waves from the M7.5 earthquake off the west coast of Honshu. Each dot represents a seismic station, turning red on upward motion and blue on downward movement|EarthScope_sci|X
A devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s western coast on New Year’s Day, claiming at least 30 lives and causing widespread destruction.
What happened?
Wajima, the epicenter, witnessed 14 people trapped under rubble, a fire destroying over 200 buildings, and power outages affecting 33,000 households.
Tsunami waves reaching 1.2 meters submerged homes and vehicles and forced coastal evacuations. The earthquake also hampered mobile service and halted transportation.
It was the biggest earthquake on record for Japan’s Noto Peninsula, which sits northwest of Tokyo near a hotbed of seismic activity.
Although Japan lifted all tsunami warnings, the United States Geological Survey reported more than 35 aftershocks greater than a magnitude of 2.5 near the quake’s epicenter, with ongoing seismic activity in Ishikawa prefecture. A fire broke out at the area’s Shika nuclear power plant, which has since been contained.