In Japan, fears mount of a massive 2011-style earthquake on disaster anniversary
Experts are warning that seismic conditions in the Chishima Trench off Hokkaido, Japan, suggest a high risk of another powerful earthquake. A five-year study indicates that the tectonic plates in the trench are locked together, accumulating significant seismic energy that could be released in a major tremor.
The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, along with Tohoku University and Hokkaido University, has been studying the trench and believes the plates may have been fused since the last major earthquake in the region in the 17th century. A government report estimates a 7 to 40 percent chance of a magnitude 8.8 or greater earthquake in the trench within the next 30 years. While the prediction window is broad due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting seismic activity, the findings underscore the potential for a significant earthquake in the region.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Experts are warning that seismic conditions in the Chishima Trench off Hokkaido, Japan, suggest a high risk of another powerful earthquake. A five-year study indicates that the tectonic plates in the trench are locked together, accumulating significant seismic energy that could be released in a major tremor.
The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, along with Tohoku University and Hokkaido University, has been studying the trench and believes the plates may have been fused since the last major earthquake in the region in the 17th century. A government report estimates a 7 to 40 percent chance of a magnitude 8.8 or greater earthquake in the trench within the next 30 years. While the prediction window is broad due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting seismic activity, the findings underscore the potential for a significant earthquake in the region.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
