National
Faith Aquino on Jun 3 2013
Studies show that the
Tokyo metropolis has an increasing earthquake frequency after the disasters that hit Japan in March 2011. The group of researchers, headed by professor Shinji Toda of the
Tohoku University, found that Tokyo recorded an earthquake frequency with at least a magnitude of 3. It was higher than the recorded findings prior to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
A government panel convened to plan emergency measures in the wake of a
Nankai Trough earthquake has recommended that evacuation centers should prioritize the socially vulnerable, like the homeless, elderly and disabled. The panel will be looking into specific plans for the earthquake that is predicted to hit western Japan in the next 30 years.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (
NRA) accepted and approved of an expert assessment on Wednesday which points out that the No. 2 reactor at the
Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Western Japan is built right above a tectonic fault line that is active, strengthening doubts that the facility will be able to resume operation. The acknowledgement from Japan’s nuclear regulators is a significant one, as this is the first time that the NRA has stated that a reactor is located above a fault line with a high possibility of earthquakes in the future. This assessment is likely to leave plant operators Japan Atomic Power Co. with no choice but to scrap the reactor.
A German research team has revealed that they have found a new, better, and more accurate early warning system for
tsunamis. This new system is based on global positioning satellite (GPS) data and a network of GPS-enabled sensors on the coastal areas of tsunami-prone areas. The research team said that a system like this would have made a difference in the March 2011 tsunami that hit Japan and caused widespread devastation.
The predicted big
Nankai Trough earthquake could kill as many as 1,800 people in the Izu and Ogasawara island chains, mostly from the tsunami aftermath, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. They are also estimating 1,282 structures could also be affected if a magnitude 9 tremor strikes the region, 1,160 of those due to waves from the
tsunami.
Indonesia is one of the most disaster-prone countries in Southeast Asia – the country has been hit with major cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis in the past decade killing tens of thousands of people. But the Southeast Asian archipelago is getting a boost from Japan – as part of a bilateral cooperation project, an advanced early warning system for earthquakes and tsunami modeled on Japan’s own domestic emergency warning system will be implemented in the country.
Features Tech & Science
John Hofilena on Apr 24 2013
One would be surprised how common
earthquakes are – there might be one happening at this instant and you won’t feel a thing. This is because these quakes are so low on the magnitude scale that they are only detected by seismological machines, rarely by humans. Quakes that are magnitude 9-and-above – the ones that cause major disasters – these are the rarest ones, making them virtually unpredictable. But seismologists are now developing new ways to at least show – by probability – where the next big tremor will be most likely to hit, especially in quake-prone countries like Japan.
As the death toll from the earthquake disaster in
China's Sichuan province last weekend rises to more than 190, with thousands more suffering from injuries, a number of countries and companies have pledged support, including tech giants Apple and Samsung. But while the Chinese government
politely declined Japan's offer for financial aid, instead accepting that from Russia, the message that is getting the most appreciation is from
Aoi Sora, a former Japanese adult video actress that enjoys massive popularity in the country.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a message to
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that Japan is "ready to offer its maximum support" for earthquake relief efforts in the southwest Sichuan province. The magnitude 7 tremor and its 1,100 aftershocks have left 179 dead, 24 missing and roughly 11,500 injured, in the same region that was devastated by a massive
earthquake five years ago.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that a 7.2 magnitude
earthquake struck on Friday afternoon to the north of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost islands, and far east of Russia. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed the quake as well, taking place at 12:05 PM local time, however Japanese authorities have confirmed there is no need for a tsunami warning.
