On Wednesday, March 16, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit northeastern Japan, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a tsunami warning. The earthquake, which struck off the coast of the Fukushima region at a depth of 60 kilometers, left many areas, including Tokyo, without water and power.

After the earthquake, much discussion focused on whether the earthquake, together with the Tonga volcanic eruption in January, were signs of active tectonic movements. Ji Jianqing, a professor at the School of Earth and Space Sciences at Peking University, shared his opinions with CGTN Nature.

Ji said that some people might think both the earthquake and the volcanic eruption happened on the same side of the Pacific Plate, and therefore can serve as evidence of increased activity of the plate. However, he pointed out the subduction and convergence status of Tonga and Japan are not synchronized, and the eruption and earthquake are more affected by the local tectonic environments, which have differences. Therefore, a conclusion that the Japan earthquake and Tonga volcanic eruption are related cannot be drawn.

Ji also conveyed his concern about the Fukushima power plant which was severely damaged by the earthquake in March 2011. He said the Fukushima power plant was unfortunately built in an area where earthquakes happen frequently. This latest earthquake might not cause more damage, but he said it was important that Japan pay more attention to potential safety hazards and radionuclide levels in the area.  

(Cover image: Cracks on a damaged road on the Tohoku Expressway in Shiroishi, Miyagi prefecture, after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake jolted eastern Japan. /AFP)

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