Japan has issued its inaugural advisory on the heightened risk of a catastrophic megaquake along the Nankai Trough, a seismic zone off its Pacific coast. This comes after a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near the trough on August 8th.
The Nankai Trough is a subduction zone where the Philippine Sea plate is being pushed under the Eurasian plate, building up immense tectonic stress. Experts estimate the next major Nankai Trough quake could reach a devastating magnitude of 9.1.
According to the advisory panel, the probability of a larger earthquake following the 7.1 tremor is much higher than usual - about once in a few hundred cases, rather than the normal low likelihood. Earthquakes of magnitude 8 or above are classified as megaquakes.
The potential impacts of such a massive Nankai Trough quake are staggering:
- Up to 323,000 fatalities
- 2.38 million buildings destroyed
- Tsunami waves up to 30 meters (98 feet) hitting the Pacific coast within minutes
- Economic losses of over $1.5 trillion, more than a third of Japan's GDP
The panel urged residents in high-risk areas to review evacuation plans and remain vigilant for aftershocks over the coming week.
Japan is no stranger to devastating seismic events, having experienced the catastrophic 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that killed over 15,000 people. The Nankai Trough poses an even more formidable threat, as it has historically produced massive tremors about once a century.
With this first-of-its-kind advisory, Japan is putting its citizens on high alert for what could potentially be the country's largest natural disaster in modern history.
日本首次發出南海海溝巨型地震警告
日本在8月8日發生7.1級強震後,首次發出有關南海海溝出現巨型地震風險的警告。
南海海溝位於日本太平洋沿岸,是菲律賓海板塊向歐亞板塊俯衝的一個俯衝帶,積累了巨大的地震能量。專家估計下次主要的南海海溝地震可能達到9.1級的毀滅性規模。
根據警告小組,在7.1級餘震後出現更大地震的可能性大幅提高 - 約為百分之一,而一般情況下的機會較低。8級或以上的地震被歸類為巨型地震。
如果發生如此巨大的南海海溝地震,其潛在破壞力是驚人的:
- 最多323,000人喪生
- 238萬棟建築物被毀
- 海嘯最高可達30米(98英尺),數分鐘內襲擊太平洋沿岸
- 經濟損失超過1.5萬億美元,佔日本GDP三分之一以上
小組呼籲高風險地區的居民檢討疏散計劃,並在未來一週內保持警惕。
日本並非第一次面臨毀滅性的地震,2011年東北大地震及海嘯造成15,000多人喪生。但南海海溝帶來的威脅更為嚴峻,因為它歷史上約每100年就會釀成一次巨災。
通過這次首次發出的警告,日本正在告知公眾準備應對可能是該國現代史上最大規模的自然災難。
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