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Strong shallow earthquake near Sado Island, Honshu, Japan

Thursday, February 9, 2012 0:41

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Earthquake overview : At 21:01 (09:01 PM) a strpng shallow earthquake occurred close to the coast of Sado Island, Honshu, Japan
“I have Felt it” Reports –> see below + Let us know “how you have felt this earthquake”
To read the full story as it happened, we advise our readers to start at the lower part of the page (earthquake data).
Check also our Japan-only earthquake list for aftershocks

Keep this page open or return regularly as we will be back with more details when they become available
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Coastal village on Sado Island close to the epicenter - courtesy KatyGoat

Update 14:03 UTC
Fire Department of Japan has reported in his third report that as far as 2 hours after the earthquake, no damage has been detected in the villages or cities and that the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station has not been damaged neither.

Update 13:44 UTC
The strongest earthquake we could trace at Sado Island was a M 6.6 earthquake which occurred at December 9, 1802.

Update 13:34 UTC
Japan seismological agency, JMA is reporting a 5+ intensity, considered by Earthquake-report.com as moderately dangerous for damage.
5+   Sado-shi Aikawa-sanchome and Sado-shi Kawaharada-hommachi*
5-   Sado-shi Ogimachi*, Sado-shi Hamochi-hongo* and Sado-shi Akadomari*
4   Sado-shi Iwayaguchi*, Sado-shi Ryotsu-minato*, Sado-shi Matsugasaki*, Sado-shi Chigusa*, Sado-shi Niibo-uryuya*, Sado-shi Mano-shimmachi*, Sado-shi Ryotsu-shisho* and Sado-shi Aikawa-sakaemachi*
Japan seismological intensity values are scaled from 0 to 7. 5+ JMA can be compared with 7 MMI (very strong shaking).

Sado Island earthquake - Intensity map courtesy JMA Japan

Update 13:32 UTC
Sado Province was a province of Japan until 1871; since then, it has been a part of Niigata Prefecture. It was sometimes called Sashū or Toshū. It lies on the eponymous Sado Island, off the coast of Niigata Prefecture (or in the past, Echigo Province).
Sado was famous for the silver and gold mined on the island. In the Kamakura Period, the province was granted to the Honma clan from Honshū, and they continued to dominate Sado until 1589, when Uesugi Kagekatsu of Echigo Province took over the island. The Tokugawa shoguns later made Sado a personal fief after Sekigahara, and assumed direct control of its mines.
Since 2004 Sado city has comprised the entire island.
Its rich history and relaxed rural atmosphere make Sado one of the major tourist destinations in Niigata Prefecture. The island has several temples and historical ruins, and offers possibilities for various outdoor activities, as well as fresh local food.
Sado is famous as the major breeding area for the Japanese Crested Ibis. The last known Japan-born Japanese Crested Ibis died in captivity in 2003 on the island. Currently, birds from China are being bred in a captive program in a facility in Niibo area. The Ibis, Toki in Japanese, is a major symbol of the Island and can be found on several tourist items. There are plans to release Ibis in the wild at the end of 2008. (source Wikipedia)

Update 13:31 UTC
The Island area does not seem to be particularly dangerous, although moderate earthquakes are fairly common.

The strong shallow and thus moderately dangerous earthquake occurred almost below Sado Island, an island approx. 50 km from the western Honshu coast.

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Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 5.7
UTC Time : Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 12:01:37 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 09:01:37 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 10 km
Geo-location(s) :
10 km from Sawazakihana Light (Sado Island)
38 km SW Ryotsu (pop 16,359)
72 km NW Nagaoka (pop 195,318)

Links to important maps
USGS Did You Feel It Map
Google satellite map showing the epicenter and the surrounding area
Historic earthquakes map
Seismic hazard map
Shaking map
Focal mechanism report
Human impact map

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I did feel it – Ik heb het gevoeld – Το έκανα αισθάνεται –Yo lo he sentido – 我的确感到了 – 私はそれを感じていました- Ich habe es gefühlt – Bunu hissediyorum yaptı – لم أشعر أنه

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MMI II (Very weak shaking)

People :
Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors or favorably placed.

