Simplify the following text for a Grade 7 native English-speaking person.
Original: The quake moved portions of northeast Japan by as much as 2.4 m closer to North America , making portions of Japan 's landmass `` wider than before , '' according to geophysicist Ross Stein .
Simplified: The quake moved portions of northeast Japan by as much as 2.4 m ( 7.9 ft ) closer to North America , making portions of Japan 's landmass `` wider than before , '' according to geophysicist Ross Stein .