Japan's area increased after the terrible earthquake

Diện tích Nhật Bản tăng lên sau trận động đất kinh hoàng- Ảnh 1. — An area of the Noto Peninsula extends further into the sea after the earthquake.

NHK on January 6 quoted a study in Japan showing that the 7.6-magnitude earthquake on the Noto Peninsula (Ishikawa province) caused the coastline to extend up to 175 meters.

A team of experts led by Associate Professor Gotou Hideaki at Hiroshima University studied land changes after the earthquake and tsunami in Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan.

The study used mainly aerial images, taken after the January 1 earthquake and spanning an area of about 50 meters along the northeastern coast of the Noto Peninsula.

The results showed that the earthquake caused land to rise across much of the area, and coastal areas to extend further into the sea. In Kawaura Ward, Suzu City, one area extended by 175 meters.

As a result, the land area expanded by a total of 2.4 ^square kilometers, researchers said. Seawater almost disappeared at some ports on the peninsula's north coast.

Images taken by a French satellite on January 2 also showed that seawater had disappeared from a port in the Ozawa district of Wajima City. Associate Professor Gotou said this was due to the land rising.

Japan earthquake rescue running out of golden time

He said his team had also confirmed that the tsunami reached a height of about 3 meters in the Horyu district of Suzu city. He noted that active faults, which can cause great damage when they move, are located all over Japan and people should check to see if there are any faults in their area.

The death toll from the earthquake has risen to 98, with 211 people still missing, Kyodo news agency reported.

City officials in Wajima, one of the worst-hit areas, said there were about 100 locations where people were still trapped under destroyed buildings and awaiting rescue.

Authorities are still struggling to deliver relief supplies as the quake damaged roads in Ishikawa, where more than 31,000 people remain in 357 shelters.

According to Hokuriku Electric Power Company, the earthquake did not pose any major safety problems to the Shika nuclear power plant, the nuclear power plant on the Noto Peninsula and closest to the epicenter.

The plant’s two reactors had been offline since before the quake. The company said it had found dents in four locations on the site and that part of the external power supply was still down, but that the spent nuclear fuel was cooling normally and radioactive materials were safely contained.

About 90 minutes after the earthquake, the water level of a lake connected to the western sea of Japan rose about 3 meters, but the change had no effect because the plant is located on land more than 11 meters above sea level.

The safety system of the Shika nuclear plant is being analyzed by the Japan Nuclear Regulation Authority according to the procedure before restarting.

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