Hi All. I spent most of the day watching the news about the latest Japan quake on NHK TV. The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported the epicenter with a magnitude of M>7.0 off the western coast of Fukuoka Prefecture. The quake lasted about 30 seconds and was almost a pure strike-slip. Although the quake was report as being an M>7.0 the shaking or intensity in Fukuoka was the equivalent of an M>6.0 quake centering there.

The last earthquake of M>7.0 or greater in the region appears to have occurred about 300 years ago, but no events have been recorded in the immediate region of that magnitude since that time. That event was an M>7.0 estimated, which was reported to have occurred on April 14, 1700.

As usual just about everyone in Japan has a video camera so there was a lot footage of the shaking it self. You could see debris falling from some of the large buildings in downtown Fukuoka. You could also see ripples in the various ponds in the area. The quake was a noisy one judging from the sound of things rattling inside one office complex.

The bullet train was safely brought to stop before the “S” wave struck the area. No injuries on the trains were reported although people were somewhat shaken up.

Many buildings tilted during the quake probably from liquefaction of underlying soils. The single death was of a 75-year old woman in Fukuoka City when a cement-brick wall fell on her. Up to 510 buildings were reported damaged or destroyed in Fukuoka and many of the residents were being evacuated. Most of the injured were struck by falling objects but some jumped from buildings injuring themselves during the quake. Most of the damage appeared to have been to wooden houses especially from landslides. There were no fires associated with the quake. That is the one saving grace here.

On Genkaijima Island (population about 700) about 200 buildings were reported damaged or destroyed and many roads were cracked or blocked by debris (roads were reported cracked in 62 places). Landslides were reported to have crushed at least 20 homes.

Fisherman Akikichi Matsuzaki according to the Jiji Press agency felt the quake at sea as a seaquake. Matsuzaki stated: "I heard an enormous bang from the seabed. We felt a shock as if the boat's bottom bumped a big thing". This is a typical report of a seaquake. This would be the “P” wave as it is the seismic wave that can travel through a liquid. Up to 74 light and moderate aftershocks have been reported so far.

All of the below quakes with the exception of six occurred more then 150 miles from yesterday’s quake. Three of those six are less then 100 miles from yesterday’s quake. Take Care…Don in creepy town

catalog=ANSS
start_time=1898/01/01,00:00:00
end_time=2005/03/21,07:22:19
minimum_magnitude=6.0
maximum_magnitude=10
event_type=E
delta=0 km to 320 km from (33.851,129.915)
Date Time Lat Lon Depth Mag Magt Nst Gap Clo RMS SRC Event ID
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1968/08/05 16:17:04.80 33.2890 132.1790 41.00 6.30 Mb 56 0.00 NEI 196808054014
1969/04/21 07:19:27.50 32.1890 131.8620 41.00 6.30 Ms 114 0.00 NEI 196904214002
1970/07/25 22:41:10.70 32.1800 131.6950 34.00 7.00 Ms 176 0.00 NEI 197007254006
1970/07/26 07:10:36.00 32.1880 131.8140 35.00 6.10 Mb 139 0.00 NEI 197007264003
1975/04/20 17:35:50.40 33.1900 131.3000 7.00 6.10 Ms 129 0.00 NEI 197504204012
1978/05/23 07:50:28.20 31.0550 130.1350 161.00 6.30 Mb 390 0.00 NEI 197805234009
1983/08/25 20:23:33.32 33.5090 131.4840 126.40 6.10 Mb 478 1.05 NEI 198308254020
1984/08/06 19:06:38.36 32.3860 131.9450 46.20 6.30 Mb 475 1.16 NEI 198408064015
1987/03/18 03:36:30.33 32.0340 131.8370 54.00 6.70 un 534 1.20 NEI 198703184003
1987/07/03 10:10:43.78 31.1960 130.3220 168.20 6.10 un 402 0.91 NEI 198707034016
1996/10/19 14:44:40.79 31.8850 131.4680 22.00 7.00 Me 396 1.02 NEI 199610192037
1996/12/02 22:17:59.24 31.7890 131.3140 49.20 6.90 Me 332 1.00 NEI 199612021046
1997/03/26 08:31:47.18 31.9200 130.4290 10.00 6.10 Mw 275 1.29 NEI 199703261024
1997/05/13 05:38:30.23 31.8240 130.2810 33.00 6.10 Mw 241 1.30 NEI 199705131018
1998/12/16 00:18:45.00 31.2870 131.2860 41.60 6.00 Mw 229 0.86 NEI 199812162001
2000/06/25 06:34:42.88 31.1830 131.2060 10.00 6.00 Me 282 1.00 NEI 200006254010
2001/03/24 06:27:53.58 34.0830 132.5260 50.00 6.80 Mw 596 0.85 NEI 200103244014
2005/03/20 01:53:42.99 33.8510 129.9750 10.00 6.40 Mw 125 1.41 NEI 200503201001