Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

FourScore

(9,704 posts)
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 04:01 PM Feb 2012

Earthquake map -- Focus on Japan

Recently I posted an OP titled "Scientists:'Big One' Building Beneath Fukushima" http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002316346 .

I have been keeping a very close eye on events at Fukushima. Today, I ran across two excellent earthquake maps from 2011. One is worldwide and the other focuses on Japan. They are astounding. Watch what happens after March 11, 2001. Unfortunately, neither contains any data from 2012. In the last 6 weeks, the seismic activity around Fukushima has been remarkable. Just today, there was a report of 4 quakes near Fukushima within 90 minutes -- 2 of them registered at 5.1: http://enenews.com/4-quakes-90-minutes-fukushima-began-several-hours-after-intensity-5-quake-ibaraki. All of the reactors at Fukushima are of concern, but especially Reactor 4 which is already leaning and ready to collapse.

In any case, watch the maps...They are incredible.








21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Earthquake map -- Focus on Japan (Original Post) FourScore Feb 2012 OP
Fascinating HillWilliam Feb 2012 #1
So what are the odds of another monster quake in the Fukushima area? seeviewonder Feb 2012 #2
Scientists believe it is imminent. FourScore Feb 2012 #3
Another "BIG" one would be bad indeed. PearliePoo2 Feb 2012 #4
What do you consider a "monster quake"? Art_from_Ark Feb 2012 #10
I am in no way a seismologist seeviewonder Feb 2012 #13
To put things into perspective... Art_from_Ark Feb 2012 #14
That amount in such a short time looks statistically significant. seeviewonder Feb 2012 #15
The magnitude scale is logarithmic, while the Japanese intensity scale is not Art_from_Ark Feb 2012 #17
This post is very illuminating. FourScore Feb 2012 #21
Awesome presentation. Yavapai Feb 2012 #5
USGS maps showed well over 160 quakes prior to the March 11th quake FogerRox Feb 2012 #6
Amazing statistics and graphing... Yooperman Feb 2012 #7
As someone who is living in Japan, Art_from_Ark Feb 2012 #11
That is good to hear... Yooperman Feb 2012 #18
The problem, geologically speaking, with Japan Art_from_Ark Feb 2012 #19
Here is a link to a Japan Quake Map. PufPuf23 Feb 2012 #8
Excellent link! FourScore Feb 2012 #9
Amazing stuff. n/t greytdemocrat Feb 2012 #12
I think the seismic activity around the reactor area was much worse last March and April Art_from_Ark Feb 2012 #16
A few things I noticed davidpdx Feb 2012 #20

HillWilliam

(3,310 posts)
1. Fascinating
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 04:19 PM
Feb 2012

fizz...fizz...fizz then BAM! I jumped in my seat. Well worth a watch if longish. That's a lot of information to present.

seeviewonder

(461 posts)
2. So what are the odds of another monster quake in the Fukushima area?
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 04:33 PM
Feb 2012

In the near future? Possibly a few years out?

PearliePoo2

(7,768 posts)
4. Another "BIG" one would be bad indeed.
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 05:02 PM
Feb 2012

Reactor 4 would be in serious jeopardy as it's already leaning. It has the spent fuel rods. All bets are off if that little "collection" is unleashed.
I'm not aware if it has been shored up or stabilized. I don't think they can get into it to do much work.

Art_from_Ark

(27,247 posts)
10. What do you consider a "monster quake"?
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 11:51 PM
Feb 2012

In the days and weeks following the huge March 11 earthquakes, the Fukushima Dai-ichi area experienced many aftershocks in the M6-M7 range, including this M7.1 quake that occurred exactly 1 month after the March 11 quakes and whose epicenter was just 20 miles or so from the complex:

http://typhoon.yahoo.co.jp/weather/jp/earthquake/20110411171600.html?c=2

seeviewonder

(461 posts)
13. I am in no way a seismologist
Mon Feb 20, 2012, 12:26 AM
Feb 2012

but by "monster" I mean a quake that has a wide-reaching social impact like last March. It doesn't necessarily need to have a large numerical magnitude. Maybe it was a bad choice of words on my part.

Art_from_Ark

(27,247 posts)
14. To put things into perspective...
Mon Feb 20, 2012, 01:00 AM
Feb 2012

Here is a list of all earthquakes recorded with an epicenter in the Fukushima "Hamadori" region (including the Dai-ichi complex) since June 2004. Of the 687 such earthquakes recorded since then, all but 24 have occurred after the March 11 megaquake.

http://typhoon.yahoo.co.jp/weather/jp/earthquake/list/?e=251&sort=1&key=1&b=601

Two things to note here:
The numbers in the second column from the right denote the magnitude; the numbers in the column farthest to the right denote the Japanese seismic intensity. From my own experience, 3 is a little unsettling, 4 implies that things can fall off of shelves, and 5 and above can cause varying degrees of damage. A level of 6 can result in widespread damage, while 7, the highest rating, is catastrophic.

