Small tsunami hits Japan after (7.1 magnitude) quake

[TheWraith]

Source: MSNBC

TOKYO - A strong earthquake struck Japan early Sunday, killing at least one person, violently shaking buildings and triggering two very small tsunamis that hit the coast, officials and media reports said.

The quake hit shortly before 10 a.m. off the north coast of Ishikawa prefecture (state), Japan’s Meteorological Agency said. It had a preliminary magnitude of 7.1. A small tsunami of 6 inches hit shore around 10:18 a.m., public broadcaster NHK said. A second tsunami of similar size hit minutes later down the coast.

Television footage from the quake zone showed buildings shaking violently for about 30 seconds.

NHK reported one woman died and 40 were injured.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17778044/

[silverweb]

1. Okay, dumb question.

How do you differentiate a "small tsunami of 6 inches" from any other little ol' wave?

:shrug:

[Jamastiene]

2. with a tsunami, the ocean pulls back first, exposing

much more of the sand below first. With a wave, there isn't as much pullback of the entire body of water. I think that's how. Don't know for sure though. :shrug:

[silverweb]

4. Even for a 6-inch wave?

I mean, come on... 6 inches??

Picture it. That's smaller than baby pool waves, for cryin' out loud.

That's the part I just can't get, trying to figure how they differentiate that as a "small tsunami" wave.

[Jamastiene]

5. I was only guessing.

Honestly, I was hoping someone would come and correct me and answer the question for both of us. Like I said, I really don't know the correct answer.

[silverweb]

13. Chascaz explained it best.

See post #9 below.

:hi:

[Art_from_Ark]

7. In the Japanese scientific usage of the word, "tsunami" can be any sea wave

that is induced by an earthquake, whether it's 6 inches or 60 feet high by the time it reaches shore.

[silverweb]

14. Thanks, Art!

I'm learning....

:hi:

[chascaz]

9. a tsunami or "tidal wave" is like a sudden...

change in the tide, associated with an underwater "event" such as an earthquake or an underwater landslide. So, it's really more like a 6" rise/fall in the tide, rather than what you would say looks like a "wave". When a tsunami is large enough, it does produce a "wave", though. Though I'm not a seismologist, I do work on a network of seismic stations as an electronics technician. I hope that helps explain it.

Peace - :)

[silverweb]

12. Thank you.

That does explain it better!

:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Ok are we having any watches et al?

[Art_from_Ark]

8. Ishikawa (where the earthquake struck) is on the "other side" of Japan

across from Korea. There's no chance of the tsunami reaching the US coast.

[NJCher]

6. some guy on Coast to Coast

Was predicting this just a few days ago. Michael Shedlock. I was hoping to be able to discount his predictions since he had a lot to say on economics that I didn't want to hear.

This is his web site:

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/

Again, though, I'm not 100% sure this was the guy--but about 95% sure this man said an earthquake would hit Japan.



Cher

[Art_from_Ark]

10. Saying an earthquake will hit Japan

is like saying a hurricane will hit Florida.

[NJCher]

11. oh sure

But I'm pretty sure he said in the next week to 10 days.



Cher