes...I hope this side of the Pacific rim stays quiet....

I'm in the bay area, and have been watching all the seismic activity with great concern. :scared:

[idiosyncratic]

11. I felt an earthquake this morning in San Diego County

Admittedly, it was very tiny, but . . . sure makes one think. :scared:

[NV Whino]

16. Keep your eye on Mt. St. Helens

She's part of the ring of fire.
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/

The camera has frequently been grey or sported large rain drops, but I check in on a daily basis... mostly for the great photo of Mt. St. Helens. (Doesn't show anything at night.)

[classof56]

18. I saw her the other day!

Was driving north on I-5 toward the Olympic Peninsula and for the first time in many years, there was St. Helens in all her glory. Gorgeous sight, and I swear I could see the new dome that she's building with the most recent activity. I won't live to see the "Fuji of the Cascades" again, as she was 25 years ago, but it was just so incredible to see her again. Usually when I'm going that way, she's all covered in clouds and steam.

It was a bright and sunny day so I also got to enjoy Mt. Hood, Rainier, Baker and the entire Olympic Range. A veritable treat for the eyes, but must say, I'm glad I live on the east side of the mountains. The tsunami threat is very scary, and I'm far enough away that I don't think I'll have to contemplate beachfront property any time soon. Just kidding--I hope!

Tired Old Cynic

[Just Me]

20. My son and I camped at all those gorgeous places,...

Washington State is truly a beautiful geographic wonder.

I miss it.

I deviate from the topic,...my apologies.

Tired "Middle-aged" Cynic *smile*

[classof56]

47. Thanks for deviating--no apology necessary!

I spent much of my childhood in Western WA and share your assessment--it is truly a wonder. The drive along Hood Canal the other day...well, now I deviate. Fortunately, I live close enough to travel there now and then. Anyway, thanks for making my day. The last one of the year. Wow! Hard to believe. So now I'm a bit older, "tireder" and sadly, because of Bush & Crowd, my cynicism just keeps growin'. But I tell myself, we must keep the faith and fight on.

Happy New Year!

[Stinky The Clown]

37. I had the wonderful good fortune to fly over her a year or so ago

On a small commuter flight (15,000 ft or so) from Vancouver BC to Portland, OR. It seemed so close you could walk out on the wing and touch it. The sky was clear in late afternoon. A truly breathtaking sight - as is the entire Cascade range.

[classof56]

48. Thanks for sharing!

You were fortunate indeed, to see her from that vantage point on such a gorgeous day. Our Cascade Range is truly wondrous!

I continue to remind myself we have to keep the faith and fight on. A very happy new year to you and Sparkly!

[mrbassman03]

26. Actually no...

The reason there are earthquakes underneath St. Helens is because it is an active volcano, not because it is a plate boundary. I would be much more worried about the subduction of the Juan de Fuca plate underneath the North American plate. A mega-thrust (it's called that) of the plate slipping all at once could produce 9.0 magnitude earthquakes. They occur ever 400-600 years along that plate boundary, and we are approaching that time. So that could happen, but not St. Helens.

This graphic shows the earthquakes along the Juan de Fuca/North American plate boundaries. The deep ones are the ones to worry about.



This one shows the comparison between Rainier and St. Helens. As you can see, the earthquakes are inside the volcano, not on a plate boundary.

[Art_from_Ark]

54. Interesting that the Cascade volcano chain

which runs roughly from Lassen Peak in the south to Mt. Baker near Bellingham, Washington (or perhaps Mt. Garibaldi north of Vancouver B.C.) in the north is roughly parallel to the offshore subduction zone, just like Japan's chain of volcanoes in the northern part of the main island of Honshu is roughly parallel to a subduction zone a couple of hundred miles offshore in the Pacific.

[NV Whino]

60. Nifty Charts

Thanks. However, betcha dollars to donuts if the plates start slipping we're going to see some more volcanic activity. (Didn't mean to infer that the volcano caused the quakes, btw.)

[jmcgowanjm]

49. IMHO you want the earth to move

Regular movement keeps the BigOne from occurring.

Like w/ the New Madrid, no movement since
1812. I expect to see Memphis destroyed
and changes in the Mississippi R-like
moving West or East in the next 20 years.

[Kellanved]

7. a "5" ?

That hardly qualifies as an "real" earthquake in Japan.
We do even get those in Europe, which is widely considered an earthquake-free region.

[nashville_brook]

29. yeah, hardly worth reporting...

we had a 4.x earthquake rattle Nashville a while back and it tossed me out of bed with the WORST feeling of dread. i can deal with tornados, hurricanes (florida native) and almost any other emergency -- but that tiny earthquake really freaked me out. you feel so vunerable when your whole world is shaking!

[apple_ridge]

9. It's a sure sign of

the end times. Panic! Grab your bible and run for the hills! :freak:

[DemoTex]

24. Sure sign? Hell, it is 100-proof proof!

End times are here. Fuck environmentalism .. it doesn't matter in the few days we have. Stoke the war in Mess-O-Potamia. Kill the non-Christians. Oops, might that not get a little messy? Kind of like the good Christian Germans killing the non-Christians (Jews, queers, freaks, Gypsies, political opponents, etc), eh?

[nashville_brook]

30. what was it bushitler said about "history..."

asked how he thought history might judge him and he got real serious (for a chimp) and said, "we'll all be dead."

sounded like he "knew" something.

[foo_bar]

41. that would be a first

sounded like he "knew" something.

[HeeBGBz]

10. This is a good visual of the activity

Seismic Monitor

The Japan area seems to be the next biggest rumbley area. Also in the area near Australia where they had the other 8 pointer two days before the Sumatra quake.

[idiosyncratic]

12. "biggest rumbley area" I like that, as well as your nickname. n/t

[HeeBGBz]

32. Thank you.

[nashville_brook]

33. OMG! that's just freaky!

look at all the activity! it's like the earth is going to birth a new island or something out in the pacific.

hey, new beachfront!

(sorry, totally uncalled-for dark humor)

[jmcgowanjm]

51. Great map, HeeBGBz, but I look to WHemi for next one

Notice how eerily silent, seismicPOV, Mexico,
Chile is.

[satori]

13. Asia Earthquake 'off the chart' even in Ohio

Cincinnati Enquirer, OH
Earthquake 'off the chart' even in Ohio
Thursday, December 30, 2004
By Dan Klepal

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041230/NEWS01/412300377/1056

The shockwaves from the enormous earthquake off the coast of southern Asia last weekend were felt deep below the ground in Ohio.

Ohioans never felt the shuddering ground on the surface, but instruments used by the Ohio Seismic Network recorded subterranean movement for more than six hours after the last quake early Sunday.

[NEOBuckeye]

14. Well, we are sitting on top of the "New Madrid" Fault.

Most Ohioans probably don't even know it, but we apparently do have potential for at least a 7.0 quake sometime within the next 75 years.

[Philostopher]

31. I can't remember exactly when it was,

but there was a serious enough temblor in the New Madrid fault somewhere within the last 100 years (early in the 20th century, I believe) that it recoursed the Mississippi. We've had a couple of temblors that have been felt in Greater Cincinnati in the past twenty years or so. I remember I was watching television one afternoon, in the early '80s, it was summer and the door was open; the panes in the door rattled and a picture fell off the wall. Very strange -- most of us had no idea the New Madrid could affect the area until that happened, and you're right that many people have no idea how serious a New Madrid quake would be.

[nashville_brook]

35. New Madrid Earthquake in 1811-12

the New Madrid Earthquake in 1811-12. It was strong enough to ring church bells in Boston, and the few inhabitants of New Madrid and Caruthersville, Missouri, reported that the earth rolled in waves like the sea and the river flowed upstream. In fact, boats were found on the river banks forty miles upstream of where they had been moored. Most likely the river flowed north for a short time as it rushed to fill a depression that formed to the east of the Mississippi that was nearly 100 miles long, six miles wide and 10 to 50 feet deep. Today Reelfoot lake is located in the lowest portion of this depression.

[Philostopher]

40. That's the stuff I remember hearing about it.

It may have been in history classes in high school, or it may have been anecdotal stuff from my grandmother.

[Art_from_Ark]

56. Sounds like you've got a copy of "Making of a Continent"

one of my favorite PBS series :D

[mrbassman03]

36. Not to be a kill-joy, but the Mississippi has changed course many times...

It's how a river works, it changes. The problem comes when you try to prevent that change. Anyway, earthquakes are common, nothing to get worried about.

[Philostopher]

39. Oh, I know ...

floods have changed the course of the Mississippi over the years, too -- but I remember reading about one of the New Madrid quakes making deviations in the Mississippi, that's all I was saying.

[mrbassman03]

46. Yeah, I know, which is a big deal.

Sorry if the message above was not the nicest, I hadn't eaten and was a bit cranky.

[jmcgowanjm]

53. See atchafalaya oldriverlevee for latest on preventing change

and oxbows.

