Japan's Coastal Transformation: Earthquake Impact Explained
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Chapter 1: The New Year Quake
Japan's residents could not have anticipated the dramatic events that unfolded on New Year's Day. On January 1, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck the Noto Peninsula, sending tremors throughout Ishikawa Prefecture. Just two weeks post-disaster, the death toll had risen above 200, with approximately 560 individuals injured and over 20 still unaccounted for. This earthquake marked the deadliest occurrence in Japan since the Tōhoku disaster of 2011 and was the first of its magnitude since 2018.
Rescue operations are currently ongoing, but authorities have acknowledged the challenges posed by widespread destruction, landslides, and aftershocks. A week after the quake, relief efforts faced additional hurdles as heavy snowfall blanketed the area, plunging temperatures below freezing. Many residents were left without access to water, while at least 36,000 households and 19 medical facilities experienced power outages.
The earthquake resulted in extensive damage to homes and caused fires, particularly in Wajima. Furthermore, infrastructure across Niigata, Toyama, Fukui, and Gifu prefectures sustained significant impacts. Alarmingly, the earthquake also triggered a tsunami warning, the first since the catastrophic event of 2011.
Chapter 2: The Coastal Shift
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued alerts indicating the potential for dangerous waves within a 300 km radius of the epicenter. Local reports suggested that waves could reach heights of up to 5 meters. Ultimately, tsunami waves slightly exceeding one meter did reach the port of Wajima and also impacted the coasts of South Korea.
Recent satellite imagery of the Noto Peninsula reveals another consequence of the earthquake: a significant alteration of the coastline. Before and after photographs illustrate that land uplift has extended the shoreline by as much as 250 meters. Images shared on X highlight areas where the seabed has risen above the water, forming new beaches. Nahel Belgherze, a French blogger specializing in extreme weather, noted on X, "The earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula was so potent that it shifted the coastline by up to 250 meters due to substantial land uplift."
Section 2.1: Formation of New Beaches
Researchers from the Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo documented evidence of seismic uplift along the northwest coast of the Noto Peninsula. Their field surveys, conducted at ten different sites from Kaiso to Akasaki, confirmed the transformative impact of the earthquake.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) captured additional images of the Noto Peninsula using the ALOS-2 satellite. The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan indicated that many regions, such as Nafune port, Wajima, and Minazuki Bay, experienced noticeable shifts seaward. Ongoing coastal studies may further refine these observations, with scientists reporting that the uplift appears to decrease as one moves southward from Kaiso to Akasaki.
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