The Japanese government announced this week that much more must be done to prepare for a possible Nankai Trough “megaquake,” after a government panel raised the 30-year probability of a major event to up to 82 percent and new estimates projected as many as 298 000 fatalities and damages of up to USD 2 trillion.
Japan has increased the estimated probability of a magnitude 8 and 9 megaquake occurring in the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years to around 80% on January 16, 2025, after an M6.8 earthquake hit near the coast of Kyushu. The probability was previously estimated at 70 to 80%.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its first megaquake advisory on Thursday, August 8, 2024, several hours after the M7.1 earthquake hit near the coast of Kyushu. The advisory warns that if a major earthquake were to occur in the future, strong shaking and large tsunamis would be generated.
Researchers have discovered signals due to slow slip events with huge amounts of slip along the Nankai Trough subduction zone, southeast of Japan. The findings shed light on the marine sedimentary environment and plate tectonics of Nankai Trough and may help in…
Kyushu University-led researchers identified strong influence of pre-existing fault and plate structure on earthquake location and behavior in the Nankai Trough offshore of Japan. The islands of the Japanese archipelago are affected both by frequent, low-magnitude…
