1 Year Anniversary
Devastating 9.0 Mag Quake
Honshu, Japan
It was a year ago today that the world watched as a very powerful earthquake hit off the coast of Honshu, Japan. What followed was an equally powerful tsunami. Both of these events caused caused significant loss of life and damages throughout Japan. They also started the largest nuclear crisis of modern times as the reactors were near meltdown. The quake and tsunami left 16,000 dead and 3,000 people injured.
Remembering
A moment of prayerful silence was held across the country at 2:46 pm,
the precise time the 9.0 magnitude quake occurred off Japan's Pacific
coast on March 11, 2011. In Tokyo, about 1,200 people, including the Emperor and the Empress,
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and families of the victims, attended
Sunday's ceremony.
In Washington, DC, President Barack Obama said, "As we mark one year
since the catastrophic earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters in
Japan, Michelle and I join all Americans in honoring the memory of the
19,000 victims lost or missing. We continue to be inspired by the
Japanese people, who faced unimaginable loss with extraordinary
fortitude. Their resilience and determination to rebuild stronger than
before is an example for us all."
Lasting Effects
When the earthquake and tsunami struck, Tokyo Electric Power Company's
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant lost off-site power, throwing out
its primary and backup cooling systems. The nuclear fuel overheated despite company efforts to pump first
seawater and then freshwater in to cool it. Hydrogen gas built up and
exploded, blasting open four of the facility's six reactor buildings and
spreading radiation far and wide in air, soil and seawater.
Nuclear meltdowns at three of the six reactors at Fukushima Daiichi went officially unacknowledged for months. The Japanese government ordered everyone within 30 kilometers of the
damaged nuclear plant to evacuate and opened shelters for evacuees in
schools and public buildings.
At today's memorial service in Tokyo, Prime Minister Noda said, "We will
provide all possible support for the affected areas, which are now
trying to revive their hometowns as safer and more livable towns. "We
will do our best to revive Fukushima and recreate a beautiful hometown."
Quakes Continue
Quakes Continue
This region of Japan is prone to earthquakes. In fact, the image included here from the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, isn't from one year ago, but rather from today. A much weaker quake, measuring at Magnitude 4.7 , hit in the same location off the shore of Honshu, Japan. For the people of Japan, it is something that they live with all their lives.
Magnitude 4.7 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 11:08:26 UTC
Earthquake Details
| Magnitude | 4.7 |
|---|---|
| Date-Time |
|
| Location | 38.682°N, 142.577°E |
| Depth | 35.8 km (22.2 miles) |
| Region | NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN |
| Distances | 155 km (96 miles) ENE of Sendai, Honshu, Japan 167 km (103 miles) SE of Morioka, Honshu, Japan 201 km (124 miles) ENE of Yamagata, Honshu, Japan 416 km (258 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan |
| Location Uncertainty | horizontal +/- 17.9 km (11.1 miles); depth +/- 8.1 km (5.0 miles) |
| Parameters | NST= 19, Nph= 19, Dmin=374 km, Rmss=0.94 sec, Gp=220°, M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=7 |
| Source |
|
| Event ID | usb0008exk |
Our continued thoughts and prayers for the people of Japan. May the hopes of the Prime Minister, to revive the area, become a reality.
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