Japanese earthquake

[laoislad]

su - nah - me ...whats the problem? Have you a stutter?

[armaghniac]

Striking pic of a van sitting on the top of a house roof on the RTE news there.

[Square Ball]

this is a photo of Minamisanriku, well whats left of it, up to 10000 people missing from it, from the Mail on line "Force of quake shifts Japan 8ft to the East"   how the feck is that possible?

[ONeill]

Are you suggesting there is a possibility of a major earthquake in or around Ireland?

I'm simply saying that we don't actually know: the Atlantic is a big ocean, and we're overdue a sub-Atlantic surface ruction.

The North Atlantic ridge has been extensively mapped so I would be surprised if there is anything more sinister than is already known. However point taken that it is an active area with potential to send a big wave eastwards.

Gorringe Bank is a ridge off the coast of Portugal uplifted by the northward movement of the African Plate against the Eurasian Plate (there is convergence between the plates going on, but the closest true subduction occurs far to the east, beneath Italy). On 1 November 1755 (All Saints' Day!) a magnitude 8.6 earthquake at Gorringe Bank destroyed much of Lisbon. Minutes after the earthquake, the tsunami arrived. At least three great waves about ten meters high entered the city. The waves also raked the nearby coasts of Spain and North Africa, and did extensive damage in the Azores, Madiera, and Canary Islands. Minor damage occurred as far north as Ireland and as far west as the West Indies. Gorringe Bank remains a severe tsunami threat for Portugal, and the Portuguese are now installing seafloor pressure gauges there to get advance warning.

[Aerlik]

Have heard from one family.  All ok, thank God, but still nothing from the other. 

[Tony Baloney]

this is a photo of Minamisanriku, well whats left of it, up to 10000 people missing from it, from the Mail on line "Force of quake shifts Japan 8ft to the East"   how the feck is that possible?

Plate distortion from the earthquake that generated the Boxing Day tsunami shifted the coast of Sumatra by 120 feet! It was a 9.1.

[Aaron Boone]

Extra side to the story:

The Japanese urban search and rescue teams which had been helping in the search for Christchurch earthquake victims for two weeks, is heading back to Japan to help with the earthquake and tsunami crisis there.

Japan sent 70 search and rescue members to Christchurch following February 22nd's 6.3-magnitude quake, as well as counsellors, fingerprint experts, an interpreter, coastguard, police & fire fighters, as well as three sniffer dogs.

[Aaron Boone]

Tsunami is a bummer of a word to pronounce.

Eh? You just leave out the T.

Now I know.

[Olly]

this is a photo of Minamisanriku, well whats left of it, up to 10000 people missing from it, from the Mail on line "Force of quake shifts Japan 8ft to the East"   how the feck is that possible?

Countries and continents are moving every year. Australia is moving 3 inches a year. Ireland is moving too but no one has bothered to measure it.

[Hoof Hearted]

pity Paddy Wallace hadn't of moved that ball out wide this evening in Cardiff at about 6.25PM

PS - Dont want to take away the seriousness of this thread by this comment

[mannix]

Imagine what it would be be like to be in the house and hear that thing coming?

[Square Ball]

so another reactor in trouble, one problem to another. Olly, i am aware that land masses move, and have done so from the time of pangea, but 8 foot in one go is massive in comparison, and 120 foot is well hard to fathom, for me anyway

[Main Street]

I suppose it is no real surprise but this has to be the best quality filmed and photographed natural disaster.

[ONeill]

Is it true to say that recent natural disasters appear worse to us in comparison in centuries ago simply because there is actually more to destroy now in terms of housing, transport, nuclear stations, people, as well as the extensive coverage?

[Dougal Maguire]

How far inland did the Tsunami actually go