First Subsequent Quake Advisory Was Issued

A major earthquake hit northern Japan in late night on December 8th. Fifty or more people were injured and minor tsunami arrived on the Pacific coast of Hokkaido and northern Honshu islands. People evacuated from their damaged house or possible major tsunami. The government of Japan issued a “subsequent quake advisory” for the first time since it established this category of warning in 2022. People in the designated area need to be careful for next earthquake at least for a week. 

The earthquake occurred at under the sea eastern offshore Aomori prefecture at 11:15 p.m. The depth of epicenter was 50 kilometers. Estimated magnitude was 7.5 and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) detected 6+ degree of quake in Aomori city and weaker quake in prefectures in Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi or else. Tsunamis with a meter high or smaller arrived slong the Pacific coast of those area. JMA issued tsunami warning to those area and cancelled it seven hours later.

 

The buildings in Aomori prefecture were damaged by the quake. A wall in a shopping center in Hachinohe city was collapsed and the facility was shut down. A stone-made gate of a shrine in the city fell down. Floor of a major hospital in Mutsu city was soaked with water emitted by the sprinkler set on the ceiling. Hundreds of schools were shut down. Water in the pool for cooling used nuclear fuel in the reprocessing plant in Rokkasho village, Aomori, was flooded on the floor.

 

The subsequent quake advisory is a special information for another greater earthquake after an earthquake with magnitude 7 or more in the area of Hokkaido and Sanriku (Pacific coast of northern Tohoku) region. Once the advisory is issued, the people in seven prefectures – Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, and Chiba – are advised to doublecheck their preparation for next possible earthquake within a week.

 

The measures may include confirming the place for evacuation, realizing how to get to the place, fixing furniture not to fall with a big quake or checking stock of foods and water. Companies are instructed to reconfirm how they would guide their employees or customers for evacuation or how to avoid collapse of machines in offices or factories. People are expected to continue ordinary life or productive activities, based on a possibility of great earthquake coming close.

 

Special advisory for future great earthquake is adopted to two regions: Hokkaido-Tohoku and southwest Japan with possible damage from Nankai Trough Great Earthquake. The 

subsequent quake advisory for Hokkaido-Tohoku area was introduced in December 2022. While the JMA had been focusing on exactly when, where and how big an earthquake would occur, the advisory does not mean a great earthquake would necessarily be occurring. Even though the earthquake may not occur, JMA recommend the people to review their posture of disaster-preventing measures.

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