What is a megaquake advisory?
What is the Nankai Trough?
The last Nankai Trough quake off Shikoku in 1946 recorded a preliminary magnitude of 8.0 and killed more than 1,300 people.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency instructed 707 municipalities seen as at risk from a Nankai Trough quake to review their response measures and evacuation plans.
The “megaquake advisory,” which is filled with scientific jargon, has worried and baffled people across the country.
TOKYO (AP) — After a strong earthquake occurred off the southeast coast of the southern main island of Kyushu last week, Japan, one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth, issued its first-ever “megaquake advisory.”.
Despite the fact that the magnitude 7.1 earthquake did not result in any fatalities or significant damage, the warning has left many people confused and concerned about when the next big earthquake will occur in a nation that is used to frequent earthquakes.
The Associated Press provides information on the advisory’s meaning, what people should do, and what might occur in the event that Japan is struck by a powerful earthquake.
What is an advisory for a megaquake?
After coming to the conclusion that the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that occurred on August, the Japan Meteorological Agency released the warning. 8 on the Nankai Trough’s western border raised the possibility of a stronger one.
After the most recent earthquake, the probability of a magnitude 8 or 9 earthquake connected to the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years is “higher than normal,” according to the JMA. This probability is between 70 and 80 percent.
However, Naoshi Hirata, a seismologist from the University of Tokyo and the head of the JMA experts panel, clarifies that this is not a forecast that a megaquake will occur at any particular time or place. He asked everyone to continue being watchful and organized.
The Nankai Trough: What Is It?
From Hyuganada, in the waters off the southeast coast of Kyushu, to Suruga Bay in central Japan, there is an underwater trench known as the Nankai Trough. Along the Pacific coast, it extends for roughly 800 kilometers (500 miles).
According to JMA, the Philippine Sea Plate there gradually presses down on the Eurasian Plate, causing it to occasionally snap back, which could result in a megaquake and tsunami.
With a preliminary magnitude of 8.0 and a death toll of over 1,300, the last Nankai Trough earthquake occurred off Shikoku in 1946.
To what extent can a megaquake cause harm?
A government disaster prevention team predicted in 2013 that a magnitude 9.1 Nankai Trough earthquake could produce a tsunami that is greater than 10 meters (33 feet) in just a few minutes, killing up to 323,000 people, demolishing over 2 million buildings, and costing large portions of Japan’s Pacific coast over 220 trillion yen ($1.5 trillion) in economic damage.
How is the government getting ready?
The “megaquake advisory” prompted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to postpone his scheduled Aug. 9–12 trip to Central Asia and declared he would oversee the government’s response, guarantee public outreach, and ensure preventive measures.
Reviewing their response strategies and evacuation plans was a directive from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency to 707 municipalities that were deemed vulnerable to an earthquake of the Nankai Trough.
Authorities and experts have advised people to remain composed, go about their regular social and economic lives, get emergency food and water, and talk to their loved ones about evacuation plans.
Experts from the JMA stated in a comforting statement on Monday that they have not yet discovered any unusual tectonic or seismic activity that would point to a megaquake.
What kind of responses are people giving?
People all across the nation are concerned and perplexed by the “megaquake advisory,” which is full of scientific jargon. During Japan’s Obon holiday week, when the country celebrates with festivals and fireworks, travel can be difficult in some towns because they have closed their beaches and canceled annual events.
Even though Tokyo is outside the at-risk area, many people have postponed planned travel and rushed to stockpile emergency supplies like rice, dried noodles, canned food, bottled water, portable toilets, and other supplies, leaving shelves empty at many supermarkets in western Japan.
Microwavable rice is in low supply, according to the Summit supermarket chain, which is restricting customers to one pack per purchase.
Yoshiko Kudo and her spouse Shinya reported that they were unsure of the precise meaning of the advisory, the appropriate level of concern, and the next course of action.
“We’re attempting to stay within reasonable bounds. Over-anxiety is bad, according to Yoshiko Kudo.
A 60-year-old caregiver named Shinya Kudo said, “We don’t know how to be prepared and to still live normally like the experts tell us.”.
As she passed a busy train station in Tokyo, Yoneko Oshima remarked, “It’s scary dot.”. Although there is a (70–80%) chance in the next 30 years, it might happen today. A portable toilet is her most recent acquisition. She claims that since her husband has diabetes and must take medication after each meal, water is essential for him.
“I intend to utilize this chance to compile a list and ensure we have everything ready,” Oshima declared. Although her daughter canceled a scheduled trip to Mount Fuji, she hasn’t altered her vacation plans for this week.
Hotels and resorts in Matsuyama city, on the popular hot spring island of Shikoku, reassessed their emergency plans, acquired emergency gear, and set up a radio communication system for use in case of emergency. According to Hideki Ochi, director of the Dogo Onsen Ryokan Association, they have received hundreds of cancellations since the advisory was shared.
The area’s rail providers announced that, as a precaution, their trains are running at somewhat slower speeds.
A tsunami as high as 34 meters (111 feet) was predicted in the government risk analysis for the coastal town of Kuroshio in Kochi prefecture, so a crisis management task force initially set up 30 shelters throughout the town. However, only two remain open in the wake of the JMA’s announcement on Monday that there is no sign of a potential megaquake.
On the town website, Higashi Osaka asked locals to avoid making “unnecessary and non-urgent” travel plans in the event of a major earthquake.
A week-long closure of its parks, outdoor hot springs, and other amenities was announced for Shirahama, a well-known seaside town in Wakayama prefecture. Additionally, Saturday’s yearly fireworks extravaganza was postponed.
