Latest news with #ChishimaTrench
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Climate
- South China Morning Post
Japan on alert as Hokkaido tremors reignite megaquake fears
A string of moderate earthquakes off the coast of Japan 's northern island of Hokkaido has reignited concerns among experts and residents about the risk of a catastrophic seismic event – though scientists stress the tremors do not necessarily signal an impending disaster. Local authorities are taking no chances, however, instructing residents to take precautions just in case the new seismic activity proves to be a precursor to a long-feared megaquake A magnitude 4.7 quake struck off the southeast coast of the prefecture at 4.08am on Monday, just 16 minutes after a 6.3 tremor nearby. In a little over six hours from 5.37pm on Saturday, there had been no fewer than five tremors ranging from 4.3 to a magnitude of 6.1 in the same area. The previous day, a 5.4-magnitude quake struck a little further north, but still close to the Chishima Trench. Running parallel to the Japanese coast, the 2,200km (1,400-mile) fault is where the Pacific tectonic plate subducts under the North American plate, causing a great deal of seismic activity. A Japan Meteorological Agency official points to a map showing a magnitude 6.6 earthquake off the southwestern Japan prefecture of Miyazaki in January. Photo: Kyodo The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said that none of the quakes were severe enough to trigger additional seismic activity and that they were being treated as isolated incidents. But the agency did warn that the Chishima Trench had been the source of megaquakes in the past.
NHK
02-06-2025
- Climate
- NHK
Moderately strong quakes hitting Hokkaido since late May
Moderately powerful earthquakes have been hitting Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, but weather officials say they are unlikely to trigger larger quakes. The Meteorological Agency says a magnitude-6.3 tremor occurred early Monday morning, with its epicenter located off the coast of the Tokachi region. The quake registered an intensity of four on the Japanese seismic scale of zero to seven. The agency estimates that it occurred where the Pacific Plate meets a continental plate. It was the latest in a series of earthquakes along the Pacific coast of Hokkaido since late May, which had each registered an intensity of up to four. Agency officials say they have not been strong enough to trigger more powerful quakes, and each of them is believed to have been an isolated tremor. However, the officials warn that a massive quake could occur anytime along the Chishima Trench off the coast of Hokkaido. In 2003, a magnitude-8.0 quake occurred off Tokachi. Officials are urging the public to prepare for earthquakes.
