Fear of thousands of casualties, probability of mega earthquake has increased to 82%, research
TOKYO (INP) – The Japanese government has predicted that the probability of mega earthquakes in the next 30 years has increased to 82%.
According to the World News Agency, a government panel consisting of experts has said that the magnitude of the earthquake may be 8 to 9, which will cause a huge tsunami. Many thousands of people are expected to lose their lives, and billions of dollars in damages are anticipated.
The Earthquake Research Committee says that until last year, there was a 74 to 81% chance of an earthquake of this magnitude. However, this probability has now increased to 75 to 82%.
The Nankai Turf: The Epicenter of Concern
According to experts, the epicenter of the earthquake is an undersea area off the Pacific coast in southwestern Japan known as the Nankai Turf. The Nankai Turf is a deep depression where two tectonic plates collide at Nankaidō, south of the Honshu Island in Japan.
The 800-kilometer-long Nankai Turf is a sea channel parallel to Japan’s Pacific coast. Undersea tectonic plates are trapped as they move, storing large amounts of energy. This energy is released as the plates separate, potentially resulting in a very destructive earthquake.
Historical Context of Nankai Turf
For the past 1,400 years, severe earthquakes have occurred in the Nankai Turf every 140 to 200 years. The last time an earthquake was recorded in the Nankai Turf was in 1946.
