Japan’s 8.9 earthquake “historic” says geophysicist
“Japan’s earthquake will be considered a great quake,” said Dale Grant, a geophysicist with the US Geological Survey in Golden, Colo. “Japan has never seen this before.”
Any quake above an 8 in magnitude is considered a great quake, Grant said. Damage can span from hundreds to thousands of miles.
The quake was centered about 80 miles east of Japan.
A few days earlier, Japan was hit with a 7.2 earthquake that many are saying was the precursor to today’s quake, he said.
“A 7.2 quake has 80 or 90 times less energy than an 8.9 quake,” he said.
As of 3 a.m., there were at least 12 aftershocks following the earthquake, with the highest aftershocks measuring 7.1 and 6.8, Grant said.
“This is what we’d expecte from an 8.9 earthquake.”
The greater concern is the tsunami that was triggered by the quake, he said. “Tsunamis can travel up to 450 miles per hour,” he said.
“Warnings have been issued for the Hawaiian Islands,” he said. “We’ll probably see an impact.”
The biggest earthquakes in recent history occurred last year in Chile at 8.8 and in 2004 in Indonesia at 9.1, Grant said.
By Caroline Kyungae Smith
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.