The data in the list I link to only include earthquakes that have had an epicenter in the immediate area of the Dai-ichi complex. They do not include earthquakes centered in nearby regions such as Fukushima-ken Nakadori, Fukushima-ken Oki, Ibaraki-ken Hokubu, Ibaraki-ken Oki, Miyagi-ken Nambu, and Miyagi-ken Oki (where the Big One was centered). "Oki" refers to offshore/undersea areas, while "-ken" means "prefecture" (like a state).

seeviewonder

(461 posts)
15. That amount in such a short time looks statistically significant.
Mon Feb 20, 2012, 01:05 AM
Feb 2012

Thank you for pointing that out. Also, the magnitude scale is logarithmic, right?

Art_from_Ark

(27,247 posts)
17. The magnitude scale is logarithmic, while the Japanese intensity scale is not
Mon Feb 20, 2012, 01:29 AM
Feb 2012

The Japanese intensity scale refers to the potential for damage. It wasn't clear in my previous post, but the numbers I cited (3,4,5,6,7) there were referring to the Japanese intensity scale.

 

Yavapai

(825 posts)
5. Awesome presentation.
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 05:07 PM
Feb 2012

Having lived most of my life within 10 miles of the San Andreas fault in California, seismology has been one of my strongest interests.

Once, when I worked for the County of Riverside, California, I was sent out with Dr. Kenneth Hudnut, a seismologist for the USGS to
scout out locations to place GPS units at our radio sites. Poor Dr. Hudnut must have found his ears to be bleeding as I was able to ask him a bunch of questions about current findings and theories on the subject.

These videos are really a new way to look at the subject.

Thank you for bringing them to us!

FogerRox

(13,211 posts)
6. USGS maps showed well over 160 quakes prior to the March 11th quake
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 05:12 PM
Feb 2012

in just the 48 hours before the big one.

Information like this cuts thru the BS. KNR

Yooperman

(592 posts)
7. Amazing statistics and graphing...
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 05:14 PM
Feb 2012

You really don't know the scope of the March quake until you see it when compared to the rest of the year. I found it fascinating to how long it takes for the quake level to reach pre-march levels... Thanks for sharing.

All I know is Japan is one messed up area to live.

Art_from_Ark

(27,247 posts)
11. As someone who is living in Japan,
Mon Feb 20, 2012, 12:02 AM
Feb 2012

I can say that most of this country is not as "messed up" as you may think. Much of Fukushima is still in bad shape, but where I am, 100 miles to the south, life has returned pretty much to normal.

Yooperman

(592 posts)
18. That is good to hear...
Mon Feb 20, 2012, 04:51 AM
Feb 2012

I am just amazed how active the movement is on that side of the Pacific...

If you watched the world map... you will see there is a tremendous difference in the number of quakes on the North American side... vs... the Asian side of the Pacific.

Although a "big" one could hit the West Coast at any moment... it looks as though the chance of one hitting Japan again is more likely...

I know the Japanese society is as prepared for the catastrophic quakes as any country, but as seen with this last one... you really can't prevent massive damage when it occurs.

I hope with all the smaller quakes it helps releasing the tension hopefully preventing another one like last years.

Art_from_Ark

(27,247 posts)
19. The problem, geologically speaking, with Japan
Mon Feb 20, 2012, 07:56 AM
Feb 2012

is that Japan is riddled with land-based faults and is straddling several tectonic plates-- that's why it's so seismically active over here. The plates, for example, are constantly pushing against one another, and when there is sufficient pressure in a section, then one of the plates slips, causing an earthquake. This article from the New York Times that was published just after The Big One illustrates this quite well:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/11/world/asia/maps-of-earthquake-and-tsunami-damage-in-japan.html

PufPuf23

(8,687 posts)
8. Here is a link to a Japan Quake Map.
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 06:07 PM
Feb 2012

There have been over 1800 quakes over 4.0 in or near Japan since March 11, 2011.

The map is current.

http://www.japanquakemap.com/

Art_from_Ark

(27,247 posts)
16. I think the seismic activity around the reactor area was much worse last March and April
Mon Feb 20, 2012, 01:24 AM
Feb 2012

when there were numerous "aftershocks" of magnitude 6.0 or higher in the immediate vicinity. Recent activity specific to the Hamadori area of Fukushima (where the reactors are located) has been relatively mild (although much more active than before the March 2011 earthquake).

The impact of the recent 5.1 earthquake centered in northern Ibaraki (the Hitachi area, about 40 miles or so south of the complex) was very local, with a top Japanese seismic intensity level of 5- (possibility of some heavy damage) limited to the Hitachi/Northern Ibaraki area, with the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex registering an intensity of 2 (slightly noticeable shaking).

One thing to bear in mind here is that the "intensity", as it is used in the link you provided, is not the same as "magnitude". There, "intensity" refers to the system that the Japanese use to evaluate the potential for seismic damage. It can be confusing, especially in this case where the maximum Japanese intensity level of 5- coincided with the magnitude of 5.1.

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)
20. A few things I noticed
Mon Feb 20, 2012, 08:34 AM
Feb 2012

And this is very unscientific, there were several large quakes directly to the south of Japan right before the large one. Second, I can't believe how inundated the quakes continued to be even after the major one. It seems like they never really stopped (even if some of them were small ones).

I have been living over in Korea for some time and have felt quakes which happen in Japan. Thankfully we aren't near any fault lines. We do have the North Koreans though.

Edit:

I just watched the world map. Seeing that whole region become so active at once just scares the hell out of me. I wouldn't want to live in Japan, NZ, The Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia or any of those other countries that have big quakes.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Earthquake map -- Focus o...