Tsunami Japan Photos

Oil refinery on fire in Japan

Tsunami Japan Photos

The most powerful earthquake to hit Japan in recorded history struck off the island nation's shore on Friday, collapsing buildings, touching off widespread fires and unleashing walls of water up to 30 feet high.

Tsunami Japan Photos

Tsunami Japan Photos

Friday's quake is the strongest earthquake in recorded history to hit Japan, according to U.S. Geologic Survey records. The previous record was an 8.6 magnitude earthquake that struck near the Chubu Region near southwestern Honshu on October 28, 1707, that may have killed 5,000 people.

Tsunami Japan Photos

Tsunami Japan Photos

A Tsunami is a series of sea waves commonly generated by under-the-sea earthquakes and whose heights could be greater than 5 meters. 

It is erroneously called a tidal wave and sometimes mistakenly associated with storm surges. 

Tsunamis can occur when the earthquake is shallow-seated and strong enough to displace parts of the seabed and disturb the mass of water over it.

Natural signs of an approaching tsunami:

1. A felt earthquake;

2. Unusual sea level change: Sudden sea water retreat or rise;

3. Rumbling sound of approaching waves.

Tsunami Japan Photos