DEVASTATION: 5 Raw Videos of Japan Disaster

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The 2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami (東北地方太平洋沖地震, Tōhoku Chihō Taiheiyō-oki Jishin?, literally “Tōhoku region Pacific Ocean offshore earthquake”) was an 8.9 to 9.1-MW megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 05:46 UTC (14:46 local time) on 11 March 2011. The epicenter was reported to be 130 kilometers (81 mi) off the east coast of the Oshika Peninsula, Tōhoku, with the hypocenter at a depth of 24.4 kilometers (15.2 mi). It was locally measured at the maximum possible 7 on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale in the northern Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, 6 in other prefectures and 5 in Tokyo.

The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings and evacuations from Japan’s Pacific coast and at least 20 countries, including the entire Pacific coast of North America and South America. The earthquake created tsunami waves of up to 10 meters (33 ft) that struck Japan and many other countries. In Japan, the waves are reported to have travelled up to 10 kilometers (6 mi) inland.

News reports indicate that more than 637 people have died so far and at least 784 are missing in six prefectures.The earthquake caused extensive damage in Japan, including heavy damage to roads and railways as well as fires in many areas, and a dam collapse. Around 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan were left without electricity and 1.4 million without water. Many electrical generators were taken down, and at least two nuclear reactors were damaged, which prompted evacuations of the affected areas, and a state of emergency was established. The Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant experienced an explosion almost 24 hours after the initial earthquake; however, while the blast caused the collapse of the concrete outer containment building, it was reported that the the integrity of the inner core-containment vessel was not compromised. Residents within a 20-kilometer (12 mi) radius of the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant and a 10-kilometer (6.2 mi) radius of the Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated.

The estimates of the Sendai earthquake’s magnitude would make it the largest earthquake to hit Japan and one of the five largest earthquakes in the world since modern record-keeping began. It is thought to have been the largest earthquake within the boundaries of the North American and Pacific tectonic plates in 1,200 years.

On this day and in the days to come my thoughts are with the people of Japan.

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Professor Mike

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