ID :
174664
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 19:41
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/174664
The shortlink copeid
Meteorological agency warns of possibility of more M7 aftershocks
TOKYO (Kyodo) - The Japan Meteorological Agency warned Monday that the country could experience more aftershocks of magnitude 7 levels accompanied by shaking at the maximum possible intensity of 7 on Japan's seismic scale for some time to come.
The agency gave the warning after a magnitude 7.0 temblor, believed to be an aftershock of the March 11 magnitude 9.0 quake, rattled eastern and northeastern Japan, registering lower 6 on the Japanese scale in parts of Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures Monday evening.
Aftershocks of a quake of magnitude 7 or 8 levels typically decline in frequency and intensity in about a month. But a massive temblor registering a magnitude of 9, like last month's catastrophic quake, could be followed by larger aftershocks, said the agency's earthquake prediction division chief Keiji Doi.
A quake registering 7 on Japan's seismic scale could occur if its focus is shallow and inland, he said.
While Doi stopped short of giving a specific period during which such aftershocks could be expected, he said some researchers say caution should be exercised for around a year.
More than 400 aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 or larger have been observed following the March 11 quake which recorded 7 on the Japanese seismic scale in Miyagi Prefecture.
The agency gave the warning after a magnitude 7.0 temblor, believed to be an aftershock of the March 11 magnitude 9.0 quake, rattled eastern and northeastern Japan, registering lower 6 on the Japanese scale in parts of Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures Monday evening.
Aftershocks of a quake of magnitude 7 or 8 levels typically decline in frequency and intensity in about a month. But a massive temblor registering a magnitude of 9, like last month's catastrophic quake, could be followed by larger aftershocks, said the agency's earthquake prediction division chief Keiji Doi.
A quake registering 7 on Japan's seismic scale could occur if its focus is shallow and inland, he said.
While Doi stopped short of giving a specific period during which such aftershocks could be expected, he said some researchers say caution should be exercised for around a year.
More than 400 aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 or larger have been observed following the March 11 quake which recorded 7 on the Japanese seismic scale in Miyagi Prefecture.
