Japan quake magnitude raised to 9.0
Japan's Meteorological Agency says the magnitude of Friday's earthquake that hit the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan was 9.0 instead of 8.8 as earlier announced.
The agency made the correction on Sunday morning after analyzing seismic waves and other data. The magnitude is equivalent to that of the 2004 earthquake off Sumatra, Indonesia, which triggered massive tsunamis in the Indian Ocean.
The agency says the focal zone of Friday's quake was about 500-kilometers long and 200-kilometers wide. Destructive movement along the fault continued for more than 5 minutes.
The Meteorological Agency says only 4 other quakes in the world have recorded magnitudes of 9 or over.
The largest was the magnitude 9.5 quake that hit the Chilean coast in 1960, killing more than 1,600. The quake also triggered tsunamis in Japan, leaving 142 people dead.
The 2004 quake off Sumatra registered a magnitude of 9.1. Subsequent giant tsunamis killed more than 200,000 people.
Sunday, March 13, 2011 12:40 +0900 (JST)
Japan's Meteorological Agency says the magnitude of Friday's earthquake that hit the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan was 9.0 instead of 8.8 as earlier announced.
The agency made the correction on Sunday morning after analyzing seismic waves and other data. The magnitude is equivalent to that of the 2004 earthquake off Sumatra, Indonesia, which triggered massive tsunamis in the Indian Ocean.
The agency says the focal zone of Friday's quake was about 500-kilometers long and 200-kilometers wide. Destructive movement along the fault continued for more than 5 minutes.
The Meteorological Agency says only 4 other quakes in the world have recorded magnitudes of 9 or over.
The largest was the magnitude 9.5 quake that hit the Chilean coast in 1960, killing more than 1,600. The quake also triggered tsunamis in Japan, leaving 142 people dead.
The 2004 quake off Sumatra registered a magnitude of 9.1. Subsequent giant tsunamis killed more than 200,000 people.
Sunday, March 13, 2011 12:40 +0900 (JST)
