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    The 2011 Tohoku earthquake occurred where the Pacific plate slides under several other plates along Japan's eastern edge. As the denser oceanic plate sinks deeper into the mantle, pressure builds up over time along the boundary between the plates. When the pressure became too great, the edge of the overriding plate sprang back, causing a massive magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Japan's northeast coast.

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    The 2011 Tohoku earthquake occurred where the Pacific plate slides under several other plates along Japan's eastern edge. As the denser oceanic plate sinks deeper into the mantle, pressure builds up over time along the boundary between the plates. When the pressure became too great, the edge of the overriding plate sprang back, causing a massive magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Japan's northeast coast.

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    246 views1 page

    Earthquake Explained

    Uploaded by

    Calgary Herald
    The 2011 Tohoku earthquake occurred where the Pacific plate slides under several other plates along Japan's eastern edge. As the denser oceanic plate sinks deeper into the mantle, pressure builds up over time along the boundary between the plates. When the pressure became too great, the edge of the overriding plate sprang back, causing a massive magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Japan's northeast coast.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 1

    How Japan quake happened

    The big quake occurred in the Japan Trench where the Pacific plate slides
    under several other plates along the eastern edge of the island nation.

    Land
    Oceanic
    trench
    quake Ocean
    Ocean trench
    1. Oceanic
    plates sink
    under inland Inland plate
    plates
    1
    Oceanic plate

    Ocean
    2. Edge of
    inland plate is
    pulled under;
    pressure builds
    Inland 2 up over time
    plate
    3. When pressure
    becomes too great,
    edge of inland plate
    springs back, causing
    earthquake, tsunami
    Erimo Cape,
    Hokkaido
    Crooked area
    in Japan
    Tsunami
    Trench was
    thought to
    prevent a high
    magnitude 3

    Before and
    after the big
    quake
    Foreshocks started
    March 9 with magnitude Aftershocks at least Since 1973 there have
    7.2 quake; three more two of magnitude 7 been 9 quakes of
    greater than magnitude or greater, more are magnitude 7 or greater
    6.0 on March 11 expected in the Japan Trench

    Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, NASA


    Graphic: Lee Hulteng, Judy Treible © 2011 MCT

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