Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake Rocks Tokyo
Katie Collom | | May 04, 2014 11:17 PM EDT |
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Tokyo early Monday, rousing sleeping residents and jolting office buildings and structures, but officials said there was no risk of tsunami.
The earthquake struck at 5:18 a.m with the epicenter of the quake registered near the Izu Oshima island, southwest of central Tokyo.
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Although there were no reports of immediate damage, officials cautioned citizens to be careful due to the possibilities of aftershocks.
Trains were automatically stopped as soon as the quake hit, but transportation resumed its regular schedules around the city shortly after.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority issued a statement to reassure inhabitants that nuclear facilities in the region hit by the earthquake suffered no damage.
This includes the Fukushima Daiichi plant, which was severely damaged in the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in March 2011.
After the 2011 disaster, three of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant went into meltdown causing a nuclear disaster that triggered high radioactive releases.
Japan is located along a ring of fire, where several of the Earth's tectonic plates meet. That means the country experiences several relatively violent quakes per year.
This latest earthquake is described as a typical subduction earthquake; these types of tremors occur when Pacific oceanic plates slide beneath the continental plate and then break apart triggering an earthquake.
Japan is the most competent country in the world when it comes to dealing with earthquakes and tsunamis.
Thanks to strict building codes, Japan is able to survive somewhat intense quakes with very little damage. Deep foundations and massive shock absorbers help to dampen seismic energy and cause buildings to sway instead of collapse.
These days, Japanese citizens are also required to keep earthquake emergency kits in their homes - ensuring that in the case of disaster the average person has access to rations, water, and basic medical supplies.
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