MMI III (Weak shaking)

People :
Felt indoors; hanging objects may swing, vibration similar to passing of light trucks, duration may be estimated, may not be recognized as an earthquake.

MMI IV (Light shaking)

People :
Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likened to the passing of heavy traffic, or to the jolt of a heavy object falling or striking the building.
Fittings :
Doors and windows rattle. Glassware and crockery rattle. Liquids in open vessels may be slightly disturbed. Standing motorcars may rock.
Structures :
Walls and frames of buildings, and partitions and suspended ceilings in commercial buildings, may be heard to creak.

MMI V (Moderate shaking)

People :
Generally felt outside, and by almost everyone indoors. Most sleepers awakened. A few people alarmed.
Fittings :
Small unstable objects are displaced or upset. Some glassware and crockery may be broken. Hanging pictures knock against the wall. Open doors may swing. Cupboard doors secured by magnetic catches may open. Pendulum clocks stop, start, or change rate.
Structures :
Some large display windows cracked. A few earthenware toilet fixtures cracked.

MMI VI (Strong shaking)

People Felt by all. People and animals alarmed. Many run outside. Difficulty experienced in walking steadily.
Fittings :
Objects fall from shelves. Pictures fall from walls. Some furniture moved on smooth floors, some unsecured free-standing fireplaces moved. Glassware and crockery broken. Very unstable furniture overturned. Small church and school bells ring. Appliances move on bench or table tops. Filing cabinets or "easy glide" drawers may open (or shut).
Structures :
Slight damage to buildings with low standard. Some stucco or cement plaster falls. Large display windows broken. Damage to a few weak domestic chimneys, some may fall.
Environment :
Trees and bushes shake, or are heard to rustle. Loose material may be dislodged from sloping ground, e.g. existing slides, talus slopes, shingle slides.

MMI VII (Very strong shaking)

People
General alarm. Difficulty experienced in standing. Noticed by motorcar drivers who may stop.
Fittings :
Large bells ring. Furniture moves on smooth floors, may move on carpeted floors. Substantial damage to fragile contents of buildings.
Structures :
Unreinforced stone and brick walls cracked. Low standard buildings cracked with some minor masonry falls. A few instances of damage to buildings of ordinary workmanship. Unbraced parapets, unbraced brick gables, and architectural ornaments fall. Roofing tiles, especially ridge tiles may be dislodged. Many unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, often falling from roof-line. Water tanks Type I burst. A few instances of damage to brick veneers and plaster or cement-based linings. Unrestrained water cylinders (hot-water cylinders) may move and leak. Some common windows cracked. Suspended ceilings damaged.
Environment :
Water made turbid by stirred up mud. Small slides such as falls of sand and gravel banks, and small rock-falls from steep slopes and cuttings. Instances of settlement of unconsolidated or wet, or weak soils. Some fine cracks appear in sloping ground. A few instances of liquefaction (i.e. small water and sand ejections).

MMI VIII (Severe shaking)

People Alarm may approach panic. Steering of motorcars greatly affected. Structures : Low standard buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. ordinary workmanship buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged in some cases. A few instances of damage to buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes. Monuments and pre-1976 elevated tanks and factory stacks twisted or brought down. Some pre-1965 infill masonry panels damaged. A few post-1980 brick veneers damaged. Decayed timber piles of houses damaged. Houses not secured to foundations may move. Most unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, some below roof-line, many brought down. Environment : Cracks appear on steep slopes and in wet ground. Small to moderate slides in roadside cuttings and unsupported excavations. Small water and sand ejections and localized lateral spreading adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.

MMI IX (Violent shaking)

Structures Many low standard buildings destroyed. Ordinary workmanship buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes damaged in some cases, some with flexible frames seriously damaged. Damage or permanent distortion to some buildings and bridges, designed and built to normal use standards. Houses not secured to foundations shifted off. Brick veneers fall and expose frames. Environment : Cracking of ground conspicuous. Landsliding general on steep slopes. Liquefaction effects intensified and more widespread, with large lateral spreading and flow sliding adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.

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MMI II (Very weak shaking)
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