2010 Bonin Islands earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Bonin Islands earthquake occurred on 21 December 2010 when a MW
7.4 earthquake struck off of the Bonin Islands, Japan.
The quake occurred at about 0220 local time (1720 UTC), about 155 kilometres (96.3 mi) east of the Bonin Islands, at a depth of around 15 km (9.3 mi). After the quake, the Japan Meteorological Agency
issued a warning of a possible tsunami
, capable of producing a wave of up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) high near the Bonin Islands, though milder for mainland Japan. Residents of the Bonin Islands were advised to move towards higher ground, and advisories were also issued for some provinces along Japan's Pacific coast. Around 40 minutes after the initial quake, wave swells of up to 30 centimetres (11.8 in) were seen on the coast of the main Japanese island, though no tsunami waves were seen from the island of Chichi-jima
.
There were twenty-two M5.0+ aftershocks within six hours from the quake, including two with a magnitude of 5.6 that occurred at 1740 and 1741 UTC. By 27 December, 79 M5.0+ aftershocks had occurred.
No damage was initially reported from the quake, though an estimated 2,000 people were able to feel the tremble. Around 170 residents of the Bonin Islands were evacuated to public buildings on Chichi-jima and Haha-jima
.
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
7.4 earthquake struck off of the Bonin Islands, Japan.
The quake occurred at about 0220 local time (1720 UTC), about 155 kilometres (96.3 mi) east of the Bonin Islands, at a depth of around 15 km (9.3 mi). After the quake, the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
issued a warning of a possible tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
, capable of producing a wave of up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) high near the Bonin Islands, though milder for mainland Japan. Residents of the Bonin Islands were advised to move towards higher ground, and advisories were also issued for some provinces along Japan's Pacific coast. Around 40 minutes after the initial quake, wave swells of up to 30 centimetres (11.8 in) were seen on the coast of the main Japanese island, though no tsunami waves were seen from the island of Chichi-jima
Chichi-jima
, formerly known as Peel Island and in the 19th century known to the English as part of the Bonin Islands, is the largest island in the Ogasawara archipelago. Chichi-jima is approximately 150 miles north of Iwo Jima. The island is within the political boundaries of Ogasawara Town, Ogasawara...
.
There were twenty-two M5.0+ aftershocks within six hours from the quake, including two with a magnitude of 5.6 that occurred at 1740 and 1741 UTC. By 27 December, 79 M5.0+ aftershocks had occurred.
No damage was initially reported from the quake, though an estimated 2,000 people were able to feel the tremble. Around 170 residents of the Bonin Islands were evacuated to public buildings on Chichi-jima and Haha-jima
Haha-jima
is the second-largest island of the Ogasawara Islands or Bonin Islands south of the Japanese main island chain. It is about 21 km² in area.The highest points are Mt. Chibusa , approximately 462m, and Mt. Sakaigatake , 443m. The largest island of the group, Chichi-jima is approximately...
.