[brentspeak]

15. Earthquakes are more common than people think

There's usually an average of at least 10-20 earthquakes somewhere in the world every week of the year. Great earthquakes (greater than 8.0 Richter), like the Sumatra one (and the New Zealand one, a few days prior), are the rare ones.

[mrbassman03]

27. Yeah, I was just going to say that...

Look at any map plotting frequency of earthquakes and it makes it a little less scary... they happen all the time.

[Bo]

22. what did you here my blued eyed sun

its a hard and its a hard and its a hard ................

[Hillary08]

38. its a hard rain,....gonna fall

Great song Bo!

[satori]

34. Japan's Top Stories of 2004 -- No. 1: Nature's fury

Mainichi Daily News
Japan's Top Stories of 2004 -- No. 1: Nature's fury
Japan
By Aaron Baldwin,
Dec. 31, 2004

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20041231p2a00m0dm002000c.html

In a year that witnessed one of the world's worst natural disasters when a massive earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed countless numbers of people across Asia, including many Japanese, the fury of nature was also unleashed on Japan in 2004.

Earthquakes ravaged Niigata Prefecture, killer typhoons ripped across the country, floods submerged Fukui Prefecture and a stifling summer heat wave sent the mercury soaring across the nation.

The powerful earthquakes came on the heels of several other natural disasters to hit Japan in 2004. Only days before the first quake, a huge typhoon ripped across Japan, leaving 66 people dead and 20 unaccounted for as of Oct. 21, making it the worst typhoon in 10 years in terms of damage. Evacuation orders were issued to about 290,000 people, and about 17,000 people reportedly evacuated voluntarily.

Overall in 2004, Tokyo experienced a record 68 days in which the temperature rose over 30 degrees Celsius. Forty of those days were in a row -- once again a record. Osaka was baked for longer, recording 89 summer days of 30 degrees Celsius or more, while Kyoto beat both cities, enduring 92 days of midsummer heat.

[Ediacara]

42. Oh man... A 5.1?

Had there not been so much earthquake related news in the last week (all of it important of course), this wouldn't have even made the TOKYO PAPERS!

[Beetwasher]

43. Im currently in Japan!!!

Im in Toyama though so we didnt feel it, I was in Tokyo yesterday though....

[Art_from_Ark]

55. So you missed the Tokyo snow?

It snowed there on the 29th, then it was mostly gone yesterday, then it snowed again today.

Of course, if you're in Toyama, you're probably freezing your butt off in waist-deep snow by now :D

[Beetwasher]

62. Actually, We Got Snow When I Was There!

It snowed a bit the day before too. And yes, Toyama is COLD!!!!!! Brrrrrrr! Lotsa snow here too!

[Art_from_Ark]

63. I know how those Hokuriku winters are

Hope you're keeping warm!

By the way, how is the seismic activity in your part of the Snow Belt?

[Beetwasher]

64. Pretty Quiet

I Hope it stays that way!

[charlie]

44. That ain't doodly

A 5-range earthquake somewhere is almost a part of a day in life in Japan. If you're in the right place at the right time, jolts can be more common than rain. I was in Kanagawa in late 1995 (the year of the Hanshin) when the Izu peninsula was going nuts (10,000 quakes over a 2 month period) and we were getting bounced and shook daily.

[charlie]

45. Haha

And there it is, just got shook by a small one, 5:35 Japan Time. Last one was a few days ago.

[Art_from_Ark]

50. There sure was a whole lot of shakin' going on in Japan in '95

In January of that year, I had some visitors who had come from just north of Kyoto in the northern Kansai region. They had never experienced an earthquake until they came to visit me. They got a rude awakening to seismic instability when an earthquake hit on their first night at my place north of Tokyo. It was only one of those "pipsqueak" 5ers, but my guests were shaken, in more ways than one. Then three days later, they were rudely jolted again by a strong temblor at Atami, a resort town at the beginning of the Izu Peninsula. They they returned to their hometown, only to be jolted out of their futons by the Hanshin/Awaji/Kobe earthquake a few days later.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

57. I was in a 5.1 in Oregon in 1993

That ain't much.

There were a couple of 4's when I was in Tokyo in 2002.

[Art_from_Ark]

58. If you had stuck around Tokyo a few more days

you could have felt a nice 5.3 quake :D

[Art_from_Ark]

61. And if you had been in the Kanto area NOW,

you could have experienced another 5.3 earthquake.

:scared:

According to NHK: 5:14 a.m., January 1 2005 (Japan time). Magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurs off the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture.