1854 Nankai earthquake

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1854 Nankai earthquake
Japan natural location map with side map of the Ryukyu Islands.jpg
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Local dateDecember 24, 1854 (1854-12-24)
Local time16:00
Magnitude8.4 ML
Epicenter 33°00′N135°00′E / 33.0°N 135.0°E / 33.0; 135.0
Fault Nankai megathrust
Areas affectedJapan, Tōkai region
TsunamiYes
Casualties>3,000
1854 Ansei Nankai earthquake intensity.PNG

The 1854 Nankai earthquake occurred at about 16:00 local time on 24 December. It had a magnitude of 8.4 and caused a damaging tsunami. More than 30,000 buildings were destroyed and there were at least 3,000 casualties. [1]

Contents

It was the second of the three Ansei great earthquakes; the 1854 Tōkai earthquake of identical magnitude had hit northwest the previous morning, and the third 1855 Edo earthquake would strike less than a year later.

Background

The southern coast of Honshu runs parallel to the Nankai Trough, which marks the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate. Movement on this convergent plate boundary leads to many earthquakes, some of them of the megathrust type. The Nankai megathrust has five distinct segments (A–E) that can rupture independently, [2] [3] the segments have ruptured either singly or together repeatedly over the last 1300 years. [4] Megathrust earthquakes on this structure tend to occur in pairs, with a relatively short time gap between them. In addition to the two events in 1854, there were similar earthquakes in 1944 and 1946. In each case the northeastern segment ruptured before the southwestern segment. [5]

Damage

The damage due to the earthquake was severe with 5,000 houses being destroyed and 40,000 houses badly damaged. A further 6,000 homes were damaged by fire. The tsunami washed away a further 15,000 houses and a total of 3,000 people died from either the earthquake or the tsunami. [6] The death toll associated with the tsunami was less than would be expected in comparison to the 1707 tsunami, because many people had left the coastal area following the large earthquake the previous day. [7] In Hiro (now Hirogawa), Goryo Hamaguchi set fires using rice straw to help guide villagers to safety. This story was turned into "A living god" by the Greek-born writer Lafcadio Hearn. [8]

Characteristics

Earthquake

Much of southwestern Honshu, Shikoku and Kyūshū experienced shaking of 5 or more on the JMA scale, with most of Shikoku and nearby coastal areas of Kansai suffering an intensity of 6. [9]

Tsunami

On Shikoku, the greatest inundation heights were 7.5 m in Mugi, 7.5 m in Kamikawaguchi (Japanese: 上川口) of Kuroshio, [10] 7.2 m at Asakawa on the Tokushima coast, 7.4 m at Usa, 8.4 m at Ōnogō in the Susaki area, 8.3 m at Kure on the Kōchi coast and 5 m at both Hisayoshiura and Kaizuka on the coast of Ehime. [7]

A tsunami was observed in Shanghai, China, and a water surge of about 2 to 3 Chi was recorded in Huangpu River. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

Megathrust earthquakes occur at convergent plate boundaries, where one tectonic plate is forced underneath another. The earthquakes are caused by slip along the thrust fault that forms the contact between the two plates. These interplate earthquakes are the planet's most powerful, with moment magnitudes (Mw) that can exceed 9.0. Since 1900, all earthquakes of magnitude 9.0 or greater have been megathrust earthquakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1891 Mino–Owari earthquake</span> Magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Japan

The 1891 Mino–Owari earthquake struck the Japanese provinces of Mino and Owari in the Nōbi Plain in the early morning of October 28 with a surface wave magnitude of 8.0 and moment magnitude of 7.5. The event, also referred to as the Nōbi earthquake, the Great Gifu earthquake, or the Great Nōbi earthquake, is the largest known inland earthquake to have occurred in the Japanese archipelago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nankai Trough</span> Trough off the coast of Japan

The Nankai Trough is a submarine trough located south of the Nankaidō region of Japan's island of Honshu, extending approximately 900 km (559 mi) offshore. The underlying fault, the Nankai megathrust, is the source of the devastating Nankai megathrust earthquakes, while the trough itself is potentially a major source of hydrocarbon fuel, in the form of methane clathrate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ansei great earthquakes</span>

The Ansei great earthquakes were a series of major earthquakes that struck Japan during the Ansei era (1854–1860):

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1946 Nankai earthquake</span> Great earthquake in Nankaidō, Japan measured between 8.1 and 8.4.

