M 7.4 Quake Strikes Japan Region

Powerful Quake Strikes Japan’s Bonin Islands

Earthquake Location Map. Cross shows epicenter of the 7.4Mw quake, while the colored bubbles indicate the seismic intensity at various monitoring centers in Japan. Source: Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA). Image may be subject to copyright.

Tsunami Warning/Advisory

The 7.4Mw quake struck at a depth of 10km and created a tsunami which reached a height of about  3m (10 feet) in at least a dozen locations around Japan’s coastal areas

JMA said on its Website:

Tsunami Observations
As of 05:40 JST (UTC+ 9 hours)
At some parts of the coasts, tsunamis may be higher than those observed at the observation sites.
The tsunamis can become higher from now on.

However, JMA later downgraded the warning to a tsunami advisory for the area.

Tsunami Map for the 7.4Mw Bonin Islands Earthquake. Source: Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA). Image may be subject to copyright. The tsunami reached a height of about 3m in at least 12 locations around Japan’s coastal areas.

Earthquake Details [JMA]

• Magnitude: 7.4Mw [Reported as 7.5Mw by GFZ Potsdam – Earthquake Bulletin]
• Date- Time 02:20 JST on 22 Dec 2010 a
• Location: 27.5N 143.4E  Depth: 10km
• Region: Chichijima Kinkai  [Bonin Islands, Japan Region]

• Distances [USGS]
  • 150 km (95 miles) E of Chichi-shima, Bonin Islands, Japan
  • 335 km (210 miles) NE of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Japan
  • 1050 km (650 miles) SSE of TOKYO, Japan

Aftershocks

About 3 dozen strong aftershocks were reported, as of posting, the most significant of which measured 5.0Mw. Many more aftershocks may follow in the coming days and weeks.

FEWW Forecast

More powerful earthquakes, some related to this event, could strike Japan Region, much closer to the coastal areas.

On June 13, 2010, FIRE-EARTH forecast

Fire Earth Model shows that Japan region could be struck by up to 4 additional strong to large earthquakes possibly this year/early next year, one of which could be a catastrophic event.

Japan Earthquake Forecasts (FEWW)

• Honshu Earthquake Warning
• Earthquake Forecast: Tokyo, Japan
• Earthquake Forecast 2009

Related Links:

• Powerful 6.9Mw Quake Strikes Bonin Islands, Japan
• M6.5 Strikes East Coast of Honshu, Japan
• Strong Earthquake Strikes East of Honshu, Japan
• Submarine Volcano Erupts Near Japan

• Global Earthquakes Tempi Rising
• 3 Waves of Significant Quakes Strike Our Planet
• Global Earthquakes
• Japan Earthquakes
• Arabia Shakes

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

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Magnitude 6.5 EQ Hits SE Iran

Deadly 6.5Mw Quake Strikes Kerman Province, Iran

At least a dozen people are reported dead, with dozens more injured or trapped under the rubble

The strong earthquake struck about 100 km (60 miles) SE of the city of Bam, at a depth of 11.8km, and was felt throughout the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, reports say.

“Hundreds of people are still trapped under the rubbles,” according to the governor of Iran’s Kerman province, where the quake occurred.

“Many people left their houses in the city of Zahedan .. It was also felt in the towns of Bam, Khash and Iranshahr,” the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

“In some rural parts of the region … the quake has caused heavy damage to buildings, especially in Hosseinabad village, where the houses were made of earthen bricks.” Reuters reported the State television, quoting an unnamed local Red Crescent official.

However, the area is not densely populated and the number of injured are reported at less than 30, as of posting.

Up to 31,000 people were killed when an earthquake destroyed much of the city of Bam in 2003.

FIRE-EARTH Moderators forecast intense seismic activity in and around the Arabian Plate, near Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt, Oman Ophiolite, Persian Gulf Basin, Owen Fracture Zone, the Arabian Shield and the Red Sea Uplift.

10-degree Map Centered at 30°N,60°E

EQ Location Map. Source: USGS. Enhanced by FIRE-EARTH

Arabian Plate. Image Credit: Saudi Arabian Geological Survey

Earthquake Details

• Magnitude: 6.5
• Date-Time:
  • December 20, 2010 at 18:41:59 UTC
  • December 20, 2010 at 10:11:59 PM at epicenter

• Location: 28.491°N, 59.117°E
• Depth: 11.8 km (7.3 miles) set by location program
• Region: Kerman Province, SE Iran
• Distances:
  • 100 km (60 miles) SE of Bam, Iran
  • 205 km (125 miles) WSW of Zahedan, Iran
  • 210 km (130 miles) NW of Iranshahr, Iran
  • 1080 km (670 miles) SE of TEHRAN, Iran

• Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 13.9 km (8.6 miles)
• Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

At least one significant aftershock measuring about 5.0Mw has been reported, as of posting.

Related Links:

• Global Earthquakes Tempi Rising [Posted on July 20, 2010]
• 3 Waves of Significant Quakes Strike Our Planet
• Global Earthquakes
• Japan Earthquakes
• Arabia Shakes

• Volcanic Explosions Could Split More Than Africa
• FEWW Earthquake Links