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8.8 Earthquake Near Japanese Coast

Posted by timothy on from the surf's-up-and-up-and-up dept.

radioweather writes "USGS is reporting a 8.8 (was estimated first at 7.9) magnitude earthquake off of the east coast of Honshu, Japan. Details from USGS. Tsunami warning issued. Japan's Meteorological agency is saying 20-foot or higher waves are possible from a Tsunami near Miyagi prefecture."

3 of 431 comments (clear)

  1. Re:This is worst than in the movies by Blymie · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I can't believe no one has commented on the guy in the car, turning around on the road, and trying to get away! Hope he made it. :(

  2. A piece of forgotten history: by ghostunit · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I hope they don't start slaughtering random foreigners like last time: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1923_Great_Kant%C5%8D_earthquake#Post-quake_massacre_against_ethnic_minorities

  3. Re:Not log10, 10^(11.8 + 1.5M) by fremsley471 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The Richter scale records the amount of energy released and is obviously useful when comparing Mag 4 with Mag 8. But what it doesn't say is how it is released- long and rumbling (4 1/2 mins IIRC for this one) or shorted in a large, powerful, greater displacement.

    Had this driven home in Picton, New Zealand when a Mag 4.5 gave myself and my son a headache, like a punch, but only set the lights swinging, loosening dust, in the library where we were sitting.