The 1946 Nankai earthquake was a great earthquake in Nankaidō, Japan. It occurred on December 21, 1946, at 04:19 JST. The earthquake measured between 8.1 and 8.4 on the moment magnitude scale, and was felt from Northern Honshū to Kyūshū. It occurred almost two years after the 1944 Tōnankai earthquake, which ruptured the adjacent part of the Nankai megathrust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nankai megathrust earthquakes</span> Class of earthquakes in Japan

Nankai megathrust earthquakes are great megathrust earthquakes that occur along the Nankai megathrust – the fault under the Nankai Trough – which forms the plate interface between the subducting Philippine Sea Plate and the overriding Amurian Plate, which dips beneath southwestern Honshu, Japan. The fault is divided into five segments in three zones, which rupture separately or in combination, and depending on location, the resulting earthquakes are subdivided by zone from west to east into Nankai earthquakes, Tōnankai earthquakes, and Tōkai earthquakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nankai earthquakes</span> Class of earthquakes in Japan

The Nankai earthquakes are major megathrust earthquakes that affect the Nankaidō region of Japan, west of the Tōnankai region and Tōkai region, and are caused by ruptures in the Nankai zone of the Nankai megathrust, specifically segments A and/or B. They occur with a return period of 100 to 200 years, and there is a high probability of one in the 21st century, as the most recent was the 1946 Nankaidō earthquake. These have high destructive potential, and thus are a focus of earthquake preparation.These are a class of Nankai megathrust earthquakes, frequently occurring in combination with, or following, a rupture of segments C and/or D and sometimes segment E. They are also known as Nankaidō earthquakes.

The 1854 Tōkai earthquake was the first of the Ansei great earthquakes (1854–1855). It occurred at about 09:00 local time on 23 December 1854. It had a magnitude of 8.4 and caused a damaging tsunami. More than 10,000 buildings were destroyed and there were at least 2,000 casualties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1707 Hōei earthquake</span> 1707 earthquake and tsunami off the southern coast of Japan

The 1707 Hōei earthquake struck south-central Japan at around 13:45 local time on 28 October. It was the largest earthquake in Japanese history until it was surpassed by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. It caused moderate-to-severe damage throughout southwestern Honshu, Shikoku and southeastern Kyūshū. The earthquake, and the resulting destructive tsunami, caused more than 5,000 casualties. This event ruptured all of the segments of the Nankai megathrust simultaneously, the only earthquake known to have done this, with an estimated magnitude of 8.6 ML or 8.7 Mw. It possibly also triggered the last eruption of Mount Fuji 49 days later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tōkai earthquakes</span> Class of earthquakes in Japan

The Tōkai earthquakes are major earthquakes that have occurred regularly with a return period of 100 to 150 years in the Tōkai region of Japan. The Tōkai segment has been struck by earthquakes in 1498, 1605, 1707, and 1854. Given the historic regularity of these earthquakes, Kiyoo Mogi in 1969 pointed out that another great shallow earthquake was possible in the "near future".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1855 Edo earthquake</span> Earthquake in Japan

The 1855 Edo earthquake, was the third Ansei Great Earthquake, which occurred during the late-Edo period. It occurred after the 1854 Nankai earthquake, which took place about a year prior. The earthquake occurred at 22:00 local time on 11 November. It had an epicenter close to Edo, causing considerable damage in the Kantō region from the shaking and subsequent fires, with a death toll of 7,000–10,000 people and destroyed around 14,000 buildings. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.0 on the surface wave magnitude scale and reached a maximum intensity of XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. The earthquake triggered a minor tsunami.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1498 Meiō earthquake</span> 8.6 Ms earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Japan

