- Date: March 11, 2011 (2011-03-11)
- Origin time: 05:46:23 UTC (2:46 p.m. JST)
- Magnitude : 8.9 Mw
- Depth : 15.2 mi (24 km)
- Epicenter location : 38°19′19″N 142°22′08″
- Type : Earthquake resulting in a Tsunami
- Countries or regions affected : Japan
- Total damage : Unknown
- Tsunami : Yes
- Landslides : No
- Aftershocks : At least 24 (13 above 6.0 Mw)
- Casualties : At least 26 dead, several missing[1]
The 2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami was an 8.9-magnitude earthquake and resultant tsunami waves.[2] It was measured at 7 on the JMA seismic intensity scale in the northern Miyagi prefecture, while the Japan Meteorological Agency's tsunami warning listed the magnitude as 8.4.[3][4] Reportedly, the epicenter was located off the east coast of Tohoku, Japan on Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46 UTC (2:46 p.m. local time) at a depth of 24.4 kilometres (15.2 mi).[5]
The magnitude of 8.9 makes it the largest earthquake to hit Japan in recorded history[2] and the 7th largest in the world since records began.[6]
The refinery fire at Ichihara, Chiba
The earthquake occurred 130 kilometres (81 mi) east of Sendai, Honshu, Japan. Its epicenter was 373 kilometres (232 mi) from Tokyo, according to the United States Geological Survey. A 7.1 magnitude aftershock was reported 40 minutes following the initial quake.[7] At least twenty aftershocks of magnitude 5.5 or greater have occurred since the initial quake.
Initially reported as 7.9 by the USGS, the magnitude was quickly restated as 8.8 and then 8.9.
The effects of the quake included visible smoke rising from a building in the Port of Tokyo. Shinkansen bullet train services in and out of Tokyo were suspended, though no derailments have happened while Narita and Haneda Airport has both suspended operation after the quake, with majority of flights diverted to other airports until further notice.[8] Various train services around Japan were also canceled.
An oil refinery was set ablaze by the quake at Ichihara, Chiba prefecture to the east of Tokyo.[9]
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has said that nuclear power plants have shut down, but that no radioactive material leaked,[10] although an abnormality at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, and a fire at Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant was reported by Kyodo News.
In Tokyo
The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning for Japan's Pacific coast and more than 20 countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Russia, Guam, Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Hawaii, Northern Marianas (USA), Taiwan and pacific coastal countries in North, South and Central America including United States, Mexico. Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Peru.[11][12] The tsunami warning issued by Japan was the most serious on its warning scale, implying that the wave was expected to be 10 meters high.[13] A 0.5 meter high wave hit Japan's northern coast.[14] Kyodo news agency has reported a four-metre-high tsunami hitting Iwate Prefecture in Japan. A 10-meter high tsunami was observed at Sendai Airport located near the coast of Miyagi prefecture,[15] which has been flooded, with waves sweeping along cars and buildings as they traveled inland.[16]
At 9:40 a.m (GMT), a widespread tsunami wave warning is in effect for:
- The Northern Marianas
- Guam
- Wake Is
- Northern Taiwan
- Yap Island
- Marshall Islands
- Philippines
- Midway Is, Taiwan
- Palau
- Chuuk Attol
- Kosrae Island
- Indonesia
- northern Papua New Guinea
- Nauru
- Johnston Is
- Northern Solomon Islands
- Kiribati
- Howland-Baker island
- Hawaii
- Tuvalu (the 10 metre tsunami is taller than the island)
- Palmyra Is,
- Vanuatu,
- Cook Islands,
- Eastern Russia
- Niue,
- northern Australia,
- Fiji,
- Wallis and Futuna,
- Samoa,
- American Samoa,
- New Caledonia,
- Tonga,
- Kermadec Is,
- Possibly French Polynesia,
- New Zealand,
- Easter Island
- Possibly Pitcairn Island.
As of 1:13 a.m. (PST) 9.33 a.m. (UTC), Google Person Finder, which was previously used in the Haiti and Christchurch earthquakes, has begun to collect information about survivors and their locations.[18][19] Latest news report by Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) has confirmed a death toll of 26 in six different prefectures.[1]
Based on data from the Japan Meteorological Agency, it is estimated the town of Kurihara has been completely destroyed.[20][21]
