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A powerful earthquake that hit Japan this week killed dozens of roads and buildings.
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The magnitude 7.6 quake was powerful, but nothing compared to the magnitude 9.0 that struck in 2011.
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Satellite images show the devastation of both the 2011 and 2024 disasters.
More than 20 powerful earthquakes struck Japan’s Noto Peninsula on January 1, including one with a magnitude of 7.6, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
So far, at least 84 people have been killed and thousands are without power or evacuated from their homes. Although this is one of the most powerful earthquakes Japan has experienced this century, it is not the most powerful in history.
That famous title goes to the great Sendai earthquake – a devastating 9.0-magnitude temblor that struck off the coast in 2011 and triggered a tsunami that killed more than 18,000 and caused the Fukushima Power Plant disaster.
Both the 2024 and 2011 earthquakes caused catastrophic damage on a massive scale that could be seen from space. The following photos show satellite imagery from the two quakes.
Houses and buildings in Ishinomaki in 2011 seemed to disappear.
The epicenter of the 2011 earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that devastated Japan’s northeast coast. Ishinomaki, shown below, saw waves as high as 32 feet, according to the International Tsunami Information Center.
Sendai airport was damaged as a result of the 2011 disasters.
Sendai airport, shown below, took about a month to reopen after the 2011 tsunami, according to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The 2011 tsunami caused major flooding near Natori Port.
During the 2011 tsunami, waves reached as high as 130 feet, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Water flooded fields near Natori Port, shown below.
After the 2011 tsunami, the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant melted down.
Although the plant automatically shut down its reactors and turned on the generators to keep the reactors cool, a 46-foot wave submerged the plant. The generators stopped, and the reactors overheated and partially melted the cores, according to the BBC.
During the 2024 earthquake, buildings and houses in Wajima were leveled.
Due to a fire after the earthquake, the BBC captured wooden stalls and houses in the fishing town of Wajima.
Boats sank off the coast of Suzu City when the 2024 earthquake struck.
Japan issued tsunami warnings after the January 1 earthquake, and a small one hit Suzu, the BBC reported. Waves were as high as 4 feet in some areas, according to The Guardian. The peninsula continued to shake in the following days after smaller shocks.
The 2024 earthquake also destroyed houses along the coast.
Due to its location on top of four tectonic plates, the area around Japan experiences about 18% of the world’s earthquakes, The Washington Post reported.
This week’s earthquake left thousands without power.
Roads were opened as a result of the 2024 earthquake.
The epicenter of the 2024 earthquake was near Suzu. It raised the ground as high as 13 feet in some areas.
The total death toll and total destruction from the 2024 quake is still unclear as rescuers scramble to save people trapped under rubble.
What is clear, however, is that this event will claim a small fraction of their lives compared to the 2011 earthquake.
The 2011 earthquake was much more powerful than the 2024 event and occurred offshore, causing a much larger tsunami that reached speeds of about 500 mph as it traveled landward.
Japan is known for its earthquake preparedness, which helps save lives during these natural disasters.
For example, an earthquake as powerful as 7.8-magnitude hit Turkey last February killing more than 50,000, The Japan Times reported. Many of the country’s older buildings do not meet modern codes, according to AP News.
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