M6.5 Aftershock Strikes Offshore Miyagi

Strong aftershock strikes 109 km  E of Sendai, Japan

Tsunami Warning

Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) initially warned that a 50-cm tsunami could hit Miyagi coast, but later removed the tsunami advisory.

Earthquake Details

Magnitude: 6.5
Occurred at (JST):  07:24 JST Mar 28, 2011
Location:  38.3ºN, 142.4ºE
Depth: very shallow
Region Name: Miyagi-ken Oki (Offshore Miyagi Prefecture)
Source: JMA

NO links between large quakes?

Two researchers from USGS and University of Texas who have analyzed  recent earthquakes greater than magnitude 7, say they have found “no link” between them.

[Presumably some of them are caused by the movement of moon, while the others are caused by Venus, or Mars!!]

The study is being published by the journal Nature Geoscience, a report said.

Related Links

• Significant Seismicity in Tohoku Region, Japan
• Japan Earthquakes: FIRE-EARTH Forecasts and Recent History

Meltdown Threat at a Sixth Fukushima Reactor

A 6th Reactor at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant Faces Core Meltdown

Pressure buildup has reached a critical level in a sixth reactor at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has said in a statement.

Authorities are pumping in massive amounts of seawater to cool down all the reactors at the two Fukushima plants.

Radiation has reportedly been detected outside more than one reactor unit as a total of 6 reactors are either undergoing at least partial meltdown, or face the eminent threat of  explosion or meltdown

Meanwhile, Japan govt has mobilized a rescue team consisting of more than 100,000 personnel to assist victims of the deadly earthquake and tsunami.

According to the latest NHK news bulletin, the rescue and recovery teams in Miyagi prefecture have recovered  another 200 bodies. The official death toll currently stands at more than 1,000, with another 1,000 reported as missing,  but the total could reach into many thousands, possibly tens of thousands.

A video of the first explosion at Fukushima Plant No. 1

Comment by an Expert

“An early tipoff that Japanese authorities felt that events at Fukushima were very serious was the ordering of an evacuation within a couple of hours of the earthquake.  Though the area was small and the evacuation was called ‘precautionary,’ the fact is that ordering several thousand more people into motion during the immediate aftermath of a major earthquake and tsunami is something that no government would do if it could possibly help it.” Said a former member of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Peter Bradford.

Trying to avert multiple core meltdown

Tokyo Electric Power Co is planning to vent more steam from the core containment units to reduce the danger of explosion and core meltdown, but that entails releasing even more radiation into the environment.

Power Shortages

Several areas near the quake area have been without electricity [as well as water, gas and phone services] since the megaquake struck two days ago.

Tokyo electricity is currently buying power from western Japan districts, and people have been asked to conserve electricity.

Mounting Aftershocks

A total of 170 significant aftershocks (≥5.0) have now struck near the east coat of Honshu, mostly close to the Mega Quake’s epicenter.

The Sinking Land

The land in many areas of Miyagi prefecture has sunk by about 70cm, trapping water brought in buy the deadly tsunami waves.

Tectonics Update – March 10

Kilauea Volcanic Activity

Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Previous Volcano Alert Level: WARNING
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

Lava fountains from the northeastern vent of the Kamoamoa eruption. Pu`u `Ō `ō cone is seen in the background. Credit: HVO. Click image to enlarge.

Issued: March 9, 2011, 03:45UTC
Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Notice Number: 2011/H3

• Eruption on Kīlauea volcano: East rift zone [end of the 2.3 km Kamoamoa fissure located between Pu’u ‘Ō’ō and Nāpau Crater.”Lava erupted from the western end of the fissure, which is near the eastern rim of Nāpau Crater, has formed a channelized ‘a’ā flow that extends 2.9 km (1.8 mi) to the southwest. The lava flow ranges from 80 to 290 m (260 to 950 ft) wide, but the active channel within the flow is only about 20 m (65 ft) wide.”

• Lava spatter As high as 50 m
• SO2 emission rate down to 4,400 tpd
• Deflation slowing at both the summit and east rift zone.

A view of Halema`uma`u vent using thermal imaging. “The lava level dropped considerably over the past several days, retreating to a narrow opening deep within the vent cavity.” Source: HVO.  Click images to enlarge.

Extent of the Kamoamoa Fissure eruption, beginning March 5, 2011. The line of fissures extends 2.3 km, between Nāpau Crater and Pu`u `Ō `ō. The peach colored flow shown on the map is from the 1997 Nāpau Crater eruption. Source: HVO.

Related Links:

• Kilauea SO2 emissions tops 10,000 tpd
• https://feww.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/kilauea-so2-emissions-tops-10000-tpd/#comment-12536
• Heightened Activity at Kilauea Volcano

JAPAN’s Sendai Quake Aftershocks

At least 25 aftershocks have been reported by Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) since yesterday’s powerful 7.2Mw quake which struck off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture, about 168km east of the city of Sendai.

Two of the largest shocks measured M6.1 and 6.8, striking Sanriku Oki region at 03:45 JST [03:51 JST 10 Mar 2011] and 06:24 JST  [06:29 JST 10 Mar 2011] respectively.

FIRE-EARTH forecasts intense seismic activity in Japan Region during the 2011 – 2015 period.

Further deatails would be released on the need-to-know basis, partly to prevent Internet prophets from cashing in on FIRE-EARTH forecasts.

Sendai 7.2 earthquake. List of aftershocks. Source: JMA. Click image to enlarge.

Related Links:

• Japan 7.2 Quake Strikes Off the Coast of Honshu

Recent Significant Earthquakes

PNG

• Magnitude 6.5 – NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA –
  • Wednesday, March 09, 2011 at 21:24:51 UTC
  • Depth: 29km
  • Location:  6.022°S, 149.659°E

CHINA

• Magnitude 5.4 – MYANMAR-CHINA BORDER REGION
  • The quake was a magnitude 5.8 shock striking Yingjiang County in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Xinhua said.
  • At  least 24 people were killed and more than 250 others injured as a result.
  • The shock also destroyed about 1,000 buildings.

New Zealand

• Magnitude 4.5 aftershock strikes 10 km east of Christchurch at a depth of 10km.
• Magnitude 4.0 aftershock strikes about 5km from Lyttelton at a depth of 10km.

Related Links:

• Earthquakes
• New Zealand Earthquake Warnings – 7 March 2011