Japan earthquake: Even in a nation accustomed to tremors, the New Year’s massive earthquake in Japan, and the subsequent tsunami warning activated panic mode among the residents who had encountered multiple deadly quakes in their lives. As of writing this article, there were no reports of deaths except for a few injuries as mentioned by a Cabinet minister during the press conference held aftermath of the 7.6 magnitude tremors.

However, hundreds of people spilt out onto the streets of Tokyo after the quake, with crowds gathering in front of televisions in shop windows for details on the quake. Some passengers on a subway line in Tokyo screamed and grabbed other passengers.

Now, deep dive into why Japan is prone to earthquakes

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active areas. The island nation sits on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire”– a term coined to refer to the Circum-Pacific Belt. Simply put– it is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterised by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. According to scientists, the majority of Earth’s volcanoes and earthquakes take place along the “Ring of Fire”.

This unique feature causes Japan to account for about 20 per cent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater on average. In fact, an earthquake occurs every 5 minutes in the country. This also sometimes resulted in massive tsunamis.

What is Tsunami

According to the National Ocean Service, tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. Out in the depths of the ocean, tsunami waves do not dramatically increase in height. But as the waves travel inland, they build up to higher and higher heights as the depth of the ocean decreases.

The speed of tsunami waves depends on ocean depth rather than the distance from the source of the wave. Tsunami waves may travel as fast as jet planes over deep waters, only slowing down when reaching shallow waters. While tsunamis are often referred to as tidal waves, this name is discouraged by oceanographers because tides have little to do with these giant waves.

Over 1 lakh people were killed in 1923

The country has a history of deadly earthquakes wherein lakhs of people were killed in the past century. Similar figures also witnessed serious injuries. 

A magnitude 9.0 quake on March 11, 2011, off Japan’s northeastern coast, triggered a massive tsunami, killed more than 18,000 and triggered a nuclear disaster.

In September last year, the country marked the centennial of the real-life 1923 Great Kanto Quake that killed more than 1,00,000 people. Some media reports claimed over 1.40 lakh people. The 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the Sagamihara area southwest of Tokyo on September 1, 1923, just before noon triggered a widespread inferno in the region, causing most of the victims to perish in the fire. 

The blaze destroyed nearly 3,00,000 Japanese paper-and-wood homes as the country suffered major social and economic damage just as it was seeking to modernize. 

In the aftermath, thousands of ethnic Koreans were killed as police and others responded to baseless rumours that Koreans were poisoning wells. The rampage has never fully been acknowledged by the government.

(With inputs from agencies)

Also Read: Watch video: The moment when 7.6 magnitude earthquake jolts central Japan

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