2024 Noto earthquake

On 1 January 2024, at 16:10 JST (07:10 UTC), a  7.5 earthquake happened in the Noto PeninsulaBefore Meiji period, this area belonged to Noto Province of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. The earthquake caused a tsunami along the Sea of Japan. As of 26 March 2024, there were 245 deaths, 1,298 injuries and 2 others were missing, making it the deadliest earthquake in Japan since the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.

The Japan Meteorological Agency officially named this earthquake the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

 Tectonic setting 
The northeastern tip of the Noto Peninsula in Japan has been experiencing many earthquakes for three years. The biggest one recently was stronger than another big earthquake that happened in May 2023. This was the largest earthquake in the Sea of Japan since 1983.

Japan is located where four big pieces of the Earth's crust (Pacific, Philippine Sea, Okhotsk, and Amurian Plates) meet. This causes a lot of earthquakes. On the east and southeast coasts, the Pacific and Philippine Sea Plates are moving under the land (a process called subduction) at two places: the Japan Trench and the Nankai Trough. The west coast, near the Sea of Japan, is also where two plates meet, and they are slowly starting to move under each other, creating faults.

This area has been geologically active for a very long time, since the end of the Pliocene era. Earthquakes and tsunamis happen here because of the plates moving against each other. There have been big earthquakes and tsunamis in the past in 1741, 1833, 1940, 1964, 1983, and 1993. But, it's not completely clear what caused the 1741 tsunami.

 Earthquake 
200px|thumb|left|USGS ShakeMap
A big earthquake happened, and it was not very deep under the ground. This earthquake happened where two big pieces of the Earth's crust, the Okhotsk Plate and Amurian Plate, are pushing against each other. The earthquake was caused by these plates squeezing and sliding in opposite directions.

Before the main big earthquake, there was a smaller one, with an magnitude of 5.5, and after it, there was another one, with an magnitude of 6.2, along with several other smaller earthquakes.

The area affected by the earthquake was about 200 kilometers long, stretching from the Noto Peninsula to Sado Island. The earthquake caused the ground to shift a lot in some places, with the biggest shift being about 3.67 meters. This shifting probably reached all the way to the bottom of the sea.

The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan said that some areas of the country shifted about  to the west. The largest displacement occurred in Wajima due to crustal deformation. In Anamizu, the land moved  westward. However, the agency noted that these movements might be related to slopes or local ground changes instead.

 Tsunami 

 Japan 
After the earthquake, there was a big warning for a tsunami, the first one since the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. NHK, a public broadcaster, said  tsunami waves might come, and a survey performed by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers’ coastal engineering committee found that the Shika communities of Akasaki and Shishizu recorded a 5.1-meter tsunami.  In Hōryū, in coastal Suzu, the tsunami gouged the coastline, causing it to erode, evidence of the power with which it hit. The tsunami also lifted boats and cars and flattened weaker buildings, carrying a stream of debris with it. One piece of evidence of the tsunami’s sheer force is the damaged asphalt everywhere. The powerful currents stripped roads bare. At least 26 deaths are attributed to the tsunami alone. 

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned of dangerous waves near the quake's center. About 51,000 people had to leave their homes; 1,000 went to a base in Wajima, Ishikawa.

The first tsunami waves hit around 16:21. Wajima got  waves. Kanazawa saw , Toyama and Sakata got  waves. Smaller waves hit other places like Nanao, Tsuruga, Kashiwazaki, Toyooka, Tobishima, and Sado Island. Toyama city had a  wave. Hokkaido saw up to  waves.

In Suzu, homes were moved, and boats were overturned. A resident saw tsunami waves moving cars and debris, reaching 3 meters (9.8 ft) high. The tsunami pushed water up to 100 meters (330 ft) inland at Iida Port in Ishikawa.

The tsunami warning was lowered to an advisory around 20:30 and ended by 10:01 on 2 January, 18 hours after the earthquake.

 Elsewhere along the Sea of Japan 
The Korea Meteorological Administration said that sea levels might rise along South Korea's east coast, including Gangwon Province and Pohang. They expected  waves from 18:29 to 19:17 local time. Later, a  tsunami hit Gangwon, and a  wave struck Mukho around 20:00. Tsunamis of  in Uljin,  in Sokcho, and  in Gangneung were also recorded. This was the first time since 1993 that South Korea saw a tsunami over . North Korea's state radio, reported by Yonhap News Agency, reported a tsunami warning, with possible  waves.

In Russia, there were tsunami warnings, including Sakhalin Island's west coast, where evacuations were initially mentioned but later denied by Russia. Warnings were also in place for Vladivostok and Nakhodka. The Russian Emergencies Ministry said "response teams are ready to deal with the possible consequences of a tsunami". However, officials in Vladivostok said no tsunami happened, and in Nakhodka, the tsunami was almost unnoticed.

 Impact 

At least 245 people died in Ishikawa Prefecture; 106 in wajima, 103 in Suzu, 20 in Anamizu, eight in Noto, five in Nanao, two in Shika and one in Hakui. Fifteen people died in the aftermath due to injuries or illnesses. More than 80 percent of the deaths, because of collapsed homes. Two people were killed by the tsunami. At least 1,188 people were injured in Ishikawa Prefecture, and as of 7 March, five people is missing. National Police Agency said that 92 people were crushed to death, 49 died of suffocation or respiratory failure, 32 died from hypothermia, and three died of burns.

The earthquake caused buildings to collapse in Ishikawa Prefecture. Around 36,000 homes lost power. A fire broke out in Wajima, and damaged roads made it hard for firefighters to stop it. Some people got stuck in collapsed homes but were eventually rescued. In Toyama Prefecture, roads cracked, and water pipes broke in Himi and Oyabe. In Niigata Prefecture, two people were injured, and there was liquefaction (when gas turns to liquid), causing sewer pipes to break and leaving many homes without water.

 Aftermath 
The earthquake caused serious harm to people and the economy. Nomura Securities predicted a drop in Japan's economic growth due to the earthquake, with a potential loss of 23 to 50 billion yen. This is mainly because cities like Suzu, Wajima, and Nanao might see a halt in their economic activities. NHK warned that the financial losses could increase since damages to roads, houses, and factories haven't been fully considered yet. The effect on supply chains might not be as bad as it was in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.

By 5 January, around 24,000 buildings in Ishikawa Prefecture were still without electricity. The Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, Ken Saito, said it's hard to tell when the power will be completely back.

 References 

Category:2024 earthquakes
Category:2024 disasters in Asia
Category:2024 in Japan
Category:January 2024 events
Category:Earthquakes in Japan
Category:Ishikawa Prefecture