The day that shook Japan (video)

A short video showing what happened on the 11th March 2011 in Japan.

My thoughts go out to the thousands left homeless or grieving.

Tsunami hits Japan

At 05:46 GMT an Earthquake hit 80 miles off the coast of Japan, recording a magnitude of 8.9 but the U.S. Geological Society, sending a 10m Tsunami towards the country which reached 3 miles in land. This is one of the most powerful earthquake seen in the Country since the 1800s, so why is this disaster so extraordinary?

Following the initial quake of 8.9 a series of 6 major tremors followed within just over an hour, all of which were equal to or bigger than last months quake in Christchurch, whilst smaller tremors are still being recorded nearly 12 hours later.

Earthquake magnitude is recorded on an exponential scale, therefore a recording of 5.0 is 10 times more powerful than a reading of 4.0. To put this into scale the Christchurch quake recorded 6.3, whilst this earthquake was more than 8000 times more powerful with a recording of 8.9. To put it another way it is 1400 times more powerful than the 1995 earthquake in Kobe, which recorded a magnitude of 6.8.

Some facts about this Earthquake and Tsunami:

• Magnitude 8.9, followed by six other major tremors and numerous smaller tremors.
• The fault which caused the Earthquake is likely to have ruptured approx. 500km.
• The previous Earthquake along the same fault was in 1993, with a magnitude of 8.4, which was associated with a tsunami and caused 3000 deaths
• Tsunami tide was up to 10m high in some places.
• Tsunami wave reached 3 miles inland.
• 11 nuclear power plants out of action.
• 1 nuclear power plant cooling system failed.
• 4,000,000 homes had power disrupted
• The Tsunami wave swept away and destroyed farmland, buildings, cars, ships, and even a train has been stated as missing in a coastal area.
• Fires have broken out in oil refineries and other buildings.

A Tsunami warning has been issued covering Japan, the Philippines, Hawaii, the Pacific coast or Russia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and Central and South America.

Useful links:

Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre

BBC coverage

FT Article - Devastating Earthquake hits Japan

Yen Reverberations - Showing the Yen down against the US dollar, then rising again!

Japan Travel Advice for British Nationals

Foreign Office helpline in London: +44 20 7008 0000 (from Japan) or 020 7008 0000 (in the UK)