Insider Blog: New Year’s Earthquakes
Shortly before midnight our time (about 4:00pm in Japan), an extremely powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the northern tip of the Noto Peninsula in the Ishikawa Prefecture. This, combined with the dozens of aftershocks, prompted the Japanese Meteorological Agency to issue Tsunami Warnings across the country. This was the first time a Major Tsunami Warning was issued since the 2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami which killed more than 20,000 people.
The reason Japan is so geologically active is because the country sits near the confluence of four major tectonic plates. These are: the Eurasian, Philippine, North American, and Pacific plates. The red star on the map below shows the location of Japan.
A bit closer to home, a 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck just off the coast of Los Angeles this morning. This just goes to show that earthquakes are a matter of when, not if, and that you should always be prepared!
To prepare for an earthquake, you should always have an emergency plan, including an emergency kit at the ready. Your kit should include things such as copies of important documents, medicines, and survival needs like food and water. You can learn more about earthquake preparedness at ready.gov and caloes.ca.gov.