The 1498 Meiō earthquake occurred off the coast of Nankaidō, Japan, at about 08:00 local time on 20 September 1498. It had a magnitude estimated at 8.6 Ms and triggered a large tsunami. The death toll associated with this event is uncertain, but between 5,000 and 41,000 casualties were reported. The tsunami caused by the Meiō Nankaidō earthquake washed away the building housing the statue of the Great Buddha at Kōtoku-in in Kamakura, although the statue itself remained intact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1944 Tōnankai earthquake</span> Earthquake and tsunami affecting southern Japan

The 1944 Tōnankai earthquake occurred at 13:35 local time on 7 December. It had an estimated magnitude of 8.1 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum felt intensity of greater than 5 Shindo. It triggered a large tsunami that caused serious damage along the coast of Wakayama Prefecture and the Tōkai region. Together, the earthquake and tsunami caused 3,358 casualties.

The 1605 Keichō earthquake occurred at about 20:00 local time on 3 February. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.9 on the surface wave magnitude scale and triggered a devastating tsunami that resulted in thousands of deaths in the Nankai and Tōkai regions of Japan. It is uncertain whether there were two separate earthquakes separated by a short time interval or a single event. It is referred to as a tsunami earthquake, in that the size of the tsunami greatly exceeds that expected from the magnitude of the earthquake.

The 1979 Tumaco earthquake occurred at 02:59 local time on 12 December with a moment magnitude of 8.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The epicenter was just offshore from the border between Ecuador and Colombia, near the port city of Tumaco. It triggered a major tsunami, which was responsible for most of the estimated 300–600 deaths. The hardest hit area was Colombia's Nariño Department.

The 684 Hakuho earthquake took place in Japan in 684, and is described in the history book Nihon Shoki from the 8th century. The earthquake took place on 26 November 684, in 13th year of the reign of Emperor Tenmu. It caused the under-sea inundation of approximately 10 km2 (3.9 sq mi) of rice fields.

The Nemuro-Oki earthquake in scientific literature, occurred on June 17 at 12:55 local time. It struck with an epicenter just off the Nemuro Peninsula in northern Hokkaidō, Japan. It measured 7.8–7.9 on the moment magnitude scale (Mw ), 8.1 on the tsunami magnitude scale (Mt ) and 7.4 on the Japan Meteorological Agency magnitude scale (MJMA ).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1833 Shōnai earthquake</span> Earthquake in Japan

The Shōnai offshore earthquake occurred at around 14:00 on December 7, 1833. It struck with an epicenter in the Sea of Japan, off the coast of Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. A tsunami was triggered by the estimated MJMA  7.5–7.7 earthquake. One hundred and fifty people were killed and there was severe damage in the prefecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1940 Shakotan earthquake</span> Earthquake in Japan

The 1940 Shakotan earthquake occurred on August 2 at 00:08:22 JST with a moment magnitude (Mw ) of 7.5 and maximum JMA seismic intensity of Shindo 4. The shock had an epicenter off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan. Damage from the shock was comparatively light, but the accomanying tsunami was destructive. The tsunami caused 10 deaths and 24 injuries on Hokkaido, and destroyed homes and boats across the Sea of Japan. The highest tsunami waves were recorded at the coast of Russia while along the coast of Hokkaido, waves were about 2 m.

References

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  7. 1 2 Murakami, H.; Ito S.; Hiraiwa Y. & Shimada T. (1995). "Re-examination of historical tsunamis in Shikoku Island, Japan". In Tsuchiya Y. & Shutō N. (eds.). Tsunami: progress in prediction, disaster prevention, and warning. Springer. p. 336. ISBN   978-0-7923-3483-5.
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Further reading