Japan Earthquake

My condolences to everyone in Japan, I loved my short time in your incredible country, stay strong.

I don't know how densely populated northern Japan is, but at a magnitude of 8.9 -- almost 10 times as strong as the Sichuan earthquake, it's surprising that the death toll is relative low right now. Of course, for the final toll, we have to wait a few days, but I wonder if there are any lessons that China can learn from the way Japan handles a powerful quake.

If any place in the world was prepared for this, it would have been Japan. But still, the damage looks to be pretty bad in Northern Honshu. I don't know what happened on Hokkaido but that was in the danger zone as well. A friend of mine lives there, I'll ask him how everything is going. A "tsunami" is due to hit my town any minute! They always over hype these damn tsunami warnings, I'm going to walk down to the big bluff overlooking the beach and see if this one lives up to expectations.

My condolences go out to those who have may lost loved ones in the devastating earthquake in Japan. I pray the government of Japan take all the steps necessary for the recovery from this disaster.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan speaks following a massive earthquake in northern Japan at a press conference in his office Tokyo on March 11, 2011.

Parts of a beer factory's facilities are collapsed as the employees gather on the rooftops after a powerful earthquake in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture (state), Japan, Friday, March 11, 2011. The largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history slammed the eastern coast Friday.

Vehicles are crushed by a collapsed wall at a carpark in Mito city in Ibaraki prefecture on March 11, 2011 after a massive earthquake rocked Japan. massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit Japan on March 11, unleashing a monster 10-metre high tsunami that sent ships crashing into the shore and carried cars through the streets of coastal towns.

Flames rise from an oil refinery after a powerful earthquake in Ichihara, Chiba prefecture (state), Japan, Friday, March 11, 2011. The largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history slammed the eastern coast Friday.

A shop owner chats with a neighbour as the pedestrian road has collapsed in the massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Urayasu city, Chiba prefecture on March 11, 2011. The earthquake shook Japan, unleashing powerful tsunamis that sent ships crashing into the shore and carried cars through the streets of coastal towns.

In this video image taken from Japan's NHK TV, a tsunami surge carrying debris sweeps between houses to reach poly tunnels on farmland near Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture Japan Friday March 11, 2011 following a massive earth quake. A magnitude 8.9 earthquake slammed Japan's northeastern coast Friday, unleashing a 13-foot (4-meter) tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland. Fires triggered by the quake burned out of control up and down the coast.

Originally Posted by solarz

I don't know how densely populated northern Japan is, but at a magnitude of 8.9 -- almost 10 times as strong as the Sichuan earthquake, it's surprising that the death toll is relative low right now. Of course, for the final toll, we have to wait a few days, but I wonder if there are any lessons that China can learn from the way Japan handles a powerful quake.

It also depends on the depth of the epicentre and how far away it's away from a populated area. The quake in Christchurch was much smaller than the one in Chile last year, but the epicentre was much nearer to the populated area in the case of Christchurch.

Btw, there are three earthquakes one after the other within this few weeks.

They have been talking about the Tokyo and San Fransisco big earth quake over due for years, I was shocked and sadden that we are actually witnessing this horrible event in our life time. Hope San Fransisco doesn't get the big one in out life time, they are also over due

Hope the families of those affected are ok right now... My dad was in Japan just a few weeks ago... Close call.

Originally Posted by Quickie

It also depends on the depth of the epicentre and how far away it's away from a populated area. The quake in Christchurch was much smaller than the one in Chile last year, but the epicentre was much nearer to the populated area in the case of Christchurch.

Btw, there are three earthquakes one after the other within this few weeks.

That makes 3 huge earthquakes in less than 4 years: Sichuan, Haiti, and now Japan.

Originally Posted by solarz

That makes 3 huge earthquakes in less than 4 years: Sichuan, Haiti, and now Japan.

Add Chile to that. So many 8? Sichuan = 8.0 Chile = 8.8 Japan = 8.8 Haiti = 7.0

My goodness, 8.8/8.9 and following tsunami to boot. I thought I was reading it wrong at first...

After NZ's bad news as well. Their rescue teams have their hands full.

Originally Posted by ToxSic

My goodness, 8.8/8.9 and following tsunami to boot. I thought I was reading it wrong at first...

After NZ's bad news as well. Their rescue teams have their hands full.

There was actually a quake in Yunnan, China on the same day:
FT.com / China - China begins Yunnan quake clean-up

Couple this with the NZ quake, and I wonder if they're related? Some massive geological phenomenon?

3/10/2011 Burma/China 5.4

3/11/2011 Sendia Japan
7.1 Off the east coast of Honshu, Japan
6.8 Near the east coast of Honshu, Japan
8.9 Near the east coast of Honshu, Japan

3/11/2011 Yunnan China 5.8

Hope this is correct.

This is horrible, and I hope that as many of the people currently missing are found to be alive and well. But at the same time Japan should be well placed to deal with this. I was also glad to hear Prime Minister Cameron very quickly offering assistance (I don't know whether we might pull our teams out of Christchurch, for example).