Japanese Quake and tsunami

Massive quake off NE Japan coast sending tsunami waves across the pacific, already massive damage in Japan, even Chile may be affected.

 

More:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0001xgp.php
and
http://news.yahoo.com/topics/japan

 

Just heard the news...

Ad Hoc lives in Japan... A.H., are you ok?

 

Luckily yes.
The quake is far north from here....i was on the train when it struck..and it was a minor tremmor here. So with the motion of the train, i wouldn't have known we had one.

We get quakes around on average 5 times a day here. Biggest i have felt is a 5.5 so far.

This is a graphical representation of what and where:
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/20110311145349391-111446.html

...as you see (if you explore the site), that another quake same magnitude struck 15 mins after the first main one (click next information)...the Japanese system is different to the Rhicter scale. There are many after shocks occuring right now.

 

Ad Hoc, I'm glad you are ok.

 

http://beverlyhills.patch.com/articles/update-tsunami-warning-issued-for-west-coast-2

 

Alert! Crescent City, California to receive largest tsunami wave.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...BAEU1I9993.DTL

 

Due to hit at Homer, Alaska 0516 AKST MAR 11 1416 UTC MAR 11

 

Second, bigger wave will follow about 20 minutes after the first.

 

a japanese 5.5 is about what what on the Richter scale?
looks like Toyota is going to have some hybrids with slight quake damage
http://www.geenstijl.nl/archives/images/ANP15120557-1800.html

 

Japanese 5.5 is 8.9 on the Richter scale.

 

thanks Hoyt, i just hear that's 8.9 on tv, must be lots of people without so much luck as Ad Hoc, thats a real heavy one, see whole city's in fire on tv

 

The Richter Scale only applies to California where it was developed. It is a Magnitude Scale otherwise.

Here on our west coast it hasn't amounted to much and would only really be a hazard at high tide.

-Tom

 

The question specifically asked what the Richter conversion was. Richter scale is based on order of magnitude.

http://www.geology.siu.edu/people/pinter/pdf/EQMagIntensity.pdf

"MAGNITUDE
Magnitude is a measurement of the energy released by an earthquake. The first
earthquake-magnitude scale was the Richter scale, devised by Charles F. Richter, a
seismologist at the California Institute of Technology. The Richter scale is based on the
amplitude of seismic waves – the stronger the earthquake, the stronger the seismic
vibrations it causes. The Richter magnitude of an earthquake is expressed as a decimal
number, such as 6.7. The most important thing to remember about Richter magnitude is
that it is a logarithmic scale, meaning that an increase of one in magnitude corresponds to a
factor of ten increase in the amplitude of ground motion. For example, a magnitude 6.7
earthquake causes shaking 10 times greater in amplitude than a magnitude 5.7 earthquake
and 100 times greater than a magnitude 4.7 earthquake.
Mathematically, an earthquake of magnitude x results in seismic waves with
amplitudes proportional to 10x seismic-wave amplitude at a particular site
depends on the distance of the site from the earthquake epicenter, the depth of the
earthquake, and local near-surface conditions. Example 2.1 shows you how to compare the
shaking that results from earthquakes with different magnitudes."

 

I was watching when the news came onto the TV last night. I was going to start this thread but then realized it's a huge event and I really didn't have anything to say that wouldn't sound crass under the circumstances.

At least the people there have experience and know what to do. I would have no clue at all in a quake. Tornadoes and high winds and snow, that stuff I can deal with.

I hope there weren't too many people hurt.