8.0-magnitude earthquake hits Japanese island of Hokkaido, Updated offically a 7.8

optoman

Diamond Member
Nov 15, 1999
4,181
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BREAKING NEWS 8.0-magnitude earthquake hits Japanese island of Hokkaido. Some residents urged to move to higher ground as tsunami warning issued. Details soon.

Wow, anyone know how populated this area is?
 

conjur

No Lifer
Jun 7, 2001
58,686
3
0
8.0??

:Q


Newsday article...7.8 quake

Tokyo -- A strong quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.8 rocked the northern Japan island of Hokkaido early Friday morning, knocking out power, derailing a train and touching off an industrial fire. Two people were reported injured.

The government warned local residents to avoid coastal areas due to the possibility of tsunami, or ocean waves caused by seismic activity.

The quake was strong enough to rock buildings on the island and shake books and other objects off shelves. Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported that at least several people had been injured and a fire had broken out in the city of Tomakomai.

Black plumes of smoke and flames could be seen leaping from the site in an industrial area. Streams of water were aimed at the flames.

Television footage showed an office in which books were knocked off shelves, and desks and computers swayed back and forth.

Japan's Meteorological agency warned that waves of up to 3 feet were expected to hit coastal areas. The quake, which hit just before dawn, was focused off Hokkaido's eastern shore.

Tsunami of up to 1 foot were observed in some coastal cities, NHK reported.

"We are now trying to collect information on the extent of the damage," city official Sadayuki Kano said. "There are no reports of other major damage."

NHK also reported that a local train derailed, injuring two people.

The meteorological agency said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8 and was focused 36 miles under the seabed.

The U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo., said the temblor had a preliminary magnitude of 8.

The quake struck in the Pacific Ocean, about 65 miles south-southwest of Kushiro and 495 miles north-northeast of Tokyo, said John Minsch, a USGS geophysicist. The quake was shallow.

"That makes it more likely to be a tsunami, and there's most likely to be a great amount of damage," Minsch said.

Hokkaido is the northernmost and most sparsely populated of Japan's major islands. Sapporo is the prefecture's capital.

Geophysicist Doug Given in Pasadena, Calif., said the region is "part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the zone of very large earthquakes and volcanoes that rings the Pacific Rim."

The USGS had no immediate reports of casualties.

A tsunami advisory was issued for Hawaii and a warning was issued for parts of Alaska.
 

Bulk Beef

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2001
5,466
0
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Originally posted by: uncJIGGA
Its where the Ainu used to live...
Still do, but Hokkaido is not super-populated, at least as far as Japanese islands go.
 

UncleWai

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2001
5,701
68
91
The seafood in Hokkaido is really fresh and tasty or so i heard.
Sucks to be the crabs in Hokkaido.
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
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Japan's Meteorological agency warned that waves of up to 3 feet were expected to hit coastal areas. The quake, which hit just before dawn, was focused off Hokkaido's eastern shore.

Tsunami of up to 1 foot were observed in some coastal cities, NHK reported.

Oh no, the horror! 3 foot waves coming! AHHHHHHAHAHAHAH!!!!
 

jagr10

Golden Member
Jan 21, 2001
1,995
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You think that's bad, just wait until the big earthquake hits the N.American West Coast. Supposedly there's supposed to be one that could happen anytime between now and like 300 years, but nobody knows when. It's supposed to wipe out a big chunk of California and Vancouver Island in Canada. Anybody know what i'm talking about?
 

conjur

No Lifer
Jun 7, 2001
58,686
3
0
Originally posted by: jagr10
You think that's bad, just wait until the big earthquake hits the N.American West Coast. Supposedly there's supposed to be one that could happen anytime between now and like 300 years, but nobody knows when. It's supposed to wipe out a big chunk of California and Vancouver Island in Canada. Anybody know what i'm talking about?

Nope...no one's ever heard a thing about a potential "big one" hitting the west coast.

Nope...never been any movies made about it either.

Not a peep!

:p
 

TheNinja

Lifer
Jan 22, 2003
12,207
1
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Originally posted by: notfred
Japan's Meteorological agency warned that waves of up to 3 feet were expected to hit coastal areas. The quake, which hit just before dawn, was focused off Hokkaido's eastern shore.

Tsunami of up to 1 foot were observed in some coastal cities, NHK reported.

Oh no, the horror! 3 foot waves coming! AHHHHHHAHAHAHAH!!!!

LOL...that's exactly what I was thinking. And then it went on to mention......wait are you ready for this?....Tsunami of up to 1 FOOT!!!
 

Doggiedog

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
12,780
5
81
Originally posted by: optoman
I am more worried about the super volcano under Yosemite or is it Yellowstone. Anyone ever hear of it? When it goes, and it goes off every 50,000 years or something like, it will take most of the life in the central US.

Saw that on the Discovery channel. It's a 100 mile wide supervolcano. That was some scary stuff. Supposedly reduced the population of humans to 1,000 and caused the Earth to freeze over. The equator had the equivalent climate of New England supposedly.