Title: Fears Grow that Japan Could be Hit by Another Powerful
Earthquake
Source: Arirang News
Date: December 08, 2012
Fears Grow that Japan Could be Hit by Another Powerful Earthquake
Concerns are rising that Japan could be hit by another massive earthquake after a magnitude-7.3 quake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan on Friday. [...]
Japan's Asahi Shimbun reports that aftershocks could continue and warned residents in the northeastern region to exercise caution.
Japan's Defense Science and Technology Institute says the latest tremor is especially alarming, adding an earthquake with a magnitude of eight or over could soon strike the country.
A strong earthquake struck the same Japanese coast that was devastated by last year's massive quake and tsunami, but despite understandable fears it generated only small waves, with no immediate reports of heavy damage.
Was the 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck today (Dec. 7) east of Sendai, Japan, in any way related to last year's enormous, 9.0 earthquake?
It's too early to tell definitively, said U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) geophysicist Jessica Turner, but the quake did happen in the "aftershock zone" of the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake. This zone is an area on the ocean floor that the 2011 quake physically moved and where more than 5,000 aftershocks have been recorded, according to the USGS.
Scientists say it's quite possible for aftershocks to arrive so late. "It's very normal to have aftershocks more than a year later," Turner told OurAmazingPlanet. It's debatable how long aftershocks can occur following earthquakes, however. But last year's monster temblor released so much energy that it wouldn't be surprising if the Earth is still adjusting, Turner said.
In general, such adjustments cause aftershocks, as the earth attempts to "get back to normal," Turner said. "It's going to take a long time for the Earth to get back to the background level of seismicity after last year's event," she said.
Title: Unit 1; Post Quake Reaction & Torus Oddity Indicate Larger Problem
Source: SimplyInfo
Date: December 8th, 2012
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