An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 struck off the south-east coast of Mie Prefecture in central Japan on Sunday morning (November 1), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The report was carried by Xinhua and republished by The Star. No tsunami warning has been issued.
Key details
According to the JMA, the quake occurred at around 7.15am local time at a depth of about 350 kilometres. It registered 3 on Japan's seismic intensity scale, which runs from 0 to 7, in parts of Fukushima Prefecture. The epicentre was located at 33.7 degrees north latitude and 137.1 degrees east longitude, in the waters off the coast.
What the numbers mean
As general background, Japan's intensity scale measures how strongly the ground shakes at a particular location, unlike magnitude, which describes the energy released at the source. A reading of 3 is generally considered light to moderate shaking that people indoors can clearly feel, but it rarely causes significant damage. The great depth of this earthquake is also relevant. Deep earthquakes tend to spread shaking over a wide area while producing less intense surface motion than shallow quakes of similar magnitude, and they are less likely to generate tsunamis. The initial report did not mention any damage or casualties.
Living with seismic risk
Japan sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences earthquakes regularly, so its building codes, early warning systems and public drills are among the most developed in the world. Residents and visitors are encouraged to follow official updates from the JMA, since preliminary figures such as magnitude and depth can be revised as more data becomes available.
Malaysians who have family members, students or travel plans in Japan may wish to check advisories from the Malaysian embassy in Tokyo and local authorities. This post will be updated if further information is released.
Source: The Star (Xinhua) - Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes off Japan's Mie Prefecture
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