Giant fault to magnify tsunami found in west Japan
Scientists have found a 200-kilometer-long cliff on the seabed off Kii Peninsula, western Japan. They warn it could magnify the scale of tsunami in the event of a major earthquake.
A team of researchers from University of Tokyo and Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology found the giant fault using a deep-sea research vessel.
They say the underwater cliff crosses neighboring focal zones for major earthquakes that periodically hit western Japan.
The 200-kilometer-long drop-off is up to 1,000 meters tall.
The scientists also determined that the fault drives upward from the boundary of the Philippine Sea Plate and another plate that lies underneath western Japan.
Movement of the fault lines along the plate boundary is believed to magnify major tsunami.
Associate Professor of the university's Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute Park Jin-Oh said the newly found fault line is evidence that quakes in the area hit simultaneously in the past.
He stressed that the fault should be taken into account when planning the limitation of damage from earthquake and tsunami.
Sunday, January 29, 2012 14:51 +0900 (JST)
Please read complete article and view map at link below:
.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120129_14.html
KawamotoDragon.com
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting.
Your comment will be held for approval by the blog owner.