Tokyo faces 70% chance of severe quake in next 4 years

tokyo-faces-70-chance-of-severe-quake-in-4-years

If a mega-quake struck Tokyo, more than 9,600 people would die with nearly 150,000 injured and large parts of the Japanese capital leveled to the ground according to recent simulation by Tokyo Metropolitan Government. If a smaller 7.3-magnitude quake struck the sprawling metropolis it would leave about 9,600 dead and 147,000 people with injuries, including 21,900 seriously, the projection said.

About 5.2 million people would be unable to go home owing to electricity and transportation damage while the temblor would flatten or seriously damage some 378,000 buildings with about 188,000 structures burning to the ground. A huge tsunami would strike isolated Pacific Ocean islands several hundred kilometres outside Tokyo, which are considered part of the municipality, but was not likely to cause damage or fatalities in the metropolis itself. The government projection does not include fatalities and damage in outlying prefectures that make up Greater Tokyo, home to about 35.0 million people.

The frightening simulation was released as Japan slowly rebuilds its northeast coast, which was devastated by a magnitude 9.0 quake in March last year that unleashed a deadly tsunami and triggered the worst nuclear accident in a generation. Tokyo was largely spared from the damage.

The biggest city in earthquake-prone Japan lies at the intersection of four tectonic plates and there is a 70 percent chance it will be struck by a magnitude-7.0 or higher quake in the next four years, according to the University of Tokyo’s Earthquake Research Institute. In 1923, Tokyo and surrounding areas were struck by a 7.9 magnitude quake that left more than 140,000 people dead and destroyed much of the city.

In central Japan, the Philippine Sea plate (PSP) subducts beneath the Tokyo Metropolitan area, the Kanto region, where it causes mega-thrust earthquakes, such as the 1703 Genroku earthquake (M 8.0) and the 1923 Kanto earthquake (M 7.9) which had 105,000 fatalities. The vertical proximity of this down going lithospheric plate is of concern because the greater Tokyo urban region has a population of 42 million and is the center of approximately 40 % of the nation’s activities.

A M 7 or greater (M 7+) earthquake in this region at present has high potential to produce devastating loss of life and property with even greater global economic repercussions. The Central Disaster Management Council of Japan estimates the next great earthquake will cause 11,000 fatalities and 112 trillion yen (1 trillion US$) economic loss. This great earthquake is evaluated to occur with a probability of 70 % in 30 years by the Earthquake Research Committee of Japan. (Special Project for Earthquake Disaster Mitigation in Tokyo Metropolitan Area)

Featured image credit: Kyodo News

Share:

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:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

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.

3 Comments

  1. […] Tokyo faces 70% chance of severe quake in 4 years according to recent research by Tokyo Metropolitan Government. An October meeting of high-ranking Japanese politicians showed how fearful they are of a similar quake hitting Tokyo. The parliament members birthed the idea of creating a backup Tokyo – what they referred to as a “substitute capital.” The new city, given the rather bland but explanatory name IRTBBC (Integrated Resort, Tourism, Business and Backup City), will sit nearly 300 miles southwest of Tokyo in the nation’s other business hub, Osaka. They’ve claimed two square miles of land at the Itami Airport, a largely dwindling travel hub just outside the city. The oddly-named IRTBBC will be tasked to take over all operational functions of the city, housing 50,000 people and able to accommodate 200,000 on workdays. […]

Leave a Reply to Japan Researchers – Expect Massive Earthquake Off Boso Peninsula to the East of Tokyo Soon! | TTBTS DISCLOSE Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *